Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

ITVRAEA.

ITVRAEA, hath on the East and North Cale-Syria; on the West, the River Iordan; and on the South Peraea. So called from Ietur one of the Sonnes of Ismael, seated in this tract; though lost by his posterity to the Amorites, one of the most powerful tribes amongst the Chanaanites; and by them made the patrimony of the Kings of Basan. The race of which Kings ending in Og, the wealthiest and best parts hereof, were given by Moses to the half Tribe of Manasses; such parts of it as lay towards Damascus being seized on by the neighbouring Aramites, and made a Kingdome of it self, called the Kingdome of Gessur; and the more mountainous and unpleasant left to the first inhabitants, as not worth the conquer∣ing. But both the Kingdome of Gessur, and those of the half tribe of Manasses, shifting from one Lord to another, till they came into the hands of the Grecians, the name of Ituraea revived again and grew into very good esteem, the Ituraeans being reputed for good Souldiers, especially at the Bow and Arrowes; of which thus the Poet in his Georgicks lib. 2.

—Ituraeas taxi torquentur in arcus. Of the best Eugh that can be had The Ituraean Bows are made.

The whole Countrey in the times of the Greeks and Romans, divided into Trachomitis and Ituraea specially so called: this last again being subdivided into Batanea, Ganlonitis, Auranitis, and Paneas. For whereas it is said in Saint Lukes Gospel, that Philip the brother of Herod, was Tetrach of Ituraea and the Region of Trachonitis; and by Iosephus that for his Tetrachy he had the Provinces of Trachonitis, Batanea, Gaulonitis, Auranitis, and Paneas: it must needs be that the four last mentioned Provinces make up that one which by Saint Luke is comprehended in the name of Ituraea; distinct from that of Tra∣chonitis though a part hereof. Inhabited in the time of Iosephus, as in those of Iosuah and David, both by Iews and Syrians: the Syrians dwelling in the mountainous, and more barren parts, the Iews in that which was assigned them in the time of Moses: the whole not yielding unto Galilee for extent of ground; but far inferiour to it for wealth and fruitfulness; not well inhabited where best, and in some places which are desart and very barren hardly inhabited at all, or bearing any thing but wild-fruits. Such was it in the time of Iosephus, and not bettered since.

1. TRACHONITIS is that mountainous and hilly Countrey, which beginning at the borders of the Ammonites, where the hills are called the Mountains of Gilead, extendeth it self North∣wards as far as Libanus: the hills in those parts being by the Iews called Galeed, Syrion, and He••mon; but by the Grecians, for the craggedness and roughness of them, by the name of Trachones. The people mischievously bent and much given to witch-craft, as we find in Strabo. Montanam regionem incolunt Ituraei & Arabes, malefici omnes. So he, or his Translatour rather, for I have not the Originall by me. Where by Arabians he meaneth those of Trachonitis, which every where he maketh to be the fame with Ituraea, though differing from it as the Cots-wold Countreys do from the rest of Gloucestershire, or as a pared th from the whole; because united by that name into one estate at the time he lived in. Solet & Trachonitis Itureae nomine appellari, saith the learned Grottus, according to the generall consent of the antient Writers. A people generally addicted to spoyl and robberie, living especially on the spoil of those Merchants which traded to and from Damascus: till with some difficulty restrained to a more orderly life by Herod, on whom Augustus Caesar had bestowed the Countrey, to the end that by strong hand he might hold them in.

The People and the Countrey by Iosephus are thus described.

The Trachonites (saith he) have neither Towns nor lands, nor heritage or any other possessions, but only certain retreates and caves under the ground, where they lived like beasts: and having made abundant provision of water and victuals, were able to hold out along time against any assailant. For the doors of their Caves were made so nar∣row that they could be entered but by one at once; and the way to them not direct, but full of turnings and windings, not possibly to be found out but by the help of a Guide, the whole Countrey naturally consisting of craggy Rocks. The passages of the Caves once entred they were found to be very large and spacious: sufficient to contain great multitudes of these theevish people, who when they had not oppor∣tunity to spoile their neighbours, would rob one another, and omitted no kind of wickedness; being so accustomed to thest that they could not live otherwise.

But I conceive that this is not meant generally of all the people, but only of some bodie of theeves or out-lawes, which possessed themselves of the streits of the Mountains; and from thence issued to assault and spoil the Passengers. For it is afterwards expres∣sed, that revolting upon the news of Herods death, and committing new out-rages, they no sooner heard of his recovery but they fled the Countrey, and betook themselves unto a strong Castle in Arabia, where they increased to the number of a thousand persons. So that there is no question to be made at all but they had villages and towns, and lands and heritages, in the more civill parts hereof; though not amongst those Mountainers which Iosephus speaks of. And amongst those, I reckon, 1. Gerra, 2. Elere, 3. Nelaxa, 4. Adrama; all named by Ptolomy, and all placed by him in the Longitude of 70 degrees or upwards: more towards the East than well agreeth with the position of this Countrey, or any part of Be∣lying more towards the West than Trachonitis, though to that part of Ituraea, by him ascribed. Hither also I refer the City of 5. Tishbe, the Countrey of old Tobit, and the Prophet Elias. 6. Tob, where Jophes lived in exile, when oppreffed by his Brethren, till the necessities of his Countrey called him to the publick government; and 7. Hippus, at the foot of those Mountains, reckoned amongst the Cities of Coele-Syria.

