Chap. II. 5/ Benjamin de Tudela. <5.53 
for the fake of Plunder* and what they can carry away ; they 
conftantly take with them Bread, Rice, dried Raifins, and 
Figs. Thefe they throw in large Quantities among the 
haif-familhed Blacks, whom, while they fcramble for them 
like Dogs, they feize and carry away Prifoners, and fell 
them in Egypt , and other Countries. Thefe are the Ne- 
groes, or Black Slaves, the Pofterity of Ham. It is twelve 
Days Journey from Afvan to Chelvan , in which there are 
about three hundred Jews. 
From Chelvan they go in Caravans fifty Days Journey 
through the Defart called Al Ffachra , or Zaara , to the 
Province called Zuila , which is Havalah , in the Land of 
Cana, i. e. Guinea. In thefe Defarts there are vaft Moun- 
tains of Sand, which being carried by the Force of violent 
Tempefts, fometimes overwhelm whole Caravans, and bury 
under them all the Paffengers. Such of the Merchants as 
efcape this perilous Journey bring with them from that 
Country, Iron, Copper, Salt, and all forts of Fruits and 
Pulfe ; and they likewife bring Gold and Precious Stones. 
This Country is part of the Land of Chits , and lies to the 
Weft of Abyffinia. It is thirteen Days Journey from Chel- 
van to the City of Kous, which is the firft in the Land of 
Egypt , where there are fettled about thirty thouland Jews. 
At the Diftance of five Days Journey is Phium , anciently 
called Pithom. In the Neighbourhood of this City are ftill 
to be feen the Ruins of thofe ancient Structures that were 
built by our Anceftors during their Captivity in Egypt. 
12. Four Days Journey from thence ftands the great 
City of Mifraim , or Cairo, fituated on the Banks of the 
River Nile, in which there are fettled about two thoufand 
Jews , who have in this City two fair Synagogues, one be- 
longing to the Jews of Palejline and Syria , the other to 
thofe of the Country of Babylon. Thefe two Sorts of 
Jews differ only in the Divifion of the Law into Seditions ; 
for the Babylonians every Week read one Parafcha after 
the Manner which is common throughout all Spain •, and 
therefore once every Year they finifh the Law : But the 
Ifraelites of Syria divide every Parafcha into three Seda- 
rim, or fmaller Seditions, and fo they read over the Law 
only once in three Years ; and both thefe after a folemn 
Manner twice in the Year join in their Prayers toge- 
ther, viz. upon the Day of the rejoicing of the Law, and 
on the feftival Day of the Law given. Over all thefe 
Nathaniel hath the chief Authority, being the greateft of 
the Nobility, and Head of the Affembly, who rules all 
the Synagogues in Egypt, and appoints Mafters and 
Elders. 
He is alfo the Minifter of the great King, who refides in 
the Palace of Zoan , (which is a City of Egypt , wherein 
Ali the Son of Abitaleb was once Commander of the Faith- 
ful) whofe Subjefts are ftiled Rebells by the other Arabs, 
becaufe they refufe Obedience to the AbiJJdian Khaliff, 
whofe Seat is Bagaat . There is an irreconcilable Enmity 
between thefe Princes. This Monarch appears in publick 
twice in the Year, viz. at the Time of their Feaft of Eajler, 
and when the River Nile overflows c . 
The Royal City itfelf is encompaffed and fortified with 
Walls, but Mifraim is without Walls, furrounded by the 
River Nile on the one Side. This is a very large City, 
furnifhed with many Market-places and publick Buildings ; 
and here are many rich Jews. The Country itfelf is never 
troubled with Rain, Ice, or Snow, but is often afflicted 
with outragious Heat. It is watered by the Nile, which 
once every Year fwelling in the Month Elul covers and 
overflows all the Land for fifteen Days Journey, the Waters 
continuing to rife in the Months of Elul and Tifri, and 
making the Earth fruitful f And the Policy and Diligence 
of the old Egyptians was fuch, that in an Hand which tlie 
River makes here, a Pillar was by them ereCted of fine Mar- 
ble and excellent Workmanfhip, raifed twelve Cubits above 
the Surface of the River. When therefore the Waters 
overflow and cover that Column, the Inhabitants are fully 
fatisfied that the whole Extent of their Country for fifteen 
Days Journey is entirely overfpread. If' the Water rife 
but half the Height of the Pillar, they gather from thence 
that their Country is but half watered. There is a Man 
ftands by the Pillar, and every Day at Noon proclaims in 
all Parts of the City the Height of the Water in this Form, 
Be thankful to God, the River is rifen fo many Cubits. 
If the Water rifes to the Top of the Column, it is a 
Sign that the Year will be fertile throughout all Egypt. 
