sorts in sundry places serving for different employments Gates 1 In the out-wall giving ingâ—ess and egress to passengers the sole subject of our present discourse 2 In the in-walls like Temple-bar opening out of Fleet-street into the Strand being partitions within Ierusalem Such the Iron-gate through which Saint Peter went out of prison to the house of Mary the mother of Iohn Mark. 3 Leading to the Courts of the Temple as Saint Austins-gate into Saint Pauls Church-yard such the beautifull gate c. 4 Of the Kings palace like Bulwark gate and Iron-gate leading to London tower as the gate whereby the horses came into the Kings house Now such as promiscuously make all these to be out-gates of Ierusalem ingage themselves in difficulties and deceivâ— others thereby For prevention whereof we will onely insist on the gates of the first qualification § 2. Begin we with the Sheep-gate on the east of Ierusalem in Nehemiahs time owing the reparation thereof to Eliâ—shib the high Priest and his brethren Through this gate the sheep were driven in and all other cattell designed for sacrifice as the nearest way to the Temple § 3. Next followeth the Golden-gate not mentioned in Scripture but meeâ—ly depending on humane authority so called because gilt all over vulgar beholders who carry no touchstones in their eyes accounting all massie gold which is richly gilded Popish authours adde that when our Saviour in an humble but solemn equipage rode on an Asse colt to the Temple this gate opened unto him of its own accord a prety proportionable fiction For if the Iron-gate opened to Peter a Disciple no less then a Golden-gate could offer entrance to Christ his Master Onely here 's the difference we receive the one as recorded in Scripture and reâ—uâ—e the other as not reported therein especially our Saviour having â—o fair an occasion to make mention thereof For when the Pharisees questioned him for not silencing the Childrens Hosaâ—aâ—s and when he returned thâ—t if they should hold their peace the stones would immediately â—ry out how easie had it been for him to adde that the very walls of the City had already opened their mouthes their gates to receivâ— him § 4. Thirdly the Horse-gate by the Kings palace through which the grooms brought the Kings horâ—â—s to water them in the brook of Kidron yet some erroneously make this the same with the Water-gate The Prophet points at the exact position thereof towards the east and we finde the mention but not the reedifying of this gate in Nehemiah a Presumpâ—ion that it was not so ruinous as the rest and not needing much reparation As for 〈◊〉 who cryed Treason Treason the fox the finder when she was the greatest Traitour herself on the Comparing of Scripture it will appear that the Horse-gate whereat she was killed was not this City gate but another so named leading from the Temple to the the Kings Palace § 5. Fourthly the Water-gate In a fall or declivity of ground full east So called because thereat all the â—ewers channels and water-courses of the City flowed out and ran into the brook Cedron No mention in Nehemiah of the repairing hereof for the reason aforesaid Indeed if in his time the Iews had de no vo from the very ground begun the building of the walls and gates thereof it had been impossible they could have finished that work in two and fifty days Whereby it appears they onely mended those places which were most in dilapidation This was the East-gate emphatically so called by the Prophet and opened into the valley of the children of Hinnom § 6. Thus far the gates on the east of Ierusalem On the south thereof where Sion or the City of David lay we meet with no gates at all the precipice of the rock affording no passable ascent on that side so that men must goe first through Ierusalem and then into Sion I dare not say that herein Ierusalem was a type of the Militant as Sion more mounted of the Triumphant Church although there be no access for those which are without into the happiness of the latter but by taking the holiness of the former in their passage thereunto § 7. Come we now to the west in the southermost part whereof we light on the Fountain-gate near the pool of Shiloah whence it took its name nigh to which on the inside were those stately staires whereby men went up to the City of David This gate was in Nehemiahs time repaired by Shallum the Son of Col-hozeh § 8. Next to this the Dung-gate A gate in greatness though but a postern for the private use thereof through which the offall and excrements of the City were conveyed Appliable to this place is that which the Apostle speaketh of some parts of the body Nay much more thosâ— members of the body which seem to be feeble are necessary This gate though of small honour was of great use and all Ierusalem had been a Dung-City but for the Dung-gate Yea the noisomer soile carried out hereat and conveyed hence into the gardens thereabouts was by natures Chymistry converted into wholesome herbs and fragrant flowers growing there The Dung-gate in the days of Nehemiah was set up with the doors locks and bars thereof by Malchiah the son of Rechab § 9. Next follows the Valley-gate commonly but wrongfully placed on the east side of the City chiefly on this account because the valley of Kidron lyeth on that side thereof As if this valley alone was near Ierusaâ—lem which by the Psalmist is described with the mountains round about it and so by necessary consequence must be surrounded with vallies interposed betwixt it and those mountains This gate stood in the north-west opening into the valley of Carcases lying betwixt it and Mount Calvary Here Nehemiah began and ended his surveying the ruins of the walls going by night because loth to be seen and loth to see so sad a sight This valley-gate was in his time repaired by Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah § 10. Having thus surveyed the east south and west come we now to the northern part of the City Where first we finde the Corner-gate whose angular position speaks it to participate of two points being seated in the very flexure of the wall from the east to the north It was distanced from the gate of Ephraim just four hundred cubits all which space of the wall was broken down by Ioash King of Israel when he conquered Amaziah that his Army might march in triumphantly with the greater state Pride we see hath not onely an high neck but also a broad breast especially when setting her armes by her side so large a passage must be cleared for her entrance Afterwards King Uzziah rebuided this gate and adorned it with towers yea fortified all the turning of the wall
latter been if as zealous for the substance as for the shadow losing their own lives to maintain the type and taking away his life who was the truth thereof Then balsame intended by nature for the curing was the causing of many wounds such deadly blows passed betwixt them § 29. Ioshua took this City with the sound of Rams horns whereat the wall fell down to the ground It troubleth me not to conceive how the rest of the wall falling flat Rahabs house built thereon should stand upright seeing divine power which miraculously gave the Rule might accordingly make the Exception A solemn curse was by Ioshua imposed on those who should rebuild the walls of Iericho so to obliterate the monument of divine power and justice § 30. But Iericho thus dismantled maintained the reputation of a City and though not walled with stone for defence was shaded with trees for pleasure It is called the City of Palmes where Ehud killed Eglon the corpulent King of Moab growing so plentifully round about it These Palmes or Date-trees had scaly barks and the boughs were generally used in all combates of manhood to crown the conquerour For as Erasmus observeth though severall countries on sundry occasions had distinct garlands of victory made of Laurell Olive Myrtle Oake c. yet the Palme-tree carried away the palme from them all and was universally entertained as the Embleme of triumph The worst I wish these trees is that they may never want store of weight seeing Naturalists observe the more they are depressed the more they flourish § 31. But to return to Iericho it is ill hollowing in the eares of a sleeping Lion and worse awaking that dust which God would have dormant in eternall obscurity See this in the walls of Iericho which Hiel the Bethelite affronting heaven built again and according to Ioshua's execration laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first borne and set up the gates thereof in Segub his youngest son that is both the one and the other were then destroied by untimely deaths Strange that seeing his first son drop away he desisted not from that design but such the precipice of bad projects once step in and seldome stop in the way of wickedness Nor can Hiels presumption herein be excused whatsoever is pretended in his behalf being led to this act of contempt by one of these considerations 1 Hâ— mistook Ioshua's curse rather for a patheticall expression then propheticall prediction 2 He conceived the virtue thereof worn out and antiquated after five hundred years continuance 3 He chose rather to bottome his memory on so famous a structure then to build it on his posterity as sooner likely to decay However Hiel got a curse and Iericho walls thereby which afterwards grew to be a potent and populous City § 32. When the twelve Tribes were divided into two kingdomes Iericho probably pertained to Israel as may appâ—ar 1 By the frequent conversing of Eliah and Elisha in this City sufficiently known to have been subjects of the crown of Israel 2 Because Hiel the Bethelite Beth-el belonging to Israel built the walls thereof 3 Because that building bears date in the days of Ahab and is not accounted according to the reign of Iehoshaphat the contemporary King of Iudah Afterwards it was in the possession of the Kings of Iudah because in the reign of Ahaz the captives of Iudah are said to be brought back to Iericho unto their brethren When carried into Babylon no more then three hundred fourty five of this City returned home whose zeale was very forward in repairing the walls of Ierusalem § 33. Here Christ cured blind Bartimeus and Zacheus the Publican one of more state then stature dwelt in this City Long had he wished for a sight of Christ and curiosity in this kinde may sometimes open the door for devotion to enter in But alass he was so low more likely in the crowd to loss himself then finde his Saviour till on a suddain he grows a proper man by getting up into a Sycamore tree Who dares say Sycamores are always barren See one here loaden with good fruit Christ seeing him invites himself to his house and down he comes with more speed no doubt then he gat up to welcome his guest with good cheer though the last-course he brought in was the best protesting a fourfold restitution of what he had wrongfully gotten and giving the half of his remaining estate unto the poor § 34. Iericho was surrounded with plains on every side Hither King Zedekiah fled and here was taken by the forces of Babylon The high-way betwixt Iericho and Ierusalem is infamous for theeving because of the covert the neighbouring wilderness affords and great roads are the best rivers for robbers to fish in Wonder not that so short a way betwixt two such eminent Cities was no better secured seeing some hundred years since little safer was the road betwixt London and Saint Albans till an Abbot of that place cut down the woods that afforded them shelter Reader if thy occasion should call thee to goe from Iericho to Ierusalem I wish thee well guarded but if it be thy hard hap with the man in the Gospell be it history or parable to be robbed and wounded with theeves mayst thou meet with some good Samaritan to convey thee to the Inne and provide necessaries for thee § 35. West of the waters of Iericho stood Ai a small City but great enough to give a check to the full speed of Israels victories Their losse here was inconsiderable in it self no more then thirty six men but dangerous in the consequence thereof Such a flaw in their orient success made them cheap in the worlds valuation and the Canaanites who hitherto had charactred them invincible in their apprehension began hence to collect and conclude a possibility of conquering them Yet not valour too little in such as fought but sin too much in some who staid at home caused this defeat Achan was the man who in fine proved no whit richer for the gold or warmer for the garment he had stolen Detected by lot accused by his conscience convicted by his own confession condemned by Ioshua he with his children and cattle is stoned by the Israelites The place of his execution was called the vale of Achor or the vale of trouble both because Achan actively had troubled Israel with his sin and because here he was justly troubled by them in his punishment As for the promise of the Prophet in after ages that the vale of Achor should be a door of hope understand it mystically that the most deplorable and seemingly desperate estate of the Church is capable of comfort and may in Gods due time be changed into a prosperous condition Achan thus punished how active are the Armes of the Israelites when freed from the fetters of Sacriledge Ai is quickly conquered the
