A summary of Biblical antiquities; for the use of schools, Bible-classes and families

Front matter

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V

Section 1 . Of the Names and Divisions of the Holy Land 19

General names, 19. Ancient divisions — Divisions in the time of Christ, 20.

Sect. 2. Of the general Face of the Country 21

Mountains, 21. Plains, 23. Deserts, 23. Rivers, 24. Lakes, 25. General advantages, 25.

Sect. 3. Of Climate 26

Seasons— Drought, 26. Dew, 26. Rains, 27. Winds— The Simoom, 29.

Chapter II. Natural History

Sect. 1. Of Vegetable Productions 30

I. Wild Trees: The Cedar, 30. The Oak, 31. The Terebinth, 32. The Fir and others — Shittim wood, 33. Gopher wood — Cinnamon, Cassia and Frankincense trees, 34. II. Cultivated Trees: The Olive, 35. The Fig tree, 36. The Sycamore— The Pomegranate tree, 37. The Apple tree — The Palm, 39. The Balsam tree — The Almond tree — The Vine, 40. III. Plants : Useful Herbs, 42. Weeds, 43. Grain — General fruitfulness in ancient times, 44. Present desolation, 45.

Sect. 2. Of Animals 45

I. Quadrupeds : Horse, 45. Ox — Ass, 46. Mule, 47. Camel — Sheep, 48. Goat, 49. Dog, 50. Hog— Lion, 51. Unicorn, 52.

II. Birds, 53. III. Water Animals : Whale — Leviathan, 53. Behemoth, 54. IV. Reptiles : Dragon, 54. Serpents, 55. Scorpion, 56. V. Insects : The Bee — The Locust, 56.

Chapter III. Dwellings And Household Accommodations

Sect. 1. Of Dwellings 57

Tents — Houses, 58. Porch — Court, 59. Roof, 60. Materials, 61. Cities — Gates, 62.

Sect. 2. Of Furniture 62

Carpets — Beds and Seats, 63. Lamp — Pots and Cups — Bottles, 63. Table— Table-couch, 64. Mill, 65. Ovens, 66.

Chapter IV. Occupations

Sect. 1. Of the Pastoral Life 67

Its origin, 67. Ancient prevalence and dignity, 68. Care of flocks, 69. Wells, 70. Produce — Cheese — Ancient Butter and Wool, 71. Modern Shepherds, 72. Pastoral Imagery, 72.

Sect. 2. Of Husbandry 73

The Jews a nation of farmers, 74. Plough, 75. Harrow — Yoke, 76. Ox-goad — Sowing — Harvest, 77. Threshing-floor — Threshing instruments, 78. Winnowing — Vineyards, 80. Vintage — Wine-press — Wine, 81. Emblems, 82. Fruit of the Olive — Oil-press, 83. Oil gardens — Honey, 84.

Sect. 3. Employments of Handicraft and Trade 86

General remarks, 86. Trades little followed before the captivity, held in different esteem afterwards, 87. Commerce — Imports and exports, 88. Measures, Weights and Coins — Measures of length, 89. Hollow Measures, Dry and Liquid, 90. Money in early times, 91. Coins, 92.

Sect. 4. Of the Learned Professions 93

Tribe of Levi, 94. Judges — General learning, 95. Prophets, 96. Scribes, 97. Schools, 98.

Chapter V. Dress, Meals, Social Intercourse

Sect. 1. Of Dress 98

Cloth— Colours, 98. Camel's-hair— Sackcloth— The Tunic, 100. The Upper Garment, 101. The Girdle, 102. Sacred Garments—

Sandals and Shoes, 104. The Mitre— The Veil, 105. Hair, 106. The Beard, 107. Ornaments, 108. Wardrobes, 109.

Sect. 2. Meals and Entertainments 110

Preparation of Food, 110. Time of Meals, 111. Washings — Thanksgiving, 112. Mode of Eating — Social Feasts, 113. Spiritual food, 114.

Sect. 3. Of Social Intercourse 116

General remarks, 116. Style of Manners in the East, 117. Salutations, 118. Visits, 119. Formality — Conversation, 121.

