Modi'in (ancient city)
Ancient Jewish city near modern Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, Israel / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Modi’in (Hebrew: מוֹדִיעִין, Mōdīʿīn; also transliterated as Modein), also Modi’im (Hebrew: מוֹדִיעִים, Mōdīʿīm), and later, Moditha (Greek: Μωδιθα), was an ancient Jewish city located in Judea, near the modern city of Modi'in, Israel. First mentioned in the Books of Maccabees,[1] it was the hometown of the priestly Hasmonean family, who assumed leadership over Judea following the victorious Maccabean uprising.[2]
Modi’in was known in ancient times for housing the mausoleum of the Hasmonean family, commonly referred to as the Tomb of the Maccabees. This monumental structure, erected in the 2nd century BC by Simon Thassi, is described in both the Book of Maccabees and the writings of Josephus. During the Byzantine period, Eusebius noted its continued existence. However, its remains were lost over time.[1]
The precise geographical location of Modi’in remains a subject of scholarly dispute, with various proposed sites including Tell er-Ras near al-Midya, Givat HaTitora, Umm el-Umdan, and Khirbet Midya, all located in the vicinity of the modern city of Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, which takes its name from the ancient city.[1] The remnants of the Hasmonean mausoleum, once linked to several sites now attributed to the Byzantine era, remain undiscovered, and its precise location still unknown.[1][3][4]