ITUREA
“belonging to Jetur.”
Region occupied by a people called Jetur, who descended from Ishmael (Gen. 25:15; 1 Chron. 1:31). There was war between Jetur and the Israelite tribes east of the Jordan (1 Chron. 5:19).
In the time of the Hasmoneans, Aristobulus conquered a part of Ituraea, annexing it to Judea and imposing circumcision on the defeated (Ant. 13:11, 3).
It was a mountainous region that encompassed a part of Anti-Lebanon. Ptolemy, son of Menaeus, fortified Chalcis, and was hostile to Damascus (Strabus 16:2, 18, 20; Ant. 13:16, 3).
Later, his son Lysanias was killed by Mark Antony (34 BC). A part of Iturea and Trachonítis formed the tetrarchy of Philip (Lk. 3:1).