ABILENE (ali'i-le'ne), (Gr,300)te), ab-ee-lay nay', Luke iii:1), the small district or territory which took its name from the chief town, Abila. Its situation is in some degree determined by that of the town; but its precise limits and extent re main unknown. Northward it must have reached beyond the Upper Barrada, in order to include Abila; and it is probable that its southern border may have extended to Mount Hermon (Jebel es-Sheikh). It seems to have included the eastern declivities of Anti-Libanus, and the fine valleys between its base and the hills which front the eastern plains. This is a very beautiful and fertile region, well wooded and watered by numer ous springs from Anti-Libanus. It also affords fine pastures; and in most respects contrasts with the stern and barren western slopes of Anti Libanus.
(1) Government. This territory had been governed as a tetrarchate by Lysanias, son of Ptolemy and grandson of Mennaus (Joseph. .1,114 xiv :13, 3). but lie was put to death. B.C. 33, through the intrigues of Cleopatra, who then ' took possession of the province (.1stig. xiv :4, (See 1.vsAstiAs.) After her death it fell to Au gustus, who rented it out to one Zenodorus; but as he did not keep it clear of robbers, it was taken from him, and given to Herod the Great (Antiq, xv :to, t ; Bell. Jud. i 4). At his death, a part (the southern, doubtless) of the territory was added to Trachonitis and Ituraea to form a tetrarchs' for his son Philip; hut by far the larger portion, including the city of Abila, was then, or shortly afterwards, bestowed on another Lysanias, mentioned by Luke (iii :I), who is supposed to have been a descendant of the former Lysanias, hut who is nowhere mentioned by Josephus. Indeed, nothing is said by him or
any other profane writer of this part of Abilene until about ten years after the time referred to by Luke, when the emperor Caligula gave it to Agrippa I, as 'the tetrarchy of Lysanias' ( Joseph. Antiq. xviii :6, to), to whom it was after wards confirmed by Claudius. At his death, it was included in that part of his possessions which went to his son Agrippa II.
(2) Apparent Discrepancy. This explanation (which we owe to the acuteness and research of Winer), as to the division of Abilene between Lysanias and Philip, removes the apparent discrep ancy between Luke, who calls Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene at the very time that, according to Josephus (a part of) Abilene was in the possession of Philip.
"The region of Abilene is also noticed in a Gr. text found in 1873 at Burkush on Hermon, showing that the district included the Antile banon and Hermon, N. IV. of Damascus. There is a cemetery at Abila of Rom. rock-cut tombs on the left of the stream, which here forms a cascade. They arc adorned with bas-relief busts, and there are several tombstones with Gr. texts, giving the names of Lucius, Archelaus, Phedistus, Antonia and Philander. N. of the river and E. of the town are foundations of a small Rom. temple" (R. A. Conder, Hastings Bib. Diet.).