1 In the Bible, unidentified boundary landmark, N ancient Palestine.

2 City of ancient Syria, used by the Egyptians and later by the Neo-Babylonians as a headquarters in the west. It was on the Orontes at the foot of Lebanon and E of Tripoli. Situated at the beginning of the valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, it guarded the entrance to Syria and Palestine and was of strategic importance. It is mentioned several times in the Bible; it is called Diblath in the Book of Ezekiel.

Riblah (meaning "fruitful"), was an ancient town on the northern frontier of Israel, 35 miles north-east of Baalbec, and 10 or 12 south of Lake Homs, on the eastern bank of the Orontes, in a wide and fertile plain.

Here Nebuchadnezzar had his headquarters in his campaign against Jerusalem, and here also Necho fixed his camp after he had routed Josiah's army at Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29-35; 25:6, 20, 21; Jer. 39:5; 52:10).

It was on the great caravan road from Israel to Carchemish, on the Euphrates. It is described (Num. 34:11) as "on the eastern side of Ain." A place still called el Ain, i.e., "the fountain", is found in such a position about 10 miles distant.

This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.

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