witneffes of his miracles to make them known, as we have before obferved, for fear his enemies fhould from thence take occafion of charging him with fedition. At Tiberias ftood the palace of Herod the Tetrarch, and here the Jews had great authority, as well as at Sephoris, which befides was well guarded, and ftrongly fortified. It was not therefore confiftent with the witdom of JESUS CHRIST, who was to fuffer death at a certain time and place, to run himfelf into an unneceffary danger in thofe cities, where perhaps, after all, his doctrine would have been rejected. To which we may add, that it is probable he feldom went to thofe cities that were inhabited both by Jews and heathens, for fear of creating in the former an averfion to his precepts. The cafe was otherwife with Jerufalem. There ftood the temple, there it was necefiary he fhould preach, and there he was to lay down his life for the redemption of mankind.

In order therefore to take a view of the chief places of

Nazareth. Galilee, we fhall begin with Nazareth (z), where JESUS CHRIST was brought up, where he preached, and from whence he was called a Nazarene. It was but a small town, built on a rock, from the top of which the inhabitants would have thrown JESUS CHRIST headlong (x). It lay weft of Jordan, not far from mount Tabor; at the distance of about twenty-feven leagues from Jerufalem. If we will believe St. Epiphanius (y), there were no Chriftians at Nazareth before the time of Conftantine, who caused a church to be built there. It appears from the gofpel according to St. John (z) that Nazareth was looked upon by the Jews as a very contemptible place. It was still in being in the twelfth century (a). At fome diftance from thence towards the fouth ftood the little town Naïn, where JESUS CHRIST restored to life a widow's fon (b); and on the north, Cana, where he did his first miracle, by changing water into wine (c), and where he cured the fon of an officer belonging to Herod Antipas (d).

St. Matthew tells us, that JESUS CHRIST departed from Nazareth, and went into Capernaum, a fea-port town, on the borders of Zebulun and Nephthali (e), where he did many miracles. The reafon why he chofe to go there, was, because that place lying nearer the fea of Tiberias, he could conveniently go backwards and forwards to preach the gospel in the neighbouring parts. It may be inferred from the faying of JESUS CHRIST Concerning Capernaum, namely, that it had been exalted unto heaven (f), that it was a confiderable city. The Jews had a fynagogue there (g), as the Chriftians had a church afterwards. Not far from thence was Bethfaida, of which were Philip, Andrew, and Bethfaida. Peter (b), and where JESUS CHRIST reftored a blind man to his fight. Geographers are not agreed about the fituation of this city. The Evangelifts place it always in Galilee (i), and on this fide Jordan. Belides

Befides JESUS CHRIST joins Capernaum with Bethfaida and Chorazin (k), which were two towns of Galilee, on this fide the lake. Notwithstanding, Jofephus fpeaks of a village called Bethfaida, where Philip the Tetrarch, whofe dominions were on the other fide the lake, built a city, which he named Julias (1). For which reafon feveral authors have imagined, that the Bethfaida mentioned in the gofpel, was on the other fide the lake of Tiberias. But there can be no manner of inconvenience in fuppofing two cities of the fame name, because the word Bethfaida fignifying a houfe of fishing, there might be one on each fide the lake. Near the eastern Bethfaida was a defert of the fame name, where JESUS CHRIST went, when he was informed that Herod the Tetrarch defired to fee him (m). A little above Bethfaida, ftood Chorazin, and two villages ftyled Dalmanutha and Magdala, where JESUS CHRIST preached (n). We must not forget to mention here Enon near Salim where John baptized, because there was plenty of water in that place (*). The two laft towns lay near the river Jordan, on the fouth fide of the lake, beween Tiberias and Scythopolis.

Mount Tabor.

Mount Tabor (f) is one of the most famous places of Galilee; and is frequently mentioned in the Old Teftament (o). It ftands about the middle of Lower Galilee, between Nazareth (), and the country of Gennefareth. According to Jofephus (p), it is 30 furlongs in height, and 26 round. It is remarkable upon this fcore, that it stands by itfelf in a plain (†), without any other mountain or hill near, having a plain arca at the top (§), most fertile and delicious. Jofephus tells us, that he had it furrounded with walls (*), within the pace of 40 days, for no other reafon undoubtedly, but that he might render it the more inacceffible to the Romans. We learn from an ancient tradition (q), that it was upon mount Tabor JESUS CHRIST was transfigured, and that it is the fame place which is by St. Peter called the Holy Mount (r). But this hath been called in question by fome learned authors, because the transfiguration is related immediately after the difcourfe which JESUS CHRIST made to his dif ciples at Cæfarea-Philippi, and that the Evangelifts do not mention our Saviour's coming back from thence into Galilee. This hath inclined thofe authors to believe, that that event happened upon a mountain near Cæfarea

(k) Luke x. 13, 15. (m) Luke ix. 9, 10.

(*) John iii. 23.

(1) Jofeph. Ant. 1. xviii. c. 3. (z) Matt. xi. 21. Mark viii. 19. Mat. xv. 39.