opened his eyes that they could stop his mouth from the acknowledging thereof His constancy herein cost him an excommunication and a casting out of the Synagogue The best was the power of the Keys when abused doth not shut the door of Heaven but in such cases onely shoot the bolt besides the lock not debarring the innocent person entrance thereat § 15. The supernaturall pool of Bethesda by the Sheep-market remains whose waters when at a certain season moved by an Angel were medicinall to cure the first commer thereinto whatsoâ—ver disease he had A learned man conceiveth that when Eliashib the high Priest after their return from Babylon with his brethren first began hereabouts to build the sheep-gate and sanctifie it to divine service as leading to the Temple God then and there in approbation of his Act indued the Pool hard by with this soveraign sanative quality but this we leave with the Author § 16. By this Pool an Infirmary was built for maimed folk to lodge in and attend the troubling of the waters How well was Gods bounty and mans charity here met together Commendable it was that rich men did not engross this Spaw to themselves but permitted poor people not able to use Physick and Surgery the benefit thereof This Hospitall for building consisted of five Porches not that the defective in the five senses lame blinde deaf c. were here severally disposed of by themselves but no doubt all promiscuously put together In this Colledge of Cripples he for his seniority might have been the Master thereof who had been longer lame then most men live and now past the fift climactericall of his disease where with he had been afflicted full thirty eight years Indeed so impossible was the conditions of his recovery that being lame He must run before he could goe for seeing the first commer was only served he must hast with speed into the pool after the moving thereof whilst he alas wanted strength to help himself wanted money to hire others and others wanted mercy freely to give him their assistance But because he could not goe to health Health was graciously pleased to come to him and he was cured miraculously by our Saviour § 17. And thus much of the Walls Gates Towers and Waters about Ierusalem come we now into the City it self which anciently consisted of two principall parts therefore dual in the Hebrew Sion on the southwest and Ierusalem properly so called on the north thereof which we proceed in order to describe with the places of principall note therein contained CHAP. VII Of Davids Palace the High-priests houses the Coenaculum and other memorable places in mount Sion § 1. WE begin with mount Sion making that first which God most favoured who loved the Gates of Sion more then all the tabernacles of Iacob Here first our eyes are entertained with the stately Palace of David Hiram King of Tyre sending him timber and workmen for the building thereof Flat was the roof of this palace whereon David sate and from whence he beheld Bathsheba hard by is her house bathing her self I cannot excuse her action herein If policy be jealous that hedges may have eares modesty may suspect lest the motes in the aire have eyes But see here divine justice As this roof was the place whereon Davids lust did burn first so thereon Absaloms incest did blaze farthest lying here with his Fathers Concubines This he easily did at the perswasion of Achitophel those spurres needing no rowels which are to prick forward graceless youth into wantonness But that hellish Politician did this to set such a distance betwixt Sire and Son that the affection of the one might never meet with the submission of the other the breach hereafter being made so deep and wide that no bridge of reconciliation might be built betwixt them § 2. Under the Romans this Palace was turned into a Castle where a Garrison was kept to over-awe the City Once the honour now the terrour once the beauty now the bridle of Ierusalem Upon the fair stairs leading thereto stood Saint Paul when he made his speech to the people hearing him with great silence because he spake in the Hebrew tongue untill he came to that passage of preaching to the Gentiles which though spoken in Hebrew was no good Hebrew to his auditours but false construction breach of Jewish priviledg when they turned their attentive eares into railing tongues away with such a fellow from off the earth § 3. And now to shew the frailty of humane happiness pass we from the palace of these Kings to their burying place seeing Sion in a double respect may be called the Westminster of Ierusalem because the Kings thereof resided there while living and rested when dead The reader shall pay nothing but his pains in following me whilest I shew him these royall remains We may observe four gradations of honour in these interments 1 Wicked Amon was buried in his own house not under the roof but within the verge of the wall thereof and so was Manasseh whose true but late repentance was effectuall to save his soul but not his kingdome from destruction 2 Cruell Ioram who had no compassion whilest living therefore no bowels wheÌ„ dying was buried by himself in the city of David neither fire nor water neither burning nor mourning made for him 3 Godly but leprous Uzziah being ceremoniously unclean was interred in the field of the buriall which belonged to the Kings understand it within the suburbs but without the walls of their solemn sepultures 4 All the rest were intombed in a stately place set apart for that purpose namely David the holy the man after Gods own heart Solomon the wise when old befooled by his wives Rehoboam the simple whose rigour rent ten Tribes from his kingdome Abiah the wicked but valiant and fortunate in fight Asa the upright whose heart was perfect all his days Iehosaphat the just whose heart was lift up in the ways of the Lord Ahaziah the Idolater whose onely coÌ„mendation was that he raigned but one year Ioash the backslider the lease of whose goodness determined with his uncles life Amaziah the rash worsted in a needless war against the King of Israel Iotham the peaceable who built the highest gate to the house of the Lord Ahaz the profane who in the time of his distress yet trespassed more against the Lord Hezekiah the pious who destroied the high places Iosiah the tender-hearted who melted at Gods threatnings denounced against the people of the Iews § 4. Amongst these still I miss Iehojakim and long seeking for his tombe light at last on the Prophets threatning he shall be buried with the buriall of an Asse drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem § 5. Now as it were in exchange of Iehojakim excluded we finde Ieâ—ojada admitted among
count them in specie but for more safety or expedition computed the people by their Paschall Lambes proportioning such a number of men to a Lambe Others read it He numbred them as Lambes that is now grown meek and quiet whereas at the first there were some animosities of the people against him Shall Saul reign over us contentedly submitting themselves to his command But I take Telaim for a true City and the same with Telem Iosh. 15. 24. which you may finde in our description CHAP. XV. Objections against the Land of Moriah answered Philol. I Perceive the imperfection of your description by the omitting of a memorable valley therein namely the vale of Baca mentioned by the Psalmist pronouncing him blessed who passing through the vale of Baca maketh it a Well You in stead of passing through pass by this vale unmentioned Aleth I reserved my observations on this vale for this place Some render it appellatively The vale of weeping meaning thereby the militant condition of a Christian in this life incumbred with constant afflictions If so this vale of Baca is too big to come under my description all the mountains in the world being but part of this valley the extent whereof is adequate to the whole earth But if you be pleased to take this vale for a proper place I embrace the opinion of learned Ainsworth on the text that this vale of Baca or Mulberry trees for so also it signifieth was near to Ierusalem out of the tops of which trees God sounded the Alarum to David when he conquered the Philistines CHAP. XVI Objections against the City of Jerusalem answered Philol. VVHat is charged unjustly on Saint Paul and his companions that they had turned the world upside down may truly be laid to your charge you have in your description of Ierusalem tumbled all things topsie turvy in the position of the gates thereof yea the foundations of the City as presented by you are out of course and contrary to the rules of other writers Aleth Let God be true and every man a liar In this particular I profess my self a pure Leveller desiring that all humane conceits though built on most specious bottomes may be laid flat and prostrated if opposing the written Word In conformity whereunto we are bound to dissent from such Authors otherwise honouring them for their severall deserts to accommodate the Description of the Gates and Towers of Ierusalem according to a threefold eminent Directory which we finde in Nehemiah Philol. Give us I pray you an account of them in order Aleth The first main Scripture direction we are to observe is the night survey which Nehemiah took of the walls or rather ruines of Ierusalem described in this manner NEHEM 2. 13 14 15. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley even before the Dragon Well to the Dung port and viewed the walls of Ierusalem which were broken down and the gates thereof were consumed with fire Then went I out to the gate of the fountain and to the Kings pool but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass Then went I up in the night by the brook and viewed the wall and turned back and entred by the gate of the valley and so returned The second is the severall reparations where the same were required done on the Gates and walls of the City by severall persons in a circular form from the Sheep-gate surrounding the whole City till they returned to the same place where they began Whose names we have carefully inscribed on those portions of buildings upon which their cost and pains were expended The third but most materiall because most declaratory of the method of the Gates is the solemn Processions which the people divided into two Quires made round about the walls each of them measuring a Semi-circle both of them incompassing the whole circumference of Ierusalem and at last joining together in the best meeting place the Temple of God First Quire Nehem. 12. 31. One great company went on the right hand upon the wall towards the Dung-gate consisting of half the Princes of Iudah and Ezra the Scribe before them And at the fountain-gate which is over against them they went up by the staires of the City of David at the going up of the wall above the house of David even unto the water-gate eastward Second Quire Nehem. 12. 38 39. And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them and I after them and the half of the people upon the wall from beyond the Tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall And from above the gate of Ephraim and above the old-gate and above the fish-gate and the tower of Hananeel and the tower of Meah even unto the sheep-gate and they stood still in the prison-gate So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God Now I request the Reader with his eye to examine whether the walls of Ierusalem as designed in our draught agree not with these directions of Scripture To purchase the favour whereof I pass not for the frowns of any Authors Omne excelsum cadet down with whatever dare oppose our embracing of the Text. This we hope for the main will satisfie any indifferent Reader otherwise if being as impossible for me in this short discourse to meet with the severall exceptions of private fancies as for a Geographer in the Map-generall of a Countrey to set down the house of every particular person Philol. You set Sion south of Ierusalem clean contrary to the description of the Psalmist Beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion on the Sides of the North the City of the great King Aleth The place by you alleadged is difficult much canvassed by Comments who fasten upon it two principall interpretations 1 Sense Some make this verse a description of Sion alone the latter clause by Apposition so referring unto it that Sion it self is solely charactered to be the City on the side of the North. 2 Sense Others make this verse the full description of all Ierusalem consisting of two principall parts by the figure of Asyndeton coupled together 1. Sion Beautiful for situation the â—oy of the whole earth is Mount Sion 2. Properly Jerusalem On the sides of the North the City of the great King That the latter is the truer interpretation we send the Reader to the voluminous labours of Villalpandus proving the same out of Scripture Iosephus and other Authors Besides though time and casualty hath made many alterations on Ierusalem yet what Peter in his time said of Davids sepulcher even in our age true of mount Sion it is with us unto this day standing still full south of Ierusalem as Travellers doe affirme no doubt in the ancient place and posture thereof For although Ioseph could remove the Egyptians from one end of the borders of the land
