Halhul,.... Here begins a fourth division, or list, of the cities in the mountains. Halhul Jerom calls Ehul, and says w there was in his time in the country belonging to Aelia (or Jerusalem) a village by the name of Ahula, near Hebron; and
Bethzur, Jerom says x, was then called Bethseron, a village as you go from Aelia to Hebron, in the twentieth mile, near which was a fountain at the bottom of a mount, where it is said the eunuch was baptized by Philip: he makes mention of another village called Bethsur in the tribe of Judah, a mile from Eleutheropolis. In the Apocrypha:
"So he came to Judea, and drew near to Bethsura, which was a strong town, but distant from Jerusalem about five furlongs, and he laid sore siege unto it.'' (2 Maccabees 11:5)
it is said to be but five furlongs from Jerusalem, but it must have been at a greater distance;
Gedor, of this city, Joshua 12:13.
w De loc. Heb. fol. 91. B. x De loc. Heb. fol. 89. G.