Bible Dictionary
ABEL-BETH-MAACAH
A northern city near Dan and the sources of the Jordan. It was besieged by Joab, attacked by Ben-hadad, and later captured by Tiglath-pileser.
Definition
Abel-beth-maacah was a northern city whose name means “meadow of the house of Maacah.” It was also called Abel, Beth-maacah, or possibly Abel-maim. The city lay near Dan and the sources of the Jordan.
Biblical Usage
Joab besieged the city when pursuing Sheba. Ben-hadad attacked it in the time of Baasha, and Tiglath-pileser captured it with other cities of Naphtali.
Historical Background
The prevailing identification is Abil, west of Dan, on a height overlooking the Jordan. The region was agriculturally rich and had abundant water.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>a'-bel-beth-ma'-a-ka ('abhel beth ma`akhah, "the meadow of the house of Maacah"): The name appears in this form in 1Ki 15:20 and 2Ki 15:29. In 2Sa 20:15 (Hebrew) it is Abel-beth-hammaacah (Maacah with the article). In 20:14 it appears as Beth-maacah, and in 20:14 and 18 as Abel.</p><p>In 2Sa it is spoken of as the city, far to the north, where Joab besieged Sheba, the son of Bichri. In 2Ki it is mentioned, along with Ijon and other places, as a city in Naphtali captured by Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria. The capture appears also in the records of Tiglath-pileser. In 1Ki it is mentioned with Ijon and Da and "all the land of Naphtali" as being smitten by Benhadad of Damascus in the time of Baasha. In the account in Chronicles parallel to this last (2Ch 16:4) the cities mentioned are Ijon, Dan, Abel- maim. Abel-maim is either another name for Abel-beth-maacah, or the name of another place in the same vicinity.</p><p>The prevailing identification of Abel-beth-maacah is with Abil, a few miles West of Dan, on a height overlooking the Jordan near its sources. The adjacent region is rich agriculturally, and the scenery and the water supply are especially fine. Abel-maim, "meadow of water," is not an inapt designation for it. Willis J. Beecher</p>