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IN antient time this towne was called Sichem, of which you may reade more both in the trauels of Iacob and Abimilech. After it came to be called Sichar, according to the opinion of Luther vpon Genesis, because the inhabitants of that country were giuen to pleasure and voluptuousnesse, the greatest part of their delight being in drinking and quaffing: for Sichar, being deriued of Schachar, signifieth, to bee drunke, or inordinately to swal∣low
sweet and pleasant wine, of which there was great plenty in that towne, made of the juice of Apples, the fruit of Palme trees, and honey, which may very well resemble Hipocras or Metheg∣lin, as some Authors haue it. And although by the incursion of the Romanes it was vtterly wasted and left desolate, yet in suc∣ceeding times it was rebuilt, and called Nicapolis, that is, a New towne. It is scituated very pleasantly, and aboundeth with all manner of delights; but it is vnfortified, neither can it by any meanes bee fortified; neither haue the inhabitants any helpe, if they be oppressed by the Enemy, but to fly: for it is scituated in the middle of a valley, betweene two high mountaines, so that a man may fling a stone from the top of one of them into the city. About two bowes shoot without the South gate of this towne is to be seene the Fountaine or Well of Iacob, vpon the brimme of which our Sauiour Christ sate when hee was wearie, as wee may reade in the fourth of Iohn. This Well standeth iust in the way as Pilgrimes trauell to Ierusalem. Vpon the right hand aboue this Well there standeth a mountain of an exceeding height, di∣uided into two tops, the one of them being called Gerizim, the other Heball. In mount Gerizim the Patriarch Ioshuah built an Altar, and the people standing vpon mount Heball, he caused the whole booke of Deuteronomie to be read ouer, with the Blessings and Cursings, so that all the people might heare them; for thus we reade in Ios. 8. The one halfe of the people stood close by Mount Ge∣rizim, and the other by mount Heball, &c. Deuteronom. Chap. 27. These two great mountaines began vpon the right side of the Citie Sichar, and extended themselues in length to the Citie of Iericho.
Vpon the left side of this Wel is to be seen the ruins of a great towne, which is thought to be the old Sichem, and by the relicks that remaine there, it may be iudged to haue been a very goodly Citie. For there are yet to bee seene certaine broken Pillars of Marble, as also large and spatious Buildings, which in times past without question haue beene very goodly things, and standeth wonderfull pleasantly; the soile round about it beeing very plea∣sant and fruitfull, onely there is want of water. This Towne lieth some two Bowes shoot from Sichar, and the inhabitants
of that place judge this Sichar to be Thebez, where Abimelech di∣ed, Iudg. 9. Not farre from Iacobs Well, is to be seene that piece of ground which Iacob gaue to Ioseph, more than the rest of his brethren, Gen. 48. It is a long valley, very fruitfull and pleasant, where there lies buried in a certaine faire garden, the bones of Ia∣cob and Ioseph, which were brought out of Aegypt, Iosh. 24. the re∣liques of which sepulchre are yet to be seene. Mount Garizim or Gerizim, is so called from the cutting downe of Trees: for Garaz signifies, To cut downc. Vpon this Mountaine is to be seene (euen to this day) the place where the Temple stood that was built by Sanballath, dedicated to Iupiter Olympius, in contempt of the Tem∣ple of Ierusalem. The chiefe Priest of this Temple was one Ma∣nasses, a fugitiue of the stocke of Leui. This Manasses was brother to Iaddus, chiefe Priest of Ierusalem, of whom you muy reade Ne∣hem. 13. But some two hundred yeares after the first foundation, Iohn Hircanus high Priest of Ierusalem vtterly destroied it to the ground.