ELEUTHEROPOLIS (Gr. 'EXEvOiparats, "

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• FREE

free

See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city ")  , an ancient city of Palestine, 25 M. from Jerusalem on the road to Gaza, identified by E . Robinson with the modern Beit Jibrin . This identification is confirmed by Roman milestones in the neighbourhood . It represents the Biblical Mareshah, the ruins of which exist at Tell Sandahannah close by . As Betogabra it is mentioned by Ptolemy; the name Eleutheropolis dates from the Syrian visit of Septimius Severus (A.D . 202) . Eusebius in his Onomasticon uses it as a central point from which the distances of other towns are measured . It was destroyed in 796, rebuilt by the crusaders in 1134 (their fortress and chapel remain, much ruined) . It was finally captured by Bibars, 1244 . Beit Jibrin is in the centre of a district of great archaeological interest . Besides the crusader and other remains in the village itself, the surrounding country possesses many tells (mounds) covering the sites of ancient cities . The famous caves of Beit Jibrin honey-comb the hills all round .

These are immense artificial excavations of unknown date . Roman milestones and aqueducts also are found, and close by the now famous

tomb of Apollophanes, with wall-paintings of animals and other ornamentation, was discovered in 1902; a description of it will be found in Thiersch and Peters, The Marissa Tombs, published by the Palestine Exploration Fund . (R . A . S .