BAḥHURIM

BAḥHURIM (Heb. בַּחֻרִים, בַּחוּרִים), a biblical locality southeast of Jerusalem to which paltiel accompanied Saul's daughter Michal when he was forced to return her to her former husband, David (I Sam. 25:44; II Sam. 3:16). On his flight from Absalom, David passed Baḥurim after ascending the western slope of the Mount of Olives. He was cursed there by Shimei, son of Gera, a native of the place (II Sam. 16:5ff.; I Kings 2:8). Jonathan and Ahimaaz, who acted as intermediaries between David and his secret supporters in Jerusalem, hid there in a well when they fell under suspicion (II Sam. 17:18ff.). Its accepted identification is with Raʾs al-Tamīm on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, where Iron Age pottery has been found. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Voigt, in: AASOR, 5 (1925), 67ff.; EM, S.V.; Press, Ereẓ, 1 (1951), 65; Elliger, in: PJB, 31 (1935), 49ff., 70ff. (Michael Avi-Yonah)