I have read the first four novels of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series where Roland Deschain comes from the kingdom of Gilead. Although I have not read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, I have noticed that this novel takes place in the Republic of Gilead.
Is there any connection between Gilead in the two works? Perhaps Atwood was inspired by King (as far as I can tell, King's The Gunslinger was published in 1982 - before Atwood's novel in 1985)? Perhaps the two authors were inspired by the same third source?