Gilead

{{short description|Northern part of the region of Transjordan, also the name of several biblical figures}}

{{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}};{{cite EPD|18}}{{cite LPD|3}} {{langx|he|גִּלְעָד}} Gilʿāḏ, {{langx|ar|جلعاد}}, Jalʻād) is the ancient, historic, biblical name of the mountainous northern part of the region of Transjordan.Easton's Bible Dictionary, [https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/galeed/ Galeed] The region is bounded in the west by the Jordan River, in the north by the deep ravine of the 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.{{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}} Gilead is situated in modern-day Jordan, corresponding roughly to the Irbid, Ajloun, Jerash and Balqa 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').Hebrew Dictionary, Strong's Concordance of the Bible, reference #5707 If that is the case, Gilead means 'heap [of stones] of testimony'. There is also an alternative theory that it means 'rocky region'.Smith's Bible Dictionary, "Gil'e-ad"

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 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 ({{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}}).Bible Atlas, [http://bibleatlas.org/jegar-sahadutha.htm Jegar-sahadutha (Ramoth-gilead)].

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 Gad, Reuben, and the eastern half of Manasseh ({{Bibleverse|Deuteronomy|3:13|KJV}}; {{Bibleverse |Numbers|32:40|KJV}}).

In the Book of Judges, the thirty sons of the 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

"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 as seen from Gilead near Irbid]]

=Neo-Assyrian province=

King Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria established the province of Gal'azu (Gilead) c. 733 BCE.{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Gilead-ancient-region-Palestine | title=Gilead | ancient region, Palestine | Britannica}}

=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.{{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}}