Abel-beth-maachah

meadow of the house of Maachah, a city in the north of Palestine, in the neighbourhood of Dan and Ijon, in the tribe of Naphtali. It was a place of considerable strength and importance. It is called a "mother in Israel", i.e., a metropolis (2Sam 20:19). It was besieged by Joab (2Sam 20:14), by Benhadad (1Kings 15:20), and by Tiglath-pileser (2Kings 15:29) about B.C. 734. 

EBD - Easton's Bible Dictionary