HESEBON (Heb. Heßbön, Septuagint Ἐσβοῦς). — A locality 12 km from Madaba, in an easterly direction, in Transjordan. Capital of the Amorite kingdom of Sihon, it was occupied by the Hebrews (Num. 21:25–34) and repopulated by the tribe of Reuben after the extermination (Num. 32:3, 37). Since it lay on the border of Gad (v.), it was taken by the latter tribe and assigned to the Levites (Ios. 21:37; I Par. 6:81). In the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah it was in the hands of the Moabites and frequently appears in their oracles (Is. 15:4; 16:8; Ier. 48:2, 34; 49:3).
Later it was taken by Alexander Jannaeus and held by Herod the Great. During the Jewish war it was sacked by the Jews. In 106, under the name of Esbus, it became part of the province of Arabia and flourished to the point of minting its own coins. Having become Christian, it was an episcopal see dependent on Bosra. With the Arab occupation it lost all importance; today it is inhabited by a single Muslim family. Although no excavations have been carried out there, a columned building, tombs, and a pool can nevertheless be observed, recalling the mention of Cont. 7:4.
#### HESTIA: V. VESTA E VESTALIA.