Bahurim (etymology uncertain ) was a village mentioned in the Hebrew Bible east of Jerusalem, on the road to the Jordan valley, close to the Mount of Olives.

Biblical references

Bahurim is the place where Palti, son of Laish turned back as he cried after his wife, Michal, when she was brought back to her first husband, King David. It is also mentioned during David's flight from Absalom: Here also the Cohanim Jonathan and Ahimaaz hid themselves. Azmaveth, one of David's heroes, is also mentioned as a native of Bahurim.

Identification

A Jewish tradition in the Targum identifies Bahurim with Almon, later called Almît, about 4 miles N.E. of Jerusalem, and a mile beyond Anathoth (Anâta). It has also been identified with Râs et-Tumein, north-east of the Mount of Olives. Râs et-Tumein is located at 1744.1333 (Palestine grid coordinates). However, it seems to be more likely that Bahurim was located at a place known as Barruka, located at 1750.1318 (Palestine grid coordinates) which disengages Ras et Tmim for the identification with Nob. French archaeologist and historical geographer, Victor Guérin, identified the site Bahurim with Abu Dis, a village 3 km, south-east of Jerusalem, before the suburbs of Jerusalem began to expand. The village, he argues, underwent a metamorphosis in name change; the name evolving from Būrīs, or Wadīs by another account, to what it is today. According to Zohar Amar, the name can be traced back, etymologically, to its earlier Greek pronunciation Baoureis (Baoureim) (with the absence of the voiceless pharyngeal fricative "chet", which has a slight aspirated sound in Hebrew, but does not exist in Greek pronunciation).