Gilead

Gilead (gĭl`ēăd), in the Bible.

1 Eponym of the Gileadites, grandson of Manasseh.

2 Gadite.

3 Jephthah's father.

4 City near Mizpah, denounced by Hosea.

5 Fertile, mountainous region, NE of the Dead Sea. In the Bible, it was allotted to Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh and was noted for its spices, myrrh, and balm. It was the home of Jair, Jephthah, and Elijah, and here Jacob met Laban; Ishbosheth was once its king, and in it David found refuge from Absalom. After the partition of Israel it became part of the northern kingdom. It was captured by Assyria. Hosea denounced it. It has been called variously Mt. Gilead, Land of Gilead, and Gilead.

---

Gilead

Area of ancient Palestine, east of the Jordan River. Now northwestern Jordan, it was bounded to the north by the Yarmuk River and to the southwest by what were known then as the plains of Moab. Sometimes the name is used in a more general sense to describe all the regions east of the Jordan River. The name first appears in the biblical account of the last meeting of Jacob and Laban (Gen. 31:21–22). The scene of the battle between Gideon and the Midianites, it was also the home of the prophet Elijah.