The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

TO THE READER.

ICould with as little pains and travail have journied to Jeru∣salem to have taken a view of the Temple, had it now stood, as this hath cost me to survey it by the Eyes of others in their Writings, as I have done: And for all my labour, how I shall speed in the acceptance of the Reader, I must leave it to the common doubtful fate of Books, being neither willing to beg it, nor to despair of it. If I have come short either of the worth of the mat∣ter treated of, or failed the expectation of the Reader, the difficulty of the Subject may plead my Apology, and my desire to benefit, may lighten my cen∣sure.

There is hardly a harder Task in Study than to describe Structures and places not seen, and at distance; and the Scripture hath hardly a more obscure de∣scription of any thing than of this Fabrick. In that I have added so much of Iewish intelligence about it, it is because I find not where better information (after the Scriptures) is to be had. I know they hear as ill as any Men for their Writings, and that very oft not without very good cause; yet give them leave to tell the story of their own Customs and Antiquities assoon as another Man: and if you will not believe them what they say, to produce others that speak more credibly in the matter in hand I believe will be next impossible.

I shall not plead for them in all they Write, lest I should be like unto them; in things of Historical nature, I cannot but give some credence to them, as be∣ing likely to be the best Recorders of their own Antiquities.

It is well known to the Studious how much light hath been held out by some Learned Men towards the explication of abundance of difficulties in Scrip∣ture, by the discovery of the Iewish Customs and Antiquities, to which the New Testament speaketh and alludeth exceeding copiously and frequently: I need not go far for examples of Learned Men that have been choicely happy in such illustrations: A matchless pair in our own Nation, second to none in any Nation whatsoever, Mr. Hugh Broughton in the last Generation, and Mr. Selden in this, may be instances sufficient? Now though it is far enough from my thoughts and hopes to dream of atchieving to the least degree and measure of their skill in these Studies, and their happiness in such explana∣tions: yet can I not but from such incouragements of experience in others, go on with the more delight in the perusal of such Monuments my self, not without hope that I may reap some profit by them to my self, and hold out something from them which may not be altogether useless to others.

What may redound of this kind out of this present Volume, I must leave to the Readers censure, and not be my own judge: This I hope I may say of it without arrogance or falshood, that this Subject hath scarcely been so largely handled in our English Tongue heretofore, and that what is here produced out of Iewish Records, doth for the most part carry so fair possibility and probabi∣lity with it, and is so little dissonant either to Scripture or reason, and so con∣s••nant to Josephus, whose credit is commonly reputed above Talmudical,

that if on the one hand there is not undeniable ground to believe it, nei∣ther is there on the other hand, undeniable ground to gainsay it.

I had undertaken a Task of a far larger Time, Toil, and Volume, and the same way of Workmanship that I have done this; namely, from Scripture, and from Talmudical and Iewish Writers, to have given a Description of the Land of Canaan; so far am I satisfied of the benefit of these Authors, if dexterously managed. And certainly if my judgment do not much fail me, exceeding singular use might be made of them in such a Work, and hundreds, or rather thousands of Learned Rarities as to that Subject produced out of them, not to be found in any Authors but themselves, which tend not a little to the illustra∣tion of the Chorography and Story of that Land: But when I had spent a good large time and progress in that Work, I found that I was happily pre∣vented in that Subject by a more Learned and Acute Pen * 1.1; which though it went not the same way in that Work that I had done, yet was it so far before me both in progress and in accuracy, that I knew it would be lost labour for me to proceed further. Hereupon I left off that Task, lest I should actum age∣re, and diverted my thoughts to this survey, because of a promise which had a tie upon me for something of this nature.

With the working up of this piece, I also drew up a large Map of the Tem∣ple structures, according to the verbal Description of them in this Volume, the sight and comparing of which would have made the things here described a great deal more easie and pleasant to be understood, could it have been publish∣ed; but I have not yet met with the faculty and fortune of bringing it to that issue: and I thought to have suppressed this Tract till that also might have come forth with it; but I have been overcome to let it out, partly by the im∣portunity of others, and partly by this Reason of mine own, that it might not be amiss to try what acceptance this Treatise will find, before I add more pains and charge for the ingraving of the Map. If any of my Learned Friends upon perusal of this Tract, shall think the publication of that may be mate∣rial, I shall be ready to embrace such animation, and use my best endeavour to effect the thing, if it will be effected.

Much-Mundon in Herfordsh. April 3. 1650.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mr. Tho. Fuller, B. D.