that when the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel, the children of Israel made them dens that are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. And the people in distress did hide themselves in caves, and rocks, and in pits1.

Concerning the fruitfulness of this country: God himself promised the Israelites, that it was a good land, a land of brooks of waters, and fountains, a land of wheat and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, a land of oil olive, and honey. Josephus says of it, "In both the Galilees there are fat and fruitful pastures, and they are planted with all sorts of trees, so as to entice even those who are no great lovers of husbandry: there are cities and villages in abundance, by reason of the fruitfulness of the soil, &c. The country of Samaria is wonderfully fruitful: there is great plenty of grass, and it yields a large increase of milk. Judæa, like Samaria, is mountainous and rich, fit for husbandry, and well stored with trees."

As to the condition of it now, the forementioned late ingenious and judicious traveller gives the following account; viz. that he has travelled from Acra, or Accha, called anciently Accho", and in aftertimes Ptolemais, through part of the tribes of Ashur, Zebulon, Manasses, and Ephraim, for about twentyone hours' journey, that is, sixty-three miles, at three miles by the hour; it was for the most part very fertile, but uncultivated, only serving the Arabs, who are the chief possessors of the of the country, for pasturage; but that" all along one day's journey, before he came to Jerusalem, and also as far as he could see

h Judges vi. 2. i 1 Sam. xiii. 6. k Deut. viii. 7, 8. 1 Book iii. ch. 2. Gr. ch. 3. m Maundrell's Travels. Thevenot's Travels, Part I. book ii. ch. 54 and 56. Mr. Sandys says of the country near Hebron, "We passed through the most pregnant and pleasant valley that ever eye beheld." See his Travels, book iii, p. 150. Judges i. 31.

round, instead of delicious plains he had before passed through, he discovered a quite different face from what it had before, presenting nothing to the view in most places but naked rocks, mountains, and precipices; at the sight of which pilgrims are apt to be astonished, finding the country in such an inhospitable condition, concerning whose pleasantness and plenty they had before formed in their minds such high ideas, from the description given, of it in the word of God: but it is obvious for any one to observe, that those rocks and hills must have been anciently covered with earth, and cultivated, and made to contribute to the maintenance of the, inhabitants. For the husbandring of those mountains, their manner was to gather up stones, and place them in several lines along the sides of the hill, in form of a wall: by such borders they supported, the mould from tumbling, or being washed down, and formed many beds of excellent soil, rising gradually one above another from the bottom to the top of the mountains. Of this form of culture you, see evident footsteps wherever you go, in all the mountains of Palestine. Than the plain country nothing can be more fruitful, whether for the production of corn or cattle, and consequently of milk.. The hills, though improper for all cattle except goats, yet being disposed into such beds, as before described, served very well to bear corn, melons, gourds, and cucumbers, and such like garden-stuff, which makes the principal food of those countries, for several months in the year. The great plain joining to the Dead sea, which, by reason of its saltness, might be thought unserviceable both for cattle, corn, olives, and vines, had yet its proper usefulness for the nourishment of bees, and for the fabric

• Maundrell, March 25.

of honey; of which Josephus gives us his testimony". And I have reason to believe it, because, when I was there, I perceived, in many places, a smell of honey and wax as strong as if one had been in an apiary: why then might not this country maintain the vast number of its inhabitants, being every part so productive, either of milk, corn, wine, oil, or honey, which are the principal food of eastern nations; the constitution of their bodies, and the nature of their clime, inclining to a more abstemious diet than we use in England and other colder regions?" Such like was the provision of Judith, wine, oil, parched corn, figs, and fine bread1.

The temper and employment of the Jews, when in their own land, is thus set forth by their countryman Josephus"; "We live," says he, " in a midland country, and for the matter of trade and ramble, we never trouble our heads upon either of these accounts our cities lie remote from the sea, the soil fruitful, and well-dressed and cultivated: our greatest care is for the maintenance and education of our children, and to have them trained up to piety, and in obedience to the laws of our country. we reckon the main business of our lives. a peculiar way of living to ourselves, which gives us to understand, that, in time past, we had no communication with the Greeks, as the Egyptians and Phoenicians had; neither did our predecessors make inroads upon their neighbours, for the enlarging of their estates."

And this
We have

P In his Wars of the Jews, book v. chap. 4. ¶ Maundrell. To the same purpose Morrison's Itinerary, part i. book iii. chap. 1. near the end thereof. r Judith x. 5. $ Contra Apion, book

i. not far from the beginning.

SECTION III.

A Description of the City of Jerusalem, and the adjacent Places.

THE city was not built on a plain, but there were two principal mounts or hills in it, and valleys between them; as, first, Mount Zion, which was the highest, and took up most of the south part of the city; this was secured by nature with deep valleys, and high and steep rocks, and so strongly fortified by the Jebusites, the old inhabitants of that part of the land, that although the Israelites had taken the other part of Jerusalem, yet they could not gain this, or, however, not hold it, till the time of King David, who took it, and thereon built a palace for himself, and also set up the tabernacle, and placed the ark of God in it". Hence these expressions, My holy hill of Zion; and, God will save Zion, &c. it being the place where the ark of God was, and consequently where he did especially manifest his presence.

Secondly, The other mount was Moriah, on the east part of the city, on which Abraham designed to sacrifice his son, and on which afterwards Solomon built the famous temple of God. Each of these mountains was walled about, besides the walling round the whole city. Josephus in his description g

a Of Jerusalem, probably so called from Salem, Josephus, W, book vii. chap. 18. (of which Melchizedek was king, Gen. xiv. 18.) and Jebus, from the Jebusites, who possessed it afterwards. Josh. xv. 63. Hence named Jebusalem, and for the easier sound's sake, Jerusalem. Adricomii Descript. Num. 1. Dr. Wells's Hist. Geograph. of the Old Testament, vol. iii. chap. 2. b Josephus, W. book vi, ch. 6. C Judges i. 8. d Joshua xv. 63. e 2 Sam. V. vi. f 2 Chron. iii. 1. 8 Josephus, W. book vi. ch. 6. Morrison's Itiner. Part I. book iii. chap. 2. Dr. Wells's Hist. Geog. of the Old Testament, vol. iii. chap. 2.

mentions Acra as one of the hills; but it is observed that Moriah in Hebrew is of the same importance with Acra in Greek, each in its respective language denoting high; and accordingly, that the land of Moriah is rendered the high land, and the land of vision, or prospect*, from Raah, to see, or have a prospect.

Other mounts, or hills, there were near the city, but without it; as, first, Mount Olivet, or the Mount of Olives, the higher part of which was about a mile distant from Jerusalem eastwards, whither Christ often resorted'. On this mount was Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary lived", where Christ frequently vouchsafed his presence, and whither he led his disciples when he ascended up into heaven.

At the foot of this Mount Olivet was Gethsemane, where Christ prayed when he entered on his passion". Here also was Bethphage, whence our Lord set out at his triumphant riding into Jerusalem, Between this Mount Olivet and Jerusalem there was a valley, and likewise the brook Cedron, over which Christ went the evening before his passion.

Secondly, On the west side of Jerusalem northwards was Mount Calvary, or Golgotha, where our Lord was crucified: and thus much for the account of Canaan, as may be necessary for the understanding of the holy Scriptures.

k By the vulgar 1 Luke xxii. 39. m John

h Gen. xxii. 2. i By the Septuagint. Latin; see Dr. Wells in Moriah. xi. 1. " Matt. xxvi. 36. • Matt. xxi.