T RAVE L S O F Rabbi Benjamin, Son of Jonah, Of T U D E L A: Through EUROPE, ASIA, and AFRICA; From the ancient Kingdom of N A V A R R E, to the Frontiers of CHINA. Faithfully tranflated from the Original HEBREW; And enriched with a Diflertation, and Notes, Critical, Hiftorical, and Geographical : In which the true Char after of the Author , and Intention of the Work, are impartially confidered. By the Rev. B. GERRANS, Lecturer of Saint Catherine Coleman, and Second Mailer of Queen Elizabeth’s Free Gramm ar-School, Sain t Olave, Southwark. This Author flourijhed about the Year 1160 of the Christian ./Era, is highly prized by the Jews, and other Admirers o/Rabbinical Learning and has frequently been quoted by the great eft Orientalists that this or any other Nation ever produced ; but was never before ( to the Editor's Know- ledge) wholly tranftated into ENGLISH, either by Jew, or Gentile. Entered at STATIONERS HALL. LONDON-. Printed for the Translator j and Sold by Meflrs. 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Moor Grange, near Leeds, Yorkfhire Wilfon, Mr. Amen Corner Wyatt, Mr. Cannon-flreet Wix, Mr. Billiter-lane, three Copies Williamfon, Mr. Robert, Clifford’s-Inn • Watfon, Mr. Doctor’s Commons Y Young, Major x xW V Komber Number of JEWS and Places of their Abode, according to RABBI BEN- JAMIN. Cl, ri V a d-i rj _ r— ‘ o Tl -C u At At At At At r At At At At t At f At 1 a' I At 1 At At At At At At I At At f u Narbonne Lunel - Beaucaire St. Giles Arles - Marleilles Genoa Pifa - - Lucca Rome - Capua - Naples - Salerno - Amalfi - Benevento Malchi - Afcoli T rane - Tarento Barnedis - Otranto - Corfu - Levatto - Achilon - Patras Lepanto - Cours - Corinth - At At At At At At ^At Thebes 2000 200 300 40 100 200 300 2 20 40 200 30° 500 600 20 20Q 200 40 200 3 oc 10 500 1 IOO 10 5 ° 100 200 3 °o a, U br. oV. 7133 f At Egriphou 200 j At Jabufteriza 100 j At'Rohinica 100 j At SinonPatmo 50 j At Armillo 400 I At Biffina - 100 At Saloufki 500 ! At Mitrifi - 20 j At Darma - 140 L At Caniftolai 20 At Conftanti- nople — Rabbinites 2000 — Karaites - 500 f At Rodofto - so j At Gallipoli . j At Cals - «* ] At Chio - -e I Oh J « N J3 o o 400 200 5 ° 400 3 °° 400 At Samos (_At Rhodes f AtLiga, or La- j odicea - 200 . J At Gebal - 200 §*] At Beeroth 50 (j I At Sidon - 2Q LAt Tyre - 40a carr. ov. 11883 carr. ov. 7133 xii. NUMBER br. ov. 11883 . ( At Acco - 200 j At CcefareaRab. 10 200 1 100 oi •x: u « d,<( ~ -Samaritans "* | At Luz - - (_At Samaria - Chap. 9. AjUjeruialem pAt Bethkhem j At Bethgabren ) At Shunem - | At Nob t I At Rama - At Jaffa - 200 1 2 3 3 ° o 3 - i» AS u At AfhkalonRab. 200 — Karaites — Samaritans At Lud - - At Tiberias x At Afchat - At Alma 40 300 t 50 20 5 ° eu w .43 u p AtDamafkRab.3000 j -—Karaites - zco j — Samaritans 400 < AtGalaad - 60 AtTadmor 2000 At Kiriatbin - I ^_At Hama - 70 pAtHalab - 1500 4 j At Kalagaber 2000 At Rakia - 700 At Charran - 20 . At Alchabor 200 lAt Nilibi 1000 pAt the Ifle of the S. of Omar 4000 At Mouful , At Rahaba At Karkeiia U 1 • « 11 U 1 1 Poumbeditha J At Harada LAt Okbera 7000 2000 500 2000 15000 10000 ro At Napha -G I A i. A 11. o of JEWS, iSc. br. ov.. 64755' Chap. 1 2. At Bagdad 100 o f At Gehiagen 5000 ' At Babel, or Babylon 20000 At Hila - iocoo zoo AtAlkotfonath 30a | At Chufa 700a L Poumbeditha 3000 At Vira 3000 AtNafeth iooco At Botza - 20O0 At Samura 1500 f AtChuzeftan 7000 J At Roba.dbaraoooo j-At.Vanth 4000 a,^ At Aria 25000 At Hamden, or Amadan 50000 At Dabreftan40oo t^pAtllpahan 15000 5 ] AtSchiphaz 10000 jg j At Gina - 8000 O L Samarcand 50000 ^ f At Nekrokis 500 - j At Katipha 5000 d,^ At Haoulam, -q ^ or Oulam 1 00 ^ LAtChenerag 23000 dpAtGingala iooo ^ 1 At Chalavan 300 w" J At Kouts 3QO00 Phium - 20 Chap. 21. At Mitzraim 20.00 carr. ov. 6475^ 10 « -G O'. carr. ov. 382675 KUMBER of br. ov. 382675 ' Gofchen - 3000 n Bubieg - 200 ^ , Manfiphta - 200 Remira - 700 g I Lamhala - 500 Alexandria - 3000 carr. ov. 390275 | JEWS, 6?c. xiii br. ov. 390275 f Damiett - 200 ro i Tennes - 40 ^ ionn iwdd.i fen pon ( *ni l^'o^niT 1^2* feuin iirdh Aprin (0 ♦♦ few* bib Rabbi Benjamin, Author of the Travels, that mighty Luminary, whofe Sun arofe over all Ifrael, died in the Year 933, (which anfwers to A. D. 1173.) R. David Gans, in his Chronology, gives us a (2) fuller Account in the following Words. nimon fen r 6 *iiao mv in ?*o*:in *ni DDit^oi 3/10:11 feinrvm ni2*n:i n:nw w *£ 311 * 2 * cfeis/i *pfe rw Sts* fen nnni nw «n wn cnpo fern 12**0221 •*^JR *£)£) 3 /otw 12* n**w tD*inin fe m*po in inir qji inon on roi not* noipon nnnty D*iin*n ioddi D*feun cnnnnn D*imn fe ntt avon 1020 l*o*:n niyoo mo t*ip:n won D*osn 3 run (i poi twin conn t*inn t^***n n*,n ofenn nwn no moono imt^ intti Benjamin, Son of Jonah, of Tudela, the Author of the Travels, fetting out from the Territory (1) Abraham Zacouth was Profeflbr at Salamanca, and Aftronomer, as well as Hiftoriographer to the King of Por- tugal, in the latter end of the fifteenth Century. (a) This is a mere Paraphrafe of the Hebrew Preface. C 5 > Territory of Navarre, by one Continued Journey, travelled through the three diffe- rent Quarters of the World, Europe, Africa, and Afia, and to whatever Place he came* he took down in Writing whatever he faw or heard from the beft Authority. He alfo* gives an Account of many Princes and it* luftrious Perfonages, together with the num- ber of Jews in thofe Places which he v if ted. AH which Things, you will find as I have described them, printed in a Book, named the Book of the Journies of Benjamin* This Man was moreover a moft difcreet and intelligent Perfon. After he had finifhed his Travels, he died in the Year 933. R* Ifaac, B, Aram fays, R. Benjamin of old* the Author of the Travels, or Journal, has informed us, that he faw with his own Eyes, in the metropolitan City of Bagdad,, many thoufands of independent Jews ; that on the Anniverfary of the King’s Birth-Day* a Prince (by which he means the Chief of the Exiles, or Captivity) of the Seed of David, rode in the fecond Chariot, in Honor, of whom the People t fhouted glorioufly — Prepare ye the Way, for the Son of David. Though by the Way, Benjamin-does not fay thoufands , but DHW 1ED about a thoufand Jews. Neither does he fay, that the Chief of the Exiles had this Honor paid him oa the King’s (by which he mean* B 3 the ( 6 ) the Caliph’s) Birth Day, but only once in his Life Time; namely, when he was ap- pointed to that Office, by the Caliph.— Abraham Peritfol Ore. Olam, tacitly de*r fends our Author, in that Part of his Hif- tory, which feems to deferve the leaft Cre^ dit : for he not only deferibes the Road by which a certain Jew came from Habor ; but alfo propofes, in a very particular Manner,, the Way by which he* or any other Perfotj might Return thither. In a modern Col- ledtion of Voyages and Travels, I find a much larger Account, together v.ith an Ex- tra#, the Subftance of which is briefly this,— “ That few oriental Books are better known “ to the learned World. That he is held in the exceflive Heat of Haoulam, which fome fuppofe to be Ceylon, fo differently de- fcribed by the beft modern Geographers ? Who fhall perfwade me that he ever travel- led into Perfia, after reading the Account which he gives us of fo many Provinces* Cities, &c. which are never mentioned by any other Traveller ? To fay nothing of Daniel’s Cofln, the number of Sanhedrims* Colleges, Profeft'ors, &c. which never ex- ifted but in his own intoxicated Imagination* His confounding the Province of Da* breftan with the City Dariftan, upon the Oxus, and his Forgery of the Jews of Niflbof, are of a Piece with the Reft. Shall we credit his Account of Arabia, which he tranfports to the North of Babylon, to make it with the greater Security the Resi- dence of his imaginary Rechabites ? Have we any greater Reafon to believe him, what he fpeaks of Aftyria or Mefopotamia ? after considering the Blunders which he makes Ift defcribing the Diftances of Places from each other ? Was he ever at Bagdad, which he pretends to defcribe in fo cireumftantial a Manner ? How then comes it to pafs that* he is unacquainted with the Name of the reigning Caliph ? Shall we credit his Dd~ icription of Paleftrne, after what he adr vances concerning the Situation of the Brook Jabbok? Of the River Jordan’* mixing its Waters with Arnon, three Leagu« from. ( «1 ) from its Source, though Jordan rifes beyond Gsafarea Philippi, and Arnon is fuppofed to roll into the dead Sea, forty Leagues from that Place, without encountering Jordan in its Paflage. What lhall we fay of Mount Carmel and Moriah ? The Tombs of the Patriarchs, thofe of the Kings, Lot’s Wife, the Wall of the Temple, Solomon’s Stables, the Samaritans, the Rib of the Giant Ab- carnaz, and other rabbinical Dreams ? Shall we credit his Report of Egypt, after read- ing his Account of the School of Ariftotle, at Alexandria ? The Glafs Mirror on the Pharos, and the Superiority of the Egyp- tians over the Greeks, till the DeftrutfEion of that brittle Mirror, by Sodoros, the Greek Captain of his own Invention? When he fpeaks of the lflands in the Archipelago, he renders himfelf ridiculous, by taking two Days to perform a Voyage, which even a Weft-Country Barge might accomplifh in three or four Hours. What he advances of Greece* ought to make his Admirers blufli to the very Eye-Brows. What a ftrange Jump from Thebes to Walachia in three Days, without paffing by, or through more than three Towns worth mentioning, and thefe three altogether unknown to us, even at this Time, consequently imaginary. The unknown Cities again* which he mentions from Walachia to C onftan t i nop le* which ex- ited only in that Fait of Greece* which was fituated ( 12 ) fituated in his crazy Noddle, with the incx- cufable OmifTion ofSalonichi (unlefs he con- founds it with Saloufki) are unpardonable Errors, which proclaim aloud, in Characters too legible to be overlooked, that Benjamin re an Impoftor ! — I fhall fay but little of Italy, any School Boy may deteCt him, when he fpeaks of Benevento, Solomon’s fweating Pillars at Rome, the Statues of Abfalom and Sam Ton in the fame Place ! the great Palace of Galbin, the fourfcore Palaces of the fourfcore Kings, Haderezer and Romulus, who (according to our Rabbi) built fo many hiding Places to play at bopeep in, when he was apprehenfive of being invaded by King David, and Joab, his Captain of theHoft. One of his belt Strokes I had almoft forgot- ten, that is, his burying R. Akiba, one of the ten Martyrs of the Kingdom, both at Rome, and at the Village of Lephras in Babylon. All which would juftify me in taking out a Statute of Lunacy, in order to confine my Pilgrim at Tudela, but I fcom to be fo ill-natured, and fhall (at the Intreaty of his Friends) permit him to make the Tour of Spain, and fome Part of Italy, if they defire it. 1 will not reproach him for the OmifTion of many confiderable Events, with which he might have enriched the Work, but I can by no means pardon hir% or even reftrain myfelf from abufing him* fox neglecting to make Mention of the famous ( 13 ) famous (3)R. Mofes Ben Maimon, firnamed the Egyptian, who flouriffied at Cairo, at the very Time when he pretends to havfc vifited Egypt. That great Name alone would have done more Honor to this Book, and its Author, than all the unknown Rab- bis in it. How fhall we account for this unpardonable Omiffion ? Was it Forgetful- nefs? Was it Inadvertency? Was it Jealoufy, Contempt, or Party Spirit? Whatever Prin- ciple this injurious *Silence proceeded from, it renders the Author contemptible, and his Work fufpe&ed, by all thofe who are ac- quainted with the Merit of the juftly cele- brated Egyptian Mofes, whofe Fame had not only filled the Synagogues of Egypt, but all the World, and whofe Works will be admired as long as they are underftood. Another Omiffion of the like Nature is to be found in the fixth Chapter, where he pretends to vifit Rhodes, and never mentions C the X 3 ) Otherwife called by a common Abbreviation £3^^^ Rambam, or by a Euphony, Ramban. Though he is more ^generally known to the Chriftian Reader, by the Name of Maimonides. He was about thisTirae Phyfician to the Egyp- tian .Caliph, and was fo eminent for his Skill, that every Day at his Return from Court, he found his Houfe full of Jews and Gentiles, Judges and Minifters, Friends and Enemies, that as he obferves in a Letter to R. Aben Tib- hon, he had fcarce Time to eat his Vi£luats. “JJJ wd:) op *6 nra From Mofes the Lawgiver to Mofes the Egyptian , no Man arofe- like Mofes the Egyp « Mmy — is a common Proverb, very juftly applied. ( »4 > the great Abraham Abe:} Ezra, who not only refided there at that Time, but at leaft nine Years before *, and who died very near the fame Place A. D. 1 1 74, which was the Year after Benjamin’s fuppofed return and Death. It will be needlefs for me to remind the learned Reader of his neglecting to mention Mofes Ben Naaman at Girona, or Zechariah the Levite, Profeffor at Lunel, who .was the Author of that Book called *T1^D Maor, or the Luminary, and who, afterwards, entered the Lifts of literary Warfare againft the great DoCtor Alphefi, who pafled for the Oracle of the weftern Jews. The Modefty and Simplicity with which our Author affeCts to fpeak of his Brethren in Europe is no other than a deep laid Artifice, in order to render more credible the marvellous Stories which he defigned to invent and propagate, concern* ing his Brethren in Alia, and Africa. Im ilead of exalting his own Nation in Europe, where he intended to publifh his Perform- ance, he on the contrary leflens their Num- ber. At Rome he places only two hundred Jews, where there are now ten thoufand at leaft ; and what makes the Matter ftill more extraordinary, is, that the Jews, according to his. Relation, were then very powerful in that City, and great Favourites with the reign- ing Pontif, At C.onftantinQple, where by h» C 15 > his own Confeffion they were treated, like Slaves, not permitted to live within the City, not fuffered to ride on Horfeback, beaten in the Streets, and befpattered ky. the Tanners, he places no lefs than two thoufand Rabbinites, and five hundred Ka- raites. The farther he gets (or pretends to get) from Home, the more the Number increafes, tens are added to thoufands, and hundreds to tens, imaginary Regions, De- ferts the moft tremendous, and hitherto fuppofed uninhabited, contain the moft powerful and extenftve Empires, of free and independent Ifraelites, who are in Subjection to no Prince of the Gentiles ; “ but on the “ contrary, are a Terror to all their Neigh- “ hours, on whom they make frequent De- ** fcents, and bear away the Spoil to their w ftrong Holds, and inacceflible Faftneftes ; “ where they are in no Danger of being “ purfued.” What ftill farther ferves to confirm what I have already obferved, is the apparent Motive, which induced him to publilh this Work. The chief End and Defign which this Rabbi, and his Imitators, who have endeavoured to pafs the like Fictions upon the World, had in View, was to comfort their Brethren, who groaned under the Yoke of Edom and Ilhmael (for io they call Chriftians and Mahometans) by Battering them in their Exile, with the pleafing Idea of an imaginary Power, in C 2 imaginary C 16 ) imaginary Countries ; in Order to prove that the Sceptre is not yet departed from Judah, and confequently that the Mefliah is yet to come. By thefe Methods, this unhappy People flill pretend to parry that Objection, which Chriftians advance againft them, drawn from Gen. 49. 10. “ The “ Sceptre fhall not depart from Judah, nor “ a Lawgiver from between his Feet, until “ Shiloh come : and unto him fhall the “ gathering of the People be.” However wretched and ill-grounded this Subterfuge muft appear to us, many of their moft emi- nent Teachers are not afhamed to have Re- courfe to it, and to fupport themfelves for that EfFedt, upon the Authority of our Ben- jamin, to confirm the Hope of Ifrael. From all which I conclude, and think 1 have a juft Right fo to do, that Rabbi Benjamin, the great Traveller, the great Luminary of Ifrael, never travelled out of Spain, that he compofed this Work to blind the Eyes of his Brethren, and to confirm them in their Impenitence and obftinate Rejection of the true Meffiah, in whom all the Prophecies of the Old Teftament are fo clearly fulfilled, To give the better Face and Coloring to the Matter, he retired to fome obfcure Part of Spain, and there continued for fome Years * after which he made his Appear- ance* not at Tudela, or any other Part of Navarre, but in the Province of Caftile, where C 17 ) where he was* Iefs known, and confequentfy the more eafily credited. This is both reafonable and natural, and ferves to lhew* that the true Reading of a difputed Paffage in the Hebrew Preface, is IDV' “ Thefe “ Things with him — and not — *7{4’* To his People or Country, where he was probably reppted a notorious Liar, and where he might either exped to be laughed at for a Fool, or be puniffied as a public Cheat and Impofter. Some of the Authors which he compiled from (for a Compiler he was) were valuable ones. Such were thoie who defcribed the Alchafchifchins, or Affef- fins, the Dogzien, or Drufians, who are called Darariens, by an Arabian Author ; the River Nile, the Feaft of the Camel, &c. Others were of an inferior Rate, fuch were thofe from whom he copied his Account of the Afeans, or Defendants of Ham* The Story of the Griffins, Chenerag, Haou- lam, &c. which might however contain ferae valuable Anecdotes, if he had Tran- f ribed them fairly and impartially ; but the Misfortune is, that either through Care?