or, as Tremellius readeth it,
The King of Edoms sonne: which caused the Israelites
returne. The Ammonites and Moabites might not enter into the Congregation of
GOD, vnto the tenth generation, because
they met not the Israelites with bread
and water in their way, when they came out of Aegypt, and for hiring Balaam against
them. Ar. Montanus sayth, That the Moabites were circumcised in imitation of
the Israelites, but worshipped not their God, but their owne Idols.
The Ammonites (their brethren in the euill both of Lot their father, and their
owne) inhabited Northward from Moab; on the East were the hils Acrabim; on
the West the Amorite; the hils Luith, Basan, &c. made it a valley. Their chiefe Citie
was Rabbath, after called Philadelphia. These Ammonites had beene troublesome
to the Israelites, in the times of
Iephte and of
Saul. And after, Dauid in iust re∣uenge,
for violating the Law of Nations, destroyed them. Moloch, or Melchon, was
their Idoll, which is supposed
to be Saturne, whose bloudie butcherly sacrifices are
before spoken of. It was a hollow Image (sayth
Lyra) of Copper, in forme of a man.
In the hollow concauitie was made a fire, with which the Idoll being heated, they
put a child into his armes and the Priests made such a noyse with their Timbrels,
that the cries of the child might not moue the parents to compassion, but they
should rather thinke the childs soule receiued of the God into rest and peace: others
adde, That this Moloch had seuen Roomes, Chambers, or Ambries therein; one for
Meale; a second for Turtles; a third for Sheepe; the fourth receiued a Ramme; the
fift a Calfe; the sixt an Oxe: if a man would offer sonne or daughter, the seuenth was
readie for that crueltie. Some interprete Moloch and Remphan, Act. 7. to be the Sunne
and Moone.
There was a valley neere Ierusalem (sometimes possessed by the sonne of
Hinnom)
where the Hebrewes built a notorious high place to Moloch: it was on the East and
South part of the Citie. It was also called Topheth, or Tymbrell, of that Tymbrell∣Rite
which those Corybantes and bloudie Priests did vse; or else for the spaciousnesse
of it.
Icremie prophecieth, That it should be called the Valley of slaughter, be∣cause
of the iudgements for the idolatrous high places in it. Vpon the pollution here∣of,
by slaughter and burials, it grew so execrable, that Hell inherited the same name,
called Gehenna, of this place: first, of the lownesse, being a Valley: secondly, for the
Fire, which here the children, there the wicked, sustaine: thirdly, because all the filth
was cast out of the Citie hither, it seemed they held some resemblance. The Ammo∣nites
also were (as Montanus affirmeth) circumcised.
Canaan was the sonne of Cham, Father of many Nations, as
Moses declareth, Si∣don
and Heth, Iebufi, Emori, Girgashai, Hivi, Arks, Sini, Arvadi, Zemari, Hamathi;
the most of which were expelled their Countrey, slaine or made Tributarie by the
Israelites. Their border was from Sidon to Gaza West, and on the East side from Sodome
to Lasha or Callyrrhoe.
Arias Montanus is of opinion, That according
to the number of the twelue Tribes of Israel, so were the people of Canaan: and
therefore to those eleuen before rehearsed, he addeth their father Canaan, who left
his name to them all; and where he liued, retained a part to himselfe, betweene the
Philistims and Amorites. Of those his sonnes, Sidon, the eldest, inhabited the Sea∣coast:
and Eastwards from him Heth vnto the hill Gilboa: of him came the Hittites.
Iebus went further, on the right hand: Emor inhabited the mid-land Countrey West∣ward
from the Iebusites. The Girgashite dwelt aboue the Hittite, next to Iordan,
and the Lake Chinereth (so called, because it resembleth the forme of a Harpe) after
called Gennezareth. The Hevite or Hivite inhabited betweene the Amorite and
the Philistim. The Arkite possessed the rootes of Libanus. The Sinite dwelt be∣yond
the Hittite, Eastward, neerer to Iordan. Arvadi enioyed the Countrey next
to the Wildernesse of Cades. Zemari obtained the Hils, called of him Scmaraim.
The Hamathite possessed the Countrey nigh to the Fountaines of Iordan. As for
the most notable Mountaines and Cities, which each of these Families enioyed, they
which will, may reade further in the same Author.