Chap. I. ' from Ah EVT?o to Jerusalem, , 851 
which the Devil took our Saviour, when he tempted him 
with that vifionary Scene of all the Kingdoms in the 
World, and the Glories of them. 
Turning down hence into the Plain, we came to the 
Fountain of Elijha, fo called, becaufe by him it was 
miraculoufly purg’d of its Brackilhnefs, at the Requeft 
of the Men of Jericho^ 2 Kingi ii. ip. Its Waters 
now being receiv’d in a Bafon, divide themfelves into 
feveral fmall Streams, which refrefh the whole Field that 
lies between this and Jericho, A little from hence is 
Jericho,, at prefent only a poor nady Village of the A- 
rahs i and here we faw the Place where Zaccheus\ Houle 
is faid to have flood, which is an old fquare Stone Build- 
ing on the South fide of Jericho. 
30th. We fet out early for Jordan,, and arrived there 
in two Hours. We found the Plain very barren, pro- 
ducing Nothing but Marine Plants ; and in many Pla- 
ces of the Road, where Puddles of \V ater had flood, 
we obferved a Whitenefs on the Surface of the Ground, 
which we found to be a Cruft of Salt railed by the 
Water out of the Earth. About a Furlong from the 
River Jordan^ was an old Church and Convent dedica- 
ted to St. John,, in Memory of his baptizing our Sa- 
viour. We were there in but could difcern no 
Sign of its overflowing, though it was the proper Time 
for thefe Inundations. 
One Bank of the River is fo befct with Bufties and 
Trees, that feveral Sorts of Wild Beads are faid to 
harbour in them ; whofe being waffl’d out of their Co- 
vert by the Overflowings of the River, gave Occafion to 
that Alluflon, Jer. xlix. 19. He Jhall come up like a Lion,, 
from the fwelling of Jordan. When we came to the 
River, fome flript and bath’d themfelves in it, others cut 
down Boughs from the Trees, and every one was fome 
Way employ’d to take a Memorial of this famous 
Stream. Its Breadth was about twenty Yards over, and 
in Depth it far exceeded my Height. By the Mofolem’s 
Leave v/e went towards the Dead Sea with a Guard to 
attend us. The Dead Sea is enclofed on the Eafl and 
Weft; with very high Mountains *, on the North it is 
bounded with the Plain of Jericho, on which Side alfo 
it receives the Waters of Jordan. On the South it is 
open, and extends beyond the Reach of the Eye. It is 
faid to be twenty four Leagues long, and fix or feven 
broad. On the Shore of the Lake we found a black 
Sort of Pebbles, which being held in' the Flame of a 
Candle, foon burns, and yields a Smoke of an intole- 
rable Stench ; but by burning it lofes only of its Weight, 
and not of its Bulk. It is a common Tradition, that 
Birds attempting to fly over this Sea, drop down dead 
into it ; and that no Fifli, nor other Sort of Animal, 
can live in thefe Waters. The former Report I faw 
atflually confuted, by feveral Birds flying over this Sea 
whthout any vifible Harm. The latter I have fome Rea- 
fon to fufpedl as falfe, having obferved on the Shore 
two or three Shells of Fifh like Oyfter-fhells. As for 
the Bitumen, for which the Sea is famous, there was 
none at the Place where we were, but it is gathered 
near the Mountains on both Sides in great Plenty. It 
is fo like Pitch, that it cannot be eafily diftinguifhed 
from it but by its fulphureous Smell and Tafte. 
The Water of the Lake was clear, and not only fait 
to the higheft Degree, but extreme bitter. To try its 
Strength I went into it, and found it bore up my Body 
Swimming with an uncommon Force. Though I di- 
ligently iearched, I could rot find any Remains of 
thofe Cities here fituated, which were made fo dreadful 
an Example of Divine Vengeance ; neither could I dif- 
cern any Smoke afcending above the Water, nor any 
Ruins. But the Father-guardian, and Procurator of 
Jerufalem, both affured me, that they had feen one of 
thefe Ruins, and the Water being very fflallow, they 
went to it, and found there feveral Pillars, and other 
Fragments of Buildings. On the Weft-fide of this Sea 
is a fmall Promontory, near which, as our Guides told 
liS, is the Monument of LoPs Wife metamorphos’d. 
