When Joshua took the city of Ai (Joshua 8), he burned it and "made it an heap [Hebrews tel] for ever" (8:28). The ruins of this city were for a long time sought for in vain. It has been at length, however, identified with the mound which simply bears the name of "Tel." "There are many Tels in modern Palestine, that land of Tels, each Tel with some other name attached to it to Mark the former site. But the site of Ai has no other name 'unto this day.' It is simply et-Tel, `the heap' par excellence."

Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language

1. (n.) A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of persons.

2. (n.) A great number or large quantity of things not placed in a pile.

3. (n.) A pile or mass; a collection of things laid in a body, or thrown together so as to form an elevation; as, a heap of earth or stones.

4. (v. t.) To collect in great quantity; to amass; to lay up; to accumulate; -- usually with up; as, to heap up treasures.

5. (v. t.) To throw or lay in a heap; to make a heap of; to pile; as, to heap stones; -- often with up; as, to heap up earth; or with on; as, to heap on wood or coal.

6. (v. t.) To form or round into a heap, as in measuring; to fill (a measure) more than even full.