or HAMATH, in Ancient Geography, the name of a city (whose king was David's friend, 2 Sam. ix.) to the south of Lebanon, from which a territory was called Hemath, on the north of Canaan and south of Syria, as appears by the spies, Numb. xiii. 1 Kings viii. Ezek. xvii. Whether one or more cities and districts of this name lay in this tract, neither interpreters nor geographers are agreed. The eastern part was called Hemath-zoba, 2 Chron. viii. unless we suppose that there was a city in Zoba of this name, fortified by Solomon. In defining the boundary of Palestine, it is often said, from the entering of Hamath; as a province to be entered into through a strait or defile. And if there was such, the next question is, From what metropolis it was called Hemath & Antioch, capital of Syria, is supposed to be called Hemath or Amatha, (Jonathan, Targum, &c.); and again, Epiphania, (Josephus). Both were to the north of Lebanon; consequently not the Hemath of Scripture, the immediate boundary of Palestine to the north, and lying to the south of Lebanon.