Bible Dictionary
SHAALIM, LAND OF
The land of Shaalim was a region through which Saul traveled while searching for his father’s lost donkeys. Its location is uncertain, and it may be connected with Shaalbim.
Definition
The land of Shaalim was a region through which Saul passed while searching for his father’s lost donkeys. Its exact location is uncertain, and the obscure account allows only tentative geographical conclusions.
Biblical Usage
Saul traveled through Mount Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the land of Shaalim, and the land rendered Benjamin while searching for the animals.
Historical Background
The suggested route proceeds from Gibeah through the uplands of Ephraim, westward, southward, and then eastward. Shaalim may have been on the western side of the mountain range, perhaps on the slopes east of Lydda. Some propose reading Shaalbim instead.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>sha'-a-lim ('erets sha`alim; Codex Vaticanus tes ges Easakem; Codex Alexandrinus tes ges Saaleim; the King James Version Shalim): Saul in search of his father's asses passed through Mt. Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, then through the land of Shaalim and the land of yemini. This last name English Versions of the Bible renders "Benjamin" (1Sa 9:4). The whole passage is so obscure that no certain conclusions can be reached. The search party may have proceeded northward from Gibeah, through the uplands of Ephraim, turning then westward, then southward, and finally eastward. We should thus look for the land of Shalishah and the land of Shaalim on the west side of the mountain range: and the latter may have been on the slopes to the East of Lydda. Possibly we ought here to read "Shaalbim," instead of "Shaalim."</p><p>W. Ewing</p>