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MICHMASH.—A place (not enumerated as a town) in the territory of Benjamin, and in the mountains of Bethel. It comes into prominence in connexion with the daring raid made by Jonathan and his armour-bearer upon the Philistines there encamped (1Sa_13:1-23; 1Sa_14:1-52). It was one of the smaller places to which the returning exiles belonged, contributing only 122 men to the enumeration of Ezra (Ezr_2:27) and Nehemiah (Neh_7:31) [in both these last two passages Michmas]. Nehemiah further alludes to it as a border city of Benjamin (Neh_11:31). Indications of its position may be obtained from the Jonathan story and also from Isaiah’s picture of the course of an Assyrian raid (Isa_10:28). These indications permit an identification of the site with the modern village of Mukhmâs, situated in a wild and desolate region near the head of the Wady Kelt. In 1Ki_4:9 for Makaz the LXX [Note: Septuagint.] erroneously reads Michmash. For a time it was the seat of the government of Jonathan Maccabæus (1Ma_9:73).
R. A. S. Macalister.