ANTIPATRIS
The name of a city of Palestine, situated seven or eight miles from the coast, in a fertile and well-watered plain between Caesarea and Jerusalem, on the site of the former city Caphar-Saba. It was founded by Herod the Great, and called Antipatris, in honor of his father Antipater. This place was visited by Paul, Mal 23:31. An Arab village, called Kefr Saba, now occupies its site.
Source: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
antipatris
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Antipatris, a Hellenistic town of Palestine, stood at the eastern edge of the Plain of Sharon, where the military road from Jerusalem to Caesarea left the hills. Under the protection of a body of Roman cavalry and infantry, St. Paul was brought thither by night, and then, with a diminished escort, to Caesarea (Act 23:31-32). Antipatris was a border town between Judaea and Samaria (Neubauer, Gogr. du Talm., 1868, p. 80f.), and after it was reached there would be less danger of a Jewish attack. Josephus (Ant. xvi. v. 2) gives an account of its foundation:
Herod erected another city in the plain called Kapharsaba, where he chose out a fit place, both for plenty of water and goodness or soil, and proper for the production of what was there planted, where a river encompassed the city itself, and a grove of the beet trees for magnitude was round about it: this he named Antipatris, from his father Antipater.
The historian elsewhere identifies it with Kapharsaba (Ant. xiii. xv. 1), and Robinson (Biblical Researches, iv. 139f.), followed by Schrer (ii. i. 130f.), naturally concludes that the site must be the modern Kefr Sb; but, as the latter place cannot be described as well-watered, Conder, Warren, GA Smith, and Buhl all favor Rasel-Ain, a little farther south, at the source of the Aujah.
James Strahan.
Source: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
antipatris
A titular see of Palestine, whose episcopal list is known from 449 to 451 (Gams,( 452). It was built by Herod the Great in honor of his father Antipatris, and is mentioned in Acts 23:31. “Its ancient name and site,” says Smith, “are still preserved by a Muslim village of considerable size . . . about three hours north of Jaffa.”
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SMITH, Dict. of Greek and Roman Geogr., I, 147; JACQUIER, in BIF., Dict de la Bible (1891), sv
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume ICopyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, STD, CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia
antipatris
(, from Ant.pater; in the Talmud, see Lightfoot, Hor. Ileb. p. 109 sq.), a city built by Herod the Great, in honor of his father (Josephus, Ant. 16, 5, 2; War , 1, 21, 9), on the site of a former place called Caphar-saba (X or , Josephus, Ant. 13, 15, 1; 16:5, 2). The spot (according to Ptolemy, lat. 32, long. 66 20′) was well watered and fertile; a stream flowed round the city, and in its neighborhood were groves of large trees (Josephus, Ant. 16, 5, 2; War, 1, 21, 9). Capharsaba was 120 stadia from Joppa; and between the two places Alexander Balas drew a trench, with a wall and wooden towers, as a defense against the approach of Antiochus (Josephus, Ant. 13, 15, 1; War, 1, 4, 7). Antipatris also lay between Caesarea and Lydda (Itin. Hieros. p. 600). It was not exactly on the sea (Schleusner, Lex. sv), but full two miles inland (Josephus, War, 4, 8, 1) on the road leading to Galilee (Mishna, Gattin, 7, 7; comp. Reland, Palestine, pp. 409, 417, 444). These eircumstances indicate that Antipatris was in the midst of a plain, and not at Arsuf, where the Crusaders supposed they had found it (Will. Tyr. 9:19; 14:16; Vitracus, c. 23; Brocard, c. 10; comp. Reland, Palast. pp. 569, 570). On the road from Ramlah to Nazareth, north of Ras el-Ain, Prokesch (Reise ins Heilige Land, Wien, 1831) came to a place called Kaffir Saba; and the position which Berghaus assigns to this town in his map is almost in exact agreement with the position assigned to Antipatris in the Itin. Irons. Perceiving this, Raumer (Palistina, p. 144, 462) happily conjectured that this Kefr Saba was no other than the reproduced name of Caphar-saba, which, as in many other instances, has again supplanted the foreign, arbitrary, and later name of Antipatris (comp. the Hall. Lit. Zeit. 1845, No. 230). This conjecture has been confirmed by Dr. Robinson, who gives Kefr Saba as the name of the village in question (Researches, 3, 46-48; see also later ed. of Researches, 3, 138, 139; and Biblioth. Sac. 1853, p.528 sq.). Paul was brought from Jerusalem to Antipatris by night, on his route to Caesarea (Act 23:31; comp. Thomson’s Land and Book, 1, 258).
