▁She ikh ▁M iske en ▁or ▁E sh mes k ī n , ▁is ▁a ▁town ▁in ▁southern ▁Sy ria , ▁administr atively ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁D ara a ▁Governor ate , ▁located ▁north ▁of ▁D ara a . ▁Near by ▁local ities ▁include ▁Ib ta ' ▁and ▁Da ' el ▁to ▁the ▁south , ▁Kh ir bet ▁al - G h az ale h ▁the ▁sout heast , ▁Iz ra ' ▁to ▁the ▁n ortheast , ▁N awa ▁to ▁the ▁north west ▁and ▁She ikh ▁Sa ' ad ▁to ▁the ▁west . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Central ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Statistics ▁( C BS ) ▁census , ▁al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 4 , 0 5 7 ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁The ▁inhabitants ▁are ▁pre domin antly ▁Sun ni ▁Muslim s . ▁ ▁History ▁Cl erm ont - G anne au ▁the or ised ▁that ▁the ▁town ' s ▁name ▁came ▁from ▁" The ▁le per ▁She ik ", ▁that ▁is ▁Bib lic al ▁Job . ▁Al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁has ▁been ▁identified ▁as ▁the ▁ancient ▁Roman - era ▁site ▁of ▁" Ne apolis ." ▁By ▁the ▁ 4 th - century , ▁Ne apolis ▁had ▁grown ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁city . ▁A ▁church ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁there ▁in ▁ 5 1 7 ▁during ▁By z antine ▁rule . ▁In ▁his ▁short ▁article ▁in ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Encyclopedia ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁Sim éon ▁V