successor to be governor. In y Brochard's time it was still a goodly city, and known by the name of Gazara. At the very outlet of the river of Bezor standeth Majoma, the port of Gaza; to which the privilege of a city was given by the great Constantine, and the place called Constance after the name of the emperor's son. But Julian the apostate, soon after favouring the Gazeans, made it subject unto them, and commanded it to be called Gaza Maritima. On the other side of a Besor standeth Anthedon, defaced by Alexander Janneus, restored by Herod, and called Agrippias, after the name of Agrippa, the favourite of Augustus. Then Raphia, where Philopater overthrew the great Antiochus; and beyond it Rhinocura, whose torrent is known in the scriptures by the name of the torrent of Egypt, till the Septuagint converted it by Rinocura, to difference it, Isaiah xxvii. 12. giving the name of the city to the torrent that watereth it. Pliny calls it Rhinocolura, and Josephus Rhinocorura. d Epiphanius reports it as a tradition, that at this place the world was divided by lots between the three sons of Noah. Within the land, and upon the river of Besor, they place Gerar; which the scripture placeth between Kadesh and Shur, Gen. xx. 1. That it was near to the wilderness of Beersheba, it appears, Gen. xxi. 31. and therefore no marvel that as elsewhere Beersheba, so sometimes Gerar, be madethe south bound of Canaan. It was of old a distinct kingdom from the Philistine satrapies, the kings by one common name were called Abimelechs; St. Jerome saith, that afterwards it was called Regio salutaris; "the healthy county:" so that it was no marvel that Abraham and 66 y I Macc. i. 15. Broch. Itin. 7. z Hist. trip. 1. 6. c. 4. Niceph. 10. Hist. c. 4. a Joseph. 13. Ant. 19. 21. b Joseph. 13. Ant. 19. 21. 24. &c. Junius calls it Vallis Egypti, the name of the stream seems to be Shichor. See in Asser, c. 7. sect. 3. §. 8. in the margin. d Epiph. tom. 2. in refut. Manich. et in Ancorato. Gen. x. 19. Isaac lived much in these parts. Of king Asa's conquest of the cities about Gerar, see 2 Chron. xiv. 14. e More within the land was Siceleg, or Tsiglak, which was burnt by the Amalekites, when David, in his flying from Saul to the Philistines, had left his carriages there ; but David followed them over the river of Besor, and put them to the slaughter, and recovered the prey. Next Dabir, sometime Cariath-Sepher, the city of letters, the university, as they say, or academy of old Palestine. In St. Jerome's time it seems it had the name of Daema; Joshua xv. 49. it is called Urbs Sannæ, from the name, as it seems, of some of the Anakims, as Hebron was called Urbs Arbahi. For even hence also were these giants expelled. It was taken chiefly by 8 Othoniel, encouraged by Caleb's promise of his daughter in marriage; but that Joshua and the host of Israel were at the surprise, it appears Joshua x. 39. This city, Josh. xxi. 15. is named among those which, out of Simeon and Juda, were given to the Levites. And hence it seems they attribute it to this tribe. Besides these, there are many others in the tribe of Simeon, but of less fame; as Haijn, of which Joshua xix. 7. which also Joshua xxi. 16. is reckoned for one of the cities of the Levites, given out of the portion of Juda and Simeon, (for which Junius thinks Hasham is named, 1 Chron. vi. 59. though in the place of Joshua these two are distinguished,) also Tholad so named, 1 Chron. iv. 29. for which Josh. xix. 4. we have Eltholad. Chatzar-Susa, so named, Josh. xix. 5. for which Josh. xv. we have Chatzar-Gadda, both names agreeing in signification; for Gadda is Turma, and Susa, Equitatus. In the same places of Joshua and of the Chronicles Chorma is named; which they think to be the same with that of which Numb. xiv. 45. to which the Amalekites and Canaanites pursued the Israelites. But that Chorma cannot be in Simeon, nor within the mountains of Edumaa. For Israel fled not that way, but back again to the camp, which lay to the south of i Edumaa, in the desert. k The same places also name Beersheba in this tribe; so called of the oath between Abraham and Abimelech; near unto which Hagar wandered with her son Ishmael. It was also called the city of Isaac, because he dwelt long there. While the Christians held the Holy Land, they laboured much to strengthen this place, standing on the border of the Arabian desert, and in the south bound of Canaan. It hath now the name of Gibelin. The other cities of Simeon, which are named in the places of Joshua and of the Chronicles above noted, because they help us nothing in story, I omit them. In the time of Ezekiah king of Juda, certain of this tribe being straitened in their own territories, passed to 1Gedor, as it is 1 Chron. iv. 39. (the same place which Josh. xv. 36. is called Gedera and Gederothaima,) which at that time was inhabited by the issue of Cham, where they seated