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Merib-baal Contender with Baal, (Ch1 8:34; Ch1 9:40), elsewhere called Mephibosheth (Sa2 4:4), the son of Jonathan.

Merodach Death; slaughter, the name of a Babylonian god, probably the planet Mars (Jer 50:2), or it may be another name of Bel, the guardian divinity of Babylon. This name frequently occurs as a surname to the kings of Assyria and Babylon.

Merodach-baladan Merodach has given a son, (Isa 39:1), "the hereditary chief of the Chaldeans, a small tribe at that time settled in the marshes at the mouth of the Euphrates, but in consequence of his conquest of Babylon afterwards, they became the dominant caste in Babylonia itself." One bearing this name sent ambassadors to Hezekiah (721 B.C.). He is also called Berodach-baladan (Kg2 20:12; Ch2 20:31). (See HEZEKIAH.)

Merom Height, a lake in Northern Palestine through which the Jordan flows. It was the scene of the third and last great victory gained by Joshua over the Canaanites (Jos 11:5). It is not again mentioned in Scripture. Its modern name is Bakrat el-Huleh. "The Ard el-Huleh, the centre of which the lake occupies, is a nearly level plain of 16 miles in length from north to south, and its breadth from east to west is from 7 to 8 miles. On the west it is walled in by the steep and lofty range of the hills of Kedesh-Naphtali; on the east it is bounded by the lower and more gradually ascending slopes of Bashan; on the north it is shut in by a line of hills hummocky and irregular in shape and of no great height, and stretching across from the mountains of Naphtali to the roots of Mount Hermon, which towers up at the north-eastern angle of the plain to a height of 10,000 feet. At its southern extremity the plain is similarly traversed by elevated and broken ground, through which, by deep and narrow clefts, the Jordan, after passing through Lake Huleh, makes its rapid descent to the Sea of Galilee." The lake is triangular in form, about 4 1/2 miles in length by 3 1/2 at its greatest breadth. Its surface is 7 feet above that of the Mediterranean. It is surrounded by a morass, which is thickly covered with canes and papyrus reeds, which are impenetrable. Macgregor with his canoe, the Rob Roy, was the first that ever, in modern times, sailed on its waters. (See JORDAN.)

Meronothite A name given to Jehdeiah, the herdsman of the royal asses in the time of David and Solomon (Ch1 27:30), probably as one being a native of some unknown town called Meronoth.

Meroz A plain in the north of Palestine, the inhabitants of which were severely condemned because they came not to help Barak against Sisera (Jdg 5:23 : compare Jdg 21:8; Sa1 11:7). It has been identified with Marassus, on a knoll to the north of Wady Jalud, but nothing certainly is known of it. Like Chorazin, it is only mentioned in Scripture in connection with the curse pronounced upon it.

Mesha Middle district, Vulgate, Messa. (1.) A plain in that part of the boundaries of Arabia inhabited by the descendants of Joktan (Gen 10:30). (2.) Heb. meysh'a , "deliverance," the eldest son of Caleb (Ch1 2:42), and brother of Jerahmeel. (3.) Heb. id , a king of Moab, the son of Chemosh-Gad, a man of great wealth in flocks and herds (Kg2 3:4). After the death of Ahab at Ramoth-Gilead, Mesha shook off the yoke of Israel; but on the ascension of Jehoram to the throne of Israel, that king sought the help of Jehoshaphat in an attempt to reduce the Moabites again to their former condition. The united armies of the two kings came unexpectedly on the army of the Moabites, and gained over them an easy victory. The whole land was devastated by the conquering armies, and Mesha sought refuge in his last stronghold, Kir-harasheth (q.v.). Reduced to despair, he ascended the wall of the city, and there, in the sight of the allied armies, offered his first-born son a sacrifice to Chemosh, the fire-god of the Moabites. This fearful spectacle filled the beholders with horror, and they retired from before the besieged city, and re-crossed the Jordan laden with spoil (Kg2 3:25). The exploits of Mesha are recorded in the Phoenician inscription on a block of black basalt found at Dibon, in Moab, usually called the "Moabite stone" (q.v.).

Meshach The title given to Mishael, one of the three Hebrew youths who were under training at the Babylonian court for the rank of Magi (Dan 1:7; Dan 2:49; 3:12-30). This was probably the name of some Chaldean god.

Meshech Drawing out, the sixth son of Japheth (Gen 10:2), the founder of a tribe (Ch1 1:5; Eze 27:13; Eze 38:2, Eze 38:3). They were in all probability the Moschi, a people inhabiting the Moschian Mountains, between the Black and the Caspian Seas. In Psa 120:5 the name occurs as simply a synonym for foreigners or barbarians. "During the ascendancy of the Babylonians and Persians in Western Asia, the Moschi were subdued; but it seems probable that a large number of them crossed the Caucasus range and spread over the northern steppes, mingling with the Scythians. There they became known as Muscovs, and gave that name to the Russian nation and its ancient capital by which they are still generally known throughout the East"

Meshelemiah Friendship of Jehovah, a Levite of the family of the Korhites, called also Shelemiah (Ch1 9:21; Ch1 26:1, Ch1 26:2, Ch1 26:9, Ch1 26:14). He was a temple gate-keeper in the time of David.