The history of the world

§. I. Of the memorable places in the Tribe of EPHRAIM. [unspec 20]

HAVING now past ouer Phoenicia, we come to the next Territory adioyning: which is that of Ephraim: som∣time taken per excellentiam for the whole Kingdome* 1.1 of the tenne Tribes. Ephraim was the second sonne of Ioseph, whose issues when they left Aegypt were in number 45000. all which dying in the Desarts (〈◊〉〈◊〉 excepted) there entred the Holy Land of their chil∣dren growne to bee able men 32500. who sate [unspec 30] downe on the West side of Iordan, betweene Ma∣nasse, and Beniamin: who bounded Ephraim by the North and South; as Iordan, and the Medi∣terran Sea, did by the East and West:

The first and chiefe Citie which Ephraim had, was Samaria, the Metropolis of the Kingdome of Israel, built by Amris or Homri King thereof, and seated on the top of the Mountaine 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which ouer-looketh all the bottome, and as farre as the Sea-coast. It was afterward called Sebaste, or Augusta, in honour of August. Caesar. This Citie is often remembred in the Scriptures: and magnificent it was in the first building; for as Brochard obserueth, the ruines which yet remaine, and which Bro∣chard [unspec 40] found greater then those of Hierusalem, tell those that behold them, what it was when it stood vpright: for to this day there are found great store of goodly marble pillars, with other hewne and carued stone in great abundance, among the rubble.

It was beaten to the ground by the Sonnes of Hircanus the high Priest: restored and built by the first Herod the sonne of Antipater: who to flatter Caesar called it Se∣baste. Herein were the Prophets Helisaeus, and Abdias buried: and so was Iohn Baptist. It now hath nothing but a few Cottages filled with Grecian Monkes.

Neere Samaria toward the South, is the Hill of Bethel, and a towne of that name: on the top of which Mountaine Ieroboam erected one of his golden Calues, to bee [unspec 50] worshipped: with which he seduced the Israelites.

In sight of this Mountaine of Bethel, was that ancient Citie of Sichem; after the re∣stauration called Neapolis, now Pelosa, and Napolasa: It was destroyed by Simeon and* 1.2 Leui, in reuenge of the rauishment of their sister Dina: and after that by Abimelec* 1.3

cuened with the soyle. Ieroboam raised it vp againe: and the Damascens a third time cast it downe.

Vnder Sichem toward the Sea standeth Pharaton or Pirhathon on the Mountaine* 1.4 Amelec, the Citie of Abdon Iudge of Israel. And vnder it Bethoron of the Leuites,* 1.5 built as it is said by Sara, the Daughter of Ephraim. Neere to this Citie Iudas Maccha∣baeus ouerthrew Seron and Lysias, Lieutenants to Antiochus. This Citie had Salomon formerly repaired and fortified.

Betweene Bethoron and the Sea, standeth Samir, of which Ios. 10. And Saron whose King was slaine by Iosua: it is also mentioned Acts 9. 35. and of this Saron the* 1.6 Valley taketh name, which beginning at Caesarea Palaestinae, extendeth it selfe alongst [unspec 10] the coast as farre as Ioppe, saith Adrichome. Though indeed the name Sarona is not particularly giuen to this Valley, but to euery fruitfull plaine Region; for not onely this Valley is so called, to wit, betweene Caesarea and Ioppe, but that also betweene the Mountaine Tabor and the Sea of Galilee: for so S. Hierome vpon the fiue and thir∣tieth Chapter of Esay interprets the word Saron: and so doth the same Father in his Commentaries vpon Abdia, reade Saron for Assaron: vnderstanding thereby a Plaine neere Lidda: which Lidda in his time was called Diospolis, or the Citie of Iupiter, one of the Toparchies of Iudaea, the fist in dignitie (or the third after Plinie) where Saint PETER (non suased Christi virtute) cured Aeneas. Niger calls all that Region from* 1.7 * 1.8 Anti-libanus to Ioppe Sarona. This Ioppe was burnt to the ground by the Romanes,* 1.9 [unspec 20] those Rauens and spoylers of all Estates, disturbers of Common-weales, vsurpers of* 1.10 other Princes Kingdomes; who with no other respect led than to amplifie their owne glory, troubled the whole world: and themselues, after murthering one an∣other, became a prey to the most saluage and barbarous Nations.

