west, standeth Sephet, otherwise Zephet, which was also one of the ten Decapolitan cities; a place exceeding strong, and for many years the inexpugnable fortress of the Christians, and afterwards of the Saracens; for from hence they conquered all the neighbour cities of those regions, both inland and maritimate near it. Touching Rama of Nephtalim, seated northward near Sephet, this is to be noted, that there are f divers places of this name in Palæstine, all situate on hills, and therefore called Rama: (Rama Hebræis excelsum, “Rama with the Hebrews is high.") Also that from this Rama, Josh. xix. 36. they read Arama, making the article (which it hath in the Hebrew, as being a name of divers towns) to be a part of the word; whence, casting away the aspiration, they read Arama. From Sephet towards the west, they place & Bethsemes, of which Josh, xix. 38. which defended itself against Nephtalim, Judges i. 33. but paid them tribute. On the other side of Sephet, towards the east, was Bethanath, who also kept their city from the Nephtalims.

Adjoining to which standeth Carthan, h or Kiriathaiim, a city of the Levites, not far from the mountain out of which the springs of Capernaum arise, called Mons Christi; a place by our Saviour often frequented; as also then when calling his disciples together, he made choice of twelve, which he called and ordained to be his apostles or messengers; of which place, or the acts therein done, there is often mention in the i evangelists.

Adjoining to these are Magdalel, a place of strength; and k Masaloth, of which we read, that it was forced by Bacchides, in the time of the 1 Maccabees; also (according to

f See in Benjamin and in Ephraim.

Other cities there were of this name, (which is as much as domus Solis;) as that in Juda, 2 Kings xiv. 15. where Joash, king of the ten tribes, overcame Amasia of Juda, of which also I understand the place, Josh xxi. 16. and I Sam. vi. 14. and 2 Chron. xxix. 18. A third, as it seems, was in Dan, 1 Kings iv. 9. which, Josh. xix. 41. is written Hershemes, which is as much as civitas Solis, Judg. i. 31.

Adrichomius, one of the two Berothas of Nephtalim. For Adrichomius maketh two of this name in this tribe; mone near Chamath in the north border, of which Ezek. xlvii. 6. another (upon a weak conjecture out of Joseph. Ant. lib. 5. c. 2.) he therefore placeth in this tract near the waters of Merom, because the kings that joined with Jabin against Joshua, which encamped at the waters of Merom, Josh. xi. 5. are by Josephus said to have encamped at the city Berotha in Galilee, not far from Cedesa Superior, which is also in Galilee; all which may be true of that Berotha of which Ezekiel, seeing it is in that Galilee which is called the Upper Galilee, or Galilee of the Gentiles. The same Adrichomius placeth the region of Berim near Abela, (of which Abela, or Abel-beth-mahacah, we have spoken already.) This he doth upon a conjecture touching the place, 2 Sam. xx. 14. where some read Abel et Bethmahacah, et omnia loca Berim; but the better reading is, et omnes Berim, that is, with all the Beræi; for Shebah, being of Benjamin, (in which tribe also there is a city called Berotha, or Beeroth,) drew the men of that city after him.

To the north of Berotha of Nephtalim standeth Sebarim under Libanus, remembered by Ezekiel, xlvii. and Aroseth Gentium, near the waters of Merom, or Samochonitis, the city of Sisera, lieutenant of the army of the second Jabin; from whence, not far off, towards the sea of Galilee, is Edrai, or Edrehi, a strong city; besides many others, whereof I find no particular story of importance, as Ser in Josh. xix. 35. called Triddim-Tzer, and named for the first of their fenced cities; whence they make two cities, Assedim and Ser; then Adama, which they call Edama; also Hion, which they call Ahion; of which in the books of Kings. Then the strong city of Cinnereth, after called Gennezareth, whence we read of the land and lake of Gennezareth, the same lake which is also called the sea of Tiberias. In the body of the land they place Gal

Barathena Ptolomæo in fine Arabiæ Desertæ : Junio eadem cum Berotha, una civitatum Hadadezeris. 2 Sam. viii. 8. Josh. xviii. 25. Asi

roth. Hieron. Judg. iv. Lyr. in Judg. iv. Josh. xix. 37. Kings XV. 20. 2 Kings xv. 29.

n Mar. vi. 53. Luke v. 1.

gala to the south border; of which 1 Macc. ix. 2.° also divers others named, Josh. xix. as Ucuca, or Chukkok; Horem and Azanoth-tabor, (which they place towards the east parts,) and, out of the same place of Joshua, Jirzon, Lakkum, Jepnael, Heleb, and P Reccath; which two last they place near Cæsarea Philippi. To these they add out of Joshua, Nekeb and Adami; for which two Junius readeth Fossa Adamæi, making it no town, but a ditch cast by some of Adamath, as it seems; or at least the custody of which march or limit belonged to the town. To these, out of Numb. xxxiv. 10. they add Sephana, which, 1 Sam. xxx. 28. seems to be called Sipmoth. As for Tichon and Helon, whereof the former they fetch out of Ezek. xlvii. 16. and the latter out of Joshua xix. 33. it may appear by Junius's translation, that neither are to be taken for cities; for the former he readeth Mediani, and for the latter Quercetum. The city of 9 Nephtalim, which they make the native place of Toby, and Naasson near unto it, they fetch out of the vulgar translation, Tob. vii. 7. but in the Greek text there is no sign, neither of the one nor of the other.

