Elusa

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( ῎Ελοσα , apparently for the Aramaean חֲליּצָה ; see Jerome, Comment. In Esa. 15:4), an ancient city of Idumaea, frequently mentioned by writers of the fourth to the sixth centuries (see the citations in Reland, Palaest. page 755-7) as an episcopal city of the Third Palestine (Concil. Gen. 3:448); the E'Lysa of the Peutinger Table, 71 Roman miles S. of Jerusalem (Ritter, Erdk. 14:120); recognized by D. Robinson (Bib. Res. 1:296 sq.) as the present ruins el-Khulaseh, 5 hours S.S.W. of Hebron on the way to Egypt, ant consisting of walls, a fine well, and enclosures sufficient to have contained a population of 15,000 or 20,000 persons (see also Stewart, Tent and Khan, page 205). (See Chellus).