Bahurim
Bahurim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Ras Tumeim. It appears across 7 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Bahurim was a Benjaminite village located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, along the road connecting Jerusalem to the Jordan Valley, and it appears repeatedly in the turbulent narratives surrounding King David. The city first enters Scripture in 2 Samuel 3:16, when Phaltiel wept as he followed his wife Michal, David's former bride, being returned to the king. Its most memorable appearance comes in 2 Samuel 16:5-13, when David, fleeing Jerusalem during Absalom's rebellion, was cursed and pelted with stones by Shimei son of Gera, a man of Saul's household who blamed David for the fall of his clan. David's restrained response to Shimei's abuse, forbidding his men from retaliating, demonstrated remarkable humility in a moment of profound personal crisis. Later, two loyal messengers hid in a well at Bahurim to evade Absalom's pursuers and bring intelligence to David (2 Samuel 17:18). Solomon would eventually execute Shimei for violating the terms of his parole by leaving Jerusalem (1 Kings 2:36-46), bringing Bahurim's inhabitants into the final reckoning of David's dying instructions.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Bahurim is tentatively identified with Ras el-Tumeim, a site on the eastern ridge of the Mount of Olives northeast of Jerusalem, though the identification remains debated among scholars. Some researchers propose Khirbet ibn Yabrud or other nearby locations as alternative candidates. No dedicated systematic excavation has been conducted at the proposed site of Bahurim. Archaeological surveys of the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives have confirmed Iron Age settlement activity in the region, consistent with the biblical period. The route David traveled during his flight from Jerusalem corresponds geographically to paths well documented through topographic and survey work, supporting the general plausibility of the site's location along this corridor.
Verse Appearances (7)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
- Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]