Bethoron (Hebrew Hab-Bithrōn)

BETHORON (Heb. hab-Bithrón). — Name of a district, probably a valley, to be sought east of the Jordan (II Sam. 2:29), and of a twin city (upper and lower), Heb. Beth-hőrön, situated in the mountains of Ephraim near the borders of Benjamin (Jos. 16:3, 5; 18:13-14), about 20 km northwest of Jerusalem. Since they lay on one of the ancient roads linking Jerusalem with the coast, the two cities had great strategic importance, which explains the efforts made to fortify them in every age (I Reg. 9:17; I Mach. 9:50). Near B., Joshua won the celebrated victory over the confederated Canaanite kings (Jos. 10:10). The two B. were identified by Clarke in 1801: the first, upper B. (Bejt 'Ur el-Föq), is today a village of about 170 inhabitants; the second, lower B. (Bejt 'Ur et-Taht), 4 km from the former, has just over 600 inhabitants.

Domenico Trisoglio