Chapter VI. Domestic Customs And Habits

Sect. 1. Of the Marriage Relation 122

Early Marriages, 122. Contract — An espoused Wife, 123. Wedding Customs, 124. The Marriage Supper — Confirmation of Marriage, 125. Spiritual Marriage, 126. Marriage Parables, 127. Polygamy, 130. Divorce, 131.

Sect. 2. Of the Relation between Parents and Children 132

Desire of Children — Duty of marrying a childless Brother's widow, 132. Ceremonies relating to Children — Names, 133. Parental Authority— The Birthright, 134. Adoption, 136.

Sect. 3. Of Slaves 136

Character of Slavery among the Jews, 136. The Steward — Slavery among other nations, 137. Branding, 138.

Chapter VII

diseases and funeral customs.

Sect. 1. Of Diseases 139

Origin of Sickness, 139. Supernatural Diseases — Demoniacal Possessions, 140. Exorcism, 142. The stroke of Heaven under the form of natural fatal Diseases — Some Diseases the channels of God's anger more especially than others, 143. Pestilence or Plague— Leprosy, 144. Sin the leprosy of the soul, 147. Anointing the sick with oil, 148.

Sect. 2. Customs that attended Death and Burial 149

Expressions of grief, 149. Embalming, 150. Burial, 151. Sepulchres, 152. Sheol or Hades, 154.

Chapter VIII. Miscellaneous Matter

Sect. 1. OfWriting 158

Its origin, 158. Ancient Materials for Writing — Books, 159. Letters, 160.

Sect. 2. Of Music and Dancing 161

Origin and design of Music, 161. Harp — Psaltery — Organ — Pipe — Horn — Trumpet — Cymbal — Tabret, 162. Sacred Music — Dancing, 163.

Sect. 3. Of Games and Theatres 164

Public Shows, 164. Games of Heathen, not Jewish, custom — Grecian Games, 165. Object of public Games — Allusions to the Grecian Games in the New Testament, 168. Theatres — Gladiator Shows — Fights with Wild Beasts, 170.

Sect. 4. Modes of Dividing and Reckoning Time 171

Days— Hours, 171. Watches— The Week, 173. Months, 175. The Year, 176. Way of Counting, 177.

Chapter IX. Political Institutions

Sect. 1. Patriarchal Government 178

Its Nature — Origin, 178. History, 179.

Sect. 2. Ancient Israelitish Government 182

Its Author — Object, 182. Nature — God its King, 183. Idolatry, 185. Destruction of the Canaanites — Measures to prevent intercourse with Idolaters, 186. Division of the Land, 187. Inheritance, 188. Governments and orders of the individual Tribes, 189. Genealogical Tables, 190. Judges, 191. Tribe of Levi, 192. Kings, 193.

Sect. 3. Jewish Government after the Captivity 194

Under the Persians, Greeks and Romans, 194. Centurions — Publicans, 196. Judges — Sanhedrim, 197. Inferior Court, 199. Insurrections, 200. Expectations of the Messiah, 201.

Sect. 4. Of Kings 202

Robe — Diadem — Throne — Sceptre — Royal Palace and Table, 203. — Approach to the King, 204. Journeys attended with a splendid retinue — Royal name, 205. Counsellors — Prophets — Recorder — Scribe— High-Priest — Governor of the Palace — King's Companion — Life-guard — Runners, 206. Account of Archelaus, 207.

Sect. 5. Of Punishments 207

Trials— Trial of our Lord, 207. Design of Punishments— Sin and Trespass Offerings— Fines, 208. Scourging, 209. Confinement, 210. Retaliation— Excommunication, 211. The Blood-avenger, 212. Stoning, 213. Crucifixion, 214.

Sect. 6. Of Military Affairs 220

How Armies were raised, 220. David's army, 221. Roman army in Judea— War-chariots, 222. Elephants, 223. Defensive Weapons: Helmet— Breast-plate, 224. Greaves — Girdle — Shield, 225. Offensive Weapons : Sword, 225. Spear— Javelin— Bow and Arrow, 226. Sling — Engines on the walls, 227. Battering-ram — Manner of fighting, 228. Effects of victory — Israelites more humane than other people, 229.

