Gophna

Gophna (Γόφνα in Josephuns; Γοῦφνα in Ptolemy; see Reland, Palaest. p. 461), a town of Palestine, which gave its name to one of the ten toparchies, Gophnitica (ἡ Γοφνιτικὴ τοπαρχία, Josephus, War, 3:3, 5; "toparchia Gophnitica," Pliny, 5:14). Josephus reckons it second in importance to Jerusalem, and usually joins it with Arcaballa. It was one of the four cities taken by Cassius (War, 1:11, 2) and reduced to slavery (Ant. 14:11, 2), but restored to freedom by a decree of Marc Antony after the battle of Philippi (1,12, 2 and 3). It was taken by Vespasiasn in his last campaign in Palestine (War, 4:9, 9), and, as Titus marched on Jerusalem by way of Caesarea ands Samaria, he passed through Gophna (ib. 5:2, 1). It was to this place that the latter allowed certain important Jewish-refugees to retire temporarily during the siege of Jerusalem (6:2, 2, 3). Eusebius probably gives the true origin of the name (from גֶּפֶן geyphen, a vine, from the vineyards in the vicinity), although he errs (or is, rather, himself uncertain) in identifying it with the Esnicol of the spies (Onomast. page 157, ed. Clericus); and he states that it lay (ἡ Γοφνά) fifteen miles from Jerusalem towards Neapolis, in near agreement with the Peutinger Table, which makes it sixteen miles. It was identified by. Dr. Robinson with Jufna, a small Christian village, rather more than one hour northwest of Beitina (Bethel), with many ruins of the Middle Ages, and situated in a very fertile valley (Bib. Res. 3:77-9). It is probably the OPHNI SEE OPHNI (q.v.) of Benjamins (Jos 18:24).