- feffnefs, Ignorance, or Defign, he has fo dif- gulfed the plaineft Fads, that the different ( IS ) of the Authors were probably written by Chriftians, either in Greek, or Latin ; which Languages he was but fuperficially acquaint- ed with. Having read fome what of the Feaft of the Camel, he immediately con- founded it with the Faft of Ramadan •, be- caufe, perhaps, his Author faid, “ when he “ was at the Celebration of the Feaft of the Camel, it happened to fall on the Month of Ramadan ; which might be the Cafe, by fuppofing that one, if not both, were move- able, like the Jewifh Paffover, or the Chri£ tian Eafter. Again, he fays, that the Caliph never went out but once in the Year ; be- caufe fome Author (who had actually vi- fited Bagdad) whofe Language Benjamin did not perfectly understand, might fay, that he had never leen the Caliph more than once, during his abode in that City ; which might probably be true. That he went out more frequently is clear and evident, becaufe he was obliged by the Nature of his Office to preach, or at leaft harangue the People every Friday, unlefs (though rarely) he appointed' his Son, or one of his Minifters to do it for him : What he advances of the Grandeur and Magnificence of the Caliph, is another ( *9 ) that flourifhing State, which he defcribes ; but it was greatly diminifhed, and almoft totally ruined, long before the Commence- ment of the twelfth Century. Zenghin again, which he calls Zinaldin, is, in one Part of the Book, faid to be the reigning Prince at Mouful, when he vifited that City ; and in another, that he was alive in David Elrois* Time. This might have been the Cafe, by fuppofing that he began his Reign when he was very young, and lived to a good old Age ; but it appears from much better Authority, that Zenghin, (or as fome call him Zenghy) died A. D. i about twenty-feven Years before Benjamin’s pretended Vifit. But as this was the laft King of Mouful, that he had read any Ac- count of, he made no Scruple to tell us that he was the reigning Monarch, when he wrote his Journal. That the fame Zenghin, was VajTal to the King of Perfia, is equally improbable. His Chronological Error con- cerning the Time of the Impoftor David Elrois’ Appearance, merits the like Cenfure, from the Teftimony, even of R. David Gantz, and other Jewifh Writers. From all which 1 conclude, that Rabbi Benjamin was a Compiler, and a very indifferent Compiler into the Bargain, whofe puerile Credulity, whofe falfe Zeal for Ifrael, and whofe grofs Ignorance of Geography, Chro- nology and Hiftory, have laid open to Detection, ( 20 } Dete&ion, and given me an Opportunity of (hewing him to the. Englifh Reader, in his true Colors. If ever therefore another ( 4 ) Hebrew Edition fliould happen to bo published, (which I am apt to think will* ha the Cafe) the firft Word in the Title Page, may, by a common Rabbinical Contraction, be which contains the initials of the fentence. ro*n 1® niyrn The Journies of Rabbi Benjamin, qi BH3 D’an bsr]®,Q a Catalogue of many Lies. Few of my Readers,, after what! has been faid, will expeCfc to fee a Map of our Author’s Travels ; fuck an Attempt would be the greateft Burlefque upon. Geography that can poftihly be imagined. Reduce th» Univerfe to its primaeval Chaos, confound Afia with Africa, North with South, Eaft with Weft, and Heat with Cold ; make Cities Provinces, and Provinces .Cities ; People uncultivated; Defarts, with free and independent Jews, and depopulate the moft flourilhing Cities and Kingdoms ; make Rivers run when and where you pleafe, and call them by any Names but the right* One* ; ( 21 ) Ones •, take Arabia upon your Back, and carry it to the North of Babylon. Turn the North Pole, South, or any other Way you pleafe ; make a new Ecliptic Line, and place it in .the mod whimfical and excentric Pofition, which the mod Hobby-horfical Imagination can poflibly conceive or de- fcribe, and fitch a Map will beft fuit fiuch an Author . The fame Reafbn would apo- logize for my pafling over in Silence the Terms which are made Ufe of in defcribing the Diftances of the Places mentioned in this Book from each other. Though I would not advife my Readers, when they make the Tour of the World to take Ben- jamin for their Guide, yet my own Honor obliges me to tell them, that a Parafang is a Meafure which is frequently ufed by Arabian, Perfian, Chaldaean, and Greek Writers. Among the ancient Perfians, it confifted of 3333 Paces, and eighteen made a Degree ; among the Moderns it is com- puted to be equal to 3000 Paces, and twenty make up a Degree. A Jewifh Parafang is equal to four Miles, and fifteen fuch Pa- rafangs make a Degree. For the Journies or Stations, they are about feven Hours or twenty Miles, but a (5) learned Author has faid fo much already on this Subject, that nothing new can be advanced upon it. ^ After ($) C. L’Empereur has fpent the greater Part of hi* DHTcrtation on this Subject. ( 22 ) After all that I have faid, let not the Reader think me fo far difgufted with my Author as to look upon him as abfolutely ufe- lefs. After having unmafked, chaftifed, and humbled him, I proceed in the laft Place to do him Juftice, and explain his Ufe, in Order to make appear, that he is not al- together a dead Weight upon the Englifh Language, as well as to juftify myfelf for translating him. In the firft Place, he is of a Century fo obfcure, fo barren of good Authors (at leaft in our Part of the World) that we ought to be overjoyed at the Difcoyery of any Author ; any, even the leaft Mo- nument, which might ferve to throw Light upon fo dark an Age. During this and fome Centuries* which preceded and fol- lowed it, grofs Ignorance^ Barbarity and Superftition, had fpread its baleful Influence over the Chriftian World, during which Time the liberal .Arts were cultivated only by Jews, Greeks, and Arabians j as if the Sciences, enraged at the Treatment which they received from Chriftians, chofe rather to take Refuge with thofe who were called Barbarians, then to continue any longer with* a People plunged in Superftition, i Or rather let us fay it was Superftition herfelf, which banifhed Learning from Chtiftendom, the better to invent and propagate thofe Errors which thrive beft in Darknefs add Obfcurifcyf Rabbi Benjamin was. a high feafoned Jew, which ( *3 ) which the Synagogue produced in thofe ex- traordinary Times, who, though he is not to be compared with fome of his Cotempo- raries, is neverthelefs valuable, ift. On Account of the Stile in which the Book is written ; which, with fome few Exceptions, is pure and limple, and in my Opinion one of the beft Introductions to the Rabbinical Dialed!: that ever was penned. For this Reafon, I at firft intended to publifh the Original, together with the Tranflation, but was prevented by two ferious Confiderations. 2d. It throws more Light upon the Times, than a whole Legion of Monkifti Writers, whofeBigotry and Ignorance corrupted the beft Religion, as Maggots do the beft Meat. 3dly. It ftiews how ignorant the Jewifti Teachers were in Matters of Geography and Hiftory, together with the State and Num- ber of Jews throughout the World. *Tis true he is to be fufpedfced on this latter Head, but as we have no Memoirs more exact, we muft make the beft of this. 4th. From him we learn, what were the particular Rights, Cuftoms, and prevailing Opinions of his own Nation; which Chriftians may make a good Ufeof, by explaining the Scriptures, and confuting the Jews upon their own Principles. 5thly. He acquaints us with many Particulars, which are not to be found tlfe where, and eohfirms and illuftrates, what other Authortdiave obfeurely hinted at. -He ( u ) tells us, for Example, that though the Al- chafchifchins, or Afleffins acknowledged Mahomet for the Prophet of God (which we know from other Books) yet the Ma- hometans confidered them as Enemies, and not as their Brethren, undoubtedly for this Reafon, becaufe the latter could not bear to think, that they fhould call their Elder of the Mountains, the Vicar of Mahomet. He farther informs us, that the Founder of this Secft was one Comb at, and tells us what particular Weapon they madeufe of. Thofe who have fpoken of the Afleffins (from a miftaken Paffage of Marco Polo) have con- founded thofe of Syria, with thofe of Perfia, who are the Muletans, and have thought, that there were no other Afleffins but thofe of Syria, whofe Metropolis was Mulet. But Benjamin explains the Venetian Traveller, by diftinguifhing the Afleffins of Syria, whofe Metropolis was Kormos, from the Muletans of Perfia, who are a People, and not a City ; whofe chief Refidence (according to Haython) was Tigado. He moreover ac- quaints us with the Extent of their Country that they were a Terror to their Neigh* hours ; that they waged War againft Chrifl tians in general, and the King of Tripoli in particular. It is from Benjamin, that we know that the Druziens (for Dogzien is a Corruption of Druzien ; were in Syria in the Beginning of the twelfth Century $ that C *5 ) they Bill pradlifed the infamous Tenets of their Founders, that they believed the Me- tempfychofis, &c. Though we cannot con- fider him as an Eye Witnefs of all which he defcribes, we mull however conlider him as a Witnefs of what paffed, of what was faid, of what was believed, and of what was read, by the Literati of thofe Times ; and his Book may be regarded as a choice Frag- ment, or Extradl of many Books or Re- lations, the greater Part of which never came down to us, and the Reft (whofe Names are generally mif-fpelt) are known to the prefent Age only by Hear-fay. (6) But the chief XJfe which I wilh to make of the Book, is to confirm thofe hike-warm and indifferent Chriftians, in the Principles of that holy Religion, which they make Pro- feflion of ; and to combat the Errors and Impenitence of the Jews, by their own Weapons. Who will not be aftonilhed and feiled with a religious Fear? Who will not be affedted with Compaffion and Indig- nation, by a Difcovery of the Ignorance, Blindnefs, and Puerility of the Teachers of that People, who were once fo cherilhed, and highly favoured by the Almighty ; who were once entrufted with the Oracles of divine Truth, and are now fo difperfed, fo afflidfc- D ed, (6) The two or three laft Pages contain the Subftar.ee of, -an Hebrew Pamphlet, printed 1774, by Order of the So- ciety for .promoting Chriftian Kn®wledge» ( 26 ■) ed, and tormented *, yet, who, amidft their manifold Misfortunes, are ftill the fame llifF- necked People, feeding on Chimeras and ridiculous Delufions, comforting themfelves with vain Hopes and delufive Expectations, chufing rather to difbelieve the Father, than believe on the Son, and to be at the greateft Pains to mifconftruCt and obfcure the Law and the Prophets, rather than fubmit to be faved in that way, which the God of their Fathers has appointed. (7) How alarmingly is the following Oracle fulfilled in you, ye wandering Sheep of the Houfe of Ifrael! This Book will be read by many of you, to you therefore, I now addrefs myfelf. — Stay yourfelves, fays the Prophet, and won- der ; cry ye out and cry, they are drunken, but not with Wine* they flagger, but not with ftrong Drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the Spirit of deep Sleep, and hath clofed your Eyes : the Pro- phets and your Rulers, the Seers hath he covered. Therefore, behold,. I will pro- ceed to do a marvellous Work among this People, even a marvellous Work and a # Wonder : for the Wifdom of their Wife Men fhall perilb, and the Underftanding of their prudent Men fhall be hid. “ It is now above feventeen hundred Years fince “ you have been removed into all the King- doms of the Earth, without a King, ** without a Sacrifice, without an Altar, “ without ( 27 > 6t without an Ephod, and without Tera- ** phim ” What is the Reafon of this your long and deplorable Captivity ? confult the Records of your own Hiftory, and you will there find that your Fathers for the mod perverfe Rebellion and Apoftacy, were only punifhed with feventy Years Captivity ; and even during that Time, God fent his Pro- phets, by whole Preaching they were called to Repentance, and comforted with the Promife of Deliverance. But how differ- ent, alas ! is your prefent Situation ; well might ye fay, we fee not our Signs, there is not one Prophet left, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. F rorn all which you muft reafonably conclude, that there is fome particular and heinous Sin lying upon your Nation, on Account of which the God of your Fathers has become your Enemy. And what can this Sin be, but your having crucified and flain you- having rejected and ftill continuing to rejedfc that Prophet, whom God, according to his Promife, and your own Defire, raifed you up from among your Brethren, like unto Mofes, even Jefus of Nazareth, the Saviour and true Mefliah, befides whom, none ever arofe, who could anfwer that Charafter j none who was like him, a Lawgiver and Mediator of a Covenant between God and Man ; none like him in all the Signs and D 2 Wonders Ifa. 29. 9. 10. 14. Hof. 3. 4, Pfal. 74. 9. ( *8 ) Wonders which the Lord fent him to do* His Blood, according to the Requeft of your Fathers lies on you their Children, there- fore hath God punilhed you with this long and perpetual Captivity, and nothing but your Converfion to the Truth, as it is in Jefus, will be the Means of your Deliver- ance. Ye Men of Ifrael, How long will you fight againft the Truth? How long will you refill its fhining and convincing Power ? fearch your own Scriptures with Impar- tiality and devout Attention ; compare them with the Life of Jefus, written by four unexceptionable Hiftorians, and you will clearly fee that the Prophecies of the Meffiah are undoubtedly fulfilled in him*, you will be convinced that Jefus of Na^ fareth is the Perfon,, to whom you will find yourfelves obliged to have Recourfe j and having in vain looked for others, to look upon him for Hopes of Deliver- ance. For according to the Teftimoniw of your Prophets, the Sceptre was not to depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his Feet, until Shiloh carnet and unto him was to be the Gathering or the People : the Glory of the latter Houfe was to be greater than that of the former, for the Lord, even the Meflenger of the Covenant, was fuddenly to come to his? Deut, x8. iS. — 34.. 11.— .18. 19. ib. ( 29 ) his Temple: he was to be born of a Vir- gin, at Bethlehem Ephratah j and to grow up before the Lord as a tender Plant, and as a Root out of a dry Ground, having no Form nor Comelinefs, but defpifed and re- jeded of Men : he was to preach good Tidings unto the meek, was to bind up the Broken-Hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prifon to them that were bound : he was to be a Stone -refufed of the Builders, but to become the Head-Stone of the Corner : he was to be fold for the Price of thirty Pieces of Silver: one of his own familiar Friends, who did eat of his Bread, was to lift up his Heel againlt him * He was to give his Back to the Smiters, and his Cheeks to them that plucked off the Hair 3 and not to hide his Face from Shame and Spitting : He was to be numbered among the TranfgrefTors, though he had done no Violence,, neithe was any Deceit in his Mouth : His Enemies were to part his Garments among them, and caft Lots upon his Vefture : They were alfo to give him Gall for his Meat, and Vinegar in his thirft to Drink ; and not- withstanding the Malice of his Enemies, he was to make Interceffion for them : He was to be pierced, to be cut off out of the Land Gen. 49. 10. Hag. 2. 9. Mai. 3. t. Ifa. 7. 14.. Mic- 5. 2. Ifa. 53. 2. 3. and 61. 1. Pfal. 118. 22, Zee. 11. 12. Ifa. 50. 6. Ifa. 53- Ja. 9. Pfal. n. j8 . ( 3 ° ) of the Living, and to be buried ; but, hav- ing poured out his Soul unto Death, he was not to be left in the Grave, but was to fee his Seed to prolong his Days, and the Plcafure of the Lord was to profper in his Hand : He was to go up on high, and to lead Captivity captive ; to lit at the right Hand of God, until all his Enemies Ihould be made his Footftool. The Spirit was to be poured out upon his Servants : He was to ftand for an Enfign of the People, to whom the Gentiles Ihould feek ; the Hies were to wait for his Law, and he was to be for Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth* Men and Brethren, we know that Jefus crucified hath been the great {tumbling. Block which has lain in your way, to pre- vent your coming to him as the promifed Meffiah. But you plainly fee, from the Prophecies before mentioned, as you like- wife may from many others, that he muft have been put to Death, otherwife he could not have been the Meffiah r For he was ap- pointed by the Grace and Mercy of God to be the Propitiation for the Sins of Mankind. On him the Lord laid the Iniquities of us all : He bore our Griefs and carried our Sorrows, He was wounded for our Tranf- greffions, He was bruifed for our Iniquities, the Chaftifement of our -Peace was upon him Pfal. 69. 