Chapter I

general history of religion.

Origin of the Church, 235. Its General Scheme and Relation to the World, 237. Its Unity, 238 — and Diversities of Outward Constitution withal, 240. State before the Flood — Call of Abraham, 241. Organization of the Jewish Church — General Plan of the Jewish State ; different Sorts of Laws, 242. The Moral Law, 243. Ceremonial Law, 245. Continuance of the Jewish Church all its appointed time, 248. Respect which that Dispensation had to the Gospel, 249. Hope of the Messiah — A General Mistake on this Point, 250. Expectation of Elias, 252. Introduction of the Gospel — Its Conflict with Ancient Prejudices, 254.

Chapter II. The Tabernacle

Origin of the Tabernacle, 256. The Court of the Tabernacle, 258. The Frame and Coverings of the Sacred Tent, 259. The Altar of Burnt-offering, 262. The Brazen Laver, 265. The Golden Candlestick, 266. The Table of Shew-bread, 268. The Altar of Incense, 269. The Ark of the Covenant, 272. The Cherubim, 273. The Shechinah, 275. Meaning of the whole Picture, 276. The Tabernacle in the Wilderness, 279. The Tabernacle in the Land of Canaan, 280.

Chapter III. The Temple

Sect. 1. The Holy City 282

Origin of Jerusalem — Situation, 282. Mount of Olives, 283. The Garden of Gethsemane — Valley of Hinnom, 284. Siloam, 285. Calvary — First Destruction of the City, 286. Ruin by the Romans — Present State, 287.

Sect. 2. The First Temple 288

Preparation for it by David, 288. General Plan, 290. Dedication and Ruin, 293.

Sect. 3. The Second Temple 294

Its Building, and Defects, 294. Subsequent Glory of it — Work of Herod, 295. The Court of the Gentiles, 296. Porches, 297. Markets, 299. The Court of the Women, 300. The Court of Israel, 302. The Court of the Priests, 303. The Sanctuary, 304. The Tower of Antonia, 306. Beauty of the Second Temple, 307. Its Final Ruin, 308.

CHAPTER IV. MINISTERS or THE tabernacle and temple

Sect. 1. The Levites 309

Their Separation, 309. Duties — Porters, 310. Musicians, 311. Nethinims, 313.

Sect. 2, The Priests 313

Origin of the Priestly Office — Separation of Aaron and his Family, 313. Duties of the Priests, and Qualifications, 314. Division into Courses, 315. Meaning of the Priesthood, 316.

Sect. 3. The High-Priest 318

Virtue of his Office — Sacred Dress, 318. Succession, 319. Urim and Thummim, 320. Signification of the High-Priest's Office, 322.

Chapter V. Sacrifices And Other Religious Offerings

Sect. 1. Different Kinds of Sacrificial Offerings in use among the

Jews 323

Sacrifices in use from the Fall, 323. Bloody Offerings, 324. Four Kinds of them, viz : Burnt Offerings, 225. Sin Offerings,

326. Trespass Offerings, 327. Peace Offerings, 328. Covenant Sacrifices, 330. Private and Public Sacrifices, 331. Sacrifices that were not Bloody, 332. First-fruits, 335. The First-born, 336. Tithes, 337. Vow-gifts, 339. Half-shekel Tax, 341. Lesson derived from this Subject, 342.

Sect. 2. Sacrificial Rites 343

Laying of Hands on the Head of the Victim, 343. Slaying of it — Sacredness of Blood, 344. Preparation for the Altar, 345. Waving and Heaving, 346. Fat, 346. Salt, 347. The Sacrificial Pile — Disposal of the Flesh, 348.

Sect. 3. Meaning and Origin of Sacrifices 349

Reason cannot account for the Use of Bloody Sacrifices, 349. Their Meaning according to the Bible, 350. Their Origin, 354. The idea of Atonement connected with the Use of them, before as well as after the time of Moses, 355. Sacrifices of Cain and Abel, 356. Acceptance of Sacrifices by Fire — Figurative Sacrifices, 358.

