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.

CHAP. III. In the same Regions were the seats of the ten Tribes.

TRacing the feat of the Ten Tribes by the light of the Scriptures and the Tal∣mudists, we find they were placed in Assyria, and Babylon, and the bordering Countries: disposed under their Captivity in those very Lands, wherein the Divine Counsel had decreed the two Tribes also should be disposed, when they should undergo the same lot: that those Tribes which had bordered upon each other in their own Land, should border also upon each other in a strange Land: and that they, whom God had united in the promise of their future call, should be also united in the same habitations, that they might be called together.

Those that were carried away from their own Land, the King of Assyria placed in Halach and Chabor, near the River Gozan, and in the Cities of the Medes. 2 King. XVII. 6. and VIII. 11.

The Talmudists do thus comment upon the places named. a 1.1 R. Abba bar Chana saith,

: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Halac is Halvaoth.

: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Habor is Adiabene.

: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The River Gozan is Ginzak. b 1.2 R. Akiba preacheth in Ginzak in Media.

: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Cities of the Medes are Chemdam, and its fellows. But there are some who say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Nihar and its fellows. What are those fel∣lows? Samuel saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Musechi, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Hidki, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Domki.

These things are repeated elsewhere, and that with this variation of the names.

: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 c 1.3 Chalah is Chalzon.

: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Cities of the Medes are Tamdan, and its fellows. But there are some that say. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Nehvanad, and its fellows. What are these fellows? Samuel saith, The Towns 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Muschi, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chushki, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Romki.

Of the rendring 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chalah, although the Gemarists do not exactly agree among themselves, one while interpreting it by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Halvaoth, another while by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chalzon:

yet they disagree not about the situation of the place, when in both places they joyn it so Adiabene. And in the place last cited, they so apply those words of Daniel, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And three ribs within his mouth. Dan. VII. 5. R. Jochanan in∣terpreting, are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chalzon, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and Adiabene, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and Nesibis.

I ask whether 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chalzon be not illy written for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chalvaon, (by the likeness of the letters 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Vau, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Zain;) which comes nearer to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Halvaoth; and both agree with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Alvanis, which was a City in Mesopotamia, in Ptolomy, in De∣gree, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 74. 15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 35. 20. a 1.4 In the same Author, the River 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chabo∣ras, bears the memory of Chabor, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chalcitis, bears that of Chalach, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Gauzanitis, that of Gozan. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The River Adiab, whence the Country of Adiabene, of most noted fame. See Ammianus Marcellinus.e 1.5

These things the Jews speak of the first seats of the ten Tribes; and that they also remained there in after ages, they are so assured, that in the Talmudists, f 1.6 pro∣vision is made concerning Espousals, that they contract not with any of the ten Tribes. And the Gloss there is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 In those places were very many of the Ten Tribes.

And while the Masters strictly provide, that the stocks of pure blood be preserved, and name very many places in Babylon, and the Countries adjacent, where families of pure blood were, and where they were not; they poynt with the finger as to others, so also to the ten Tribes residing there, as people of impure blood, and with whom they were not to mingle.

But now, if the Seats, Cities, Countries of the ten Tribes, in the times of the Tal∣mudists, were so well known, much more were they so in the times of the Apostles; which were not so far removed from their first Captivity. That people therefore in that time skulked not in I know not what unknown Land, a thing now conceived of them, but that the preaching of the Apostles came also to them, as well as to other Nations. One may say this with the greatest assurance, upon the credit of S. James, who writes his Epistle to the whole twelve Tribes and also upon the credit of the Apo∣caliptic, in whom the twelve Tribes are sealed, Chap. VII. And the words of our Sa∣viour argue the same thing, of the Twelve Apostles, that were to judge the Twelve Tribes, implying, that they all Twelve heard of the sound of the Gospel concerning the reception or rejection of which that judgment was to be.

Under this notion, unless I am much mistaken, is the Apostle to be understood, treat∣ing of the calling of Israel, Rom. XI. not of the Jews only, but of the whole Twelve Tribes of Israel. And this is that mistery, concerning which he speaks at vers. 25. name∣ly, that hardness, or blindness happened to Israel 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by parts, or separately; first the Ten Tribes were blinded, and some hundreds of years after the two Tribes: and both the one and the other remained under that state, until the fulness of the Gentiles came in, when the Gospel entred, and so all Israel, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The whole Twelve Tribes, namely, they, who were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Remnant 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, according to the Election of Grace, vers. 5. were saved. For those words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 until the fulness of the Gentiles come in, are not so to be understood, as if the gathering of the last handful of the harvest of the Gentiles were to be expected, before that calling of all Israel: but they are opposed to that seldom coming in of Heathens to true Religion before the preaching of the Gospel. For at that time they were added to the Church by drops only, and very rarely. But when the Gospel entred, they flowed in as in a full stream, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And in the whole fulness of the Gentiles. And so (which is a great mistery) first the Gentiles were blinded, and after them the ten Tribes were blinded, and after them the two Tribes were blinded; all laying under that miserable condition, until all at last were in∣lightened by the Gospel, and closed together into one body. And that the Apostle spake of his own times, when the Gospel was now newly brought to the Gentiles, he himself sufficiently ratifies and makes known by those words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 At this present time, vers. 5.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Bah. Jevam. fol. 16. 2.
• b 1.2

  Berish. Rabba, § 33.
• c 1.3

  Kiddush. fol. 72. 1.
• a 1.4

  Ptol. Tab. 4. Asiae de situ Mesopot.
• e 1.5

  Lib. 23.
• f 1.6

  Jevamoth, in the place a∣bove.