Aphaca

A´PHACA (Ἄφακα: Afka), a town of Syria, midway between Heliopolis and Byblus. (Zosim. 1.58.) In the neighbourhood was a marvellous lake. (Comp. Senec. Quaest. Nat. 3.25.) Here was a temple of Aphrodite, celebrated for its impure and abominable rites, and destroyed by Constantine. (Euseb. de Vita, 3.55; Sozom. 2.5.) Aphek in the land assigned to the tribe of Asher (Joshua, 19.30), but which they did not occupy (Judges, 1.31), has been identified with it. (Winer, Real Wort. art. Aphek. ) Burckhardt (Travels, p. 25) speaks of a lake Liemoun, 3 hours' distance from Afka, but could hear of no remains there. (Comp. paper by Rev. W. Thomson, in Am. Bibliotheca Sacra, vol. 5. p. 5.)