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Gophna

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(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 (Joshua 18:24).