Shalishah
Encyclopedia
Shalishah or Baal-Shalisha is a place of uncertain identification mentioned in the Book of Kings
(2 Kings 4:42) and the Talmud
(Sanhedrin
12a).
Baal-Shalisha is translated as "lord or master of three things", or "the third idol, the third husband; or, that governs or presides over three" (Baal
=lord/master; Shalisha="three things", "third", or "three"). This ancient place name is preserved in the Arabic
name of the modern village of Kafr Thulth
.
According to Eusebius and Jerome
, Baal-Shalisha was located 15 (Roman) miles north of Diopolis (Lydda
). Eusebius identified it with Bathsarisa. Another candidate for Shalishah is Serisiyyah, a now ruinous location west of Mount Ephraim
, and yet another possibility is Kafr Thulth which is roughly northeast of there. The Talmud
identifies it as the earliest place each year for fruits to ripen.
Books of Kings
The Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
(2 Kings 4:42) and the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin (Talmud)
Sanhedrin is one of ten tractates of Seder Nezikin . It originally formed one tractate with Makkot, which also deals with criminal law...
12a).
Baal-Shalisha is translated as "lord or master of three things", or "the third idol, the third husband; or, that governs or presides over three" (Baal
Baal
Baʿal is a Northwest Semitic title and honorific meaning "master" or "lord" that is used for various gods who were patrons of cities in the Levant and Asia Minor, cognate to Akkadian Bēlu...
=lord/master; Shalisha="three things", "third", or "three"). This ancient place name is preserved in the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
name of the modern village of Kafr Thulth
Kafr Thulth
Kafr Thulth is a Palestinian town located on high, flat land close to the city of Nablus, south of Tulkarm in the Qalqilya Governorate. The average elevation is above sea level...
.
According to Eusebius and Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
, Baal-Shalisha was located 15 (Roman) miles north of Diopolis (Lydda
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
). Eusebius identified it with Bathsarisa. Another candidate for Shalishah is Serisiyyah, a now ruinous location west of Mount Ephraim
Mount Ephraim
Mount Ephraim , or alternately Mount of Ephraim, was the historical name for the central mountainous district of Israel once occupied by the tribe of Ephraim , extending from Bethel to the plain of Jezreel. In Joshua's time , approximately sometime between the 18th century BCE and the 13th century...
, and yet another possibility is Kafr Thulth which is roughly northeast of there. The Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
identifies it as the earliest place each year for fruits to ripen.