( i68 
wherein. they were overflowed T^y the Rain- Waters, were 
the Bed thereof ; which may, poflTibly, ru*n With a coa-^ 
ilantftream in the Winter or tirnes of niudi Rain : But 
|his (as the Rivers Aleppo and Damafcus at 'this day) 
\is macje by Ptolemy , to haVQ tiO exit ; tut to go off in 
^Vapour, and to be inibibed by the thirfty Earth of theft 
Pefarts. 
The j:£ra or Accompt of Years obferved by the Pal 
myreni in thefe Infcriptions, is evidently that <^f Seleucus^ 
call'd afterwards Dhilcarnaln or Bicornu hy the Ara- 
lians^ and by them kept in ufe till above 900 Years of 
Chrtjl (as appears by the Obfervations of Alhatini^ 
pubhflied in Numh. x04. of thefe Trajifa^ionSy) and not 
that of the Death of Alexander. This m^y be demon- 
ftrated from the Infcription Cf^i- 9/0 wherein Alex- 
ander Sever us is ftiled 06OC ; that is, after the Death 
^and. Ccnfecraticn of that Emperor, or after the Year 
^of our Lord 234 ; and from the Name of JulinSi who, 
when this Infcription was put up, ^'as Prafeflus Pr£torh^ 
(and could be no other than Julius PhilippHS Arals who 
might be efleemed by the Taimyr eni as their Country- 
man,) it follows, that it was in the lafk Year of Gordian^ 
Anno Qhrifli 241 or 245 : And that Emperor being 
(bon after murder'd by the Treachery of this Philip^Nho 
fucceeded him : and his Treafon coming afterwards to 
light, 'tis not ftrange that bis Name was purpofely effaced 
in this Infcription. The Date thereof , 4, fhews 
the beginning of this Accompt 31 1 or 3 Years before 
ChriBf coincident with the !Mra of Seleucus, which was 
likewife obferved by feveral other Cities in theEaft. 
I lhall not undertake the part of aCritick on thefe In- 
fcriptions, but chufe rather to leave them to the more 
profeffediy skilful in that part of Learning, and /hall 
only make fbme few Remarks on them, fuch as occurred 
whilft dif.y p.fl through my hands. ' 
That 
