Bible Dictionary
BOSORA
A strong city in Gilead captured by Judas Maccabeus. It is identified with Bostra, whose ruins lie southeast of the Hauran on the ancient Roman road.
Definition
Bosora was a strong city of Gilead captured by Judas Maccabeus. It is identified with Roman Bostra, whose extensive ruins lie southeast of the Hauran on the old Roman road between DerĘżah and Calkhad. The modern name is Bosra es-S ham.
Biblical Usage
Bosora is mentioned in 1 Maccabees 5:26,28 as one of the strong cities taken by Judas Maccabeus.
Historical Background
The site later belonged to the Nabateans and was made capital of a province under the name Nova Trajana Bostra in 105 AD. Its ruins indicate great strength and importance. The city was later taken by the Moslems and subsequently declined.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>bos'-o-ra (Bosora): One of the strong cities of Gilead taken by Judas Maccabeus (1 Macc 5:26,28). It is identical with the Roman Bostra, the city whose extensive ruins lie on the Southeast border of the Hauran, on the old Roman road that runs between Der`ah and Calkhad. The modern name is Bosra eski-Sham. It cannot be identified with BOZRAH either (1) or (2), as it lies much too far north. It appears for the first time in history in the passage noted above. The ruins show it to have been a pla ce of great strength and importance. In the time of Herod the Great it was in the hands of the Nabateans. When Aulus Cornelius Palma conquered these regions, Bostra was made capital of the province under the name of Nova Trajana Bostra, in honor of the emperor Trajan. This was in 105 AD, from which year the Bostrian era was reckoned. It was taken by the Moslems under Khalid--"the sword of God." It resisted the attack of Baldwin III. Later it fell on evil days. Now, if it be true, as the proverb says, that "the prosperity of Bocra is the prosperity of the Chauran," the case of the latter is sad indeed.</p><p>W. Ewing</p>