CHAP. XCIX. Subterraneous places. Mines. Caves. (Book 99)
THUS having taken some notice of the superficies of the land, let us a little search into its bowels. You may divide that subterraneous Country into three parts: The Metal mines, the Caves, and the places of Burial.
This land was eminently noted for Metal mines, so that its stones in very many places, were iron, and out of its hills was digged brass, Deut. VIII. 9. From these, gain accrued to the Jews, but to the Christians not seldom slavery and misery; being frequently condem∣ned hither by Tyrants: So Eusebius of Edesius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a 1.1 He was condemned to the Metal mines in Palestine. And again concerning others, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. b 1.2 Then passing to the other Confessors of Christ, he condemns them all to the brass mines, which were in Pheno of Palestine.
On the North part of the land, in the Country of Aser, were mines of metal. Hence is that in Deut. XXXIII. 25. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass. On the South, in the desert of Sin, the utmost bounds of Judea, were mines also: hence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And shall pass to Sin, as our translation reads, Numb. XXXIV. 4. in the Jerusalem Targumist is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Over against the mountain of iron: and in Jonathan 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Unto the Palmtrees of the mountain of iron: and in the Talmudists, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 c 1.3 The Palmtrees of the mountain of iron are fit to make a small bundle to carry in the hand, in the feast of Tabernacles. On the East coast of Perea: was also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, An iron mountain, witness d 1.4 Josephus. And without doubt, there were other such like mines, scattered here and there in other parts of that land, though of them we have no mention.
You will not at all wonder at these underminings of the Earth, seeing they brought so much profit and gain with them, and were so necessary to the life of man. But what shall we say of those Dens and Caves in Rocks and Mountains, whence no gain seemed to be digged, but rather danger arose to the neighbouring places oftentimes? For what were these, but lurking places for wild beasts and robbers? There is infinite mention of these Caves both in the Holy Scriptures, and in other Writings especially in Josephus, where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, subterraneous passages, and Dens are mentioned a thousand times. And many of these were of a vast largeness, scarcely to be credited; those especially in the Talmudists, which are called The Dens of Zedekiah, not a few miles in measure.
But were those hollows the work of nature, or of the hands and industry of man? By one example taken out of Josephus, the thing may be determined. Relating the story of a Castel built by Hyrcanus in Perea, among other things he speaks thus: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. e 1.5 Out of the Rock against the Mountain having cut in two the prominent part of it, he made Dens of many furlongs long. And a little after, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