but it was unneceffary that fuch powers fhould continue; and, as a bright luminary of this country hath excellently faid: "A man may be a fincere Christian, and he may be able to prove the gospel miracles credible, and he may believe them too, notwithstanding he may not think there is fufficient evidence for any one miracle fince the death of the apostles (6).” CYPRUS. This beautiful ifland of the Levant, which is about one hundred and fifty miles long, and feventy broad, is fuppofed by Bochart to have received its name from the Hebrew word Copher, which the Greeks varied into Cupros, on account of the odoriferous trees with which it was covered (1). The root word feems to have been Caph, Coph, or Cophah, a CURVE, and the idea taken from the hollow of the hand, and the curvation of the fingers. Hence it ran in various inflections into a great number of compounds, at firft fenfible objects remarkable for curvature, and by degrees, as thinking multiplied ideas, the word became more and more compounded till it became, as all old words are, extremely vague and indeterminate. Thus it is put for the palm of the hand: the fole of the foot: the bollow of the thigh: a Spoon: a cup-flower: the branches and fibres of trees and plants: Spiry trees: clouds: curtains: Smoke: eyebrows: a sphere, a globe, and fo on (2). The idea elucidates a great many paffages of fcripture. The Lord faid to Noah: make thee an ark of gopher-wood, that is of rib-timber (3). Some fhipwrights obferve, that a fhip ought to be tried three ways: whether she be truly circular; whether the be ftiff or tender-fided, that is by obferving whether the shape or frame of the ribs will bear the fail intended; and whether there be a due connection in the machine; and they say, these three obfervations fkilfully made will form the hull of any fhip perfect and complete. Gopher-wood conveys no idea: but fhip-timber or rib-timber points to all compass-ftuff, as workmen call it, ribs, knees, and all other fuch ftores. Working timber opened a new world of gums, and refins, and burning the chips another of aromatick fcents, and thus by degrees, coph, copher, becomes pitch for the boat, afcends the altar, emits a fweet favour, fin is expiated, the deity is rendered placable: Bleffed is he whose fin is cophered (4). The word is fometimes rendered camphire in the English bibles, and if the camphorated trees were tall and spiry,

(6) DR. ARTHUR ASHLEY SYKES. Two questions previous to DR. MIDDLETON's free Inquiry impartially confidered. p. 209. London. 1752.

(1) CHANAAN. Lib. i. Cap. iii. Phænices in Cypro.

PocockE's Defcript. of Eaft. Vol. ii. B. iii. Chap. i. Cyprus.

(2) CASTELLI Lexic. Heptaglotton. in verb... Apud Rab. et Tal, traducitur ad varia inftrumenta in quibus eft aliquid vel curvi, vel plani, quod manus ufum vel operam præftat ..........Pfal. xxiv. 4... Ezech. i. 7...Gen. xxxii. 25... Num. vii. 14, &c.

(3) GEN. vi. 14.

(4) GEN. vi. 14...CANT. i. 14...Exod. xxi. 30... PSALM xlix. 8..xxxii. 1.

4 I 2

with

with large white cup-flowers, and red piftils in the middle, they must have afforded a delicious profpect to the eye, as well as an aromatick perfume to the smell. If part of the book of Canticles be, as there is some reason. to fuppofe, geographical, there is in the fourth chapter a fine picture of this one-eyed beauty, Cyprus, contrafted with fome parts of Judea. There is but one perennial river in the island, and there is one chain of mountains that runs along the island from the eastern point to the bay weft of Gerinnes; the other begins at Cape Pyla, and ftretches away to the north-west corner of the island. It was a garden enclosed by the fea. The Springs were but up all fummer; the fountains fealed. Indeed the plants of vines and mulberries were fruits of pleasure, and fragrant herbs and aromatick trees were fine objects: but naked Olympus was not comparable to Lebanon: for the fnows on the top of Lebanon like wells fupplied the vallies at the foot with eyes that ftreamed in perennial waters (5). Cyprus was only about thirty miles from the fhore of Paleftine. Whether the Jewish geographers compared countries or not, the Greeks confidered Cyprus as paradife, the feat of Adonis and Venus, who from the ifland was named the Cyprian, and from Paphos, now called Baffa, the Paphian goddess. Into this fweet land of eaftern effeminacy, fome Jews of Jerufalem, who fled from the perfecution that arofe about Stephen, carried the glad-tidings of falvation, but they imparted the precious treafure only to Jews refident in the island. Among them it feems to have lain hidden till Paul arrived. His labours belong to Salamis and Paphos.

