Jearim

Je'arim (Heb. Yeirin', יעָרַים forests; Sept. Ι᾿αρείμ), the name of a mountain on the border of Judah, between Mount Seir and Beth-shemesh (Jos 15:10):. stated to be the site of CHESALON SEE CHESALON (q.v.). Kesla stands, seven miles due west of Jerusalem, "on a high point on the north slope of the lofty ridge between wady Ghurab and wady Ismael. The latter of these is the southwestern continuation of wady Beit-Hanina, and the former runs parallel to and northward of it, and they are separated by this ridge, which is probably Mount Jearim". (Robinson, New Researches, p. 154). Forests, in our sense of the word, there are none; but we have the testimony of the latest traveler that "such thorough woods, both for loneliness and obscurity, he had not seen since he left Germany" (Tobler, Wanderung, 1857, p. 178). — Smith. Perhaps the hill behind Kurvet el- Enab may be Mount Seir; from it the border "passed over (wady Ghurab) to the shoulder ועבּר אלאּכתŠ) of Mount Jearim… and then went down to Beth-shemesh." It may be that a considerable district of the mountains in this locality was called Jearim, for Baalah is called Kirjath-Jearim ("the town of Jearim"); and if so, then we can see the reason why the explanatory phrase. is added, "Mount Jearim, which is Chesalon," to limit the more general appellative to the narrow ridge between the two wadys (see Keil on Joshua, ad loc.; Porter, Handbook for S. and Pal. p. 285). SEE KIRJATH-JEARIM.