Jabesh-Gilead (Hebrew: יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד Yāḇēš Gilʿāḏ), sometimes shortened to Jabesh, was an ancient Israelite town in Gilead, in northwest Jordan. Jabesh is mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible primarily in connection with King Saul's battles against the Ammonites and Philistines.
jabesh Gilead means Jabesh of Gilead or Jabesh in Gilead, i.e. the town Jabesh in the region of Gilead, as opposed to other towns called Jabesh in other parts of the country.
Jabesh means "dry" in Hebrew,[1] a name possibly attributed to the site's well-draining soil.[2] Gilead means 'heap [of stones] of testimony'. There is also an alternative theory that it means 'rocky region'. [Smith's Bible Dictionary, "Gil'e-ad"].