BASHAN, or BASHAN, in Ancient Geography, a territory beyond Jordan, mentioned in Scripture, and called by Josephus, Eusebius, and Jerome, Batanæa. The sacred writers include in Bashan that part of the country eastward of the Jordan which was given to the half tribe of Manasseh, situated to the north of Gilead. After the Babylonish captivity it was subdivided into Batanæa or Basan, Trachonitis, Auranitis, and Gaulonitis. To settle the limits of these, however, is now impossible. Bashan was famous for its pastures and large breed of cattle.