The location in general is present day Hebron, el kalil , and this is the spot Eusebius locates clearly. It was never a strong Christian city. Ancient site is probably at Jebel er-Rumeide where Roman and Byzantine remains are also found. Jerome notes a church has been built there (cf. K. 7:3 and note for other churches). It is difficult to tell if Jerome refers to the Church of Mamrē ( Ramet el Khalil ) or the church of the graves of the patriarchs.
Jerome in Hebrew Questions writes "For Arbee the LXX has 'field' with Chebron located on the mountain. The city is also called Mambra is named after the friends of Abraham" (44), cf. Genesis 18:1, I Chronicles 2:42, Joshua 14:13f, 20:7, 21:11, II Samuel 2:1 etc.
In Interpretation of Hebrew Names Jerome translated "Arbee, four or fourth" (61) after the four great men: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Adam (cf. Hebrews Questions , p. 28, Epistle 108:11, 46:3, Commentary on Jeremiah 31:15, Zacharia 11:4, Matthew 27:33, and Ephesians 5:14.
6. Ailam (Ailath). Genesis 14:1; K.6:17; L. 234:75.
In the Vulgate we find Ailath, Elath, and Aila for this same site.
Palestine is the southern part of Syria. This word is missing in the Vatican Manuscript. Technically the southern limits of the Onomasticon should be Ailam (Ailath). The ruins are inland about one mile from Aqabah but not as far inland as Tell el Kbeleifah which is probably the older Ezion Geber (K. 36:l, cf. K. 34:23, 62:13, Josephus Antiquities , IX, 12, 1).
It was the end of the road going north to Damascus and the terminus of the overland road west to the Mediterranean. In Jerome's time it was a very busy port ( Vita Hilariaris , 18, and cf. Commentary on Ezekiel 47:18). Eusebius does not indicate its size but it may be inferred that it was a polis . A bishop was present at Nicea.
Eusebius uses some army source and the text is useful for noting the deployment of the Roman legion. The Tenth is located here. The Notitia Dignitatum (73:18f.) verifies this entry. The Tabula Peutinger , 820 has a Haila 83 miles from Petra and 150 miles southeast of Gaza which fits this site at el 'aqaba .
The city in II Samuel 10:16 is in northeast Transjordan. The Syriac text notes it is a city of the Philistines. The Greek allophulos usually means Philistines but once or twice we cannot be positive, so in this present translation the general term "foreigners" has been preferred, especially when Jerome does not have Filistine . He has Filistine in K. 7:15, K. 21:2, K. 3:25, K. 119:3 but more often uses transliteration allofylorum (see Appendix I).
7. Adama. Genesis 14:2; K. 8:4; L. 234:82.
The Sodomite Pentapolis is not clearly located by Eusebius. He generally locates them beside the Dead Sea (cf. Sodoma K. 150:10,) K. 153:16 suggests a tradition did exist for Segor but it is also not precisely recorded. The most exacting attempt is for Bala in K. 42:1f.
In Hebrew Questions Jerome translates "dirt, ground or earthen"(61).
8. Asasan Thamar (Asasonthamar). Genesis 14:7; K. 8:6; L. 234:84.
On the Madaba Map there is a Thamara located as suggested by Eusebius here. Tabula Peutinger has a Thamaro 52 or 53 miles from Jerusalem while Ptolemy's list (V, 15, 5f) has a Thamaro about 55 miles distant. The Notitia Dignitatum (74:40) has a Tarba and (74:46) a Thamarra both of which have a garrison.
Alt found a fort at Qasr el Juheiniye and he is followed by many locating the fort there and the village at 'ain el 'Arus . Aharoni more recently ( TEJ , 1963, p.30ff) suggests 'Ain Husb which is about a day's walk (32 km) from Kurnub which is generally identified with Mapsis (cf. also Avi-Yonah) and has a large Roman fort as well as Nabatean and Iron II sherds.
The Madaba Map using Jerome's spelling has located properly Mampsis. Many Nabatean, Roman-Byzantine levels excavated at Kuroub . It shows a revival in the fourth century A.D. as also does Oboda (Avdat, 'Abda, and K. 176:9).This may be indicated by "village" in Greek and "oppidum" in Latin (cf. K. 10:25).
II Chronicles 20:2 identified Thamar with En Gedi or at least locates it in the district of En Gedi (86:16). Jerome in Hebrew Questions says, "his city which we now call Engaddi, is rich in balsam and palms since Asason Thamar translated into our language is city of the palms'" (18) (cf. Judges 1: 16, Ezekiel 47: 29).
9. Aloua (Allus). Genesis 36:40; K. 8:10; L. 234:89.
Textual variants: Alloyd (Greek), Gōla (LXX), and Alloys (Syriac). Hebrew has 'Alvah or 'Aliah.
Petra (cf. K. 142:7) is often called the capital of ancient Nabatean or the capital of the ancient Arabs. It has been suggested that Udrub, 14 km east of Petra may retain the tradition of this site since it is the Arabic synonym for the Hebrew.
The relation of Idumaea and Edōm to Gebalēnē is uncertain. They are connected here as well as in K. 62:8 and K. 102:23, etc. In his Commentary on Obadiah 1 Jerome has Gebalēnē on the border of Eleutheropolis and apparently includes part of the Daroma (K. 26:10) but generally it is lying east of the Dead Sea (K. 100:4).
10. Ainan (Aenam). Genesis 38:14; K. 8:12; L. 234:91.
Textual variants: Aenam (Greek), Aeinam (Greek), and Enan (Greek).
Ainan is one of three deserted places in the Onomasticon (Aggai K. 4:27 and Galgala K. 66:4). This phrase may indicate ruins noted by Eusebius or an editor. The location "near" (cf. Appendix V) is quite vague and could be adjacent or as far as 15 miles. It probably indicates it is within the region of a city at the editor's time. Geographers are uncertain about the Old Testament site. It is difficult to determine a location from Eusebius but Noth suggests kefr 'en . Procopius 463C has an accurate Latin translation of this entry.
Several times the Greek quotes only the biblical location as here "on the way to Thamna" (cf. K. 8:17, K. 10:15, K. 90:3). Thamna is on the Madaba Map (cf. K. 96:24) and near to Diospolis at Kh Tibne .