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time in the temple without any person with him. But what had rendered it most celebrated and revered, both by Jews and Christians, is, its having been the residence of Elijah, who is supposed to have lived in a cave, which is there shewn, before he was taken up into heaven; as it was also the scene where that great prophet, by calling for a miraculous fire from heaven, which consumed the divine sacrifice, convinced the Israelites of their folly, in halting between their God and Baal. On which account, the Christians began, from the earliest ages, to shew a more than ordinary veneration for it; and both the mountain and cave of Elias, as well as the place where they tell you was his garden, are visited and reverenced, not only by Christians and Jews, but by the very Mohammedans.

The mount of Olives stands about a mile distant from Jerusalem, and commands the prospect of the whole city, from which it is parted by the brook Kidron, and the valley of Jehoshaphat. It is not a single hill, but, rather, part of a long ridge with three (or, according to Mr. Pocock, four) heads or summits, extending from north to south, the middlemost of which is that from the top of which our Saviour ascended up into heaven, and which, it is pretended, still wears the print of his foot.

Mount Calvary, alias Golgotha, is held in the greatest veneration, on account of our Saviour's crucifixion upon it. It had those two names, probably, from its roundness, or resemblance to an human scull, and stood, antiently, without the walls of the city, it being the place where the criminals used to be put to death according to the Mosaic law. But Constantine the Great, after his conversion, caused it to be inclosed within the new walls, and erected a magnificent church over it; and it has continued a place of as great veneration among the Christians, as ever the temple was among the Jews.

Mount Moriah, on which the famous temple of Solomon was built, stands southeast of Calvary, having Millo on the west, so called, from the filling up of that deep valley, in order to raise it to a level with the rest.

Mount Gihon stood west of Jerusalem, and at a smaller distance than Calvary, viz about two furlongs distance from Bethlehem's gate. It was here that Solomon was, by his father's express command, anointed king, by the prophet Nathan, and Zadok the high-priest. There was a celebrated pool of that name upon it, whose water king Hezekiah caused to be brought, by an aqueduct, into the city. It is still a stately pool, one hundred and six paces long, and sixty-seven broad, lined with a wall of plaster, and well stored with water. We shall conclude this description of the mountains with observing, that those in the kingdom of Judah mostly stand southward of it, towards the land of Edom, but those of the kingdom of Israel are interspersed within it. There are, also, many other mountains of inferior note.

The most distinguished plains are two; that which is commonly called the plain of Jordan, otherwise, the wilderness of Jordan, that is comparatively barren with some other of the more delightful parts of it, of which we may have farther occasion to speak. The other is styled the great plain of Esdraelon, or great plain and valley of Jezreel, the fields of Esdrela, and the plain of Legion, the first of which names it had from the capital city Jezreel, or Esdrelon, and reached from Scythopolis to mount Carmel. Mr. Reland thinks this great plain to have reached partly into Galilee, and partly into Samaria. Besides these two, which are the most remarkable plains in all Palestine, we may add, that the whole coast, from mount Carmel down to the southermost borders of it, towards Idumea, is, altogether, a plain, level ground, excepting here and there some small and gentle hills, or sandy heaps This great extent, however, was not all known, or called by the same name, after the second temple; for the northern part of it, from Joppa to Cæsarea, and no further, was called Sharon, Saron, or Sarona; and was

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very fertile in pasture grounds, in which, Mr. Reland thinks, the Gadites 'ted their numerous herds and flocks, and bred such vast quantities of cattle. The southern part of it was called Sephelah, or the plain, and extended westward and southward of Eleutheropolis, which name was given still, in Eusebius and St. Jerome's time, to all that tract. The plain of Jericho, though rather a part of the great plain, properly so called, is likewise much celebrated in scripture, for its fine palm-trees, its balm-shrub, as well as for its famed rose and rose-tree, with which the whole plain was said to be almost covered; and several wonderful virtues are, without any foundation, attributed to it, by authors, and by the inhabitants of those plains: one of them, however, is certain, viz. that it is incorruptible; and being kept some little while in water, will blow, and appear in full bloom, and being taken out, it closes up again, and this it will do at any season of the year.

