PREFACE. 
viii 
it“ comprehends the whole country included between—* 
the Mediterranean to the west; the chain of mountains 
to the east; and two lines, one drawn to the south by 
Kan Younes,(g) and the other to the north, between 
Kaisaria , and the rivulet of Yafa” The whole of an¬ 
cient Phoenice is thereby excluded from the boundaries 
of modern Palestine, which is still a district independent 
of every Pacalic. (A) In the most ancient periods of 
history its boundaries were equally restricted ; and if we 
examine those records wherein the name first occurs, (i) 
we shall be able to define its limits with precision. The 
first mention of it is in Genesis,(fc) where it is stated that 
Isaac went unto Abimilech, (Rex Palaestinorum,) (/) 
king of the Philistines, unto Gerar ; and he is told not to 
go into Egypt, but to sojourn in the land of the Philistines, 
(Palaestine and he dwelt in Gerar. Now, Gerar was 
situated in the district afterward occupied by the tribe 
of Judah, not far from Hebron, and between Hebron and 
Gaza.(m) Afterward, in the book of Joshua,(n) where 
mention is made of the five cities of Palaestine , or of the 
Philistines , the following are enumerated : Gaza, Azotus, 
Ascalon, Geth or Gath, and Accaron; all of these were 
comprehended within that district, which has Joppa to 
the north, and Gaza to the south, (o) Of the most an- 
(g) See Volney’s Map of Syria, as published in the English Edition of his Travels, 
yol. I. p. 287. London, 1787. 
( h ) Ibid, page 329. 
( i ) The word Palestina signifies nothing more than Philistina. St. Jerom often, and 
Josephus always, calls the Philistines Palaestini. Philistaeors autem, ut supra dixi~ 
xnus, Palaestinos significat. Eieronimi Comment, in Esa. xiv. 29. 
(&) Gen. xx vi. l. 
(0 See the Latin version by St .lerom, as given in the London Polyglotte Bible, 
Gen. xx vi. L where the Hebrew Philistiim is translated Palestinorum ; only in the 
copy referred to, this word is improperly written Palestinorum , and in some editions 
of the Vulgate, more erroneously, Palesthino%um. Ileland (De Nomine Palaestinae: 
Vide Thesaur. Antiq. Sacrar. Ugolini, v. 6.) says, that the nameoccurs in the oldest 
Jewish writing, where it is written s 3 s t3Dbs* This in the Greek is always JlaKaiaTivn, 
and not Tlatecmvn. The P».omans, upon their medals sometimes wrote this word 
Palestina, instead of Paljestina, as they wrote Jvdea, instead of JuD^Ar- See Me¬ 
dals of Vespasian, &c. 
{in) Gerar, or Gerara, is also mentioned in Genesis x. 19. but its situation is pre¬ 
cisely stated iD Genesis xx. 1. where Abraham having “journeyed toward the south 
country,” is said to have “ sojourned in Gerar between Kadesh and Shur.” It formed 
with Gaza the southern frontier of Palaestine. The Desert of Cades belonged to 
Egypt, that of Sur to Arabia Petraea. 
(«) Josh. xiii. 3. Ini Samuel, vi. 17. they are thus enumerated; Azotus, Gaza , 
Ascalon, Gath, Accaron. See also Josephus, lib. vi. Antiq. c. 1. 
(o) The boundaries of Philisloza, or Palaestine, are thus defined by Joshua, xiii. 3. 
“ From Sihor, ( the river: see Jeremiah ii. 18,) which is before Egypt, even unto the 
borders N of Ekron, ( Accafron ,) northward.” 
