Editing Antipatris (section)

===Aphek===
The [[Bronze Age]] saw the construction of defensive walls, {{convert|2.5|m|ft}} to {{convert|3.5|m|ft}} wide, and a series of palaces. One of these is described as an Egyptian governor residence of the 15th century BC, and within, an array of [[cuneiform]] tablets were found. Philistine ware is found in the site in 12th century BC layers.<ref name=EANE/>

Most scholars agree that there were more than one Aphek. While Tel-Aphek (Antipatris) is one of them, [[Claude Reignier Conder|C.R. Conder]] identified the Aphek of Eben-Ezer<ref>The account in 1 Samuel 4:1 of the battle at Aphek and Eben-ezer</ref> with a ruin (''Khirbet'') some {{convert|6|km|mi|order=flip}} distant from [[Dayr Aban]] (believed to be Eben-Ezer<ref>[[Claude Reignier Conder|C.R. Conder]], ''Notes from the Memoir'', [[Palestine Exploration Quarterly]], vol. 18, London 1876, p. 149; Conder & Kitchener, ''The Survey of Western Palestine'', vol. iii (Judaea), London 1883, p. 24</ref>), and known by the name ''Marj al-Fikiya''; the name ''al-Fikiya'' being an Arabic corruption of Aphek.<ref>{{cite journal |last=North |first=Robert |title= Ap(h)eq(a) and 'Azeqa|journal= Biblica|volume= 41|issue= 1|pages= 61–63 |jstor= 42637769|date=1960}}</ref> [[Eusebius]], when writing about Eben-ezer in his ''Onomasticon'', says that it is "the place from which the Gentiles seized the Ark, between Jerusalem and Ascalon, near the village of Bethsamys (Beit Shemesh),"<ref>''Eusebius Werke'', [[Erich Klostermann]] (ed.), Leipig 1904, p. 33,24.</ref> a locale that corresponds with Conder's identification.

The historian [[Josephus]] mentions a certain tower called ''Aphek'', not far from Antipatris, and which was burnt by a contingent of Roman soldiers.<ref>Josephus, ''[[The Jewish War]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0148%3Abook%3D2%3Awhiston+chapter%3D19%3Awhiston+section%3D1 2.19.1]</ref>