432 PLunr's ITATTJEAL HTSTOET. [Book y. 



by the river Chrysorroos\ which is drawn off into its 

 meadows and eagerly imbibed; Philadelphia^, and E-ha- 

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

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

 nui'se 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', 

 rich with its waters ; Galasa', and Canatha'". The Tetrar- 



* 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 Eabbath Ammon, a city of the Ammonites. It was after- 

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

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



3 Thirty-three miles from Apamea. Its ruins are probably those 

 mentioned by Abulfeda imder the name of Rafianiat. William of Tyre 

 says, that it was taken in the ye^ 1125 by the Count of Tripoh. 



* Previously called Beth-shau. It was the next city of the DecapoUs 

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

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

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

 10-12. Rcland suggests that it received the name of ScythopoHs, not 

 from a Scythian colony, but from the Succoth of Gen. xxxiii. 17, which 

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

 of Baisan, are very extensive. 



5 Called by Josephus the capital of Pertea, and the chief place of the 

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

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



8 Still called the Yarmak, evidently from its ancient name. Hippo 

 has been mentioned in the last Chapter. 



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

 included in Roman Arabia. 



8 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 ascertained ; but it 

 has been suggested that it is the modem El-Bujeh. From the expression 

 used by Pliny, it would appear to have had mineral waters in its vicinity. 



8 Of this place nothing is known ; but it is most probable that the 

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

 vmter, it was thirty-five miles from Pella. Its site is marked by ex- 

 tensive ruins, thirty-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, the ruins bear extensive marks of splendour, 



^ Rolemy mentions a city of this name in Coelesyria. 



