:

principality but David having overthrown Hadadezer king of Sophena, (otherwise Syria, Soba, or Zobah,) Razon, or Rezon, with the remainder of that broken army, invaded Damascena, and possessed Damascus itself, and became an enemy to Solomon all his life.

The next king of Damascus was Adad the Edomite, who flying into Egypt from David and Joab, when they slew all the males in Edom, was there entertained, and married Taphnes the king of Egypt's wife's sister, of whom Taphnes in Egypt was so called. This Adad returning again became an enemy to Solomon all his life, and (as some writers affirm) invaded Damascus, and thrust Rezon thence out. In the line of Adad that kingdom continued nine descents, (as hereafter may be shewed in the catalogue of those kings of Syria,) to whom the Assyrians and then the Grecians succeeded. This city was exceeding strong, compassed with waters from the rivers of Abanah and Parphar; whereof one of those profane writers call Chrysorrhoas, the golden river. Junius takes it for Adonis. The country adjoining is very fruitful of excellent wines and wheats, and all manner of excellent fruits. It had in it a very strong castle built, as it seems, by the Florentines after it became Christian; the lilies being found cut in many marbles in that citadel. Against this city the prophets $ Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zacharias prophesied that it should be taken, burnt, demolished, and made a heap of stones. In the time of the last Rezon, and tenth king of the Damascenes, Teglatphalassar, invited by Achaz king of Juda, carried away the naturals of Damascus into the east, leaving of his own nation to inhabit it. After that it was utterly ruined by the Babylonians, saith Jerome upon Isaiah xvii.; which thing was performed by Salmanasar, according to Junius in his note upon that place, five years after the prophecy. In time it was restored by the Macedonians and the Ptolomies; but long after, when Syria fell into the hands of the

1 Kings xi. 40. P1 Kings xi. 92 Kings v.

S

r Herold. 6. Bell. Sacr.

si. iii. viii. x. and xvii. xlix. and ix. 2 Kings xvi.

Romans, it was taken by u Metellus and Lollius. In the time of the Christians it had an archbishop: St. Jerome living, as he affirmeth upon the Acts, it was the metropolis of the Saracens, being taken by Haomar their king from the Romans, in the year of our redemption 636. And in the year 1147, Conrad the third, emperor of Rome, Lewis king of France, Baldwin the third king of Jerusalem, Henry duke of Austria, brother to Conrad, Frederick Barbarossa, afterwards emperor, Theodorick earl of Flanders, and other princes assembled at Ptolomais Acon, on the sea-coast, determined to recover Damascus; but being betrayed by the Syrians, they failed of the enterprise.

In the year 1262, Halon the Tartar encompassed it, and having formerly taken the king brought him under the walls, and threatened extreme torture unto him, except the citizens surrendered the place; but they refusing it, the zking was torn asunder before them, and in fine, the city taken, Agab the son of Halon was by his father made king thereof.

In the year a 1400, Tamberlaine, emperor of the Parthians, invaded that region, and besieged the city with an army of 1,200,000, (if the number be not mistaken.) He entered it, and put all to the sword, filling the ditch with his prisoners; those that retired into the castle, which seemed a place impregnable, he overtopped with another castle adjoining; he forbore the demolishing of the city in respect of the beauty of the church, garnished with forty gates or sumptuous porches. It had within it 9000 lanterns of gold and silver; but while he invaded Egypt, they again surprised Damascus. Lastly, in his return, after three months siege, he forced it; the Mahometans, prostrating themselves with their priests, desired mercy; but Tamberlaine commanding them to enter the church, he burnt them and it, to the number of 30,000, and did so demolish it, as those that came afterwards to see their houses knew them not by the foundations. And as

u

Joseph. Ant. 4.

* Onuphrius in Chron.

y Vitr. c. 46. Will, Tyr. Bell. Sac.

1. 17. c. 1. 23. 4. 5.

z Herold. Bell. Sac. 4. c. 14.

a Herold. 1. 6. c. 4.

a trophy of his victory, he raised three towers with great art, built with the heads of those whom he had slaughtered. After this it was restored and repossessed by the soldan of Egypt, with a garrison of Mammalukes. And in the year 1517, Selimus, emperor of the Turks, wrested it out of the hands of the Egyptians; in whose possession it now remaineth, inhabited with Mahometans and Christians of all neighbouring nations.

Of the first kings of Damascus, and of the growing up of their

power.

