listing of Ham in Genesis 14:5, 6 seems to place it S of Ashteroth-karnaim and N of Shaveh-kiriathaim. The name of the city is preserved in that of the modern village of Ham on the Wadi er-Rejeileh (also called Wadi Ham) about four miles (6.4 kilometers) S-SW of Irbid in the ʼAjlun, and nineteen miles (31 kilometers) SE of the S end of the Sea of Galilee. The ancient city itself appears to be the tell (Tell Ham) nearby.

3. In the Psalms “Ham” is associated with Egypt, it being called “the land of Ham.”—Ps. 78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:21, 22; see EGYPT, EGYPTIAN.

HAMAN

(Haʹman) [magnificent; celebrated].

Son of Hammedatha the Agagite. The designation “Agagite” may mean that Haman was a royal Amalekite. (Esther 3:1; see AGAG; AGAGITE.) If, indeed Haman was an Amalekite, this in itself would explain why he harbored such great hatred for the Jews, for Jehovah had decreed the eventual extermination of the Amalekites. (Ex. 17:14-16) This was because they showed hatred of God and his people by taking the initiative to sally forth in attack on the Israelites when they traveled through the wilderness.—Ex. 17:8.

Haman was a servant of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of Persia, who ruled from 486 to 474 B.C.E., according to reliable evidence. Haman was honored and appointed as prime minister over the Persian Empire. Enraged by the Jew Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him, Haman plotted the destruction of Mordecai and all the Jews in the empire. He painted the Jews as undesirable in the empire, lawbreakers, having laws “different from all other people’s.” He added an economic appeal, saying to the king. “Let there be a writing that they be destroyed; and ten thousand silver talents [about $14,235,900] I shall pay into the hands of those doing the work by bringing it into the king’s treasury.” The king gave Haman his signet ring and replied: “The silver is given to you, also the people, to do with them according to what is good in your own eyes.”—Esther 3:1-11.

Haman was greatly puffed up with pride because of receiving authority from the king to issue a decree for the Jews’ annihilation and spoliation, and, additionally, by later being invited to two banquets held by Queen Esther. (Esther 3:12, 13; 5:4-12) But just when Haman thought he was about to realize his highest ambitions, matters were reversed for him. Haman, egotistically expecting to be exalted, experienced crushing humiliation when the king ordered him to conduct a public ceremony honoring the hated Mordecai, who had previously uncovered a plot against the king’s life. (Esther 6:1-12; 2:21-23) Haman’s wise men and his wife took this as an omen that Haman would go down before the Jew Mordecai.—Esther 6:13.

Haman’s downfall was brought to a crashing climax during the second special banquet held by Queen Esther, who was Mordecai’s cousin. (Esther 2:7) Courageously, in Haman’s presence, she made an appeal to the king. She revealed to the astonished king that his own interests were endangered; in fact, his queen’s life was imperiled by a murderous plot. As the king’s rage mounted, Esther boldly identified the now terrified prime minister as the dastardly plotter, “this bad Haman.” (Esther 7:1-6) Subsequently, the king ordered the murderous Haman to be hanged on the approximately seventy-three-foot- (c. 22.3-meter-) high stake Haman had prepared for the hanging of Mordecai. (Esther 7:7-10) In turn, Haman’s house was given to Esther (Esther 8:7) and Mordecai was made prime minister, with authorization to grant the Jews permission to defend themselves. (Esther 8:2, 10-15) In two days of avenging themselves upon their foes, the Jews gained a smashing victory, killing over 75,000 of their enemies. Haman’s ten sons were killed; then, on the next day, they were hung up before the people as a disgrace.—Esther 9:1-17.

Haman manifested the traits of the Amalekites. He was obviously a worshiper of pagan deities, and he perhaps relied on astrologers when having lots cast to determine the auspicious day for the destruction of the Jews. (Esther 3:7) He carried out the “works of the flesh,” practicing idolatry, spiritism, manifesting his murderous hatred for the Jews, showing a proud, haughty, egotistical spirit with extreme jealousy and envy of others, especially the servants of God. (Gal. 5:19-21) He practiced lying and deception (Esther 3:8) and proved to be a cringing coward when his plans were foiled and he stood condemned. (Esther 7:6-8) Haman showed himself to be a servant of God’s adversary the Devil, according to the principle at Romans 6:16.—See ESTHER; ESTHER, BOOK OF; LOT, I; MORDECAI No. 2; PURIM.

HAMATH

(Haʹmath) [fortress], Hamathite (Haʹmath·ite).

The city of Hamath was the capital of a small Canaanite kingdom in Syria during the early history of Israel. The rich agricultural region surrounding it also took the same name. During Greek and Roman times the classical name of the city was Epiphania, so named by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Today it is called Hama, a shortened form of its original name.

