THE ORIGIN OF MECCA, Sec. 39 1 



confirmed by its present name, which is to this day 

 Manbig or Manbeg. We find it also called Bambukeh 

 {^fays) Dambyce) ; and in Niebuhr's Travels it is 

 called Bomb ads che : I supposs for Bomldksche Of Mom- 

 bigz : but this is equally corrupted from Ma'dbbdgd. 

 In the same manner we fay Bombay for Momba ; and 

 what is is called in India Bambu or Pambu, is called 

 Mambu in Thibet. 



The temple of Mabog was frequented by all na- 

 tions ; and amongst them were pilgrims from India, 

 according to Luc 1 an, as cited by the author of the 

 Ancient Univerfal History. 



Mabog, or Hierapo/is, was called also Old Ninus, or 

 Niniveh, accord i ng to A m mianus Marcelunus, 

 and Piiilostratus : and there is no mistake in Di- 

 odorus SicuLusand Ctesias, when they assert that 

 there was a town called Niniveh near the Euphrates. 

 Scripture also seems to place Niniveh thereabout ; for 

 it is said that Rczen was between Niniveh and Calacb. 

 And the situation of Rezen, called also Resaina , by 

 ancient authors, and Razain by the moderns, is well 

 known, as well as that of Calach on the banks of the 

 Lycus, now the Zab, to the eastward of the Tigris. 

 Niniveh, of course, must have been to the westward 

 of these two places, and falls where the Old Ninus is 

 pointed out by Ammianus, Ph 10 stratus, &c. 



Two places of that name are mentioned in theP«- 

 rduds, under the name of Lilast'ban, the sfhdn or 

 place of Li'le'sa or Ninus. There can be no doubt, 

 in my humble opinion, of their identity; for Sami- 

 R a'm a' is obviously S e m i r a m is. Ninus was the son 

 ofBELUs, and, according to the Pard?ids Li'le'sa 



C c 4 sprung 



