The lot of The Two Tribes and Half beyond Jordan. We have had occafion, in fome former chapters, to mention frequent embaffies fent by Mofes to the kings of Edom, Moab, and thofe of the Amorites and Bathan, for leave to pafs through their country into the land of Canaan; and that, upon their being refused by them all, they were exprefsly forbid to commit any hoftilities against the former, but ordered to force a paffage through the territories of the two latter, which they did, with fuch fuccefs, as to make themfelves mafters of both their kingdoms. These were fettled by the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, with half of Manaffeh. That of Reuben, which was the eldeft, had the fouthern part of the new conqueft, extending from the north-eaft coafts of the Dead Sea, along the eastern banks of the Jordan; divided on the fouth from Midian, by the river Arnon; on the north, from the tribe of Gad, by another fmall river; and hemmed in on the east, partly by the Moabites, and partly by the Ammonites; whilst the Jordan parted it on the weft from Canaan, properly fo called. It reached from 31° 40′ to 32° 25′ of latitude, and from 36° to 37′ of east longitude; and was every where fertile in corn, wine, fruits, and efpecially in pafture grounds. It exhibited three celebrated mountains, viz. Nebo, Pifgah, and Peor The Amorites poffeffed the (1) Vide Gen. Joh. Jofeph. very likely, fince we read nothing of their abode in cities, &c. that they lived dispersed, and in tents, like the Scythians, roving on both fides the Jordan, on the hills and plains; and that they were called by that name from the Hebrew pharatz, which fignifies to dif perfe. The Canaanites dwelt in the midland of all, and were furrounded by the rest. This is, as near as can be concluded from the facred writ ings, the fituation of those feven nations which are faid to have been doomed to destruction for their idolatry and wick ednefs when the Ifraelites fir invaded their country (1), Reland. Cellar. Calmet. or Phegor, which were, probably, all three, parts of the fame chain. The chief towns in it were Hefhbon the capital, Jaza, Bamoth Baal, Beth-Peor, Medaba, Mephath-Abilah, Edom or Adam, Shittim, Livias, Bethabarah, Macheron, Bezer, Bozer or Bozrah, Lafa or Laish, fince Callirhoe, Cedmoth or Kedemoth or Jethfan, and Bethjefimoth. We know fo little of thefe cities, and of their true fituation, that we fhall fay nothing farther of them; and only obferve, in general, that thofe which have the Hebrew word beth before them, which fignifies either house or temple (as Beth-Peor, Beth-Shemesh), were properly fo named from fome particular deity, except it may be that of Bethabarah, which fignifies either a fording-place, or the office where any kind of cuftom or tribute was paid. Cities On the north fide of Reuben was feated the tribe of Of Gad. Gad, having likewise the Jordan on the weft, the Ammonites on the east, and the half tribe of Manaffeh on the north, reaching from 32° 5′ to 32° 50′ of latitude, and from 36° 15' to almost 37° eaft longitude. It was no lefs rich and fertile than the former, efpecially in pafture grounds. Its chief towns were Mahanaim and Pe- Cities. nuel, both fo named by Jacob, Succoth, where he built his booths, Mifpha, or Mafpha-Rabba, the metropolis of Bafhan, fince called Ribboth, and more lately Philadelphia, Ramoth Gilead, or High Lands of Gilead, Rogelim, the native place of good old Barzillai, Thifhbi, Sharon, Sophar, Armon, Magesh, Debbir or Dabbir, Ashtaroth, Jazer or Jahfor, Dibbon, Aroer, Beth-Haran, and Enon or Ennon, the place where John baptized; which last was on the eaft bank of Jordan, between that and Salim, about eight miles fouth of Scythopolis. Northward of Gad was feated the half tribe of Manaffeh, Half Mahaving that on the fouth, the Jordan and Semachonite naffeh. lake on the weft, the hills of Bathan and Hermon on the eaft, and part of the Lebanon on the north. This territory, which was almoft as large as the other two, extended from 32° 36′ to 33° 36' of latitude, and was more properly called, afterwards, Upper Galilee, or the Galilée of the Gentiles; of which more in the next article. It had several large territories, and confiderable cities; those of the former forts were known by the names of Gilead, Batanea, Gaulonitis, Auranitis, Machonitis, Gefhur, Auran or Amram, and Argob; all of them fo called from their capitals. Gaulonitis extended from Peræa quite to Lebanon. Its capital, once a famed city, was given to G 4 the Cities. Galilee. the Levitical tribe, of the family of Gerfhom, and was made a city of refuge. It was the birth-place of the famed Judas Galilæus, or Gaulonites, chief of the Herodian fect. Gilead was fo called from the fon of Machir, and grandson of Manaffeh. We have already spoken of the mountains of that name. Batanea was properly the land or kingdom of Bashan, bounded by Gilead and the Ammonites on the eaft, by the brook Jabbok on the fouth, by Mount Hermon on the north, and by the Jordan on the west; the canton of Argob was part of it, and both were famed for their ftately oaks, and herds of cattle, Auranitis, or Auran, was another fertile canton, fituate between the upper fpring of Jordan and the country of Jefhur. Others place it along the fea of Tiberias. We are told, that the Syrians and Arabs called that coaft by this name; and Jofephus makes it the fame with Iturea. Machonitis, or Maachonitis, fo denominated from its capital Maachah, was a fmall canton, near the head of the Jordan, on the east fide of it, in the way to Damascus, It was the utmost border north of this half tribe; and we find that the Manaffites forbore to deftroy the old inhabitants, and lived in friendship with them; the fame is faid of the Jefhurites, who lived in the next canton to Maachonitis. The cities