themselves; as also 500 others of this tribe destroyed the relics of Amalek in the mountains of Edom, and dwelt in their places. The mountains within this tribe are few, and that of Samson the chiefest; unto which he carried the gate-post of Gaza. The rivers are Besor and the torrent of Egypt called Shichar, as is noted in Asser. SECT. III. The tribe of Juda. OF Juda, the fourth son of Jacob by Leah, there were multiplied in Egypt 74,600; all which (Caleb excepted) perished in the deserts. And of their sons, their entered the land of Canaan 76,500 bearing arms. Agreeable to the greatness of this number was the greatest territory given, called afterwards Judæa; within the bounds whereof were the portions allotted to Dan and Simeon included. i Deut. i. k Gen. xxi. 31. As it seems in the land of Juda. See in the first paragraph of this chapter, in the cities of Dan. Judg. xvi. 3. And many cities named in these tribes did first, as they say, belong unto the children of Juda, who had a kind of sovereignty over them; as Succoth, Cariathiarim, Lachis, Bethsemes, Tsiglag, Beersheba, and others. The multitude of people within this small province (if it be meted by that ground given to this tribe only) were uncredible, if the witness of the scriptures had not warranted the report. For when David numbered the people, they were found 500,000 fighting men. The cities of Juda were many: but I will remember the chiefest of them, beginning with Arad, or Horma, which standeth in the entrance of Judæa from Idumæa; whose king first surprised the Israelites, as they passed by the border of m Canaan towards Moab, and took from them some spoils and many prisoners; who being afterwards overthrown by the Israelites, the sons of Keni, the kinsmen of Moses, obtained a possession in that territory; who before the coming of the Israelites dwelt between Madian and Amalek. Following this frontier towards Idumæa and the south, nAscensus Scorpionis or Acrabbim is placed, the next to Arad; so called because of scorpions, which are said to be in that place from which name of Acrabbim, Jerome thinks that the name of the toparchy, called Acrabathena, was denominated; of which we have spoken in Manasses. On the south side also of Judæa they place the cities of Jagur, Dimona, Adada, Cedes, Ashna, Jethnam, and Asor, or Chatsor, most of them frontier towns. And then Ziph, of which there are two places so called; one besides this in the body of Juda, of which the desert and forest adjoining took name, where David hid himself from Saul. After these are the cities of Esron, Adar, Karkah, and Asemona, or Hatsmon, of no great fame. Turning now from Idumæa towards the north we find the cities of Danna, Shemah, Amam, the other Asor, or Chatsor, Behaloth, and the two Sochoes; of all which, see m Numb. xxi. 3. Josh. xii. 14. Judg. i. 16. n Numb. xxxiv. 3. Deut. viii. 15. Josh. xv. also Carioth, by Josh. xv. 25. called Kerioth: whence Judas the traitor was called Is-carioth, as it were a man of Carioth. Then Hetham the abode of Samson, which Rehoboam reedified. Beyond these, towards the north border, and towards Eleutheropolis, is the city of P Jethar, or Jatthir, belonging to the Levites. In 9 St. Jerome's time it was called Jethira, and inhabited altogether with Christians: near unto this city was that remarkable battle fought between Asa king of Juda and Zara king of the Arabians, who brought into the field a million of fighting men, and was notwithstanding beaten and put to flight; Asa following the victory as far as Gerar, which at the same time he recovered. Not far from Jether standeth Jarmuth, whose king was slain by Joshua, and the city overturned. Next unto it is Maresa, the native city of the prophet Michæa: between it and Odolla, Judas Maccabæus overthrew Gorgias, and sent thence 10,000 drachmas of silver to be offered for sacrifice. s Odolla, or Hadullam, itself was an ancient and magnificent city, taken by Joshua, and the king thereof slain. Jonathan Maccabæus beautified it greatly. Then Ceila, or Keila, afterwards Echela, where David sometime hid himself, and which afterwards he delivered from the assaults of the Philistines: near which the prophet Abacuc was buried; whose monument remained, and was seen by St. Jerome. Near it is Hebron, sometime called the city of Arbah, for which the Vulgar hath Cariatharbe: the reason of this name they give, as if it signified the city of four, because the four patriarchs, Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were therein buried; but of Adam it is but supposed; and it is plain by the places, Josh. xiv. 14. and xv. 13. and xx. 11. that Arbah here doth not signify four, but that it was the • Judg. xv. 8. 1 Chron. xi. 6. Jun. out of the 1 Chron. iv. 32. notes, that this Hetham, though it were within the bounds of Juda, belonged to Si meon. P Josh. xv. 48. q Hieron. in Loc. Hebr. • Gen. xxxviii. 1. Josh. xii. 15. |