PELLA
PELLA (
Πέλλα: Eth.
Πελλαῖος).
1.
A city of Palestine, and one of the towns of Decapolis in the Peraea, being the most northerly place in the latter district. (
Plin. Nat. 5.18. s. 16; Joseph.
B. J. 3.3.3.) Stephanus B. (s. v.) calls it a city of Coele-Syria and Ptolemy (
5.15.23) also describes it as a city of Decapolis in Coele-Syria. Stephanus adds that it was also called Butis (
ἡ Βοῦτις), which appellation seems to be preserved in its modern name
El-Budsche. Its name Pella shows that it was either built or colonised by the Macedonians. Pliny describes it as abounding in springs ( “aquis divitem,” Plin.
l.c.).
It was taken by Antiochus the Great (
Plb. 5.70), and was afterwards destroyed by Alexander Jannaeus, because its inhabitants would not accept the Jewish religion (
J. AJ 13.15 (23). § 3,
B.J. 1.4.8); but it was afterwards restored by Pompey. (
J. AJ 14.4 (7). § 4.) Pella was the place to which the Christians of Jerusalem fled before the destruction of the latter city. (
Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 3.5 ; Epiphan.
de Mens. et Ponder. p. 171; Reland,
Palaestina, p. 924.)
2.
A town of Syria, on the Orontes, better known under the name of Apamreia. [
APAMEIA No. 1.]
