DORA
DORA (
τὰ Δῶρα), a maritime town of Palestine, locally situated in the half tribe of Manasseh, on this side Jordan, but left in possession of the old Canaanitish inhabitants. (
Judges, i. 27.) Scylax (p. 42), who calls it
DORUS says that it was a city of the Sidonians.
It is frequently, mentioned by Josephus, whose notices enable us to identify it with the modern village of
Tantura. It was a city of Phoenicia, near Mount Carmel. (Joseph.
Vit. § 8;
c. Apion. 2.9.)
It was a strong fortress when Tryphon held it against Antiochus Pius (
Ant. 13.7.2). Caesarea is placed by him between Dora and Joppa, both which maritime towns are described as having bad harbours, owing to their exposure to the south-west wind, which rolled in heavy breakers upon the sandy coast, and forced the merchants to anchor in the open sea (15.9. 6). St. Jerome describes it as anciently a most powerful city, but a ruin in his time (
Epitaph Paulae), situated 9 miles from Caesarea, on the road to Ptolemais. (
Onomast. s. v.; Reland,
Palaest. pp. 738--741.)
[p. 1.785] “There are extensive ruins here, but they possess nothing of interest.” (Irby and Mangles,
Travels, p. 190.)
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G.W]
