rata, flore cœruleo of J. B. have been taken for the dudaim. It is certain that the bloom of all, or most of the leguminous plants, yields a grateful smell, Cant. vii. 13. a quality which they have so far at least in common with the dudaim.

The boccôre, which has before been mentioned, vol. i. p. 264. was far from being in a state of maturity in the latter end of March; for, in the Scripture expression, the time of figs was not yet, (Mark xi. 13.) or not till the middle or latter end of June. The xaigos, or time here mentioned, is supposed, by some authors, quoted by F. Clusius in his Hiero-botanicon, to be the third year; in which the fruit of a particular kind of fig-tree comes to perfection. But this species, if there is any such, needs to be further known and described. Dionysius Syrus, as he is translated by Dr Loftus, is more to the purpose: It was not the time of figs, because, says he, it was the month Nisan, when trees yielded blossoms, and not fruit. However, it frequently falls out in Barbary, and we need not doubt of the like in this hotter climate, that according to the quality of the preceding season, some of the more forward and vigorous trees will now and then yield a few ripe figs, six weeks or more before the full season. Something like this may be alluded to by the prophet Hosea, ix. 10. when he says, he saw their fathers as (boccôres) the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time.

When the boccôre draws nearer to perfection,

then

then the karmouse, the summer-fig, or carica, (the same that are preserved), begin to be formed, though they rarely ripen before August; at which time, there appears a third crop, or the winter fig as we may call it. This is usually of a much longer shape, and darker complexion than the karmouse, hanging and ripening upon the tree, even after the leaves are shed; and, provided the winter proves mild and temperate, is gathered as a delicious morsel in the spring. We gather from Pliny, (l. xvi. c. 26.) that the figtree was bifera, or bore two crops of figs, viz. the boccôre, as we may imagine, and the karmouse; though what he relates afterwards, (c. 27.) should insinuate that there was also a winter crop. 'Seri 'fructus per hiemem in arbore manent, et æstate inter novas frondes et folia maturescunt.' 'Ficus alterum edit fructum (says Columella, de Arb. c. 21.) et in hiemem seram differet matu' ritatem.' It is well known, that the fruit of these prolific trees always precedes the leaves; and consequently, when our Saviour saw one of them* in full vigour having leaves, (Mark xi. 13.) he might, according to the common course of nature, very justly look for fruit; and haply find some boccôres, if not some winter figs likewise upon it.

Several parts of the Holy Land, no less than

of

* Talis arbor erat Judaicus populus: solis foliis luxuriabat ceremoniarum, et hypocriticæ sanctimoniæ: fructus nulli, &c. Vid. J. Henr. Ursini arboretum.

of Idumæa*, that lay contiguous to it, are described by the ancients to abound with date-trees. Judea particularly is typified in several coins of Vespasian †, by a disconsolate woman sitting under a palm-tree. Upon the Greek coin likewise of his son Titus, struck upon a like occasion, we see a shield suspended upon a palm-tree, with a Victory writing upon it. The same tree, upon a medal of Domitian, is made an emblem of Neapolis, formerly Sichem or Naplósa, as it is now called; as it is likewise of Sepphoris § (Phocas T writes it zwę1) or Saffour, according to the present name, the metropolis of Galilee, upon one of Trajan's. It may be presumed therefore, that the palm-tree was formerly very much cultivated in the Holy Land. There are indeed several of them at Jericho **, where there is the convenience

* Primus Idumæas referam tibi, Mantua, palmas.

they

Virg. Georg. iii. ver. 12.

Arbustis palmarum dives Idume.

Frangat Idumæas tristis Victoria palmas.

Lucan. lib. iii.

Mart. Ep. 1. xiii. Ep. 50.

Vid. Occonis Imperat. Roman. Numism. Mediobarb. &c. 110, 111, 112, 113. Amst. 1717.

