BAHURIM

ba-hu'-rim bachurim; Baoureim usually, but there are variants): A place in the territory of Benjamin which lay on an old road from Jerusalem to Jericho followed by David in his flight from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:32 through 2 Samuel 16:5 ff). It ran over the Mount of Olives and down the slopes to the East. The Talmud identifies it with Ale, math, the modern Almit, about a mile beyond `Anata, going from Jerusalem. If this identification is correct, Wady Farah may be the brook of water (2 Samuel 17:20). Here Paltiel was parted from his wife Miehal by Abner (2 Samuel 3:16). It was the home of Shimei, who ran along a ridge of the hill cursing and throwing stones at the fugitive king (2 Samuel 16:5; 1 Kings 2:8). In Bahurim Jonathan and Ahimaaz, the messengers of David, were concealed in a well by a loyal woman (2 Samuel 17:18 ff). Azmaveth, one of David's heroes, was a native of Bahurim. In 2 Sam 23:31 we should read, as in 1 Chronicles 11:33, Barahumite.

W. Ewing

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.