Bible Dictionaries
Michmash

Holman Bible Dictionary

(mik' mawssh) Place name meaning, “hidden place.” City in Benjamin about seven miles northeast of Jerusalem, four and a half miles northeast of Gibeah, rising 1980 feet above sea level overlooking a pass going from the Jordan River to Ephraim. It is four and a half miles southeast of Bethel, which rises 2,890 feet above sea level. It is modern Mukhmas. Michmash served as a staging area, first for Saul (1 Samuel 13:2 ) and then for the Philistine army as they prepared to fight. It lay on the standard invasion route from the north (Isaiah 10:28 ). The Philistines mustered 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen there (1 Samuel 13:5-6 ). Before the battle could begin, Jonathan and his armor bearer sneaked into the Philistine camp, killed twenty sentries, and set off great confusion, resulting in the Philistines fighting each other (1 Samuel 14:20 ). Exiles returning from Babylon reinhabited the city (Nehemiah 11:31; compare Nehemiah 7:31 ). It served as Jonathan Maccabeus' residence and seat of government (1 Maccabees 9:73 ). See Jonathan; Intertestamental History.