We find a great many deserts and wildernesses in this country, mentioned in the sacred books, by which, however, must not be understood places quite barren, destitute, or uninhabited, there being several of them which had cities and villages, rich, and well peopled, and few cities there were here that had not some desert, according to the scripture idiom, belonging to it, for the feeding of their cattle: so that the word commonly meant no more than a land or tract, that bore neither corn, wine, or oil, but was left to its spontaneous production. Accordingly we find in the desert of Judah, where the Baptist preached, no less than six cities, besides the villages belonging to them, to wit, Bethabara, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, the city of Salt, and that of Engaddi. ļ To these we may add some woods or forests, mentioned also in holy writ, such as, particularly, those of Hareth, in the tribe of Judah, to which David withdrew from Saul; of Ephraim, where Absalom received the due reward of his unnatural rebellion, (this stood on the other side Jordan, not far from Mahanaim, where David abode while the battle was fought ;) that of Lebanon, where Solomon built a stately palace, so called, in all probability, on account of the many stately trees that shaded it; the forest of Bethel, supposed to have stood near the city of that name, whence the two she bears came, and devoured the children who insulted the prophet Elisha. Others of less note we pass over, to come to the seas, lakes, and rivers, of the country.

We begin with the seas, of which there are commonly reckoned five; viz. the Mediterranean, called, by the sacred writers, the Great sea. 2. The Dead sea, or

lake of Sodom. 3. The sea of Tiberias. 4. The Samachonite sea, or lake. And 5. The sea of Jazer; which last was but a small lake near the city of that name: so that only the first of them deserved the name of sea, and this they distinguished, not only with the title of Great, but of Salt sea, sea of the Philistines, and also the Hinder sea, or-sea behind one, from its situation with respect to the land. The Dead sea, called also, from its situation, the East sea, the Salt sea, the sea of Sodom, the sea of the desert, and sea of the plain, by the sacred writings,; and by other authors, the Asphaltite lake, on account of the vast quantities of that bituminous drug, which are thrown up by its waves, and thence, by the wind, towards the shore. Josephus assures us, it rises in lumps, as big as an ox without its head. Some are even larger, and others smaller, and in great request among physicians and embalmers. Many things have been said and written of this famous, or, if they were true, rather infamous lake; such as, that it arose from the submersion of the vale of Siddim, where once stood, as is commonly reported, the three cities which perished in the miraculous conflagration, with those of Sodom and Gomorrah, for their unnatural and detestable wickedness; on which account, this lake hath been looked upon as a lasting monument of the just judg ment of God, to deter mankind from such abominations. Hence, it is added, that the waters of the lake are so impregnated with salt, sulphur, and other bituminous stuff,

that nothing would sink or live in it; and that it cast such stench and smoke, that the very birds died in attempting to fly over it. The description, likewise, of the apples that grew about it, fair without, and only ashes and bitterness within, which were looked upon as a farther monument of God's anger: so, likewise, the description which travellers give, not only of the lake, but of all the country round about, of the whole appearing dreadful to behold, all sulphurous, bituminous, stinking, and suffocating; and, lastly, what hath been farther affirmed of the ruins of the five cities, still being to be seen in clear weather, and having been actually seen in these later times; all these surprising things, and ill-grounded notions, though commonly, and so long received among Christians, have been of late so much exploded, not only by the testimony of many credible witnesses, but even by the authority of scripture, that we must be obliged to give them up as pious inventions, unless we will suppose the face and nature of all these things to have been entirely changed.

As to the water, it is, though clear, so impregnated with salt, that those that dive into it come out covered with a kind of brine. There is one remarkable thing relating to this lake, generally agreed on by all travellers and geographers, viz. that it receives the waters of Jordan, (a considerable river we shall speak of in the sequel,) the brooks of Jabok, Kishon, Arnon, and other springs, which flow into it from the adjacent mountains, and yet never overflows, though there is no visible way to be found by which it discharges the great influx. The common opinion is, that it hath some subterraneous vent, either in the Mediterranean or the Red sea. It is inclosed on the east and west with exceeding high mountains, many of them craggy, and dreadful to behold: on the north has the plain of Jericho; and, if we take in both sides of the Jordan, it has the great plain, properly so called, on the south, which is open, and extends beyond the reach of the eye. Josephus gives this lake five hundred and eighty furlongs in length, from the mouth of the Jordan, to the town of Segor on the opposite end, that is, about twenty-two leagues, and about an hundred and fifty, or five leagues, in its largest breadth: but our modern accounts commonly give it twenty-four leagues in length, and six or seven in breadth. On the west side of it is a kind of promontory, where they pretend to shew the remains of Lot's metamorphosed wife. Josephus says it was still standing in his time; but when prince Radziville inquired after it, they told him there was no such salt pillar or statue to be seen in all that part. However, they have found means, about a century after him, to recover, as they pretended to assure Mr. Maundrell, a block, or stump of it, which may, in time, grow up, with little art, to its antient bulk.

