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CHAP. XLIV. Nob. Bahurim. (Book 44)
THAT Nob was placed in the land of Benjamin, not far from Jerusalem, whence Jerusalem also might be seen, the words of the Chaldee Paraphrast upon Esa. X. 32. do argue. For so he speaks; Senacherib came and stood in Nob, a City of the Priests, be∣fore the walls of Jerusalem; and said to his army, Is not this the City of Jerusalem, against which I have raised my whole army, and have subdued all the Provinces of it? Is it not small and weak in comparison of all the fortifications of the Gentiles, which I have subdued by the valour of my hand? He stood nodding with his head against it, and wagging his hand up and down, &c. Where Kimchi thus, Jerusalem might be seen from Nob. Which when he saw from thence, he wagged his hand, as a man is wont to do, when he despiseth any thing, &c. And Jarchi thus, When he stood at Nob, he saw Jerusalem, &c.
The a 1.1 Talmudists do concur also in the same sense with the Chaldee Paraphrast, and in his very words; adding this moreover, that all those places which are numbred up by Esaiah in the place alledged, were travailed through by the Enemy with his army in one day.
The Tabernacle sometime resided at Nob; when that was destroyed, it was translated to Gibeon. b 1.2 And the days of Nob and Gibeon (they are the words of Maimonides) were seven and fifty years.
We meet with mention of Bahurim, 2 Sam. XVI. 5. It was a Levitical City, the same with Almon, Jos. XXI. 18. which is also called Alemeth, 1 Chron. VI. 60. Those words, And David came to Bahurim, in the place alledged in the book of Samuel, the Chaldee renders 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And David the King came to Almath. Where Kimchi thus, Bahurim was a City of the Benjamites, and is called in the books of the Chro∣nicles, Alemeth; for Bahurim and Alemeth are the same. Both sound as much as, Young men.