judgments were let loose and became the just executioners of divine vengeance on a wicked nation To conclude such the variety of cattell herein that from hence Noah might have fraught his Ark with a couple of most creatures some few onely excepted useless for mankind save for rarity and fancy as Apes and Peacocks perchance rather Parrats which Solomons navie fetched in and supplied from Tarshish CHAP. 6. Objections against the fruitfulnesse of Judea answered BUt seeing we live in so unbeleeving an age that some have brought the happiness even of heaven it self into question no wonder if such as doubt of the truth deny the type and though Scripture be positive in the point flatly argue against the fruitfulness of Iudea The first sort of their objections are taken from some passages scattered from pagan pennes sleighting Iudea as an unconsiderable countrey Thus Strabo speaking of Moses winning it from the first inhabitants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easily saith he he obtained it being a land of which none need be ambitious and for which none would studiously engage themselvâ—â— to fight for it was a stony countrey To which we answer first in generall Heathen writers knew little and spake less good of the Iews because of the grand distance of Religions betwixt them My people saith God are like a speckled bird and therefore being of a different feather from other fowl in point of divine worship no wonder if their neighbours flocked about them to flout at them hooting at their strange devotion though such mocked at by men for Owles may be made of by God as Nightingales Excellently Iosephus in his book against Apion the Grammarian doth prove that no credit is to be given to Pagan reports against the Iews And as they loved not that people so they liked not their place causlesly raising slanders upon it More particularly Strabo in his rash censure counting Iudea not a prize worth the contending for is confuted by the course of history Let the Romans too cunning Merchants to venture on worthless ware tell how much the City of Ierusalem cost them paying an ounce of bloud for every inch of ground therein 2 Object It is said in the Scripture it self Numb 13. 23. that it was a land which eateth up the inhabitants thereof It seems it was a very lean hungry and barren land which in stead of feeding the dwellers therein fed upon them Answ. It is said so indeed but by whom The false spies whose tongues were no slander Now whatsoever they meant by this their expression certainly their words intend not any barrennesse in that countrey having formerly vers 27. confessed the transcendent fertility thereof Except any will say that these Spies did now revoke their former witness and if so we look no longer on the land of Canaan as devouring her inhabitants but on these unconstant liers as eating their own words However their first testimony when untampered with by the people they spake their own sense and gave in their true verdict of the Land is to be beleeved before their second character of this Countrey when infected with popular discontentments they studied cavills against the same Besides if the meaning of their words a land eating up the inhabitants thereof be as it is generally interpreted a land whose inhabitants by civill warres mutually destroy one another it tends more to the credit then disgrace of the Countrey It is no fault in that rich pasture if the grasse thereof be Provender in goodnesse so that the horses fed therein wax so wanton as to fight one with another 3 Object Water is a staple commodity for mans support whose life lame in it self soon falls to the ground if not held up by the Staffe of bread in one hand and water in the other Now Iudea had great want of this Element a Well being counted such a treasure amongst them that great strivings have happened about it Answ. Iudea wanted no water though dry in comparison of England We northern nations are ready to suspect the southern parts as afire with a Feaver whilest southern Countreys may fear lest our lands be drowned with a Dropsie such the superfluity of rain and Rivers amongst us Let Iudea be compared with her neighbours in the same Climate and she would be found not onely to equall but to exceed them in conveniency of water The Scripture describes it a land of brooks of water of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills c. And because many now adays will beleeve the Maids word before the Mistresses I mean humane before divine testimony hear how Strabo speaks to this point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Countrey it selfe indeed was well watered but the coasts about were base and ill watered Besides Rivers Iudea had constantly save when the windowes of heaven were miraculously shut up the former and the later rain which like Trade winds on some seas came at set seasons at Seed-time and before Harvest So that heaven may be said to have kept an Ordinary for Iudea and to have fed it at eating hours with set meales of water whereas other countreys have no such standing Table kept for them being left at large to the uncertainty of weather and not always drinking when they were athirst but when they could get moisture 4 Object Ammianus Marcellinus reports that therein were no navigable â—ivers which must needs be a great hindrance of commerce in the Countrey Answ. The term navigable must be distinguished on Confesse we that Iudea had no vast streames in it like Nilus or the Danâ—w whose chanels are capable of Boats ships fâ—llows yet wanted it not Rivers to carry vessells of considerable burthens Every Tribe therein did border on the Mid-land sea or on the river of Iordan up which river even against the streame they used to sail in vessells bearing burdens not unlike our western Barges by the confession of other authors 5. Object It was full of mountains which generâ—lly are conceived destructive to the fruitfulness of a countrey Answ. Such dwarf-mountains or Giant-hills made the land insensibly larger in extenâ— no whit lesser in increase Was ever a great belly brought for an argument of barreness especially seeing these mountains in Iudea did not swell with a mock-mother Tympany but were pregnant with speciall commodities Some cattell as Goâ—tes and plants as Vines are never more triumphant on their throne then when advantaged on the sides of such hills The Geographer speaking of Trachonitis the coursest list and most craggy ground about the countrey of Iudea acknowledgeth there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grassie and fair fruitfull hills which as they afforded a delightfull prospect so they conduced much to make the cities impregnable which were built amongst them 6. Object Mention there is in Scripture of many deserts in Iudea as if the countrey were nothing else but a
should be thus dismembred Was it not enough that Ioseph was separated from his brethren but Manasseh his Son must also be parted from himself How came that wisdome who pronounceth it good and pleasant for brethren to live together in unity to cleave this Tribe asunder But let such know that unity in affection may consist with locall separation Besides divine Providence might seem to have a designe herein that this Tribe of Manasseh having a joint interest on both sides of Iordan might claspe these Countries together and the Manassites being as I may say Amphibii on both sides of the River might by visits amongst their kindred continue a correspondency and civill communion one with another § 3. Manasseh had mount Hermon and Gilead on the east parting it from the Ammonites and Ismaelites Iordan on the west Gad on the south Syria and particularly the kingdomes of Geshur and Maachah on the north In which compass of ground threescore Cities with high walls gates and bars besides unwalled towns were contained Many will be amazed at this number the wonder will seem the greater when they shall reckon but two and twenty Cities in Asher nineteen in Naphtali seventeen in Simeon sixteen in Issachar but twelve in Zebulun unproportionable that half a Tribe should have treble the number of Cities to those that were bigger All we can say herein is this that being a frontier Countrey and being exposed on the north and east to heathen enemies it must have more fenced Cities then the Tribes on the other side Iordan which were better secured by their situation Thus the hem is turned in and sowed double to prevent the ravelling out thereof And if I reck on right there be more Castles in our marches betwixt Scotland and Wales then in all England besides However our eye shall not be evill at Manasseh because Gods was good unto it who are so far from repining at that we rejoyce for the plenty of strong places therein onely grieving that we cannot give the Reader an exact account of their names though we will endevour our best in the following description § 4. Mount Hermon is the north-east bound of this Tribe called by the Sidonians Syrion by the Amorites Shenir by humane writers Hippus and Trachones being a branch of Lebanon bended south-ward A stately strong mountain fixed on firm foundations and yet the voice of the Lord understand the thunder with an earthquake maketh Syrion to skip as an Unicorne and well may mountains dance when God himself shall pipe unto them The dew of Hermon is highly commended by David and brotherly love is compared thereunto because whilest heat of hatred like a drought parcheth all to nothing fraternall kindness dew-like gives refreshment and increase But how this dew of Hermon fell upon the hill of Sion mountains an hundred miles asunder so troubled Saint Augustine that at last leaving the literall sense he is fain to fly to a mysticall meaning Others interpret that the dew of Hermon fell upon the hill of Sion because the fruitfull flocks fatted on that mountain came afterwards to be sacrificed at Ierusalem which is but a harsh construction as if one should say The fruitfulness of Linconcolne-shire which falls on London because the fatted cattel thereof are sold and eaten in the City But whilest sundry Interpreters have severall wit-engines to draw these two mountains together our last translation saves their needless paines rendring it As the dew of Hermon as as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion Indeed it is the same specificall though not individuall dew which lighteth on both mountains flowing from heaven the same fountain though falling on earth in severall channels § 5. Now as Hermon is a chain of continued hills so a principall link thereof is the mountain Amana Christ courting his Spouse inviteth her to look from the top of Amana Some conceive thereby Amanus a mountain in Cilicia is meant but seeing Solomon clean through that Poem maketh use of onely native similitudes whereof a self-sufficiency in his own land it is improbable that herein he did borrow a forein and exotick expression Know also that the region hereabouts is called Trachonitis or Sharpâ—land in English from the steepness of many pointed hills in shape not unlike the Rocks called Needles near the Isle of Wight wherewith this countrey abounded and it was a moity of the Tetrarch-ship of Philip the brother of Herod § 6. South of Hermon lay mount Gilead famous for the interview of Laban and Iacob the former keen with anger save that God in a vision took off his edge overtaking Iacob charged him with a double action of felony for stealing himself and his Gods away without his privity The first Iacob confessed yet pleaded not guilty to the second but traversed his innocency Hue and Cry is made in vain after the thief and felons goods or Gods if you please for she whose conscience would permit her to carry away cunning did perswade her to conceal them Iacob thus cleared as it were by Proclamation of Defendant turns Plaintiffe accusing the Accuser for his false accusation At last all winds off in a good agreement and an Instrument is drawn up betwixt them not in paper but in stone interchangeably sealed with solemn oaths The Condition whereof was to this effect That if either of them should passe that place to doe any act of hostility to other he should forfeit his fidelity and be liable to divine justice for his perjury § 7. This Pillar and heap of stones had a threefold name imposed on it called 1 By Laban Iegar Sahadutha that is in the Aramite tongue A heap of witnesse 2 By Iacob Galeed the same in effect in Hebrew 3 By both Mizpah that is a Watch-tower Iacob giving the name and Laban the occasion thereof by that his expression The Lord watch betwixt thee and me Here was abundant caution three names and two languages and yet nothing too much For Iacob having formerly been sensible of Labans notorious shuffling with him knew the best way to finde sure was to binde sure and Laban being guilty and therefore jealous thought no security sufficient And therefore in their mutuall suspicions a Triplicate was used in naming the places that a threefold cable might not be broken § 8. Gilead was at first onely appropriated to that heap and pillar whence the name may seem to be translated to the adjacent mountains and thence transmitted to the valley in the east of those mountains and thence imparted to some eminent persons born in that valley For as Gilead Son of Machir grand-child of Manasseh being born in Egypt so called by a Propheticall Prolepsis foretelling that his posterity should possess the Countrey of Gilead so Gilead the Father of Iephthah Gilead of Gilead seems to take his denomination from the Countrey possessed Thus as the Psalmist observes
