MAHANĀIM (Heb. “two companies” or “two camps”). - A locality in Jordan. The name was given by Jacob when, on his return journey from Laban, before reaching the river Iaboc (= Wādi ez-Zerqā), he encountered companies of angels (Gen. 32, 2). It was on the boundary between the tribes of Gad and Manasse (Ios. 13, 26, 30). David withdrew there during the rebellion of Absalom, who died not far from M. (II Sam. 17, 24, 29; 19, 32; I Reg. 2, 8).
According to the traveller Estori ha-Parchi (ca. 1315), who seems to represent the Jewish tradition, M. should be identified with the present-day ruins of Hīrbet Maḥneh, situated 7 km north of 'Aḡlūn. This location, upheld by Heidet, Abel, etc., corresponds very well if account is taken of Hīrbet Umm el-Hedamus (rather than the proposed et-Tijarrah), situated west of the former; the two are separated by a perennial spring, and in both pottery from the Bronze and Iron periods is found on the surface. Other localities proposed by scholars for M. are: Tulul ed-Dahab (Dalman, Fernández), Tell el-Emrameh (Ubach), Tell Heḡaḡ (de Vaux).