2. BATANEA is that part of Ituraea, which antiently made up the best and great∣est part of the Kingdome of Basan, whence it had this name: the changing of S to T, as Assyria into Attyria, and the like, being usuall among the Greeks. But that Kingdome being brought to an end by Moses, it was given to the half tribe of Manasses; so called of Manasses the Sonne of Jo∣seph, of whom there were found at the first muster neer Mount Sinai 32200 men able to bear armes: which though consumed in the Desarts, yet were they of such a swift increase, that there were found 52700 fighting men of them when rhey passed over Jordan. Their Territory on that side of the River, streching from Jaboc on the South, to the Realm of Gessur on the North, and from the mountains unto Jordan East and West, was exceeding fertile: repenished withall sorts of Cattel, and adorned with the goodliest Woods in that part of the World; the Oakes of Basan being celebrated in the Holy Scrip∣tures.

It had in it 60. fenced Cities when first conquered by those of this Tribe. The principall of which 1. Pella, formerly called Butis, but being rebuilt by Seleucus the Great King of Syria, was by him called Pella, with reference to a City of that name in Macedon, the birth-place of Alexander, to whom Seleucus owed his greatness and whole estate. Destroyed by Alexander Jannaeus King of the Jews, be∣cause not willing to admit of the Law of Moses; it was afterwards restored by Pompey to its former lu∣stre. Memorable in Church-story for the Admonition or premonishment given by a voice from Heaven to the Christians dwelling at Hierusalem, to remove thence and dwell at Pella: that so they might escape that destruction which the Roman Army under Titus was to bring upon it. 2. Edrey, the Seat-Royall of the Kings of Basan. 3. Carnaim, on the banks of Jaboc, taken by Judas Maccabaeus, who set fire on the Temple of the Idols there; and burnt therein all such as sled thither for sanctuary. 4. Ephror, a strong City upon Jordan, taken and burnt by the same Judas Maccabaeus, for refusing to give a passage to his Army. 5. Jabesh Gilead, more neer unto the Mountains, whence it had that Adjunct; memo∣rable in the Scriptures for the siege of Nabas King of the Ammonites, the raising of that siege by Saul, and the gratitude of the People towards him again, in taking down, imbalming and intombing the bodies of him and his Sonnes, which the Philistims had most delpitefully hanged on the walls of Bethsan. 6. A∣staroth, a City of great note in the Elder times; the seat of the Rephaims, a Giantlike race of men, of whom descended Og of Basan; from whence the Countrey adjoining had the name of the Land of giant•• Astaroth the Godess of the Sidonians had here her worshippers. 7. Gaulon, sometimes possessed by Og of Basan, and afterwards made one of the Cities of Refuge; of such esteem in the times of the Greeks and Romans, that the North part of Basanitis or Batanea was called Gaulonitis, divided into Superior and Inferior, so often mentioned by Josephus. And of this City or Countrey was that Judas of Gal••lee spo∣ken of in the sift of the Acts, the Founder of the Gaulonites, or Anti-Herodians. 8. Gamala, in the Lower Gaulonitis, so called because the Hill upon which it stood was fashioned like the back of a Camel: invincibly situate, strengthned both by Art and Nature: and at the last with so great difficulty, and hazard of Vespasians person, stormed by Titus, that the Romans in the heat of the execution, spared neither Wo∣men nor Children; insomuch that all the Inhabitants perished, except some few Women which had hid themselves. 9. Gadara after ten moneths siege taken and destroyed by Alexander Jannaeus King of the lews; repaired by Pompey, and by Gabinius made one of the five feats of Justice for the whole Countrey of Palestine: the other four being Hierusalem, Iericho, Hamath, and Sephorah. 10. Gerasa, or Gergesa, the Chief City of the Gergesites, the people whereof on the loss of their Swine, intreated our Saviour to depart out of their costs, as Saint Matthew hath it. Saint Luke. and Saint Mark ascribe it to the People of Gadara, not that the Cities were both one, or the E∣vangelists at ods in the Relation, but because they were two neighbouring Cities, and their fields lay in Common pour cause de vicinage, as our Lawyers phrase it; and so the storie might be common to both alike. 11. Hippus, not far from the River Iordan, so called from a Garrison of Horse there placed by Herod: not from the Mountain Hippus, as some suppose; which is too far off to have a∣ny influence upon it. 12. Iulias, built by Philip the Tetrarch of Ituraea, in the Southern border of his estate, in imitation of the like work of Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea; to ingra∣tiate himself with Iulia, the wife of Tiberius Caesar. 13. Abel, by Iosephus called Abel Maacha, for distinctions sake: where Sheba that Grand Rebell being besieged by Ioab, and the City brought into some danger; had his head cut off and thrown over the wall, at the perswasion of a wife wo∣man of the Town. So the rebellion ended, and the City was saved.

