IBLEAM

(Ibʹle·am).

A city in the territory of Issachar but assigned with its dependent towns to Manasseh. The Manassites, however, failed to dispossess the Canaanites from Ibleam. (Josh. 17:11-13; Judg. 1:27) Undoubtedly Ibleam is the same as the Bileam in Manasseh given to the Kohathite Levites. (1 Chron. 6:70) But the parallel passage mentioning Levite cities in the territory of the half tribe of Manasseh (Josh. 21:25) reads “Gath-rimmon” instead of “Bileam” or “Ibleam.” Generally this is attributed to scribal error, “Gath-rimmon,” the name of a city in Dan, probably having been inadvertently repeated from verse 24.

Many scholars believe that Ibleam corresponds to Ybrʽm, a city listed among the Palestinian conquests of the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III. Near Ibleam, King Ahaziah of Judah was fatally struck down at the command of Jehu. (2 Ki. 9:27) Later, Jehu’s dynasty ended with the assassination of Zechariah at Ibleam (according to the Lagardian edition of the LXX).—2 Ki. 15:10-12, JB, NW, RS.