The Gemarist quaeries, What is Beth Baltin? Rabh saith it is Biram. What is the Captivity? Rabh Joseph saith it is Pombeditha. Glosse. The sense of it is this: That Bi∣ram is in the Land of Israel, How? Is Biram the same with Beth Baltin, and yet is Biram within the Land of Israel? When in the Jerusalem Gemara, Rabh Honna saith, When we came hither, we went up to the top of Beth Baltin, and discerned the Palm-trees in Babylon. If this be true, the Geographers are to consider whether there can be any prospect of Babylon from the Land of Israel. In their sense it may be true enough, who commonly by the name of Babylon, understand all those Countries into which the Ba∣bylonish Captivity were carried; not only Chaldea, but Mesopotamia also, and Assyria: So that bounding the Land of Israel with the River Euphrates, (which indeed the Holy Scriptures themselves do) they make it contiguous with Mesopotamia, the River only between; and they place Beth Baltin not far from the bank on this side the River.
The Gemarists acknowledge that Lights were lifted up upon some Hills between those which they had mentioned, but these were the most known and celebrated, and there∣fore they named them only. Now it is probable enough that Mount Hauran gave the denomination to the whole Country Auranitis, which we are now upon: Perhaps there might be some part of Antilibanus, called Hauran, either from the Syriac word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Havar, which signifies white; or from the Hebrew word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Hor, a Cave. It may well enough agree either way, the Hill being white with Snow, and hollow with the subter∣ranean passages that were there.
However, it is plain enough from the place in Ezekiel before quoted, that Hau∣ran was situated in the very extreme parts of the Land, toward the North, and from thence the Country as it had its situation there, so had its name Auranitis. Gul. Tyri∣us (by what authority I cannot tell) placeth it near the Sea of Gennesaret Subitò enim transcursâ regione Auranitide quae secus Mare Tyberiadis est, &c. The Country of Au∣ranitis being suddenly run through, which is by the Sea of Tiberias, &c.
And that the River Orontes [Springing between Libanus and Antilibanus near Heliopi∣lis, as Pliny hath it; took its name from Hauran, the word it self seems to assure us. Although some quoted by Eustath. in Dionys. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. do apprehend it to be a Latine name. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (saith he) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ As if Orontes were the same with Orientalis, The Eastern. But what that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 should mean is a little difficult. Orontes was of old called Typhon, as Strabo tells us.