Thamara
THAMARA (Θαμαρά, Euseb. and Onom. s. v. Hazazon-Thamar;Θαμαρώ, Ptol. 5.16.8; Tab. Peut.; Tamar, Ezek. 47.19, 48.28), a town in Palestine, and one of the most southerly points in the country according to Ezekiel. According to Eusebius and Jerome it was a town and fortress one day's journey from Malatha on the way from Hebron to Ailah, and in their time was held by a Roman garrison. Robinson fixes it at Ksurnub, the site with ruins 6 miles S. of Milh towards the pass es-Sŭfâh. (Bibl. Res. vol. 2. p. 202, 2nd ed.)
A fortress on the border between the Negev and the Arabah. The site is twice mentioned in the ancient sources: Eusebius (Onom. 8.8) states that the village of Thamara is situated one day's march from Mapsis (= Mampsis), on the road from Hebron to Aila, and that in his day there was a fortress with soldiers there. The Nototia Dignitatum (34; 40), of the early 4th c. A.D., places a Palestinian cohort there.
Thamara is generally identified with Qasr el-Juheinieh (Mesad Thamar), on the road from Beersheba to Sodom. Before excavation (1973; not yet published), a large fortress (44 x 42 m) had been observed there, apparently of the Late Roman period. It has a large central court (44 x 42 m) and projecting corner towers. There is a gate and several large halls on its N side, with stairs leading to an upper story from inside the court. Large halls occupied the E side with smaller rooms to the S and W. There are indications of a large cistern in the middle of the court.
BIBLIOGRAPHYF. Frank, “Aus der Arabah I,” ZDPV 57 (1934) 199P; A. Alt, “Aus der Arabah II,” ibid., 58 (1935) 33-35.
A. NEGEV