J O R 



indignation of JnJas Maccliabceus, by a violation of tlieir 

 treaties, and by precipitating 200 Jews into the foa, which 

 induced liiin to fall upon them by furprife in tlic night and 

 to burn all their voffcls. Joppa underwent various revo- 

 lutions until the arrival of Pompcy in Syria, about 64 years 

 before our era. This general rcUrided Jiidea witbm its 

 ancient bounds, and oblijred Hyrcanns to evacuate the 

 towns of PhcEnicia ; but Augultus gave this town to He- 

 rod. In confequence of the revolt of the Jews, Gallns- 

 Cellius, governor of Syria, took it and fet it on fire, AD. 

 66. The Jews made fevcral efforts to re-eitablifli it; but 

 Vefpafian, in the year 67, difpatched a body of troops 

 from Casfarea, who took it without difficulty. The Jews 

 betook thcmfelves for refuge to the lea ; but being befet 

 by a violent temped, more than 4000 of tliem perifhcd. 

 The Romans again deflroyed it. (Jofephus de Bell. Jnd.) 

 The town was fo entirely ruined during the holy war. that 

 it had fcartely any buildings left flanding but the old raftle, 

 jituated on an eminence above it, and ai.othcr near the fea- 

 Me. The town was afterwards rebuilt towards the lea 

 «ith good itore-houfes ; and is now called Jnjpi, or I'lj/ii, 

 rvhich fee. 



Joppa, in Geography, a fiuall town of America, in Har- 

 ford county, Maryland ; 20 miles E. by N. of Baltimore. 



JORBORG, a town of Saitiogitia, on the Niemcit ; 20 

 miles S. of Rolicnne. 



J O R 



JORDAENS, jACon, in Biography, a painter of hif- 

 tory and per; raits, poflelfed of yery fuperior abilitie.i in his a plain and defert of about 60 mi 

 art, was born at Antwerp in 1594. He lirll Itudicd with 

 Adan Van Oort, whofe daughter he married at an early 

 period of his life ; but it was to Rubens he Hood indebted 

 for the principal part of his knowledge ; though it is du- 

 bious whether he ever was admitted into the fchool of that 

 mailer. Certain it is, however, that he more forcibly car- 

 ried into effect his principles than any of his difciples, ex- 

 cept Vandyke. 



