Ramah
Ramah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Transjordan in modern-day Jordan. Known today as Tall er Rumeith. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
This Ramah in Transjordan, identified with Tall er-Rumeith in modern Jordan, appears in two verses of Scripture and is closely associated with the strategically vital city of Ramoth-gilead. Located east of the Jordan River in the territory assigned to the tribe of Gad, this Ramah occupied a crucial position along the international trade and military routes traversing the Gilead region. The Transjordanian territories were allocated to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who requested land east of the Jordan for their abundant livestock (Numbers 32). Moses granted this request on the condition that their warriors would cross the Jordan to help conquer Canaan. The Gilead region was frequently contested between Israel and the Aramean kingdoms of Damascus, making settlements like Ramah vulnerable to conflict. The broader area witnessed major battles during the reigns of Ahab and Joram (1 Kings 22; 2 Kings 8:28-29), underscoring the military significance of this frontier zone between Israelite and Aramean spheres of influence.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Tall er-Rumeith (Tell Ramith) is located in northern Jordan, approximately 5 kilometers south of the modern city of Ramtha near the Syrian border. The site was excavated by Paul Lapp in 1967, revealing substantial Iron Age fortifications including a casemate wall system and a large public building, possibly a fortress or administrative center. The excavations uncovered pottery and artifacts spanning the Iron Age I through Iron Age II periods, consistent with Israelite and Aramean occupation. The strategic location of the tell, commanding views across the Bashan plateau and the approaches from Syria, confirms its military importance. The site is identified by many scholars as biblical Ramoth-gilead, though this identification is debated. Today the tell rises above the surrounding agricultural plain, partially eroded but still showing traces of its ancient fortification walls.
Verse Appearances (2)
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]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Lawrence, D. et al. (2025) Villages to Empires: a settlement dataset for the Southern Levant. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]