CHAPTER VI. SACRED times and solemnities

Sect. 1. The Daily Service 359

Morning and Evening Services, 359. Manner of the Morning Service, 360. The Evening Service, 364. Reverence for the Sanctuary, 364.

Sect. 2. The Sabbath 366

Its Origin, 366. Character in the Jewish economy, 367. Manner of its Observance, 368.

Sect. 3. New Moons and Feast of Trumpets 370

Sect. 4. The Three Great Festivals 372

The Passover, 373. How celebrated in the Time of our Saviour, 374. Paschal Families, 375. Search for Leaven, 375. Slaying of the Lambs, 376. The Supper, 377. The Hagigah, 379. Introduction of the Harvest, 380. Meaning of the Passover,

381. The Feast of Weeks, 382. The Feast of Tabernacles,

382. Ceremonies added to it in later times, 383.

Sect. 5. The Great Day of Atonement 386

Nature of this Solemnity— Manner of its Service, 386. Meaning of it, 388.

Sect. 6. Sacred Years 390

The Sabbatic Year, 390. The Year of Jubilee, 391.

Sect. 7. Sacred Seasons of Human Institution 392

Annual Fast Days, 392. The Feast of Purim, 393. The Feast of Dedication, 393.

Chapter VII. Members Oe The Jewish Church

Members by Birth, 395. Ceremonial Disqualifications for Sacred Duties, 396. Removal of Uncleanness, 397. The Water of Separation, 397. Its typical import, 398. Proselytes, 399.

Chapter VIII. Synagogues

Origin of Synagogues, 400. Plan of Synagogue-Houses, 402. Officers of the Synagogue, 404. The Synagogue Worship, 407. Lessons from the Law and the Prophets, 407. Synagogue Discipline, 411. Pattern of the Synagogue followed in the Constitution of the Christian Church, 413.

Chapter IX. Religious Sects

Sect. 1. The Pharisees 415

Belief of the Pharisees, 416. Tradition of the Pharisees, 417.

Sect. 2. The Sadducees 423

Origin of the Sect, 423. Doctrines of the Sadducees, 425.

Sect. 3. TheEssenes 427

Sect. 4. The Samaritans 432

BIBLICAL ANTIQUITIES.

PAET I.

2*

BIBLICAL ANTIQUITIES.

PAET I.

CHAPTER L

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE.

SECTION L

NAMES AND DIVISIONS OF THE LAND.

The country in which the Jews anciently lived has been distinguished by different names. It is called, in Scripture, the Land of Canaan, because it was first settled by Canaan, the youngest son of Ham, and because his descendants, the Canaanites, dwelt in it, till the " measure of their iniquity was full," and God destroyed them, to make room for his own people. It is styled the Land of Promise, on account of the promise made to Abraham, that it should be given to his seed for an inheritance, when he himself sojourned there as a stranger in a strange land. From the names of the nation to whom it was given, it is called the Land of the Hebrews; the Land of Israel; and the Land of Judali. Because it was chosen by God as the country in which his true worship should be preserved, and was long honoured with his peculiar presence and care, it is often named, the Holy Land ; and once, by Hosea, the Lord's Land. It is also called Palestine: this name is very old, (Ex. xv. 14;) it is the same as Philistia, meaning, properly, the Land of the Philistines; and then used in a larger sense, for the whole country of Canaan, because the Philistines were so important a people among the nations by whom it was first settled. This last is the most convenient name, and is now become the most common, in speaking of the whole country which the ancient Jews inhabited. It /will, therefore, be the one most generally used for that purpose, in the present work.

For many years, the whole land, from the mountains of Lebanon in the north, to the borders of Edom in the south, and from the great Mediterranean Sea on the west, to the mountains of Gilead eastward, remained united under one government. Each of the twelve tribes had its particular portion assigned by lot, in which it dwelt separate from the others; but all together made one people and one nation. On the east side of Jordan, Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, had their inheritance: all the others were settled west of that river. But immediately after the death of Solomon, this beautiful union was broken asunder. Two kingdoms occupied the land instead of one. The Kingdom of Judali lay to the south, taking in the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The other ten tribes revolted from the house of David, and formed all the country north of Benjamin, together with that which lay east of Jordan, into a new government. This was called the Kingdom of Israel; frequently, by the prophets, Ephraim, because that was the principal tribe, and the one in which the capital city of the kingdom stood; and sometimes, from the name of its capital, the whole kingdom was called Samaria.