Disciples frequently repairing hither when he affected retiredness Here also learned men on good likelyhood Scripture being silent of the particular place conceive the miracle of loaves multiplied wrought by our Saviour And to avoid confusion we must carefully observe that this was twice wrought Place Guests Meate Fragments Gospels A desert nigh Tiberias 5000 men 5 loaves two fishes 12 baskets ful Mat. 14. 20 Mar. 6. 43. Lu. 9. 16. 10. 6. 23 Christs mountaiâ—â— 4000 men 7 loaves a few litle fishes 7 baskets ful Mat. 17. 37. Mark 8. 1. Behold in the latter though the meat was the more the mouths fewer yet fewer fragments did remain And good reason that our Saviour in working of miracles should observe no other proportion then his own pleasure § 19. Following still the Sea shore and going westward we light on the City Cinnereth which some conceive gave the name to the lake adjoining and also to the land thereabouts For when Benhadad in favour to King Asa to remove Baasha from besieging Ramah inroded Israel he smote all Cinneroth with all the land of Naphtali Some five miles westward we meet with Bethsaida of Galilee in English a hunting house Nor is it unlikely that at first it was a Mansion meerly made for recreation the neighbouring Desert frequently visited by our Saviour when desiring privacy affording the pleasure of the Game From a house it grew to be a village so called by Saint Marke and thence proceeded to be a City so graced in other Gospells Nor need learned men so trouble themselves about the difference seeing in a short time Hague in Holland may be an instance a great town with addition of walls may at pleasure commence a small City It was the native place of Peter Andrew Philip and another staple City of Christs miracles whose ingratitude forced our Saviours expression Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida c. § 20. In the confines of Bethsaida Christ by the hand led forth a blind man out of the town spat on his eyes so restoring him to a confused and imperfect sight to see men walking as trees well might his spittle give half sight whose breath gave man whole life at the Creation and then putting his hands upon his eyes compleatly cured him But how came it to pass that he who other whiles healed at distance by the Proxie of his word Subveniens priùs quà m veniens curing before coming to his Patients should here be so long not to say tedious in working a miracle Even so Saviour because it pleased thee Let us not raise cavills where we should rather return thanks seeing Christ that our dull meditations might keep pace with his actions did not onely goe slowly on set purpose but even stayed in the mid way of a miracle doing it first by halves that our conceptions might the better overtake him § 21. To clear this Corner before we goe hence north-east of Bethsaida on a tridented mountain standeth Saphetta two parts whereof are inhabited by the Turks and one by the Iews and is at this day a very considerable Place Here the Iews live in the greatest liberty or rather in the least slavery of any place under heaven having some tolerable Priviledges allowed them by the Turk So that they who get wealth enough elsewhere here seem to have some shew of a common-wealth Yea here there is a University of Iews And though commonly that Nation count their children to have learning enough if able to cheat Christians in their bargains here they give them studious education and the pure Hebrew tongue as also at Thessalonica now Salonichi in Greece is here usually spoken but industriously acquired the Iews being neitheâ— born to foot of land nor word of language then what they purchase by their paines What shall we say if this little place be left still to keep possession as an earnest that God in due time upon their conversion may possibly restore the whole countrey unto them § 22. Three Cities follow southwest Naphtali a city properly so called Thisbe different from the native place of Eliah and Naasson all their credits depending on the two first verses of the book of Tobit Now as Comoedians though often they adorn their interludes with fancies and fictions yet are very carefull always to lay their scene right in a true place which is eminently and notoriously known so grant the book of Tobit guilty of improbabilities and untruths surely the author thereof would be punctuall in describing the place past possibility of confutation Yet since the same book presents us with the pedegree of the Angell Raphael with Ananias the great his Father and Sammajas his grandfather contrary to our Saviours character that they neither marry nor are given in marriage and so by consequence can neither get nor can be begotten we may as justly suspect his Geography as Genealogy and conceive him false in the position of towns who is fabulous in the extraction of Angels And if Naphtali and Thisbe pass for reall places yet not onely doubtfull but desperate is the case of the City Naasson not being founded on the rock of the Greek text where no such town appears but on the quick-sand of the erroneous Vulgar Latine translation § 23. Having thus surveyed the east and south parts of this Tribe lest the other coasts thereof should justly complain of neglect we return to mount Libanus to give an account of the remainder In this Map though not in this Tribe no trespass I hope to look over the hedge behold Heliopolis in English the City of the Sun But how well it brooks the name they can best tell who of certain report that the height of the mountains adjoining shadow it from the Sun the better half of the day Was it therefore by the same figure that the mountains are so called from moving that Heliopolis got this name Or because the Sun as all other Blessings are valued is most worshipped where it is most wanted Not far hence the river Fons hortorum Libani or the fountain of the gardens of Libanus with which the banks thereof on either side are enamelled fetcheth his originall running thence by Hamah afterwards called Epiphania often mentioned in Scripture Thus far came the twelve spies sent to search the land and this place passeth in Scripture from the entring of Hamah for the northern Boundary of the land of Israel not onely before the expression of Dan came into request but also long after the mention thereof in holy Writ was disused We shall in due place speake as of Hamah the great so named by the Prophet since called Antiochia in Coelosyria and by vulgar unskilfulness often confounded with this Hamah in Naphtali so also of Ashimah the topicall or peculiar Idoll of this place § 24. Hence that river runneth by Hazor anciently the Metropolis of the Canaanites
Prophet it may be ranked with the making of Dinah Iacobs daughter to be Iobs wife and with Ruth her being daughter to Eglon King of Moab all which three traditions are equally improbable in themselves altogether ungrounded on Scripture and yet peremptorily affirmed of the Jewish Doctors Nor have I ought else to observe of this City save that the Hebrew name of Zarephah signifieth a conflatory or melting place where metals whereof plenty in this Province were made fuâ—il by the fire in their furnaces § 27. Accho remains to be observed in the south part of this Tribe and confines of Zebulun A learned writer conceiveth it called Ace by Grecians from affording medicine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek to Hercules when hurt in his conflict with the Lernaean Serpent Whereas indeed Ace is plainly derived from Accho the Scriputre name of this City Thus those who take aime from the Greek tongue to shoot at the Etymologies of Hebrew places come wide of the mark This city was afterwards called Ptolemais from one of the Kings of Egypt Here I forbear to recite how Ionathan through the perfidiousness of Tryphon and his own over credulity was trained into this city taken and murdered Saint Paul sailing from Tyre touched here saluted the brethren and abode with them one day As for Achzib a city of Asher whence they could not expell the Canaanites it was seated nine miles north of Ptolemais being a tolerable harbour and called Ecdippa afterwards § 28. Many were the rivolets in this Tribe but those no sooner delivered out of the wombe of their fountains but devoured in the grave of the Ocean onely Belus hath got a name though not in Scripture running through the Cendevian Lake famous for its inexhausted sands turning all things it toucheth into glass As for the sepulcher of Memnon whom the Poets feign the son of the Morning and Iosephus erects his monument near the river Belus we take no notice thereof being hereafter to finde his tombe the dew of whose birth is as the wombe of the morning in a far distant place § 29. The Armes usually assigned to Asher are azure a standing cup covered Or relating to Iacobs blessing he shall yeeld royall dainties A cup being taken here by a Synedochicall metonymie for all plentifull Provisions Asher otherwise affording dishes as well as cups and esculents as well as variety of beverage But should the shield of this Tribe be as full of charge as the land thereof was fruitfull of commodities what was the credit of the countrey would be the disgrace of the Coate of Asher Here the Map of Zebulun is to be inserted THE TRIBE OF ZEBVLVN CHAP. 6. § 1. ZEbulun tenth son of Iacob by Leah his wise had his posterity so increased in Egypt that fifty seven thousand four hundred were extracted from him All which dying in the wilderness for their manifold disobedience their next generation being sixty thousand five hundred possessed the land of Canaan Honourable mention on all occasions is made of this Tribe in Scripture How forwâ—rd were they in their expedition against Sisera in so much as out of Zebulun they came down that handled the pen of the writer Gown-men turned Sword-men Clerks became Captains changing their penknives into swords Thus the peaceableness of their profession can bail none to stay at home when eminent danger arrests all at the suite of the Commonwealth to serve in person abroad David calls them the Princes of Zebulun c. and well might he afford them that style of dignity who attended him at Hebron with an army so absolutely accomplished For 1 Number fifty thousand 2 Skill expert in war which could keep ranke 3 Weapons with all instruments of war 4 Loyalty they were not of double hearts Yet in all ages of all the numerous Tribe of Zebulun we finde but two Grandees expressed by name Elon a peaceable Judge and Ionah an eminent Prophet But what shall we say A greater then Ionah was here even Christ himself the honour and dishonour though not of the tribe of the land of Zebulun honor because here miraculously conceived poorly painfully bread brought up here frequent in preaching working of miracles dishonour because carelesly neglected and scornfully contemned yea dispightfully persecuted of his own countreymen § 2. Zebulun had Asher on the north-west Naphtali on the north-east Issachar on the south the Mediterranean on the west and Galilean sea on the east thereof This maritime position of this Tribe Iacob foresaw in his Prophecy Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the Sea and he shall be for an haven of ships and his border shall be unto Zidon Which Charter of sea conveniencies is renewed and enlarged by Moses in his blessing Rejoyce Zebulun in thy going out and Issachar in thy tents They shall call the people unto the mountains and there shall they offer Sacrifices of righteousness for they shall suck of the abundance of the Seas and treasures hid in the sand Where though these two Tribes be made Partners and joint sharers in marine interests and are promised equall profit thereby yet Issachar it seems loved land and an home life best imploying his canvase rather for Tents then Sails whilest the sea and going out in long voiages was rather Zebuluns delight So have I seen chickens and ducklings hatched under the same hen no sooner unhoused out of their shels but presently the one falls a pecking on the ground the other a padling in the water § 3. Nor let any be staggered at the close of Iacobs Prophecy wherein he foretelleth Zebuluns border shall be unto Sidon finding this Tribe to fall many miles short and south of that place For Sidon is not there to be taken for the City but Countrey so named And the land of the Sidonians or Phenicians extended to Accho or Ptolemais a city thereof on which the north bound of Zebulun did confine Greater will be the difficulty to assigne a cleare reason why in the first book of Chronicles where the Pedegrees of all the other Tribes are reckoned up Zebulun and Dan as considerable and deserving as the rest is omitted The best is places not persons concern our present subject and I hope I shall not betray such indiscretion to leave the plain and ready Rode of my work in hand to enter into the wood not to say the bog of an impertinent question § 4. We begin with the sea of Galilee the eastern boundary of this Tribe called always a sea by three of the Evangelists but generally a Lake by Saint Luke Indeed amongst lakes it may be accounted for a Sea such the greatness amongst seas reputed for a lake such the sweetness and freshness of the water therein The extent thereof is most variously reported amongst Authors Iosephus makes it an hundred furlongs long and sixe broad Pliny
