Abel, Avel

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ABEL, AVEL

ABEL, AVEL (Heb. אָבֵל). (1) Name, appearing either alone or with the addition of a further indicative place-name, of many places in Ereẓ Israel and Syria. Four cities with this name are mentioned in the lists of Thutmose iii. Its meaning is apparently "place of abundant water" (cf. Dan. 8:2–6, "stream"). (2) Avel was a town in ancient Ereẓ Israel which was situated at the origin of the aqueduct of Sepphoris in the mishnaic period (Er. 8:7; Tosef. Er. 9[6]:26). It is the present-day village of al-Rayna, about 3 mi. (5 km.) S.E. of *Sepphoris.

[Michael Avi-Yonah]