This geographical term appears in compound place names across ancient Israel and its neighbors, apparently denoting meadowland or fertile plains. Abel-beth-maacah in the far north sheltered Sheba during his rebellion and later surrendered his head to save the city. Abel-shittim in the Moabite plains witnessed Israel's sin with Moabite women. The various Abels—of the acacias, of the vineyards, of the dance—suggest productive agricultural regions. The term's connection to mourning is homophonic but distinct, though some place names may involve wordplay between the two meanings.