m Syria^ Phoenice Sfr. ^27 



The moft confiderable of the Rivers, which run through ^}-^^^ *^=' 

 the Jeune, is the Akher^ called fo perhaps from a City of the 

 fame Name it runs by. The latter is fituated upon Mount Bar- 

 gylus about nine Leagues to the S. E. oiTortofa, and muft 

 have been formerly as noted for It's Strength, Extent and 

 Beauty, as it is at prefent for the Goodnefs and Perfection of 

 the yiprkots. Teaches, Neolarines, and other Fruit which it 

 produceth. Akker may probably be theAer ( i. e. ibe Qij) which is 

 mentioned in the Book of Anos (9. 7.) and elfewhere in Scri- 

 pture, where it is laid, Have tiot I hr ought up Ifrael out of the 

 Land of Egypt and the Philiftines from Caphtor, and Aram 

 fromY^QY\ where the fimple reading of ^/v??;?, without the 

 Diftin6lion of Tadan, or Naharaim, may induce us to believe 

 that Ker was of Syria or Aram, properly fo called, and not 

 of Media or Mefopotamia, the Tadan Aram and the Aram 

 Naharaim of the Scriptures. 



About a League and a half from the River Akker and^'™"''' '^' 

 eight to the S. S. Ε. otTortofa, there are other Ruins, ftilHf''' "/ "^^ 



, rr>7 Zemantes. 



known by the Ν ame ot Sumrah. Thefe may be very well taken 

 for the Remains of the antient Simyra or Taximyra as Straho 

 calls it, the Seat formerly of the Zemarites. Tliny ' makes 

 Simyra a City of Ccele- Syria, and acquaints us at the fame Time 

 that Mount Lihanus ended there to the Northward : but as our 

 Sumrah lyeth in the Jeune, at leaft two Leagues diftant from 

 any Part of that Mountain, this Circumftance, will better fall 

 in with Area, where that long Chain of Mountains is remark- 

 ably broken oif and difcontinued. 



Five Miles from Sumrah to the Eaftward, are the Ruins Ark-a, the 

 of the antient Λχα, the City of the Arkites , the Offspring ASki'^' 

 likewife of Canaan. It is built over againft the Northern Ex- 

 tremity of Mount Lihanus, in a moft delightful Situation: 

 having a Profpeol to the Northward of an extenfive Plain, di- 

 verfifyed with an infinite Variety of Caftles and Villages, Ponds 

 and Rivers; to the Weft ward, it feeth, the Sun fet in the Sea, 

 and, to the Eaftward, rife over a long and diftant Chain of 

 Mountains. Here likewife are not wanting Thebaic Columns 

 and rich Entablatures to atteft for the Splendour and Polite- 

 nefs that it was fometime poflefled of The Citadel was ereol- 



I A tcrgo ejus (Sidotih) raons Libunus orfus, mille quingentis ftadii? Shnyram ufqiie por- 

 rigitur, qui Cxle Sjria cognominatur. Plin. ibid. 



Ν η Π η X ed 



