A Hand-Book of Bible Geography
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com Ahand-bookofBiblegeography 44 JF BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. A HAND-BOOK OF BIBLE GEOGRAPHY; CONTAINING SOME ACCOUnT 01 THE CHIEF PLACES MENTIONED IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, DEsCRIPTIVE OF ThEIR ANCIENT AND MODE EN CONDITIO^--" '^N•>A -43 ILLUSTRATED BY , A SERIES OF NEW AND CORRECT MAPS. LONDON: ^ JOHN W. PARKER, WEST STRAND M DCUC.XLIV. i London : Harrison and Co., Printers, St. Martin's Lane. k GEOGRAPHY OF THE BIBLE. The natural features of the countries mentioned in the Bible, and known to the ancients, are but slightly altered from their original character; but the political divisions into kingdoms and states, having long since passed away, a brief notice of the passages in the Holy Scriptures in which they are referred to, may be useful. Nations are repeatedly spoken of, the term sometimes meaning, as it does now, the people of a country, but at others being a general term for all who were not Hebrews, (Isai. lv. 5;) and people, and tribe, occur in most chapters of the historical books. In the tenth chapter of Genesis we read of the kingdom founded by Nimrod, who shortly after the Flood "began to be a mighty one in the earth." In the history of Abraham numerous kings are mentioned, several of whom, however, seem to have ruled over only a single city each; and in the days of that patriarch there was a despotic monarch in Egypt. (Gen. xii. 15.) We read of the Jewish monarchs also, who were in theory limited monarchs, (Deut. xvii. 14 — 20,) though too frequently absolute, if not despotic, in practice. The rulers of the Edomites and Horites are styled dukes, (Gen. xxxvi. 15, 21); and prince is a title bestowed upon the heads of families, (Numb. xxii. 2,) and also on the attendants of kings, (Gen. xii. 15,) besides being applied to Our blessed Lord himself. (Isai. ix. 6.) When the Romans became masters of Judea, they divided the country into districts to which they gave the name of ethnarchies and tetrarchies, (Luke iii. 1,) which were ruled, subject to the Roman supremacy, by Jewish princes, while the 0 GEOGRAPHY OF THE BIBLE. whole was considered a province of the Roman Empire, and the supreme governor was a Roman officer called a procurator, or president. This office at the time of the ministry and suffer ing of Our blessed Lord was held by Pontius Pilate, (Luke iii. 1); and in succession by Antonius Felix (Acts xxiii.) and Porcius Festus (Acts xxiv.) during the persecutions of the Apostle Paul. Some of the provinces of the Roman Empire were governed by officers termed proconsuls, or deputies, as they are styled in the Acts of the Apostles. (xiii. 7; xviii. 12;) the difference being that the procurators were the representatives of the emperor, while the proconsuls were appointed by the senate. Many of the countries mentioned in Scripture are now in the hands of the Turk?, and are by them divided into packalias, whose governors are nearly independent princes. EXPLANATION OF MARKS AND CONTRACTIONS. The following marks and contractions are used in this Work for the purpose of avoiding repetition. small capitals denote the Scriptural Dames of places. These names are divided into syllables, and the accented syllable is marked thus'. Italic letters denote the modern names. implies that no modern name is known. □ denotes that the site of the place in question is doubtful. % denotes the classical or modern appellation of a place, &c, men tioned by some other name in Scripture ; or a place connected with the history of the Bible, though not named there. ? implies that the fact asserted is not fully established, though con sidered probable. (I.) (II.), &c. signify that the position of the place or people will be found laid down upon the Map bearing the corresponding number. N., S., E., W., denote the cardinal points of the compass, — North, South, East, and West. N.E., S.E., 1 denote( the intermediate points, — North-east, South N.W., S.W.,| east, North-west, South-west. Examples. "A-ba'-na — Nahr Seybarany? (VII.)" implies that the Scriptural Abana is believed to be the stream now called Nahr Seybarany, but that some doubt exists on that point; and that the course of the Seybarany may be traoed on Map No. VII. "Ab'-a-rim, (IV.)" shows that no modern appellation of this chain of mountains is known. 