In Diospolis (saith Will. of Tyre) was S. George beheaded, and buried: in whose ho∣nour* 1.11 and memorie Iustinian the Emperour caused a faire Church to bee built ouer his Tombe, these be Tyrius his wordes: Relicta à dextris locis maritimis Antipatride, & Ioppe, per latè patentem planitiem Eleutheriam pertranseuntes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quae est Diospolis,* 1.12 vbi & egregij Martyris GEORGIJ vsque hodtè Sepulchrum ostenditur, peruenerunt, eius Ecclesiam quum ad honorem eiusdem Martyris pius & orthodoxus Princeps Romanorum, [unspec 30] AVGVSTVS IVSTINIANVS multo studio & deuotione prompta aedificari praecepe∣rat, &c. They hauing left (saith he) on the right hand, the Sea Townes Antipatris, and Ioppe, passing ouer the great open plaine of Eleutheria, came to Lidda, which is Diospolis: where the sumptuous Tombe of the famous Martyr S. GEORGE is at this day shewed; whose Church, when the Godly and Orthodoxe Prince of the Romanes, High and Mightie IVSTINIAN had commanded to bee built, with great earnestnesse and present deuotion, &c. Thus farre Tyrius, by whose testimonie we may coniecture that this S. George was not that Arrian Bishop of Alexandria; but rather some better Christian: for this of Alexandria was slaine there in an vprore of the people, and his ashes cast into the Sea, as Ammianus Marcellinus reports. And yet also it may bee, that this Geor∣gius* 1.13 [unspec 40] was a better Christian, than hee is commonly thought: for his wordes of the Temple of GENIVS, How long shall this Sepulchre stand? occasioned the vprore of the people against him: as fearing lest hee would giue attempt to ouerthrow that beautifull Temple. This also Marcellinus reports; who though hee say that this Georgius was also deadly hated of the Christians, who else might haue rescued him: yet hee addeth that his ashes, with the ashes of two others, were therefore cast into the Sea, lest if their Reliques had been gathered vp, Churches should bee built for them, as for others. But for my part, I rather thinke that it was not this Georgius, whose name liues in the right honourable Order of our Knights of the Garter, but rather another, whom Tyrius, aboue cited, witnesseth to haue been buried at Lidda [unspec 50] or Diospolis. The same also is confirmed by Vitriac. S. Hierome affirmes that it was* 1.14 sometime called Tigrida, and while the Christians inhabited the Holy Land, it had a Bishop Suffragan.

Neere to Lidda or Diospolis standeth Ramatha of the Leuites, or Aramathia: after∣ward

Rama, and Ramula, the natiue Citie of Ioseph, which buried the body of Christ. There are many places which beare this name of Rama; one they set in the Tribe of* 1.15 Iuda neere Thecua in the way of Hcbron; another in Nephtalim, not farre from Sephet; a third in Zabulon, which, they say, adioyneth to Sephoris; a fourth, which they make the same with Silo, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a fifth, which is this Rama, in the Hils of Ephraim, called Ra∣ma-Sophim, where Samuel liued; and wherin he is buried.* 1.16

From hence to the North alongst the coast are Helon, or Aialon of the Leuites, of which 1. Chron 6. Apollonia, of which Iosephus in his Antiquities, and in the Warre of* 1.17 the Iewes. Also Balsalisa (for which Innius, 2. Reg. 4. 42. reades planities Shalistae) they place hereabout in this Tribe of Epbraim; but Iunius vpon 1. Sam. 6. where we reade [unspec 10] of the Land of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, findeth it in Beniamin.

