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.

CHAP. XIV. Ascalon. Gerar. The story of the eighty witches.

A Scalon in the Samaritane Interpreter is the same with Gerar, Gen. XXI.

The word Gerar among the Talmudists seems to have passed into Gerariku. a Wherefore, say they, have they not determined 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of that Coun∣try, which is in Gerariku? Because it is ill to dwell in. How far? To the River of Egypt. But behold Gaza is pleasant to dwell in, &c.

In the Author of Aruch it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Gardiki. b Bereshith Rabbah (saith he) renders 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Gerarah 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by Gardiki. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The King of Gerar, Gen. XX. 2. with the Hierusalem Targumist is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The King of Arad. Note the affinity of Arad, Gerar, and Ascalon; and thence, unless I am deceived, will grow some light, to illustrate those places in the Holy Bible, where we meet with these names.

c Ascalon was distant from Jerusalem five hundred and twenty furlongs: that is sixty five miles. Which is to be understood of the older Ascalon. For Benjamin Tudelensis makes mention of a double Ascalon, (this our) old, and the new. For thus he writes. d Thence (from Azotus) is new Ascalon distant two parsae or leagnes, (that is eight miles) which Ezra the Priest of blessed memory built at the Sea shore: and they called it first 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: now that is distant from old Ascalon, now destroyed, four leagues.

So that from Azotus to Ascalon, of which we are speaking, and of which alone the Holy Scripture speaks, were by his computation four and twenty miles; and by the computation of Adrichomius two hundred furlongs, that is, five and twenty miles.

e Ten miles from Gaza (says our Countryman Sandes, an eye witness) and near the Sea is placed Ascalon, now of no note, antiently a venerable place to the Heathen for the Temple of Dagon, and the festivals of Semiramis birth-day.

f From Gaza to Azotus, Diodorus Siculus being witness, are two hundred and seventy furlongs: which amount to four and thirty miles. Namely from Gaza to Ascalon ten miles, and thence to Azotus four and twenty.

That is a common saying 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. g From Ascalon onward to the South is the heathen Country, and Ascalon it self is reputed for a heathen Country. And yet something of Ascalon was within the Land of Israel. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Applegardens, or Or∣chards did bound the Land of Ascalon on that coast, which we have observed before. h And yet, When R. Ismael ben R. Josi, and Ben Hakkaphar were set over 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the space of Ascalon (that is, when it was intrusted to them to judge concerning the spa∣ces or parts of Ascalon, namely what were within the land, and what without, &c.) they pronounced it clean from the authority of R. Phinchasi ben Jair, who said, We went down to the corn-market of Ascalon, and thence we received wheat, and going up into our City we wash∣ed, and eat our Thruma (i. e. the portion of first fruits belonging to the Priests.) The greatest part of the City, if not the whole was esteemed under the second Temple, to be without the limits of the land: but some part, or at least the Appleyards, and the places next adjacent were within the land.

Mention is made of a certain Temple in Ascalon among the i sive more famous Temples, viz. The Temple of Bel in Babylon, the Temple of Nebo in Cursi, of Tiratha in Mapheg, of Zeripha in Ascalon, and of Nishra in Arabia.

And there is a story of a fast enjoyned, because some sign appeared of a blast of the corn in Ascalon. k The Elders went down from Hierusalem into their Cities, and enjoyned a fast, because so much of a blast was seen in Ascalon, as the space of the mouth of an oven may contain.

But most famous of all is the story of the eighty women, that were witches, hanged by Simeon ben Shetach in one and the same day. We will not think much to relate the thing in the words of the Gemarists. l When as two Disciples of the wise men in Ascalon

were intent upon the study of the Law, one of them at length dying had no funerals performed for him, when yet a Publican dying at that time had. To the Student, that survived, are re∣vealed the joys of his saved companion, and likewise the punishments of the damned Publican 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Let the learned Reader turn this clause into English; unless my conjecture fail me, it savours of spite and poison. I should thus render it.

He saw Mary the daughter of Eli in the shades hung up by the kernels of the brests; and when he enquired, how long she was to suffer those things? It was answered, Until Simeon ben Shetach came to supply her place. But said he, For what crime? It is answered, Therefore because he sometime swore against his Soul, and said, If I shall ever become a Prince, I will destroy all Wizzards. But behold, he is become a Prince, and yet he hath not done this: for eighty women, that are witches, lye hid in a Cave at Ascalon, and kill the World. Go, and tell him, &c. He went to him there∣fore, and related these things, &c. On a certain rainy day therefore, having eighty young men in company with him, he goes to the Cave, knocks, professes himself one of the bewitching Society, and is let in. He sees them exercising their Art. For mut∣tering certain words together one brings morsels of meat, another wine, another boyl∣ed flesh, &c. But what can you do, say they? Saith he, I will twice utter my voice, and I will bring in eighty Youths handsomly habited, them selves merry, and shall make you so. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They say to him, Such we would have. He utters his voice the first time, and the young men put on their clean cloths; (free from the rains, for they had carried them with them covered and safe in certain vessels for the same purpose) Crying out the second time, in they all come: and a sign being given, that each man should lift up from the Earth one woman (for so their Magical power would perish) he said to her which had brought the morsels, Bring hither now the morsels; but she brought them not. Therefore said he, Carry her away to the Gallows. Bring wine, but she brought it not, Carry her also away, saith he, to hanging. And so it was done with them all. Hence is the Tradition, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. Simeon ben Shetach hung eighty women in Ascalon. But they do not judge two persons in the same day. But this he did out of the necessity of the time. Where the Gloss thus, He was compelled to do this, because the women of Israel had very much broke out into witchcraft. There∣fore he made an hedge to the time, and hanged them to expose the thing publickly. And this in one and the same day, that their kinred might no way conspire to deliver them.

Notes

• a

  Hieros. She∣viith, fol. 36. 3
• b

  Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• c

  Joseph. de Bell. lib. 3. cap. 1.
• d

  Benjam. in l••inerario, pag. mihi 80.
• e

  Georg. Sandes ••is Travails, pag. 151.
• f

  Diod. Sicul. lib. 19.
• g

  R. Nissin in Gittin. cap. 1.
• h

  Hieros. She∣viith. fol. 36. 3.
• i

  Bab. Avodah Zarah, fol. 11. 2
• k

  Taanith. cap. 3. Hal 6.
• l

  Hi ros. San∣hedr. fol. 23. 3. Bab. Sanhedr. fol. 44. 2. in Glossa.