Page:Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894.djvu/96

74 Beth Kerem, from the valley of which the stones for the altar were taken (Middoth, iii, 4), was probably the Beth-ha-Kerem of the Bible (Neh. iii, 14; Jer. vi, 1) which I believe to have been the present 'Ain Kârim{see Niddah, ii, 7); it was a place with a good supply of water in the valley, which suits the identification.

Beth Horon, now Beit 'Ûr, was at the edge of the Jerusalem Hills (Shebiith, ix, 2).

Beth Laban, a place in the mountains with vineyards, appears to have been the ancient Lebonah on the road from Jerusalem to Shechem (Menakhoth, viii, 6).

Bethlehem of Judea (Kelim, ii, 2).

Bethnamar, beyond Jordan (Peah, iv, 5), may be Nimrîn, east of Jordan.

Beth Rima, mentioned as in the mountains and possessing vineyards, was the present Beit Rima, west of Lebonah (Lubben), and on the south side of the border valley of the Samaritan frontier, which valley also runs north of Lubben (Menakhoth, viii, 6).

Bethphage, near Jerusalem (Menakhoth, xi, 2), is an uncertain site on the Mount of Olives.

Bethshean (Abodah Zara, i, 4) was a city of idolaters—probably on account of the temple and theatre still extant, and was reckoned sometimes as within Samaria.

Beth Uniki was also an idolatrous city (Abodah Zara, ii, 4), of which the locality is not indicated. It is not certain that the present text is correct, or that the town was in Palestine.

Bedan, in Samaria (Kelim, xvii, 5) famous for pomegranates (Orlah, iii, 7), is probably the present village Bedyeh.

Birath ha Peli (Edioth, vii, 3) was a place with water, perhaps now Fûleh in Lower Galilee.

Cæsarea. Both towns of this name seem to be mentioned in the Mishnah, as the "Eastern" and "Western" Cæsarea. The tombs in their vicinity were impure; for the first—Paneas—was on the boundary of the Holy Land, and the second, on the sea-coast, was in Samaria (Oheloth, xviii, 9). There could be no tombs west of the Western Cæsarea, since it is situated on the shore.

Caphar Aziz (Kilaim, vi, 4) is probably the ruined town of 'Aziz, south of Hebron.