blessing brought the possession of the upper and nether springs along with it Know also in after ages the south part of Iudah was called Caleb probably from the large inheritance Caleb obtained in these parts and puissance of his posterity therein Thus the Egyptian giving an account of the passages of the army of the Amalekites confesseth they had been roving upon the coast that belonged to Iudah and upon the south of Caleb § 29. Libnah is the third in honour of the nine royall Cities in the days of Ioshua assigned afterwards for the Priests habitation Long it continued loyall to the Crown of Iudah untill in the days of Iehoram that ungodly unmercifull unsuccesfull unbeloved unlamented King Edom revolted from under the hand of Iudah unto this day then Libnah revolted at the same time Was it casualty or confederacy by mutuall intelligence that both thir defections bare the same date Surely breach of faith is a catching disease yea infectious from one to another But how could the inhabitants of Libnah being Priests whose best livelyhood depended on their personall officiating in the Temple at Ierusalem subsist being cut off from their service and the salary thereof Yea did they not thereby necessarily apostate from their religion to God desert his Temple and their own profession Except any will say easier spoken then proved that at this present not the Priests but some other persons were possessours of Libnah We finde not this City afterwards reduced to the Kings of Iudah whereupon some conceive that henceforward it stood on its own bottome as an absolute Common-wealth § 30. If any object it impossible that Libnah so small a City should subsist here as a free State against all the powers of the Kings of Iudah let such look on little Lucca in Italy and less Geneva in France defended by their foes from their foes environed with enemies on all sides yet so that rather then any one shall subdue them all the rest will assist them Such probably was the position and politick State-poizing of Libnah seated in the vicinity of the Kings of Iudah Israel and the Philistines not to say Egypt though far off might come in as a protectour thereof that it might make a Cordiall of a self-subsistance from the Antidotes of its enemies Afterwards we finde Sennacherib fighting against Libnah whence he sent a railing message to Hezekiah but read nothing of the taking thereof yea probably here the Angel by night did that memorable excution slaying an hundred fourscore and five thousand of his numerous army § 31. Lachish must not be forgotten whose King was destroyed by Ioshua King Amaziah conspired against by his subjects in Ierusalem fled hither in vain for They sent after him to Lachish and slew him there It was a leading City in Idolatry infected from Israel and infecting of Iudah Micah prophesied in particular against this City warning it to prepare for speedy captivity from its enemies O thou inhabitant of Lachish binde the charet to the swift beast she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee And although we finde not Lachish taken by Sennacherib who warred against it yet it escaped not the fury of Nebuchadnezzar though one of the last Cities by him subdued § 32. But Adâ—llam another regall City in Iudah was more ancient where Hirah Iudah's fast friend dwelt though employed by him but as a pandar post factum to carry Tamar the hire of her whoredome In a cave hereabouts repaired to David every one that was in distress and every one that was in debt and every one that was discontented and he became a Captain over them Was this well done of him to be Protector Generall of Out-laws thereby defying justice defrauding creditours defeating Gods command which provided that the debâ—er if not solveable should be sold for satisfaction Alas his need is all that can be alleadged in his excuse Sure I am David promised when in power to make his own choice that his houshold or Court should consist of persons better qualified However these men freely resorting to him were better then those hired by Abimelech vain and light persons and as far to be preferred before them as want is more excusable then wickedness Yea we may charitably believe Davids consorts impoverisht not by their own carelesness but their creditors cruelty § 33. As for Gedar it hath formerly been described in Simeon onely we will adde that Baal-hanan the Gederite was of this place Davids Overseer over the Olive trees and Sycamore trees in the low plain This name of Baal-hanan inverted is the same with Hannibal that great Generall of the Carthaginians See here the affinity of the Hebrew with the Phoenician or Carthaginian tongue Wonder not that Baal-hanan or Hannibal was a fashionable name for potent persons in these parts we finde also a King of Edom so called seeing it signifieth a Lord in grace or favour and our Saviour hath told us such as exercise authority over others are called Gracious Lords As for Iâ—rmuth Eglon and Arad we read nothing of them remarkable since their severall Kings were destroied by Ioshua Of Hepher we shall speak more properly in the close of this Description § And now what a fall must our Description have from the Cities of Kings to the Manor of a clown the fruitfull Carmell not far from the Dead-sea Here folly and wisdome dwelt under the same roof sate at the same table slept in the same bed Nabal and Abigail Are matches made in heaven and was Abigail so ill beloved there to be condemned to such a choice Surely God saw it most for his own glory and her good for the emprovement of her patience This Nabal proved himself a perfect Miser both by his niggardliness to David and prodigality of the King-like dinner he made to his shepheards But both he and his family had been utterly destroyed by David had not the discreet mediation of Abigail been seasonably interposed § 35. After his gluttonous supper Abigail next morning serves Nabal with a thrifty breakfast telling him of the great danger he so narrowly had escaped Hereupon his heart dyed within him Thus some drunkards have been said to have swooned when sober at the serious review of such perils they so neerly escaped in the fits of their distemper Probably feare encreased his sadness suspecting to fall into a relapse of Davids disfavour and that his anger might revert to give him another visite hereafter Thus the wrath of a King though but in reversion is as the roaring of a Lion Yea Nabal became as a stone and no wonder being little better then a stock before such his senseless stupidity But though he was a churl in his miserable living he was bountifull in his seasonable dying freeing Abigail from
exchange for Isaac was caught by the hornes 2 Iebus A name either of the whole or principall part thereof so we read of the Levite that he came over against Iebus which is Ierusalem 3 Ierusalem so called as the Fathers generally affirme as the product of the union of Iebus and Salem B for sounds sake being changed into R which notwithstanding the propriety of the Hebrew tongue will not permit For though chopping of letters be her coÌ„mon practise yet the Iews as they always married within their own Tribe so they exchanged letters of the same Linage same Instrument Labials for Labials Gutturals for Gutturals whereas betwixt Beth Resh in Hebrew no such affinity Besides the turning of a tender melting B. into a surly rigid R. is not to levigate or mollifie but to make the name the harder in pronunciation This drives others to seek out the Etymology thereof as signifying in Hebrew The vision of peace But seeing Abraham called an eminent place whereon it stood Iehovah-Iireh The Lord will be seen perchance from the echo of the name Iireh added to Salem that is peace shall be seen or provided the City might be called Ierusalem where having the essentiall Consonantâ— the most various point-vowels are not so considerable Forget we not that even in Davids time when the name of Ierusalem was in fashion the City was sometimes still called Salem For in Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion Thus it is usuall in England in common discourse to cut off the former part of long-named Cities Wesâ—chester Southhampton Kingstone on Hull whilest the remnant Chester Hampton Hull sufficiently express them to ordinary capacities 4 Hierosolyma which indeed is no new name but the old name in a new language translated into Greek Some Fathers will have it compounded from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Temple and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon that is Solomons Temple as if the mixing of these Languages did promise if not prophesie in after ages a joint interest of Iew and Gentile in the mysteries of Religion But Saint Hierome is zealous against this Fancy impatient that in the name of the principall City of the Iews a Greek word should not onely be mingled with but preferred before the Hebrew It is safer therefore to say that Hierosolyma is nothing else but Ierusalem grecized or made Greek and the conceit of the Temple of Solomon rather a witty allusion thereto then a solid deduction thereof 5 Solyma being onely the half of the former For whereas Hierosolyma being a confluence of six short syllables was unmanagable in ordinary verse Poets served this name as the Ammonites the cloaths of Davids Ambassadours cut it off in the middle An Solymum cinerem Palmetaque capta subibis Wilt thou go under Salems dust forsaken Vnder the palme-trees lately captive taken I conceive the name of Solyma not used by Authors till after our Saviours suffering though Iosephus and probably out of him Tacitus writes that Homer makes mention thereof as indeed we finde it twice in his Poems never for this City in Iudea but for a place and people in Lycia I will not say that the curtling of Ierusalem into Solyma after our Saviours time was a sad prognostick that this spacious City should suddenly in the fire of civill war be boiled away to the half yea afterwards shrink to so unconsiderable a smalness that a monosyllable yea a bare letter were too long a name for it 6 Aelia so named from Aelius Hâ—drianus the Emperour who built some part of it again and made it a Garrison 7 Ierusalem recovering the ancient name again whilest for some hundred of years it was in the possession of the Christians 8 Cuds so called at this day by the Mahometans who are the present owners thereof which signifies Holy in their language Here we omit those many appellations given Ierusalem in Scripture The faithfull City the City of the great King the holy City because these are not proper names but glorious Epithets thereof § 2. Concerning the generall situation of Ierusalem three things herein are remarkable first it was placed as Iosephus reports in the very middle of Iudea But herein criticall exactness is not to be observed the heart it self is not so unpartially in the midst of the body but that if not in position yet in motion it propends to the left side for Ierusalem inclines more to the south of the Countrey As Ierusalem was the navell of Iudea so the Fathers make Iudea the middest of the world whereunto they bring not to say bow those places of Scripture Thou hast wrought salvation in the midst of the earth Indeed seeing the whole world is a round Table and the Gospell the food for mens souls it was fitting that this great dish should be set in the midst of the Board that all the guests round about might equally reach unto it and Ierusalem was the Center whence the lines of salvation went out into all lands Yea Ptolemy dividing the then-known world into seven Climats placed Ierusalem as the Sun in the fourth Climat proportionably to what is said in the Propheâ— I have set it in the midst of the Nations and the Countreys that are round about her § 3. Secondly it had high mountains under it and lower about it which as dutifull servants at distance seemed to attend it Ierusalem had a mountain for her footstool and her floor was higher then the roof of other Cities no doubt the Emblem of the strength stateliness and stability of Gods Church in glory High and hard climbing thither but plain and pleasant dwelling there § 4. Lastly it was distanced from the sea welnigh forty miles having no navigable River near unto it For God intended not Ierusalem for a staple of trade but for a ROYALL EXCHANGE OF RELIGION chiefly holding correspondency with Heaven it self daily receiving blessings thence duly returning praises thither Besides God would not have his virgin people the Iews wooed with much less wedded to outlandish fashions And if Eusebius may be credited for the self same reason Plato in imitation of Ierusalem would have that City wherein the modell of his imaginary Common-wealth should be set up to be seated some miles from the sea lest forein merchandize should by degrees bring in forein manners into it CHAP. II. The particular Situation Circuit Populousness Beauty and strength thereof § 1 IT will be pain-worthy to enquire into the exact situation of Ierusalem in what Tribe it was placed the rather because severall testimonies of Scripture entitle both Iudah and Benjamin unto the possession thereof For IUDAH Josh. 15. 63. And for the Iebusites the inhabitants of Ierusalem the children of Iudah could not drive them out but the Iebusites dwell with the children of Iudah at Ierusalem unto this day Judg. 1. 8. Now the children of Iudah had fought against