In the time of our Saviour, the land of Palestine was divided into several provinces, under the Roman government. On the west side of Jordan, the northern part, as far down as the lower end of the lake of Gennesareth, was called Galilee. Part of this was named Galilee of the Gentiles, because if bordered on the land of the heathen; and also Upper Galilee, because it lay farthest north and abounded in mountains. The southern part of it was called Lower Galilee. It took in all the country directly west of the Gennesareth lake, and was, in general, a rich and fruitful plain. This particular district enjoyed, more than any other, the presence of Jesus Christ, while he was on earth. Hence he was called the Galilean, and his disciples are styled Men of Galilee. (Acts i. 11.)

South of Galilee lay Samaria, so called from the city of that name. It embraced the lower part of what had once been the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes. The origin of the name and of the city to which it was first given, is related 1 Kings xvi. 24. The Samaritans were a mixed race, settled in the country after the captivity of the ten tribes.*

South of Samaria was the country of Judea. Sometimes this name seems to have been used for the whole land of Palestine, in the time of Christ; but more commonly and properly, only for that part which, before the captivity, had been the kingdom of Judah, including all the country south of

* See the history of their rise, in the 17th chapter of the Second Book of Kings.

Samaria. From this account of the situation of each province, it appears, that any person going directly from Galilee to Judea u must needs go through Samaria/' (John iv. 4,) because it lay just between the two. That part of Judea which lay farthest south was inhabited principally by descendants of the ancient Edomites. They had settled themselves there while the Jews were in captivity at Babylon, having been driven from their own country, which lay just below, by the violence of war, and finding none to hinder them from taking possession of the land. When the Jews returned, they were, for a long time, too weak to recover their territory out of their hands : the Edomites, or Idumeans, as they were then called, still continued to dwell in the southern border. At length, however, a little more than a hundred years before the coming of Christ, John Hyrcanus, the great Jewish prince, conquered them completely, and compelled them either to leave the country or to embrace the religion of the Jews. They chose to change their religion rather than their place, and, accordingly, from that time, became a part of the Jewish nation. Still, that part of the country in which they lived continued to be called Idumea, and the people Idumeans, long after. (Mark iii. 8.)

The country beyond Jordan was broken up into seven or eight different provinces. As, however, these divisions seem to have been not very clearly defined, and more than once altered, it is not easy to describe exactly their situation : nor is it necessary, since only a part of them are so much as named in the New Testament, and these scarcely more than mentioned. It is enough to know that Decapolis was a tract of country lying east of the lake of Gennesareth, and stretching somewhat above it, also, towards the north : that Iturea and Trachonitis, of which Philip was tetrarch, (Luke iii. 1,) took in the country still farther north, though the lower part of Iturea was probably the same as the upper part of what was called the region of Decapolis ; and that Abilene, mentioned in the same passage, was the most northern district of all, lying in a valley formed by the mountains of Lebanon, not far westward from Damascus..

Section II. Face Of The Country

Palestine is a mountainous country. Two great ranges seem to run through the whole length of the land ; one on the east and the other on the west side of Jordan; not in one regular, unbroken chain, but frequently interrupted by valleys, and shooting off in irregular heights, sometimes to one side and sometimes to the other, so as occasionally to leave a considerable plain through the middle of the country. Hence, the same range is called by different names, in different regions. The Mountains of Gilead formed the eastern range. The southern part of these mountains was called Abarim. From the high summit of one of these, called Nebo, Moses surveyed the whole land of Canaan, before he died. The northern part of the same range was named Bashan ; it was much celebrated for its stately oaks and excellent pastures, where numerous herds of the finest cattle were fed. Hence, there is often allusion made in the Bible to the oaks of Bashan, and the strong bulls of Bashan, (Psalm xxii. 12, Isa. ii. 13, &c.) This range joins the Mountains of Lebanon, on the north, in that part which was anciently called Herman. Lebanon abounded in lofty cedars, in choice fir trees and refreshing springs of water. Its highest summits are covered with continual snow.

