Encyclopedia of The Bible – Abel-Keramim
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Abel-Keramim

ABEL-KERAMIM ā’ bəl kĕr’ ə mĭm (אָבֵ֣ל כְּרָמִ֔ים meadow of vineyards). Along with Atoer, Minnith, and “twenty cities,” this city is listed as one taken in Jephthah’s military campaign against the Ammonites. The forces of Jephthah gathered at Mizpah (Judg 10:17), which is also called Mizpeh of Gilead (11:29). None of these locations have been identified with certainty, but if Mizpah be identified with Ramathmizpeh, which is listed as one of the cities of Gilead coming between Heshbon and Betonim (Josh 13:26), then Abel-keramim must be sought in an area S of the Jabbok River. Aharoni suggests somewhere near Jebel Jel ’ad and Khirbet Jel ’ad; Grollenberg identifies it with modern Na ’ur, about nine m. from Amman. See Eusebius, Onomasticon 32. 15, 16.