Seneh (2)
Se'neh (Heb. Seneh', סנֶה thorn; Sept. Σεννά [Vat. Ε᾿νναάρ Alex. omits]; Vulg. Sene), the name of one of the two isolated rocks which stood in the "passage of Michmash" at the time of the adventure of Jonathan and his armor bearer (1Sa 14:4). It was the southern one of the two (ver. 5), and the nearest to Geba (A.V. "Gibeah"). The name in Hebrew means a "thorn," or thorn bush, and is applied elsewhere only to the memorable thorn of Horeb; but whether it refers in this instance to the shape of the rock or to the growth of seneh upon it, we cannot ascertain. The latter is more consistent with analogy. It is remarkable that Josephus (War, 5, 2, 1), in describing the route of Titus from the north to Jerusalem, mentions that the last encampment of his army was at a spot "which in the Jews' tongue is called the valley" (or perhaps the plain) "of thorns (ἀκανθῶν αὐλών), near a certain village called Gabathsaould," i.e. Gibeath of Saul. The ravine of Michmash is about four miles from the hill which is, with tolerable certainty, identified with Gibeah. This distance is perhaps too great to suit Josephus's expression; still the point is worth notice. — Smith. Between Jeba, or Geba, and Mukhmas, or Michmash, there are two narrow and deep valleys, or gorges, running nearly parallel towards the east, with a high, rocky, and precipitous ridge between them. These two valleys unite a little lower down, i.e. a little to the east of the direct line from Jeba to Mukhmas. The ordinary route descends obliquely to the right from Jeba, and passes through the united valley at the junction, rounding the point of the promontory, and then ascends obliquely to the left towards Mukhmas. This is the passage of Michmash alluded to in 1Sa 13:23; Isa 10:28-29. The ridge between the two valleys has two steep or precipitous sides, one facing the south towards Geba, and the other facing the north towards Michmash. These were the two "sharp rocks" or precipices called "Seneh" and "Bozez." The two valleys are still called Suweineh and Buweizeh. Jeba stands on the south side of Sulweineh, on the very edge of the valley, and Mukhmas on the north edge of Buweizeh. Lieut. Conder regards the valley of Suweineh itself as a trace of the name Seneh, and thinks its opposite walls were scaled by Jonathan (Quar. Statement of the "Pal. Explor. Fund," April, 1874, p. 62); and he graphically describes the descent of his own surveying party down the rocks (Tent Work in Palestine, 2, 113). SEE BOZEZ.
