Reference: ARIMATHEA, OR RAMAH
American
(Dual, Ramathaim,) A city whence came Joseph the counselor, in whose new tomb the body of Jesus laid, Mt 27:57; Joh 19:38. We learn from Eusebius and Jerome that this city was near Lydia, a town twenty-four miles northwest of Jerusalem. It has generally been located at the modern Ramleh, a town near Lydda, of 3,000 inhabitants, in which the route from Egypt to Syria crosses that from Egypt to Syria crosses that from Jerusalem to Joppa. But its site is rather to be sought a few miles east of Lydda, from Samaria to Judea, which may account for Luke's calling it "a city of the Jews," Lu 23:51. It has been supposed to be the same place as the Ramah of Mount Ephraim, the birthplace and residence of Samuel. This was called also Ramathaim-Zophim, 1Sa 1:1,19, from which name the from Arimathea is readily derived. See RAMAH.