The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest but one ( Num. 1:36,Num. 1:37; Ps. 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh and Ephraim on the west of the tabernacle. At the entrance into Canaan it counted 45,600 warriors. It has been inferred by some from the words of Jacob ( Gen. 49:27) that the figure of a wolf was on the tribal standard. This tribe is mentioned in Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5.

The inheritance of this tribe lay immediately to the south of that of Ephraim, and was about 26 miles in length and 12 in breadth. Its eastern boundary was the Jordan. Dan intervened between it and the Philistines. Its chief towns are named in Josh. 18:21-28.

The history of the tribe contains a sad record of a desolating civil war in which they were engaged with the other eleven tribes. By it they were almost exterminated ( Judg. 20:20,Judg. 20:21;Judg 21:10). (See GIBEAH.)

The first king of the Jews was Saul, a Benjamite. A close alliance was formed between this tribe and that of Judah in the time of David (2 Sam. 19:16,2 Sam. 19:17), which continued after his death (1 Kings 11:13;1 Kings 12:20). After the Exile these two tribes formed the great body of the Jewish nation ( Ezra 1:5;Ezra 10:9).

The tribe of Benjamin was famous for its archers (1 Sam. 20:20,1 Sam. 20:36; 2 Sam. 1:22; 1 Chr. 8:40;1 Chr 12:2) and slingers ( Judge. 20:6).

The gate of Benjamin, on the north side of Jerusalem ( Jer. 37:13;Jer 38:7; Zech. 14:10), was so called because it led in the direction of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. It is called by Jeremiah Zech 20:2) "the high gate of Benjamin;" also "the gate of the children of the people" Zech 17:19). (Comp. 2 Kings 14:13.)

Beor - a torch. (1.) The father of Bela, one of the kings of Edom ( Gen. 36:32).

(2.) The father of Balaam ( Num. 22:5;Num 24:3,Num. 22:15;Num 31:8). In 2 Pet. 2:15 he is called Bosor.

Bera - gift, or son of evil, king of Sodom at the time of the invasion of the four kings under Chedorlaomer ( Gen. 14:2,Gen. 14:8,Gen. 14:17,Gen. 14:21).

Berachah - blessing. (1.) A valley not far from Engedi, where Jehoshaphat overthrew the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chr. 20:26). It has been identified with the valley of Bereikut. (R.V., "Beracah.")

(2.) One of the Benjamite warriors, Saul's brethren, who joined David when at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:3).

Berea - a city of Macedonia to which Paul with Silas and Timotheus went when persecuted at Thessalonica ( Acts 17:10,Acts 17:13), and from which also he was compelled to withdraw, when he fled to the sea-coast and thence sailed to Athens (14, 15). Sopater, one of Paul's companions belonged to this city, and his conversion probably took place at this time ( Acts 20:4). It is now called Verria.

Berechiah - blessed by Jehovah. (1.) Son of Shimea, and father of Asaph the musician (1 Chr. 6:39;1 Chr 15:17).

(2.) One of the seven Ephraimite chieftains, son of Meshillemoth (2 Chr. 28:12).

(3.) The fourth of the five sons of Zerubbabel, of the royal family of Judah (1 Chr. 3:20).

(4.) The father of the prophet Zechariah 1 Chr 1:1,1 Chr 1:7).

Bered - hail. (1.) A town in the south of Palestine ( Gen. 16:14), in the desert of Shur, near Lahai-roi.

(2.) A son of Shuthelah, and grandson of Ephraim (1 Chr. 7:20).

Beriah - a gift, or in evil. (1.) One of Asher's four sons, and father of Heber ( Gen. 46:17).

(2.) A son of Ephraim (1 Chr. 7:20-23), born after the slaughter of his brothers, and so called by his father "because it went evil with his house" at that time.

(3.) A Benjamite who with his brother Shema founded Ajalon and expelled the Gittites (1 Chr. 8:13).

Bernice - bearer of victory, the eldest daughter of Agrippa I., the Herod Agrippa of Acts 12:20. After the early death of her first husband she was married to her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis. After his death (A.D. 40) she lived in incestuous connection with her brother Agrippa II. ( Acts 25:13,Acts 25:23;Acts 26:30). They joined the Romans at the outbreak of the final war between them and the Jews, and lived afterwards at Rome.

Berodach-baladan - the king of Babylon who sent a friendly deputation to Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:12). In Isa. 39:1 he is called Merodach-baladan (q.v.).

