View source for Gilead

{{short description|Northern part of the region of Transjordan, also the name of several biblical figures}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox landform
| name              = Gilead
| other_name        = גִּלְעָד, جلعاد
| type              = [[Region]]
| photo             = File:Landscape of Jordan.JPG
| photo_caption     = Gilead around river Zarqa, biblical River Yabok
| map               = Jordan
| relief            = 1
| label             = Gilead
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| coordinates       = {{coord|32|33|N|35|51|E|type:region|display=inline,title}}
| range             =
| location          = [[Irbid Governorate]], [[Jordan]]
| highest_point     = [[Mount Maqta' al Qurmeya]]
| highest_elevation = {{cvt|1,200|m}}
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'''Gilead''' or '''Gilad''' ({{IPAc-en|uk|ˈ|ɡ|ɪ|l|i|æ|d}}, {{IPAc-en|us|ˈ|ɡ|ɪ|l|i|ə|d}};<ref>{{cite EPD|18}}</ref><ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref> {{langx|he|גִּלְעָד}} ''Gilʿāḏ'', {{langx|ar|جلعاد}}, Ǧalʻād, Jalaad) is the ancient, historic, [[Hebrew Bible|biblical]] name of the mountainous northern part of the region of [[Transjordan (region)|Transjordan]].<ref name="easton">''Easton's Bible Dictionary'', [https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/galeed/ ''Galeed'']</ref> The region is bounded in the west by the [[Jordan River]], in the north by the deep ravine of the river [[Yarmouk River|Yarmouk]] and the region of [[Bashan]], and in the southwest by what were known during antiquity as the "[[plains of Moab]]", with no definite boundary to the east. In some cases, "Gilead" is used in the Bible to refer to all the region east of the Jordan River.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gilead {{!}} ancient region, Palestine {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Gilead-ancient-region-Palestine|access-date=2021-12-09|website=www.britannica.com|language=en}}</ref> Gilead is situated in modern-day [[Jordan]], corresponding roughly to the [[Irbid Governorate|Irbid]], [[Ajloun Governorate|Ajloun]], [[Jerash Governorate|Jerash]] and [[Balqa Governorate|Balqa]] [[Governorates of Jordan|Governorates]].
==Etymology==
Gilead is explained in the Hebrew Bible as derived from the Hebrew words {{Script/Hebrew|גלעד}} {{lang|he-Latn|gal‛êd}}, which in turn comes from {{lang|he-Latn|gal}} ('heap, mound, hill') and {{lang|he-Latn|‛êd}} ('witness, testimony').<ref>Hebrew Dictionary, Strong's Concordance of the Bible, reference #5707</ref> If that is the case, Gilead means 'heap [of stones] of testimony'. There is also an alternative theory that it means 'rocky region'.<ref>''Smith's Bible Dictionary'', "Gil'e-ad"</ref>
From its mountainous character, it is called the Mount of Gilead ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|31:25|KJV}}; {{Bibleverse |Song|4:1|KJV}}). It is called also the Land of Gilead ({{Bibleverse |Numbers|32:1|KJV}}, {{Bibleverse|Judges|10:4|KJV}}) in many [[English translations of the bible|translations]], and sometimes simply Gilead ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|37:25|KJV}}; {{Bibleverse|Judges|10:8|KJV}}; {{Bibleverse|Psalm|60:7|KJV}}), also mentioned in {{Bibleverse|Micah|7:14-15|KJV}}.
==History==
===Hebrew Bible===
The name Gilead first appears in the biblical account of the last meeting of [[Jacob]] and [[Laban (Bible)|Laban]] ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|31:21–22|KJV}}). In [[Book of Genesis]], Gilead was also referred to by the [[Aramaic]] name Yegar-Sahadutha, which carries the same meaning as the Hebrew Gilead, namely "heap [of stones] of testimony" ({{Bibleverse |Genesis|31:47–48|KJV}}).<ref>Bible Atlas, [http://bibleatlas.org/jegar-sahadutha.htm ''Jegar-sahadutha (Ramoth-gilead)''].</ref><ref name="easton" />
According to the biblical narrative, during [[the Exodus]], "half Gilead" was possessed by [[Sihon]], and the other half, separated from it by the river [[Jabbok]], by [[Og]], king of Bashan. After the two kings were defeated, the region of Gilead was allotted by [[Moses]] to the tribes of [[tribe of Gad|Gad]], [[Tribe of Reuben|Reuben]], and the eastern half of [[tribe of Manasseh|Manasseh]] ({{Bibleverse|Deuteronomy|3:13|KJV}}; {{Bibleverse |Numbers|32:40|KJV}}).
In the [[Book of Judges]], the thirty sons of the [[Biblical judges|biblical judge]] [[Jair]] controlled the thirty towns of Gilead ({{bibleverse|Judges|10:4|KJV}}), and in the [[First Book of Chronicles]], Segub controlled twenty-three towns in Gilead ({{bibleverse||1 Chronicles|2:21–22|KJV}}). It was bounded on the north by Bashan, and on the south by [[Moab]] and [[Ammon]] ({{bibleverse|Genesis|31:21|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|3:12–17|KJV}}).
[[File:Hills of Gilead.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The hills of Gilead, Jordan]]
"Gilead" mentioned in the [[Book of Hosea]] may refer to the cities of [[Ramoth-Gilead]], [[Jabesh-Gilead]], or the whole Gilead region; "Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood" ({{bibleverse|Hosea|6:8}}).
The kingdoms [[Ammon]] and [[Moab]] sometimes expanded to include southern Gilead. King [[David]] fled to [[Mahanaim]] in Gilead during the rebellion of [[Absalom]]. Gilead is later mentioned as the homeplace of the prophet [[Elijah]].
[[File:Sea_of_Galilee_from_Jordan.jpg|thumb|[[Sea of Galilee]] as seen from Gilead near [[Irbid]]]]
===Neo-Assyrian province===
King [[Tiglath-pileser III|Tiglath-Pileser III]] of [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Assyria]] established the province of Gal'azu (Gilead) c. 733 BCE.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Gilead-ancient-region-Palestine | title=Gilead &#124; ancient region, Palestine &#124; Britannica}}</ref>
===Arabic===
Gilead ({{langx|ar|جلعاد}}, Ǧalʻād or Jalaad) is an Arabic term used to refer to the mountainous land extending north and south of [[Jabbok]]. It was used more generally for the entire region east of the [[Jordan River]]. It corresponds today to the northwestern part of the Kingdom of [[Jordan]]. The region appears in the ancient [[Safaitic]] inscriptions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://krc.orient.ox.ac.uk/ociana/corpus/pages/OCIANA_0005677.html | title=OCIANA - Online Corpus of the Inscriptions of Ancient North Arabia}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Balm of Gilead]]
* [[Machir]]
* [[Machir (tribal group)]]
* [[Shibboleth]]
* [[Tribe of Manasseh]]
* [[Perea]]
* [[Balqa (region)|Balqa]]
* [[Republic of Gilead]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{commons category|Gilead}}
{{EB1911 poster|Gilead}}
{{Regions of the world}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Gilead| ]]
[[Category:Ammon]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible regions]]
[[Category:Regions of Jordan]]
[[Category:Book of Numbers people]]
[[Category:Moab]]
[[Category:Tourism in Jordan]]
[[Category:Founders of biblical tribes]]
[[Category:Tribe of Reuben]]
[[Category:Transjordan (region)]]