Chap. 17.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, ETC. 
433 
cLies^ lie between and around these cities, equal, each of 
them, to a kingdom, and occupying the same rank as so 
many kingdoms. Their names are, Trachonitis^, Panias^, 
in which is Csesarea, with the spring previously mentioned*, 
Abila^, Arca^, Ampeloessa^, and Gabe,^. 
CHAP. 17. (19.) — PHOENICE. 
"We must now return to the coast and to Phoenice. There 
was formerly a town here known as Crocodilon ; there is still 
a river ^ of that name : Dorum^^ and Sycaminon^^ are the names 
^ So called from having been originally groups of four principalities, held 
by princes who were vassals to the Koman emperors, or the kings of Syria. 
2 Containing the northern district of Palestine, beyond the Jordan, 
between Antihbanus and the mountains of Arabia. It was bounded on 
the north by the territory of Damascus, on the east by Auranitis, on the 
south by Itursea, and on the west by G-aulanitis. It was so called from 
its ranges of rocky moimtains, or rjoaxoJj/es, the caves in which gave 
refuge to numerous bands of robbers. 
3 So called from the mountain of that name. Ceesarea PhiUppi also 
bore the name of Panias. It was situate at the south of Mount Hermon, 
on the Jordan, just below its source. It was built by PhiHp the Tetrarch, 
B.C. 3. King Agrippa called it Neronias ; but it soon lost that name. 
In C. xiv. of the present Book, as that in which the Jordan takes 
its rise. ^ A place of great strength in Coele-Syria, now 
known as Nebi Abel, situate between Heliopolis and Damascus. 
6 Situate between Tripohs and Antaradus, at the north-west foot of 
Mount Libanus. It lay within a short distance of the sea, and was 
famous for the worship paid by its inhabitants to Astarte, the Syrian 
Aphrodite. A temple was, erected here to Alexander the Grreat, in 
which Alexander Severus, the Roman Emperor, was born, his parents 
having resorted thither to celebrate a festival, a.d. 205. From this cir- 
cumstance, its name was changed to Csesarea. Burckhardt fixes its site 
at a hill called Tel-Arka. 
7 Of this place, which probably took its name from its numerous 
vines, nothing whatever is known. 
^ Called by Phny, in B. xii. c. 41, Grabba. It was situate at the foot 
of Mount Carmel between Csesarea and Ptolemais, sixteen miles from 
the former. No remains of it are to be seen. It must not be con- 
founded with Gabala, in Grahlee, fortified by Herod the Grreat. 
y The town was situate between Csesarea and Ptolemais. The river 
has been identified with the modern Nahi -el-Zerka, in which, according 
to Pococke, crocodiles have been found. 
Called Dor, before the conquest of Canaan by the Israehtes. See 
Joshua xvii. 11, and Judges i. 27. It afterwards belonged to the half- 
tribe of Manasseh. Its site is now called Tortura. 
Its site is now called Atlik, according to D' Anville. Parisot suggests 
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