There is a saying about a tangled web being woven from acts which are meant to deceive. Truth never weaves such a web. For the truth stands alone and all the facts of reality do point straight to it and validate it. And in the case of a lie or disception, another lie of deception is required and follows the first in order to keep the first from being found out. And from thence the tangled web begins as lie and deception upon lie and deception is mounted into great mysteries which are left by the easily led undecernable. Yet thus it is in untangling the tangled webs of a mystery it is to be no more than straightening out the lies of deception which did build it into existence in the first place.

One long time mystery of scriptural history is that of the site and location of Ramah and/or Mount Ephraim and whether they be more than one in place and location. Ramah means 'height' according to the LDS Bible Dictionary, and is used from the anceint language. The hill known as Cumorah by the Nephites was named and called in the days of the Jaredites by this same name, Ramah.

When the land of promise was divided by lot as described in Joshua chapter 14 between the tribes of Israel, it was the lot if the children of Joseph to obtain the land from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east. to the wilderness that goeth form Jericho throughout mount Bethel to the west and etc. as explained in the 16th chapter of Joshua (Joshua 16:1-4). And as reported by the Jewish compilers the precise lands of Ephraim are described in verses 5-10 which is concluded with the ending note that these where the lands of Ephraim 'unto this day' which was a much later date than the day of Joshua and the Jewish compilers of the Jewish Old Testament which was compiled after the Babylonian captivity of 600 BC did edit and compile the record as had in our record today. And there in verse 10 the Jewish editors of the scriptures do take pains to point out that the Canaanites did dwell among the Ephraimites serving under tribute to them.

"Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out. And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot [Remember Joseph was Jacob's chosen son and Joseph's son Ephraim was set in Reuben's place as the firstborn birthright son. Normally the birthright son is given two lots in comparision to the other lots given to the other sons. Thus Ephraim was not stating a groundless concern. For Ephraim was called upon to share a lot with Manasseh rather than having two full lots of his own.] and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto? And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong." ~ Joshua 17:13-18

Thus Ephraim had complained about being constrained in the limited mountain range territory which ran north and south along the course of the Jordon to its west. And if the record be correct, the wooded mountain heights of Mount Ephraim this hill country was more than just one particular singular sight but a full expanse of which Ephraim would claim. Now it one particular height of the Mount Ephraim range did have the name of Ramah or the full range of height of Ramah did have one particular mount which was called Ephraim, it may or may not be. But one must note two particulars, that is that the wooded mountain land was Ephraims, it was called Mount Ephraim by Josphua, and its was also that which was also associated with and a part of the lands of Ephraim refered to as Ramah, Mount Ephraim, the mountain or mountain range. And the extent of that range becomes significant as it would range from Shechem on the north to Ephraim's 'shared' lot of possession at the tomb of mother Rachel. There it may be found that Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and even Manasseh held rights at the site of Rachel's tomb. Benjamin's right was called Zelzah, by Rachel's sepulchre, Benjamin's border where Samuel had instructed Saul in 1 Samuel 10:2, and thus Benjamin's land right bordered beyond Jerusalem even to include Zelzah by Rachel's tomb. Ephraim held his right there and Biblically it may seen as being referenced as variously as Ephratha, Ephrath and even that part of Bethlehem known as Bethlem Ephratah (Micah 5:2). That is that portion which was so possesed by such as Elimelech and was purchased by Boaz to be held in trust on behalf of Obed, it becoming Obed's family inheritance, he being raised up to the dead, the house of Mahloh, Chilion and Elimelech (Ruth 4:5-17). Also it may be seen from the Bible that Judah held portion there also as referenced as Bethlehm-Judah and may from a Jewish perspective alone include the lands of Boaz though that portions of which he held of Elimelech, Chilion and Mahloh were as attested to by Micah more properly stipulated to be Bethlehem Ephratah or Bethlehem-Ephraim. And it may further eventually be revealed that even Manasseh held portion there which may account for such as Lehi's lands of inheritance in the land of region of Jerusalem, Lehi being such an inheritance owner such as even Boaz was also. This perspective of the range of the land of Ramah, Mount Ephraim, given greater understanding to Rachel weeping for her children, the murdered babes by Herod as recorded in Matthew chapter 2.

