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[page 152, column 2, continued:]
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PALÆSTINE.
Palæstine derives its name from the
Philistæi, who inhabited the
coast of Judæa. It has also been called “The Holy Land” as being
the
scene of the birth, sufferings and death of our Redeemer. It was
bounded on the north by Syria, on the east by Arabia Deserta, on the
south by Arabia Petrea, and on the west by the Mediterranean. The
principal divisions of the country were Galilea in the north, Samaria
in the middle, and Judæa in the south. This country is at present
under the Turkish yoke; and the oppression which it now experiences, as
well as the visible effects of the divine displeasure, not only during
the reign of Titus, and afterwards in the inundations of the northern
barbarians, but also of the Saracens and Crusaders, are more than
sufficient to have reduced this country, which has been extolled by
Moses, and even by Julian the Apostate, for its fecundity, to its
present condition of a desert. Galilea, the northern division, is
divided by Josephus into Upper Galilea, called Galilea of the Gentiles
because inhabited by heathen nations — and Lower Galilea which was
adjacent to the sea of Tiberias, and which contained the tribes of
Zebulon and Ashur. Galilea was a very populous country: containing,
according to Josephus 204 cities, and towns, and
paying 200 talents in tribute. [page 153:]
The middle district, Samaria, had its origin in a
division of the
people of Israel into two distinct kingdoms, during the reign of
Jeroboam. One of these kingdoms, called Judah, consisted of such as
adhered to the house of David, comprising the two tribes of Judah and
Benjamin. The other ten tribes retained the name of Israelites under
Jeroboam. Their capital was Samaria, which also became the name of
their country. The Samaritans and people of Judæa were bitter
enemies.
The former differed in many respects from the strictness of the Mosaic
law. Among the Judæans, the name of Samaritan was a term of
reproach.
The southern division, Judæa, did not assume
that name until after the
return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity — though it had been
called long before “the kingdom of Judah,” in opposition to that of
Israel. After the return, the tribe of Judah settled first at
Jerusalem; but afterwards spreading over the whole country, gave it the
name of “Judæa.”
The only rivers of any note in Palæstine are
the Jordanes, and the
Leontes, which latter passes through the northern extremity of Galilea.
The Jordan, according to a curious story of Philip the Tetrarch, has
its origin in a lake called Phiala, about ten miles north of
Cæsarea
of Samochon. This is said to have been ascertained by throwing into the
lake some straw which came out where the river emerges from the ground,
after having run fifteen miles beneath the surface of the earth —
Mannert the German, thinks this fabulous, and places the source of the
river in Mount Paneas, in the province of Dan. The Jordan holds a
south-westerly course — flows through the lake Samochon, or
Samochonites, or as it is called in the Bible, Merom; after which,
proceeding onwards till received by the sea of Tiberias, or lake of
Genesareth, it emerges from this, and is finally lost in the Dead Sea.
In ancient times it overflowed its banks annually, about the period of
early harvest; and thus differing from most other rivers, which
generally swell in the winter, it was supposed to have a subterraneous
communication with the Nile. But now, we can perceive no rise, which is
probably owing to the channel having been deepened by the swiftness of
the current. The name is supposed to be derived from the Hebrew
“Jarden,” on account of the river's rapid “descent” through the
country.
The Dead Sea, called also Asphaltites, from the
“asphaltos,” or bitumen,
which it throws up, is situated in Judæa, and near 100 miles
long and 25 broad: but it is called by Tacitus “Lacus immenso
ambitu.” Its waters are extremely salt; but the vapors exhaled from
them are found not to be so pestilential as they have been usually
represented. It is supposed that the thirteen cities, of which Sodom
and Gomorrah, as mentioned in the Bible, are the chief, were destroyed
by a volcano, and once occupied the site of the Dead Sea. Earthquakes
are now frequent in the country. Volumes of smoke are observed to issue
from the lake, and new crevices are daily found on its margin.
The country is mountainous. The range of Libanus, so
named on account
of their snowy summits, from the Hebrew “Lebanon,” white, is
imperfectly defined. The principal part of them lies towards the north
of Galilea, but the name of Libanus is sometimes given to several
chains, which run through the whole extent of Palæstine. Between
two
of these ranges lay a valley [column 2:] so beautiful that some
have called it a
terrestrial Paradise; though situated in a much higher region than the
greater part of the country, it enjoys perpetual spring — the trees
are always green, and the orchards full of fruit. Libanus has been
famed for its cedars. Mount Carmel is a celebrated mountain, properly
belonging to Samaria, but on which the Syrians had an altar, but
not a
temple, dedicated to their god Carmelus. A priest of this deity,
according to Tacitus, (Lib. 2, cap. 78,) foretold the accession of
Vespasian to the throne.
The principal towns in Galilea were
Dio-Cæsarea, Jotapata or Gath,
Genesareth, and Tiberias. Tiberias was built by Herod, near the lake of
the same name, and called after the emperor. After the taking of
Jerusalem, there was at Tiberias a succession of Hebrew judges, till
about the time of the abdication of Diocletian and Maximinianus.
Epiphanius, bishop of Salamis, says that a Hebrew copy of St. John, and
the Acts of the Apostles, was kept in this city.
The chief cities of Samaria were Neapolis,
Antipatris, Archelais,
Apollonia, Samaria, and Cæsarea. Cæsarea, was the
principal,
and was
anciently called “Turris Stratonis.[[”]] It was much embellished by
Herod,
who named it Cæsarea in honor of Augustus — and was the station
of
the Roman governors. Samaria was situated on Mount Sameron, and was the
residence of the kings of Israel, from the time of Omri, its founder,
to the overthrow of the kingdom.
In Judæa, were the cities of Engedi, Herodium,
Hebron, Beersheba,
Jericho, and Jerusalem. Jericho was in the tribe of Benjamin, near the
river Jordan; and is called by Moses the city of palm-trees, from the
palms in the adjacent plain, which are also noticed by Tacitus. It was
destroyed by Joshua, but afterwards rebuilt. Jerusalem, the capital,
was anciently called Salem, or Jebus, by the Jebusites, who were in
possession of it till the time of David; but it was then called by the
Hebrews Jeruschalaim, signifying “the possession of the inheritance of
peace.” The Greeks and Romans called it by the name of Hierosolyma. It
was built on several hills, of which Mount Sion, in the southern part
of the city, was the largest. To the north was Acra, called the
“second,” or “lower city” — on the east of which was Solomon's temple,
built on Mount Moriah. North-east of this was the Mount of Olives, and
north of it Mount Calvary, the place of the crucifixion. This city was
taken by Pompey, who thence derived his name of Hierosolymarius. It was
also taken and destroyed by Titus, (in the year of our Lord 71, by the
account of Tacitus — but according to Josephus,) on the 8th of Sept.
A.D. 70-2177 years after its foundation.
In this siege 110,000 persons are said to have
perished, and 97,000 to
have been made prisoners, and as Josephus relates, sold as slaves, or
thrown to the wild beasts for the sport of the conquerors.
P.
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