Chap. 15.] ACCOUNT OF COTTNTEIES, ETC. 429 



have occasion to speak'. This is a delightful stream, and, 

 so far as the situation of the localities will allow of, winds 

 along- in its course and lingers among the dwellers upon 

 its banks. "With the greatest reluctance, as it were, it 

 moves onward towards Asphaltites^, a lake of a gloomy and 

 unpropitious nature, by which it is at last swallowed up, 

 and its bepraised waters are lost sight of on being mingled 

 with the pestilential streams of the lake. For this reason 

 it is that, as soon as ever the valleys through which it runs 

 aftbrd it the opportimity, it discharges itsell' into a lake, by 

 many writers known as Genesara^, sixteen miles in lengtli 

 and six wide ; which is skirted by the pleasant to^vns of 

 Jidias^ and Hippo^ on the east, of Tarichea'' on the south 

 (a name which is by many persons given to the lake itself), 

 and of Tiberias^ on the west, the hot springs^ of which are 

 so conducive to the restoration of health. r 



(IG.) Asphaltites'" produces nothing whatever except bitu- 



1 In C. 16 of the present Book. 



- On the contrary, as Parisot observes, the Jordan runs in a straight 

 Hnc abnost into the Dead Sea. 



3 The Lake of Sodom, or the Dead Sea, in which the Cities of the 

 Plain were swallowed up. 



•^ In Scripture also called the Lake Tiberias, and the Sea of G-ennc- 

 sareth, or Chinnereth. It is now called the Sea of Tabariah, or Tabarieh. 



* Tlie one of the two Bethsaidas, which was situate on the north of 

 the Sea of Tiberias. It was enlarged by Pliilip the Tctrarch, who greatly 

 beautified it, and changed its name to Jidias, in honour of the daugliter 

 of Augustus, the wife of Tiberius. It is generally supposed by the 

 learned world, that this was not the Bethsaida mentioned so often in tlio 

 New Testament. Its ruins are probably those now seen on a liill called 

 Et-TeU, on the north-western extremity of the lake. 



'"' On the east of the lake. From it the district of Hippene took its 

 name. 



' Its ruins arc to be seen at El-Kereh, on the south side of the Jake. 

 It was strongly fortified, and made a vigorous resistance agamst tho 

 Komans in the Jewish War. It received its name from the great quan- 

 tities of fish which were salted there, raptx"'- 



Now Tabariah, or Tabarieh, a miserable village. It was built by 

 Ilcrod Antipas, m honour of tlie Emperor Tiberius. After the destruc- 

 tion of Jerusalem, it became the seat of the Jewish Sanhedrim. 



3 These hot springs are by Josephus called Emmaiis, ]irobably a form 

 of the Hebrew name Ilammath. Dr. Robinson, in his Biblical Re- 

 Bcarehes, identifies tliis with the to^\^l of llaiumatli, of the tribe of Naph- 

 thah, mentioned in Joshua xix. 35. "^ From the Greek datpaXros, 