On the other side of the Mountaines of Ephraim standeth Gosna, one of the Topar∣chies or Cities of gouernment, the second in dignitie, of which the Countrey about it taketh name.

Then Thamnath-sara, or according to the Hebrew, Thimnath-Serach: one also of the* 1.18 ten Toparchies or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which they call Thamnitica; a goodly Citie and strong, seated on one of the high Hills of Ephraim; on the North of the Hill called* 1.19 Gaas; which Citie and Territory Israel gaue vnto their Leader Iosua; who also am∣plified it with buildings, neere which he was buried. His Sepulchre remained in S.* 1.20 Hieroms time, and ouer it the Sunne ingrauen, in memory of that greatest of wonders, [unspec 20] which God wrought in Iosua's time.

In the places adioyning standeth Adarsa, or Adasa; where Iudas Maccabeus with 3000. Iewes ouerthrew the Armie of Nicanor, Lieutenant of Syria; neere to Gaser or* 1.21 Gezer which Iosua tooke, and hung their King; a Citie of the Leuites. It was after∣ward taken by Pharao of Aegypt; the people all slaine, and the Citie razed; Salomon rebuilt it.

To the East of this place is the Frontier Citie of Iefleti, of which Ios. 16. 3. other∣wise Pelethi, whence Dauid had part of his Praetorian Souldiers, vnder the charge of Benaia. Then that high and famous Mountaine and Citie of Silo, whereon the Arke of God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kept so many yeeres, till the Philistims got it. [unspec 30]

To this they ioyne the Citie of Machmas or Michmas: in which Ionathas* 1.22 Micchabaeus inhabited, a place often remembred in the Scriptures. It standeth* 1.23 in the common way from Samaria towards Hierusalem: and is now called Byra.

Then the Village of Naioth where Saul prophecied; and ncere it Ephron, one of* 1.24 those Cities which Abijah recouered from Ieroboam; after the great ouerthrow gi∣uen him. Then Kibtsaim of the Leuites, of which Iosua 21. 22. which Iunius thinkes to be the same with Iokmeham, of which 1. Chro. 6. 28. As for Absaloms Baalasor, which they finde hereabout, Iunius reades it the Plaine of Chatzor; and finds it in the Tribe of Iuda; as Ios. 15. wee reade of two Chatzors in that Tribe; one neere Kedesh v. 23. [unspec 40] and the other the same as Chetzron v. 25.

In this Tribe also they finde the Citie of Mello; whose Citizens, they say, ioyned with the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in making the Bastard Abimelec King: adding that for the buil∣ding thereof with other Cities, Salomon raised a Tribute vpon the people. But it seemes that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or Millo is a common name of a strong Fort or Cittadell: and so Iu∣nius* 1.25 for domus Millo, reades incolae munitionis, and for Salomo aedificabit Millo, he reades* 1.26 aedificabat munitionem, and so the Septuagint reade 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in that place. And without* 1.27 doubt the Millo which Salomon built, cannot be that of Sichem, but another in Hieru∣salem.

The other Cities of marke in Ephraim, are Taphuach, whose King was slaine by Io∣sua; [unspec 50] and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or Ianoah spoyled by Teglatphalassar; Pekah then gouerning Israel; with diuers others, but of no great fame.

The Mountaines of Ephraim sometime signifie the greatest part of the Land of* 1.28 the Sonnes of Ioseph, on the West of Iordan: seuerall parts whereof are the Hill of* 1.29

Samron or Samaria, 1. Reg. 16. 24. * 1.30 the Hill of Gahas, Iudg. 2. 9. the Hill of Tsalmon or Salmon, Iudg. 9. 48. the Hills of the Region of Tsuph or Tsophim, Iudg. 9. 5. where Ra∣ma-Tsophim stood, which was the Citie of Samuel.

