Betar (ancient village)
בֵּיתַּר | |
Walls of the Betar fortress. | |
| Location | Battir, West Bank, Palestine |
|---|---|
| Region | Judean Mountains |
| Coordinates | 31°43′48″N 35°08′08″E / 31.73°N 35.135556°E |
| Grid position | 163/126 PAL |
| Type | settlement |
| Part of | Roman Judea |
Betar (Biblical Hebrew: בֵּיתַּר, romanized: Bēttar), also spelled Beitar, Bethar or Bether, was an ancient Jewish town in the Judaean Mountains. Continuously inhabited since the Iron Age, it was the last standing stronghold of the Bar Kokhba revolt, and was destroyed by the Imperial Roman Army under Hadrian in 135 CE.
Ancient Betar's ruins can be found at the archeological site of Khirbet al-Yahud (Arabic: خربة اليهود, lit. 'Ruin of the Jews'), located about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) southwest of Jerusalem. It is located in the Palestinian village of Battir, which preserves Betar's ancient name. Although it has never been systematically excavated, limited archaeological excavations have revealed remains associated with the Roman siege and destruction, such as defensive walls and arrowheads.
The Israeli settlement Upper Beitar was named after Beitar and established 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the ruins of the ancient village. The first residents settled in 1990.