Stretching down toward the south, the western range spreads itself, in numerous ridges, all over Galilee of the Gentiles. In lower Galilee, its principal appearance was confined to the western border, near the Great Sea, leaving a great part of the country level, with only here and there a separate height rising on the prospect, such as Mount Tabor, where our Saviour is supposed to have been transfigured, or the Mount of Gilboa, where Saul was defeated and slain. Several of these heights were frequented by our Saviour. He was accustomed to " go out into a mountain to pray," and sometimes continued there " all night, in prayer to God," (Luke vi. 12 y) and on one of them, he preached the remarkable sermon recorded by Matthew in his gospel. (Chaps, v. vi. vii.) The most considerable mountain in this region is Oarmel, situated on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It was exceedingly fruitful, as is intimated by its name, which means, a vineyard of God. On the top of this mountain, Elijah the prophet prayed for rain, in the days of Ahab, while his servant went seven times to look for the cloud, till at last it rose like a man's hand over the western sea. (1 Kings xviii. 42 — 44.) Farther down, toward the south, the same general range was called the Mountains of Israel, and the Mountains of Ephraim. Among these were Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, separated from each other by a small valley, in which stood the ancient city of Shechem, called, in the New Testament, Sychar. The Mountains of Judah were the continuance of the range, as it passes southward, through the territory of that tribe, to the ancient heritage of Edom. These mountainous tracts abound with caverns ; which are sometimes found of great size. In times of danger from enemies, it was anciently common to seek refuge and shelter in such natural hiding-places. To " enter into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth/' was, therefore, an expression that represented a season of distress and dismay. (Isa. ii. 19.) The great caves of Judah afforded no small protection to David, in the time of his cruel persecution by Saul. Robbers, also, were accustomed to conceal themselves in the same sort of retreats; and to this day, the large caverns of Palestine are not unfrequently made, in this way, as they were in the days of our Saviour, dens of thieves.

As so great a proportion of the land is covered with mountains and hills, a tract of level country of any extent was regarded with more notice than in countries like our own : hence, every such plain had its distinguishing name. The most noted among them was the Plain of Jezreel, or, as it is sometimes called, the Great Plain. It reached entirely across the country, from Mount Carmel and the sea to the bottom of lake G-ennesareth, about ten miles. It has been the scene of several great battles : there Barak discomfited the mighty army of Sisera, so that " there was not a man left," (Judges iv. 16 ;) and there, also, king Josiah fell, when he went out and fought in disguise with JSTecho, king of Egypt. (2 Kings xxiii. 29.) Another plain lay along the Mediterranean Sea, from Mount Carmel to the southern border of Judah. The upper part of this was called Sharon, a name that belonged also to two other places. There was also the "region round about Jordan." (Matt. iii. 5.) This was a tract of level country, on the sides of that river, from the lake of G-ennesareth to the Dead Sea, about twelve miles broad.

Wildernesses and Deserts are frequently mentioned in the Scriptures ; but we must not suppose that these always mean desolate regions without inhabitants. The Jews gave the name of desert, or wilderness, to any tract of country that was not cultivated. There were accordingly two kinds of deserts. First, such as we are accustomed to understand by that name in our own age ; plains of barren sand, where scarce a fountain of water can be found, and only the most scanty herbage can grow. Such as these are not found in Palestine itself; but, in the neighbouring country of Arabia, have always been well known. The other kind of deserts were mountainous tracts of country, thinly inhabited, and chiefly used for the pasturing of cattle ; less fruitful than other parts of the land, but not without considerable growth of different wild productions, with sufficient supply of water. Such were the wildernesses of

Judah, mentioned in the history of David, and the li Wilderness of Judea," in which John began to preach, (Matt. iii. 1,) as well as the deserts in which he lived " till the day of his showing unto Israel." (Luke i. 80.) One of the most dreary and barren of these deserts lay between the Mount of Olives and the Plains of Jericho, and became a favourite lurking place for thieves or robbers, where they fell upon travellers on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. (Luke x. 30.) So many robberies were committed there, that it was called the Bloody Way. Into some part of this wild region, probably, our Saviour was led by the Spirit, "to be tempted of the devil," after his baptism. (Matt. iv. 1.)

