Beth-haccherem

Beth-haccherem ("house of the vineyard") was a town or district near Jerusalem important enough that Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler of Beth-haccherem, took charge of rebuilding the Dung Gate of Jerusalem under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:14). The prophet Jeremiah singled it out as the southern signal-station for warning Jerusalem of attack from the north: "Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms out of the north" (Jeremiah 6:1). The site is most commonly identified with Ramat Rachel just south of Jerusalem on the road to Bethlehem, where excavations have revealed a major royal Iron Age palace-fortress on a prominent hilltop — exactly the kind of elevation that would have served as both a residence and a beacon. An alternative identification is Ein Karem west of Jerusalem. The name and the prophet's "vineyard" wordplay suggest the area was known for its terraced vine cultivation.