21. Tfa. 53.9. 12. Pfal. *5. j „ 1Q{ Pfal. 68. 18. Pfal. no. I, Joel 2. 28. XI, 10, Ifa. 4: . 4. lfa. 49. 6. ( 3 * ) film, and with his Stripes we are healed.. He was the only true and effectual Atone- ment for the Sins of the World, of whom all the Sacrifices of old were but Types and Figures. For it was not poflible that the Blood of Bulls and of Goats fhould take Relh, or, *1 Refh, for 1 Daleth. How many fuch Errors may have crept into the facred Writings, in Matters of far greater Importance ? (3) Another grand Proof our Author’s Ignorance of Cbsonology and Hiftory in general. 5 o CHAP III. low the Mountains of Naples ; which well for- tified City is fituated on the Sea Shore, and was originally built by the Javanites ; near'fjve hundred Jews refide in it : among whom are R. Ezechias, R. Schallum, R. Elias, the Prieft, and R. Ifaac, of happy Memory, a Native of Mourit Hor. From hence you go in one Day to Salerpho, or rather Salernt ^ where there is a College of Edomitifh Phyficians, together with about fhfc hundred Jews; thofe among them, who excel in Wifdom, are R. Juda, Son of R. Jfaac, the ce- lebrated Rabbi Melchifedec, Siphonath, ot Siponto, R. Solomon the Prieft, R. Elias, the Javanite, R. Abraham, of Narbonne, and laftfy R. Thim’mon. The Town is defended by a Wall on the fide of the Continent, the other Part hangs over the Sea Shore; and it has for farther Security a Tower ftrongly fortified on the Summit of a high Hill. Melfi, or Amalfi, is a half Day’s Journey from Salerpho, w-here there are about twenty Jews, among whom are Hana- neel, the Phyfician, and R.'Elifha, together with Abu Algid, the magnificent, of happy Memory. The Gentiles who inhabit that Part of tfl6 Country are Merchants, who travel to different 3'arts with their Merchandize : they never fow their Ground, but provide all Neceflaries with Money (which they gain by Traffic.) Though they live in the high -Mountains and Summits of the Rocks, yet they abound in Wine and Olive Vineyards, Gardens and Orchards, nor are any People able to contend in War with them From hence you go in one Day to Benevento, a greatCity, fituated upon a certain Hill or Moun- tain, not far from the Sea, where there are near two hundred Jews, the chief of whom are R. JCalonymus, R. Zera, and R. Abraham, of laud- able CHAP. III. 51 able Memory. You then go in two Days to Malchi, in the Region of Apulia, in which there are great Plenty of Beans. The chief Men, among the two hundred Jews, who live here, are R. Ahimaaz,R. Nathan, and R. Tz - dok : Afcuii is one Day’s Journey beyond it. A- mong the forty Jews who live here, R. Kontilo, his Sonin Law R. Tzemah, and R. Jofeph, of laudable Memory, are the mod celebrated. Trani is two Days Journey from hence, it lies very near the Sea: here Travellers embark for Je- rufalem, becaufe the Haven or Port is the molt commodious for that Purpofe. Here you find a College of near two hundred Ifraelites, the chief of whom are R. Elias, R. Nathan, the Preacher, and R. Jacob. The City itfelf is elegant and fpacious. Michael De Bar, formerly a great City, lies about a Day’s Journey beyond this Place, it was deftroyed by William, King of Sicily, and is at prefent inhabited neither by Jews nor Gentiles, from hence you go in half a Day toTarento, (4) the beginning of the Kingdom qf Calabria, where the Inhabitants are Javan- iles. It is a great City, in which there are about three hundred Jews, fome of whom are very f reat Philofophers ; the moft eminent are R. laii, R. Nathan, and R. Ifrael. Barnedis is a Day’s Journey from hence, it lies near the Sea ; in which there are about ten Jews, who are Dyers of Purple. Otranto, (5) a Town fimilar in Si- tuation, lies twoDay’s Journey from hence upon F 2 the (4) Tarento .] He calls this the beginning of Calabria, and the Inhabitants Javanites, or Greeks, becaufe the Greeks founded many Cities in Italy ; from whence it was called Magna Graecia, which name Calabria retained after all the Reft had loft it. (5) This is fuppofed to be the of Ptolemy. 52 CHFP. IV. the Shore of that Sea, which wafhes the Land of Javan, here are about five hundred Jews ; the molt eminent are R. Menahem, R. Caleb, R, Meir, and R. Mali. Crofling the Sea from hence, after a two Days Voyage, you reach Okrophus, ox Corfu, (6)where there is only one Jew, namedR. Joleph. This Place is reckoned hitherto to be- long to the Kingdom of Sicily. CHAP. IV. Ft om Corfu , through Greece and Walachia , to Con - Jiantinople. jpROIYI Corfu, after a PaflTage of twoDays, you * come toLabta, (i) the beginning of the King- dom of Emanuel, King of the Javanites ; it is a Village, in which there are about a hundred Jews, the chief of whom are R. Schelaja, and R. Hercules: Achilon (2) lies two Days Journey beyond it ; here are about ten Jews ; the prin- cipal of them is R. Schabtai. From hence you go to Natolicon in half a Day. This Place is lituated upon an Arm of the Sea, From Natoli- con ) you coaft it along in one Day to Patras, a City which belonged to Antipater, King of the Javanites, who was one of the four Kings who: ifucceeded Alexander. Here are to be feen large and ancient Buildings, and here ,are a Ho about fifty Jews j thofe of moft note are R. Ifaac, R. Jacob, (6) The great Scaliger fays this Ifland belonged to Sicily in oar Author’s Time. (1) C. L’Empereur reads Larta, and Baratier fuppofes it to he the modern St. Maure. 1 r (7.) Read Alcipus, vid. C. L’Empereur, ibid. CHAP. IV. 53 Jacob, and R. Samuel. Frorp this Town you have about a half Day’s Voyage to Lepanto, or the ancient Naupaflus, where there are about a hundred Jews, who dwell on the Sea Shore ; the ipoft eminent are R. Gizri, R. Schallum, and R. Abraham, of happy Memory. From hence you go in a Day and half to Cours, or CrilTa, where there are two hundred Jews, who are the foie Inhabitants of Mount Pa rnaffus : who low and reap in their own Inheritance ; and have for their Rulers R. Solomon, R. Hhajim, and R. Jedaja. From hence you go in three Days to the Metropolitan City of Corinth, (3) which con- tains about three hundred Jews, the chief of whom are K. Leo, R. Jacob, and R. Ezechias; you then go in three Days, to the great City of Thebes, here you find about two thoufand Jews, who are the mod excellent Manufacturers of Silk and Purple in all the Territories of the Ja- vanites ; among whom are fome very learned Men, who know' more of the Milhna, andTal- F 3 mud* ( j) Corintb.'] The modern Gereme, fituated between? the Bays of Lepanto, and Engia, fifty Miles Weft of Athens. The Buildings are not now contiguous, but intermixed yrith Fields and Gardens, which makes it look like a Vil- lage ; the Caftle is fituated on a high fteep Rock above it, of very difficult Accefs. The Country about it abounds with Corn, Wine, and Oil. From the Caftle, there is one of the fineft Profpeils in the World, having the Sea in full View on the Eaft and Weft, and -a fine Country North and South. The narroweft Part of the Iftbmtis is about fix Miles over, and on a Mount there, called Oneius, were anciently celebrated the Ifthmian Games : There are ftill the Ruins of a Town about it, and of Temples dedicated to the Sun, Neptune, Diana, Pluto, Ceres, and Bacchus, and fome Re- mains of the Wall built by the Lacedemonians, crofs the Ifthmus, from Sea to Sea, to fecure the Peleponefian Pe- ninfula. 54 C H A P. IV. mud, than any of the prefent Age. The mol! eminent are the great Dodtor R. Aaron Cutai, and his Brother R. Motes, R. Hija, R. Elias Thirtino, and R. Jodfan, who are not to be equalled, but in the City of Conftantinople. From, this Place you go in one Day to iEgriphou, (4) a great City near the Sea, much frequented by foreign Merchants from everyQuarter and Corner of the World. There are about two hundred Jews in it, whole Rulers are R. Elias Pfalteri, R. Emanuel, and R. Caleb. To Jabufterifa is another Day’s Journey, it is a maritime Town, where there are about a Hundred Jews; the chief are R. Jofeph, R. Samuel, and R. Nathanja, Robinica is a Day’s Journey diitant from hence, where you find about one hundred Jews, who are governed by R. Jofeph, R. EJeazer, and R. Ifaac, from whence you go in one Day' to Sinoi* Potmo, in which there are about fifty Jews; the Chief Rulers of whom, are R. Solomon, and R. Jacob. This is the beginning of Walachia-, the Inhabitants of which dwell in the Mountains, and are called after their Country, Walachians, they are as fwift as mountain Goats, and make frequent Defcents upon the Javanitifh Terri- tories, for Spoil, and Plunder, none are able to contend with them in War, nor can any King fubdue them. They obferve not the Religion of the Nazarenes, and give themfelves Jewifh Names. - From whence fbme afTert that they are Jews, that they call the Jews their Brethren, and that when they meet with any of our People they rob, but never kill them; as they do the Javanit.es. Upon the whole, they are a fet of law- kiS People. From thence you go in two Days to (4) This Egriphou, fays Bara tier, is ihe City ©f JSVrflW l oat,, which die Inhabitants call Egri .- os. " e CHAP. IV. 55 to Gardegi, a ruinous Place, inhabited by a fmall number of Javanites and Jews. Two Days Journey beyond (Gardegi) lies Armilo, a great and maritime City, which is a Commo- dious Fair or Place of Traffic, for the Veni- tians, Pifanians, Genoefe and all Merchants who frequent it. It is an extenfive Territory, which contains about four hundred Jews ; the chief of whom are the great R. Schilo, R. Joleph the Steward, and R. Solomon the Governor. From hence Men Travel to JBiffino in one Day, where there are near one hundred Jews, thofe of moft Note, are the great R. Schabtai, R. Solomon, and R. Jacob. From thence, after a Voyage of two Days (5) you come to Saloufki, built by King Seleucus, one of thofe four Races orPrinces 9 of the Javanites, who fucceeded Alexander. It is a very large City, in which dwell near five hundred Jews, and among others the great R. Samuel with Jus Sons, who are great Philofo- phers. This Man is, by the King’s Permiffion, chief Ruler of the Jews in this Place. There are befides R. Schabtai, his Son in Law, R. Elias, and R. Michael ; and likewife a great Number of exiled Jews, who exercife different Trades. Mitrifi is two Days Journey from hence: here you find about twenty Jews, among whom are R, Etaias, R. Machir, and R. Eliab. Two Days after you come to Darma, where you find about one hundred and forty Jews, the chief among whom are R. Michael, and R. Jofeph. You afterwards travel in one Day to Caniltolai, and find twenty Jews. From hence you go ia three (5) C. L’ Empereur tranflates Se.’eucia, tut ’ti$ more likely to be a Corruption of Saloflichi, ( 5 6 J Read Caniftro* 56 C H A P V. three Days to Abyro, fuppofed to be the modem Aprio , a City upon the Sea Coaft. CHAP V Defcription of Canjiantinople. ■pROM this Place the Traveller purfues hi* " Journey among the (i) Mountains, for the fpace of five Days, till he comes to the great City of Conftantinople, which is the Metropolis' of the Empire of the Javanites, who are called Greeks ; and the Refiaence of the Emperor Emanuel, (2) who has twelve Kings under him ; who have each their relpective Palaces at Con- ftantinople, and have ^t heir) Caftles, Cities and Pofleftions over all the Land. The chief of all is the Emperor. The firft (of the twelve) is called the great Overfeer, the fecond the great Houfholder, the third Lord; the fourth Great General ; the fifth the Financier or (Economift, and the Names of the Reft are fimilar. Con« ftantinople (3) is eighteen Miles in Circumfer* ence. (1) Rifum teneatis amici ? (%) This Emperor of the Greeks was Manuel Com- «nenes, he began his Reign A.D. 114.3, and died 1180, he was remarkable for his Treachery and Duplicity to the Chiiftian Powers, during the Crufades. The twelve Kings 1 are no other than the Emperors Minifters, as plainly ap- pears from their Names Di£P*>r)K is a Jewifli Pronunciation of praepofitus yipID’. 01 '"'J’D of fieycci; A oy,$dliKOi nU’O'T of Dominus, oipnpO of f*eyaj Aaxaj and DIDO’S Qt Omoiioy.®* f/.syas . 1 (3) Conftantinople, or the Port called by the Turks Stambol, and by the Jews nj'aJD’tf rp Coftantina, the an- cient Byzantium, (lands on a narrow Strait between Eu, A , fi V and 1S n th J e P y to both - What was our Author s Time called the Sp ni(h and Ruffian Seas, are now called the Marmora, and Black Sea. CHAP. V. 57 ence, and fituated in fuch a manner, that the one half is wafhed by the Sea ; and the other bounded by the Continent. It hangs over two Arms of the Sea, or is fituated on two Straits, one of which arifes from the Ruffian Sea, and the other from the Sea of Sepharad, which is Spain . Here Merchants of every Sort affemble together, from Babylon, from all Mefopotamia, Media, Perfia, from all the Kingdom of Egypt, Canaan, Ruffia, Hungary, Peiiinki, Buria, Lom- bardy, and finally from the Land of the Sephar- dim. This caufes a perpetual Hurry of People, who traffick in this Place from all Parts of the World by LandandSea, infomuch that in thisRe- fpeft it exceeds all other Cities, except the great City of Bagdad, the Metropolis of the Ifhmael- ites; here alfo is the high Place, by which is meant Church, of Sophia, and the Pope (4) of the Javan- ites ; becaufe they are not obedient to the Re- ligion of the Roman Pope. The Altars equal in Number the Days of the Year. The im- menfe Wealth which is brought hither, from each Region, Citadel, and fortified Place, as a yearly Tribute, exceeds all Conception, and outvies in Riches all the high Places in the World. In the middle (5) of the high Place of Sophia are found an innumerable Quantity of Gold and Silver Pillars, together with Chande- liers, &c. of the like Metal. There is likewife a Place where the Emperor is accuftomed to re- gale (4) Pope. By which is meant the Patriarch. (5) The Temple or Church of Saint Sophia, fince converted into a Mofque, is here to be underftood, which according to an old Fable (fays C. L’ Empereur) has as many Entrances as there are Days in the Year. The Hiftorian multiplies Gates into Churches, or as the Word m ay be more literally rendered, idolatrous high Places, 58 CHAP. V- gale himfelf, very near the Wall of his Palace, called the Hippodrome ; where he exhibits a, great Shew annually on the Birth-Day ot Jefu% the Nazarene. At fuch Times there are fhewn in the Pretence of the King and Queen, all forts of People in the World, in their own Like- nelfes, by different Kinds of Enchantment. (6) They are likewile accuftomed to bring out thofe Times , Lions, Bears, Leopards, wild Afles^ and Birds, which fight together for the dmufemn^ of the Spectators. Nor is any public Shew to be, found that can equal it. The Emperor Emanuel has likewife built a great Palace near the Sea, for his Refidence, befides that built by his An- ceftors, and named it Bilchernas, which he ha$ ornamented with Pillars, and wrought over with* the pureft Told and Silver, on which are re-, preiented, in Sculpture, the Wars of his An-., cefiors, together witn his own. In the fara» Place he has eredted a Throne, compofed q| Gold and Gems, over which hangs a Crown oi Gold, by a Cham of the lame Metal, of equal Dimenfions with the Seat below it. There ara Jewels in it, of fuch Value as cannot eafily ba eftimated ; the Luftre of it is id great as to make any otherLight altogether unneceffary in the jNLhtTime. There are like wiie many other Curi*, ofities, very difficult to be reckoned up. To this* Place is annually brought the Tribute Mojaej from all the Land of Javan, and that in fuch Plenty, that the Towers are filled with Gar- ments of Silk, Purple, and Gold, nor is there fuch a Building, or fuch Riches to be found in any Country. The daily Tribute of this City, is. (6) What we call Legerdemain, Juggling, & c. was ifc thofe ignorant and fuperftitious Times fuppofed to be per- formed by the Power of Enchantment. CHAP, V. 59 is fa id to amount to twenty thoufand Pieces of Gold, which arifes from Impofts, hire of Shops, Markets, and Tribute of the Merchants, who flock together here from Sea and Land. The Jivanitilh Inhabitants of this Country are very rich in Gold and Jewels, and wear Silk Veils, over which they throw other fpotted Garments, interwoven and embroidered with Gold, and thus apparelled , they ride on Horfe back, and ap- pear like Sons of Kings, This Country is of very great Extent, abounding with the moll ex- quifite Fruits of every Kind, and well flocked with Bread, Meat and Wine", nor are any People in the World equal to them in Riches. They are likewife well acquainted with all Javanitilh Books, and eat and drink each Man under his own Vine, and under his own Fig-Tree. They hire Soldiers of all the Nations, whom they call Bar- barians, to war againft the Sultan, King of the Togarmains, whom they call Turks. The (7) Natives being as effeminate as Women, and equally unfit for martial Enterprizes. The Jews are excluded from the' City, by an Arm of the Sea of Sophia, neither are they permitted to go put from thence, unlefs it is by Water, to trade with the Inhabitants of the City. In that Place there are about two thoufand Rabbinites, or flridl Obferversof the Rabbinical [8] Writings; and five hundred (7; This is a true and exa£t Account of the Inhabi- tants, and a Specimen, fays a certain Author, of Benjamin’s Judgment and Capacity. I wilh he had difplayed the fame Degree of it, in his Account of Rome, and many other Places. (8 ) The Rabbinites were for the mod Pai t'Pharifees, who paid fo much Refpeft to their Mifhnahs, Talmuds, &c. that (in the Language of our blelfed Saviour,) they made the Commandments of God of none Effeft, through their Traditions. The Karaites adhered only to the Scriptures. Both Parties mortally hated each other. 