NOW be it that Damascus were founded by Hus the son of Aram, or by Damascus the son of Eliezer, Abraham's steward, we find no relation of their kings or commonwealth till David's time. For it stood without the bounds of Canaan, and therefore neglected by Moses, Joshua, and the Judges, as impertinent to that story; but were it so, that it had some reguli, or petty kings over it, as all the cities of those parts had, yet none of them became famous, for ought that is left to writing, till such time as David overthrew Adadezer prince of Sophena, or Syria Zoba; the same nation which b Pliny calleth Nubæi, inhabiting between Batanea and Euphrates. Now the better to understand the story of those Syrian princes, whom soon after the kings of Damascus made their vassals, the reader may inform himself, that on the north-east parts of the Holy Land there were three chief principalities, whereof the kings or commanders greatly vexed or disturbed the state or commonwealth of Israel, namely, Damascus or Aram, Sophena or Syria Zoba, and Chamath or Chamath Zoba, of which these were the princes in David's and Solomon's times: Razon, or Rezon, of Damascus, Adadezer of Syria Zoba, and Tohu of Chamath. But it seemeth that Damascus was one of the cities subject to Adadezer when David invaded him, though when Saul made war against Zoba Damascus was not named. And, as Josephus affirmeth, the leader of those succours, which were c1 Sam. xiv. 47.

b Plin. l. 6. c. 28.

с

levied and sent to Hadad-Hezar from Damascus, had the name of Adad, who was in that battle slain with d 22,000 Aramites of Damascus; whereof, as of the overthrow of Adadezer, Rezon, the commander of his army, taking advantage, made himself king of Damascus; Adadezer and e Adad of Damascus being both slain. About the same time Tohu, king of Chamath or Iturea, hearing that his neighbour and enemy Adadezer was utterly overthrown, sendeth for peace to David, and presented him with rich gifts, but in dolo, saith St. Jerome, it was craftily done of him. Now to the north of the Holy Land, and to the west of Damascus, the Tyrians and Zidonians inhabited; but they for the most part were in league and peace with the Judeans and Israelites. But to return to the kings of Syria; I mean of Syria as it is taken in the scriptures, containing Damascena, Soba or Zoba, and Chamath or Iturea, to which I may add Geshur, because it is so accounted in 2 Sam. xv. as joining in the territory to Damascus, (for Syria at large is far greater, of which Palestina itself is but a province, as I have noted in the beginning of this tract.) It is not agreed among the historians of former times, nor of our latter writers, who was the first of those Adads of Syria Zoba and Da

mascus.

Some account Rezon, other Adad of Idumæa; of whom it is written in the 1st of Kings, that David having invaded that region, and left Joab therein to destroy all the male children thereof, Adad, of the king's seed, fled into Egypt, and was there married to Taphnes the queen's sister, as before; who hearing of David's death, and of the death of his captain Joab, (whom indeed all the bordering nations feared,) he returned again, and, as Bunting thinketh, this Adad did expel Rezon out of Damascus, and was the first of the Syrian kings. To me it seemeth otherwise. For, as I take it, f Adadezer the son of Rehob, whom Saul invaded, was the founder of that principality; and the first of Adads, who, forsaking his father's name as he grew powerful, took upon him the style of Adad, the great god of the Assyrians, saith 1 Kings xi. f 2 Sam. viii. 3, 12. 1 Sam. xiv. 47.

d 2 Sam. viii. e

Macrobius, which signifieth oneness or unity. I also find a city called Adada in the same part of Syria; of which whether these princes took the name or gave it, I am ignoFor Adad-ezer, Ben-adad, Eli-adad were the same in name, with the differences of Ezer, Ben, and Eli adjoined. And that Adadezer was of greatest power, it appeareth, first, because it is against him that David undertook the war; secondly, because he levied 22,000 Aramites out of the territory of Damascus, as out of his proper dominions; for had the Damascenes had a king apart, it is probable that the scriptures would have given us his name; thirdly, because Syria Zoba, of the most of which Adadezer was king, was an exceeding large territory, and contained of Arabia the Desert as far as to Euphrates, according to 5 Pliny, and the greatest part of Arabia Petræa, according to Niger. Whosoever was the first, whether Adadezer or Adad of Idumæa, Rezon was the second; who was an enemy to Israel all the days of Solomon. Besides, the evil that Adad did seemeth to be referred to Hadad of Idumæa, lately returned out of Egypt, to wit, twenty-three years after he was carried

thither.

The third king of Damascus, and of Zobah both, was Hezion; to Hezion succeeded Tabrimmon, or Tabremmon; to him Benhadad, as is proved in 1 Kings xv. 18. For Asa king of Juda, the son of Abiam, the son of Roboam, the son of Solomon, being vexed and invaded by Baasha, the successor of Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, sent to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, that dwelt at Damascus, to invade Israel, (while Baasha sought to fortify Rama against Asa; thereby to block him up, that he should not enter into any of the territories of Israel,) who, according to the desire of Asa, having received his presents, willingly invaded the country of Nephtalim, and took divers cities and spoils thence; Asa in the mean while carrying away all the materials which Baasha had brought to fortify Rama withal, and converted them to his own use.

Plin. l. 6. c. 18.

h

I Kings xi.

i 1 Kings xv. 18.