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.

SECT. V. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Wild Hony, Mark I. 6.

WHEN it is so often repeated in the Holy Scripture, that God gave to his people Israel a Land flowing with Milk and Hony, hence 1. One would conclude that the whole Land flowed with it. And 2. hence one would expect infinite hives of Bees. But hear what the Talmudists say of these things.

x 1.1 R. Jonah saith, The Land flowing with Milk and Hony is the Land, some part of which flows with Milk and Hony. And that part, they say, is in Galilee; for thus they speak, For sixteen miles every way from Zippor is a Land flowing with Milk and Hony: of which thing and Country we shall speak elsewhere.

y 1.2 R. Jose of Galilee saith, They bring not the first fruits out of the Country which is beyond Jordan, because that is not the Land flowing with Milk and Hony. And he that brought the first fruits was to say, The Lord gave us this Land flowing with Milk and Hony; And now I have brought the first fruits of the Land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. Deut. XXVI. 9, 10.

But that part that flowed, how did it flow with Hony? Learn that from Ramban up∣on the place: When he saith, And Hony, he understands 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Hony of Palms. For the Palm Trees which are in the Plain and in the Vallies abound very much with Hony.

There was Hony also distilling from the Fig-trees. z 1.3 R. Jacob ben 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Dositheus saith, I went on a certain time from Lydda to Ono before day break, up to the ankles in the Hny of Figs.

This is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The wild Hony, of which the Evangelists speak, as of the Baptists food. And how convenient for this the Region about Jericho was, which was

called The Country of Palm-trees, is clear to every Eye. Diodorus Siculus hath these words of a certain Nation of Arabians; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ a 1.4 They have Pepper from the Trees, and much Hony, called wild Hony, which they use to drink with water. Whether it were also as plentiful in Locusts, we do not say; certainly in this also it gave place to no Country, if either barrenness or fruitfulness served for the breeding them: for Jericho, and the adjacent parts was like, a garden of pleasure, in the midst of a Desert. Certain∣ly the place was very convenient for that great Work to be performed by the Baptist, that is, Baptizing in Jordan.

Notes

• x 1.1

  Hieros. Bic∣curim, fol. 64. ••
• y 1.2

  Biccurim, cap. 1. hal. 15.
• z 1.3

  Chetub. fol. 111. 2.
• a 1.4

  Diod. Sic. lib. 19.