60 CHAP. VI. hundred of different Opinion, named Karaites; between whom, and the former Difciples of the Fhilofophers, there is a Wall of Separation. The chief of thefe, are R. Abtalion, R. Obadiah, R. Aaron Cufpo, R. Jol’eph Schargino, andR. Eliakim, Governor of the Synagogue : among them are many Manufacturers of Silk Garments, many Merchants, and very rich Men. No Jew is here permitted to ride on Horfe-back, except R. Solomon the Egyptian, the King’s Phylician; by whofe Afliftance the Jews experience great Comfort in their Exile; for they live otherwfex n hard Bondage, being obliged to bear patiently with the Hatred of the Tanners, who prepare Skins; for they pour out their filthy Water in the Streets and before their Gates, and defile the Jews. In like manner, all the Jews are hated by the Javanites, w.thout refpeCt of Perfons, for they endeavour to make all the World their Ene- mies ; fcourge them in the Streets, and opprefi them by hard Bondage : But the Jews who a< bound in Riches are good Men, full of Benefi- cence, Obfervers of the Commandments, and b?ar their Exile with Equanimity. The PlagH which they inhabit is called Pera. CHAP VI. From Conjlantinople , by the IJles of the Archipelago to Antioch , in Syria. rf ROM Conftantinople you go by Water in two ^ Days to Rodotto, where there is a College pf about four hundred Ifraelites ; the Chief of whom are R. Moles, R. Abia, and R. Jacob. Aftet CHAP. VI. 6 1 two Jouraies more you come to Gallipoli, where there are near two hundred Jews ; the Chief are R. Elias theGovernor, R. Schabtai the Little, and R. Ifaac, tuyxs which, in the Language of the Javanites, lignifies the Great. Two Days after you arrive at Cales, and find there about fifty Jews, whole Rulers were R. Juda, R. Jacob, and R. Schemaja. From thence you fail in two Days to Mitylene, which is an ifland of the Sea, and contains ten Jewilh Synagogues, or Aflemblies. From hence you go in three Days to Chika, or Chia, where there are about four Hundred Jews ; the chief of whom are R. Elias, R. Theman, and R. Schabtai. In the lame Place are found the Trees from which the Maftic is gathered; from thence you go to Samos in two Days; where there are about three Hundred Jews, the chief of whom are R. Oba- diah, R. Samarias, and R. Joel. There are many Affemblies, or Colleges of Jews in thele Ifiands. You then Sail to Rhodes in three Days, and find there about four 1 ’ Hundred Jews, the chief. among whom are R. Abba, R. Chananeel, and R. Elias. From hence you go in four Days to Dophro or rather Cyprus, where there is at College of Rabbinical Jews, who obferve the Traditions of -the Elders, and other Jews ; alio Heretics of Cyprus, who are Epicureans; thole the Ifraelites every where excommunicate, foe- caule they profane the Evening of the Sabbath, and keep the Evening of the firft Day. You then fail in two Days to Corcos, the Entrance of the Territory ©f thofe Edomites, who are called Armenians, and likewife of Turns, King of Armenia, who is Lord of the Mountains, and whole Dominions extend as tar as the City Dochim, and Country of the Togarmains, G whom fe CHAP. VI. whom they call Turks. ‘Reaving this Place, year go in two Days to Malmiftras, or Tharfis, near the Sea, which belongs to^the Sons of Javan* whom they call rGreeks. After another fuejf Journey you come:to Antioch the Great, which hangs over the Border?of the River Phir, in the Valley of the Brook Jabbok, which foils down from Mount Lebanon, from the Region of Ha- math. This is that great City which was built* by King Antiochus ; it is Secured by a very hijgit Mountain within the Walls; on the Summits which there is a Spring to be feen, the Care'dtf which is entrufted to a certain Engineer, who brings down the Water through fubterraneom Canals, to the Hbufes of the great Men of the City. In another Part, the City is wafhed by lhe River ; and is the belt fortified of any Pad; of the Empire, of thofe cruel People, who em- brace the Religion of Pope fiJPrtivin; here at# fome Jews, who are Glafs-Makers, the chief of whom are R. Mardqphai, R. Hajim, and fife m aei. Erom hence yoq go in two Days to Ligai or Laodicea,' where you find about two'Hunohtf Jews; among whom are R. Hija, and R; JofcAd (x ) He means the Patriarch of Antioch, but as Pit! via is never mentioned by any other Author; and as one So- tericus Panteuchenus, according to C« L’ Empereur, e% j»yed that Dignity about this Time, the Miftake may bo reftified byfuppofing that the Author wrote which by fome Scribe’s Omiffionof the Letter J Nun, and miltaking, 1 Vau for 1 Jod, and 3 Caph for 3 Beth, might eafily^ de- generate into Pitibin, or Pitivin. Baratier however' fcouts this Emendation, Mid tranflates the Paflage;*** “ Cette Viile au refte eft. ties forte, & feus la Dominating des Irrupteurs, la Foi dominante y eft celle de Poitevins*. qui eft celle du Pape. The former is a better TranflatioJ^ of the Text; the latter is more reconcileable with ancrfixff Hiftory. CHAP. VII. % two Days Journey from hence Hes Gebal, or J3aal-Gad, under Mount Lebanon. G H A P. VII. From Antioch to Tyre , with a Defcription of the' AJpiffins and Dogzuns, or Drufum^ a People of Phoenicia. Tl^EAR to Gebal ward they mortally hated Chnftians, and refufed to have any .Connexions with them. This was undoubtedly the Mo- tive of their War with the King of Tripoli, who was a Ghriftian. They had among them an Order of Mahometan Cavalry. Their Elder, or Chief, made them believe, that after Death they ihould enjoy eternal Happinefs. To give them an Idea of .that Paradife fo much in Fafhion Imong the Mahometans, he had a certain Liquor which caff thofe who drank it into a moft profound Sleep ; dur-p »ng which he caufed them to be carried to a Garden of the moll enchanting Beauty abounding with every fenfual Per Lght, that could be enjoyed, or even wished for. After 9 certain 64 CHAP. VII. profefs not the Iffimaelitilh Religion, but that of a certain Prophet named Canbat, whole coraw mands they obey even to the greateft Extremi- ties* and call him Scheich Alchafchifchin. He is their chief Senator, or Lord, agreeable to whole Diredtion the Inhabitants of the Moun- tains tranladf all Bulinels, both within and with* out Doors ; the Place of his Refidence is the City of Kormos, formerly belonging to Sihon^ King of the Amorites. The Mountaineers are, by the Command of their Elder, always at Peace among themlelves, and a Terror .to afl their Neighbours, whofe Kings they alTaffinate with a kind of a Saw. It will take up a Jour- ney of eight Days to travel over their Counfrjr, They wage War with thole Edomites, who are called Franks, and with the Sultan of Tripoljf, which is alfo called Trabelos of Scham, or Sy’r ria, In thofe Days Tripoly was violently lhaken by certain Time he caufed them to drink another Draught of the fame Liquor, and while they flept, tranfported them to their own Habitations. A Hope of enjoying thofe pleafurt* for ever, made them fo defperate, when any Murder <$ Affaflination was to be undertaken, and from them the. Word Aflaflin is derived. The following remarkable Anecdote, quoted by the in- genious and very learned Mr. Richardfon, in his Arabic Grammar, is a Specimen of the Defpotic Influence, which Uaitina, the famous Chief of the Aflaflins, had over h& Followers. When Sultan Jelalo’ddaula fent an Am- baflador to the Elder of the Mountains to require his Sub- 1 million, he thus received him, — “ When the Ambaflador “ appearechin his Prefence, he called before him fome of his* People i and giving the Signal to a young Man among “ them, faid to him, flab yourfelf, and he did fo t he ** then ordered another to precipitate himfelf from the Caftle, which he did, and was dalhed to Pieces. Then “ he faid to the Sultan’s Ambaflador, of Subjects fuch as “ thefe, feventy thoufand are thus obfervant of me; kt ** this be the Anfwer.” CHAP. VII. 65 fey an Earthquake, and many Gentiles and Jews loft their Lives, and were buried in the Ruijns $ the like happened at the fame Time in all the Land of Ifrael, infomuch that upwards of twenty Tfeoufand People periftied. One Day’s Journey from thence, there is another Town named Ge baL the Boundary of the Ammonites, in which there are about a Hundred and Fifty Jews, who arp divided into feven different Societies. The Sul- 4$n’s Name is Gilianos Inbiremo. Here you find fome Veftiges of an idolatrous Temple, to- gether with an Idol, which formerly belonged fo the Ancient Ammonites. This Idol fits on a ^tone Throne, incrufted over with Gold : on the fight and left Hand Side of which Bands a Wo- man, on either Side one — Before him is an Al- tar, on which the ancient Ammonites offered Sacrifice, and burnt Incenfe before the Idol. Here likewife you find about two hundred Jews, the chief of whom are R. Meir, R. Jacob, ai)d R. Schimha. The Town itfelf is wafhed by the Sea of the Ifiaelites. From thence you go to Birot (which is Beeroth) in two Days, at which Placethere are about fifty Jews ; thechief of whom are R. Solomon, R. Obadiah, and R. Jofeph. From hence you come after one Day’s travelling to Zaide, that is Zidon, a great City, where you find near twenty Jews ; about ten Miles from which is. a certain Nation, which wages War with the Zidonians. The Inhabitants are the ppgziens, fuppofed to be the Druziens , who are j^tlfd Pagans and Atheifts. They profefs np Religion, and five in the high Mountains and Holes of the Rocks, being governed by no King or Prince, but live at large among the Rocks and Mountains, as far as Mount Hermon, to the Extent of three Days Journey, They are G 3 very 66 CHAP. VII. very - inceftuous, and couple with their own Daughters ; and on a certain annual Feftivalj when all the Men and Women meet to eat and drink together, they exchange Wives with each other. They lay when a good Man dies his Soul immediately leizes the Body of lome little Infant, which is born at the very Inftant in which the Soul departed from the Body of the Man ; but if he happens to be a wicked Man, that it feizes on the Body of a Dog, or fame other Beaft and by this Error, they be*, tray their Foolilhnefs They have no Jews a- mong them, unlefs fome Artificers and Dyers chance to vifit them for the Sake of Trade and Merchandize, who foon return Home again ; yet the Jews are great Favourites with them. Thefe People by continually running over the Hills and Mountains, are very fwift of Foot, nor are any of their Neighbours able to contend in War with them. You then travel in one Day to new Tyre, a very neat City, which has within itfelf a Haven or Port, where the Ships ride at Anchor between two Towers. But in the Night Time, the Publicans extend an Iron Chain, from one Tower to the other, that no Perion (if they Hiould rob the Ships) may have an Opportunity of efcaping. Nor is there any Thing in the World which can compare with this Haven. There are in this elegant City, about four hun- dred Jews ; fome of whom are w'ell {killed in the Talmud : their Rillers are R. Ephraim the Egyptian, who is their Judge, R. Meir of Car- chelchona, and likewife R. Abraham, the Prin- cipal of the whole Aflemblv. From this Place the Jews trade in Ships. ' Here dwell fkilful Workmen, who manufa&ure moft excellent Glafe, which is celebrated by the Name of Tyrian CHAP. VIII. 6 7 Tyrian G 1 afs> and fo highly prized in all Countries; and here is moreover to be found the belt of Sugar. Whoever goes upon the Walls of new Tyre, may lee fometbing of that Tyre, the crowning City. Ifaiah 23. overwhelmed in the Sea, about a Stone’s caft from the new City ; but if the Traveller takes a Boat, and goes out upon the Water, he may look down and lee the Towers and Forums, together with the Streets, Squares, and Palaces, in the Bottom of the Sea, while Hew Tyre is a Place of great Traffic, and fre- quented by Merchants from all Quarters. CHAP. VIII. From Tyre to ferujalem , by the Way of Samaria . , with fame Account of the Samaritans , and other Particulars . ’C'ROM Tyre you have one Day’s Journey to Akadi, which is the ancient Acco, in the Confines of Alcher : it is the Entrance of the Land of Ifrael, is Irtuated on the Shore of the great Sea, has a fpacious Haven, which they call the Port: and is convenient for all thole who have made a Vow, and mean to embark for Je- rulalem. The River which is called the eallern Brook, runs by the Town : here you. find about two hundred Jews, the moft eminent are R. Zadok, R. Japheth, and R. Jona, of laudable Me- mory. Three Parafangs diftant from hence, lies (1) Niphas, or Gad the elegant, bounded by the Sea, (1) This Epithet is given it to diftinguilh the Place from another Xown of the fame Name, on the other Sid* Jordan, 68 CHAP. WII. Sea, on tlie one Part, and by Mount Carmel on the other, at the Bottom of the Mountain are to be fejen many Sepulchres of the Ifraelites and in the fame Mountain is the Cavern, or Grotto of Elias, of laudable Memory, where two Edo*, mites have built an high Place, and Dedicated it to him. On the Tap of the tame Mountain, are difcovered the Remains of the Altar, which was pulled down, and af towards rebuilt % Elias, of laudable Memory, during the Reigp qf Ahab: it is about four Cubits in Circumference $ and the Brook fuichon flows down from t% Sideof the [fame] Mountain, towards the lowef ■Part of it. You have four Parafangs from hence to Capernaum on the Village of Confolation ; (2) which at firft Sight feems higher than Car-' ntel itfelf. From thence you have about fix Pa- Tafangs to (3) 8cl2eria, formerly called Gad of the Philiftines : where there are about ten Jews, and two hundred Cuthoeans. Thefe are Schom* ronitifh Jews, who are commonly called Sama- ritans. The City itfelf is very beautiful and elegant, lies near the Sea, and was built by the Emperor Caefar, who named it Caefarea, after his own Name. From hence you go in half h Day to Kago, or Kegila, where you find np Jews, and another fuch Journey brings you to Schargoreg, or Sargorg, or the ancient Luz, where you find only one Jew, who is a Dyer 0# Wool. You then go in one Day to Sebadat named by the Ancients, Samaria ; in which Place are difcovered lome Veffiges of a Palace of Ahab King of Ifrael, which remain at this Day. The City lies on a Mountain, and was formerly very (z) Concerning the Salubrity of the Air, &c. See JO- fephus, 1 . 3.C. 35. DeBel Jud. (3^1 1 was not built by C*far, but by Herod, ghaf, viir. e 9 very well fortified and well watered : the Coun- try abounds with Rivers, and is well fupplied with Gardens, Orchards, Vineyards, and Olive- yards ; notwithftanding this, no Jew(s live here. From hence you have two Parafimgs to Nabilos, formerly called Sichem upon Mount Ephraim ; nor are there any Jews there. The Town lies in a Vale, between Mount Gerizzim, and Mount Ebal, where there are above a hundred Cuthoeans, (4) who oblerve only the Law of Mofes, whom Men call Samari- tans. They have Priefts of the Lineage of Aaron, who refts in Peace, and thole they call Aaronites, who never marry but with thole of the fame facerdotal Family, that they may not be confounded with the People. Yet thele Prieffs of their Law offer Sacrifices and Burnt-Offer- ings in their Congregations, as it is written in the Law, Deut. 1 1 , 29, Thou lhall put the BlelT- ing upon Mount Gerizzim. They therefore af- firm that this is the Houfe of the San&uary ; anil they offer Burnt- Offerings, both on the Pallbver and other Feftivals, on the Altar, which was built on Mount Gerizzim, of thole Stones which the Children of Ifrael fat up after they had pair- ed over Jordan. They pretend that they are descended from the Tribe of Ephraim, and have among them the Sepulchre of Joleph the Juft, the Son of our Father Jacob, who refts in Peace, ac- cording to that Saying, Jof. 24, 32. The Bones alfo of Joleph, which the Children of Ifrael brought up with them from Egypt, buried they in bechem. They want thefe three Letters H He, ( 4 ) Chriftians are frequently called by Jewiifh Writers, by Way of Contempt, -Cuthceans. Benjamin’s Report of their wanting the three Letters— -]7nn He, Cheth, and Gnain, is without Foundation. fo CHAP. VIII. H He, fi Cheth, and 1? Gnain n the Name o| our Father Abraharri, from whence they want *Tin Glory ; n in the Name of our Father Ifaac, from whence they are deficient in *“TDn Piety V in the Name of our Father Jacob, by whicS means, they want niJlV Humility. Wherefore, in the Room of thole Letters, they make ule of K Aleph, and by this Token they are difcdveiil to be no Dependents of Ifrael, becaufe they ac- knowledge the Law of Moles without thefe three Letters. They are fcrupuloufly nice to avoids being defiled by touching the Dead, or Bones^ or the Bodies of the Slain, or Sepulchres. T1& Cloaths which they daily wear are laid afiik when they go to the Synagogue*, and when thei havewalhed their Bodies with Water, theypte on others. This is their. Cuftom daily. (H Mount Gerizzim are many- Springs,. Garde^l and Orchards ; but Mount Ebal is as-dry as SforB or Rocks. Sichem, as was * faid before^ is fituatg in a Valley between them., both,., four ParalaflB from which lies^G ilboa, called by the Edorti|tfl Monto Gilboe, in a very dry parched Situat^B.. From Gilboa you have me rarafangs to the Vair ley of Ajalon, w.hich the Edomites call Vaef dfc Luna, Valley of the Moon. From whence yofl: have one Paralang to Mount Moriah, the Garlp. of David, or great City of Gibeon, where there: are no Je ws. CHAP, CHAP. IX. 7 * e H A P. IX. fytfcripthn of the City of Jerufblem) with the cu- rious Hijrory of the Difcovery of the Sepulchres of the Kings of Judah . F ROM Ga ran yorr have three Para fangs to Jeruialeni,(i) which is a fmall City fortified with £1) There are very ftw Remains of this City, either as Jtwasinour Saviour’s Time, or as it was afterwards re- built by Adrian, fcarce one Stone being left upon another. What he relates «f the Tower of David, and other An- tiques, muft be read with Caution. The moft ancient Name of this City was. Shalem, (or as others read Mem. ) It was founded by Shem, the Son of Noah, A. M. *033, who in Gen. r4. 