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MICHMASH

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Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 379 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MICHMASH , a See also:

place in See also:Benjamin, about 9 See also:Roman See also:miles See also:north of See also:Jerusalem (Onom, ed. Lag., p. 28o), the See also:scene of one of the most striking episodes in Old Testament See also:history (I Sam. xiv.). Though it did not See also:rank as a See also:city (not being mentioned in See also:Joshua xviii. 21 seq.), Michmash was recolonized after the See also:exile (Neh. xi. 31), and, favoured by the See also:possession of excellent See also:wheat-See also:land (Mishna, Men. viii. 1), was still a very large See also:village (Maxpas) in the See also:time of See also:Eusebius. The See also:modern Mukhmas is quite a small place. The See also:historical See also:interest of Michmash is connected with the strategical importance of the position, commanding the north See also:side of the Pass of Michmash, which made it the headquarters of the See also:Philistines and the centre of their forays in their See also:attempt to quell the first rising under See also:Saul, as it was also at a later date the headquarters of See also:Jonathan the Hasmonaean (1 See also:Mace. ix. 73). From Jerusalem to See also:Mount See also:Ephraim there are two See also:main routes. The See also:present See also:caravan road keeps the high ground to the See also:west near the See also:watershed, and avoids the Pass of Michmash altogether.

But another route, the importance of which in antiquity may be judged of from Isa. x. 28 sqq., led southwards from Ai over an undulating See also:

plateau to Michmash. Thus far the road is easy, but at Michmash it descends into a very steep and rough valley, which has to be crossed before reascending to Geba.1 At the bottom of the valley is the Pass of Michmash, a See also:noble See also:gorge with precipitous craggy sides. On the north the See also:crag is crowned by a sort of plateau sloping backwards into a See also:round-topped See also:hill. This little plateau, about a mile See also:east of the present village of Mukhmas, seems to have been the See also:post of the Philistines, lying See also:close to the centre of the insurrection, yet possessing unusually See also:good communication with their establishments on Mount Ephraim by way of Ai and See also:Bethel, and at the same time commanding the routes leading down to the See also:Jordan from Ai and from Michmash itself. See further C. R. See also:Conder, Tentwork ii. 112 seq.; and T. K. See also:Cheyne in Encyc. Bib., s.v.

(R. A. S.

End of Article: MICHMASH

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