Betar (), also spelled Beitar, Bethar or Bether, was an ancient Jewish town in the Judean Mountains. Continuously inhabited since the Iron Age, it was the last standing stronghold of the Bar Kokhba revolt, and was destroyed by the Imperial Roman Army under Hadrian in 135 CE. Ancient Betar's ruins can be found at the archeological site of Khirbet al-Yahud (), located about southwest of Jerusalem. It is located in the modern Palestinian village of Battir, which preserves its ancient name. It is situated on a declivity that rises to an elevation of about above sea-level. The Israeli settlement and city Beitar Illit, named after the ancient city, is also located nearby. Etymology Bet tar in ancient Hebrew might mean the place of the blade, based on the variant spelling found in the Jerusalem Talmud (Codex Leiden), where the place name is written בֵּיתתֹּר, the name may have simply been a contraction of two words: בית + תר, 'bet + tor', meaning, "the house of a dove." Location Betar was perched on a hill about southwest of Jerusalem. Deep valleys to the west, north, and east of the hill surround it. The Roman road that connected Jerusalem with Beit Gubrin before going on to Gaza passed through the Valley of Rephaim, which is to the north. It connects by a saddle to another hill to the south, where the remains of the ancient Roman camps can still be seen from the air. History and archaeology Iron Age The origins of Betar are likely in the Iron Age Kingdom of Judah. It is not mentioned in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible, but is added in the Septuagint (Codex Sinaiticus) as one of the cities of the Tribe of Judah after Joshua 15:59. The location produced archaeological finds of pottery beginning from 8th century BCE and until late period of the Kingdom of Judah and again from early Roman period. Between the two revolts Following the destruction of Jerusalem during the First-Jewish Roman war, in 70 CE, Betar's importance grew. It is believed that early in Hadrian's rule, Jewish institutions relocated there, probably due to the city's proximity to the destroyed Jerusalem. Bar Kokhba revolt During the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans, Betar functioned as the last stronghold of Bar Kokhba, the revolt's commander. A large moat was dug on the south-side of the stronghold, believed to have been