1 9-. is called Melchizedek, the Rihtaeaus King, or King of Righteoufiicfs, Melchize- 4 m% was both King of Shalem, and Prieft of the moft high God, fo of Neceflity was Shem, and fb were his Brethren. That Shem lived till Abraham’s Time (and ddhfequently might come out to meet him after the Battle of 'he Kings) is manifeft from Gen. 9. n. <£ And Shem ‘‘^lwedafter he begat Arphaxad five hundred Years, and ** begfrt Sons and Daughters.” That Afia fell to. the Lot of Shem, was generally believed by the ancient Jews ; and Abraham Peritfbl, a modern Rabbi, mentions: it as a Mat- ter uciverfally known to his Contemporaries HJ p rfcrrii trntff oSlff “ And Shem the Son of Noah, was . the King of Shalem, which is Jenifalem.” — That Je- fufalem and Shalem are the fame, appears from Pl'al. 7 6. 2. where Afaph figuratively fpeaking of the Almighty, lays,—' “ In Salem is his Tabernacle, and his Dwelling in “ Sion.” To obviate what may be advanced, relating to the great Difference between the two Names, I anfwer that the Name Shem was given him at his Birth ; that the Name Melchizedek was what he juftly merited and obtained by yi confcientious Difchaige of his Duty towards God and his Fellow Creatures. That Melchizedek had no Father, ?s a vulgar Error, founded upon that fay ng of St. Paul ” without Father, without Mother, without Deftent,&c.” by 72 CHAP. IX. •with three Walls; it is very populous, the Inha- bitants of which are Jacobites, iSyrians, Javanites, Georgians, and Franks ; and infhort People of all Nations. Here is a Houfe for dying W©q£ which the Jews, annually agree with the King for, that nobody 'at Jerirfalem may be permitted to exercife that Employment befides themfelvw, They are about two Hundred in.Number, who Eve in a Corner of the City, under the Tower of David ; on the Walls of which Tower, are feme of the ancient Building, to the Height of tea Cubits, which was built by our Fathers, and De- main unto this Day. Though the Reft is the W ork of the Iflimaelites, no Building in the Cily is ftronger than the Tower of David. In this City are two Hofpitals, from one of which four Hundred Horfemen(2) go forth to War. All who fall fick in this Place are provided with all Ne-' ceftaries, till they either die or recover. In the Second, which is called Solomon’s Holpital (# it-was a Palace built bj Solomon) in the College by which the Apoftle meansrftiathis Defcent was not gene- rally known. After his Death the Jebufites drove oyt his Sons, and feized upon the City, which, as the' learned Doftor Hyde obferves, they poffefled more than eight hun- dred Years., and as the Cuftom then was, changed its Name from Shalem to Jcfcu«. It was afterwards called Jerufalem. Perfian Writers called it the Jews Paradffe, Some Latin Writers, A£lia Capitolia, Dr. Lightfoot,fiy- pofes it to be the K aSvlif -of Herodotus. The more mo- dern Greeks called it legaaoKv/xx and more compel dioufly HoXvfjLac. (z) Gur Author lived in the Time of the Crufades* The Horfemen he fpeaks of, were the Knights-Templars. The Hofpitals were for theUfe of the Sick and Wounded* The moll prevailing Diftempers among them, were the Itch and Leprofy, occafioned by the Change of Diet, Climate, and great Want of Linen, which was at that Time, a very fcarce and dear Commodity, CHAP. IX. 73 •of this Hofpital dwell the like Number, who daily go out to War with the Saracens, excfufive of thole Franks and Edomites who come hither on a Pilgrimage, and fojourn for a Year or two. Here is'befides to be leen that large Shrine call- ed the Sepulchre, which is'the Tomb of that Man, (3) fo much frequented t>y 'Pilgrims. There are four Gates at Jerufalem, one of which they call Abraham’s, another David’s, a third the Gate of Sion, and the laft the Gate of Jehofa- phat, oppofite that Spot of Ground on which the Holy Temple (4) flood in ancient Times, and where there now ftands Templo Domino.— Near to this Place Omar, the Son of Alcitab, has built a large and very beautiful vaulted Arch, to which the Gentiles are not permitted to carry any Image whatever, but only to fay their Pray- ers. On the oppofite Side, (5) toward the Welt, are the Remains of a Wall, which is a Part of the Holy Temple ; and even of the Holy of Ho- lies. It is called the Gate of Mercy ; and hither all the Jews refort to pray, namely, before that Wall in the Court Yard. There are like- wiie to be feen at Jerufalem, in the old Palace of Solomon, feme of the Stables of that Prince, built with large Stones, which Edifice, for its H Singularity O He means the Saviour of die World, our Lord Jefus Chrift. He calls him that Main, not daring to fpeak more freely, for fear of the Chriftians, among whom he lived. .(4) The Church of the holy Sepulchre, on Mount Calvary, built by Helena, occupies the fame Spot, on which the Temple of Venus flood, which was built by Adrian, and dedicated to that Heathen Deity. As Mount Calvary was without the ancient City, this Church mull be a con- siderable Diftance fiom the Place on which the ancient Temple flood. ( 5 ) The Reader is defired to follow the Advice which I gave him in a former Note. 74 C H A P. IX. Singularity, is not to be equalled any where, and near it is a Canal where the Ancients flew the Beafts, which they offered in Sacrifice ; and all the Jews who come here, engrave their Names on the adjacent Wall. As the Traveller goes out from the Gate of Jehofaphat, the Defart of the People fronts him,; and there is the Pillar called Abfalom’s Place, the Sepulchre of King Uzziah ; the great Spring of the Waters of Schi- doah, which runs down to the Brook Kidron* and betides this Spring is a large and very ancient Edifice, built in the Days of our Fathers. As this City is but indifferently fupplied with Water,, the greateft Part of the Inhabitants drink Rai# Water, and keep Citterns in their Houfes for that Purpofe. From the Valley of Jehofaphat the Traveller goes up to the Mount of Olives, which is te- parated from Jerufalem by the above-mentioned Valley ; from this Mount you have a Profpeft of the Sea of Sodom ; from which Sea it is about two Parafangs to the Pillar of Salt, into which, Lot’s Wife was metamorphofed. The Pillar or Statue is indeed daily watted by the Cattle who are perpetually licking or rather rubbing again)! it, but it is likewite daily reffored, and becomes as it was before. From the fame Mountain you have a Profpedt of all the Land of the Plain, to- gether with the Brook Shittim, as far as Mount jNebo. Mount Sion is without, or before Jerufa- lem, on which there is no other Building but a Nazarene High Place. Moreover, fronting the fame City, are three Jewifh burying Places, where they buried their Dead in ancient Times; in one of them there is a Sepulchre, with the Date remaining. But the Edomites leflen the Sepulchres, by taking away the Stones to build their CHAP. IX. 75 tlieir Houfes. Jerufalem is furrounded by great Mountains; but on Mount Sion there ftill re- main the Sepulchres of the Family of David, and of the Kings who reigned after him ; but the txaft Spot of Ground is unknown. About fifteen Years ago a certain Wall of the facred Building on Mount Sion fell down, whereupon the Patri- arch commanded the Prieft to rebuild that high Place, and added at the fame Time, “ take the “ Stones from the ancient Wall of Sion, for that *« Purpofe.” He obeyed, and hired about twenty Workmen at the common Price, to dig up the old Materials from the very Foundation of the Wall of Sion.- Among thefe workmen were two very intimate Friends : One of them on a cer- tain Day made a Feaft, and invited his Comrade, who after they had dined, went to their Work together. At their Return the Officer who was fet over them, demanded why they had ftayed fb long; upon which they anfwered, that he need not trouble himfelf about the l ime which they had fpent at their Dinner, that they would work while their Comrades were at Dinner, to make amends for it. In drawing up fome of the Stones, yponfetting up a particular one, they found the Mouth of a Cave, which after fome Deliberation, they agreed to enter, and fee if any Treafures (6) were concealed in it. They finally entered, and went ftrait forward, until they came to a certain H 2 Palace (6) This Fable probably took its Rife from Maccab. t. 2 C. 3. Jofephus likewiie informs us, that great Trea- fures were concealed in the Temple ; that Hyrcanus opened the Sepulchre of David, the richeft of the Kings, and took from thence more than three thoufand Talents ; that he bribed Antiochus with three hundred Talents, to raife the Siege ; and alfo that he was the firft of the Jews who hired mercenary Troops, &c. yS C H A P. X. Palace, fupported by Pillars of Marble, and co- vered on the outfide with Silver and Gold: fronting the Entrance was a T able, and a Golden Sceptre, together with a Crown of Gold, which was the Sepulchre of David, King of Ifrael on the left was Solomon's ; and likewfle the Se- pulchres of all the Jewifli Kings, who had been buried there. In the lame Place are twoChefts, clofe fhut, the Contents of which are unknown. But when thefe two Men were about to enter the Palace, behold they were fiiddenly f'mitten to the Earth by a Whirlwind; where they lay as Dead Men until the Evening, when another Wind arofe, which founded like a human Voice, and called aloud— arife ye and depart quickly, from hence. Whereupon the Men arofe with great Fear and Amazement, and going to the Patriarch, related what they had feen and heard, upon which the Patriarch lent Letters to Con- ftantinople, deliring R. Abraham, a pious Pha- rifee, one of thole, who mourn for the Defo- lation of Ifrael,- to come unto him : who conv- ing and hearing the whole Matter, as related by the two Workmen, replied ; “ thefe are the Se- •* pulchres of the Family of David, which were t( fet apart for the Ufe of thofe Kings, who were defcended from the Tribe of Judah.” The Day after, when fome Perions were fent to the two fVorkmen, they found each of them in their Bed% faying, with great Fear ; “ we will not return 4 4 "thither ! we will not return thither ! becaufe “ it does not plea fe God to fhew that Place to “ any Man !” Therefore the Patriarch com- manded, that the Place fhould be flint up, and concealed from all Men, unto this Day. Abra- ham, that pious Pbarifee , related all thefe Things to me. CHAP. CHAP. X, CHAP. X. 77 from ferufalem to Hebron, and from thence to the Country of the Pbtlijiines , and afterwards to Da- snafus. “pROM Jerufalem you have two Parafangs tq Bethlehem, or the Houfe oj Bread of Juda, (i) about half a Mile diltanr irom which is the Pillar of Rachel’s Grave; it lies in a Road where two Ways meet; confiits of twelve Stones; ac- cording to the Number of the Sons of Jacob, and is covered by a certain Arch, which is fup- norted by four Pillars. All the jews, who palsj by this Place, ufually engrave their Names here. There are twelve Jews at Bethlehem, who are ttyers: the Place itielf abounds in Rivers, Wells, and Springs. Hebron is lix Parafangs from hence; but the Lity, which was formerly on the Mountain, lies now in Ruins. In a Valley of a certain Field, namely, in the Field of Macpe- lah, (2) or Duplicity , there is a Town at this Time, together with a large High Place, named H 3 Saint (1) If what our Author here advances is true, that ob- fture Paflage Gen. 35, 16, is fuliy explained. When Jacob was on his Journey from Bethel to Eprath, Rachel fell in Labor of Benjamin, at which Time the died. Mofes tells Us this happened when there was fPOD but a little Way to come to Ephrath. Benjamin tells us the exa& J)i ance. See Abarbanel, S. Jarchi, D. Kimchi, and R. Eechai. (2) Becaufe there was one Cave within another. The Word is derived from 'ISO to double. The Story of the Keepers (hewing fome modern Sepulchres to Travellers in general; and' the real Sepulchres of the Patriarchs to the Jew«, is intended as a grievous SarcaJYn on the Integrity of the Keepers ; and as great a Compliment to the Penetra- tion and Difcernment of his Countrymen. 78 C H A P. X. Saint Abraham, but formerly, in the Time of the Ilhmaelites, there was a Synagogue of the Jews there. Here the Gentiles have built fix Sepulchres, and named them Abraham, Sarah, Ifaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah, and thefe they Ihew to Travellers for the Sepulchres of the Patriarchs, and extort Money from them by that Means. But to every Jewilh Traveller, after paying the ufua! Fee to the Keeper of the Cave, the Iron Gate is opened, which was built in the Time of the blefiTed Patriarchs. Who- ever goes down this Cave, holds a burning Torch in his Hand, the firft and lecond Cave are empty, in the third are the fix Sepulchres of Abraham, Ifaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah, oppofite each other ; on each of which are engraved monumental Infcriptionsj on that of Abraham is to be leen, this is the Sepulchre of the blefled Abraham, our Father; that on Ifaac’s and the Reft, are of the like Nature. In the Cave they have a Lamp, which burns Day and Night over the Sepulchres. In the lame Place are to be feen large Calks full of the Bones of Ifraelites, who bring the Bones of their Fathers here, and continue to lay them lip unto this Day. In the farther End of the Field of Macpelah, is the Houfe of our Father Abra- jham (may he reft in Peace) and before the fame, a Fountain ; and out of Refpedt to Abra-* ham, they will not permit any other Houle to be built in that Place. You have five Parafangs from hence to Beth-Gebarin. This Place was formerly called Marelcba, in which there are only three Jews. From hence after a like Jour- ney you reach Toiondolos Gabralerifch, called by the Ancients Shunem, where there are three Hundred Jews. After travelling three Paralan^s farther, you arrive Saint Samuel, of Schilo. This C H A P. X. 79 This is that Schilo, which is only two Parafangs diftant from Jerufalem. But when the Edomites took Ramla, which is Rama, from the lfh- maelites, they found the Sepulchre of Samuel, in a Jewilh Synagogue at Rama, and took away the Prophet and buried him at Schilo, and built a large High-Place there, which has ever fince been called Saint Samuel, of Schilo. From hence you have three Parafangs to Mount Moriah, (3) or Pefipua, which is Gibeah, of Saul, and an- fwers to the Geba, of Benjamin, where there are no Jews. Three Parafangs beyond which lies Beth-nobi, which is the very Nob, the City of thePrieils. In the Middle of the Road are Jona- than’s (3) This is one of his moft unaccountable Vagaries. Mount Moriah is at Jerufalem, the ancient Temple was built upon it, on the very Spot on which the threlhing Floor of Araunah, the Jebufite, once ftood. Here David offered Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings unto the Lord, when the Angel of the Lord ceafed from fmiting the People. Here he defigned (not without the Divine Admonition) to build a Temple, but did not, becaufe he was a Man of Blood, as appears from z Chron. 3. 1. nn>: Moriah, is generally fuppofed to be derived from r»n to fee, becaufe there God appeared to Abraham, but the learned Dr. Hyde derives it f om r"V to teach, and thinks Moriah, is a Contraction of *nO Moreh Jah, &c. becaufe there God taught Abraham how to exerciie his Faith. 