CYRENE. The learned Mr. Bryant hath obferved, that the geography of the fcriptures is wonderfully clear and exact; and he hath corrected a manifeft errour, which had crept into the second of Acts. It is there faid: How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born Parthians and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mefopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Afia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and profelytes, Cretes and Arabians: we do hear them fpeak in our tongues. The wonderful works of God! Could the Jews wonder to hear the apoftles fpeak the language of Judea, their native country? Mr. Bryant fubftitutes the word Lydia, in, and near which were Sardis, Thyatira, Coloffa, and Laodicea, all which places were full of Jews (1). The remark is juft in regard to Cyrene. Some think it the Kir of the prophet Amos, which the Targum writes Cyrene (2). It lay between Egypt and Africa, beyond Egypt, on the coaft of the Mediter

(5) CANT. iv. 8—15.

(1) Obfervations and Inquiries relating to various parts of ancient hiftory. Additional remarks. p. 310. note.

(2) AMOS i. 5..ix. 7.

ranean,

ranean, and on the Egyptian fide of Lybia or Africa. It was anciently a part of Egypt, but Ptolemy Phyfcon at his death left the province of Cyrene to Apion, his fon by a concubine, to return, however, to the crown of Egypt at the demife of Apion. Apion by will bequeathed it to the Romans. The Romans to avoid the fufpicion of avidity, gave the cities their liberties (3). The inhabitants were Greeks, and the country was called Pentapolis from its five principal cities: Berenice, Arfinoe, Ptolemais, Apollonia, and Cyrene (4). Sylla afterward reduced the region to a Roman province.

It is not certain that any apoftolical churches were formed in this country but it is highly probable. The Cyrenians had a fynagogue at Jerufalem, and they had a hand in the martyrdom of Stephen: but there was one Cyrenian named Simon, whom the Jews compelled to carry the crofs on which the Saviour fuffered, who had two fons, Alexander and Rufus, men of note among the firft Chriftians. Alexander is mentioned at Ephefus: Rufus and his mother at Rome, and Paul obferves, fhe had been a matron to him: of courfe fhe had not always lived there, for the apostle had never been at Rome when he wrote fo (5). There was a Lucius of Cyrene among the prophets and teachers at Antioch. Some Cyrenian Chriftians of Jerufalem fled upon the perfecution of Stephen, and preached at firft unto the Jews only, till coming to Antioch, and being more enlightened there, they fpake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jefus. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. It is therefore highly credible that they carried the glad-tidings into their own country (6).

DALMATIA. A part of Illyricum now called Sclavonia. See ILLYRICUM. In the year fifty-eight Paul informed the Romans, that his travels had till then been bounded eastward by Jerufalem, and weftward by Illyricum, which lay all along the coaft of the Adriatick fea, over against Italy. Nine years after, he wrote Timothy word that Titus was gone to Dalmatia, which was an interior part of Illyricum. It should feem, therefore, that within these nine years the gospel had made a progrefs from the coaft into the country, and that churches had been congregated there but this is not certain; for no writer of the New Testament except Paul mentions thefe places, and he only once to the Romans, and once to Timothy (1).

DAMASCUS. This capital of Cole-Syria is a very ancient city. It is. (3) Liv. Epit. L. Ixx.

(4) PLIN. Lib. v. Cap. 5.

(5) ACTS vi. 9...MARK XV. 21... ACTS xix. 33...Roм. xvi. 13. .i. 13.

mentioned in the hiftory of Abraham (2). It is about a hundred and fixty miles from Jerufalem (3). David conquered it: but it was recovered in the time of Solomon, and was governed by kings of its own till the time of Ifaiah, when the king of Affyria took it. It was always under arbitrary government; for, as the prophet Ifaiah beautifully expreffes it, if Damafcus was the head of Syria, king Rezin was the head of Damafcus (4). It was, however, always free in regard to religion, and as it is one of the most delightful fituations of the Eaft, fo it always was, and yet continues rich and populous (5). In the time of Ezekiel, the merchants drove a large trade in wine, white wool, and other raw materials for manufacturing, in the fairs of Tyre (1). At this day, they import by their annual caravans the merchandizes of Perfia and India. They manufacture burdets of filk and cotton, ftriped and plain, and plain filks like tabbies, all watered, which adds much to their beauty. These Syrian merchants form one large branch of that river of eastern treafure, which at Aleppo, Smyrna, and all through the Levant rolls tides of wealth into Europe. The Damafcenes have imprinted their name on manufactures by the invention of damasking or damafkeening, which is the operation of beautifying inferior metals by making incifions in them, and filling them up with gold or filver wire. Damasking partakes of the mofaick, for it is inlaid work: of engraving, for it cuts the metal, and reprefents various figures; of carving and chafing, for gold and filver is wrought in relievo (7). Silks and stuffs with raised patterns are alfo called damafks. All these arts were carried to a high degree of perfection in the Eaft, before Europe knew how to make a plough.

