CHELOUS, CHELLUS kĕl’ əs (Χελούς). A town in S Pal.

According to Judith 1:9 this place was situated SW of Jerusalem near Bethany but N of Kadesh and the “river of Egypt.” It is prob. to be identified with modern Khalasa, lying S of Beer-sheba on an important road leading S from Jerusalem to Egypt and on a caravan route between Gaza and Edom (cf. further J. Simons, The Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament, pp. 489, 493; also IDB, I, 556, s.v.).