1 here he edvifed him not to lay his Hand upon his Son Ifaic. I here he Anally Jhenued him the Sacrifice which was to be of- fered up inftead of his Son. Theie God alfo taught David how to offer a propitiatory Sacrifice, and there he was ad~ wfed to build a Temple. Upon thel'e Principles, that Paffage, Gen. zz, »4> ^ whith we read— In the Mount of the Lord it lhall be feen — Ought to he trans- lated, in die Mount of fihe cord it fhali be provided for. This ts confirmed by a P; ffage in the e gth Vent of the fame Chapter V tO* O • God w-li provide hnn- fdf a Lamb, he. all that can be o'-je£ed to this excel- lent Amendment is, that v is only uled in this Senfe ia Hiphil, and that but twice in the whole Bible. So C H A P. X. than’s two Pillars, one of which is named Bot- lets, and the other Shene. In the City yre two Jews, who are Dyers. From thence it is about the fame Diflance to Ramas, or the ancient Rama, where there is fome of the RubbifE of thofe Walls, which were built by our Fathers, as appears from the Infcriptions which are to be feen on the Stones. This was formerly a very large City, but at this Time there are only three Jews in it. Here is yet to be feen a large Jewifh burying Place, of about two Miles in extent. From thence you have five Parafangs to Gapha, which is alfo called Joppa, fituated near the Sea, Where you find only one Jew, who is a Dyer, Ebalin is about three Parafangs from Joppa j this was once called Jafne, in which there are iome Veftiges of a School to be feen, but no Jews* This is the Boundary of the Tribe of Ephraim, You then go on two Parafangs farther, and come to Palmis, w hich is the Afhdodof the Philiftines, now laid wafte, in which there are no Jewsj from whence, after a Journey of equal length* y~u come to Afchkalon, which is Afchkalon the New, built near the Sea, by Ezra, the Prieft, of bl fie i Memory. Thf Place was at firft calle4 Benibera, and is about four Parafangs from an- cient Afchkalon, which now lies in Ruins. The new City is very large and elegant ; and, a^ it lies on the Extremity of the Confines of Egypt, is a Place of great Trade and frequented by Merchants from every Quarter. Here are, about two Hundred Rabbinites, whofe Rulers are R. Tfemah, R. Aaron, and R. Solomon There are alfo forty Karaites, together with about three hundred Cut hoeans or Samaritans. In the Mid- dle of the City is a Well, which is called in Arabic, the Weil of Abraham the Perfedt, which he CHAP. X. 8 1 be dug in the Days of the Phjliftines. From Afchkalon you go to Segouras, which was for- merly called Lud; and afterwards, in a Day and half to Zarzin, the Jezreel of the Ancients, in which there is a great Fountain* and one Jew, who is a Dyer. From Jezreel you go onto Si- puria, which is three Paraiangs farther, and the Zipori of the Ancients, where there are the Se- pulchres of our (4) Rabbi the Saint, R. Chija-, (5) who came irom Babylon ; and alfo of the Prophet Jonah, the Son of Amittai, who are all buried in the Mountain, in which there are ie- veral other Sepulchres. From thence you have five Paralangs to Tiberias, near Jordan, in which Part (4) Or more literally our Rabbi the Saint, &c. This was R. Judah Nafi, or the Prince, firnamed Hakkadofch, or the Saint ; and alfo Satam, or the Sealer, becaufe he lealed or finifhed the Mifhna. He was born A.D. 120, on the fame Day in which Rabbi Akiba died. This gave Oc- cafion to the Talmudifts to fay, One Sun arofe as foon as the other went down. His Father was Rabbi Simeon the Third, Son of R. Gameliel of Jafne, Son of R. Simeon the Second, Son of R. Gameliel the Elder, Son of. R. Simeon the Elder, Son of R. Hil lei the Elder. He pre- tended to be defeended from Scephaiia, a Sun of David and Abigal. He was created Prince A.D. 150. He was, ac- cording to the Talmudifts, a compleat Saint, having, all the Seven Requifites or Degrees of Perfection. 1. Beauty, a. Strength. 3. Wealth. 4. Wifdom. 5. Length of Days. 6. Glory. 7. Children. This Saint however paid his AddreiTes to the Widow of Rabbi Eliezer, who refufed him, and told him (he had been a Veffel of much greater San&ity. If therefore he had no more Sanctity than R. Eliezer, he was a very poor Saint indeed, for R. Eliezer, according to Joucs was confined many Years for Murder. (5) Rabbi Chija, or the Great, firft taught at Bahylon, but foon after came into Paleftine, for the Love of Judah the Saint. He pretended to be defeended from a Brother of David, and jointly laboured with Hofchia, Rabba, about the celebrated Work of Jofaphtot. «2 € H A P. X. Part Jbrdan is called the Sea of G ennazeretff r becaufe in this Place it flows with great Impetu- ofity, and pours out a great Sea into the Land of the Plain ; and this is the Place which is other- wife called the Catarabt of the Hill, from the violent Egrefs of Jordan into the Sea of Sodom, or the Salt Sea. There are about fifty Jews at. Tiberias, the chief of whom are R. Abraham,, the Seer, R. Muchtar, and R. Ifaac. There is alio warm Water arifing from fbme hidden Springs, which they call the warm Baths of Tiberias ; in the Neighbourhood of which is the Synagogue of Caleb, the Son of jephunna ; and; in the fame Place is a Jewifh burying Placej where there are the Sepulchres of (6) R. Jocha- nan, the Son of Zaccai, and R. Jonathan, the Son of Levi : All thefe Things are in Lower Galilee. From thence you travel, in two Days, to Timin, which is Timnath, where there is to be leen the Sepulchre of Samuel the Juft, and of many other Ilraelites. From thence you go, in one ( 6 ) Rabbijochanan, Son of Zacchai, or Ribaz, re- ceived the Kabbala, s or Oral Law, from Hillel and S chain. - mai. He was CoJleague of Rabbi Simeon, Son of Hill^j and was created Prince about a Year before the Death of our Saviour. Forty Years before the Deftru&ion of the Temple' the Gates of the Temple opened of their own Accord, and were (as they report) fhut again by Jochanan. The Veil of the Temple was rent in Twain at the Death of our bleffeff Saviour about the fame Time 5 the Truth of which i* difguifed among the Jews unto this Day; and. this Story introduced inftead of it. He was a great Favorite with Titus. After the Deftruftion of the Temple, he tranT* ferred the Sanhedrim to Japhne, where he lived about five Years, and died, aged an hundied and twenty Years. Al this Rabbi, according to the Jewilh Account, was Prince of that Nation, and Chief of the Council about a Year before the Crucifixion of our Redeemer, it is more than probable that this is the John mentioned A6ts 4.. ver. 6 , for pm» is John, C H A P. X 8$ oneT)ay, to Afchath, formerly named Goufch Halab, where there are about twenty Jews ; from vw hence it is fuppofed to be fix Parafangs to Ma- Tan, or the ancient Maron, in the Neighbourhood of which is a certain Cave, in which are the Sepulchres of (7) R. Hillel and Schammai, and twenty of their Difciples, together with the Se- pulchres of R. Benjamin, the Son of Japhet, and R. Judah (8) the Son of Bethira. From hence you go on to Alma, which lies fix Parafangs far- ther, in which there are fifty Jews, together with a large Jewifh burying Place. This Place is half a Day’s Journey from Kadis, which is Ka- delh-Naphtali, fituated near the River Jordan, where there are the Sepulchres of R . Eleazer, the Son of Arach, (9) R„ Eleazer, the Son of Azariah, X7) Hillel and Schammai were two celebrated Rabbinical Teachers, who flourilhed not long before the Birth of our, Saviour. The firft was a Babylonian, and defcended from David, He fucceeded Judah, the Son o‘f Betira, in thg Principality. Hillel took Menachetn for his Colleague, and afterwards Schammai. Hillel was a zealous Defender ■of the Traditions, and Schammai quite the contrary. This occafioned great Difputes between them, ’till the Matter was decided (as they blafphemoufly report) by a Voice ■from Heaven. Hillel had fourfcore Difciples, who pre- tended to work Miracles, &c. the Chief of whom was Jo- nathan Ben Uzziel, the Talmud i ft. (8) Judah, fhe Son of Betira, flourilhed a little before Hillel ; he lived more than a Hundred and Fifty Years, and died after the Deftru&ion of the Temple. His Brother paffed for a very great Man. They pretended to be de- scended from one of thofe dead Bodies (or rather one of thole Anatomies) which the Prophet Ezekiel reftored to J-ife. (9) Rabbi Eletzes, Son of Arach, was Cotemporary of Jochanan, or John^ Son of Zacchai. He was fn named THkO the Shiner, or Enlightener, and (as they fay) under- flood perfeaiy the My Itenes of the roJ*n 5 Mercabeh. *4 C H A P. X. Azariali, (io) R. Chouni (u) Hammaagel, Raich* '(■io) Rabbi Eleazer, Son of Axaria, (according to Tra- dition) was rich, wife, and pious. He went once to Rome with Rabbi Gamaliel, Rabbi Jofhua, and Rabbi Akiba. His Father Azaria was a Dilciple of the great Rabbi Perida, of'whom (as it may afford more 'Entertain* ment than the Text) I cannot help relating the two fol- lowing Anecdotes. f. The Grand Father of Perida hav- ing had the good Luck to find the Scull of Jehoiakim, kept it as a precious Reli£t during his Life-Time, and at hi!' Death left it to his Son, who kept it with the fame Care, and at his Death, agreeable to his Father’s Example, left it to bis Son. But the Wife of the -latter, who was a true Daughter of Eve, one Day got into his Study, and found the Scull, which fhe immediately burnt, from a Suppo-. fition that it was the Scull of fome Woman whom h« Hufband had murdered in a fit of Paffion, but whofc Relics were neverthelefs more beloved by him than fhe was. a. Perida took fuch great Care of his Scholars (who. from Appearances were as promifing as my own) that was very thirfty for four Years more. He pre- tended to be a great Magician, and to bring Rain when- c H A P. X. 85 Ra/hbag,(i2) wh^ch is R. Simeon, the Son ofGa- meliel, and R. (13) Jofai of Galilee, together with the Sepulchre of Barak the Son of Abino- am : Here you find no Jews. From hence you go in one Day to Belinos, the Name of which was Dan, where there is a certain Cavern, from whence Jordan takes its Rife, and rolling on for three Miles, join’s itfelf to the River Arnon, Which Gomes down from the Borders of MoaJ>. Fronting this Cavern, or Grotto, you may yet difcover where that idolatrous Altar flood, which was formerly built by Micha, and worfhipped 4 >y the Danites in thole Days. There are like- wife fome Traces of the Altar of Jeroboam, the- of Nebat, where the golden Calf was fet up. I Thus »ver he pkafed . -He yra$ -put to Death according to Jofeph, Ben Goriqn, during the Civil Wars between Hyrcanu^ and Ariftofculus. Others fay, that finding' himfelf defpifed in his old Age, he prayed that God would take away his Life, wjiich was immediately granted. He was a zealous JEMorcer of that Law, “ Curfed is he who hreeds up a •Stittog, and curfed is he who teaches his Son Greek.” Itareiif? the former Law was .obferved by the Jewilh $idors, it was lightly regarded by the People, till after (fie IJeftra&jon of the Temple, as appears -frbm the Ac - •cSuhi which we have of the Gaderenes, who were very great Hog-merchants. * •(«) Rafchbag, er Rabbi Simeon, San of Gameliel (he -Second for thefir^, Benjamin has already buried at Rome among the ten Martyrs, aavf/jve (hall by and by bury the £oae Man at Lephrps in Babylon. The Rafchbag here %oken of was Father of Judtah the Saint. .313.; Jofe the G.ajUftan, or Joip the Sop of Clialpata, and Ttippori, was Majter- of Juda the Saint, and Author of tbd Chronicle, called Seder Glam Rabba. He was by. Trade a Currier. Elia?, it feeips, came every Day to fee him 5 which Fable has fince given Birth to many Popifh Legends. For the whimfical Adventures of this Doftor and. his Sons, ..pprticqiyly the Adventures of Eleazer the, Eldelt. See Abr. Zacoulh. 86 CHAP. XT. Thus far extend the Borders of Ifrael, towards the upper Sea. C H A e. XI. Defer iption of the City of Damafcus , Rout from thence to Bagdad, through Syria, Mefopotatuia^ Moful, esv. T^ROM hence you travel in two Days to Da* ^ m.ifk, which is Damajcus, that great City* which is in the Entrance of the Kingdomof Nor w Aldin, King of the Togarmains, who are t&)k& Turks. It is a very large and beautiful City, .cncompafied by a Wall on every Side, well fur- juftied with Gardens and Orchards ; it is fifteen! JVTiles in Extent each Way ; no City in the World can be compared with it, for the great Plenty of Fruit which it produces ; it lies nea$ the Foot of Mount Hermon, where the Rivets Abana and Pharpar (i) take 'their Rife* the former, of which runs through the Middle of the City, jind its Waters are brought by woo d£ff Aqusedudls (i ) JbatwMc .' We may form feme Idea of the Excelleneflot thofe Rivers, from the Saying of Naaman, Kings *, 5. “ A 0 not Abana, and Pharpar, Rivers of DamafcuS, better than all the Waters of Ifrael, &c. This City was originally^ Refidence of the firft Syrian Kings, afterwards a regal Sei^ pf the Caliphs of the Saracens. It is ikuated in 33 dig. 37 min. North Latitude, and 37 deg. 4 min. Baft Lqn^f j— W ith Refpeft to its Antiquity, it is the moft veneralwfe ■in the whole World ; it is fuppofed to have been built by $Jz, a Grandfon of Shem, the Son of Noah, and was the Birth-Place of EJiezer Abrahams Steward . It -was poffeflei fcy the Mamalukes till 1506, whea the Turks couquefitft it, and have kept it ever lince. C H A P. XL 8 7 Jlquaedudls into the very Houfes of the principal Inhabitants, and into the Streets and public Places. This City is much frequented, by Merchants of ail Countries. The River Pharpar without- the City ! ike wife runs along between the Gardens and Orchards, from which they are well watered^ Here is likewife an Ifhmaelitifh Mofque, called the Synagogue of Damafeus, which- Building is not to-be equalled in all- the World ; and is laid to have been formerly a Palace of Ben-Hadad ; in it is a Wall of Glafs, framed by the Artifice of Enchanteis. There are as many Holes in the Wall as there are Days in the Solar Year. The Sun defcending by twelve Degrees, according to the Number of Hours in the Day, daily enters ort*~ of thofe Holes, and by that Means every Body knows, by the Holes, what o’Clock it is. W ithin the Palace are bathing Veflels of Gold and Silver, each of them capacious enough for 3 Perfbns to bath in at the fame Time. In the Midft of tho Palace -is the Rib of a certain (2) Giant, nine Spans in Length, and two in Breadth. He was I 2 one *. This is one of Benjamin's Gigantic Lies, and a veiy modeft Lie fora Rabbinical Writer. Some of his Brethren inform us that Mofes was ten Cubits high, that his Walk- ing-Stick was ten Cubits more, with the Top of which, (after jumping ten Cubits from the Ground) he made a fliift ,to touch the Heel of Og, King of Bafan. From. -Which it has been concluded that the gigantic t the Jlupendous Monarch (to ufe the Epithets of the charitable Doftor, who pours forth his whole Soul for a Shilling) was be- tween two and three Thoufand Cubits high. But a certain Jewilh Traveller, has fince convinced us of the Fallaciouf- nefs of this punny Kind of Menfuration, by meeting with one End of the Leg Bone of the faid Og, and travelling four Hours before he came to the other End of it. Allow- ing this Rabbi to be a good Walker, the Bone was twenty Miles long. SS CHAP. XT. one of thofe gigantic Kings of very ancient Date, whole Name was A beam's z, as it appears front aij Infcription on his Sepulchre, wbereuntois added, that he reigned over all the World. In this City dwell about 3000 Jews, among whoifi area great many Phllofophers and rich iVIen, Chiefs of the Senate of Ifrael ; among the Reft, R.Ezra, and his Brother Sarfchalorfi, or the Prtnfe of Peace , a principal Senator,' R. Jofeph, who ob- tains the 5th Place in the Senate, R. Matfliah Praefedl and Preacher, R. Meir the Glory of thd Wife, R. Jofeph the much-admired Rock, and ftrong Foundation of thofe who give or a fk Court; fel in the Alf mbly of the Elders ; R. Pieman th$ Shepherd ; and laitly . R. Tfaddik the Phyfician; There are alfo 200 Karaites, and 460 Samaritans, which different Sefts, though they live in Peace, yet they never intermarry with each other. Frorfl thence you go in one Day to Galaad, the tPilead of the Ancients, where there are about fhfed Score Jews, the Chief of whom is R. Zadqk ; thefe lyien live in a large opeh Spot, abotfridiftg with Rivet'S of Water, Gardens, an'd Orchards; You then go in half a Day to Salcath, or Salca, and on the Evening of the fame Day may reach (3) Baal-bec, the Baalath of the Ancients, built by (3) Balbec was (according to the honourable Vari-EgT fciont,) the ancient Heliopolis, or City of the Sun. Its Venerable Ruins evince that it was once one of the moft magnificent Cities in the World. At prefent it is not above a Mile and Half in Circumference, and the poor In- habitants, who are Chriftians, Jews, and Turks, live in' mean Hotifes, no Way anfwerable to the grand Ideas, which the furrounding Ruins give us of the Dwellings of their Anceftors. We are altogether ignorant of the Time when and by whom this City was built. Arabian Writers f*y it was one of the three Palaces built by Solomon’s Genii for c H A P XI. 89 by Solomon, in the Valley of Libanus, for Pha- raoh’s Daughter ; the Palace is conftru&ed of very large Stones, of 20 Spans in Length and 1 2 in Breadth, and fb contrived that the Stones do not in any Refp z&,feem to cohere, therefore it is commonly reported to be the foie Work and Contrivance of (4) Aimodoeus. At the Head of the Town is a large Fountain, which rolls like a •great River through the Middle of it ; adjacent to which, within the Town, are Mills, Gardens, and Orchards. Tadmor (5) in the Defart, built with for Balkis the Queen of Sheba. The common Opinion of the Jews is, that it is the Houle of Lebanon, 1 Kings 7, 2, which Solomon built for Phare ah’s Daughter. Bdbec, or rather Baalbec, is derived from Baal, the God of thk Syrians, andnjpa Bekaah, a Valley, or Plain, where Sa- crifices were probably offered to Baal, before the City was built. The Name which was at firft given to the Valley or Plain, was afterwards given to the City which was built thereon. The Name Baalath, commonly pronounc- ed Belthis (fays a very learned Writer) may be derived from -a Goddefs : of ' that Name, worfhipped by the fame People. Notwiihftanding the Teftimony of our Author* Baalbec is the moll ancient Name. See Monf..laRocque, Reland, &c. (4) A fuppofed Daemon of great Ingenuity and Ad- drels. (5) 'fdebnor, ©V.J Called by the Moderns* Palmyra-, fituated in the Delarts of Arabia, which; though it was once undoubtedly the Capital of a great Kingdom, yet Hiftory fcarcely furnifhes us with any Information, but fuch as is purely conjectural concerning it, till the Time of Appian, Pliny, &c. The grpateit Figure it ever made W3s in the Reign of Gallienus, when Odenathus, King of Palmyra, and an Ally of the Romans, fo diltinguilhed himfelf again ft the Perfians, as to be unanimoufly pm- claimed Auguftus, and Copartner in the Empire, with Gallienus. His Queen Zenobia, a Lady no lefs celebrated for the Beauty of her Perfon, and Endowments of her Mind, than for the various and furprizing Viceflitud# of Fortune s o CHAP. XI. with large Stones, was alio the Work of Solo- mon. This City is encompaffed with a Wall, and is fituated in the Defarts, far from any in- habited Region or Country, and is four Days Journey diftant from Baalath above-mentioned. In this very City there are about 2000 Jews, mighty Men in Battle, who wage war with the Edomites and Arabians, who are the Subjects of Nor-Aldin, and affift their Neighbors the Ifh* maelites. Their chief Ruters are R. Ifaac the Javanite, R. Nathan, and R. Ouziel, of laudable Memory. You then go in half a Day to Kirja- thin, or Kirjathajim, where there is but one Jew, who is a Dyer ; from hence you travel in one Day to Hamah, anciently named Hamath, upon the Brook Jabbok, at the Bottom of Mount Le- banon. About that Time fifteen (6) Thou* fund of the Inhabitants of this City perifhed in one Day, by a violent Earthquake.