(+) The fame as is called Itabyrium (iraßigion) by Jofephus and the Seventy. Jer. xlvi. 18, &c.

(0) Joh. xix. 22. Judg. iv. 6, 12. Pfal. lxxxix. 12. Jer. xlvi. 18. Hof.

(1) At two hours diftance from Nazareth eastward.

(p) De Bell. Jud. 1. iv. c. 2.

(1) The plain of Efdrælon. (9) Of an oval figure extended about one furlong in breadth, and two in length. See Maundrell's Journey. p. 113.

(*) Of which it fhews many remains at this day.
(2) Hieron, et Cyril. See Mat. xvii. 2. Mark ix.
(r) 2 Peter i. 18.

Maundrell. ibid. 2. Luke ix. 28.

1

Cæfarea Philippi (s). But after all, this is no fufficient reafon for departing from fo ancient a tradition. For fince the Evangelifts obferve (t), that fix days paffed between JESUS CHRIST's difcourfe at Cæfarea-Philippi, and his transfiguration, he had time enough to return into Galilee, it being not above five and twenty leagues from Tabor. We meet in the first book of, Chronicles with a city called Tabor (u), But it is not well known how it was fituated in refpect of the

mount.

Since we are come to the lake of Gennefareth so frequentThe lake of ly mentioned in the gofpel, it will be proper to give a deGennefareth. fcription of it before we pafs into Upper Galilee. This

lake was formerly called Cinnereth (x), from a city of the fame name, as is commonly fuppofed. Afterwards it went by the name of the lake of Gennefareth, which is a very beautiful country, on the west of this lake, wherein are fituated moft of the cities juft before defcribed (y). It was otherwife called the fea of Galilee, or the fea of Tiberias. Jofephus makes this lake to be 100 furlongs, that is, about four leagues in length; and 40 turlongs, or near two leagues in breadth. The river Jordan runs through the middle of it, and afterwards difcharges itfelf into the Dead-fea. The water of the lake of Tiberias is fresh, fweet, and good to drink, and alfo very full of fish, as is evident from the gofpel history (z).

There are but very few cities of Upper Galilee, which Upper Galilee. contained the tribes of Nephthali and Asher, mentioned in the New Testament. It reached in breadth from Berfabe before-mentioned, to a village led Bacca, which, according to Jofephus (*), divided the Tyrians from Galilee; and in length, from Thella, another village near Jo. dan, as far as Meroth (†). One of the first places on the weft of Upper Galilee was Dor, a fea-port town, and a bishop's fee. Near Dor ftands mount Carmel, famous in the Old Teftament (a) for the miracle performed there by Elias; and in profane hiftory, upon account of the idol Carmel, which was worshipped there by the heathens (b). We must take care not to confound this mount with a city of the fame name, which was fituated upon a mountain, in the tribe of Judah, and on the east of Hebron. Mount Carmel is never mentioned in the New Teftament, though we find the contrary aflerted by a geographer that lived in the twelfth century (). From this mountain you go to Ptole

maïs,

() Viz. upon mount Panium, which is exceeding high, according to Jofephus. Ant. 1. xv. c. 13. de Bel. J. i. 16.

(i) Mat. Mark, Luke, ubi fupra.
(x) Numb. xxxiv. 11. Joh. xii. 3.
(y) Jofeph. de Bell. Jud.l. iii. c. 18.
(2) Matth. iv. 18, and elf where.

(u) 1 Chron. vi. 77.

(*) Concerning Becca, Thella, and Meroth, fee Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. 1. i.

C. 2.

(†) Sanfon fays, that Meroth was a village: others, that it was a lake. Jofe. phus doth not exprefsly fay what it was.

(a) Kings xvii. 19, etc.

(b) Plin. xxxi. 2. Tacit. Hift.

() Joan. Phoc. apud Rel. Pai. Sac. p. 330.

mais (c), one of the moft confiderable cities of Upper Galilee, ftanding upon a gulph of the Mediterranean fea. This city was partly inhabited by heathens, who were very troublesome to the Galileans (d). St. Paul went through it in his journey from Ephefus to Jerufalem, and abode one day with the Chriftians that were there (e). On the east and north of Upper Galilee, were Bacca, Cades, and Dan, which are the frontier towns.

