Bethany has become Peithan for later historians who find ‘b’ pronounced as ‘p’ in most of the ancient texts. Thus most typical part of Bethany’s historical seat of worship can be identified with the ‘name’ Peithan, or Baithan.
If we look at its different name-forms, they read like this: Pratisthanpur, Pathan, and also Parthian etc. A dynasty and also a priest class people are seen in this name in history.
Three Peithon-names are seen Alexander’s invasion accounts who accompanied him ; first, Peithon, son of Sosikles, who was taken prisoner by the Skythians leader Spitamenes; and his name is not mentioned thereafter; second, Peithon, son of Agenor, and third, Peithon, son of Krateuas. The latter was a native of Erdaia, like Ptolemy; he was a member of Alexander’s bodyguard.
Peithon, son of Agenor, took active part against the Malloi and the Mousikanos. He was appointed satrap of Sindh, from the great confluence downward to the seacoast. After Alexander’s death Poros ousted him.
On Mousikanos(Musicani of Curtius), Strabo writes citing from Onesikritos, that, it was a rich and fertile region of a very influential and rich people. But Lassen thinks from the name of ‘mousikanos’ that they are ‘rats’, and may have been pirates also. Saint-Martin identifies them with Moghas of Gandhara.
In the inland part of the Gangetic plain, Ptolemy puts places like Malippala, Sarisabis, Tagara, Baithana, Deo-pali, Gamaliba, and Omenogara which formed a part of Arikae region. Scholars of Ptolemy’s Geography admit that Ariake’s cities are mostly unknown. The Periplus says that both Tagara and Baithana are the two most important seats of commerce in the Dakshina-desha, or the ‘south’, again same as the Negev.
While Paithana or Baithana(both names are used by scholars of the Periplus) is towards the south of Barygaza, Tagara is to the eastward from it. Scholars find Paithana same as Pratisthanapur, capital of Salivahana. Ptolemy calls it the capital of Siroptolemaios.
There is no geographical differences between ‘Sir’-ptolemaios and Ptolemaios in Ptolemy’s Geography which broadly marks the Lotus regions of the ancient world including the regions of the Nile Valley.