Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/415

BETH-HARAK Tekoft, conspicnons oyer all the neighbourhood, called hj the natires J^lJ'^urekUsj the Frank Moantain of European travelleia, at the foot of which are the nuns of Herodium. (Robinson, B. i2., vol. ii. pp. 170, 174.) raw.] BETH-HARAN [B]STBARAMPHTIiA.J BETHHOGLA. [Bethaola.] BETH-JESIMOTH (Bus. Bi}tf(uri^oM, LXX. BeurtfiurciMitf, *Atrtifi^j AlaifJuM)^ one of the last atatHMifl of the Israelites befiorB crofting the Jordan, and near the Salt or Dead Sea (^Ntmb, xxxiii. 49 ; Jo$k. xii. 3.) It was a city of the tribe of Reuben (jJotk. xiii. 20), afterwards occupied by the Moabite& i^Ezek. XXV. 9.) Eusebius confounds it ^ith Jtuhi- mon (jq. r.) [G. W.] BETHLEHEM (Boi^AecAt, Bi70A«^/*, BtidXt^fiU Tiff), a town of the tribe of Judah, six miles south «f Jerusalem, on the left of the road to Hebron, called also " Ephrathah** and Ephrath" (Gen, xlviii. 7; J/tco. v. 1), and its inhabitants Ephra- thites (Ruih, i. 2 ; 1 Sam. xvii. 12). It probably owed both its names, Bethlehem — L e. the hotue of bread, and Ephrathah — i. e./ruitftUt to the fecun- dity of its soil, and it is still one of the best culti- vated and most fertile parts of Palestine. It is si- tuated on a lofty ridge, long and narrow, which pro- jects into a plus formed by the junction of several valleys, affonUng excellent pasture and com lands; while the hill side, terraced to its summit, is laid out in oliveyaids and vineyards. It is first men- tioned in the history of the Patriarch Jacob (^Gen. xlviiL 7); but does not occur in the list of the cities of Judah in the Hebrew text of the Book of Joshua. The version of the LXX., however, gives it under both its names (*E^pa0^ afirri itrrl Bcu6Af c/t), with ten other neighbouring cities (in Joahwiy xv., after verse 59 of the Hebrew). It occurs also in the his- tory of the Book of Judges (xix. 1 , 2), soon after the settlement of the Israelites, for Phinehas was then high priest (xx. 28). It is the scene of the prin- cipal part of the Book of Ruth — Boaz, the progenitor of David, being the principal proprietor at that pe- riod (ii. 1), as his grandson Jesse was afterwards. Fttxn the time of David it became celebrated as his birthplace, and is called *" the city of David" (5<. Lttibe, iL 4, 11 ; iSI. JaUm^ viu 42), and was subsequently yet more noted as the destined birthplace of the Mewiiah, the drcnmstanoes of whose nativi^ at that piaoe are ftilly recorded by SL Matthew (iL), and ^XMbe (ii.). The place of the nativity is de- ■cribed by Justin Martyr {Dial. § 78) in language wfaidi implies that it was identified in his days (cw*. A. i>. 150). Origen (a.d. 252) says that the cave " was venerated even by those who were aliens from the Faith" (& Celt. lib. i. p. 39), agreeably with 'which St. Jerome says that the place was over- shadowed by a grove of Thanomuz (Adonis) from the time of Hwhian fiir the space of 180 years (A.D. ISfr— 315). iEjntaph.PauL vol. iv. p. .564.) In A.i>. 325, Helena, the mother of Gonstantine, erected a ma^iificent basilica over the Place of the Nativity (Eusebius, VU, Const, iii. 41, 43), which still lemainB. In the following century, it became the choaen lesort of the most learned oif the Latin fathers, and the scene of his important labours in behalf of sacred literatun, chief among which must be reckoned the Vulgate tranalation of the Bible. Its modem name is Beitlahem^ a considerable village, inhabited exclusively by Christians. [G. W.] BETHLEHEM (BaitfAf^^, Bai6^), a city of die tribe of Zebulnn. (Josh, xix. 15). The site ^ETH-ZACHAUIAH. 397 and name are preserved in the modcni village of Beiilakem^ a few miles north of Nazareth, and east- ward of Sepkurieh (formerly Diocaesarea). [G.W.] BETHLEPl'EPHA (rowapxia Bf0Xcim}4>«v), one of the ten toparchies of Judaea proper, the Betlileptephene of Pliny (v. 14). It was apparently situated in the south of Judaea, and in that part which is commonly called Idumaea by Josephus {B. J. iv. 8. § 1). Reland has remarked that the name resembles Beth-Lebaoth, a city q( the tribe of Simeon (^Joeh. xix. 6), and the sitgation equally corresponds. [G. W.] BETHMABCABOTH (1 Chron. iv. 31), op Beth-hamarkaboth (Joah. xix. 5) (Baitf/tapi/M^, Bai$fMxtp4€). A city of the tribe of Simeon, other- wise unknown. [G. W.l BETHOGABRIS or BETHAGABRA (Boiro- yaSpdy Ptol., Bai&yaAfni the Betogabri of the Peu- tinger tables, between Ascalon and Aelio, 16 Roman miles from the former. It is reckoned to Judaea by Ptolemy (xvi. 4), and is probably identical with BityaSpis (al. Bifrapis) of Josephus, which he places in the middle of Idumaea. (B. J. iv. 6. § 1.) It was afterwards called Eleutiieropolis, as is proved as by other evidence, so by the subtstltution of aae name for the other in the lists of episcopal sees given by William of Tyre and Nilns: as suf- fragans of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. (Com- pare Reland's Palaest. p. 220 with 227.) That it wais a place of considerable importance in the fourth century is proved by the fact that it is assumed as a centre (by Eusebius in his Onomatticon), from which to measure the distances of other localities, and the " district" or " region of Eleutheropolis," is his usual description of tliis part of the country. It has now recovered its ancient name Beit-Jdtrinj and b a large Moslem village, about 20 miles west of Hebron. The name signifies *' the house of Giants," and the dty was situated not fiu- from Galh, the city of (xoliath and his family. The large caves about the modem village, which seem formerly to have served as habitations, suggest the idea that they were Troglotides who originally inhabited these regions. It was sometimes confounded with HebrcHi, and at another period was regarded as identical with Ba- math-Iehi {Judges xv. 9 — 19), and the fountain En- hakkore was found in its suburbs (Antoninus Mart &c. ap. Reland. Palaest. p. 752) ; and it is conjectured by Reland {I. c.) that this erroneous opinion may have given occauon to its change of name, to commemorate in its new appellation the deliverance there supposed to have been wrought by Samson. St. Jerome, who gives a difierent and less probable account of its Greek name, makes it the northern limit of Idumaea. (Reland, /. c.) Beit* Jebrin still contains some traces of its ancient im- portance in a ruined wall and vaulta of Roman con- stmctian, and in the substructions of various build- ings, fully explored and described by Dr. Robinson {B. R. vol. u. pp. 355, 356. 395—398). BETH-SHITTA (Bi»6<rf i8, al. Baarttrri, LXX.), occurs only in Judges (vii. 22) as one of the pUces to which the Midianites fied after their defeat by Gideon in the valley of Jezreel (vi. 33). Dr. Robin«  son suggests that the modem village of ShiUta, near the Joi^n, SE. from Mount Tabor, may be con- nected with this Scripture name. (J9, R. vol. iii, p. 219.) [G.W.] BETH-ZACHARIAH (JAoieiaxapia, fic^CaXo- ^')y a city of Judaea, 70 stadia distant from Beth- sura or Bethzur [g. 9.], on tho road to Jerusalem,