ACTS CHAP. IX. from Ver. 32. to the end. & CHAP. X. all & CHAP. XI. to Ver. 19.

[CHRIST. XXXVIII. XXXIX. XL.] THe Stories succeeding to ver. 19. of Chap. 11. as they are of a doubtfull date, be∣cause neither the Historian here, nor any other part of Scripture hath fixed the deter∣minate time of their occurring, so is not the limiting of them to their year or time so very needfull▪ if only it be secured, that they follow in time to those preceding that we have spoken to; and that we may be assured of their order, though we cannot be of their precise time. And this is easie to resolve upon, without much debate. The last verse of the former Section, informs us of a peace and rest come to all the Churches, and the beginning of this brings in Peter [as in this calm] passing through all quarters preaching and confirming them. And that this could not be but after the times of the stories mentioned hitherto, appeareth by this, that though it is true indeed, that Peter was abroad in Samaria upon the conversion of it, yet he was returned again to Ierusalem, Chap. 8.25. and was there three years after, when Paul comes up thi∣ther.

This therefore is a new voyage, in which he doth three great things, healeth Aen•asPage  89 of a Palsie at Lydda: raiseth Dorcas from the dead at Ioppa; and openeth the door of the Gospel to the Gentiles in Caesarea.

Aeneas is a name that we finde in the Jewish Writers. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉R. Sa∣muel the sonne of R. Aeneas, is mentioned in Ierus. Iebamoth fol. 6.2. And Lod or Lydda they speak exceeding frequently of, and produce remarkable stories and memorials of it. And indeed the quarters of Peters present walk, compared with the Hebrews records concerning these places, may well claim some observation. For when he is at Ioppa he is in the middle, as it were, of those places which in a little time after this [nay it may be at this very time] were two of their greatest and eminentest Schools.

At Iabneh on the one hand of Ioppa did the great Sanhedrin sit long: both before the destruction of Ierusalem and after: for when it began to be unsetled and to flit up and down fourty years before the destruction of the City, its first removall from Ierusalem was hither: and here sat Gamaliel, Pauls Master, with his Sanhedrin a good space of time, and for ought can be said to the contrary, it might very well be there at this time when Peter was at Ioppa.

Now as the Jews called that place Iabneh so the Gentiles called it Iamnia, and how neer it was to Ioppa you may guesse from these words of Strabo, lib. 16. This place [speak∣ing of Ioppa] was so populous that out of the neighbour Town Iamnia, and other places there∣about, it was able to raise 40000 men.

At Lydda on the other hand of Ioppa, were most famous Schools, and eminent men as well as at Iabneh. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It was a Town that wanted little of the bignesse of a City. Joseph. Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 5. It lay West of Ierusalem a daies journey off, as the Talmud seats it and measures, in Maasar Sheni per. 5. hal. 2. It was in Iudea: And thereupon four and twenty of the School of Rabbi came thither to intercalate the year, but an evil eye came in upon them, and they died all at one time. Jerus. Sanhedr. fol. 18. col. 3. For they might not intercalate the year but in Iudea, Maym. in Kiddush Hedesh per. 4. but upon this mischance they removed that businesse into Galilee. Here it seems the Sanhedrin sat also sometimes, or at least they had a great Bench of their own, for there is mention of stoning ben Satda at Lydda on the eve of the Passeover, Ibid. fol. 25.4. To reckon the stories and eminent men belonging to this place were endlesse, at the least it is needlesse here.

But the mention and gender of Saron which is also named with Lydda, Act. 9.35. may plead excuse if we alledge one or two Talmudich passages for the clearing of it, Jerus. in Sheviith fol. 38.4. From Bethoron to Emmaus was hilly: from Emmaus to Lydda plain, and from Lydda to the sea vale.

Idem in Sotah fol. 18.4. R. Iochanan and R. Eliezer went from Labneh to Lydda and met with R. Ioshua in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bekiin.

Gittin per. 1. hal. 1. He that bringeth a bill of Divorce from a Heathen Country must be able to say, In my presence it was written and sealed in my presence: Rabban Gamaliel saith, Yea he that brings one from Rekam and Chagra. R. Eleazer saith, Yea he that brings one from Caphar Lodim to Lod. Rabbi Nissim upon the place saith thus: Caphar Lodim was out of the Land, near to Lod, which was within the Land, and it was so called because Lyddans were alwaies found there.

Jerus. in Beracoth fol. 3.1. They brought a chest full of bones from Caphar Tobi and set it openly at the entring in to Lod. Tudrus the Physician came, and all the Physicians with him, &c.

Besides observing, that Tobi is the name of a man [Rabban Gamaliels servant. Be∣racoth per. 2. hal. 7.] as Tabitha is the name of a woman in the story before us; the word Saron being of the masculine gender, it plainly tels us that it is not the name of a Town, but of the plain or flat where divers Towns stood, and among others it may be these mentioned.