RAMAH - The name of several places in Palestine, so called from their 'loftiness,' that being the radical meaning of the word. These are as follows:
1. A city of Naphtali (Jos.19.36) not otherwise known, perhaps er-Rameh, Acco and Damascus, WSW. of Safed.
2. A city of Asher (Jos.19.29) not elsewhere mentioned, and identified not improbably with er-Ramiah, near Tyre.
3. A city of Benjamin (Jos.18.25) between which and Bethel was the palm of Deborah (Jg.4.5); one of the alternatives which the Levite of Bethlehem had to choose for a lodging on his fatal journey (Jg.19.13); yielded with Geba 621 men to the post-exilic census of Ezra (Ezr.2.26, 1 Es.5.20 [AV Cirama, RV Kirama]); re-settled by Benjamites (Neh.11.33). Its place is indicated between Geba and Gibeah in Isaiah's picture of the Assyrian advance (10.29). A tradition placed here the site of Rachel's tomb; this explains the allusions in 1 S.10.2, Jer.31.15 (quoted in Mt.2.18). Here Jeremiah was loosed from his chains (40.1). The name, and not improbably the site, of this place is preserved by a little village on a hillside N. of Jerusalem known as er-Ram, which answers the geographical requirements of these incidents. Near it are some remarkable ancient monuments, known locally as 'The Graves of the Children of Israel,' which possibly are the 'tomb of Rachel' of the ancient tradition. This town was probably the home of Shimei, the Ramathite, David's vine-dresser (1 Ch.27.27).
4. A place in the district called Ramathaim-zophim (1 S.1.1), a (corrupt) name probably = 'the two heights of the Zuphites.' The latter ethnic can hardly be dissociated from the name of the great high place of Mizpah (Nebi Samwil). Its chief distinction is its connexion with Samuel. It was in 'the hill country of Ephraim,' but might have been over the S. border of the tribe. Here Elkanah lived, and here was the headquarters of Samuel throughout his life (1 S.1.19, 2.11, 7.17, 8.4, 15.34, 16.13, 19.18-23, 20.1, 25.1, 28.3). This is probably the Ramah fortified by Baasha against the Judahite kingdom (1 K.15.17, 2 Ch.16.1), rather than the Benjamite Ramah: the latter being actually within Judahite territory would not have been accessible to him. This Ramah appears also in 1 Mac.11.34 as Ramathaim. It is perhaps modern, Rentis.
5. By the name Ramah allusion is made to Ramoth-gilead (q.v.) in 2 K.8.29 and the parallel passage 2 Ch.22.6.
6. Ramath-lehi, the scene of Samson's victory over the Philistines with the jawbone (Jg.15.17) is unknown. See LEHI. Ramath here is probably a common noun, and we ought to render it 'the height of Lehi.'
7. Ramath-mizpeh (Jos.13.26). See MIZPAH, 1, 4.
8. Ramah (AV Ramath) of the Negeb (AV, RV of the South), Jos.19.8. A town in the tribe of Judah, given to Simeon, to which David sent the spoil of Ziklag, 1 S.30.27 (Ramoth). It is quite unknown.
[Article: Dictionary of the Bible, J.Hastings, 2nd Ed., T&T.Clark, 1963 - R.A.S.M.]
RAMAH OF THE NEGEB - See RAMAH, 8.
RAMAH OF THE SOUTH, Jos.19.8 (RV) - See RAMAH, 8.
RAMATH OF THE SOUTH, Jos 19.8 (AV) - See RAMAH, 8.
RAMATHAIM, RAMATHAIM - ZOPHIM - See RAMAH, 4.
RAMATHITE - See RAMAH, 3.
RAMATH-LEHI - See RAMAH, 6.
RAMATH-MIZPEH - See MIZPAH, 4.