8 EXPLANATION OF MARKS AND CONTRACTIONS. " A'-bel-Beth-Ma'-ac-ah — HiU, 45 miles ».w. of Damascus?" shows that the site of Abel-Beth-Maacah is supposed to be occupied by a mere village called HiU, situated 45 miles to the south-west of Damascus, con taining nothing remarkable, but that the fact of the identity of the two places cannot be regarded as fully established. " A-dul'-lam, o 12 miles s.w. of Jerusalem? (IV.)" implies that no remains are known to exist that can be satisfactorily identified with that place, but that the best authorities regard the distance and bearing given as approaching the truth. " JjE-ge'-an Sea," &c, implies that that Sea is not named in the Sacred Writings; but from its shores having been the scene of the labours of the Apostles, some notice of it is necessary. All the distances given, are direct, and are measured either from the capital of the country, or from some place which occurs in Scripture in connexion with the one in question. LIST OF THE MAPS. L THE WORLD; SHOWING THE SETTLEMENTS OP THE DESCENDANTS OP NOAH. II. MESOPOTAMIA AND OTHER PARTS OP THE EAST, m. CANAAN DURING THE PATRIARCHAL AGES. IV. JOURNEYS OP THE ISRAELITES FROM EGYPT TO CANAAN. T. CANAAN AS DIVIDED AMONG THE TRIBES. VI. DOMINIONS OF DAVID AND SOLOMON. VIL KINGDOMS OP JUDAH AND ISRAEL. VHL ASSYRIA, CHALDEA, AND MEDIA, ILLUSTRATING THE CAPTIVITIES. IX. PALESTINE, ILLUSTRATING THE NEW TESTAMENT X. PLAN OF JERUSALEM, ABOUT THE TIME OF OUR LORD. XL TRAVELS OF ST PAUL PLACES MENTIONED IN THE HOLY BIBLE. A-ba'-na— Nahr* Seybarany? (VII.) tomb of Abel, whence comes the a river near Damascus, preferred, modern name. with the Pharpar, a neighbouring Ac'-cad — Tel* Nimrood, near Bag stream, by Naaman to " all the waters dad ? (II.) one of the four cities of Israel." (2 Kings v. 12.) founded by Nimrod. (Gen. x. 10.) Ae'- a-rim, (I V. )a chain of high Some travellers think it was situated mountains, of desolate aspect, which on the river Tigris, and that the extends along the eastern shore of gigantic pile of ruins which bears at the Dead Sea; Mounts Nebo, Peor, this day the name of the " hill of and Pisgah, are among its most re Nimrod," and is very similar in ap markable summits. (Numb, xxvii. 12.) pearance to the remains of Babylon, A'-bel-Beth-Ma'-ac-ah — Hibl, 45 marks its site ; but this is merely con miles s-w. of Damascus? (VII.) a jectural. large city in the north of Palestine, Ac'-cho — Akka, Acre, 80 miles n.w. probably in the territory of Naphtali, of Jerusalem, (V.) a sea-port of Pa in which the rebel Sheba was be lestine, between Tyre and Mount Car- sieged by Joab. (2 Sam. xx. 14 — 22.) nirl. It was granted to the Asherites, It is sometimes called Abel-Maim. but they were unable to obtain pos (2 Chron. xvi. 4.) session. (Judges i. 31.) In after-ages There are several other places the place was taken from the Syrians called A'-bel, with some addition, by Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of mentioned in the Scriptures, but their Egypt, who gave it the name of Pto- situations are not known with any lemais, which it bore in the time of certainty. the Apostles. (Acts xxi. 7.) A'-Bel-Miz'-ra-iM,(Gen.l. 11,) was Under the name of St. Jean d'Acre, in the neighbourhood of the Jordan, this place often occurs in the history near Jericho; and A'-bel-Shit'-tim, of the Crusades. It was captured by (Numb, xxxiii. 49,) in the plains of the Christians in 1104, recovered by Moab, near the mouth of the Jordan ; the Mohammedans in 1187, and taken A'-bel-Car'-maim, (called "the plain again, in 1191, after a memorable siege of the vineyards," in Judges xi. 33,) is of two years, by forces headed by the thought to have been near Rabbath- kings ol England (Richard I.), France Ammon; and A'-BelrMe-ho'-lah, (1 (Philip Augustus), and Jerusalem(Guy Kings xix. 16,) near Bethshan. de Lusignan). From this time it was Ae'-i-la — Nebi Abel, 14 miles n.w. regarded as the principal possession of Damascus, (IX.) the capital of a of the Crusaders in the Holy Land, small district in Syria, governed at and it became a very strong and the time of the preaching of John splendid city. At length it was cap the Baptist by a tetrarch, named Ly- tured by the Mameluke sultan of sanias. (Luke iii. 1.) Some few ruins Egypt, and utterly destroyed, in the remain, and some curious inscriptions year 1291. It then lay in ruins for nigh cut in the rocks; and in the neigh five hundred years, but in the middle bourhood is a large artificial mound of the eighteenth century became the which is traditionally stated to be the * Tel is an Arabic word often applied to a * Nahr ia an Arabic word signifying a hill, but properly signifying an artificial river.