ANTIPATRIS ăn tĭp’ ə trĭs (̓Αντίπατρις). Antipatris was the NT city which occupied the site of the OT Philistine city of Aphek (1 Sam 4:1; 29:1). The new city was built by Herod the Great in 9 b.c. He named it Antipatris in honor of his father Antipater, who had been procurator of Judea under Julius Caesar. The modern name of the ruins is Ras el-’Ain.

The site is marked by the great spring which gives its name to the site. The stream which rises full-grown from this spring is the River Auja, the longest stream W of the Jordan River. Although its course to the Mediterranean is short, it flows through a fertile plain known as Kaphar Saba. Antipatris was on the main coastal road of Pal. c. twenty-five m. to the S of Caesarea, the capital of Judea. From Antipatris the main road continued S to Lydda, and a branch road went SW to Joppa on the coast. Another road from Antipatris climbed E up the valley of Aijalon and then turned S to Jerusalem.

The only Bible reference to Antipatris is in Acts 23:31. In order to save Paul’s life, the military governor of Jerusalem ordered him to be taken on a secret night march under a large military guard from the Jerusalem barracks to Antipatris, c. a forty m. march. This city was the military post (Mutatio) on the road between Jerusalem and Caesarea and, therefore, a logical resting place. The next day Paul was taken to the governor at Caesarea.

Antipatris was the first city Vespasian captured after he moved out of Caesarea to the conquest of the Philistine plain and the approaches to Jerusalem.

Bibliography C. R. Conder and H. H. Kitchener, SWP, vol. II, 258-262.