The sea of Tiberias, or Galilee, is, in most respects, quite opposite to that of Sodom, and is highly commended, by the Jewish historian, amongst other things, for the sweetness, coolness, and excellency of its water, and the abundance and variety of fine fish that breed in it, contrary to the other, which suffers nothing to live in it, and whose waters are represented as altogether distasteful and horrid. The river Jordan runs quite through it, and supplies it with fresh water; and here it was that St. Peter, Andrew, John, and James, exercised their profession of fishermen. Josephus gives it an hundred furlongs in length, and about forty in breadth.

None of the rivers of Palestine, except Jordan, deserve any particular description, The Jordan has the others being chiefly brooks which are dried up in the summer. its source among the mountains of Lebanon, and taking a southerly direction, it passes through the Samachonite lake, a place of water mentioned in the scriptures. After this, it pursues a course of about eighteen or twenty miles more, exclusive of its windings, enters into the sea of Tiberias on the north side of it, and comes out again on the south side, at a small distance from the city of that name. It then flows still south-westward,

through a plain and desert of about sixty miles more, and falls into the Asphaltite lake. Its stream is rapid, though its bed is deep. As to its breadth, a late author tells, it is about that of the Thames at Windsor, and another gives it only thirty yards in breadth, but observes, that its depth makes sufficient amends, it being three yards deep, even at the brink. Its course and banks are various, according to the places it runs through, some very beautiful, others choked up with high and thick reeds, canes, and trees, such as willows, tamarisks, &c. which quite hide the sight of it, and are an harbour for lions and other wild beasts. The inundations of the river Jordan, which are recorded in the scriptures, as well as by Josephus and other writers, do not now take place; because the river, during the lapse of so many centuries, has worn its bed considerably deeper. It has two banks on each side, the lowest, below which it does not usually sink in the summer, and the highest, above which it seldom rises in the winter. Between these two banks the wild beasts find that shelter which we already described.

We shall begin our description of the possessions of the twelve tribes with those belonging to the two tribes and an half, who obtained a settlement, in the time of Moses, on the east side of the river Jordan; and with these it will be proper to join an account of such heathen nations as resided near them. On the east side of the Dead sca, between the rivers Zared and Arnon, the mountains Abarim, and the before mentioned sea, was situated the land of the Moabites, which had many considerable cities, particularly that of Heshbon. It was subject to various vicissitudes, having been first possessed by the Emims, then by the Moabites, and, after that, often conquered by the Israelites. The land of Midian was partly included within these limits, being situated between mount Abarim and the river Arnon; it was hot, sandy, and, in many parts, quite desert, yet abounded with cattle, particularly sheep, goats, and deer, but more particularly with camels. As small as this country appears in the map, it was divided into five kingdoms, which maintained a war with the children of Israel. The region which was allotted to the tribe of Reuben extended from the north-east coasts of the Dead sea, along the eastern banks of the Jordan; and was divided, on the south, from Midian, by the river Arnon; on the north, from the tribe of Gad, by another small river; and was hemmed in on the east, partly by the Moabites, and partly by the Ammonites; whilst the Jordan parted it, on the west, from Canaan, properly so called. It reached 31° 40" to 32° 25" of latitude, and from 36° to 37° east longitude, and was every where fertile in corn, wine, fruits, and especially in pasture grounds. Josephus rightly compares this country to a peninsula, or to an island, the west side of which is washed by he river Jordan, the north by that of Jabbok, and the south by that of Arnon. It had, likewise, three celebrated mountains, viz. Nebo, Pisgah, and Peor, or Phegor. We have not room to enter into a further description of them; they were, probably, all three, parts of the same chain, and the last of them might be so called, from some filthy deity, of that name, worshipped there. The capital was Heshbon, which was conquered from the Moabites; and, among other places, it contained Bethpeor, Bethabara, Bozrah, and Laish.

