Bethoron

Bethoron (Hebrew: בֵית־חוֹרֹ֔ן, lit. 'house of Horon'; Ancient Greek: Ὡρωνείν), also Beth-Horon, was the name of two adjacent ancient towns strategically located on the Gibeon–Aijalon road, guarding the "ascent of Beth-Horon". The towns are mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and in other ancient sources: Upper Bethoron appears in Joshua 16:5, Lower Bethoron in Joshua 16:3, both in 1 Chronicles 7:24, and the ascent in I Maccabees 3:16.

The ancient towns of Upper Bethoron and Lower Bethoron are identified respectively with the present-day Palestinian Arab villages of Beit Ur al-Fauqa and Beit Ur al-Tahta, which are believed to preserve the ancient names.