SECT. V.

The tribe of Zabulon.

OF Zabulon, or Zebulon, another of the sons of Jacob by Leah, there were mustered at mount Sinai 57,400 able men, besides women, children, and aged unable persons; all which dying in the deserts, there entered the Holy Land of their issues 65,000 fit to bear arms; who inhabited that part of Canaan from Asher to the river Chison, southward, and from the sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean, east and west.

The cities within this tribe which border Asher are, Sicaminum on the sea-shore, of which Joseph. Ant. 13. ready, that it is also called Kiriathaiim.

• This place of the Maccabees warrants no Galgala, or Gilgal, in Nephtali; but may well be understood of Gilgal in Benjamin, or in Manasseh.

P This Reccath, or Rakkath, Junius thinks that it is the same with Karthan, (one of these being made of the other by transposition of letters,) of which Karthan we have noted al-`

In the place 1 Reg. iv. is, which also they bring to prove that there was a city called Nephtalim, as it is evident by the following verses the tribe of Nephtalim is meant, and not any city of that name.

c. 19. Debbaset, of which Joshua xix. 11. Jeconam, or Jokneham, (whose king was slain by Joshua, and the city was given to the Levites,) and Gaba, after called the city of horsemen, of a regiment there garrisoned by Herod. Then the city which beareth the name of Zabulon, or the city of men, exceeding ancient and magnificent, tburnt to the ground by Cestius, lieutenant of the Roman army. Adrichomius makes it the birth city of u Elon judge of Israel, because he is called Zabulonita; not marking that in the same place he is said to be buried at Ajalon.

To the east of this city of Zabulon is Cateth, of which Joshua xix. 15. on the border of Asher; and beyond it the Lesser Cana of Galilee, where Christ converted water into wine, the native city of Nathaniel, and, as it is thought, of Simon Zelotes. Beyond it begin the mountains of Zabulon, and then the city of Cethron, (in Ziegler, Ghiltron,) which defended itself against Zabulon. Then Bersabe, which standeth in the partition of the upper and nether Galilee, fortified by Josephus against the Romans. Not far from hence standeth Shimron of Meron, whose king was slain by Joshua.

Then Damna, or Dimna, a city of the Levites; then Noa, or rather Neha, of which Joshua xix. 13. then Dothan, or Dothain, where Joseph found his brethren feeding their flocks; the same wherein Eliseus besieged by the Syrians struck them all blind.

Beyond it, towards the east, they imagine y Amthar, or Amathar; then Remmon of the Levites. The last of the cities on the north border of Zabulon is Bethsaida, one of the ten cities of Decapolis, situate on the Galilean sea, and watered by the springs of Capernaum, the native city of the

r Josh. xii. 22.

Jos. 2. Bel. 19.

* Jos. 2. Bel. 22.

u

Judg. xii. 12.

* The Greater Cana is in the tribe of Asher, Josh. xxi. 2. Nathaniel is said to be of Cana in Galilee. Of Simon it may be doubted: for Angelus Caninius reads, Matth. x. 4. Simon Kannites, which word, Luc. vi.is,

he thinketh, to be expounded by Zelotes.

y The Hebrew Hammethoar (for which the Vulgar hath Amthar, Jos. 19. 13.) Vatablus expounds que gyrat; Junius joins it with the word going before it, and reads Rimmonem Methoarum, Matth. viii. 11. Mark i. 6. Luke iv. 10.

apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip. Herein Christ did many miracles; but these people, being no less incredulous than the Capernaims and others, received the same curse of threatened miseries; as, Woe be unto thee, Bethsaida, &c. Along the west border of Galilee, towards the south from Bethsaida, was the strong castle of Magdalum, the habitation of Mary Magdalen, not long since standing.

And beyond it the strong and high-seated city of Jotapata, fortified by Josephus in the Roman war; but in the end, after a long siege, surprised by Vespasian, who slaughtered many thousands of the citizens, and held 1200 prisoners, whereof Josephus the historian was one.

The last and greatest of the cities on that sea, and the lake of Genezareth within Zabulon, was that of Tiberias; from whence afterward the Galilean sea also changed name, and was called, the sea of the city Tiberias, so named in honour of Tiberius Cæsar; it was one of the ten cities, and the metropolis of the region Decapolitan, and the greatest and last of the Lower Galilee. From hence our Saviour called Matthew, from the toll or custom-house, to be an apostle, and near unto it raised the daughter of Jairus from death; it was built (as Josephus reports) by Herod the tetrarch, the brother of Philip, in the beginning of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, in the most fruitful part of Galilee, but in a ground full of sepulchres: Quum juxta nostras leges, saith he, ad septem dies impurus habeatur, qui in talibus locis habitet; "Whereas by our law he should be seven days held as unclean who inhabited in such a place;" by which words, and by the whole place of Josephus, it appears that this Tiberias is not (as some have thought) the same as the old Cinnereth, which was seated, not in Zabulon, but in Nephtalim.

66

Near unto this Tiberias at Emaus there were hot baths, where Vespasian the emperor encamped against Tiberias

The names of the chief cities seated about this sea or lake, through which Jordan runneth, were, Capernaum, Tiberias, Bethsaida, Gadara, Tarichea, and they add Cinnereth,

which in foretimes gave name to the lake and country. Matth. ix. Luc. v. Joseph. Ant. 18. 3. Joseph. 10. 15. Adrich. in Zab.