bā´a -la בּעלה , ba‛ălāh ; "possessor," "mistress"): three occurrences of this name:
(1) = KIRIATH-JEARIM (which see) (Joshua 15:9 , Joshua 15:10; 1 Chronicles 13:6 ).
(2) A city in the Negeb of Judah (Joshua 15:29 ). In Joshua 19:3 Balah and in 1 Chronicles 4:29 Bilhah; perhaps also Boaloth of Joshua 15:24 . The site is unknown; but see PEF , III, 26.
(3) Mount Baalah (Joshua 15:11 ), a mountain ridge between Shikkeron (Ekron) and Jabnoel unless, as seems probable, the suggestion of M. Clermont-Ganneau (Rev. Crit , 1897, 902) is correct that for הר , har ( = "mount"), we should read נהר , nāhār ("river"). In this case the border in question would be the Nahr rubı̂n . Here there is an annual feast held - attended by all classes and famous all over Syria - which appears to be a real survival of "Baal worship."
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