The city of Hamath was located on the Orontes River, along important trade routes, fifty miles (80.5 kilometers) inland from the Mediterranean, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) N of Damascus and seventy-five miles (c. 121 kilometers) S of Aleppo.

Though sometimes said to be of Hittite origin, Hamath was more likely founded by the Hamathites, relatives of the Hittites and one of the seventy post-Flood families. Heth and Hamath, the forefathers of these two family lines, were listed as the second and eleventh sons respectively of Canaan the son of Ham. (Gen. 10:6, 15-18; 1 Chron. 1:8, 13-16) The large number of “Hittite” inscriptions may indicate that even though originally settled by Hamathites, it was subject to strong “Hittite” influence.

“THE ENTERING IN OF HAMATH”

The oldest account we have of Hamath tells how the twelve Israelite spies in the sixteenth century B.C.E. came up from the S as far as “the entering in of Hamath,” an oft-repeated phrase thought to refer, not to the gates of the city itself, but, rather, to the southern boundary of the territory over which it ruled. (Num. 13:21) It was to this limit that Joshua’s conquest was pushed northward. (Josh. 13:2, 5; Judg. 3:1-3) Some scholars, however, suggest that the expression “as far as to the entering in of Hamath” (Josh. 13:5) should possibly read “as far as Lebi-hamath (Lion of Hamath),” hence a definite place.—See Vetus Testamentum, Vol. II, No. 2, April 1952, p. 114.

The exact location of this boundary (or place) is not certain. It was reckoned as the northern boundary of Israel’s territory (Num. 34:8; 1 Ki. 8:65; 2 Ki. 14:25; 2 Chron. 7:8), and as bordering on Damascus. (Jer. 49:23; Ezek. 47:15-17; 48:1; Zech. 9:1, 2) Some think it was the southern extremity of the Coele-Syria valley (also called the Biqaʽ) that runs between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges. Others say it was farther N up this valley, halfway between Baalbek and Riblah at the sources of the Litani and Orontes Rivers. Yet others suggest it was still farther N where the pass opens up between Homs and the sea.—Ezek. 47:20.

RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL

As an independent kingdom its King Toi (Tou) sent his son Joram (Hadoram) to congratulate King David for having defeated their common enemy Hadadezer. (2 Sam. 8:3, 9, 10; 1 Chron. 18:3, 9, 10) However, during Solomon’s reign the kingdom of Hamath seems to have been under Israel’s control, for Solomon built storage cities in that region. (2 Chron. 8:3, 4) After Solomon’s death Hamath gained its independence, except for a brief period in the ninth century B.C.E. when Jeroboam II temporarily brought it again under Israelite control. (2 Ki. 14:28) About this time it was described as “populous Hamath.”—Amos 6:2.

In the eighth century B.C.E. Hamath and her neighbors, including the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, were overrun by the Assyrian sweep to world domination. Assyria’s policy was to exchange and relocate her captives, and so people of Hamath were brought in to replace inhabitants of Samaria who, in turn, were moved to Hamath and other places. (2 Ki. 17:24; 19:12, 13; Isa. 10:9-11; 37:12, 13) The Hamathites then set up in the high places of Samaria images of their god Ashima, even though this worthless god had proved to be helpless against the Assyrians.—2 Ki. 17:29, 30; 18:33, 34; Isa. 36:18, 19.

According to an extant cuneiform inscription (British Museum catalog No. 21946), after the battle of Carchemish in 625 B.C.E. (Jer. 46:2), Nebuchadnezzar’s forces overtook and destroyed the fleeing Egyptians in the district of Hamath. (Chronicles of Chaldean Kings, D. J. Wiseman, 1961, p. 69) In this same area, a few years earlier, Pharaoh Nechoh had taken King Jehoahaz captive. (2 Ki. 23:31-33) Then in 607 B.C.E., with the fall of Jerusalem, Zedekiah and other captives were taken to Riblah in the region of Hamath, and there before his eyes Zedekiah’s sons were put to death along with others of the nobility. (2 Ki. 25:18-21; Jer. 39:5, 6; 52:9, 10, 24-27) Nevertheless, God promised that in due time he would restore a remnant of his captive people, including those in the land of Hamath.—Isa. 11:11, 12.

[Map on page 706]

GREAT SEA

Orontes River

Hamath

Homs

Riblah

Anti-Lebanon Mts.

Lebanon Mts.

Damascus

Litani River

Baalbek

Sidon

Jordan River

Jerusalem

DEAD SEA

THE BIQA

HAMATH-ZOBAH

(Haʹmath-zoʹbah).

