(Zophai) or from the district of Zuph.—1 Chron. 6:27, 28, 34, 35; 1 Sam. 9:5.

An ancient tradition presented by Eusebius identifies Ramah with the location of modern Rentis, in the hills of Ephraim about twenty miles (32 kilometers) NW of Jerusalem. This would be the same place as the Arimathea (Gr. form of Heb. Ra·mahʹ) mentioned in the Christian Greek Scriptures.—Luke 23:50-53.

Elkanah made his home in Ramah, where Samuel evidently was born, but each year he traveled to Shiloh to sacrifice. (1 Sam. 1:3, 19; 2:11) Though Samuel lived with Eli the priest at Shiloh for some time, eventually he took up residence at Ramah and used it as a base from which he traveled in a circuit judging Israel. (1 Sam. 3:19-21; 7:15-17; 8:4; 15:24-35; 16:4, 13; 19:18-24) When Samuel died he was buried at his house in Ramah, “his own city.”—1 Sam. 25:1; 28:3.

6. A shortened form for Ramoth-gilead.—2 Ki. 8:28, 29; 2 Chron. 22:5, 6; see RAMOTH-GILEAD.

RAMATHAIM-ZOPHIM

(Ra·math·aʹim-zoʹphim).

The home of Elkanah, father of Samuel, in the mountainous region of Ephraim.—1 Sam. 1:1; see RAMAH No. 5.

RAMATHITE

(Raʹmath·ite).

A designation for Shimei, the vineyard keeper of King David. (1 Chron. 27:27) It indicates that he was from one of the several towns named Ramah, but there is no way of determining which one.

RAMATH-LEHI

(Raʹmath-leʹhi) [the lofty place of the jawbone].

The name Samson gave the site in Judah where he struck down a thousand Philistines with the moist jawbone of an ass.—Judg. 15:16-18; see LEHI.

RAMATH-MIZPEH

(Raʹmath-mizʹpeh) [height of Mizpeh (watchtower)].

One of the cities E of the Jordan given to the tribe of Gad. (Josh. 13:24, 26) Evidently Ramath-mizpeh was near Betonim. One location that has been suggested for Ramath-mizpeh is Khirbet Sar, some nine miles (15 kilometers) N of Heshbon.

RAMESES

See RAAMSES, RAMESES.

RAMIAH

(Ra·miʹah) [Jehovah is exalted].

An Israelite, one of the “sons of Parosh” who sent away their foreign wives and sons at the encouragement of Ezra.—Ezra 10:10, 11, 25, 44.

RAMOTH

(Raʹmoth) [high places, height].

1. A Levitical city in the territory of Issachar. (1 Chron. 6:71-73) It is apparently the same as Remeth and Jarmuth (No. 2). (Josh. 19:17, 21; 21:27-29) Ramoth’s situation is sometimes tentatively located at Kokab el-Hawa, on a tableland about seven miles (11 kilometers) N of Beth-shean.

2. “Ramoth of the south” at 1 Samuel 30:27 apparently refers to the “Baalath-beer, Ramah of the south” mentioned at Joshua 19:1, 8. Its location was evidently in the Negeb.—See BAALATH-BEER.

RAMOTH-GILEAD

(Raʹmoth-gilʹead) [height of Gilead (witness heap)].

A strategic city in the territory of Gad E of the Jordan. The city was also called by the shortened form Ramah. (2 Ki. 8:28, 29; 2 Chron. 22:5, 6) It was one of the Levite cities on that side of the river (1 Chron. 6:80), and it was selected as one of the cities of refuge. (Deut. 4:43; Josh. 20:8; 21:38) Solomon appointed a deputy in Ramoth-gilead to care for providing food for the king from cities in Gilead and Bashan.—1 Ki. 4:7, 13.

When, after the division of the kingdom, Syria made attacks on Israel, Ramoth-gilead played an important part in Israelite history, evidently being sort of a key to the territory E of the Jordan. At some point the Syrians took the city. Despite the promise of Ben-hadad II to return the Israelite cities that had been taken earlier, apparently Ramoth-gilead was not returned. (1 Ki. 20:34) Hence, Ahab of Israel attempted to recover it, with the aid of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. This effort, which Micaiah counseled against, resulted in Ahab’s death.—1 Ki. 22:13-38.

Ahab’s son Jehoram, along with Ahaziah of Judah, also fought the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead. Second Kings 9:14 says: “Jehoram himself had happened to be keeping guard at Ramoth-gilead . . . because of Hazael the king of Syria.” So it may be that Jehoram had earlier taken the city, and was defending it (not attacking it) when Ahaziah joined him in the fight against Hazael. In the fighting Jehoram was wounded and he retired to Jezreel to recover. At Ramoth-gilead Elisha’s attendant anointed Jehu the military chief to be the next king.—2 Ki. 8:25–9:14; 2 Chron. 22:5-8.

The exact location of Ramoth-gilead is uncertain. One of many suggested locations is Tell er-Ramith, about thirty miles (48 kilometers) SE of the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. The name of this tell could have been derived from the name Ramoth-gilead. It is on a hill overlooking a plain, which agrees with the meaning of Ramoth (“height”). The location would have been appropriate for a deputy responsible for Gilead and Bashan.—1 Ki. 4:13.

RANSOM

The English words “ransom” and “redemption” come from the same source, the Latin redemptio, referring to “a buying back.” Generally, however, “ransom” (received through the French rançon) has come to carry the thought of liberation, as from slavery or from some obligation or undesirable circumstance. “Redemption” today has more the thought of regaining possession of something.

The two (originally synonymous) words are used in the translation of a number of Hebrew and Greek terms. In all these terms the inherent similarity lies in the idea of a giving of a price or thing of value to effect the ransom or redemption. The thought of exchange is therefore common in all, as well as that of correspondency, equivalence or substitution. That is, one thing is given for another, satisfying the demands of justice and resulting in a balancing of matters.

The Hebrew noun koʹpher comes from the verb ka·pharʹ, meaning, basically, “to cover,” as in Noah’s covering the ark with tar. (Gen. 6:14) Ka·pharʹ, however, is used almost entirely to describe the satisfying of justice through the covering or atoning for sins. The noun koʹpher refers to the thing given to accomplish this, the ransom price. (Ps. 65:3; 78:38; 79:8, 9) A covering corresponds to the thing it covers, either in its form (as in a material lid, such as the “cover [khap·poʹreth]” of the ark of the covenant [Ex. 25:17-22]), or in its value (as in a payment to cover the damages caused by an injury).

As a means for balancing justice and setting matters straight with his people Israel, Jehovah, in the Law covenant, designated various sacrifices and offerings to atone for or cover sins, including those of the priests and Levites (Ex. 29:33-37), or other individuals or of the nation as a whole (Lev. 1:4; 4:20, 26, 31, 35), and to purify the altar and tabernacle, making atonement due to the sins of the people surrounding these. (Lev. 16:16-20) In effect, the life of the animal sacrificed went in place of the life of the sinner, its blood making atonement on God’s altar, that is, to the extent that it could. (Lev. 17:11; compare Hebrews 9:13, 14; 10:1-4.) The “day of atonement [yohm hak-kip·pu·rimʹ]” may just as properly be called the “day of the ransoms.” (Lev. 23:26-28) These sacrifices were required if the nation and its worship were to have and maintain the righteous God’s acceptance and approval.

Well illustrating the sense of a redeeming exchange is the law regarding the owner of a bull known to gore who allowed it to go loose so that it killed someone. The owner was to be put to death, paying for the life of the slain person with his own life. However,