Now a close study of the book of Joshua in conjunction with the tribe of Benjamin will reveal that it was the tribe of Benjamin which held rights to Jerusalem (Joshua 18:28). But since it was King David which took Jerusalem from the rule of the Jebusites and not Benjamin, Judah did lay claim to Jerusalem from the day which David chose Judah over Ephraim or Israel as pointed out in item number 22 and 20 previous. Now at this point let it be noted that Jerusalem was in the day of Joshua and it original records set to be a land and city of the tribe of Benjamin and that could be argued to be the rural regions about the city being the land of that city. And the rural district of the land of Ephrath, the burial site of Benjamin's mother Rachel was of that general local. Why would Joshua grant Benjamin the city of Jerusalem and not include in that intent the rural supporting range land of Ephrath where Rachel was born which was just five miles distance? Logic here states that the tribe of Joseph well had claim in Ephrath due to Rachel's burial there and Benjamin's being given the city of that district being Jerusalem. (One contributing note of interest here should be made that even after David did take Jerusalem from the rule of the Jebusites, the Judas could still not kill or drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem. The later compilers insert this added commentary in Joshua 15:63 which most assuredly references the much later dates after David's taking of Jerusalem and Jeremiah's record concerns that the Jebusites were very much a part of Jerusalem in his day, the day of King Zedekiah. And for some reason the Jewish recordkeepers' bias is not to point this out with the same distain in which they point the the Ephraimites as allowing the Cannanites to live under them by tribute.)

Now in support by default that Bethlehem was not necessarily originally given to Judah by Joshua, of the dozens of cities (well over 100) recorded as being the cities of the Jews in Joshua 15, Bethlehem or Ephrath is not mentioned as being one of them. And Jerusalem is only listed in what must assuredly be considered an editorial later adition as Jerusalem is in fact in chater 17 of Joshua given as Benjamin's inheritence and the villeges pertaining to it most assuredly.

This concept that Mount Ephraim was the entire wooded mountain abode of the tribe of Ephraim and not just one particular city or location is further confirmed by such references to it as had in Joshua 20:7 and Joshua 21:21 where the city of Shechem and her rigions are given out of Mount Ephraim as a city of refuge. And in Joshua 24:30 Timnath-serah is also in Mount Ephraim. Thus Mount Ephraim is and entire mountianous land inheritance and not just one particularly identifiable site. So from whence to where is this enlarged region of the land of Ephraim known as Mount Ephraim?

Now in Joshua 18:25, Ramah is given unto Benjamin. And in 1 Samuel 1:19; 2:11; 7:17; 8:4; 15:34; 16:13; 19:18-19 & 22-23; 22:6; 25:1; 28:3; , Ramah is the location of the house of the family of Samuel, his ancestors and himself and where Samuel judged from and died and was buried. According to the LDS Bible Dictionary, is was a town in Benjamin but on the border with Ephraim. And Samuel's family was said to be Ephrathites. It is also said to be on the road to Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:17 & 21-22; 2 Chronicles 16:1 & 5-6) at a point where travelers could be hedged up and prevented from traveling to Jerusalem. Yet the relationship with which Jermiah 31:15 and Mathew 2:18 does refer to Ramah in conjunction with Rachel, the mother of the House of Joseph and the House of David, and her weeping for 'her children' being killed by Herod in his attempt to kill all two year olds and under of the house of David to slay the Christ, would associate the sites of Ramah to reach from Bethlehem north into the height of the hill regions of Ephraim in Ramah and the limiting neck entrances into Mount Ephraim.