At this S^afon whoever has any Land, hires Workmen to 
cut a Trench through his Ground, into which as the Wa- 
ter rifes, the Fifli are carried, and are left therein j when 
the River finks then the Owners of the Lands take them 
out, and either fpend them in their Families, or fell them 
to fuch as fait and export them. Thefe Fifti are exceeding- 
ly large and fat, and the very belt People in the Country 
make life of the Oil drawn from them to burn in their 
Lamps. If it falls out, as it frequently does, that People 
eat too much of thefe Fifh, they have nothing more to 
do than to drink largely of the Water of the Nile, which 
immediately removes that Inconvenience. It has been an 
old Queftion, and a great Diverfity of Opinions there has 
been concerning the overflowing of the Nile, but the 
Egyptians fuppofe, that at the Time when this River over- 
flows, heavy Rains fall in the higher Countries, that is 
in the Land of Habahs , which we call Havila $ at the 
Time the River does not overflow, nothing is fown in 
Egypt , and hereupon Sterility and Famine follow. 
But ufually the Fields are fowed in the Month of Sep- 
tember, the Nile being then retired into its Channel ; but 
Barley is reaped in the Month of Febrnaiy, and Wheat 
the next Month after ; and in the fame Month Cherries 
are ripe, as are alfo Almonds and Cucumbers, Gourds, 
Peafecods and Beans, Lintiles, &c. and divers kinds of 
Pot-Herbs, as Purflain, Afparagus and Lettice, Cori- 
anders, Succory, Coleworts and Grapes ; but the Gardens 
and Orchards throughout Egypt are watered, and Trenches 
filled with the W aters of the River d . 
This great River after paffing through the City Mifraim 
or Cairo , is divided into four Heads, one wfflereof run- 
neth by Damiata, fometime called Caphtor , nigh unta 
which it falleth into the Sea. The fecond runneth down 
into the City Rafir, not far from Alexandria, and there 
difehargeth itfelf into the Sea. The third paffeth 
by Afmon, a very great City on the Borders of Egypt, 
nigh which Heads of the River many Cities, Caftles 
and Towns are feated on either Side, and People may 
travel to them all either by Boat or Land. No Country 
in the whole World can be compared to this for the Mul- 
titude of Inhabitants, and all the Country of Egypt is plain, 
fruitful, and well ftored with good Things. Old Mif- 
raim is two Leagues diftant from the New Mifraim , but 
it is wafted and defolate : Yet there are many Ruins of the 
Walls and Houfes, and not a few Monuments there 
of the Treafuries and Store-houfes of Jofeph yet to be 
feen. In the fame Place there is an artificial Pillar built 
by Art Magic, like which there is none in all the Land. 
Without the Compals of the City ftands a Synagogue, 
which bears the Name of Mofes our Teacher, of ancient 
Date ; to preferve the Ruins that yet remain, a certain 
• There is not a Paffage m all our Author’s Work which has been more contefted than this with regard to the Khaliff then reigning in Evvpt ; and. 
fome have gone fo far as to produce it as a dir eft Proof of his never having travelled at all : But I cannot help faying, that though the Criticks have a 
Eight t° amend what is amifs in the Copies of any Author which they publilh, yet I cannot conceive they have any Authority firlf of all to impofe their 
be: a Pa .% e ’ and tbe ” Produce it to the Prejudice of the Author, whofe Credit they would deftroy. We fhall fhew hereafter, that in the 
preient v,aie, there is no Ground for fuch a Suggelhon ; but that what our Author has delivered may be well reconciled to the Current of Hiftorv 
without any Alteration whatever. J> 
d In the fubfequent Part of this Work, we fhall have more than once Occafion to mention mod of the Circumftances that our Author hath record- 
nmforS t!^ Rep °f ^ Tt * v f ei ? ' Vlth , hk TheReafonof this Note is, to take Notice of a Particular which our Author has 
™ , h a W . eVe fo the R f ader be S^ d , to know - lt is this > The N *k is of fo great Confequence to the Egyptian, that they have al- 
w y had a very fuperftitious Regard to it, mfomuch that they fancied the rife and fall of this River, not only portended the Fertilit/or Scarcenefs of 
Ml S but hkewhe great Revolutions of State. It is certain that it did not overflow in the tenth Year of the Reign of CkllZ 
n * m 1° predl ^ the Con J u f k °/j hat Country by the Romans, that foon after followed; but then the fame Accident happened in the 
me of Trajan, .when nothing remarkable followed it. Befides, we read of no Scarcity in Egypt before the Conquell of it by the Arabs, or the De- 
M% V ' hlCh Wasbr ° USht ab0Ut bj/ Saladin ; f0 that this ou S h - t0 ^ cOnfidered as an abfurd and ridiculous 
Numb, sg, „ u W 
