RAPHAIM, Valley of. – A fertile plain (Is. 17:5) to the southwest of Jerusalem, today called Baqà (Hebrew ‘êmeq réphá’im).
According to Jos. 15:8–9, it extended northward as far as Nephros (= Lifta). It appears in the boundary line between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but lies to the south of it (Jos. 15:8; 18:16). Eusebius (as translated by St. Jerome) therefore incorrectly places it in the tribe of Benjamin to the north of Jerusalem. In the time of Saul, it was invaded by the Philistines (2 Sam. 23:13–17; 1 Chr. 11:15–19); David defeated them there twice (2 Sam. 5:17–21; 1 Chr. 14:8–12).
Bibl.: H. Vincent, Jérusalem. Recherches de topographie, d’archéologie et d’histoire, I, Paris 1912, pp. 118–24; L. Desnoyers, Histoire du peuple hébreu, II, ibid. 1930, pp. 160–65; F.-M. Abel, Géographie de la Palestine, I, ibid. 1933, p. 402; A. Midebielle, in La Sainte Bible (ed. L. Pirot, 3), ibid. 1940, p. 486. Francesco Spadafora