of this half tribe were Bofra, or Bozrah, Selfcha, Maachah or Maacati, Gershon, Afhtaroth, Adrach or Hadrach-kedar, or the tents of Kedar, Sueta, Gamala, Efdrai, Gilead, Pella, Abel, Abel-Maachah or Abel-Beth-Maachah, Jabefh-Gilead, Corazin or Corozaim, Julias, Bethfaida, near the defert of its name, Girafa or Girgefha, Hippo, Gadar, and Ephron, befides a good number of others of leffer note'. The Nine Tribes and Half on this fide of the Fordan. Croffing the Jordan, from the half tribe of Manaffeh, we last described, we enter into the province of Lower Galilee, which lay on the fartheft northern verge of Judæa (Q); and in which we find the tribes of Afher, Zebulun, 1 Gen. Josh. Sam. Jofeph. (Q) The province of Galilee was divided into Upper and Lower, the former beyond, and the latter on this fide Jor dan. The former, furnamed Reland. Paleft. Illuftr. alfo Galilee of the Gentiles, probably, because inhabited by by most of that fort, whom the Manaffites had fpared, and lived intermingled with, or Father, bulun, Naphtali, and Iffachar, fettled by lot. It was very fertile and champain, except on the northern fide towards Syria; produced excellent corn, wine, oil, fruits of all forts, with little labour; and was, in its flourishing state, so full of towns and villages, that Jofephus, who was made governor of it, tells us, the leaft of them contained fifteen thoufand fouls; but whether or no he hath fpoken within compass, there is reafon fufficient to believe that the country was really very rich and populous, and its inhabitants of a stout and warlike difpofition, and very zealous for the Jewish religion. It had, in particular, a fpacious valley, fo very rich, that it was ftyled, by way of emphafis, "the Fat Valley;" fince better known by that of St. George, from a fort or caftle built on it, and dedicated to that faint. The tribe of Afher was feated on the north-weft corner Tribe of of the province, adjoining to the north fide of Phoenice, Aher. having the Mediterranean on the west, Zebulun on the fouth, and Naphtali on the east. It contained fome confiderable cities near the fea, though no fea-port of any note. It was fo fruitful in corn, wine, and oil, of the best kinds, that it fully answered the bleffing which dying Jacob gave to it: "that the bread of it should be fat, and that it fhould yield royal dainties." It was in this tribe that the lands of Mifpha and Cabul lay, which Solomon gave to Hiram king of Tyre, who, being displeased with it, bestowed upon it that contemptible name. The chief towns of it were Elkath or Alcath, Cana the Cities. Greater, Gabala Rahab, Aphek, Hacok, Gifcalah, BethShemesh, Achfaph, Beth-Dagon, Acca, Accoa, Acra or Ptolemais, lately defcribed, with a good number of inferior places. The tribe of Naphtali lay on the eaft of Afher, between Tribe of it and the Jordan, over-againft the half tribe of Manaffeh. Naphtali. It was very fertile, having on the north the fpring-heads of the Jordan, formerly mentioned, and extended along the western banks of it, from Mount Lebanon down to the fea of Tiberias. The chief towns were thefe: Dan, rather, perhaps, because it lay contiguous to the heathen nations. This, we are now upon, was ftyled the Lower, on account of its fituation, and flat country, in comparison with the other, which was alto There gether mountainous. formerly Cities. Tribe of Cities. formerly called Laifh and Lafhem, taken by a colony of the Danites, who gave it the name of their tribe (R); Beerim, Emath, and Arbites, each a capital' of a confiderable territory; Heliopolis, anciently Hir-Cheresh, or the City of the Sun, and fince, Balbek, Allodim, Amathdor or Amathar, Hir-Lajathain or Kirjathaim, Ablala, Merom, near the lake of its name, Harozeth or Arazoth, Hazor, tents or camp of Heber, where the Kenites dwelt, Maikeloth, Migdudel, Kadefh-Naphtali, Sepher or Cirjath-Sepher, fuppofed, from its name, an ancient univerfity, or City of Books, Beth-Shemefch, different from that in Afher, Carthan, Hamman, fo called from its hot waters, Mons Chrifti, and Capernaum (S). On the fouth of Afher and Naphtali, was feated the tribe of Zebulun or Zabulon, having the Mediterranean on the weft, the fea of Galilee on the eaft; parted on the north from Afher by the river Jepthael, and on the fouth, from Iffachar, by that of Kihon; and by its vicinity to the fea, the number of its ports, and extent of its commerce, it exactly verified the bleffings given to the tribe both by Jacob and Mofes. The cities of it were Zabulun the capital (T), Bethfaida, Magdalon, Jotapa, Joppa, Cinnereth, fince Tiberias, on the lake of that name, Cartha, Bethúlia, Rimmon, Dothaim, Damna, Somerom, Tabor, both the city and Mount, Sapha, Saffa or Siporis, Nazareth, Cana the Leffer, commonly Cana (R) This city became afterwards infamous for the calf fet up by Jeroboam, which was reforted to by all the revolted tribes on this fide; and, as it ftood on the utmost verge of Judea, as Beersheba did on the oppofite, it gave rife to the common proverb "from Dan to Beerfheba." When the Romans took it, they gave it the name of Pancas, and bestowed it on Philip the fon of Herod, who called it Cæfarea Philippi. (S) This laft was fituate on the north fide of the fea of Tiberias, at fome distance weft from the mouth of the Jordan; but though we are told it stood till the feventh or eighth century, as appears from the travels of Adamnamus and Villibaldus, yet the true fituation of it is quite loft. (T) It stood on the Mediterranean, near the mouth of the Jepthael, and was once ftyled Zabulon Andron, or of Men, on account of its extraordinary populoufnefs. It was adorned with fine buildings, after the manner of Tyre, Sidon, and Berytus, and much admired on that account by Ceftius, who nevertheless took, plundered, and burnt it to the ground, of |