It is faid by Sandrart, that Rubens was jealous of him, and 

 if fo great a man were capable of that mean paflion, certainly 

 the talents of Jordaens might well excite it. He painted 

 with almoil incredible force and brilliancy. Neither Rubens 

 nor Tintoretto, in that refpect, excel him ; his compolitions 



delightful country, fo well adapted for comfflerce, that marts 

 and fairs are held in the adjacent places through the fiunmer 

 by the neighbouring inh.abitants. The etymology of the 

 name lias been varioufly afTigned. .Jordan, in Hebrew Jar- 

 il.ii, is derived from jcrad, defcaid'it, or jaiden, df/cenfus, 

 from its rapid defcent thrcujih that country. This origin 

 is more prob<ible than feveral others whicii have been given 

 by different writers. Some fay that it is formed (vf the 

 oriental lor, a ftreani, and Dan, a town, near which it 

 had its fource. Hardouiti fays that this name lignifies the 

 " river of delight," or the '" deli!;htfi;l river." Others 

 fay, that dan or dun figiiiiies depth, whence it was named 

 the " deep river," to diilinguilll it from others in Palefline, 

 all which were comparatively brooks or rivulets. The 

 Arabs call it Arden or Harden, or Ordounon ; the Per- 

 fians, Aerdun ; and the Nubian geograplKT Edrifi gives it 

 the name of Zacchar, which, in Arabic, iignifies fwelling or 

 overflowing. Jordan is fo confiderable, in comparifon with 

 others, that it is fometimcs (lykd, by way of emphaiir., 

 " the river." The courfe of tlie Jordan is moltly tViuth- 

 ward, bending a few degrees towards the well. After a 

 mil of about ten or twelve miles, it pafi'es quite through 

 the Samachonite lake, whence, after a courfe of about 

 eighteen or twenty miles more, e.v^lulive of its windings, 

 it enters into the tea of Tiberias on the N. fide, and comeK 

 out again on the S. fide, at a fmall diftance froin a city of 

 that name. Thence it proceeds Kill fouth-weflward through 

 and falls into the 

 Af'phaltite lake. Its courfe is very rapid, though its bed 

 is deep. Pocccke compares its breadth to that of the 

 Thames at Windlbr. Shaw gives it only ^o yards, wliillt 

 lie ilates its depth, even at its brink, to be three yards. Its 

 banks are cccalionally beautiful, and in fomc places covered 

 with high and thick reeds, canes, and trees, fuch as willows 

 and tamarilics, wliich aflbrd a convenient lodgment for lions 

 and other wild bcalls. This river, it is faid, conftant'y 

 overflowed its banks about the time of the early harvL-ll, in- 

 foon after Eailer ; and in this refpcft ditl'ered fjom other 



hich 



ly fwell moll during th. 



This 



are full of bufUe, and deligned with great truth, even 

 grandeur of form. His defeft (and it mull be allowed 

 thit it is a great one, in an art wliofc principal end is to 

 adorn, to improve, to pieafe mankind) is groffnefs of fub- 

 je£l and of form ; not indecent, but vulgar, low common 

 life. 



His power to give rotundity and relief to his llgures, is 

 amazing ; and his execution is of the moll mafterTy kind. 



The French have pofTelfed themfelves of many of his 

 principal works ; two are particularly noticeable in the 

 gallery of the Louvre, the Fiemifli celebration of Twelfth 

 night, known by the appellation of " I.,e Roi bolt," and 

 Cliriil driving the money-changers from tlie temple. 



He was remarkab'e for the rapidity of his execution, 

 a.id appears to have iludied his, figures and eflecls by candle 

 light, or in bright nm-ihiiic. Having obtained great re- 

 nown and fuccefs, he died in 1678. 



JORDAN, in ytucient Geoj;rtiphy, the chief river of Pa- 

 lefline, which Iiad its fource in the lake of Pliiala, about 10 

 miles N. of that of Saniachon ; which origin of the river 

 was afcertained by Philip the tetrarch, who made the ex- 

 periment of throwing fome ilraw or chaff into the lake, 

 which came out at the Panion, or Paneas, where the river 

 emerges out of the earth, after having run about 120 fur- 

 longs under ground. This lake Pliiala, a name commonly 

 given to all other refenoirs of that kind, is iituated in a moll 



rivers, 



inundation has been afcribed to its fubterrancous communi 

 cation with the Nile. But it is more probably owing to 

 the melting of the tnows about that time, and the early rain 

 which falls in great abundance. Modern travellers inform 

 Ua, that It is no longer fubjec^ t* thefe overflowings : becaufe, 

 as they conceive, it has, by the rapidity of its current, worn 

 its channel deeper than formerly, or, perhaps, diverted fome 

 of its waters another way. Its water is c mmonly very 

 turbid, o,;calioiied by its rapidity ; but it is faid to be very 

 wholefonie and incorruptible : and fuperllition has even i.i- 

 velled it with the property ot wafiiing awav the lins of muii- 

 kind. Dr. Pococke, who mentions this circumllance, adds, 

 that not only men, but women, are ambitious of deriving 

 benefit from thcfe falutiferous waters, by bathing and fwim- 

 ming in it, even at the hazard of tlieir lives. The I^atii! 

 prielis ereft altars along its banks, where they fay mal's to 

 the devout pilgrims. We (liall only add, that the j-lain im 

 both lides of this river, from the fea of Tiberias to the Al- 

 phaltite or Dead fea, is very dry, fultry, and infalubrious 

 during the heat of fummer, and every where barren, except 

 in that part which lies near the ri\er, and is watered by it. 

 Anc. Uii. Hill. vol. ii. 



JORDEN, EiiwAiin, M. D. in Bkgraphy, was born in 

 the year 1569, at High Halden, in Kent, and probably 

 educated at Hart-hall, Oxford. After completing his fludiJs 

 in his own country, he travelled abroad, viiiting feveral fo- 

 reign univerlities, and taking his degree of dodtor in that of 

 Padua. On his reluni, he pradifcd for a tin.e ia I^ondon, 



where 