Ecclefiaftical hiftory exhibits no event more interefting than the converfion of Saul, which was effected near Damafcus, and which made fuch a confiderable change in the affairs of the difciples of Jefus. By Ananias, one of them, Saul was baptized. The waters of Damafcus are the great conveniency and ornament of the city, and the divifion of them into channels, and ferpentine ftreams, edged with verdure, is extremely beautiful. Bathing is the delight of the Damafcenes: they use bagnios to excefs. They have water in fuch abundance, that all parts are fupplied with it, and every house has either a fountain, a large bason of water, or at least a pipe or conduit. The eaftern gardens are orchards or woods of fruit-trees, not regularly difpofed, and only laid out in

(2) GENESIS XV. 2.

(3) DR. GILL on Acts ix. 2.

(4) ISAIAH vii. 8.

(5) PococKE. Defc. of the Eaft. Vol. ii. Book ii. Chap. viii. of Damafcus.

(6) EZEK. xxvii. 18.

(7) POSTLETHWAYTE..Oriental trade.. Levant trade..Turkey trade..Damafk, c. POCOCKE as above,

narrow

narrow walks. Small ftreams are brought through thefe aromatick groves, and fall into fountains and water-works, and bafons in open pavilions. Some baths are feated round, and fhaded with trees; others are in large covered rooms, the cupolas fupported by marble pillars, and the fides all round furnished with fofas. There, in filk and cotton ftripes and rainbow hues, ftretched at his eafe lies the foft Damafcene, regaling himself wi:h fweetmeats of candied fruits, which are in the highest perfection, and drinking water, wine, rinfrefco, made with liquorice, lemons or dried grapes, and cooled with fnow; or fipping coffee, or fherbet, the juice of lemons or oranges diluted with water, and improved with fugar. Juft fo the prophet Amos, more than two thousand five hundred and eighty years ago, defcribed the Jews who lived in this city, the children of Ifrael dwell in Damafcus in a couch (8). The Damafcenes infift on it, that their territory was the literal Eden of Adam, who was made of their carnationfoil. It is undoubtedly a delicious place: but the watchful providence of God would not fuffer the fineft genius of the Eaft, the youth of the brightest talents and the warmeft vivacity, Saul of Tarfus, fo much as to behold it with his eyes before his heart had well imbibed principles of fubftantial virtue. He ftruck him blind by lightning before he arrived at the city (9). Perhaps the temptation would have been too ftrong for his refiftance. He faw no man. He was led by the hand, and brought into Damafcus. Here he washed away his fins, calling on the name of the Lord: and here, in this feat of felf-enjoyment, he began to learn how great things he was to fuffer for his deliverer's name-fake. Such expofitors of the ninth of Acts as fuppofe Saul was baptized by fprinkling would not do amifs to confider one obfervation of a moft accurate modern critick. "It is a great pity, that men of learning will not confider the natural hiftory of the places they treat of: much depends on this kind of knowledge (1)." The application of this wife maxim enabled this gentleman by a few fimple principles to unravel a thousand fables, and to fubftitute the gold of history for the tinfel of mythology. In regard to the fact of Paul's baptifm, he himself fays: he died and was buried in baptifm in likenefs of the death of Christ (2.).

Ecclefiaftical mythologists have been pleased to convert the inhabitants of this city into a church, and to ordain Saint Ananias bishop of Damafcus, and as ufual to crown him with martyrdom: but they have degraded the

(8) Amos iii. 12. Molliter, delicate, et effœminate vivunt: ut infra ver. 15....Chap. v. 11. 23....vi. 4, 5, 6....viii. 1, 2, &c.

(9) See the proof in Monfrs. DE BEAUSOBRE's difcourfe on the converfion of St. Paul, in SAURIN'S difcourfes on the bible. Tom. vi. Difc. xxx. A. La Haye. 1739.

(1) MR. BRYANT's obfervations and inquiries relating to various parts of ancient hiftory. p. 308. (2) Rom. vi. 3-10.

holy