and gardens about it wild beasts of all kinds if humane Authors may be beleeved had their habitation Here the bellowing Harts are said to harbour the throating Bucks to lodge the belling Roes to bed the beating Hares to forme the tapping Conies to sit and the barking Foxes to kennell Strange musick to be heard in the midst of a populous place and very pleasant that such a woody retiredness should be afforded in the heart of a City Yet Solomons minde when mounted on these seeming felicities was as far from reaching true contentment as the tired traveller when on the top of the next hill will be from touching the skies which whilest he was in the valley seemed contiguous thereunto § 2. The length of this house was an hundred breadth fifty height thirty cubits whereby it appears both longer and broader then the Temple it self And no wonder for who will deny that White-Hall stands on more ground then Westminster-Abby-Church Besides in measuring the Temple onely the covered part thereof is reckoned on without the Courts wherein the greatest capacity thereof did consist whereas no doubt Courts and all are taken in to make up the aforesaid dimensions in Solomons house But grant the Kings Palace outspread the Temple in greatness the Temple out-topped it in height whose towred porches ascended an hundred and twenty cubites In this house Solomons golden shields and targets wer kept till carried away by Shishak King of Egypt § 3. Besides this Solomon had another house in Ierusalem which was thirteen years in building and a third which he made for his wife the daughter of Pharaoh Say not they needed two houses which had two Religions for we finde not that she ever seduced Solomon to idolatry nor are the Egyptian Idols reckoned up among those severall superstitions which his second brood of wives brought into Ierusalem Enough to perswade some that this match was made by dispensation if not direction of God himself typifying the calling of the Gentiles and that Pharaohs daughter afterwards became a convert following the Psalmists counsell Forget also thine own people and thy fathers house Hereabouts also was the Golden throne of Solomon to which those golden Lions gave a stately ascent It was the prayer of loyall Benaiah make the throne of Solomon greater then the throne of my Lord King David which accordingly came to pass whether taken for this his materiall throne or for the largeness and fulness of his royall authority § 4. Pass we by the Castle of Antiochus built by him as a bridle to the City as also the Palace of the Maccabees wherein for many yeaâ—s they made their residence first built by Simon west of the Temple In Christs time Herod the great had in Ierusalem a most magnificent house wherein his grandchild Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee kept his passeover when Pilate sent Christ unto him to be examined by him Right glad was Herod of this occasion because though formerly much conversing with Iohn the Baptist yet Iohn did no miracle which he now in vain hoped to behold from our Saviour For he that would not work a miracle at his mothers motion would not doe it for his persecutors pleasure Let Herod take this for a sign that Christ was the Son of God because he would shew no sign for the will of man However the silent shew of our Saviour wrought a reconciliation betwixt him and Pilate which before were at enmity betwixt themselves But alass the innocent Lambe is not long liv'd when thus both Wolfe and Fox are agreed against him § 5. Appendant to this Palace was the prison wherein Peter was put and being to dye the next day was found in a dead sleep the night before I question whether Herod who condemned him slept half so soundly He must be smote before he could be waked and his shackles fell off easier then his sleep The Rhemish note tells us that the chains wherewith he was bound are still preserved at Rome in the Church of Petri ad vincula But if those there be the true chains I dare boldly say that others of richer metall and finer making more worth and less weight are daily worn by Peters pretended successour § 6. Pilates Palace must not be forgotten wherein our Saviour was accused by the Iews near whereunto was the Judgement-hall called Gabbatha or the Pavement But how even or smooth soever the stones were laid in the floor thereof most rough harsh and unequall justice was administred in this place when our Saviour therein was condemned This was the place into which the high-Priests prepared for the Passeover would not enter for fear of pollution O my soul enter not into their secrets whose feâ—â— are swift to shed bloud but legs lame to lift themselves over the threshold of a judgement-hall for fear of defilement Now all these Princely Palaces were not extant in this City at the same time but successively and therefore as Poets when they present Persons who lived in severall ages on the same stage lay their scene in the Elysian fields so to put these Palaces together the reader must suppose their dust and ruines did all meet on the floor of this City though made in our map in a flourishing estate the better to adorn our description of Ierusalem CHAP. X. Of the Colledges in Jerusalem § 1. PAss we now from the Court to the Innes-of-Court namely such places wherein youth had liberall education The Iews tell us of four hundred and fourscore Synagogues at Ierusalem for this purpose We will insist onely on such as we finde named in Scripture and begin with Huldah's colledge wherein that Prophetess lived in the days of Iosiah Perchance a female foundation of women alone and she the Presidentress thereof though surely not bound with any monasticall vow of virginity because there also styled the wife of Shallum § 2. Next in the days of the Maccabees we take notice of the Grecian Colledge or Gymnasium erected by Iason the high Priest wherein the Jewish youth were taught to wrestle ride horses and other Grecian accomplishments Indeed archery was an ancient Jewish exercise David taught the children of Israel the use of the how as it is written in the book of Iasher but these were pure heathenish imployments Here also they were taught to wear a garment called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some translate Hats others buskins though head and feet are far asunder which whether it were the generall garbe of the Grecians or onely an Academicall habit to distinguish the Students from common Citizens let others enquire But the worst of all was here they were taught not onely uncircumcision of omission neglecting the observing thereof on infants but also the uncircumcision of commission practising to make themselves uncircumcised studiously deleting the character of that Sacrament out of their
side being round all about and thirty cubits in compass containing two thousand Baths namely as they filled it but two parts of three for ordinary use leaving a third part for empty Margin in the top Otherwise were it filled brimfull it would in all receive three thousand Baths where the totall capacity thereof is computed Therefore called a Sea from the large containt thereof and not much unlike the Caspian sea for the circular form and entireness thereof having its brim wrought about with lily-work and it stood upon twelve oxen which by four severall Threes respected the quarters of the world § 5. But now the question will be How this vast vessell was furnished with water Solomon speaking of the Ocean All the rivers saith he run into the sea but how this artificiall sea was supplied with any water by peoples industry is a considerable question the Temple of Ierusalem being so highly situated on a mountain Here the Rabbins tell us of a Well Etam some distance hence whence the water was conveyed in pipes so that the Temple had it always in great abundance We confess there was a city and rock of Etam in the Tribe of Simeon near to which a miraculous fountain issued in the days of Samson to quench his thirst out of the jawbone of an Ass. And it seems the Ghost of this fountain did walk in the brains of the Rabbins when first they invented this tradition But this Etam being full forty miles from Ierusalem was likely to afford them little water for the replenishing of this Molten sea Rather we beleeve that the Gibeonites or Nethinims whose office it was to be drawers of water for the Congregation out of the fountain of Siloam or Pool of Bethesda hard by filled this Sea and furnished all other Lavatories and Offices about the Temple with that necessary element Yea probably there were some wells within the verge of the Temple seeing Ierusalem is charactred by Strabo an Heathen writer to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well watered within it self though without the walls it wanted the conveniency thereof And which is the main in Ezekiels description of the Temple which one may term A visionarie varnish on an historicall ground-work being a literall truth mystically much improved we finde the waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward which swelled to a miraculous proportion Now though the increase and overflowing of such streams was extraordinary and propheticall yet surely the fountain thereof was reall and naturall importing some springs in the Temple whence the Nethinims did fill this Molten sea and all other vessels with water designed for the Priests to wash themselves therein § 6. Having thus dispatched the Molten sea the ten Lavers being as it were but so many little lakes will quickly be described In the Tabernacle none of these were extant as appointed for the washing of sacrifices for that single Laver made by Moses for the Priests service answered onely to the Molten sea whereby it appears that Solomon not onely made in his Temple vessels moe in number and bigger in degree but also other in kind then were in the Tabernacle to fill and furnish the magnificence thereof These Lavers of brass contained forty Baths apiece each set on his basis with wheels for their more convenient removall though generally their station was five on the one side and five on the other in the Court of the Priests and east of the covered Temple § 7. In the outward Court or Court of Israel many no doubt were the Utensils thereof As that brazen scaffold made by Solomon for the King to stand and pray upon the same as Tremellius conceives with the Kings Pillar with the Pulpits and deskes wherein the Priests expounded the law to the people But as for the remainder of the vessels of the Temple with the manyfold traditions concerning them the Reader is referred to the learned paines of my industrious friend Mr. Iohn Lightfoot who as I understand intends an entire Treatise thereof Far be it from me that our pens should fall out like the heardsmen of Lot and Abraham the land being not able to bear them both that they might dwell together No such want of room in this subject being of such latitude and receipt that both we and hundreds moe busied together therein may severally lose our selves in a subject of such capacity The rather because we embrace severall courses in this our Description it being my desire and delight to stick onely to the written word of God whilest my worthy friend takes in the choicest Rabbinicall and Talmudicall relations being so well seen in those studies that it is questionable whether his skill or my ignorance be the greater therein CHAP. X. Of things deposited in the Chambers and outward Courts of the Temple § 1. PRoceed we now to the outward Courts of the Temple whose Chambers were severally imployed for sundry uses as for the laying up of Tithes First-fruits Wood Salt and other Requisites for the sacrifices Of this last a mass was spent in the Temple seeing no offering was acceptable without it The best was Iudea could well afford to spare plenty thereof for Gods service who had bestowed such store thereof upon it that there was a place called the City of Salt in the Tribe of Iudah § 2. Other rooms were employed to contain the many instruments used in the Temple Some of whose names we finde mentioned in the titles of severall Psalmes solemnly set to be sung upon them though so many authours so many mindes in expounding their names and qualities we will onely insist on what we conceive most probable 1 Aijeleth Shahar or The hinde of the morning Probably some early instrument as the going about of the Waites in some places bringing tydings of the morning and giving men notice to rise 2 Alamoth which literally may be rendered Virginales or Maiden-instruments with high and shrill notes acuta symphonia saith Tromellius 3 Gittith A personall instrument appropriated to the posterity of Obed-Edom the Gittite an excellent Master of musick thence taking its denomination 4 Ionath Elem Rechokim By some rendered appellatively The dumbe Dove in far places By others conceived an instrument of sad and dolefull musick I did mourn as a Dove saith dying Hezekiah 5 Mahalath which Ainsworth interpreteth sickness or infirmity and conceiveth it a kind of wind-instrument 6 Mahalah-leannoth The same with the former but with this addition to sing by turnes which is when alternately one part answereth another in singing 7 Mutb-labben The Chaldee interpreteth it for The death of the Son as if it were some cheerfull instrument made by David to comfort himself after the death of his child whilest others conceive it a kind of tune like to that which we call the
