Halboun

Halboun حلبون Halbun
Village
Halboun
Halboun Location in Syria
Coordinates: 33°40′N 36°15′E
Country	Syria
Governorate	Rif Dimashq
District	al-Tall
Subdistrict	al-Tall
Population  (2004 census)[1]
• Total	6,521
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Halboun or Halbun (Arabic: حلبون) is a Syrian village in the Al-Tall District of the Rif Dimashq Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Halboun had a population of 6,521 in the 2004 census.^[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims.^[2]

History

Halboun which was mentioned as Chalybon (Greek: Χαλυβάν) by Ptolemy and Strabo, was famous for its fine wine, in which it was considered as a luxury to the Persian kings in the Eber-Nari satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire.^[3]

There are several Roman ruins found in Halboun, most famously the inscriptions which date back to the reign of Herod Agrippa II.^[4]

J. E. Hanauer wrote in 1909 that the inhabitants of Helbon were reputed to be "foolish", noting that the tales highlighting their silliness closely mirrored those about the residents of Deir es-Sinneh, near Siloam.^[5]

References

1. General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. (in Arabic)
2. Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 172
3. "Helbon". Biblical Cyclopedia.
4. "Halboun - حلبون". Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (in Arabic). 26 March 2018.
5. Hanauer, J. E. (1909). "Notes from Damascus and the Anti-Libanus". Palestine Exploration Quarterly. 41 (2): 137. doi:10.1179/peq.1909.41.2.119. ISSN 0031-0328.

Bibliography

• Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 3. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.