Bible Dictionary
CAPHARSALAMA
Capharsalama was the site of an indecisive battle between Judas Maccabeus and Nicanor. It was somewhere near Jerusalem, though its exact location is uncertain.
Definition
Capharsalama was the site of an indecisive skirmish between Judas Maccabeus and Nicanor, an officer of the Syrian king and governor of Judea. Its precise location is uncertain.
Biblical Usage
The account in 1 Maccabees places the battle near Jerusalem. After losing five thousand men, Nicanor withdrew with the remainder to the city of David.
Historical Background
The first part of the name means village or hamlet. Proposed identifications include a place associated with Siloam and Khirbet Deir Sellam, about twelve and a half miles west of Jerusalem.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>kaf-ar-sal'-a-ma, kaf-ar-sala'-ma (Chapharsalama): The site of an indecisive skirmish between Judas Maccabeus and Nicanor, an officer of the king of Syria and governor of Judea. The situation cannot be precisely fixed but it must have been in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, for Nicanor, after losing 5,000 men, retired with the remainder to "the city of David" (1 Macc 7:26-32). The first part of the word, "Caphar," means village or hamlet; the last part has been identified with Siloam and also with Khirbet Deir Sellam, about 12 1/2 miles West of Jerusalem.</p>