Bible Dictionary
Battering-ram
A battering-ram was a military engine consisting of a heavy beam, often shaped or capped like a ram’s head, used to break through the walls of a besieged city.
Definition
A battering-ram was a military engine used to make breaches in the walls of a besieged city. It consisted of a long wooden beam hung on a frame, with the end brought against the wall shaped like a ram’s head.
Biblical Usage
The battering-ram appears in descriptions of siege warfare in Ezekiel, where it is associated with the assault of fortified cities.
Historical Background
The supplied material describes it as a beam suspended from a frame and driven against walls. Its ram-shaped head accounts for the name.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Ezek. 4:2; 21:22), a military engine, consisting of a long beam of wood hung upon a frame, for making breaches in walls. The end of it which was brought against the wall was shaped like a ram’s head.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>bat'-er-ing-ram.</p><p>See SIEGE.</p>