Davids days the Militia was much altered and managed by horse by the way Absalom was the first Israelite whom we finde riding in a chariot and how he was blest is not unknown Afterwards Solomon brought many horses out of Egypt and an Egyptian wife on the back of them who certainly hindred more then the other helped him and generally the Israelites were more prosperous before their use of horses then ever after Their success was mounted when they fought on foot but scarce went on foot when their armies were mounted on horseback § 24. But to return to Aram-Zobath Two prime cities thereof with four names are mentioned in Scripture Beta and Berothat elsewhere called Tibhah and Chun Here not to say that Beta and Tibhah by Metathesis are the same it is no newes for cities standing in the confines of severall kingdomes and the juncture of severall languages to have double names What the English-man calls Glocester and Worcester the Welsh-men tearm Caer Loyw and Caer-Frangon And probably one of the names of these cities was Hebrew and the other Aramite Both of them afforded much brass to King David Gods receiver generall for that purpose for the building of the Temple But Zobah which gave the name to this Countrey is generally conceived at this day to be called Aleppo though some Iews inhabiting therein count it anciently the city of Sepharvaim from Alep which signifies milke in the Turkish language whereof such plenty here that if via lactea be to be found on earth it is in this place It is so seated on a navigable stream which runs into Euphrates that here the commodities of the East and West doe meet The former from Babylon by water the latter by Land-caravans from Scanderoon and this city is the golden clasp to couple both sides of the world together and we remit the Reader to modern Merchants for further information thereof § 25. And here standing on the utmost verge of our map we could wish it of such extent as might represent to the Reader Aram-Naharam or Mesopotamia otherwise Padan-Aram where Bethuel and Laban dwelt Charran whither Abraham first removed Caldea and Ur a city where he formerly dwelt Babylon and Nineveh the two Emperesses of the world with the rivers which watered and bounded Paradise it self But alass as Prodigalls who have spent their possessions take little delight to see a survey of the lands they have sold the sad remembrancer of their former riot and present wretchedness so small comfort can accrew unto us by the curious enquiry into the ancient place of Paradise having long since in our first Parents forfeited all our right and title thereunto But the main matter forbidding our Pens progress any further is because as Shimei confined by Solomon to Ierusalem suffered justly as an offender for gadding to Gath so Palestine with the neighbouring countreys being the proper subject of our discourse we shall be taken trespassers if found wandering beyond the bounds thereof However I hope without offence my hand may point further then my feet may follow and tell the Reader that the fore-named places lie northeast of the city of Aleppo § 26. The land of Hamah lay west of Aram-Zobah anciently inhabited by the Hamathites descended from the eleventh and youngest Son of Canaan the Son of Cham of whom largely before In the days of David Toi was King of this Countrey who being at war with Hadadezar and hearing how the Israelites had defeated him sent Ioram his Son to King David with presents in his hand and complements in his mouth to congratulate his victory Long after Salmaneser subdued this countrey and extinguished the royall race witness that brag Where is the King of Hamath and of Arpad Though that proud question admits of an answer namely they were even there where their sins set them seeing it was not so much the Assyrian valour as the Syrian wickedness which cast these Kings out of their countrey Riblah was a prime city in this land where Nebuchadnezzar caused the eyes of Zedekiah to be bored out Some conceive this done in the land of Nephtali others with more likelihood in this place and we see Reader our carefulness to please all if possible in this captious age mention it in both Yet because this Riblah was many miles nearer to Babylon and further from Ierusalem it is more probable to be the place as more for Nebuchadnezzars ease and Zedekiahs anguish it adding to the conquerours state to fetch the captive furthest from his own countrey § 27. Hamah the city which gave the name to this countrey was afterwards called Antiochia Seven and twenty cities are said to be of the same name For severall Antiochuses being successively Kings of Syria stocked their dominions with many cities after their names as being either built beautified strengthened or enlarged by them or their Favorites But it matters not how many younger brethren there be of the same family as long as our Antioch is the heire and though not in age in honour to be preferred before all the rest Here the professor of the Gospell formerly termed Beleevers for their faith sometimes Brethren for their love Saints for their holinesse Disciples for their knowledg were for all these first called Christians Probably when many of all nations beleeved the name Christian was given them to bury the difference betwixt Iews and Gentiles thus England and Scotland happily joined in great Britain which two names though remaining afterwards were used as terms of civill difference not odious distinction Had this happened at Rome how would the Tide of Tiber have swoln above all his bounds and banks at the conceit that in her city Religion it self was christened But this Antioch hath still more to brag of The Chair of Saint Peter wherein he sate Patriarch many years before his removeall to Rome and therefore no wonder if Antioch grudge to give Rome the superiority Why should not that place be the prime which was the first Besides Saint Peter was honoured at Antioch murdered at Rome And why should that City receive most credit by him which used most cruelty unto him But let Ecclesiasticall Heralds deduce the pedegree and martiall the precedency of these Churches we will onely adde that this Pharisaicall taking of the upper-hand hath in all ages hindered the giving of the right hand of Christian fellowship § 28. Now surely no malignant quality in this place but a principle of perversness in mens hearts was the cause that so many famous contentions happened in this city of Antioch Here it was that some comming down from Iudea maintained the necessity of circumcision and the legall ceremonies endevouring to set up a religion like those monsters in Africa begotten betwixt severall kindes partaking of both perfect in neither but defective in their very redundancy a â—edley mongrel betwixt Judaisme and Christianity This occasioned the calling of the first great
ridiculous is the unequall contest in point of bulk betwixt their severall workmanships that Natures pismires may be said to exceed Arts elephants § 16. Some to excuse the pride of these builders resolve their design on a point of policy onely to busie their people to prevent in them laziness and luxury the mother of mutinies knowing so rich a soile would invite them to riot if out of employment But whatever was their principall project their secundary end intended such structures for sepulchers where the builders bodies lay not interred but immured with all imaginable cost bestowed upon them For the Egyptians fondly conceived Reader pity them and praise God that thou are better informed that the soul even after death like a gratefull guest dwelt in the body so long as the same was kept swept and garnished but finally forsook it and sought out a new body if once the corpse were either carelesly neglected or dispightfully abused and therefore to wooe the soul to constant residence in their bodies at least wise to give it no wilfull distaste or cause of alienation they were so prodigiously expensive both in imbalming their dead and erecting stately places for their monuments § 17. The long lasting of these Pyramids is not the least of admiration belonging unto them They were born the first and doe live the last of all the seven wonders in the world Strange that in three thousand years and upwards no avaritious Prince was found to destroy them to make profit of their Marble and rich materials no humorous or spightfull Prince offered to overthrow them meerly to get a greater name for his peevishness in confounding then their pride in first founding them No Zelote-reformer whilest Egypt was Christian demolished them under the notion of Pagan monuments But surviving such casualties strange that after so long continuance they have not fallen like Copy-holds into the hand of the Grand Signeur as Lord of the Manor for want of repairing Yea at the present they are rather ancient then ruinous and though weather-beaten in their tops have lively looks under a gray head likely to abide these many years in the same condition as being too great for any throat to swallow whole and too hard for any teeth to bite asunder § 18. We have been the longer hereon because Iosephus as is aforesaid makes the Israelites when enslaved in Egypt against their wills the builders of their Pyramids others conceive them Pharaohs magazines so called not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from fire ascending in a narrowing shape but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from wheat as used for granaries or store-houses where corn was deposited both alike improbable for 1 They afford no concavity of considerable receit for such purpose 2 Their form of all least capable is useless for such intents all the spire being to loss 3 The Israelites built with bâ—icks whereas these are made of Marble But for farther satisfaction of the Reader herein I refer him to that learned Traveller who hath made an excellent tract of his own observations herein § 19. However here we may take occasion to mention the miserable condition of the Israelites in Egypt during which time woefull their slavery if we consider the 1 Long continuance thereof two hundred and odde years in the latitude and fourscore from the birth of Moses in the Paroxysme of their bondage 2 Deep misery insomuch that their lives were made bitter unto them 3 Broad extent none exempted no not Moses and Aaron Get you unto your burthens Say not that the officers of Israel who onely oversaw the rest had an easie place of it for they were beaten because others under them did not their impossible taske as if what was wanting in the tale of the peoples bricks must be made up in blows on their backs who were set to oversee them Onely to give the Egyptians their due they gave the Israelites their belly full as of work so of food which proceeded not so much from their pity as their policy Cariers are so mercifull to their horses meat them well to prevent their trying and the plenty of the land affording at cheap prices abundance of provisions § 20. Somewhat north of the aforesaid Pyramids on the same side of Nilus stood the great City of Memphis anciently the Metropolis of Egypt where their Kings kept their Courts and therefore it is probable here Ioseph was bought and beloved by Potiphar here afterwards accused and imprisoned unjustly favoured by the jailer advanced by Pharaoh whose dreams he expounded in a word likely it is that all those eminent passages betwixt him and his brethren were transacted in this City Some hundred years after the frequent addresses of Moses and Aaron to another Pharaoh in the behalf of the Israelites were performed in the same place and here or hereabouts the ten Egyptian plagues were first inflicted in manner and order ensuing 1 All the water formerly the merciless executioner of the Jewish infants was for seven days turned into bloud whereby the fish dyed and the river stank so that the Egyptians could not drink of the water thereof Water which otherwise in it self was most sweet and delicious witness the answer of Pescentius Niger unto his murmuring souldiers What crave you wine and have Nilus to drink of The transubstantiation of this element into bloud extended over all the streams rivers ponds and pooles in Egypt and the sea onely was excepted from whence or from pits newly digged in the ground the Magicians might fetch their water which in imitatition of Moses quoad similitudinem if not veritatem they also turned into bloud 2 Frogs so plentifull that they covered the land and so presumptuous they came into Pharaohs Bed-chamber though never sworn his Grooms in ordinary attendance yea they crept into the very ovens as if Salamanders rather then frogs and no private place was priviledged from their unwelcome company But the Magicians made the like in show if not in substance the Devill much delighting in their monstrous shape for we finde in Scripture Three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the Dragon 3 Lice Insects with so many lineaments in a little compass that the eyes of the Magicians could not see much less imitate them so that they were forced to confess it the finger of God But whether thus beaten out of distance they here left off their race of emulation with Moses or still continued it it is hard to determine 4 Flies properly waspes or hornets armed with stings wherewith they tormented the people Surely they were more then ordinary flies because they brought Pharaoh to proffer to Moses a partiall and conditionall departure of the people 5 A generall Murrain insomuch that all the cattell of Egypt dyed Some will object If this was a totall destruction of all the beasts in the land how came it to pass
