Achabara

Achabara (Α᾿χάβαρα), a name designating a certain rock (Α᾿χαβάρων πέτρα) mentioned by Josephus (War, 2, 20, 6) as one of the spots in Upper Galilee fortified by him on the approach of the Romans under Cestius; probably the same place with the Chabare (Xαβάρη, prob. by erroneously annexing the initial a to the preceding word, see Reland, Palest. p. 705, a suggestion followed by Hudson and Havercamp, who write Α᾿χαβάρη), mentioned likewise by Josephus (Life, 37) as a place of naturally great strength. Reland (ib. p. 542) thinks it is identical with a place called Akbara (עִכבָּרָא) by Hottinger, situated between Tiberias and Zephath (Sepphoris?), and perhaps also the residence of the Akbarites (בּנֵי עִכבּוֹרַיָּץ) mentioned in the Gemara (Baba Metsia, 84, 2). But the place named by Hottinger would be in Lower Galilee. The cliff in question (associated in both passages of Josephus with Jamnia, or Jamnith, and Meroth) appears to have been some eminence of Middle Galilee; probably (as suggested by Schwarz, Palest. p. 188) the Tell Akhbarah (Van de Velde, Memoir, p. 281), about two miles south-east of Safed, having a fine spring (Ritter, Erdk. 16, 687, 771).