J U D JE A. 



385 



JnAei. tween Beersoeja and tae sea coast ; Azotus, or Ashdod, 

 S ~"V < ^ to the we- -heropolis, within a few miles of the 



sea. and the sent of a bishop in the first ages of the 

 Christian church ; Ascalon, a considerable maritime 

 town, above 43 miles south- west of Jerusalem; Gaza, 15 

 miles southward from Ascalon ; and Haphin, between 

 Gaza and Rhinocorura, remarkable for a great battle in 

 it* neighbourhood, in which Philopater, king of Egypt, 

 defeafed Antiochus, kin? uf. Syria. 



--r.i::^ laria, lying between Judira and Galilee, in S2 



15' north latitude, extended along the sea-coast from 

 Joppa to Dora, and along the river Jordan from the 

 rivulet of Alexandrium to the southern extremity 

 of the ea of Tiberias, comprehending the territory 

 of the tribe of Ephraim, of the half-tribe of Ma- 

 aaseh, and part of Issachar. Its principal cities 

 were Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of Israel, 

 north of Sichem, and equally distant from Jordan and 

 the sea-coart, afterwards named Sebarte by Herod, 

 in honour of Augustus ; Jczrael, or Esdraelon, about 

 four leagues north from Samaria ; Sichem, or Sychar, 

 called by. the Romans Neapolis, eight miles south of 

 Samaria, in a valley between the mountains Gerizim 

 and Ebal ; Bethsan, called by the Greek writers Scy- 

 thopolu, about 20 miles north-east of Sichem; Cacsarea 

 of Palestine, anciently railed Turns Stratonis, greatly 

 enlarged by Herod, and long the princip-il city of the 

 province, about 19 leagues north north- west from Je- 

 rusalem ; Dora, now Tartura, nine miles north from 

 Canarea on the road to Tyre ; Apollonia, now Arzuf. on 

 the *ea-coa*t, 22 miles south of Cutarea ; and Hadn- 

 drimmon, afterward* called Maximianopolis, about 17 

 mile* eastward of Ceaarea. 



'. '. CaliUra, in 33* north latitude, hounded on the south 



by Samaria, on the west by the Mediterranean, on the 

 north by Syria, on the east by the river Jordan and 

 the lake Gennezareth, comprehended the possessions of 

 Asher, Naphtali, and Zabnlon, with part of the allot- 

 ment of luachar. The northern division of the pro- 

 vince was thinly inhabited by Jews, and was some- 

 tme* called Galilee of the Gentilr< ; but the southern 

 portion was very populous. Its principal towns were ; 

 Capernaum, at the mirthem extremity of the lake of 

 Gennezareth; Beth.ii<!i, a considerable village a few 

 league* south of ( apernaum ; Cinnereth, south of Beth- 

 saida, rebuilt by Herod Antipas, and named Tiberias ; 

 Tarichara, a considerable town at the efflux of the river 

 Jordan from the seat of Tiberia*, SO stadia south from 

 the town of Til>erias ; Nazareth, two league* north- west 

 1 ount Tabor, and equally distant from the lake of 

 th and the tea-coast ; Arbela, six miles west of 

 rh ; Sepphori, or Dio- Cteaarea, now Sefouri, a 

 large and well fortified town, alxmt five leagues north 

 north-west of i. a strong and 



populous place, 60 stadia south-eaot of Htolemai* ; Acre, 

 or Accon, aeven mile* north from the promontory of 

 Cannel, afterwards enlarged and c.illi-d I'tolemait by 

 Ptoli my I. of Egypt, and in the time of the crusades 

 distinguished by the name of Acre, the hut city pos- 

 aeaaed by the Christians in Syria, and was taken and 

 destroyed by the Sultan Strapha of Egypt in , 

 Krdes, or Cyditau*, a Ix-vitinl city at the lint uf Mount 

 Panuim, 80 miles south-east of Tyre ; Dan, originally 

 Laioh, on the north boundary of the Holy Land, about 

 SO miles south-east eas, near to Dan, or 



according to some, only a different name for the same 

 place, was repaired by Philip, son of Herod the ( 

 and by him named Co-sarea, in honour of Augustus, 

 with' the addition of Philippi, to distinguish it from the 



VOL. XII. FAKT U. 



other town of the same name in Samaria ; Jotapatj, the Juda 

 strongest town in Galilee, about four leagues north s " 

 north-east of Dio-Caesarea ; and Japha and G-isdwla, 

 two other fortified places in the same district. 



