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, Num. xii. 1 Kings viii. Ezek. xlvii. 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.