Eleutheropolis

Eleutheropolis ("city of the free") was the Greek name of a Roman city in Palestine (modern Israel), some 53 km southwest of Jerusalem. Its remains still straddle the ancient road to Gaza. Though no secure identification can be made with any site in the Hebrew Bible, the site— already rendered as Baitogabra in Ptolemy's "Geography"— was called Beit Guvrin and Bet Gubrin in the Talmud. [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=173&letter=E "Jewish Encyclopedia", "s.v." "Eleutheropolis"] .] Edward Robinson identifies the depopulated Arab village of Beit Jibrin.

In the Jewish War (AD 68), Vespasian— still a general— slaughtered or enslaved the inhabitants of "Betaris", according to Josephus:

"when he had seized upon two villages, which were in the very midst of Idumea, Betaris, and Caphartobas, he slew above ten thousand of the people, and carried into captivity above a thousand, and drove away the rest of the multitude, and placed no small part of his own forces in them, who overran and laid waste the whole mountainous country." [ [http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/mad/sources/sources084.html Josephus, "De Bell. Jud.", IV.viii.1] ]

The settlement was demolished once again in Bar Kokhba's revolt, 132–135.

In 200, Septimius Severus, on his Syrian journey changed its name to Eleutheropolis, and the refounded city, marking its founding era as January 1, 200 on its coins and inscriptions [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05380a.htm "Catholic Encyclopedia", "s.v." "Eleutheropolis"] .] soon became one of the most important of Roman Palestine. Seven routes met at Eleutheropolis [ [http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/mad/articles/KlonerEleutheropolis.html Amos Kloner, 1999. "The City of Eleutheropolis"] : in "The Madaba Map Centenary 1897-1997", (Jerusalem) pp 244-246.] ] , and Eusebius in his "Onomasticon" adopted the Roman milestones that employed Eleutheropolis as a central point from which the distances of other towns were measured [* [http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/ECG_EMS/ELEUTHEROPOLIS_Gr_EXEvOiparats.html "Encyclopædia Britannica" 1911:] "Eleutheropolis"]

The city was a "City of Excellence" in the fourth century [Kloner 1999] and a Christian bishopric with the largest territory in Palestine: its first known bishop is Macrinus, who attended the Council of Nicaea in 325.

Epiphanius, the bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, was born at Eleutheropolis; at Ad nearby he established a monastery which is often mentioned in the polemics of Jerome with Rufinus and John, Bishop of Jerusalem.

At Eleutheropolis, according to the hagiographies fifty soldiers of the garrison of Gaza who had refused to deny Christ were beheaded in 638: later a church was built in their honor. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05380a.htm "Catholic Encyclopedia" 1908, "s.v." "Eleutheropolis"] ] In 796 the city was again destroyed in civil warfare.

In 1134, under Fulco of Anjou, king of Jerusalem, the Knights of St John, to whose care it was committed, restored the Byzantine church nearby at Sandahanna, the ancient Maresha. The citadel was taken in 1187 by Saladin, recaptured in 1191 by Richard Lion Heart, destroyed in 1264 by Sultan Bibars, and rebuilt in 1551 by the Ottoman Turks.

In the early twentieth century the medieval fortress still stood, with remains of the walls, ruins of a cloister, and of a medieval church. The site has been excavated, including the remarkable grottoes that astonished Jerome.

19th century

In 1838, the American scholar Edward Robinson visited the Bayt Jibrin, and identified it with ancient Eleutheropolis. [ [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;q1=jibrin;rgn=full%20text;idno=afg7241.0002.001;didno=afg7241.0002.001;view=image;seq=00000075 Biblical researches in Palestine, 1838-52. A journal of travels in the year 1838. P. 57ff: Eleutheropolis] 1856,] The Scottish painter David Roberts visited Bayt Jibrin on March 19, 1839, and made a sketch there. The lithograph based on the drawing was published with the title "Beit Jibrin, or Eleutheropolis", in his book "Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia" London 1842-1849. [ [http://www.sotherans.co.uk/Prints/travel/roberts/holyland.php?stk=45856&s_type%5B%5D=prints An original hand-coloured lithograph of Beit Jibrin by Louis Haghe] , [http://www.medinaarts.com/HE043.htm Beit Jibrin, or Eleutheropolis] ]

Eleutheropolis remains a titular see in the Roman Catholic Church [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/d2e22.html] .

ee also

*Edward Robinson: [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;q1=jibrin;rgn=full%20text;idno=afg7241.0002.001;didno=afg7241.0002.001;view=image;seq=00000075 Biblical researches in Palestine, 1838-52. "A journal of travels in the year 1838." (1856) p. 57ff: Eleutheropolis]
*Bayt Jibrin

Notes

External links

* [http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/mad/articles/KlonerEleutheropolis.html Amos Kloner, 1999. "The City of Eleutheropolis"] : in "The Madaba Map Centenary 1897-1997", (Jerusalem) pp 244-246. Eleutheropolis in the late Roman and Byzantine period
* [http://www.archaeology-classic.com/Israel_E/Beth_Guvrin.html Archaeological World:] Eleutheropolis
* [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Eleutheropolis "Encyclopaedia Britannica" 1911, "s.v." "Eleutheropolis,"]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05380a.htm "Catholic Encyclopedia" 1908, "s.v." "Eleutheropolis"]
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=173&letter=E "Jewish Encyclopedia":] "Eleutheropolis"
* [http://holyland-pictures.com/tag/shephela-judea/bet-guvrin/ pictures of Eleutheropolis]
*Early pictures of mosaics at Eleutheropolis, many now in Istanbul:
* [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/matpc/05700/05715v.jpgMosaic of warrior, (approximately 1900 to 1926)]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/matpc/05700/05716v.jpgMosaic of tethered horse, (approximately 1900 to 1926)]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/matpc/05700/05710v.jpgAnother view of mosaic floor, (approximately 1900 to 1926)]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/matpc/05700/05717v.jpgMosaic of Greek inscription, (approximately 1900 to 1926)]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/matpc/05700/05711v.jpgMosaic of maiden with fruit, (approximately 1900 to 1926)]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/matpc/09900/09919v.jpgMosaic of maiden with fruit, (approximately 1900 to 1926)]