BETH-ZACHARIAH

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography

BETH-ZACHARIAH (Βαιθζαχαρία, Βεθζαχαρία), a city of Judaea, 70 stadia distant from Bethsura or Bethzur [q. v.], on the road to Jerusalem. (1 Maccab. 6.23; J. AJ; B. J. 1.1.5.) It was here that Judas Maccabaeus encamped at a mountain pass, to defend the approach to Jerusalem against Antiochus Eupator, and here an engagement took place, in which Judas was defeated, with the loss of his brother Eleazar, who was crushed to death by one of the elephants, which he had stabbed in the belly. (Joseph. l. c.) Sozomen calls it Χαφὰρ Ζαχαρία ( H. E. 9.17), and places it in the region of Eleutheropolis [BETHOGABRIS], and, apparently in order to account for the name, says that the body of Zachariah was found there. A village named Tell-Zakarîya(Robinson, B. R. vol. 2. p. 350) still marks the site of the ancient town. It is situated in the SW. of Wady-es-Sumt, formerly the valley of Elah, in the narrowest part of the valley, so that the scene of Judas's conflict with the forces of Antiochus was not far distant from that of David's overthrow of the Philistine champion.
[G.W]

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography

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