Itinerarium totius Sacræ Scripturæ. Or, the trauels of the holy patriarchs, prophets, iudges, kings, our sauiour Christ, and his Apostles, as they are related in the Old and New Testaments. With a description of the townes and places to which they trauelled, and how many English miles they stood from Ierusalem. Also a short treatise of the weights, monies, and measures mentioned in the Scriptures, reduced to our English valuations, quantitie, and weight. Collected out of the workes of Henry Bunting, and done into English by R.B.

Of Caesarea Strato.

THis city was scituated vpon the shore of the Mediterranian sea, some 32 miles from Ierusalem Northward: in antient time it was called Strato, being first built by Strato King of Sy∣don. But time hauing decayed a great part of it, Herod Ascalonita repaired it, and made it a goodly thing, calling it Caesarea, after the name of Augustus Caesar. And that ships might lie at anchor there without danger, he caused to be builded a fair hauen to op∣pose the violence of the sea. This hauen was so wonderfully con∣triued, and set vp at such a great charge, that it was admirable to looke vpon; for he laid the foundation of it twenty yards vnder water, burying in the Deepe stones of an extraordinarie great∣nesse, some fifty foot long, eight foot thicke, and ten foot broad, and many of them more. The Hauen it selfe was beautified with faire buildings and goodly Walkes, supported with marble Pil∣lars, and mounted vp aloft, so that you might see the ships as they were vpon the sea, and made way to this harbor. The entrance in∣to it was vpon the North, at the mouth thereof there stood three mighty Colosses vpon marble pillars. Hee also placed vpon the wall of the City towards the Hauen mighty Towers, the chie∣fest and fairest of which he dedicated to Drusus, Augustus his son in law, and called it by the name of the Drusian tower. The buil∣dings that ioyned to this Hauen were all of white polished mar∣ble, and the streets of the City were directly towards it. Also the Market-place where they bought and sold was not farre from it. Vpon a little hill close by this Port he caused a Church to be built in honour of Augustus Caesar. This Temple was a very mag∣nificent and stately building, and in it hee caused the Statue of Augustus (curiously wrought and cast iust in the figure of Iupi∣ter Olympius) to be erected, and worshipped it as his god. There are many other stately and sumptuous buildings that were set vp by this King. But amongst the rest, he bestowed great cost vp∣on the market place, the Theatre, and the Amphitheatre, which hee wonderfully beautified, and instituted certaine Games to be there vsed once euery fifth yeare in honour of Augustus, as

Iosep. de Bell. Iud. li. 1. witnesseth. After the death of this king, He∣rod Agrippa was made King of the Iewes. This Prince some ten yeares after the resurrection of Christ caused Iames the son of Ze∣bedeus vpon the 25 day of Iuly to be put to death in Ierusalem; and when he perceiued it was acceptable vnto the Iews, in the fol∣lowing yeare about the feast of the Passeouer hee caused Peter to be cast into prison; who by the prayers of the Church was mira∣culously deliuered, as you may reade Acts 12. A little after, that is, about the moneth of August, this King was strook by the An∣gel of the Lord, and died miserably: for when he came to Caesa∣rea Strato he caused the publique shewes to be solemnly practi∣sed, and in honor of Claudius Caesar set forth very sumptuous inter∣ludes and playes; to which feast and shewes all the Nobility and Gentry of that countrey round about resorted. Where the next day very early in the morning, hauing put on a rich and goodly garment made all of cloath of gold, he went into the theatre, and there according to his vsuall custome sate in a princely seat, and made an oration to the inhabitants of Tyre. Now when the sunne was vp and shone vpon his garments, the raies thereof cast such a reflection vpon the beholders, that it dazled their eies, insomuch that they could scarce see. Wherefore those that were his flatte∣rers, hearing his gratious speech, cried with a loud voice, O Agrip∣pa be propitious vnto vs; for although heretofore we feared thee as a man, yet now we well perceiue thou art of a more noble and Diuine nature. But when the King (taking delight in these speeches) would not re∣strain the impious clamour of these flatterers, a little after he lif∣ted vp his head, and vpon the top of a pillar he saw an Owle sitting ouer him. Presently he was troubled in his minde, and within a while after hee was strooke with an extreme paine in his bowels, insomuch that with a loud voice he cried out vnto his friends, I whom but now was called your god, am but a man; and him that you ima∣gined to be immortall, must presently die. These words being ended, they caried him sick into his palace, and it was giuen out that he was dead.

No sooner came this newes to the eares of the vulgar, but they with their wiues and children put on sack-cloath, and fell vpon

the ground with earnest supplications to God to bee mercifull vnto him. But the King looking out of his window and seeing them lie thus prostrate vpon the earth, wailing and weeping, he could not abstain from teares. At the length after he had beene cruelly tormented by the space of foure dayes, vpon the fift dyed, beeing the second of August, the wormes hauing consumed his guts, and eaten through his body. Thus God grieuously punished him, who had so much afflicted the members of the Church of Christ: but towards other men, as well strangers as Gentiles, hee was milde and courteous. He raigned in the whole almost seuen yeares; for he held the Tetrarchy of Philip three yeares vnder Ca∣ligula, and other foure yeares he held the whole kingdome of the Iewes. He died in the eleuenth yeare after the resurrection, and in the third of Claudius Caesar, being then about 54 yeres of age, Act. 22. Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 19.

Plinie saith that this towne of Caesaria Strato, was sometime called Apollonia, but after obtained the name of Caesarea Pale∣stina. Saint Ierome saith in his Epitaph vpon Paul, that in his time (which was 400 yeares after Christ) there was to be seene in this place the house of Cornelius the Centurion, whom Peter baptized, Act. 10. (This Cornelius is thought by some to haue been of the family of the Lentuli in Rome, for they were also called Corne∣lij, as appeareth in Salust in the conspiracy of Cataline: & it may be that this Cornelius was that Lentulus which wrot to Tiberius Cae∣sar that excellent Epistle, concerning the figure, proportion, and person of our Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ.) Also the house of Philip the deacon, and the chambers of his foure daughters who were Prophetesses. When Paul came vnto this towne, Agabus the Prophet came vnto him, who bound his hands and feet with the girdle of Paul, saying, The man that oweth this girdle shal be thus bound by the Iewes at Ierusalem, and they shall deliuer him into the hands of the Gentiles. Here he made a notable sermon before Festus, Agrippa Iu∣nior, and his sister Bernice, Act. 16.

This towne flourished for a long time after the destruction of Ierusalem, and it was scituated in a faire and profitable place, fortified towards the West with the Mediterranean sea, and

towards the East it was compassed about with a lake, in which were great aboundance of Crocodiles, though the water was very sweet, and of a great depth. Many godly and religious men were here crowned with the wreath of martyrdome, for professing the Gospel of Christ, as Eusebius Bishop of this town and of Pamphi∣lius well obserueth in his Eccles. Hist. But the Lord did so sharply reuenge the death of these men, that at this day it is vtterly de∣stroied, and there is not a house left, though in times past it had been a Bishops See. There was also another town built by Philip the Tetrarch, called Caesarea Philippi, whereof you may reade before.