Nehelamite

Nehel'amite (Heb. Nechelami', נֶחֵָלמַי, with the art.; Sept. Αἰλαμίτης v.r. Ε᾿λαμίτης, Νεελαμίτης, Αἰλαμί, an appellation of a man named Shemaiah, a false prophet, who went with the captives to Babylon (Jer 29:24,31-32). The name is no doubt formed from that either of Shemaiah's native place or the progenitor of his family; which of the two is uncertain. SEE SHIEMAIAH. No place called Nehelam is mentioned in the Bible, or known to have existed in Palestine, nor does it occur in any of the genealogical lists of families. It resembles the name which the Sept. has attached to Ahijah the prophet, namely, the Enlamite- οΕ῾νλαμεί; but by what authority they substitute that name for "the Shilonite" of the Hebrew text is doubtful. The word "Nehelamite" also probably contains a play on the " dreams" (chakam) and " dreamers," whom Jeremiah is never wearied of denouncing (see chapters 23, 27, 29). Furst, however, thinks (Heb. Lex. s.v.) that there is an allusion to the failure of an inheritance (נחל), as threatened. The Targum gives the name as Chelam, חלם. A place of this name, SEE HELAM, lay somewhere between the Jordan and the Euphrates.