(Khirbet Yaʽnin?) and regard it as a city of Asher on the border of Zebulun.—Josh. 19:24, 27.

NEAPOLIS

(Ne·apʹo·lis) [new town].

A city of Greece at the northern end of the Aegean Sea that served as a seaport for Philippi. It is generally linked with modern Kavalla. This city occupies a rocky promontory at the head of the Gulf of Kavalla. Its harbor is situated on the western side, and Kavalla itself lies about ten miles (16 kilometers) SE of the ruins of Philippi. Latin inscriptions indicate the city’s dependence on Philippi in Roman times, and portions of an aqueduct there appear to be of Roman construction. The Roman-built Egnatian Way connected Neapolis and Philippi and ran westward all the way to Durazzo (Durrës) on the Adriatic Sea.

It was at Neapolis that the apostle Paul first entered Europe in response to the call to “step over into Macedonia.” From there he went to Philippi, this possibly taking him three or four hours as he crossed the mountain range between the two cities. (Acts 16:9-11) About six years later Paul doubtless passed through Neapolis again.—Acts 20:6.

NEARIAH

(Ne·a·riʹah) [servant of Jehovah].

1. A Simeonite, son of Ishi. Neariah and his three brothers headed a force of 500 men that defeated the Amalekites at Mount Seir and thereafter continued to dwell there.—1 Chron. 4:42, 43.

2. Son of Shemaiah, father of Elioenai, Hizkiah and Azrikam, and descendant of David.—1 Chron. 3:1, 22, 23.

NEBAI

(Neʹbai) [fruitful].

One of the “heads of the people” whose descendant, if not himself, attested by seal the “trustworthy arrangement” of Nehemiah’s day. The Masoretic text reads “Nobai” in the text, whereas “Nebai” appears in the margin.—Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 14, 19.

NEBAIOTH

(Ne·baʹioth) [possibly heights].

The firstborn of Ishmael’s twelve sons and founder of one of the prominent Arabian tribes. (Gen. 25:13-16; 1 Chron. 1:29-31) Nebaioth’s sister Mahalath (or possibly Basemath) married their cousin Esau. (Gen. 28:9; 36:2, 3) The descendants of Nebaioth are not identified as living in any definite locality; they were probably nomads, moving about as bedouins with their flocks. In the time of Isaiah the “flocks of Kedar” (Kedar was Nebaioth’s brother) and the “rams of Nebaioth” were associated together in a prophecy foretelling how such animals would serve as approved sacrifices on Jehovah’s altar.—Isa. 60:7.

Some scholars have attempted to equate the descendants of Nebaioth with the Nabataeans of later times, but the evidence in support of such a suggestion is inconclusive.

NEBALLAT

(Ne·balʹlat).

A place settled by Benjamites after the Babylonian exile. (Neh. 11:31, 34) Neballat is generally identified with Beit Nebala. Situated on a low hill about four miles (6 kilometers) NE of modern Lydda (Lod), Beit Nebala overlooks the SE end of the Plain of Sharon.

NEBAT

(Neʹbat) [he (God) has regarded].

An Ephraimite and father of King Jeroboam I, the first ruler of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel.—1 Ki. 11:26; 2 Ki. 14:23, 24.

NEBO

(Neʹbo).

1. A Moabite city that came under the control of Amorite King Sihon sometime before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. (Compare Numbers 21:26; 32:3; Isaiah 15:2.) Subsequent to Israel’s defeating Sihon, the Reubenites rebuilt Nebo. (Num. 32:37, 38) In the latter part of the tenth century B.C.E., however, it appears that the Reubenites (1 Chron. 5:1, 8) lost the city, for, on the Moabite Stone, King Mesha boasted about having taken it from Israel at the direction of his god Chemosh. Later, both Isaiah (in the eighth century B.C.E.) and Jeremiah (in the seventh century B.C.E.) mentioned Nebo in prophecies directed against Moab.—Isa. 15:2; Jer. 48:1, 22.

Nebo is commonly identified with Khirbet Mekhayyet, situated about five miles (8 kilometers) SW of Heshbon. There are ruins of an ancient fortress at this site. Also, large quantities of pottery fragments (thought to date from the twelfth to the beginning of the sixth century B.C.E.) have been found.

2. A city, representatives of which returned from Babylonian exile. (Ezra 2:1, 29) In the time of Ezra some of the “sons [probably, inhabitants] of Nebo” dismissed their foreign wives. (Ezra 10:43, 44) Apparently to distinguish this Nebo from No. 1 above it is designated as the “other Nebo.” (Neh. 7:33) Modern Nuba, located about seven miles (12 kilometers) NW of Hebron, has been presented as a possible identification.

3. Evidently one of the mountains of Abarim. It was from Mount Nebo or from the top of Pisgah (which may have been a part of Nebo or Nebo may have been a part of Pisgah) that Moses viewed the Promised Land, and then he died there. (Deut. 32:48-52; 34:1-4) Mount Nebo is generally identified with Jebel en-Neba. This mountain has an elevation of more than 2,700 feet (823 meters) above sea level and is located about twelve miles (19 kilometers) E of where the Jordan enters the Dead Sea. It is believed that Pisgah may be Ras es-Siyaghah, an eminence just NW of and slightly lower than the peak of Jebel en-Neba. On a clear day the top of Ras es-Siyaghah provides a splendid view, including Mount Hermon, Tabor, Ebal and Gerizim, the central mountain ridge on which Bethlehem and Hebron, are situated, the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea.

4. A deity whose humiliation at the fall of Babylon was foretold by the prophet Isaiah. (Isa. 46:1, 2) The name of this god is thought to mean “speaker, announcer, prophet.” Nebo was worshiped both in Babylonia and Assyria. He was identified with the planet Mercury and was regarded as the son of Marduk and Sarpanitu and the consort of Tashmitum. To his worshipers Nebo was a god of wisdom and learning, “the god who possesses intelligence,” “he who hears from afar,” “he who teaches,” and “lord of the tablet stylus.”

The prominence of this deity is illustrated by the Babylonian king Nabonidus’ referring to Nebo as “the administrator of all the upper and nether world, who lengthens the span of my life” and also as the one “who extends (the length of) my rule.” Nabonidus credited Nebo with placing into his hands “the correct scepter, the lawful staff, which (alone) ensures the aggrandizement of the country.” Another indication of the importance of Nebo in Babylonian religion is the fact that a form of the name appears in the names of the Babylonian kings Nebuchadnezzar,