As to the Apples of Sodom, I never faw nor heard of 
any fuch hereabouts, nor is there any Tree near the 
I.ake from which one might expebl fuch Fruit; In our 
Return, about an Hour’s Diftance from the Sea, we 
faw a ruin’d Greek Convent, and found a good Part of 
the Church remaining, with the Figures of feveral Saints, 
and a Greek Infcription over the Altar. Hereabouts, 
and in many other Places of the Plain, I perceived a 
ftrong Scent of Honey and Wax, the Sun being hot, 
and the Bees very induftrious about the Bloflfoms of 
that Salt Weed the Plain produces. Among the Pro- 
dubls of this Place, I faw a notable Fruit, called *by the 
Arabs, Zacchone ; it grows on a thorny Bufli with fmall 
Leaves, and both in Shape and Colour refembles an un- 
ripe Wall-nut. The Kernels of this Fruit the Arabs 
bray in a Mortar, and then putting the Pulp into fcald- 
ing Water, they skim off the Oil which rifes to the 
Top •, which Oil they ufe inwardly for Bruifes, and 
outwardly for green Wounds ; and I have found it, 
upon fome Trials, a very healing Medicine. 
18. On the 31ft: This Morning we went in Six 
Hours near the Walls of Jerufalem, and thence to Beth- 
lehem in two Hours, through the Valley of Bephaim, 
famous for being the Theatre of David’s. Victories, 
2 Sam, V. 23. In this Road we met, i. With the 
Houfe of Simeon, who having our Saviour in his Arms 
fling his Nunc dimittis. 2. The Turpentine-tree under 
which the Virgin is faid to have refted, when fhe car- 
ried Chrift in her Arm^s to prefent him to the Lord at 
Jerufalem. 3. A Convent dedicated to Elias, where 
the Greek Monks pretend to fliew the Impreffion of his 
Body in a Stone that ferv’d for his Bed ; near to which 
is the Well of the Star, that appear’d to the wife 
Men, which there re-apppear’d to them. 4. Rachel’s 
Tomb, mention’d Gen. xxxv. 19. which is a modern 
Structure, but probably the true Place of her In- 
terment. 
Being arriv’d at Bethlehem, we went to all the Holy 
Places belonging to it, viz. the Place where our Lord 
is faid to be born, the Manger wherein he is faid to be 
laid, the Chapel of Jofeph his fuppofed Father, that of 
the Innocents, thofe of St. Jerorn, of St. Paula and Eu- 
Jlochium, and of Eufebius of Cremona, and the School 
of St. Jerorn \ all which Places I only Name, being 
afore defcrib’d by Mr. Sandys. 
From the Top of the Church we had a View of Ee~ 
hah, about nine Miles diftant Southward, of Engedi 
about three Miles Eaftward, and of a high Hill called 
the Franks Hill, being defended by the Crufaders forty 
Years after the Lofs of Jerufalem. 
April I. We went to fee the remarkable Places near 
Bethlehem, and firft to the famous Fountains, Pools and 
Gardens, which are faid to be King Solomon’s, to which 
he feehis to allude, Eccl. ii. 5, 6. The Pools are three in 
Number, fo difpos’d, that the Waters of the uppermofl: 
defcend into the fecond, and the fecond into the third. 
The Breadth in all is the fame, being about ninety Paces, 
but the Length is different, that of the firft being about 
an hundred and fixty Paces, that of the fecond two 
hundred, and the third two hundred and twenty. 
About an hundred and forty Paces from them, is the 
Fountain from which they chiefly derive their Waters, 
which the Friers will have to be that feal’d Fountain to 
which the Spoufe is compar’d, Cant, iv, 12. Here you 
find four Places where the Water rifes, from which it is 
convey’d into a Bafon, and from thence is carried '"by a 
fubterraneous Paffage into the Pools ; .and by the Way 
there is an Aqumdubl of brick Pipes, which receives 
Part of the Stream, and carries it by many Turnings 
about the Mountains to Jerufalem. Thefe Pools may 
probably be the fame vvith Solomon’s, becaufe there is not 
the like Store of good Spring-water to be met with 
any where elfe in Palefline. From thefe Memorials of 
Solomon we return’d to vifit fome Places nearer Bethlehem, 
where we faw the Field in which they fay the Shepherds 
were watching their Flocks, when they receiv’d the glad 
Tidings of Chrift’s Birth, and hard by the Village where 
they dwelt, and an old Nunnery built by St. Paula, in 
which fhe died ; all which Places lie Eaftward about 
half a Mile from the Convent. 
But to the Weft ward we faw David’s Well, which 
he fo much thirfted after, 2 Sam. xxiii. 15. and a little 
beyond it fome Remains of an old Aqu^duft, which 
convey’d the Waters from Solomon’s Pools to Jerufalem % 
which 
T 
