Chap. 15.] ACCOUJS^T OP COrNTBIES, ETC. 429 
have occasion to speaks This is a delightful stream, and, 
so far as the situation of the localities will allow of, winds 
along'^ in its course and lingers among the dwellers upon 
its banks. With the greatest reluctance, as it were, it 
moves onward towards Asphaltites^, a lake of a gloomy and 
unpropitious nature, by which it is at last swallowed up, 
and its bepraised waters are lost sight of on being mingled 
with the pestilential streams of the lake. For this reason 
it is that, as soon as ever the valleys through which it runs 
afford it the opportunity, it discharges itself into a lake, by 
many writers known as Grenesara^, sixteen miles in length 
and six wide ; which is skirted by the pleasant towns of 
Julias^ and Hippo^ on the east, of Tarichea^ on the south 
(a name which is by many persons given to the lake itself), 
and of Tiberias^ on the west, the hot springs^ of which are 
so conducive to the restoration of health./' 
(16.) Asphaltites^^ produces nothing whatever except bitu- 
1 In C. 16 of the present Book. 
2 On the contrary, as Parisot observes, the Jordan runs in a straight 
Hne almost into the Dead Sea. 
3 The Lake of Sodom, or the Dead Sea, in which the Cities of the 
Plain were swallowed up. 
In Scripture also called the Lake Tiberias, and the Sea of G-enne- 
sareth, or Chinnereth. It is now called the Sea of Tabariah, or Tabarieh. 
^ The one of the two Bethsaidas, which was situate on the north of 
the Sea of Tiberias. It was enlarged by Philip the Tetrarch, who greatly 
beautified it, and changed its name to Juhas, in honour of the daughter 
of Augustus, the wife of Tiberius. It is generally supposed by the 
learned world, that this was not the Bethsaida mentioned so often in the 
New Testament. Its ruins, are probably those now seen on a hill called 
Et-TeU, on the north-western extremity of the lake. 
^ On the east of the lake. From it the district of Hippene took its 
name. 
7 Its ruins are to be seen at El-Kereh, on the south side of the lake. 
It was strongly fortified, and made a vigorous resistance against the 
Komans in the Jewish War. It received its name from the great quan- 
tities offish which were salted there, rdpixoi. 
Now Tabariah, or Tabarieh, a miserable village. It was built by 
Herod Antipas, in honour of tlie Emperor Tiberius. After the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, it became the seat of the Jewish Sanhedrim. 
^ These hot springs are by Josephus caUed Emmaiis, probably a form 
of the Hebrew name Hammath. Dr. Robinson, in his Bibhcal Re- 
searches, identifies this with the town of Hammath, of the tribe of Naph- 
thaU, mentioned in Joshua xix. 35. From the Grreek dafpaXros^ 
I 
