THe next Portion of the Land of Canaan bordering Asher, was the vp∣per Galilee: the greatest part whereof fell to the lot of Nephtalim, the Sonne of Iacob by Billa, the hand-maide of Rachel: who while they abode in Aegypt, were increased to the number of 53400. persons, able to beare armes, numbred at Mount Sinai: all which leauing their bodies in the Desarts, there entred the Holy Land of their Sonnes 45400. besides, Infants, Women, and Children, vnder twenty yeeres of age. The Land of Neph∣talim tooke beginning on the North part, from the Fountaines of Iordan, and the Hills of Libanus adioyning, as farre South as the Sea of Galilee, bounded on the West* 1.1 [unspec 20] by Asher, and on the East and South-east by Iordan.
On the North-side of Libanus, and adioyning to this Territory of Nephtalim, did the Amorites (or Emorites) also inhabite, in which Tract and vnder Libanus, was the* 1.2 Citie of Heliopolis: which the heighth of the Mountaines adioyning shadowed from the Sunne, the better part of the day. POSTELLVS calls it Balbec; NIGER, Marbech;* 1.3 and LEONCLAVIVS, Beallebeca.
Of this name of Heliopolis, there are two great Cities in Aegypt: the first called* 1.4 On, by the Hebrewes, and the Chaldaean Paraphrast, otherwise Bethsemes, or after the* 1.5 Latines, Solis oppidum, or Domus Solis; The Citie of the Sunne: into which, saith Vlpian, Seuerus the Roman Emperour sent a Colonie: the other Gestelius nameth Dealmarach: [unspec 30] and of this name Stephanus also findeth a Citie in Thrace, and Glycas in Phrygia.
There is also in the same Valley adioyning to Nephtalim, Chalcis, and Abila. Chal∣cis, of whom the Region towards Palmyrena hath the name of Chalcidica, ouer which Herod, Agrippa, and Berenice the Queene commanded.
Abila also gaue name to the Region adioyning, of which Lysanius the Sonne of Herod the elder, became Tetrarch or Gouernour: whereof Ptolomie gaue it the additi∣on of Lysanij, and called it Abila Lysanij. Volaterran names it Aphila, of which hee notes that one Diogenes, a famous Sophister, was natiue, who by Volaterran is intituled Aphileus, not Abileus. After that this Citie of Abila or Aphila, had receiued the Chri∣stian Faith, Priscillinus became Bishop thereof: slaine afterward by our British Maxi∣mus [unspec 40] at Treuer. For distinction of this Citie (if it be not the same, as it may be thought to be the same) it is to be remembred that in the Tribe of a 1.6 Manasse, ioyning vpon the bounds of the Tribe of Nephtalim, there is another Citie of the same name, sa∣uing that it is written with an (E) for an (I) and called Abela, remembred in the 20. Chapter of the second of Samuel. The same Iosephus calls Abelmachea, and Hierome Bethmacha. In the place of Samuel for distinction sake it is written, Abel Beth-Mahaca, (for belike it was the Towne of Mahaca, the Wife of Macir, the Sonne of Manasse, the Father of Gilead) in the Chronicles it is called Abel-Maijm. This Citie Ioab besie∣ged: because Seba the sonne of Bichri, who rebelled against Dauid, fled thereinto for suceour: but a certaine wise woman of the Citie perswading the people to cast Seba [unspec 50] his head ouer the wall, Ioab retired his Armie. The same Citie was afterward taken by the King of Damascus, Benadad: and after a while by Teglatphalasar.
The word Abel may bee expounded, either to signifie bewayling, or a plaine* 1.7 * 1.8 ground, and therefore no maruell, that many Townes (with some addition for di∣stinction* 1.9