CHAP. VIII. The River of Egypt, Rhinocorura. The lake of Sirbon. (Book 8)
PLINY writes, a 1.1 From Pelusium are the Intrenchments of Chabrias: Mount Casius: The Temple of Jupiter Casius. The Tomb of Pompey the great. Ostracine. Arabia is bounded sixty five miles from Pelusium. Soon after begins Idumea and Palestine from the rising up of the Sirbon lake. Either my eyes deceive me, while I read these things, or Mount Casius lies nearer Pelusium, than the lake of Sirbon. The Maps have ill placed the Sirbon between Mount Casius and Pelusium.
Sirbon 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 implies Burning; the name of the lake being derived from its nature, which is firy and bituminous. It is described by Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, and others, whom you may look upon. A lake like to that of Sodome, and perhaps was of the like fate and original; to wit, an Example of divine indignation. What if it be the monument of that dreadful Earthquake in the days of Uzziah, Amoz I. 1. Zech. XIV. 5? When God contended also in fire, Amoz VII. 4. So that some Cities perished after the man∣ner of Sodome and Gomorrha, Amos IV. 11. Esa. I. 9.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The furthest border of the land of Israel Southward is not Nile in Egypt, but Shihor in the way to Egypt, Jos. XIII. 3. Jer. II. 18. In the seventy Interpre∣ters it is Rhinocorura; for they render that in Esa. XXVII. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, unto the stream of Egypt, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, unto Rhinocorura. Of which place and name, derived from the cutting of nosthrils, see Diodorus Siculus, lib. I.