A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the confines thereof with the history of the Old and New Testament acted thereon / by Thomas Fuller ...

CHAP. XVI. Objections against the City of Jerusalem answered.

Philol.

VVHat is charged unjustly on Saint Paul and his compa∣nions, that they hada 1.1 turned the world upside down, may truly be laid to your charge, you have in your description of Ierusalem tumbled all things topsie turvy, in the position of the gates thereof; yea the foundations of the City, as presented by you, are out of course, and con∣trary to the rules of other writers.

Aleth.

Let God be true, and every man a liar. In this particular I profess my self a pure Leveller, desiring that all humane conceits (though built on most specious bottomes) may be laid flat and prostrated, if opposing the written Word. In conformity whereunto, we are bound to dissent from such Authors (otherwise honouring them for their severall deserts) to ac∣commodate the Description of the Gates and Towers of Ierusalem, accor∣ding to a threefold eminent Directory, which we finde in Nehemiah.

Philol.

Give us I pray you an account of them in order.

Aleth.

The first main Scripture direction we are to observe is, the night survey which Nehemiah took of the walls, (or rather ruines) of Ieru∣salem, described in this manner:

NEHEM. 2. 13, 14, 15.

And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the Dragon Well, to the Dung port, and viewed the walls of Ierusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. Then went I out to the gate of the fountain and to the Kings pool, but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back and entred by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

The second is the severall reparations (where the same were required) done on the Gates and walls of the City by severall persons, in a circular form, from the Sheep-gateb 1.2 surrounding the whole City till they returned to the same place where they began▪ Whose names we have carefully inscribed on those portions of buildings, upon which their cost and pains were expended.

The third, but most materiall, (because most declaratory of the me∣thod of the Gates) is the solemn Processions, which the people divided into two Quires, made round about the walls: each of them measuring a Semi-circle; both of them incompassing the whole circumference of Ierusalem, and at last joining together in the (best meeting place) the Temple of God.

First Quire, Nehem. 12. 31.

One great company went on the right hand, upon the wall towards the Dung-gate, consisting of half the Princes of Iudah: and Ezra the Scribe before them. And at the fountain-gate which is over against them, they went up by the staires of the City of David, at the going up of the wall above the house of David, even unto the water-gate eastward.

Second Quire, Nehem. 12. 38, 39.

And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them,a 1.3 and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the Tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall. And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old-gate and above the fish-gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep-gate; and they stood still in the* 1.4 prison-gate. So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God.

Now I request the Reader with his eye to examine, whether the walls of Ierusalem, as designed in our draught, agree not with these directions of Scripture. To purchase the favour whereof, I pass not for the frowns of any Authors. Omne excelsum cadet, down with whatever dare oppose our embracing of the Text. This we hope for the main▪ will satisfie any indifferent Reader; otherwise if being as impossible for me in this short discourse, to meet with the severall exceptions of private fancies; as for a Geographer in the Map-generall of a Countrey, to set down the house of every particular person.

Philol.

You set Sion south of Ierusalem, clean contrary to the description of the Psalmistb 1.5, Beautifull for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion, on the Sides of the North the City of the great King.

Aleth.

The place by you alleadged is difficult, much canvassed by Comments, who fasten upon it two principall interpretations.

1 Sense. Some make this verse a description of Sion a∣lone, the latter clause by Apposition so referring unto it, that Sion it self is solely charactered to be the City on the side of the North.

2 Sense. Others make this verse the full description of all Ierusalem, consisting of two principall parts, by the figure of Asyndeton coupled together.

• 1. Sion. Beautiful for situation the ••oy of the whole earth is Mount Sion.
• 2. Properly Jerusalem. On the sides of the North the City of the great King.

That the latter is the truer interpretation we send the Reader to the vo∣luminous labours ofc 1.6 Villalpandus proving the same out of Scripture, Io∣sephus, and other Authors. Besides (though time and casualty hath made many alterations on Ierusalem, yet) what Peter in his time said of Davids sepulcher, even in our age true of mount Sion,d 1.7 it is with us unto this day, standing still full south of Ierusalem, as Travellers doe affirme, no doubt in the ancient place and posture thereof. For, although Ioseph could re∣move the Egyptians frome 1.8 one end of the borders of the land, unto the other end thereof; yet mountains are too firmly fastned to be transplanted from their naturall location.

Philol.

You doe commit what you condemn in Adrichomius, taxing f 1.9 him for fashioning the streets of Ierusalem after his own fancy; assu∣ming the same liberty to your self in conjecturall ranging them with∣out warrant from Gods word.

Aleth.

Reason dictates what we have done herein. For Gates being made for entrance, probably the streets from them stretched forth-right,

as we have de••igned them. Those Insulae, or Quadrants of buildings, are no∣thing else but the necessary product of the decussation and thwarting of such direct streets where they cross one another. It is impossible that in describing Ierusalem we should doe what Saul in another case desired of the Ziphites,a 1.10 See therefore and take notice of all the lurking places, and come yee again with the certainty; onely such generalls in likelyhood may be presu∣med, and the rest is left to every mans free conception.

Philol.

You have forgotten the Porta fictilis or Potters-gate, which b 1.11 Villalpandus solemnly sets up on the east of the City, building on a place alleadged out of the Prophet Ieremy.

Aleth.

His Porta fictilis, is rather fictitia and so brittle a gate that it is broken with perusing the text by him cited, for the proof thereof.c 1.12 Thus saith the Lord, goe and get a potters earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people and of the ancients of the Priests, and goe forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee. See here (whatever may be in the vulgar Latine) no sherd of a Potters-gate, though we confess a Pottersd 1.13 field nigh the City; but, thence it cannot be collected that there was also a gate of that name, no more then if followes, because of Smithfield, there must be Smith-gate in London.

Philol.

You affirme 1.14 that we meet with no gate at all in Sion, flatly contra∣ry to the words of David,f 1.15 The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Icoab.

Aleth.

I say again, that because of the precipice of the place, Sion had no out-gates, but had those which led into Ierusalem which might be meant by the Psalmist. But to speake plainly, Gates of Sion are not there to be taken literally, being put for the assemblies of the people at Gods publick worship; especially, whilest the Ark was in Davids time fixed in Zion.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Act. 17. 6.
• b 1.2

  Ne••. 3. 1. & 32.
• a 1.3

  Not behind them in place, but somewhat later in time.
• * 1.4

  Porta custodiae or the Watch-gate being (as Vill••lp••••d••s excellently proveth) the East-gate of the Temple.
• b 1.5

  Psal. 43. 2.
• c 1.6

  Apparat. Vr∣bis part 1. lib. 1. cap. 11. pa. 40. col. 2. & lib. 2. cap. 18.
• d 1.7

  Act. 2. 29.
• e 1.8

  Gen. 47. 21.
• f 1.9

  Lib. 3. pa 342. par. 3.
• a 1.10

  1 Sam. 23. 23.
• b 1.11

  Apparat. Vrbis pa••l. 1. lib. 3. c••p. 25.
• c 1.12

  Ier. 19. 1, 2.
• d 1.13

  Mat. 27. 7.
• e 1.14

  Lib. 3. pa. 320. par. 6.
• f 1.15

  Psal. 87. 2.