Dor
Dor (Hebrews id., דּוֹר, a dwelling, but דּאֹר in Jos 17:11; 1Ki 4:11; Sept. Δώρ, but joins with preceding word נָפִת or נפוֹתּ, in Jos 11:2 Νεφεδδώρ, in Jos 12:22 [second clause] Ναφαδδώρ, in 1Ki 4:11 Νεφθαδώρ; Vulg. Dor; the Dora, τύ Δῶρα, of the Apocrypha and Josephus, who, as well as Greek writers, also calls it Dorus, Δοῦρα), an ancient royal city of the Canaanites (Jos 12:23), whose ruler was an ally of Jabin, king of Hazor, against Joshua (Jos 11:1-2). It was probably the most southern settlement of the Phoenicians (Scylax, page 42, ascribes it to the Sidonians) on the coast of Syria (Joseph. Life, p. 8; Ant. 15:9, 6). Josephus describes it as a maritime city (War, 1:21, 5) on the west border of Manasseh and the north border of Dan (Ant. 5:1, 22; 8:2, 3; War, 1:7, 7), near Mount Carmel (Ap. 2:10). One old author tells us that it was founded by Dorus, a son of Neptune, while another affirms that it was built by the Phoenicians, because the neighboring rocky shore abounded in the small shell-fish from which they. got the purple dye (Reland, Palest. page 739). It appears to have been within the territory of the tribe of Asher, though allotted to Manasseh (Jos 17:11; Jg 1:27). The original inhabitants were never expelled, but during the prosperous reigns of David and Solomon they were made tributary (Jg 1:27-28), and the latter monarch stationed at Dor one of his twelve purveyors (1Ki 4:11). Reland (Palest. page 744) thinks it is the Dura (Aoeipa) mentioned by Polybius (5:409) as the scene of the victory of Antiochus Epiphanes over Ptolemy Philometor. Tryphon, the murderer of Jonathan Maccabaeus and usurper of the throne of Syria,, having sought an asylum in Dor, the city was besieged and captured by Antiochus Si detes (1 Macc. 15:11, 13, 25; Joseph. Ant. 13:7, 2; War, 1:2, 2). It was granted the privilege of nominal independence by Pompey (Joseph. Ant. 14:4, 4; War, 1:7, 7), and was rebuilt by Gabinius, the Roman general, along with Samaria, Ashdod, and other cities of Palestine (Joseph. Ant. 14:5, 3), and it remained an important place during the early years of the Roman rule in Syria. Its coins are numerous, bearing the legend "Sacred Dora" (Vaillant, Num. Impp.). It became an episcopal city of the province of Palaestina Prima, but was already ruined and deserted in the fourth century (Jerome, in Epitaph. Paulae). According to Ptolemy (5:15, 5), it was situated in long. 66° 30', lat 32° 40'; according to the Peutinger Table, 20 miles from Ptolemais; and according to Eusebius and Jerome (Onomast. s.v. Δὼρ τοῦ Ναφάθ, Dornaphet), it lay on the coast, "in the ninth mile from Caesarea, on the way to Ptolemais." Just at the point indicated is the small village of Tantura (or Tortura, Pococke, 2:84; Arvieux, 2:11: Gesenius thinks, Thesaur. page 331, either form equal to the Arabic for hill of Dora), consisting of about thirty houses, wholly constructed of ancient materials, and inhabited by Mohammedans (Mangles, Trav. page 190; Schwarz, Palest. pages 77, 91, 149; Thomson, Land and Book, 2:248). Three hundred yards north are low rocky mounds projecting into the sea, covered with heaps of rubbish, massive foundations, and fragments of columns. The most conspicuous ruin is a section of an old tower, 30 feet or more in height, which forms the landmark of the town. On the south side of the promontory, opposite the village, is a little harbor, partially sheltered by two or three small islands. A spur of Mount Carmel, steep and partially wooded, runs parallel to the coast-line, at the distance of about a mile and a half. Between its base and the sandy beach is a rich and beautiful plain — this is possibly the "border," "coast," or "region" (53, Symmachus παραλία) of Dor (Jos 11:2; Jos 12:23; 1Ki 4:11). The district is now almost wholly deserted, being exposed to the raids of the wild Bedouins who pasture their flocks on the rich plain of Sharon. SEE HAMATH-DOR EN-DOR.