On the north side of Reuben was seated the tribe of Gad, having, likewise, the Jordan on the west, the Ammonites on the east, and the half tribe of Manasseh on the north, and reaching from 32° 5" to 32° 50" of latitude, and 36° 15" to almost 37° east longitude. It was no less rich and fertile than the former, especially in pasture grounds. Its chief towns were Mahanaim, Penuel, Ramoth Gilead, Arsar, Bethharan, and Enon, the place where John baptized.

The country of the Ammonites was formerly inhabited by a race of giants, called

Zamzummim, who fell a prey to the Ammonites, together with their land and wellfortified cities, among which Rabbah was the most noted.

Northward of Gad was seated the half tribe of Manasseh, having that on the south, the Jordan and Samachonite lake on the west, the hills of Bashan and Hermon on the east, and part of the Lebanon on the north. This territory, which was almost as large as the other two, extended from 32° 36" to 33° 36" of latitude, and was more properly called afterwards Upper Galilee, or the Galilee of the Gentiles, of which more in the next article. It had several large territories, and considerable cities: those of the former sort were known by the names of Gilead, Batanea, Gaulonitis, Auranitis, Machonitis, Geshur, Auran, or Amran, and Argob, all of them so called from their capitals. We shall just give a sketch of the chief of them. 1. Gaulonitis extended from Perea quite to Lebanon. Its capital, once a famed city, was given to the Levitical tribe of the family of Gershom, and was made a city of refuge. It was the birthplace of the famed Judas Galileus, or Gaulonites, chief of the Galilean sect. 2. Gilead, so called, from the son of Machir, and grandson of Manasseh. We have already spoken of the mountains of that name. 3. Batanea was, properly, the land or kingdom. of Bashan, bounded by Gilead and the Ammonites on the east, by the brook Jabbok on the south, by mount Hermon on the north, and by the Jordan on the west; the canton of Argob was part of it, and both were famed for their stately oaks, and vast herds of cattle. 4. Âuranitis, or Auran, was another fertile canton, situate between the upper spring of Jordan, and the country of Geshur. Others place it along the sea of Tiberias, and we are told, that the Syrians and Arabs called the coast by that name; and Josephus makes it the same with Iturea. 5. Machonitis, or Maachonitis, from its capital Maacah, was a small canton near the head of the Jordan, on the east side of it, in the way to Damascus. It was the utmost border north of this half tribe, and we find that the Manassites forbore to destroy the old inhabitants, and lived friendly with them; the same is said there of the Geshurites, who lived in the next canton to Maachonitis. In this half tribe were Bozrahı, Gilead, Chorazin, Bethsaida, Girasa, or Girgesha, Gadara, and Ephron.

Crossing the Jordan, from the half tribe of Manasseh we last described, we enter into the province of Lower Galilee, which lay on the furthest northern verge of Judea, and in which we find the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Issachar, settled by lot. It was very fertile and champaign, except on the northern side towards Syria, ard produced excellent corn, wine, oil, fruits of all sorts, with little labour; and was, in its flourishing state, so full of towns, besides villages without number, and all of them so populous, that Josephus, who was made governor of it, tells us, that the least of them contained fifteen thousand souls; but whether or no he hath spoken within compass, there is reason sufficient to believe that the country was really very rich and populous, and its inhabitants of a stout and warlike disposition, and very zealous for the Jewish religion. It had, in particular, a spacious valley, so very rich, that it was styled, by way of emphasis, the fat valley; it hath been, since, better known, by the name of St. George, from a fort or castle built on it, and dedicated to that saint.

First. The tribe of Asher was seated on the north-west corner of the province adjoining, on the north side, to Phoenice; and having the Mediterranean on the west, Zebulun on the south, and Naphtali on the cast. It had some considerable cities near the sea, though no sea-port of any note. It was so fruitful in corn, wine, oil, &c. of the best kinds, that it fully answered the blessing which dying Jacob gave to it, that the bread of it should be fat, and that it should yield royal dainties. It was in this tribe that the lauds of Mispha and Cabul lay, which Solomon gave to Hiram, king of