the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Bible Encyclopedias
Amad
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Hebrew Amad', עִמְעָד, people of duration; Sept. Ἀμαάθ v. r. Ἀμιήλ, Vulg. Ἀμιήλ ), a town near the border of Asher mentioned between Alammelech and Misheal, as if in a southerly or westerly course (Joshua 19:26). Schwarz (Palest. p. 192) thinks it is the modern village Al-Mead, a few miles north of Acco, meaning apparently the place called Em el-Amed, with extensive ruins near the sea-coast, the identity of which with the ancient Amad is also suggested by Thomson (Land and Book, 1, 469); but we should otherwise look for a more south-easterly position, and one on the boundary. The same objection applies to the location proposed by Van de Velde (Memoir, p. 284) at Um el-'Amad, on the shore south of Tyre, which, however, contains no ruins (Robinson, later Researches, 3, 113). It may not improbably be identified with Shefa 'Omar or Shefa 'Amar (perhaps עמד for עמעד ), a large market-town on a ridge east of Haifa, with streets of shops and a large deserted castle (Robinson, later Researches, 3, 103).
Tristram thinks this is the "little mound with traces of ruins, called Un el- Amad, five miles west of Wady el-Malek" (Bible Places, p. 215); meaning the Um el-Amvad of Robinson (Later Researches, p. 113, note), who, however, observes that "the people of Bethlehem [Beit-lahm of Zebulun adjoining] said there were no columns there," as the name ("mother of columns") would imply. The place is laid down on the Ordnance Map as Umm el-Amed, a village without any signs of ruins, one mile south of west from Beit-lahm, in the hills north of the plain of Esdraelon; but the situation is rather far east to have been included in the territory of Asher.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Amad'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/a/amad.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