There is only one river in Palestine that deserves the name ; this is the Jordan. The other streams that are sometimes called rivers, become important only when they are swelled with floods of rain or melting snow and ice from the mountains. Then they dash and roll along with a great deal of noise and force ; but when the drought of summer comes, they sink down into mere brooks, and often are dried up altogether. Hence, Job, because his friends had disappointed his expectation, and brought him only reproach instead of comfort, compares them to such streams : " My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away; which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid ; what time they wax warm, they vanish : when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. The paths of their way are turned aside : they go to nothing and "perish." (Job vi. 15—18.)

The Jordan runs from Mount Lebanon to the Dead Sea, passing through the lake of Gennesareth in its way. In the spring, when the snows of Lebanon melt, it rises above its common banks : from this circumstance, it has two channels ; one far wider than the other, with banks of its own, to hold the water in the time of this flood. It was in the spring, the harvest-time of Palestine, during this swelling of the river, that the Israelites, in the time of Joshua, passed over, at the command of God, into the land of Canaan; when "the waters above stood and rose up upon an heap very far," till the whole nation had gone over the dry channel. (Josh. iii. 15, 16.) The space between the outer and inner bank, on each side, which (except in the spring) remains dry, is grown over with thick bushes and reeds, where wild beasts find a safe hiding-place, until the yearly rise of the river compels them to fly : whence the expression, to " come up as a lion from the swellings of Jordan." (Jer. xlix. 19.)

The lake of Gennesareth, through which the Jordan flows, (called, also, the Sea of Galilee, because it lay just east of that country, and the Sea of Tiberias, from a city of that name which stood on its shore,) is filled with clear, pure water, excellent to drink, and abounds with different kinds of fish. On account of these advantages, it was a common saying among the Jews, that " God loved that sea more than all other seas in the world." It has its bed in a valley surrounded by lofty and steep hills. Here, the disciples of our Lord pursued their business of fishing : over its beautiful bosom the Redeemer himself often sailed : when its waves were tost with the tempest they heard his voice and were still : and when he willed to walk upon its waters, they bore him up like solid ground.

The Dead Sea, called, also, the Sea of the Plain and the Salt Sea, into which the Jordan empties all its waters, is spread over the ruins of four ancient cities, destroyed for their wickedness, by a miracle from God. (Gen. xix. 24, 25.) It too, like the lake just mentioned, is surrounded with high hills, except on the corner toward Jerusalem, where it is bounded by a barren, scorched plain. Its waters are bitter and nauseous, and more salt than those of the ocean • and the land around it is so filled with salt that it will not produce plants. The whole appearance of the place is dismal, as if the wrath of the Almighty were abiding upon it still.

The land of Palestine is highly praised, in the Scriptures, for its natural advantages. It is described as a "good land and a large, a land flowing with milk and honey." (Ex. iii. 8.) " A land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, that spring out of the valleys and hills ; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates ; a land of oil olive and honey ;" a land wherein the people should eat bread without scarceness, and lack nothing • whose stones were iron, and out of whose hills they might dig brass. (Deut. viii. 7 — 9.) No country in the east could boast such a variety of blessings. Egypt alone could compare with it in fruitfulness of soil ; but, then, Egypt was never cheered with showers of rain : it was watered only by the yearly overflowing of the river Nile. Egypt, too, was not adorned with mountains and hills; and, of course, could not abound in the same variety of productions. Nothing like the glory of Lebanon, or the excellency of Carmel, the cold flowing waters of the rock, or the springs of the valleys, was found in all its extent. Hence, Moses tells the Israelites, that Egypt, with all its advantages, was by no means equal to the land which they were going to inherit. " The land whither thou goest in to possess it ; is not as the land of Egypt from which ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs ; but the land whither ye go to possess it, is a land of kills and valleys, and drinheth tvater of the rain of heaven." (Deut. xi. 10, 11.)