Dr. Robinson was of opinion, when he published his first edition, that the road which the soldiers took on this occasion led from Jerusalem to Caesarea by the pass of Beth-Horon, and by Lydda or Diospolis. This is the route which was followed by Cestius Gallus, as mentioned by Josephus (War, 2, 19, 1), and it appears to be identical with that given in the Jerusalem Itinerary, according to which Antipatris is 42 miles from Jerusalem, and 26 from Caesarea. Even on this supposition it would have been quite possible for troops leaving Jerusalem on the evening of one day to reach Caesarea on the next, and to start thence, after a rest, to return to (it is not said that they arrived at) their quarters at Jerusalem before nightfall. But the difficulty is entirely removed by Dr. Smith’s discovery of a much shorter road, leading by Gophna direct to Antipatris. On this route he met the Roman pavement again and again, and indeed says he does not remember observing anywhere before so extensive remains of a Roman road (Biblioth. Sac. 1843, p. 478-498). Van de Velde, however (Memoir, p. 285 sq.), contends that the position of Mejdel Yaba corresponds better to that of Antipatris. In the time of Jerome (Epitaph. Paulce, 108) it was a half-ruined town. Antipatris, during the Roman era, appears to have been a place of considerable military importance (Josephus, War, 4, 8, 1). Vespasian, while engaged in prosecuting the Jewish war, halted at Antipatris two days before he summarized his career of desolation by burning, destroying, and laying waste the cities and villages in his way (see Conybeare and Howson, Life and Epistles of St. Paul , 2, 269). This city is supposed (by Calmet, sv) to have been the same with Capharsaloma (or Capharsaroma, perhaps also Caparsemelia; see Reland, Palest. p. 690, 691), where a battle was fought in the reign of Demeotrius between Nicanor, a man who was an implacable enemy of the Jews, and Judas Maccabaeus, when five thousand of Nicanor’s army were slain, and the rest saved themselves by flight (1Ma 7:26-32).
antipatris
The identity of this place with the modern Kefr Saba seems to be conclusively proven by the general coincidence in location and distance from other known towns, and especially by its agreement with Caphar-saba, which Josephus repeatedly states was the old name of Antipatris. None, both Lieut. Conder and Major Wilson contend (Quar. Statement of the “Pal. Explor. Fund,” July, 1874, p. 184 sq., 192 sq.) for its situation at Ras el-Ain, six miles to the south, for the reasons:
(1.) The abundant water and fertility of the spot, in accordance with the representations of all ancient writers; whereas at Kefr Saba there are only two indifferent wells.
(2.) The naturally favorable site of Ras el-Ain for a city, especially the, strong military position; while the other is every way the reverse.
(3.) The existence to-day of traces of -the old Roman road in the former spot, and the absence of any such indications at KefrSaba. (4.) The close proximity of Ras el-Ain to the mountains, as indicated by the ancient authorities. To this view, also, Dr. Tristram gives his adherence (Bible Places, p. 55), thus summing up the evidence: “The name of Caphar-saba seems to have become attached to the present Kefr Saba after the original site was abandoned . That site is plainly marked out at Ras el-Ain, where a large artificial mound is covered with old foundations, and on the summit is the ruined shell of the fine old (Crusaders’) castle’ of Mirabel, while beneath it burst forth the springs of the Aujeh, the largest and most copious of all in Palestine. At the foot of the mountains this was exactly the point where it was convenient for the horsemen to accompany Paul to Caesarea without the foot-soldiers. Two Roman roads may be traced from it-north to Caesarea, and southwards to Lydda-on the former of which a Roman milestone still stands. To this day part of the pavement remains on which Paul rode to Caesarea, and by which Pilate and Felix used to go up to Jerusalem.” It should be noted, however, that most, if not all, of these arguments apply nearly as well to the site of Kefr Saba. In-his Tent Work (i, 230) Lieut. Conder reiterates his view of him, giving a fuller description of Ras elAin, and adding that the Talmud seems to distinguish between Antipatris and Caphar-saba–a point, however, which he does not make clear. See the citations in Relalnd, Palestine (see Index).
Source: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
antipatris
a city built by Herod the Great, and called by this name in honor of his father, Antipater. It lay between Caesarea and Lydda, two miles inland, on the great Roman road from Caesarea to Jerusalem. To this place Paul was brought by night (Acts 23:31) on his way to Caesarea, from which it was distant 28 miles. It is identified with the modern, Ras-el-Ain, where the springs of Aujeh rise, the largest springs in Palestine.
Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
antipatris
Act 23:31. The station between Jerusalem and Caesarea where the soldiers left Paul, after their night march, in charge of the horsemen who were to take hint forward to Caesarea on the morrow. The old name was Capharsaba. The modern Arabic Kerr Saba does not exactly correspond to Antipatris; for Antipatris was 16 miles from Jaffa, Kefr Saba is only 14; Antipatris was well watered, Kefr Saba has no spring. Herod rebuilt it, and called it Antipatris from his father. It lays in a well watered and wooded plain, near a hilly ridge. The remains of the old Roman road by Gophna to Antipatris were discovered by Dr. Eli Smith. It reaches Ras-el-Ain by Jifneh and Tibueh, then along the foot of the hills to Jiljulieh, Kalkilia, and Caesarea (Kaisariyeh).
Ras el Ain is probably the true site. The crusaders’ castle of Mirabel was built on the foundations of an older edifice; at its foot are the largest springs in Palestine. The Roman road between Jerusalem and Caesarea strikes the plain immediately E. of Antipatris it is, as Josephus describes, in the plain, yet near the mountains. It lies near the nahr Aujeh (Aujeh river), at a point where by a ditch to the mountains the course of a hostile army might be stopped. Not so Kefr Saba. (See Josephus, Ant. 13:15, 1; 16:5, 2. BJ 1:4, sec. 7.)
Source: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
antipatris
ANTIPATRIS. Hither St. Paul was conducted by night on the way from Jerusalem to Csarea (Act 23:31). It was founded by Herod the Great, and probably stood at the head of the river Aujeh (now Rs el-Ain). Here are the remains of a large castle of the Crusaders, probably to be identified with Mirabel.
RAS Macalister.
Source: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
antipatris
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