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. II. SEPHARAD. Where.

THE Italian Interpreter for Sepharad, retains Zarphath: For so he, Et i transferiti de questo esercito de figlioli de Israel, che sono de Chenahanei, in fino a Zarphath, & i transferiti di Jerusalem, che Sono in Zarphath, &c. Whether too warily, or too un∣warily he hath thus done, let him look to that himself.

The Greek hath 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ephratha, with which the Arabian Interpreter agrees. But the Syriack with the Targumist, Spain. The vulgar, Bosphorus, confusedly, besides that it makes the preposition 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a radical Letter: And yet Nobilius hath this passage. St. Je∣rom tells us, the other Interpreters agreed with the Hebrew word Sepharad, which he ren∣dered Bosphorus. If he means that all agreed in acknowledging the word Sepharad, he tells us no news: but who agreed with his word Bosphorus?

I must confess, Sepharad is not a place so obvious as Zarephath, nor can any thing be offered in it, but conjecture only: and if I might be allowed my guess; I would look for Sepharad in Edom, rather than in Spain: and that because Obadiah prophesies against the Edomites, properly so called. Whereas therefore he tells us, That the Captivity of Israel in Sarepta of the Phenicians shall possess the Land of the Canaanities: It is pro∣bable he means by the Captivity in Sepharad, those Captives in Edom, who shall pos∣sess the Cities of the South. The Zarphathani, or Sareptani were of the North, the Sepharadeni of the South: amongst the a 1.1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Whom you may rightly call the Troglodyte Arabs, saith Strabo, b 1.2 That is, probably the Horims in Mount Seir; for I suspect Horim, by ill use, might form it self into Eremb.

If we consider that the Jews do generally by Edom, understand the Roman Empire, and indeed all the Christian Nations in the West, we shall easily perceive why they fix these places Zarephath, and Sepharad so far from Palestine. For Obadiah prophesying against the Edomites, properly so called, the Jews change the scene and persons, ac∣cording to the vulgar construction of Edom, which they had received amongst them∣selves.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Hom. Odyss. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 1.2

  Strab. lib. 1.