Peraea, though the name would denote any extent of 1'eraeic 

 country beyond Jordan, is more particularly applied 

 to that district in 32 North Latitude, which formerly 

 composed the territories of Sihon the Atnmorhite, and 

 Og, king of Bashan, cxending from the river Arnon, 

 (which flows through an extensive plain into the Dead 

 Sea,) to the Mount of Gilead, where the Jordan issues 

 from the sea of Tiberias ; and which fell to the lot of 

 the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half of Manas- 

 </h. This province was about CO miles from north to 

 south, and 40 from east to west. The principal places 

 were, Penuel, on the left of the Jubbok, which forms 

 the northern border of the country ; Succoth, on the 

 banks of the Jordan, a little farther south; Bethabara, 

 a little below Succoth, where was a place of passage 

 over the river ; Amathus, afterwards named Assalt, a 

 strong town below the influx of the torrent Jazer ; Li. 

 via*, between Mount Nebo and the northern extremity 

 of the Dead Sea, a town which was so named by He- 

 rod, in honour of Livia the wife of Augustus; Machtr- 

 rus, a citadel- on a steep rock, south of Livias, near the 

 upper end of the Dead Sea ; Lasa, or Calle-rhoe, cele- 

 brated for its hot-springs, between Machtrrus and the 

 riviT Arnon ; Herodium, a fort built by Herod, a few 

 miles, farther inland ; as a protection against the Moab- 

 ites ; Aroer, n town of Moab, seven leagues east of the 

 Dead Sea ; Castra Amonensia, a Roman station, sup- 

 posed to be the ncii-nt Mephoath, seven leagues north- 

 east of Aroer ; Hesbon, or Esbtis, the capital of Sihon, 

 anciently famed for its fish-pools, seven leagues east 

 from the Joitlan, three from Mount Nebo, and nearly 

 in the centre of the province ; Medaba, now El-Bel- 

 kaa, three leagues south-east of Hesbon ; Jazer, or Ti- 

 ra, a Leritical city on a small lake, five leagues north- 

 east of Hesbon. To the south of Perm, lies a territory 

 called Moabites, the capital of which was Rabbatn 

 Moab, afterward* named Areopolis ; and to the south' 

 west of which was Charac-Moab, or Karak, a fortress 

 on the summit of a hill, at the entrance of a deep vaU 

 ley. 



To the north of Penea were situated several districts, 

 which, as forming part of the kingdom of Judam under 

 Herod the Great, require to be briefly noticed in this 

 account, and which do properly come under the gene- 

 ral name of Perxa, as being situated on the eastward 

 of the rivrr Jordan. These were Galaadites, or Gilea- 

 dites, in 32 20' North Latitude, now Zarca, east from 

 Jordan, and north from the Jabok, containing the cities 

 of Ramoth-Gilead, Mahanaim, Jabesh-Gilead, at the 

 foot of Mount Gilt-ad. Batana?a, anciently Basan, now 

 Kitinia, in ^2" 25' North Latitude, formerly celebrated 

 for it* onk* and pastures, was situated to the north of 

 Galaadiu-*, and contained the cities of Adrea or Edrei, 

 Astaroth, and Bathyra. Gaulonitis, a narrow strip of 

 land between Batantca, and the shore of the Sea of Ti- 

 berias, stretching northward to Mount llermon, and 

 containing Gamala, a strong town near the southern 

 extremity of the sea of Tiberias; Argob, between this 

 sea and mount Hippos; Julias, supposed to be the same 

 as Chorazin, and by others to be Bcthsaida ; and Seleuc- 

 ca, a fortified place on the cast border of Lacus Samo. 

 chonitif. Atiranitis, or Ituraea, a mountainous and bar- 

 ren track north of Hatnna-a, anil bounded on the west 

 by a branch of Mount Hermon, contained Rostra or 

 IJozra, about 50 miles east from the sea of Tiberias, 

 3c 