A place apparently conquered by King Solomon and thus figuring in his only military engagement alluded to in Scripture. (2 Chron. 8:3) The exact identity of Hamath-zobah is uncertain. Hamath and Zobah may have been adjoining kingdoms (compare 1 Chronicles 18:9; 2 Chronicles 8:4), whence the compound name “Hamath-zobah.” That two neighboring geographical locations may be joined in this way is illustrated by 1 Chronicles 6:78. The literal Hebrew of this text reads “the Jordan Jericho” or “the Jordan of Jericho,” and is usually rendered “the Jordan at [by] Jericho.”—NW, RS, AV.

HAMMATH

(Hamʹmath) [hot spring].

1. The “father” of the house of Rechab and an ancestor of certain Kenites.—1 Chron. 2:55.

2. A fortified city of Naphtali. (Josh. 19:32, 35) It is generally identified with Hammam Tabariyeh, about a mile and a half (2.4 kilometers) S of Tiberias on the W side of the Sea of Galilee. The sulphurous spring there apparently gave Hammath its name (meaning “hot spring”). If, as most scholars believe, Hammoth-dor (Josh. 21:32) and Hammon (1 Chron. 6:76) are alternate names for the same location, Hammath also functioned as a Levite city.

HAMMEDATHA

(Ham·me·daʹtha) [possibly, given by the moon].

An Agagite; father of Haman, who plotted the extermination of the Jews in the days of Mordecai and Esther.—Esther 3:1, 6.

HAMMER

A tool used for pounding and driving; a mallet. Hammers were employed for driving in nails (Jer. 10:4) and tent pins (Judg. 4:21), in the quarrying operation for splitting stones by repeated pounding, as well as in shaping and facing building stones (1 Ki. 6:7), and for shaping metal, as in the making of idols.—Isa. 41:7; 44:12.

The various materials used for making hammerheads included stone, metal and wood. Likely the hammer or mallet used by Jael to drive the tent pin into the temples of Sisera was made of wood.—Judg. 4:21; 5:26.

In a figurative sense the word of Jehovah’s judgment is compared to a forge hammer that smashes the crag. (Jer. 23:29) Also, in Jehovah’s hand, Babylon was like a forge hammer, breaking nations and kingdoms in pieces.—Jer. 50:23; compare Jeremiah 25:8, 9, 17-26.

HAMMOLECHETH

(Ham·moʹle·cheth) [the queen].

The sister of Manasseh’s grandson Gilead. She gave birth to Ishhod, Abi-ezer and Mahlah.—1 Chron. 7:14, 17, 18.

HAMMON

(Hamʹmon) [perhaps, hot spring].

1. A city on the boundary of Asher. (Josh. 19:24-28) It is generally identified with Umm el-ʽAwamid, on the Mediterranean seacoast, about eight miles (12.9 kilometers) S of Tyre.

2. A site in the territory of Naphtali given to the Levites (1 Chron. 6:71, 76); apparently the same as Hammath.—Josh. 19:35; see HAMMATH No. 2.

HAMMOTH-DOR

(Hamʹmoth-dor) [hot springs of Dor].

A city of Naphtali given to Gershonite Levites. (Josh. 21:27, 32) It is apparently the same as Hammath.—Josh. 19:35; see HAMMATH No. 2.

HAMMUEL

(Hamʹmu·el) [possibly, warmth of God].

Son of Mishma of the tribe of Simeon.—1 Chron. 4:24-26.

HAMONAH

(Ha·moʹnah) [crowd, the feminine form of Ha·mohn’].

A symbolic city in the vicinity of the valley in which Gog and his crowd are to be buried, after their combined attack on God’s people ends in defeat and mass slaughter. The city derives its name from that circumstance, as a memorial of Jehovah’s victory over these foes. (Ezek. 39:16) A city implies an organized body of persons, here apparently relating to the organization for bone disposal described in Ezekiel 39:11-15.—See GOG No. 2.

HAMON-GOG

(Haʹmon-Gog) [Gogʼs crowd].

The English derivation of the Hebrew name of a valley, evidently symbolic, described as “the valley of those passing through on the east of the [Dead] sea.” In this valley, Gog and all his forces are buried after their destruction by Jehovah.—Ezek. 39:11, 15, NW, 1960 ed., ftns.; see GOG No. 2.

HAMOR

(Haʹmor) [he-ass].

A Hivite chieftain; father of Shechem. It was from the sons of Hamor that Jacob purchased a tract of land where he pitched his tent and then later set up an altar. After Shechem violated Jacob’s daughter Dinah, Simeon and Levi, in avenging their sister, killed both Hamor and his son.—Gen. 33:18-20; 34:1, 2, 25, 26.

HAMSTRING

In quadrupeds the hamstrings are the back tendons above the hock of the hind legs. Hamstringing, the act of cutting these tendons, cripples the animal, rendering it unfit for work or warfare The arbitrariness of Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi found expression in their hamstringing bulls, likely when executing vengeance on the Hivites of Shechem. (Gen. 49:5, 6) In carrying out war operations,