or in two Rankes two and two as they are ordered by Mercator Skuls in a charnel-house never justle for the upper place and as sensless is the contention betwixt these dead Cities which shall stand first whose foundations long since were doubly destroyed with fire and water But the sole motive of my placing Zeboim most northern of these four Cities is because I finde the valley of Zeboim in the Tribe of Benjamin which probably lay near the influx of Iordan into the Dead-sea denominated from the vicinity of Zeboim thereabouts Philol. The Hebrew Orthography confutes your conceit For Zeboim by you last alledged is spelled with different letters from the City which was burnt with fire from heaven Aleth I confess a threefold variation in the writing of this name though all the same in effect 1 Gen. 14. 2. and so also Deut. 29. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 1 Sam. 13. 18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Hoseah 11. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall set thee at Zeboim c. Here to mollifie the word the Gutturall is either altered or wholly omitted neither amounting to make it a new word How variously are the names of the same English towns spoken and spelled as Lester Leicester Legeocester Legecester yet the same word dressed in severall spellings and pronunciations Philol. Why make you Hebâ—on being a noted City of the Priests and City of Refuge different from all the rest onely with a single circle about it Aleth Because the fields and villages thereof were none of the Priests but were given to Caleb the son of Iephunneh for his possession Philol. If so then Hebron ought not to have had any circle at all about it being a bare City of the Priests without any suburbs belonging thereunto Aleth The Priests in Hebron had and had not suburbs pertaining thereunto according to the severall acception of suburbs If by them you onely understand aedificia suburbana buildings though without the City walls contiguous thereunto these no doubt belonged to the Priests who had Hebron with her suburbs otherwise if you extend them to ager suburbanus the fields surrounding the City these related to Caleb as the proper owner thereof Philol. You might well have afforded conjecturall flags to most of the Cities in Iudah going generally by guess in your placing of them and differing from all other authors therein Aleth The Learned in Anatomy have informed me that veins are alike in their trunks but not in their branches so that although the great Channels of bloud run alike in all bodies yet the smaller veines as is most visible in their divaâ—ication on the back of the hand disperse themselves diversly in divers persons The like is confessed in all Maps of Iudah wherein the grand Cities Hebron Debir Bethlehem c. have their certain position agreed on by most Authors whilest their inferiour places and no Tribe afforded more obscure Cities but once named in Scripture are subject to much variety according to the fancies of Authors Wherein we hope we have observed as much as might be these short and small directions we finde in Scripture Philol. But you are not constant to your self in the location of those lesser places as appears by some diversity of their distances both amongst themselves and from Ierusalem in the particular description of Iudah and in the generall Map of Palestine Aleth I confess the same who having discovered some errors in the particular Map reformed the same in the Map-generall Which may be beheld in this point as a new Edition of the former corrected and amended Request I therefore the Reader in such small differences to rely rather on the credit of the Map-generall Philol. You once placed Hepher a royall City in Manasseh on this side Iordan which since you have removed into Iudah without giving any account of the alteration Aleth Some probability perswaded us to our former opinion Cheifly because Hepher is mentioned in Ioshua's list next to Tapuah which is known to be in Manasseh But since finding also a Tapuah in Iudah and a land of Hepher near Sochoh a place also in Iudah it hath staggered our judgment and caused us to remove Hepher into Iudah with a flag of uncertaintie thereon all Authors finding an Ignoramus for the exact position thereof Philol. The land of Goshen is sufficiently known to be in Egypt And how stragleth of Countrey of Goshen into this Tribe Aleth You know that besides this England wherein we live there is an Anglia in Denmark whence our Ancestors are said to have come and there is England beyond Wales whither some of our nation removed Some such occasion to us unknown might give the name of Goshen to a petty tract of ground in Iudah Or else it might be so called from some assimilation in the fruitfulness thereof Wonder not at a Goshen in Egypt and another in Iudah when we finde two Ziphs two Zenoahs two Socohs c. As two Kirbies market-townes in Westmorland within the compass of this Tribe Philol. Conceive you that any wildernesses wherewith Iudah abounded were places of any pleasant habitation Aleth I am confident thereof For instance Engedi though a Wilderness was so delicious a place that the Spouse is compared to a cluster of Camphire in the Vineyards of Engedi Besides it had the conveniency of Palmtrees therefore in Scripture called Hazazon-Tamar which is Engedi Tamar being in Hebrew a Palme Nor can I omit the testimony of Pliny as the best comment herein in Gods word who speaking of people living on the west of the Dead-sea amongst these saith he is the town ENGADDA Second to Ierusalem in fruitfulness and WOODS OF PALME-TREES but now become another heap of Ashes Philol. I finde indeed a City and wilderness of Maon in this Tribe but were the dwellers therein those same Maonites which are said Iudg. 10. 12. with the Zidonians and Amalekites to have oppressed Israel Aleth O no. I take these tyrant Maonites to have been a fierce and forein Nation Saint Hierom de locis Hebraicis conceives Maon to be the Countrey of Moab The vulgar Latine translates it Canaanites because Maonites signifieth inhabitants and the Canaanites we know were the ancient and originall dwellers in the land whose Relicks left in the land contrary to Gods command were constant thornes in the sides of the Israelites But I conceive rather with learned Cajetan on this place these Maonites were a distinct neighbouring nation whose certain habitation is to us unknown Philol. Saul when marching against the Amalekites is said to have numbred the people being two hundred and ten thousand in Telaim which by the coast of the Countrey seems south in or near Iudah Yet no such place appears in your Map thereof Aleth The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is variously interpreted the Rabbins render it appellatively in Lambes affirming the Saul did not
unto the other end thereof yet mountains are too firmly fastned to be transplanted from their naturall location Philol. You doe commit what you condemn in Adrichomius taxing him for fashioning the streets of Ierusalem after his own fancy assuming the same liberty to your self in conjecturall ranging them without warrant from Gods word Aleth Reason dictates what we have done herein For Gates being made for entrance probably the streets from them stretched forth-right as we have deâ—igned them Those Insulae or Quadrants of buildings are nothing else but the necessary product of the decussation and thwarting of such direct streets where they cross one another It is impossible that in describing Ierusalem we should doe what Saul in another case desired of the Ziphites See therefore and take notice of all the lurking places and come yee again with the certainty onely such generalls in likelyhood may be presumed and the rest is left to every mans free conception Philol. You have forgotten the Porta fictilis or Potters-gate which Villalpandus solemnly sets up on the east of the City building on a place alleadged out of the Prophet Ieremy Aleth His Porta fictilis is rather fictitia and so brittle a gate that it is broken with perusing the text by him cited for the proof thereof Thus saith the Lord goe and get a potters earthen bottle and take of the ancients of the people and of the ancients of the Priests and goe forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom which is by the entry of the east gate and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee See here whatever may be in the vulgar Latine no sherd of a Potters-gate though we confess a Potters field nigh the City but thence it cannot be collected that there was also a gate of that name no more then if followes because of Smithfield there must be Smith-gate in London Philol. You affirm that we meet with no gate at all in Sion flatly contrary to the words of David The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Icoab Aleth I say again that because of the precipice of the place Sion had no out-gates but had those which led into Ierusalem which might be meant by the Psalmist But to speake plainly Gates of Sion are not there to be taken literally being put for the assemblies of the people at Gods publick worship especially whilest the Ark was in Davids time fixed in Zion CHAP. XVIII Objections against the Courts of Solomons Temple answered Philol. IN your description of the Courts of Solomons Temple I finde onely four gates to the cardinall windes but neither Parbar nor Asuppim Gate though both of them eminently mentioned in the Bible Aleth I must confess my self utterly unsatisfied in the position of these places whether or no they were in the first two Courts as built by Solomon or added in after ages when the new or third Court was added to Solomons foundation which latter I am most inclined to beleeve For perusing the date of the first book of Chronicles I finde it written long after the Iews return from the captivity of Babylon as appears by reckoning up the grand-children of Zorobabel and therefore I suspend the describing of them till further information Philol. At the entrance of the House of the Lord you make horses but omit the Chariots of the Sun both equally mentioned in Scripture and destroyed by Iosiah Besides you make them artificiall statues which no doubt were naturall horses sent out with riders every morning in a superstitious frolick to give a welcome or visit to the dawning-day and to salute the Sun in the first arising thereof Aleth Chariots must be supposed there though not expressed for lack of room Sure they were no reall horses which the idolatrous Kings of Israel had given to the Sun For except thereby be meant a successive breed or race such horses must be extremely old at this reformation after the eighteenth year of Iosiaâ— probably set up by Ahaz sixty years since Besides it is improbable that living horses were kept so close to the Temple and that noisome stables should be so near Gods house generally set at some distance from mens dwellings However I had rather subscribe then ingage in a controversie not worth the contending for Philol. You mention onely one Table of shew-bread whereas David made preparation for the Tables thereof And lest so plain a place of Scripture should be avoided by the frequent figure of Enallage Solomon is expresly said to have made ten Tables and placed them in the Temple and it is added not long after whereon the shew-bread was set Aleth I am confident there was but one principall Table for the presentation of shew-bread whereon by Gods appointment the twelve Cakes were set in two rowes according to the number of the twelve Tribes of Israel Now if there were ten Tables provided for that purpose the twelve Cakes could not be equally set upon them without a fraction I conceive therefore the other nine onely as side-cupboards or Livery tables ministeriall to that principall one as whereupon the shew-bread elect was set before the consecration thereof and whereon the old shew-bread removed for some time might be placed when new was substituted in the room thereof Philol. To proceed to the Altar I approve your answer taken from the Celestiall fire thereupon as satisfactory in relation to the Tabernacle and Solomons Temple that so many sacrifices were so suddenly consumed without any noisomeness But the difficulty still remains as touching the second Temple where by generall confession in default of heavenly the Priests were fain to make use of common and ordinary fire Aleth Although I beleeve not in full latitude what the Iewish Rabbins doe affirme That the Pillar of smoak which ascended from the sacrifice curled onely upwards in direct wreaths to heaven without any scattering or shedding if self abroad yet for the main we may be confident it was no whit offensive to the Priests or people thereabouts This we impute to the providence of God passing an Act of indemnity that none should be impaired either in health or wealth by the performance of any service according to his appointment And as the land of the Iews was secured from forein invasion during the appearing of all the males thrice a year at Ierusalem so the same goodness of God ordered that his people should sustain no damage or detriment either in their purses or persons whilest busied in his worship the main reason that no infection did arise no smoak nor ill savor sented from the fat offall and excrements of so many sacrifices offered in so short a time and small a compass Philol. You say something for the avoiding of noisomeness but nothing in answer that that common fire should so quickly devour so many sacrifices though I confess the offerings