Bahurim, Barhumite, Baharum, Baharumite

BAHURIM, BARHUMITE, BAHARUM, BAHARUMITE bə hyōōr’ ĭm (בַּֽחוּרִ֑ים); bär hu’ mīt (בַּרְחֻמִֽי, in 2 Sam 23:31); ba hā’ rum and ba hā rum īt (בַּ֣חֲרוּמִ֔י, in 1 Chron 11:33). A village in the territory of Benjamin identified with modern Ras et-Tmim, SE of ’tsāwiyeh and E of the Mt. of Olives on the N side of the Rom. road to Jericho from Jerusalem.

Here it was that Paltiel was separated from his wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, as she was returned to David as his wife by Abner (2 Sam 3:16). David took the road going past this village when he fled from Absalom (16:5). This happened to be the home of Shimei, who ran along the ridge throwing stones at David and cursing the king (16:5; 19:16; 1 Kings 2:8). This town also had some loyal supporters of David, for an unnamed woman concealed David’s spying messengers, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, in a well at Bahurim (2 Sam 17:18ff.). Further, one of David’s elite “thirty” military heroes was a native of this town: Azmaveth (23:31; 1 Chron 11:33). All the references to the town appear in the history of David.

Bibliography A. Alt, PJB, 22 (1926), 30 and 25 (1929), 58; J. Simons, Geographical and Topographical Texts of OT (1959), 330.