Chap. 17.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTEIES, ETa 433 



cbies* lie between and around these cities, equal, each of 

 them, to a kingdom, and occupying the same rank as so 

 many kingdoms. Their names are, Trachonitis^, Panias^, 

 in wiiich is Caesarea, with the spring previously mentioned*, 

 Abila*, Arca^, Ampeloessa', and Gabe,*. 



Chap. 17. (19.) — pucenice. 



We must now return to the coast and to Phoenice. There 

 was formerly a town here known as Crocodilon ; there is still 

 a river' of that name : Dorum^" and Sycaminon" are the names 



^ So called from having been originally groups of four principalities, held 

 by princes who were vassals to the Roman emperors, or the kings of Syria. 



'^ Containing the northern district of Palestine, beyond the Jordan, 

 between Antihbanus and the mountains of Arabia. It was bounded on 

 the north by the territory of Damascus, on the east by Auranitis, on the 

 south by Iturffia, and on the west by Qtiulanitia. It was so called from 

 its ranges of rocky moimtains, or rpax^ves, the eaves in which gave 

 refuge to numerous bands of robbers. 



3 So called from the mountain of that name. Csesarea Philippi also 

 bore the name of Panias. It was situate at the south of Mount Hermon, 

 on the Jordan, just below its source. It was built by Phihp the Tetrarch, 

 B.C. 3. King Agrippa called it Neronias ; but it soon lost that name. 



* In C. xiv. of the present Book, as that in which the Jordan takes 

 its rise. * A place of great strength in Coele-Syria, now 

 known as Nebi Abel, situate between Hehopolis and Damascus. 



* Situate between TripoUs and Antaradus, at the north-west foot of 

 Mount Libanus. It lay witliin a short distance of the sea, and was 

 fiamous for the worship paid by its inhabitants to Astarte, the Syriari 

 Aphrodite. A temple was erected here to Alexander the Great, in 

 which Alexander Severus, the Roman Emperor, was bom, his parents 

 having resorted thither to celebrate a festival, a.d. 205. From this cir- 

 cumstance, its name was changed to Caesarea. Burckhardt fixes its site 

 at a hill caUed Tel-Arka. 



7 Of tliis place, which probably took its name fi^m its numerous 

 vines, nothing whatever is known. 



* Called by Pliny, in B. xii. c. 41, Gabba. It was situate at the foot 

 of Mount Carmel between Csesarea and Ptolemais, sixteen miles from 

 the former. No remains of it are to be seen. It must not be con- 

 founded with Gabala, in Gtihlee, fortified by Herod the Great. 



" The town was situate between Csesarea and Ptolemais. The river 

 has been identified with the modem Nahi-el-Zerka, in which, according 

 to Pococke, crocodiles have been found. 



*" Called Dor, before the conquest of Canaan by the Israehtes. See 

 Joshua xvii. 11, and Judges i. 27. It afterwards belonged to the half- 

 tribe of Manasseh. Its site is now called Tortura. 



" Its site is now called Atlik, according to D' Anville. Parisot suggests 

 TOL. I. 2 E 