Before we leave Galilee, it will be very proper to give an account of the character of the Galileans. Jofephus (f) defcribes Galilee as a very fruitful and populous country; and represents the inhabitants as an induftrious and laborious fort of people, and of fo warlike a difpofition, that though they were furrounded by heathens, who continually haraffed them, yet they were always able to make head against them. Notwithstanding which, it appears from feveral places in the gospel, that the Jews had but a very mean opinion of the Galileans. It was out of contempt they called Jefus a Galilean, as did Julian the Apoftate (g), who gave the Chriftians also the same name. As it was a commonly received opinion among the Jews, that the Meffiah fhould be born at Bethlehem, as the fcribes told Herod (b); and Christ being born there, they affected to call him a Galilean, because his mother belonged to Galilee, defigning by this means infenfibly to wear out the remembrance of his being born at Bethlehem. This at least we find Origen charging them with (i). It was with an intent to render St. Peter odious, that they faid he was a Galilean (k). They caft the fame reflection upon Nicodemus, adding, that out of Galilee never came a prophet (1). Jefus Chrift feems to give the Jews an indirect reproof for this averfion, when he asks them, whether thofe Galileans, whofe blood Pilate had mixed with their facrifices, were greater finners than themselves (m). There was a faying current among the Jews, which plainly enough difcovered their hatred to the Galileans. And that is, that when the Meffiah comes, Galilee will be deftroyed, and the Galileans fhall wander from city to city, without meeting with pity or compaffion. From whence a learned commentator (n) hath very ingenioufly obferved, that when the perfon poffeffed with the devil at Capernaum afked Jefus Chrift, "Are you come to deftroy us?" he meant the Galileans, and not the devils.

Several very probable reafons may be affigned for this averfion which the Jews had for the Galileans. 1. It is undeniably certain, that the Jews afcribed a greater degree of holinefs to Judea, than to the other parts of the Holy Land, becaufe Jerufalem and the temple ftood therein. 2. We

(e) Acts xxi. 7.

(c) Formerly called Acco, Judg. i. 31. now Acra.
(d) Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. 1. ii. c. 9, 20.
(f) Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. 1. iii. c. 2.
(g) Socrat. Hift. Eccl. 1. iii. 12.
(i) Origen contra Celf. p. 39, 40.
(k) Matth. xxvi. 73. Luke xxii. 59.

(b) Matt. ii. 5. John vii. 42.

have

(4) John vii. 52. This was a great falfhood, as we have observed in our

note on that place.

(m) Luke xiii. 2.

VOL. III.

(2) Lightfoot Hor, Hebr. in Marc. i. 24.

S

have already obferved, that Galilee was inhabited by thofe parts of the ten tribes that remained in the land, when the reft were carried away captive, or returned thither from the place of their captivity (o). Now the Jews, properly fo called, fet a vaft difference between themselves and the ten tribes. 3. The uncouth language of the Galileans made the Jews flight and defpife them. It is well known how the wrong pronunciation of the word Shibboleth betrayed the inhabitants of Ephraim (p); and that St. Peter was known to be a Galilean by his fpeech (4). We have this maxim in the Thalmud, that because the Jews fpeak their own language well, therefore the law was confirmed to them; whereas it never was fo to the Galeans, because they speak ill. 4. The Galileans being mixt with the Gentiles, was a very great cause of this averfion. They were not only in a manner furrounded with them, having for their neighbours the Phoenicians, and Syrians, but they alfo jointly inhabited feveral cities in Upper Galilee, and other places, as Scythopolis (r), &c. It is true that there were Gentiles in fome cities of Judea, but that was only in fea-port towns, at a confiderable distance from Jerufalem, and the rest of Judea, as Azotus, Gaza, Jamnia, where Philo fays (s)," that the Heathens were very troublesome to the Jews. Let us now return to the north of Upper Galilee, where lay Tyre. Phoenicia (t), and Syria. In Phoenicia there are two remarkable

cities on the fea coaft, namely, Tyre and Sidon. The former (u), which is built on an ifland of the fame name, is a place of great antiquity, and famous upon feveral accounts, as its vaft trade (x), the nations and colonies it transplanted into feveral parts of the world (*), as Carthage, &c. and the wars which it was engaged in against Nebuchadnezzar, who befieged it for thirteen years together (y), and against Alexander the Great, who fpent feven months in taking it (z). The prophets draw almost the fame character of this city (a), as.St. John doth of the myftical Babylon in the Revelations (b), and denounce almost the fame judgments against both of them. Ezekiel in particular (c) foretold that Tyre fhould be built no more. It was, notwithstanding, in all its glory in the time of Alexander the Great, who took it about 300 years after Nebuchadnezzar. It was ftill in great repute in our Saviour's time; he frequently mentions it (d), he preached in the neighbouring parts, and

(0) See this proved by Lightfoot in Chron. Nov. Tef. Tom. 2. p. 14. Gafp. Abel. Monarch. Ifrael. p. 294, 295.

(p) Judg. xii. 6.

(2) Luke xxii. 59.

there

and

(r) Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. 1. ii. c. 19. (5) Philo Legat. ad Caium. (4) Called otherwife Syro-Phoenicia, because it bordered upon Syria, to dif tinguish it from Palestine, properly fo called, which fometimes went by the name of Phoenicia.

() Tyre was formerly called Tzor.

(x) Ezek. xxvi. xxvii.

(y) Joleph. Antiq. 1. x. c. 11.

Jofh. xix. 29.

(*)

Plin. Hist. Nat. v. 19.

(z) Q. Cur. 1. iv. c. 4. Arian. de Exped. Alexand. 1. ii.

(a) Ifai. xxiii. Ezek. xxvi. xxvii.

(c) Ezek. xxvi. 14.

(b) Revel. xviii.

(d) Matth. xi. 21. xv. 21. Markiii. S. Luke vi, 17.