# What does the word "Gilead" call to mind for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317 "2014-04-04T03:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/1 "2014-04-04T03:33:27Z")
There is a [news story about a pharmaceutical company called "Gilead Sciences"](http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2014/03/31/push-comes-to-shove-gileads-1000-pill-could-hurt-insurer-earnings/)which is in the center of some controversy because of a 1000 dollar a day drug for Hepatitis C. When I saw that their name was included “Gilead” I cringed. It just seems like a crass use fo that particular word. My husband, however, had no association with the word, so didn’t think anything of it. Do you have an association with the word “Gilead”? If so, does the word seem at odds with the news story for you? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/2 "2014-04-04T03:39:02Z")
I only recalled it as a region in the Middle East from the Bible. I suppose you are referring to Balm of Gilead which I didn’t recall until I just looked it up. I’m sure it would be recognized by a lot of other people. I guess it’s crass, but not surprising. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/3 "2014-04-04T03:44:16Z")
I think of the pharma company, but I play the stock market, I tend to listen to CNBC in my car, and I know _a lot_ (200+) of drug reps. Between all of that, it’s a household name for me. I have no idea what it would mean other than the name of a drug company. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/4 "2014-04-04T03:45:11Z")
Isn’t it the name of the country the US becomes in _The Handmaid’s Tale_\*\*? I would immediately think of that and wonder if someone at the company was a huge fan of the book. I actually do not know what the other meaning is and will look it up. I’m guessing we must have discussed that in high school when we read _The Handmaid’s Tale_\*\*, but I don’t remember. If it’s something from the Bible I am not familiar with anything in the Bible aside from really obvious things like Jesus, etc. Oops, ETA that it’s _THE Handmaid’s Tale_, not _A_. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/5 "2014-04-04T03:49:36Z")
Balm. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/6 "2014-04-04T03:51:31Z")
Looking at wiki for the word Gilead are quite a few [meanings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilead). Looking at Gilead Science’s wiki page, they took theirs from the biblical one. I don’t know if that was on purpose or not, but apparently, the place, Gilead, has trees known for their medicinal properties. I’m not entirely sure if Gilead, Jordon still exists or if it only did in the bible. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/7 "2014-04-04T03:51:43Z")
Heinlein character. Possibly named as a pun on balm/bomb. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/8 "2014-04-04T03:53:26Z")
Bible. Genesis. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/9 "2014-04-04T04:09:34Z")
One of my organization’s clients — specifically, the company in the OP. That said, when it first came up in a staff meeting that we were sending our head of sales to their headquarters to talk to them, I asked him, “Gilead? Isn’t that the outfit that makes that special balm?” He said he wasn’t sure, so I asked him to please find out when he went, as I _really_ wanted to know. He looked confused and agreed to ask them. Nobody got the joke. I was hoping for at least one. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/10 "2014-04-04T04:14:57Z")
Balm of Gilead, by which I mean the shrub/tree that secretes myrrh. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/11 "2014-04-04T04:29:51Z")
> [@CatherineZeta](#): > > Isn’t it the name of the country the US becomes in _The Handmaid’s Tale_\*\*? The Republic of Gilead was my first thought, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/12 "2014-04-04T04:31:26Z")
Roland of Gilead from Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/13 "2014-04-04T04:32:10Z")
Without looking at any of the other responses, the first thing I think of is Poe’s “The Raven” and one stanza that has the phrase something like, “is there, is there balm in Gilead.” I always thought that was a stupid stanza and I left it out when I memorized the whole rest of that poem. Actually that is not only the first thing I thought of, it’s the only thing. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/14 "2014-04-04T04:49:38Z")
Balm in Gilead. No idea why it would be crass, though. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/15 "2014-04-04T04:59:30Z")
I think of this one Gilead I know. (It’s a common Hebrew name). ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/16 "2014-04-04T05:01:02Z")
The song. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/17 "2014-04-04T05:33:53Z")
Mt Gilead, a small town that was near where I grew up. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/18 "2014-04-04T05:35:08Z")
Balm of Gilead here too. ---
**Author:** ![Sodalite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@Sodalite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sodalite)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/19 "2014-04-04T05:44:16Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Roland of Gilead from Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series. There’s a road in Charlotte with that name that I used as a short cut when I was still delivering flowers. After that, the Stephen King character. I’m not bible reading religious so the balm thing is new to me. It also sounds like Goliad so I think of Adventure Time and then Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/20 "2014-04-04T06:30:42Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Without looking at any of the other responses, the first thing I think of is Poe’s “The Raven” and one stanza that has the phrase something like, “is there, is there balm in Gilead.” > > I always thought that was a stupid stanza and I left it out when I memorized the whole rest of that poem. > > Actually that is not only the first thing I thought of, it’s the only thing. That’s what I think of too, and of course, that it’s a biblical quote, from Jeremiah. > [@Edgar Allen](#): > > "“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!— > Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, > Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted— > On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore— > Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!” > Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317.md?page=2)