Bible Location

Battle of Mount Zemaraim

Also known as: Mount Zemaraim
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Mount Zemaraim was a location in the hill country of Ephraim associated with a major battle between Abijah king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.

According to 2 Chronicles 13, Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim and addressed Jeroboam and the northern army before battle. Although Judah faced a much larger force, the Chronicler records that Judah prevailed after crying out to the Lord.

The exact location of Mount Zemaraim has not been established, although it was probably near the border region between Benjamin and Ephraim in the vicinity of Bethel.

Battle of Mount Zemaraim

Biblical Significance

Second Chronicles 13 describes a confrontation between Abijah of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel after the division of the monarchy.

Abijah stood upon Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and appealed to the northern tribes. He emphasized the Davidic covenant, the Jerusalem priesthood, and Judah's continued worship at the Temple while condemning Jeroboam's alternative religious system.

Jeroboam attempted to surround the Judean army with an ambush. When the men of Judah realized that they were attacked from front and rear, they cried to the Lord and the priests sounded their trumpets.

The Chronicler attributes Judah's victory to reliance upon the Lord. Abijah subsequently captured Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron from Jeroboam.

Historical Background

Mount Zemaraim lay in the central highlands near the frontier separating Judah and Benjamin from the northern kingdom of Israel.

The name may be related to the Benjaminite town of Zemaraim listed in Joshua 18:22. If the town and mountain shared the same name, the mountain would probably have stood near the Ephraim-Benjamin border east or northeast of Bethel.

No inscription or archaeological discovery has securely identified the mountain.

Modern Identification

The precise location of Mount Zemaraim remains unknown.

Because 2 Chronicles places it in the hill country of Ephraim and the subsequent campaign involved Bethel, scholars generally seek it near the Ephraim-Benjamin frontier in the central highlands.

AVWJ should therefore treat any map location for Mount Zemaraim as approximate rather than established.

Scripture References

Related Resources

Sources

Bible: Joshua 18:22, 2 Chronicles 13:1-20; biblical geographical reference works concerning Zemaraim; historical geography of the Ephraim-Benjamin frontier