Beit Guvrin, Israel

Bet Guvrin (Hebrew בית גוברין ) is a kibbutz in southern Israel today, near the border with the West Bank on the old road from Ashkelon to Jerusalem. The settlement is located in the immediate vicinity of the ancient city Eleutheropolis. Other variants of the name are Bethogabris, Baitogabra (Greek Βαιτογαβρά ), derived from Bet - Dschibrin and rarely Beth Gebrin.

The ancient settlement dates back to the 6th century BC. At that time, Bet Guvrin was a neighbor city of the Edomite capital Mareshah. Both cities were about 400 years later lost to the Maccabees. Significant was the place with the beginning of Roman rule. It flourished mainly due to it by the Emperor Septimius Severus in 202 conferred on privileges. At the same time, the city was named Eleutheropolis (Greek: "free city "). In the following centuries Eleutheropolis was the administrative headquarters of the largest Roman district in Palestine.

Built on the site of the ancient city in the 12th century crusader castle Gibelin was conquered in 1187 by Saladin.

In later centuries, there was an Arab village. Since 1921 excavations took place, where they found several among other mosaics.

Today's kibbutz was founded in 1949 by Palmach veterans on the site of an Arab village. The previous residents left the area in 1948 during the First Arab- Israeli War, after an attack Israeli forces. One important sector of the economy of the settlement is tourism.

Personalities

• Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, born about 315 in Besanduk at Eleutheropolis
• Rab Jonathan of Bet Guvrin, of Palestinian amora of the second generation