Chap. 15.] ACCOTJNT OF COITNTEIES, ETC. 429 



have occasion to 8peak\ 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. Tor this reason 

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

 afford it the opportunity, it discharges itseli' into a lake, by 

 many writers known as Genesara'*, sixteen miles in length 

 and six wide ; which is skirted by the pleasant towns of 

 Julias'^ 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./' 



(16.) Asphaltites^" produces nothing whatever except bitu- 



1 In C. 16 of the present Book. 



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

 line ahnost 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 Genne- 

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



5 The one of the two Bethsaidas, which was situate on the north of 

 the Sea of Tiberias. It was enlarged by Philip the Tetrarch, who greatly 

 beautified it, and changed its name to Julias, in honoiu* of the daughter 

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

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

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

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



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

 name. , 



7 Its ruins are to be seen at El-Kereh, on the south side of the lake. 

 It was strongly fortified, and made a vigorous resistance against the 

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

 tities of fish which were salted there, rdpixoi. 



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

 Herod Antipas, in honour of the Emperor Tiberius. After the destruc- 

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



^ These hot springs are by Josephus called Emmavis, probably a form 

 of the Hebrew name Hammath. Dr. Kobinson, in lus Bibhcal Re- 

 searches, identifies this with the town of Hammath, of the tribe of Naph- 

 thali, mentioned in Joshua xix. 35. ^" From the Greek a<r^aXros. 



