Thebez

thē´bez ( תּבץ , tēbhēc , "'brightness"; Codex Vaticanus Θηβής , Thēbḗs ; Codex Alexandrinus Θαιβαίς , Thaibaı́s ): A city in Mt. Ephraim which refused submission to Abimelech when he set up as king of Israel. After the reduction of Shechem he turned his arms against Thebez. There was a strong tower within the city - the citadel - into which all the inhabitants gathered for safety, climbing onto the roof of the tower. Abimelech incautiously venturing near the tower, a woman cast an upper millstone upon his head and broke his skull. Fearing the shame of perishing by the hand of a woman, he persuaded his armor-bearer to thrust him through ( Judges 9:50 ff). The incident is alluded to in 2 Samuel 11:21 . Eusebius, Onomasticon places it 13 Roman miles from Neapolis ( Nāblus ) on the road to Scythopolis (Beisān ). There is no doubt that it is represented by Tubas. This is a village situated in a district of considerable fertility, about 10 miles from Nāblus . There are many olive trees. The rain is captured and led to rockcut cisterns, whence the village draws its water-supply. According to the Samaritans the tomb of Neby Ṭoba marks the grave of the patriarch Asher.