Parti. 
Travels into the huv ant. 
CHAP. LVI. 
The way hy Land from Jerulalem to Nazareth. 
ONE may Travel by Land from Jerufdem to Naz^areth, and befides jj^^ 
avoiding the dangers tiiat offer by Sea, fee a great many other curious Land from' 
places 5 but, (as I have already faid ) the Arabs exad fuch unresfonable Caffares Jerufhim to 
upon the Road, that few go that way at prefent , however I fiiall fet ic down ^Hf"^- 
in this Place. 
Parting from Jerufdem after Dinner, you come to Lodge at Elbir ; there E.Wir. 
there is a very curious Village ftandingupon a height, and Inhabited by a few 
People. There isalfo a Church half ruined, which was heretofore a fair Fabrick : 
The Walls that yet ftand are of great Flints. They fay that this was the 
place where the blelfed Virgin loft her dear Son Jef^f^ and therefore returned 
to Jemfdetn, where (he found him in the Temple Difputing with the Doctors. 
Next day you Lodge at Nafloufe^ Travelling all the way over Hills and Dales, Naploufi^ 
which are neverthelefs Fruitful, and in many places bear plenty of Olive- Trees. 
Na^oufe is the Town which in holy Scripture is called Sichm-, near to which shhm. 
Jacob and his Family moft frequently Lived ; it ftands partly on the fide, and 
partly at the foot of a Hill. The Soil about it is fertile, and yields Olives in 
abundance. The Gardens are full of Orange and Citron-Trees, watered by 
a River and fundry Brooks. About one hundred paces from the Town towards 
the £^2/, there is a fpring under a Vault, which difcharges its water into a 
refervatory of one entire piece of Marble, ten fpans long, five broad, and as 
much in height: in the front there are fome Foliages arad Rofes cut in Relief 
upon the Marble. , About half a quarter of a League from thence, ( upon the 
Road from Jerfifdem ) is the Well of the Sa?naritan^ as the Chriftians of thejj^g ^^jj 
Country fay who keep it covered with great Stones, leaft the Turks (hould fill the smAri- 
it up. When thefe Stones are removed, you go down into a Vault by a little r-^"?. 
hole, oppofite to the mouth of the Well ^ and there another great Stone is 
to be removed, before you come at the Well, which is fixteen fathom deep, 
Cimented narrow at the top, and wide at the bottom. Over the aforefaid 
Vault, there are fome ruines of the Buildings of a Village j two little Pillars 
are to be feen ftill ftanding, and many Olive-Trees all round. Near to that 
is the portion of Land which Jacob gave to his Son Jofe];ih ; it is a very plea- 
fant place, and his Sepulchre is in it. Mount Gerez.//« ( mentioned in holy Mount Gm- 
Scripture ) is on the right hand as you go to that Well. There is a Chappei xm. 
at the foot of this Mountain, where the Samaritans heretofore worlhipped an 
Idol. On the South fide of the Town there is another Mount, called in Arabick 
Elmaida, that is to fay Table, where f they fayj our Lord relied himfelf being stei^^. 
weary upon the Road: There is a Cuftiion of the fame Stone raifed upon the 
Rock ftill to be feen, and fome prints of Hands and Feet ; and they lay,' that 
in times paft, the figure of our Lords whole Body was to bedifcerned upon it : 
This is a pleafant place, having a full profped of the Town. To the Weft 
of it there is a Mofque, heretofore a Church, built upon the fame ground where 
the Houfe of Jacob ftood ■■, on the other fide there is a ruinated Church, built Tlie Houfe srf 
in honour of St. Jolra Baptift. In this Town Travellers pay a Caff are. Next 'S't^'^ob. 
day after an hour and an halfs travel, you ftriké off the high Road to the right, 
if you would fee the Town of Sebafis ftanding upon a little Hill, about half a seba/te. 
League vjidt of the Road, where you ftill fee great ruins of Walls, and feveral 
Pillars both ftanding and lying upon the Ground, with a fair large Church, 
fome of it ftill ftanding upon lovely Marble-Pillars : The high Altar on the Eaft 
end muft have been very fine, by what may be judged from the Dome which 
covers it, and is ftill in order, faced with Marble-Pillars, whofe Capitals are 
moft Artfully fafliioned, and adorned with Mofaick Painting, which was builc 
by St. H^/e^ as the People of the Country fay J. This Church at prefent is 
divided into two parts, of which the Mahometans hold the one, and the 
Ghriftians 