Η ΙΟΥΔΙΑΣ ΕΑΛΩΚΥΙΑΣ. Victoria scribens in clypeo palmae appenso. Vid. Vaill. Numis. Imp. Rom. Græc. p. 21.

|| ΦΛΑΟΥ ΝΕΑ ΠΟΛΙ. CAMAP. L. AI. Palma arbor. Id.

P. 24.

§ CEпOPнNON. Palma arbor. Id. p. 30.

¶ Phocæ Descrip. Syriæ apud L. Allatii Evμpinta.

**

Hierichus palmetis consita, fontibus irrigua. Plin. l. v. c. 14. Ut copia, ita nobilitas in Judæa, nec in tota, Hierichunte maxime.

they require of being often watered; where likewise the climate is warm, and the soil sandy, or such as they thrive and delight in. But at Jerusalem, Sichem, and other places to the northward, I rarely saw above two or three of them together; and even these, as their fruit rarely or ever comes to maturity, are of no further service, than (like the palm tree of Deborah) to shade the retreats or sanctuaries of their Shekks, as they might formerly have been sufficient to supply the solemn processions (such as is recorded John xii. 13.) with branches. From the present condition and quality therefore of the palm-trees, it is very probable (provided the climate and the sea air should, contrary to experience, be favourable to their increase) that they could never be either numerous or fruitful. The opinion* then, that

Phonice

Id. xiii. c. 4. Exuberant fruges, (says Tacitus, speaking of this country) nostrum in morem; præterque eas balsamum et palmæ, Hist. 1. v. c. 6. Strabo describeth Jericho to be (Tλorov TW QOVINI, 1. xvi. p. 1106.) abounding with date-trees. For the city of palm-trees, Deut. xxxiv. 3. Judges i. 16. and iii. 13. is, in the Targum, the city of Jericho.

* Quod ad nomen attinet Phoenices, id a Palmis ese ductum mihi videtur veri simile; alii a Phoenice quodam id ducunt. Reland. Palæst. p. 50. Palma arbor urbis (Aradi) est symbolum, quo pleræque Phoenicia urbes utebantur, quod OINIE arbor provinciæ Phoenicia nomen dederit. Vaill. de Urbib. p. 257. Of the same opinion was Calisthenes, according to the author of the History of the World, p. 205. But the most probable conjecture for the name is as follows: Edom, Erythra, and Phoenicia, are names of the same signification, the words denoting a red co'lour; which makes it probable that the Erythreans, who fled 'from David, settled in great numbers in Phoenicia; i. e. in all 'the sea coasts of Syria, from Egypt to Zidon, and by calling 'themselves Phoenicians, in the language of Syria, instead of • Erythreans,

Of the Fossils, Rocks, Fountains, &c. 153 Phoenice is the same with a country of date-trees, does not appear probable; for provided such an useful and beneficial plant had ever been cultivated here to advantage, it would have still continued to be kept up and propagated, as in Egypt and Barbary.

The vegetable kingdom being thus described, let us now pass on to give an account of such rocks, fossils, fountains, rivers, and animals, as are the most remarkable. Now the rocks, in several places upon the coast of Syria and Phonice, have been hollowed into a great number of troughs, two or three yards long, and of a proportionable breadth; intended originally for so many salt works, where, by continually throwing in the sea water to evaporate, a large quantity of salt would be gradually concreted. We see several of these contrivances at Latikea, Antaradus, Tripoly, and other places; which at present, notwithstanding the hardness of the rock, are most of them worn down to their very bottoms, by the continual dashing and friction of the waves.

Above this bed of hard stone, in the neighbourhood particularly of Latikea, the rocks are of a soft chalky substance, from whence the adjacent city might borrow the name of awra arti, or the White Promotory. The Nakoura, former

VOL. II.

U

ly

Erythreans, gave the name of Phoenicia, to all that sea coast, ' and to that only." Sir Is. Newton's Chron. p. 108, 109. Bochart very ingeniously supposeth the Phoenices to be a corruption of pay ɔ (Beni Anak) the children of Anah. Lib.i. Chan.

C. I.