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Eleutheropolis in Palaestina is a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church located in modern Israel. The position of bishop is vacant.
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History of the See
In A.D. 200 Septimius Severus founded a Roman colony on the site of a previous Jewish town, Maresha, destroyed by Vespasian 130 years earlier. The new [[colonia (Roman)|colony]] grew quickly, due to its location on important trade routes and in 325 it became the site of an Episcopal see in Palaestina Prima, with Macrinus as first bishop.
Eusebius of Caesarea an important early church writer who lived at this time and was based from this Bishopric used it as a starting point for measuring distances of other locations.
We know of only six bishops, with Macrinus, and Zebennus being the only ones named, there are another four for whom we don’t know their name.
Church texts mention 50 soldiers who were executed here in 638 for not abandoning the Christian religion following the arrival of Islam. Their burial site is in the vicinity of the town. The diocese ceased to function effectively from this time.
The last titular Bishop was Alfred Matthew Stemper.