§. Abilene.

This Country was so named from the City Abila, which Ptolomy, lib. 5. cap. 15. hath reckoned for a City of Caelosyria, [or as some Copies have it, of Decapolis] and with this title, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Abila surnamed from Lysanias: see also Pliny, lib. 5. cap. 18. This word soundeth so near to the word Havilah, Gen. 2. 11. & 10. 7. that it may very Page  454 well be supposed to have descended from it, and the name of the place from that son of Chush, that planted with his brethren mentioned with him, in Arabia and there∣abouts.

There could be but one High Priest properly so called at one time: and that Caiaphas was he at this time, it is most clear, both out of Josephus, and out of the Scripture. Now Annas is said to be High Priest with him, because he was the Nasi or head of the Sanhe∣drin, and so represented Moses, as Caiaphas did Aaron, and he was of the seed of the Priests, as well as Caiaphas was. An evidence of his being the head of the great Councel, is, in that when our Saviour was apprehended, he was first led to Annas, Joh. 18. 13. and by him bound and sent to Caiaphas, ver. 24. and that Annas is first placed in the Councel, Act. 4. 6. We shall have more punctual occasion hereafter to look after this man, and then will we see what we can find spoken of him by Josephus.