432 plist's nattteal htstort. [Book V. 



"by the river Chryson'oos^ wliicli is draAvn off into its 

 meadows and eagerly imbibed; Philadelphia^, and Rha- 

 phana^, all which cities fall back towards Arabia ; Scy- 

 thopolis"* (formerly called Nysa by Father Liber, from his 

 nurse having been buried there), its present name being 

 derived from a Scythian colony which was established 

 there ; Gadara% before which the river Hieromix^ flows ; 

 Hippo, which has been previously mentioned ; Dion^, Pella^, 

 ricli with its waters ; Glalasa^, and Canatha^*'. The Tetrar- 



1 Or the " Golden Eiver." It is uncertain whether this was the 

 Abana or Pharpar, mentioned in 2 Kings v. 12. Strabo remarks, that 

 the waters of the Chrysorroos " are almost entirely consumed in irriga- 

 tion, as it waters a large extent of deep soil." 



2 The ancient Rabbath Ammon, a city of the Ammonites. It was after- 

 wards called Astarte, and then Pliiladelphia, in honour of Ptolemy Phila- 

 delphus. According to D' AnvOle, the present name of its site is Amman. 



3 Thu'ty-three miles from Apamea. Its riiins are probably those 

 mentioned by Abulfeda under the name of Eafaniat. WiUiam of Tyre 

 says, that it was taken in the year 1125 by the Cotmt of Tripoh. 



4 Previously called Beth-shan. It was the next city of the DecapoHs 

 in magnitude after Damascus. It was situate La the land of the tribe of 

 Issachar, though it belonged to the Manasites. At this place the bodies 

 of Said and his sons were hung up by the Philistines ; see 1 Sam. xxxi. 

 10-12. Reland siiggests that it received the name of Scythopohs, not 

 from a Scythian colony, but from the Succoth of Gi-en. xxxiii. 17, which 

 appears to have been in its vicuiity. Its ruins, which still bear the name 

 of Baisan, are very extensive. 



^ Called by Josephus the capital of Persea, and the chief place of the 

 district of the Gadarenes of the Evangehsts. Its rains, about six miles 

 south-east of the Sea of GaUlee, are very extensive. 



^ StiU called the Yarmak, evidently from its ancient name. Hippo 

 has been mentioned in the last Chapter. 



7 Or Dium, between PeUa and Gadara. In later times, this place was 

 included La Roman Arabia. 



s Also called Butis. It was the most southerly of the ten cities which 

 comprised the Decapolis, standing about five miles south of Scythopohs, 

 or Beth-shan. Its exact site seems not to have been ascertamed ; but it 

 has been suggested that it is the modem El-Bujeh. Fi'om. the expression 

 iised by Phny, it would appear to have had mineral waters in its vicuiity. 



9 Of this place notliing is known ; but it is most probable that the 

 Oerasa of Ptolemy and Josephus is meant. According to the former 

 writer, it was thfrty-five miles from PeUa. Its site is marked by ex- 

 tensive ruLas, tliirty-five miles east of the Jordan, known by the name 

 of Gerash, and on the borders of the Great Desert of the Hauvan. Ac- 

 cording to Dr. Keith, tlie ruins bear extensive marks of splendour. 



^^ Ptolemy mentions a city of this name in Coelesyria. 



