ODOLLAM (Hebrew 'Adhullām; cf. Arabic 'Adula, "To Take Refuge"). - A Canaanite city, often mentioned in the Bible from the time of the Patriarchs to that of the Maccabees (cf. Gen. 38:1; Josh. 12:15; 15:35; 2 Chron. 11:7; Neh. 11:30; 2 Macc. 12:38), identified in 1875 by Clermont-Ganneau with the present-day Hirbet 'Id-el-mā ('Idelmijeh), about 20 km west-southwest of Bethlehem.

It lies on one of the many hills of the intermediate region between the "mountain" and the "plain," of limestone nature, riddled with very many caves, for the most part natural (water erosion), at times of considerable size (that of Harejtūn is 220 m long). In one of these David took refuge during Saul's persecution, and here his parents and his first followers reached him (1 Sam. 22:1-5). They served as a refuge even later when, after he had reigned 7 years in Hebron and was elected king by all Israel, the Philistines set out in search of him (2 Sam. 5:17; 23:13).

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: M. Hagen, s. v. in Realia Biblica, p. 282; F. Vigouroux, s. v. in DB, IV, coll. 1740-45; F.-M. Abel, Géographie de la Palestine, I, Paris 1933 p. 441 ff.; II, ibid. 1938, pp. 85, 239.

Gino Bressan

@incollection{ec9_odollam_ebr_adhullam_cf_arabo, author = {Bressan, Gino}, title = {Odollam (Ebr. 'AdhullĀM; Cf. Arabo 'Adula «Mettersi Al Sicuro»)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IX}, pages = {75}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/odollam-ebr-adhullam-cf-arabo-adula-mettersi-al-sicuro} }

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