in Ancient Geography, a very ancient city situated in the hilly country of the tribe of Judah to the south. Its more ancient name was Kiriaith Arba, or Cariath Arba. In antiquity this city vied with most ancient cities of Egypt, being seven years prior to Zoan, translated Tanis by the Seventy. Josephus makes it not only older than Tanis, but even than Memphis. It stood to the west of the lake Asphalites, and was for some time the royal residence of David. After the captivity it fell into the hands of the Edomites, as did all the south country of Judea. It is now called Habroun, situated seven leagues to the south of Bethlehem. The Arabs call it El-kafil, "the well-beloved;" which is the epithet they usually apply to Abraham, whose sepulchral grotto they still show. Habroun is seated at the foot of an eminence, on which are some wretched ruins, the mithapen remains of an ancient castle. The adjacent country is a sort of oblong hollow, five or fix leagues in length, and not disagreeably varied by rocky hillocks, groves of fir-trees, flunted oaks, and a few plantations of vines and olive trees. These vineyards are not cultivated with a view to make wine, the inhabitants being such zealous Mahometans as not to permit any Christians to live among them: they are only of use to procure dried raisins, which are badly prepared, though the grapes are of an excellent kind. The peasants cultivate cotton likewise, which is spun by their wives, and sold at Jerusalem and Gaza. They have also some soap manufacturies, the kali for which is sold them by the Bedouins; and a very ancient glass-house, the only one in Syria. They make there a great quantity of coloured rings, bracelets for the wrists and legs, and for the arms above the elbows, besides a variety of other trinkets, which are sent even to Constantinople. In consequence of these manufacturies, Mr Volney informs us, Habroun is the most powerful village in all this quarter; and is able to arm 800 or 900 men, who adhere to the faction Kaïf, and are the perpetual enemies of the people of Bethlehem. This discord, which has prevailed throughout the country from the earliest times of the Arabs, causes a perpetual civil war. The peasants are incessantly making incursions on each other's lands, destroying their corn, dourra, fefamum, and olive trees, and carrying off their sheep, goats, and camels. The Turks, who are everywhere negligent in repressing similar disorders, are the less attentive to them here, since their authority is very precarious. The Bedouins, whose camps occupy the level country, are continually at open hostilities with them; of which the peasants avail themselves to resist their authority, or do mischief to each other, according to the blind caprice of their ignorance or the interest of the moment. Hence arises an anarchy which is still more dreadful than the depopulation which prevails elsewhere, while the mutual devastations of the contending parties render the appearance of this part of Syria more wretched than that of any other.