Beryl - the rendering in the Authorized Version of the Hebrew word tarshish, a precious stone; probably so called as being brought from Tarshish. It was one of the stones on the breastplate of the high priest ( Ex. 28:20; R.V. marg., "chalcedony ;" 39:13). The colour of the wheels in Ezekiel's vision was as the colour of a beryl stone "chalcedony 1:16;"chalcedony 10:9; R.V., "stone of Tarshish"). It is mentioned in Cant. 5:14; Dan. 10:6; Rev. 21:20. In Ezek. 28:13 the LXX. render the word by "chrysolite," which the Jewish historian Josephus regards as its proper translation. This also is the rendering given in the Authorized Version in the margin. That was a gold-coloured gem, the topaz of ancient authors.

Besom - the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning sweeper, occurs only in Isa. 14:23 , of the sweeping away, the utter ruin, of Babylon.

Besor - cold, a ravine or brook in the extreme south-west of Judah, where 200 of David's men stayed behind because they were faint, while the other 400 pursued the Amalekites (1 Sam. 30:9,1 Sam. 30:10,1 Sam. 30:21). Probably the Wadyes Sheriah, south of Gaza.

Bestead - the rendering in Isa. 8:21, where alone it occurs, of a Hebrew word meaning to oppress, or be in circumstances of hardship.

Betah - confidence, a city belonging to Hadadezer, king of Zobah, which yielded much spoil of brass to David (2 Sam. 8:8). In 1 Chr. 18:8 it is called Tibhath.

Beth - occurs frequently as the appellation for a house, or dwelling-place, in such compounds as the words immediately following:

Bethabara - house of the ford, a place on the east bank of the Jordan, where John was baptizing ( John 1:28). It may be identical with Bethbarah, the ancient ford of Jordan of which the men of Ephraim took possession ( Judg. 7:24). The Revised Version reads "Bethany beyond Jordan." It was the great ford, and still bears the name of "the ford," Makhadhet 'Abarah, "the ford of crossing over," about 25 miles from Nazareth. (See BETHBARAH.)

Beth-anath - house of response, one of the fenced cities of Naphtali ( Josh. 19:38). It is perhaps identical with the modern village 'Ainata, 6 miles west of Kedesh.

Beth-anoth - house of answers, a city in the mountainous district of Judah ( Josh. 15:59). It has been identified with the modern Beit-'Anun, about 3 miles northeast of Hebron.

Bethany - house of dates. (1.) The Revised Version in John 1:28 has this word instead of Bethabara, on the authority of the oldest manuscripts. It appears to have been the name of a place on the east of Jordan.

(2.) A village on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives ( Mark 11:1), about 2 miles east of Jerusalem, on the road to Jericho. It derived its name from the number of palm-trees which grew there. It was the residence of Lazarus and his sisters. It is frequently mentioned in connection with memorable incidents in the life of our Lord ( Matt. 21:17;Matt 26:6; Mark 11:11, Mark 11:12; Mark 14:3; Luke 24:50; John 11:1; John 12:1). It is now known by the name of el-Azariyeh, i.e., "place of Lazarus," or simply Lazariyeh. Seen from a distance, the village has been described as "remarkably beautiful, the perfection of retirement and repose, of seclusion and lovely peace." Now a mean village, containing about twenty families.

Beth-arabah - house of the desert, one of the six cities of Judah, situated in the sunk valley of the Jordan and Dead Sea ( Josh. 18:22). In Josh. 15:61 it is said to have been "in the wilderness." It was afterwards included in the towns of Benjamin. It is called Arabah ( Josh. 18:18).

Beth-aram - house of the height; i.e., "mountain-house", one of the towns of Gad, 3 miles east of Jordan, opposite Jericho ( Josh. 13:27). Probably the same as Beth-haran in Num. 32:36. It was called by king Herod, Julias, or Livias, after Livia, the wife of Augustus. It is now called Beit-haran.

Beth-arbel - house of God's court, a place alluded to by Hosea Num 10:14) as the scene of some great military exploit, but not otherwise mentioned in Scripture. The Shalman here named was probably Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:3).

Beth-aven - house of nothingness; i.e., "of idols", a place in the mountains of Benjamin, east of Bethel ( Josh. 7:2;Josh 18:12; 1 Sam. 13:5). In Hos. 4:15; Hos 5:8; Hos 10:5it stands for "Bethel" (q.v.), and it is so called because it was no longer the "house of God," but "the house of idols," referring to the calves there worshipped.

Beth-barah - house of crossing, a place south of the scene of Gideon's victory ( Judg. 7:24). It was probably the chief ford of the Jordan in that district, and may have been that by which Jacob crossed when he returned from Mesopotamia, near the Jabbok ( Gen. 32:22), and at which Jephthah slew the Ephraimites ( Judg. 12:4). Nothing, however, is certainly known of it. (See BETHABARA.)