¶"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceedingly wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy [Jeremiah 31:15] the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." ~ Matthew 2:16-18

"Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah," ~ 1 Samuel 8:4

At the time of which the Jebusites still ruled and inhabited Jerusalem, before ever there was a King in Israel, the rule of Israel was from Ramah, even Mount Ephraim. How ironic it is that he who would so oft have gathered Israel as a hen her chicks under the wings of his protection, was at this instance having 'all the elders of Israel' to gather before Samuel his Prophet, to once again reject the Lord (See 1 Samuel 8:7-8).

It is significant, not only that Samuel ruled Israel as their Chief Judge from Mount Ephraim, that is Ramah, but also that it was there at that site that Israel did reject being subject unto the LORD their true King (See 1 Samuel 8:4-9). Judge Samuel, a Levite of the family of Ephraim, his family being so placed in one of the cities of Ephraim and thereby being so called and named an Ephrathite (See 1 Samuel 1:1), would do all that he could to attempt to keep Israel from falling into having a flawed worldly earthly king and thereby rejecting being ruled by their own one true King, Jehovah, even Jesus Christ.

Another Ephrathite named Elimelech, meaning 'God is King', would become the rightful ancestor of the House of Ephraim to the promised Messiah, even Messiah ben Joseph who is also the same as Messiah ben David. He would do this through his son Mahlon and Mahlon's wife Ruth. Though Mahlon had suffered death without having any children, it would be his Jewish kinsman Boaz who would act according to the Law of Moses (See Deuteronomy 25:5-10) to raise up seed to the dead house of Elimelech and Mahlon thus legally and rightfully conveying the firstborn son of his marriage to Ruth, namely Obed, to be the legitimate heir of the Ephrathite family of Elimelech and Mahlon, a son unto Naomi. And thus the House of David, though being of the bloodline of Judah through this vicarious surrogate performance unto the house of Elimelech and Mahlon, would in truth be of the House of Joseph, that legal and rightful seed and heir of the birthright of the firstborn of Israel through his true ancestor Ephraim and Joseph of Egypt.

And thus it was, even as Israel was rejecting the LORD their God and King at Ramath, at Mount Ephraim before the Prophet Samuel, that appointed Ephrathite Levite, even then was the LORD preparing the way that the mortal heir to the Kingdom of Israel would come to be their earthly King, even Jesus Christ the Son of David, Jesus Christ the true son of Elimelech, meaning God is King, the true son of the covenant promise of the firstborn of Israel, the promised son of Joseph of Egypt, even the true Son of God the Father. And thereby, even according to the right of earthly royalty did Jehovah reclaim the means of becoming the legal heir to being the King of Israel.

The Salt Lake Temple today is said to be in the tops of the mountains. Moses when he first came unto the Lord did so upon an mount. Even at Adam-ondi-Ahman is there a hill upon which Adam did worship the Lord his God. Jerusalem became King David's newly selected 'mount' of worshipping the Lord and his proposed site for the Old Testament temple of the Lord. Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did worship God upon hill and mountain tops. That Ramah was the name that the Jaredites would associate with the hills of Cumorah, that Ramah was the name associated with Mount Ephraim and that place from which in the days of the Judges that the Lord's Prophet Samuel did rule from in the name of the Lord and that the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ today is established in the tops of the mountains is but a consistency which has prevailed from the beginning of the time of man upon this creation.

Just how old is Ramah? Ramah the concept has been forever from whenever there has been God and man to worship his God. In many ways there is but the symbolism and not any one precise location, but merely such locations similiarly associated by the concept of Ramah. Ramah is the Mountain of the Lord. Ramah specifically in the Bible is that land region known as and associated with Mount Ephraim as stated in 1 Samuel 1;1. And in another real sense, Ramah the Mount of the Lord, can also be associated with the House of the Lord, even the temple of God. And where man bows himself down in humility before his true King the Lord, Ramah is in and of the heart of man unto his God wherever the place may be. But Ramah has been forever from eternity to eternity. That is how old Ramah is. And it is found wherever man does worship his God.