North of Basanitis or Batanea lieth the Kingdome of GESSVR by a latter name called AVRANITIS, from Hauran, a chief City of it mentioned by the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 16. 18. A Kingdome spoken of by Moses as the Northern bound of the Half Tribe of Manasses on that side of Iordan. Deut. 4. 14. by Iosuah as the Northern border of the Kingdome of Basar, chap 12. 5 but reckoned as a part of Syria, because held by the Aramites, 2 Sam. 15. 8. A Kingdome though of no great territorie, yet of some consideration in the eye of the World; David esteeming the alliance of the Kings hereof of some use unto him; and therefore marying Maacha, the daughter of Tolmui, King of Gessur, by whom he had Absolom and Tamar. And to this King it was that Absolom fled on the killing of Amnon, abiding here three years as the storie telleth us.

Conterminus to this, or at least not very much distant from it, was the petit Kingdome of Isk-••ob, which sent 12000. men to the aid of the Ammonites against David: and not far off, but more towards Palmyrens, or Aram-Zobah, that of Beth-Rehob, confederate in the same war also with the other Syrians; mention whereof is made in the second book of Sam. chap. 10. ver. 6. Which whether they belonged to Syria, or to those North-parts of Ituraea, is of no great certainty, and as little consequence.

For after their greatest and last exploit we hear no more news of them; swallowed up not long after (as it seems) by the Kings of Damascus.

To return therefore into Gessur, as more certainly within the limits of Palestine, the places of most obser∣vation in it were, 1. Gessur, then the chief City of it, and giving name unto the whole. 2. Mahaeath or Macuti as some call it: conceived to be that Maacha mentioned 1 Chron. 19. 6. But of this we have already spoken in Comagena. 3. Chauran or Hauran, mentioned by the Prophet Ezekul chap. 47. whence these Northen parts of Palestine were called Auranitis. 4. Chaisar-Hevan, there mentioned by that Prophet also. 5. Ʋs, neer the borders of Damascus, the first habitation of Ʋs the Sonne of Aram and Grand-child of Sem, by whose name so called: supposed to be the founder of Damascus also, and that more probably than that the Countrey thereabouts should be the Land of Hus, enabled by the dwel∣ling and story of Iob. 6. Sueta, mentioned by Brochardus, and by some conceived to be the habitation 〈◊〉〈◊〉 surnamed the Shuchite, one of Iobs three friends mentioned in that story: but both of him, and Iob himself and the Land of Hus, we shall speak more at large when we come to Arabia. More certain∣ly remarkable for a Fort of great strength and use for the commanding of the Countrey; recovered from the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the time of Baldwin the second, by digging with incredible labour thorow the very rock upon which it was seated.

As for the fortunes of this part, the Tribes on that side of Iordan were led captive into Assyria, and the Kingdome of Damascus subverted by Tiglah-Phalassar; it followed the fortune of the Babylonian and Per••ian Empires, together with which it came to the Macedonian Kings of the race of Seleucus. In the declining of that house (but the time I find not) it made up the greatest part of the Kingdome of Chalcis; possessed by Ptolomy the Sonne of Mennaeus, in the beginning of Herods greatness, who dying, left unto Lysanias his eldest Sonne, murdered about seven years after by Marc. Antonie, on the suggestions of Cleopatra, who presently seized on his estates. But Antonie and Cleopatra having left the Stage, Lysa∣nias, a Sonne of the murdered Prince entreth next upon it, by the permission of Augustus. During whose time Zenodorus Lord of the Town and territory of Paneas, farming his demeasnes, and paying a very grat Rent for them: not only suffered the Trachonites to play the Robbers, and infest the Merchants of Damascus: but received part of the booty with them. Augustus, on complaint hereof, giveth the whole Countrey of Trachonites, Batanea, Gaulonitis, and Auranitis, to Herod the Ascalonite, be∣fore created King of Iewrie: that by his puissance and power, he might quell those Robbers, and reduce the Countrie into order: Leaving unto Lysanias nothing but the City of Abila (of which he was the na∣tural Lord) whereof and of the adjoining territory, he was afterwards created Tetrarch, by the name of the Tetrarch of Abilene, mentioned Luke 3. Nor did Herods good fortune end in this. For presently on the death of Zenodorus, not long after following, Augustus gave him also the district of Paneas (of which we shall speak more when we come to Galilee): which with the Countries formerly taken from Lysanias, made up the Tetrarchie of Philip his youngest Sonne, affording him the yearly Revenue of 100. Talents, which make 37500 l. of English money. On Philips death, his Tetrarchy was by Cains Cal••gula, conferred on Agrippa the Nephew of Herod by his Sonne Aristobulus, whom he had also dignified with the title of King; after whose death, and the death of Agrippa Minor, who next succeeded, his estates escheated to the Romans, and have since had the same fortune with the rest of Palestine.