The great plentie of fruitfull Vines vpon the sides of the Mountaines, was the occasion that Iacob in the Spirit of Prophecie, Genes. 49. 22. compared Iosephs two branches, Ephraim and Manasse, to the branches of a fruitfull Vine planted by the Weil side, and spreading hera 1.31 Daughter-branches along the Wall: which Allegory al∣so Ezekiel c. 22. in his Lamentation for Ephraim (that is, for the tenne Tribes, whose head was Ephraim) prosequutes: as also in his Lamentation for Iuda, hee followeth the other Allegorie of Iacob, Gen. 49. 9. comparing Iuda to a Lyon. Vpon the top of [unspec 10] one of the highest of these Hills of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which ouer-looketh all the plaines on both sides of Iordan, they finde the Castle called Dok: which they make to bee the same with Dagon, of which Ioseph. 1. Bell. Iudg. c. 2. in which Castle as it is 1. Maccab. 16 Ptolomie most traiterously, at a banquet, slewe Simon Maccabeus his Father-in∣Law.

Among the Riuers of this Tribe of Ephraim, they name Gaas, remembred in the second of Samuel, c. 23. v. 30. where though 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reade Hiddai ex vna vallium Gahasi: yet the Vulgar and Vatablus read 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Riuer of Gaas. Also in this Tribe they place. the Riuer of Carith, by which the Prophet Eltas abode during the great droughth: where he wasb 1.32 fed with the Rauens: and after that the Riuer was dried vp, he trauailed (by the Spirit of God guided) towards Sidon: where he was relieued [unspec 20] by the poore Widow of Zarepta, whose dead sonne he reuiued, and increased her pit∣tance of Meale and Oyle: whereby she sustained her life.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 5 9. 78. 108 Par. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. Ioh. 4. 5. Maborthan.
• * 1.3

  Ioseph. 11. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1.
• * 1.4

  Iudg. 12. 15.
• * 1.5

  2. King. 13.
• * 1.6

  Ios. c. 12. 18.
• * 1.7

  Act. 6.
• * 1.8

  Luc. 23.
• * 1.9

  Niger. Comm. 4.
• * 1.10

  Asiae. fol. 503. 14.
• * 1.11

  Of this Saint George see more aboue in this second Booke.
• * 1.12

  C. 7. §. 3. †. 5.
• * 1.13

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 22. c. 11.
• * 1.14

  Salig. Tom. 6. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.15

  See in the Tribe of Benia∣min, cap. 12. §. 1.
• * 1.16

  Sam. 1. 6. 25. v. 5
• * 1.17

  Ant. 13. 21. de Bell. Ind. 1. 6.
• * 1.18

  Iudg 2. 9. It is called Thim∣nath Chores.
• * 1.19

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 19. 50.
• * 1.20

  Hieron, in locis Hebr.
• * 1.21

  Maccab. 1. 7. 40.
• * 1.22

  See in Benia∣min.
• * 1.23

  Maccab. 1. 9. v. vlt.
• * 1.24

  King. 1. c. 4. and see Rana in Beniamin.
• * 1.25

  Iud. 9. v. 6. & 20
• * 1.26

  1. Reg. 11. 27.
• * 1.27

  Vatablus ex∣pounds Millo in this place, locum publicum neccessarium 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ierosoly∣mitanis atque Israelitis.
• * 1.28

  2. King. 15. 29.
• * 1.29

  Ios. 17. v. 15. 16.
• * 1.30

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Hill of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, where Eleazar the high Priest the son of Aa∣ron, was buried, Ios. 24. 33. And the two tops of Hils, Gerizzim wher the bles∣sings, & Hebal where the cur∣sings were to be read to the people: of which Deut. 11 & 17. & Ios. 8.
• a 1.31

  It seemeth that Iacob in this prophecie the rather v∣seth the word Daughters for branches, ther∣by the more plainely to sig∣nifie Colonies: which in the Hebrew phrase are called Daughters of the Metropolis: as in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and elswhere 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• b 1.32

  1. Reg. 17. 3. 1. Reg. 17.