Arumah

Arumah was a town in the hill country of Ephraim where Abimelech, son of Gideon, took refuge during the revolt of Shechem against his usurped kingship (Judges 9:41). From Arumah he sent his commander Zebul to deceive Gaal son of Ebed inside Shechem, then launched the night attack that destroyed the city and ended in his own death at Thebez. The site is generally identified with Khirbet el-Ormah, about five miles southeast of Shechem in the central Samarian hills, overlooking the Jordan Valley descent. Arumah's strategic placement on the eastern flank of Shechem made it the perfect staging ground for Abimelech's siege.