▁Jewish ▁war ▁with ▁Rome , ▁V esp as ian ▁s ack ed ▁the ▁city , ▁killing ▁those ▁of ▁its ▁Jewish ▁citizens ▁who ▁had ▁not ▁already ▁fled . ▁The ▁place ▁is ▁pres umed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁res ett led ▁by ▁Jews ▁in ▁the ▁third - four th ▁centuries , ▁since ▁the ▁town ▁is ▁mentioned ▁as ▁being ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁residence ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁priest ly ▁courses ▁known ▁as ▁P eth ah iah , ▁as ▁ins cribed ▁in ▁the ▁Ca es area ▁Ins cription . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁or ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁CE ▁there ▁were ▁Christians ▁living ▁here , ▁as ▁witness ed ▁by ▁a ▁church ▁whose ▁m osa ic ▁floor ▁and ▁ins cription ▁have ▁been ▁un ear th ed . ▁ ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁In ▁the ▁ ▁Cr us ader ▁era , ▁it ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁ ▁Arab iam . ▁In ▁ 1 1 7 4 ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁cas alia ▁( v ill ages ) ▁given ▁to ▁Ph illi pe ▁le ▁R ous . ▁In ▁ 1 2 3 6 ▁descend ants ▁of ▁Ph illi pe ▁le ▁R ous ▁confirmed ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁the ▁f ief ▁of ▁Ar ra ba . ▁In ▁ 1 2 5 0 ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁cas alia ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁Te ut onic ▁kn ights , ▁a ▁Cr us ader ▁order . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁Ar rab ah ▁is ▁mentioned ▁by ▁Sy ria ▁ge ograph er ▁Ya q ut ▁al - H am aw i