Forest of Ephraim
EPHRAIM, FOREST OF (Heb. ya‘ar ’eprayim). The term occurs only in 2Sam.18.6 (“wood” [kjv], “woods” [mlb] “of Ephraim”), where it denotes the place of the decisive battle in which David’s soldiers defeated those of Absalom. The context indicates that this fighting took place in the land of Gilead east of the Jordan. The site has not been identified.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)
(ya`ar ’ephrayim):
The word ya`ar (Hebrew) probably agrees in meaning with the Arabic wa`r, which indicates a rough country, abounding in rocks, stones and scrub, with occasional trees; not a "forest," as we understand the term. Here Absalom was defeated and slain (2Sa 18:6 ff, the King James Version "wood of Ephraim"). It must be sought, therefore, East of the Jordan, in the neighborhood of Mahanaim; but no identification is yet possible.