SHAARAIM

(Shaʹa·raʹim) [Double Gate].

1. A city of Judah in the Shephelah. (Jos 15:20, 33, 36) After David’s defeat of Goliath and because of the Israelite pursuit, the Philistine dead were scattered from ‘Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.’ (1Sa 17:52) Shaaraim was in the vicinity of “the low plain of Elah” (the es-Sant [ʽEmeq ha-ʼEla]) and Azekah (Tell Zakariyeh [Tel ʽAzeqa]). (Jos 15:35; 1Sa 17:1, 2) A specific identification has not been made.

2. A city of Simeon. (1Ch 4:24, 31) It is apparently the same as Shilhim (Jos 15:32) and Sharuhen. (Jos 19:6) It is tentatively identified with Tell el-Farʽah (Tel Sharuhen), about 35 km (22 mi) W of Beer-sheba.