llection of ruins of various ages, now called Bosra (the
Roman _Bostra_), situated in the Hauran, about 80 m. south of Damascus.
The area within the walls is about 1-1/4 m. in length, and nearly 1 m.
in breadth, while extensive suburbs lie to the east, north and west. The
principal buildings which can still be distinguished are a temple, an
aqueduct, a large theatre (enclosed by a castle of much more recent
workmanship), several baths, a triumphal and other arches, three
mosques, and what are known as the church and convent of the monk
Boheira. In A.D. 106 the city was beautified and perhaps restored from
ruin by Trajan, who made it the capital of the new province of Arabia.
In the reign of Alexander Severus it was made a colony, and in 244, a
native of the place, Philippus, ascended the imperial throne. By the
time of Constantine the Great it seems to have been Christianized, and
not long after it was the seat of an extensive bishopric. It was one of
the first cities of Syria to be subjected to the Mahommedans, and it
successfully resisted all the attempts of the Crusaders to wrest it from
their hands. As late as the 14th century it was a populous city, after
which it gradually fell into decay. It is now inhabited by thirty or
forty families only. Another suggested identification is with Kusur
el-Besheir, equidistant (2 m.) from Dibon and Aroer. This is perhaps the
same as the Bezer mentioned in Deuteronomy and Joshua as a levitical
city and a city of refuge.

In 1 Macc. v. 26 there is mention of Bosor and of Bosora. The latter is
probably to be identified with Bosra, the former perhaps with the
present Busr el-Hariri in the south-east corner of the Leja.
(R. A. S. M.)

BRABANT, a duchy which existed from 1190 to 1430, when it was united
with the duchy of Burgundy, the name being derived from Brabo, a
semi-mythical Frankish chief.

The history of Brabant is connected with that of the duchy of Lower
Lorraine (q.v.), which became in the course of the 11th century split up
into a number of small feudal states. The counts of Hainaut, Namur,
Luxemburg and Limburg asserted their independence, and the territory of
Liege passed to the bishops of that city. The remnant of the duchy,
united since 1100 with the margraviate of Antwerp, was conferred in 1106
by the emperor Henry V., with the title of duke of Lower Lorraine, upon
Godfrey (Godefroid) I., "the Bearded," count of Louvain and Brussels.
His title was disput