 It was suggested by Edward Robinson that Jifna was Ophni of Benjamin , mentioned in the Book of Joshua as one of the " twelve cities . " Nothing thereafter is recorded in its history until the time of the Roman conquest during the 1st century BCE , when it appears in various records as " Gophna " . Gophna was described by Flavius Josephus as the second city of Judea , after Jerusalem , in his account of the First Jewish @-@ Roman Wars during the 1st century CE . The town is depicted as Gophna in the Map of Madaba , situated north of Gibeon ( al @-@ Jib ) , and is also mentioned in the Talmud as Ben Gufnin , a " city of priests " . The latter portion of its Talmudic name derives from the Hebrew root word gefen , meaning " vine " . 
 It was suggested by Edward Robinson that Jifna was Ophni of Benjamin , mentioned in the Book of Joshua as one of the " twelve cities . " <a href='None' title='1'><mark>Nothing</mark></a> thereafter is recorded in its history until <a href='None' title='2'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='3'><mark>time</mark></a> of the Roman conquest during the 1st century BCE , when it <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>appears</mark></a> in various records as " Gophna " . Gophna was described by Flavius Josephus as the second city of Judea , after Jerusalem , in his account of the First Jewish @-@ Roman Wars during the 1st century CE . The town is depicted as Gophna in the Map of Madaba , situated north of Gibeon ( al @-@ Jib ) , and is also mentioned in the Talmud as Ben Gufnin , a " city of priests " . The latter portion of its Talmudic name <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>derives</mark></a> from the Hebrew root word gefen , meaning " vine " . 
It was suggested by Edward Robinson dat Jifna was Ophni of Benjamin , mentioned in da Book of Joshua as one of the " twelve cities . " Don't nothing thereafter is recorded in its history until no time of the Roman conquest during tda1st century BCE , when it appear in various records as " Gophna " . Gophna was described by Flavius Josephus as the second city of Judea , after Jerusalem , in his account of thdairst Jewish @-@ Roman Wars durin thedat century CE . The dan is depicted as Gophna in the Map of Madaba , situated north of Gibeon ( al @-@ Jib ) , and is also mentioned in the Tdaud as Ben Gufnin , a " city of priests " . The latter portion of its Talmudic name derive from the Hedaw root word gefen , meaning " vine " .