— I fay Fortune, which the experienced at her Hatband's Death, renounced all Alliance with the Romans, and after various Succefs, was at lall led in Triumph by Aurelian, after, which her Country became a Roman Province. (6) Our Author has already mentioned an Earthquake in Tiipoly and Judea, attended with the like melancholy Circumltances with this at Hamath, from whence 'tis pro- bable that this Country was frequently vifited with this Calamity. This Opinion is corroborated by the Teftimony* of the Arabian Hiftorian, Elmac. Hift. Sar. 1. 1 . c. a. sLs?, saHaJJ JsLdi In the thirteenth Year of the Hegira, fo great an Earthquake was felt in the Region of Palejiine, for thirty Days together , that the whole Country J, hook with it. C H A P. XI. 91 I fay in one Day, fo that only feventy Perlbn9 were left alive: the principle Men were R. Oula the Prieft, the Scheik, or Elder Abu-Al- galeb and Muchtar. From hence you go in half a Day to Schia, anciently named Hatfor; from whence it is three Parafangs to Lambdin ; in two Journies more, you come to Chaleb, or Aram Tfoba, which is now called Aleppo , the Refidence of King Nor-AIdin, in the middle of which City t he has a Palace encompafied with a very high Wall. There is neither Fountain, nor River in the whole City ; but the Inhabitants make Ufe of Rain Water, which they catch in a Ciftern named Algub, each Houfe being provided with this Utenfil. In this Place you find about fif- teen Hundred Jews, the chief of whom are R. Moles of Conftantinople, R._Jfrael, and R. Seth. From hence you have two Days Journey to Balitz, which has been otherwife called Pethora, upon the Bank of the Euphrates, where there is to be feen, even unto this Day, the Tower of Balaam, the Son of Beor (may the Name of the ungodly be had in Execration.) which he built, fb as to anfwer to the Hours of the Day. In the fame City you find a moderate'Number of jews From thence you go in half a Day to KalaGaber, or Selah Midbarah, which the Arabs were in Pofleliion of, when -the Togarmains feized upon their Country, and compelled them to fly into the Defarts. * In this City you find about two Thoufand Jews; R. Zedekias, R. Hija, and R. Solomon, are the chief. From thence you go in one Day to Rakia, or the Ancient Caine, built upon the Frontiers of Shinaar or Mefopctamia, which divides it from the Kingdom of the Togarmains; here you find about feven Hundred Jews; the moft eminent 92 CHAP. XI of whom, are R. Zachaeus, and the much en- lightened R. Nadib, together with R. Jofeph. In this Place is a Synagogue, built by Ezra the Scribe, when he came up from Babylon to Je- rufalem. From hence you come in two Days to the Charran of the Ancients, where there are about twenty Jews ; together with a Synagogue built by the fame Ezra. 1 could not dilcover the exa& Spot on which the Houfe of our Fathet- Abraham once Rood, there being no Edifice re- maining which might lead to fuch a Difcovery: Yet the Ifhmaelites hold the Place in great Ve- neration, and often come there to pray. Two Days Journey from this Place, the River Al- cabor, which is Habor, takes its Rife* and run- ning along into Media, falls into Mount Gozan; where there are about two Hundred Jews ; and in two Days more you come to Netzibin, a large City, well fupplied with Water, and contains about one thoufand Jews. In two Days more, you come to a Town named Gizir Ben Omar; or the Ifle of the Son of Omar, fituated in the Midfl of the River Hiddekel, at the Foot of the Mountains of Ararat, four Miles from which is the Place on which Noah’s Ark refled ; but Omar, the Son of Alcitab took down the Ark from the Top of the double Mountain, and built an Ifhmaelitifh Synagogue or Mofque in the Place whereon it Rood, not far from the Place cf the Ark, there yet remains another Synagogue of Ezra the Scribe, in which the Jew’s "meet and fay their Prayers on Holidays. In this Place (that is in the Ifle of Omar the Son of Alci- tab) are about four thoufand Jews ; the moft eminent are R. Mobchar, R. Jofeph, and R. Hajim. From this Place you go in two C H A P, XI, 93 Days to Almoza 1 ! (y) or AfTbfitir the Great, in which there are feven thoufand Jews, at the Head of whom are the princely R Zachzeus, of the Lineage of King David, and R. Joleph, who is firnamed (8) Brahen Alphalec, or the il- luftrious Aftronomer of Zin Aldin, Brother of Nor Aldin, King of Dftmafcus. This City which has always been very large, is the Entrance of Perfia : it lies upon the River Hiddekel, (9) and is (eparated only by a Bridge from Nineveh, \vhich is now in a ruinous State, yet has many Streets and fortified Places Jiill remaining ; it is about one Parafang from Nineveh to Arbeel, but Nineveh lies upon the very Banks of the Hid* dekef. Before we leave Afchur, we muftobfervfe, Shaft there are three Synagogues in it ; namely, firft, t'hit of Obadiah ; lecond, of Jonah, the Son of Arftittai ; third that of Nahum, the Elko- Ichi’te. From hence you go in three Days to Raflab, the lame is Rohoboth, built upon the Banks of the Euphrates, and inhabited by about Itvo thoufand Jews ; the chief of whom are R. fizekiah, R. Ehud, and R. Xfaac. This City is encompafled by a Wall, is very beautiful, large, and well fortified ; and decorated with Gar- dens and Orchards on every Side. From thence you go in one Day to Karkefia, the Ancient Carcemifii, (7) Moful, or Mouflul, ftands on the Banks of the Ti- gris, oppofite the Ruins of the ancient City of Nineveh. The Inhabitants have great commercial Connections with Ihe People of Bagdat, Curdiftan, See. (8) Braben-Al-Pha'ec .] The Phrafe is pure Arabic, and ought to be written (9) By the Hiddekel is every where meant the Tigris, which celebrated River rifes in the Mountain of Armenia, and has acquired the Name of Tigris from its Rapidity, that Word in the Median language fignifying a Dart or Arrow. Mui. Gecg . $4 CHAP. XII. Carcemifli, on the Banks of the 1 River Eu- phrates, in which there are about five Hun- dred Jews, the moll eminent of whom are R* ifaac and R. Alhanan. From hence you go ia*. two Days to Aljubar, or Poumbeditha, in Ne- hardea. Here you find about two, Thoufani Jjews ; among whom are iome diligent Enquin. ers after Wifdora^the molt Eminent are R. Her$, the Principal, R. M ofe e , and R. Eliakim. Here* are the Sepulchres of the great, R.J.uda, and R*. Samuel, and in the Front of each of them is-* Synagogue, built by the aforefaid Rabbins during their Life Time. There is befides the Sepui? chre of R, Baltanai, Chief; of the Captivity ; alf®- thole of R. Nathan* and Dodor Naman Bat Papha. From hence you go* in. five Days to Harda, where there are about fifteen Thoufari Jews; the. moft eminent of- whom are R. Za- ken, R. Jofeph, and R, Nathaniel. Leaving* this Place, you travel in, two Days to Ok f berah, a City built by Jechonias, King of Jflfr dah, in which there are are about ten Thoufani Jews; whole chief Governors are R. Jolhut: and R. Nathan., C H A P. XU. Defer ip tionof the great City of Bagdad , the Me * tropalis of the Mujfelmen . Of the Caliph who ire - Jided there. Of the Feaji of Ramadan. Annual ProceJJion, &c. of the Prince of the Captivity , hit Grandeur, Riches, and.’ extenfive Power over the Eajlern "Jews. *THE next Place you halt at, after a like . J°nrney is Bagdad, a very large City, the Metropolis of the Empire, and Refidence of thfe Abuflian CHAP. xir. 95 Abaffian Caliph, Commander of the Faithful.— He is delcended from the Family of their Pro- phet, and being abfolute Governor, and Chief rrieft of the Ifhmaelitifh Religion, is punctually dbeyed by all other Ifhmaelitifh Princes ; over whom he prefides in the fame Manner as the Pope does over the Nazarenes. His Palace is in the Middle of Bagdad, and is three Miles in Cir- cumference; intheMidftof which is a large Park, well furnifhed with all Kinds of Trees, both for Ufe and Ornament, and well flocked with Wild Beafla, or Game of every Kind. In the Centre of the Park is a Refervoir of Water, which is brought from the River Hiddekel. When the Caliph has a Fancy to walk out to amufe and regale himfelf in this Place, Birds,- wild Beads, a«d Filh, are got in Readinefs, to' amufe and entertain him ; after which he re- turns back to his Palace, accompanied by his Counfellors and Princes. The Name of this great King is Abaffian Achmed. (i) He is a great Lover of the Jews, many of whom are his Minifters ; he nnderftands all Languages, is well acquainted with the Law of Mofes, and not, $nly reads, but writes the Holy Language. He defires (i) According to A. Zacouth, the Name of the reign- ing Caliph was Muktephi. Bara ter tranflates (from what Authority I know not) Caphtzi. The Truth is, there were two Caliphs at Bagdad, during Benjamin’s fuppoted Travel?, Moftanged and Muftedhy. The Caliph here de- feribed, was Achraed Abulabas MuftadirBilla, the twenty- eighth AbafTian, and’ forty-ninth Caliph, every Circum- ftance of his Hiftory confirms it. He was a great En- courager of ) earned Men, was juft, courteous, eloquent, and charitable. He died A. D. iu8. after a long Reign of near twenty-five Years. See Elmae Hift. Sar. L. 3. P. a 97 . where the Reader will find that B. was a Compiler, and not a Traveller. 9 6 CHAP, xir. defires to make ufe of Nothing more than he t ain (2) by the Labour of his own Hands fo< e makes Mats, or Coverlets , and fealing then* with his own Seal, fends them by his chieif Princes to Market, where they are bought up by the principal Men of the City; with the Price*# which he provides, himfelf common Neceffarie^ He is a good and faithful Man, and kindly fal 11^33 all he meets. Though the Ifhmnelites are ng| permitted, at all Times, to fee him; yet Pilgrii^ from very diftant Countries, who are journeying to Mecca, (3) in Al-yeraan, ftri.ve tohaveAccefo to him, and cai) aloud to him in his Palace.—* “ Our Lord, theBoghtnefs of the Ifhmaelite?, and “ the Lamp of our Law, raanifeft unto us the “ Splendor of thyCountertance;” but when at any Time he feems not to regard : them, his Pfjnce^ and thole who mihifher. unto him, approach and fay, ** Our Lord, we pray thee greet with thft “ Salutation of Peace, thofe who: approach untq “ thee from a far Country, and'defire to;j>6|tafce “ themfelves to the Shadow of thy < 31 ory.”-UpOin this he takes up the End of his Robe, and 4 tt$iJM( down by the Window, which the Pilgriips proach to and ki fs. Then one qf ths J^inGfl bids them go in Peace ; becaufe the Lord, and Splendor of the I/hmaelites, being favorable uj#g (O This Frugality, or rather. Avarice of the Atid&ft Caliphs, is likewise confirmed bytbe Arabian who defciibesr the tattered Habit and patched ShiVt' df" Al. t man for ; whole Son improved fo much upon the fame Pl?ttV that (at his Death) there was no,t a Bier to be fbund to carry him upon, but they were obliged to make Die of a : Gate, on which he was carried out and buried under a 1 Nut Tree, which he ufed to frequent. (3) Mecca, C. L. Fmpereur abuftss qur Author in this’ Place without Reafon, this is the very Mecca, of _AnflVia Felix, fituated between Yenjan and Bi|ga?'. CHAP. XII. 97 unto them, had beftowed on them the Salutation of Peace; at which they return Home with great Joy (on Account of this Salutation) and eonfider him as equal to their Prophet. All his Brethren likewrfe, and all his Kindred, kifs his Garment ; and have each of them their refpec- tive Palaces within the Caliph’s ; yet they are bound with Chains of Iron, and have Guards continually around them, to prevent them from railing an Infurredlion again# the great King. For on a certain Time his Brethren rebelled a- gainft him, and fat up one cf their own Party in his Place ; wherefore a Decree was made, that all hisfvindred fhould be kept bound in Chains of Iron, to prevent a fimilar Infurre&ion at any future Time. They neverthelefs live very fplen- didly in their Palaces, and have Villages, and Cities, fubje&ed to their Authority, the Gover- nors of which pay them Tribute ; and they eat, drink, and make merry all the Days of their Life. In the Caliph’s Palace are large Buildings deco- rated with Pillars of Silver and Gold, with inner Rooms which glifter with all Kinds ©f Jewels, from whence he never goes out, but once in a Year, and that is on the Faft of Ramadan. On this Day the People flock together from the molt remote Countries, to fee him ; when he goes out , he rides on a Mule, clad in his royal Veltments, embroidered with Gold and Silver : on his Head Jhe wears a Turbant adorned with Jewels of in- eftimable Value, over which is bound a black Napkin, or Grave-Cloth, to fliew how much Hu- mility ought to be pradBfed by the greateft Men in this World; as if he fhould have faid, ‘ Ye fee all this my Pomp and Glory, but when the Angefof Death fhallcome to demand the Spoils of* my Mortality, Clouds, and thick Darknels will K * abforb 98 CHAP. XII. * abfbrb it.’ At fuchTimes, he is accompanied by all the Ifhmaelitifh Chiefs on Horieback, toge- ther with the Princes of Arabia, Media, Perfia, and thole of the Region of Tuboth, which is a three Months Journey from Arabia. The Pro- ceflion, after leaving the Palace, comes to the Houle of Prayer, or Mofque, the larged of which is next to the Gate of Botzra, or rather BaJJora\ all who walk in this Proceflion, whether Men or Women, are c'oathed in Silk and-Purple. At the fame Time you may fee in the Streets, and public Places,. People tinging and dancing to all Kinds of Mufic, before the great King, whom they call Caliph ; and faluting him with a loud Voice, they cry aloud, “ Peace be unto thee, or “ long live our Lord the King.” Upon which he kifles his Veftment, holding it in his Rand* and 16 returns their compliment : and in this Manner he proceeds to the Court-Yard, or En- trance of the Mofque.; when he arrives therei, he mounts a wooden Delk, and expounds their Law unto them ; after this the Ilhmaelitilh Phi- Jofophers pray for him ; and after commemorat- ing and exalting his Majeftk Greatnels and Piety, prepare tadifinifs him, all the reft echoing Amen, In the next Place he blefies them, and has after^ wards a Camel brought to him, which he kills, and this is their (4) PalTover. He then diftti- butes luitable Portions to his Princes, which they receive with great Eagernels, and rejoice to tafte of that Sacrifice, which was llain by the Hand of their holy King. When the Ceremony is ended, he departs from the Mofque, and re- turns (+) P aJfo the King of Perfia heard of this Matter, he com* mandeci him to be brought before him, thatjie might have fome Converfation with him ; upon* his earning with great Boldnefs and Intrepidity,, the King ajked, him the following Queftion. “ Art “ thou the King- of. the Jews?” He anfwered and faid, “ I am.” The King then called to his Guards, and commanded him immediately to he apprehended, and led away to Prifon, namely, unto that Place in the City of Dabaftan,. on the Banks of the great River Gozan, where the King’s Prifoners are kept in Bonds- until the Day of their Death. Three Days after this, as the King was fitting together with his Princes and Chief Minifters, deliberating about the Jew? Re- bellion, behold David, having made his Efcape from the Prifon, without any Man’s Affiftanceor Permiflion, (t) Strange and extravagant as this Story* appears, the greater Part of it is aftually a Matter of Fa£i, and as fuch is recorded by Rabbi Solomon, Ben Virga, and David Gantz j with this Addition, that the Jews were obliged to raife the Money among themlelves, to bribe the Impoftor’s father- in -.Law. The excellent Bithop K.iddei\relates the Story in, Benjamin’s own Words. CHAP. XVI. 1*9 Permiffion, approached and flood 'before him ; and 1 when the King looked at him, and enquired “ -Who brought thee hither ? Or who hath “ looled thy Bonds ?” He anfwered, “My own u Wiidom, and my ownSubtilty, becaufe 1 fear “ neither thee nor any of thy Servants.” At which the King cried out, “ Seize him, lay “ Hands on him.” — But his Servants anfwering, faid, “ they faw him not, but only heard the “ Sound of his Voice.” While the King was allonilhed, and full of Admiration of his Wif- dom and Stibtiity, David addrefled him and faid , “ behold I go my Way.” Upon which he went away, and the King together with all his Princes and Minillers followed him: until they came near unto the Bank of the River, when David taking out a Handkerchief, fpread it abroad upon the Face of the Waters, and ipafied over the River upon it. Then all the King’s Minillers faw him plainly walking over the River upon his Handkerchief : and though they followed him in their Boats, yet could they not overtake him, which made them confels, that -he was the greatell Enchanter in the World. On the fame Day, he travelled to Omaria, as far as any ordinary Man could have gone in ten Days* and this he did by Virtue of the explain- ed ( 2 ) Name. When he had told the Jews of that (a)The name here alluded tois Hin' Jehovah O-uv, xat 0 0 s^o/A£i>os c ‘ Who is, and who was, and who is to eomei’ As the Author of the Revelations excellently tranflates it. To this Name the Almighty is fuppofed to refer when ht commanded Mofes to tell the Egyptians n’nx / am, hath fent me unto you. Rabbi Bechai fays, there are three Tenfes, or Times, and nviK comprehends them all. Thus Pfal. .97. TO n\"V The Lord bath reigned. 99. m.T The Lord is King for ever and ever, and 120 CHAP. XVI. that Place all that happened unto him, they were aftoniftied at his Wiftlom. After this the Sultan and 146. 9. OlJ?'? mn* mW The Lord JkaU reign for ever. For thefe and many other Reafons this Name was held in much greater Veneration than any other; the Peo- ple were prohibited the Ufe of it at the Peril r of their Lives; the High Prieft only was permitted to pronounce it, and that but once in the Year. To avoid profaning it, they therefore called it, in common Converfation, the Name of the four Letters'; and more concifely, the Name of four ; on Account of the four Letters of which it was compofed ; fometimes by Way of Eminence they called itCDttf or QUtn the Name. By being Mafter of the true Pronunciation of this Name, together with the Application of it, as fome of the Jews report, Mofes performed all his Miracles. Some- thing of the like Nature is blafphemoufly related of, a greater than * Mofes ; and by the fame Means David- El-Roi is here fuppofed to have eroded the River upon his Napkin, or Handkerchief, though another Author fays it was his Cloak. It is alfo called by Rabbinical -Writers, the great Name, the glorious Name, the appropriated Name,, and ©"viSOn Qi V the explained Name, or as fome tranflate it, the ineffable Name ; it was called the explained Name, becaufe they explained it by Adonai ; which they al- ways pronounced in the Room of it. If UtX thus written preceded mn 1 to avoid Repetition, they pronounced PtrP ’jTt Adonai Eiohim. As the Jews called it the Name of four Letters, fo it is by the Greeks fometimes called TsT^wy^ajjLfJiMrov The Septuagint Tranflation renders it by not on any Religious Account, but becaufe the Greek Language wants Letters to exprefs it, as appears in Aevi oS Levi, A PH David, and many others. The like Difficulty frequently occurs in. expreding Roman Names, as O vatepos Valerius, ike. where v Pfilon is drained and didorted in a ftrange, and unnatural Manner. Latin Writers rendered it by Dominus, till the Time of P. Galatin, who (according to Buxtorff) was the fil'd that wrote Jehovah. Concerning the Time and Place; when where, and by whom it might be pronounced, togeth#? with the my die Senfe, magical Application, and miraculoUt Effe6ts of the explained Name, &c. See Cod* Talm. Milhn. Kaddoth Cod. Pefac. Cod. Sotah. Cod. San. Cod* Schal. In Eruv, R. Chifkia, Jalkut, and Maimf. CHAP. XVI. 121 Sultan of .Perfia, lent Letters to the Commander of the Faithful, Caliph of Bagdad, Lord of the Ilhmaelites, defiring him to acquaint the Chief of the Captivity, and the Heads of the San- hedrims, that if they did not prevent David- El-roi from doing Actions of the like Nature, he would jput all the Jews to Death that were found in hie Kingdom. At this all the Aflemblies of Perfia were in the greateft Trouble and Anxiety, and lent Letters unto the Prince of the Exiles, and principal Men of the Sanhedrims and Councils dwelling at Bagdad, after this Manner,— Why lhall we die in jour Sight, both we and * all the Aflemblies of Perfia ? Refirain that u Man, that he Ihed not the innocent Blood!”- Wherefore the Chief of theExHes, and Chiefs of the Sanhedrims, fent Letters unto David, to the following Purpofe, M Be it known unto w thee, that the Time of our Redemption is “ mot yet come; that our Signs are not yet leen '*'* by us, and by the Pride of his own Spirit, M fliall no Man prevail. Therefore vve com- ** mand thee to reftrain thyfelf, that thou doeft “ not fuch like Deeds hereafter, to which Com- “ mand if thou art dilbbedient, be thou excom- “ municated and cut off for ever from the Con- “ gregations of Ifrael.” Thele Letters they forthwith fent to David, and likewife others unto Zaccheus, a Man of princely Rank dwelling in Aflyria, and to R. Joleph the Seer, (who is fir- named Brahen Al-Phelec) who lojourned there, that they might fend Letters unto David El-roi. Wherefore they alfo added Letters '(namely, the above mentioned Chief Ruler, and the Seer) in Which they exhorted and adviled him to defitt from his Enterprise, and do that which was juft and right,— -but he was deaf unto all tbefe M Things, XII CHAP. XVII. Things, and returned not from his -evil Way, until a certain King arofe, and took the Matter in Hand, named Zin r Al-din, .King of the To- garmains, and Vaflal of the King of Perfia ; who lent Meflengers.to the Father in Law of David El-.roi, .and ten thoufand Pieces of Gold, that he anight put him to Death privately,; which he accordingly performed, by entering his Houfe and killing him while he wasileeping. in his JBed ; by which Means his Art and Sub- tilty were of none EffedV, Notwithftanding this, the King of Perfia's fierce Anger was not yet appeafed, nor turned away both from the Jews of the Mountains, and thofe in his own Territories, whereupon the Jews fent unto the Chief of the Exiles, that he might go unto the King in their JBehalf ; who accordingly going unto the King, addrefTed him in kind Speeches and pleafing Words, by which, together with a Prefent o.f about a hundred Talents of Gold, lie was appeafed. Afterwards the Country had Peace, when the King turned away from the Fiercenefs of his Anger. CHAP. XVII. From Aria and the Mountains of Haphton, to the Mountains of Nijbor , and the River Gozart , ( which is Gihon , or Oxus ) by the Way of Hamch dan , and lfpahan. t'ROM the Hill Country already mentioned, * you travel in ten Days to Hamadan, that great City of Media, (which gives a Name to the whole Province) in which there are near fifty Thoufand Jewilh Inhabitants. Fronting a certain CHAP. XVir. It 3 certain Synagogue in this Place are the Sepul- chres of Mordecai and Efther. Dabreztan is four Days Journey from hence ; it contains about four Thoufand Jews, wh£_dwell on the Banks of the River Gbzan.(r) You then go in fevert M*2 Days (i) The very learned Dr. Hyde,' Hift. Rel. Vet. Pers. looks upon pH Gozan to be a fa lie Reading, and thinks- that the true Reading is pin Chozan, or Chuzan, from* Chuz, or Huz, the eldeft Son of Nahor, Gen. ai, who Built a City of that Name; but as yip Huz begins with y Gnain, and ends with y Tzade, I muft (unlefs I take frejb‘ Liberties with the Text) prefer the common Reading. The Gozan of Benjamin is the River Gihon, or Oxus. The Gozan of the SS. is the great River Cafius, otherwile called Cyrus, Kor, and Kur, of Georgia, in Afia, which falls into the Cafpian Sea. Some have with Reafon thought that the Gozan, and the Sabbatic River, are one ar.d the lame; that it received this latter Name, becaufe the Jews who were carried away into Captivity, by their Aflyrian Conquerors, had neither Time nor Opportunity to keep the Sabbath in due Form and Order, till they came to their ftveral Stations on the Banks ofGozan. The Truth is, the Sabbatic River is the Child of Rabbinical Fancy, there neither is, nor ever nuas, any fuch River in the YVorld : the very Name of it, is either a Forgery , or at bell a miftaken Reading. The ancient Jews might very naturally call the. River Gozan T7J or "iHJ the River of the Tribes ; by which they meant the Gozan, near to which the captive Tribes were ftationed. To all who objeft, that the Word is generally fpelt pa3D3 Sambation, that the initial tetter is D, and not V : I anfv/er, that the Epenthefis of O Mem, is either a common Figure, or an Enor of the Scribe, and that V Sin, and 0 Samech are indilcrhninately ufed, as appears from the Authority of Elias in Thilbi^ and the conftant Pra&ice of Oriental Writers. The various Pro- digies related of the Sabbatic River, the different Parts of the World in which it has been placed ; the romantic Ac- counts of the Jewilh Inhabitants who dwell on the other Side of.it, will be the Subject of a future Publication, which will afford much Amufement, and perhaps fome Initiation. See for the prefent Schallheleth Hakkabala, Abraham Pe- ri tfol. 124 CHAP. XV1L Days tc> the great City of Ifpahan, the Metro* polis of the whole Empire, which is twelve Milea in Circumference. Here you find about fifteen Thoufand Jews, and the great R. Sar-SchaloiBk or Prince of Peace, who is by the Authority oi the Chief of the Exiles appointed principal Go- vernor both of thefe, and all other Jews in all the Cities of the whole Empire of Perfia. From hence you have four Days Journey to Schiphaz* (2) a principal and moft ancient City of Perfia, formerly named Perfis, which gave a Name to> the whole Country. It contains about ten Thou- fand Jewifh Inhabitants. From thence you go. in feven Days to Gina, a large City on the Banks of Gozan, where there are about eight Thoufand Jews. This City is a Kind of Fair* which for the Sake of Commerce, is much fre- quented by all the Nations of the Gentiles, and has a moft ample Territory annexed to it. From hence you go in five Days to Samarcuth, or -Sa~ marcdnd , a large City fit ua ted on the Confines, of the Kingdom, in which there are about fifty Thoufand fitful, Orchoth Olam, Rabbi Gerfom, Ben Eliezer, Sepher Geliloth Eretz Ifrael, Jofeph Ben Gorion, Eldad Danita, Manafleh Ben Ifrael, Mikve Ifrael. (2) Schiphaz feems to be a Corruption of Schiraz eria, or Georgia, and Hara means a mountainous, un- cultivated 126 CHAP. XVIII. ** Mountains of Media.” Their Country is twenty Days Journey in Extent ; in the moun- tainous Cultivated Part of the Country. This correfponds with the SS. which make Gozan, a River, and Chalach and Chabor, (or as our Tranflation runs, Halah and Habor) Provinces of the Affyrian Empire. The Affyrian Monarch placed his Captives here, the more effectually to prevent their Return to Jerusalem, or becatffe he might not chufc to truft them too near to his own Capital ; or becaufe one Part of this extenfive County was barren, and very thinly inha- bited, and the other Part flood in great Need of Cultiva- tion. Hence it appears that the modem Colchis, Iberia, Albany, Cafius, the mountainous Part of Media, which is t-he modern Georgia, Mingrelia, Imiretta, Guriel, Car- duel, Caket, Schirwan, Dageftan, the River Akfai, or Coifu, on which ftands the Town of Andreof, or St. An- drew, (which belongs to the Ruffians) Ghilan, and Ma- fenderan, were the principal Places where the captive lf- raelites were placed. ’Tis probable that they continued here no longer than they were obliged. A natural Defire of Liberty excited them, like the Northern Nations, who fome Centuries after over-ran the greater Part of Europe and Afia, to feek their Fortunes elfcwhere, jn Pnrfuit of fome better Country. Nothing can be more reafonable, and natural than to fuppofe, that they took their Rout through Scythia : Ortelkis, and fome others, have already affirmed that they fettled in Tartary. Petachias found Jews in this Country who differed from their Brethren ih no other Refpeft, than becaufe they were unacquainted with the Traditions. An evident Proof, that they toft fheir Country before it was infefled with thefe Traditions. The illuftrious Prefident of Thou, fays theTartars made life of Circumcilion before Mahomet, and were acquainted with thofe Precepts, which are called tfie Precepts of Noahj a- mong other Opinions, that of the Unity of the Deity, was one which they believed, and obliged their vanquifhed Ene- mies to receive and acknowledge. To which may be added, that Chaldean Infcn'ptions have been difeovered on the Stones of their Mofques, in Little Tartary. The Mor- duas, a People who inhabit the Frontiers of Mufcovy and Tai tary, adore one Gcd, Creator of Heaven and Earth, 4 » CHAP. XVIII. 127 tainous Parts of which are large Cities and Caftles, ftrongly fortified. One Part of their Country to whom they offer their firft Fruits. The People whodn* habit the vaft Empire of Cathay, which feparates Tartary from China, rejeft the Name of Jews, ChrHtians, Maho* me tans and Pagans, but obferve the Jewifh Religion, with the Exception of fome few Ceremonies. Which is not at' all to be wondered at, when we confider that even in the Days of Hezekiah, the Jews had “ for a long Time neg- “ lefted to keep the Paffover*” aChron. 30. ver. 5. — For they bad not done it of a long Time, in fiich Sort as it a vas written. The great Similarity of the two Languages is another Proof. The Tartars call their Princes, Kans, which comes from the Hebrew Word HJp Kanah, to ac- quire, poffefs, &c. Suppofing it to be fpdt, which is more common with Oriental Writers, fan Chan, it may then come from run Chanah, to pitch Tents, or encamp, which may with more Propriety be applied to the Tartars, than to any People in the known World. They alfo call their Chans “W Sar, which in Hebrew (ignifies Prince, Leader, or Chief. The Chan’s Family, and his principal Officers, are called Cherin, or Chorin, Nobles, &c. Eccles. 10, 17. wetranflate I'lin Chorin, by the very fame Word. In the Language of the Huns, a People of Scythia : JIunogarin {ignifies a Nation which travels and makes Encampments. FJave we any Reafon to doubt its Derivation from njin Chune, or Hune, a Participle of the Verb n jn, and "U Ger, a Traveller, or Stranger, the Plural of which is Q'"U Travellers, or thole who travel ; which altogether compofe ■eyarmn Hunahgarim ; and by a Euphony common to moft Languages, Hunogarin, thofe who travel, and pitch Tents, or make Encampments. Maizus in the Scythian Language, lignifies a Wedding, from U'lXD Marafch, which comes from ^he Root UHk Arafch, to betroth, e-, fpoufe. Baar, an Infant, from the Chaldsean Word “O Bar, a Son, Child, or Infant. Mycha, a Sword, from IflO Machah, he who (truck or wounded, with a Variety of -other Inftances, which* tend to prove that they are defend- ed from the fame People. Another Party of Ifraelites penetrated into Thrace. This cannot be doubted a(ter the vifible Marks of Judaifin, which have been difcovered in that Country. The Odomantes, according to Ariftophanes, Acharn. Aft, 1. Seen, 4, were Jews. The Schohaft upon rz8 CHAP; XVIII. Country is wafhed by the River Gozan ; thejr are in Subje&ion to no Prince or Potentate of the upon that Author, fays, “ oSojxetvruv eSvoj QeecMKavQutrviE etv r«; I uvea. “ The Odomantes area People of “ Thrace, they fay that they are Jews.” Hermippas Vit. Pythag. obferves, “ Pythagoras performed and laid thefe “ Things, in Imitation of the Jews and Thracians j.,the “ Invention o-f which he arrogated to himfelf. For that Man “ has certainly. borrowed from the Jews, many Opinions “ which we find introduced into his Philefophy.” As the Tribes pafled through, and partly fettled in Tartary and Mufcovy, it is more than probable that the Carreens, or Carraites, are defcended from them, who- abating fome Ce- remonies, (which I have already accounted for). are the fame Race of People. Others travelled into China, where the Mifiionaries found Hebrews who had never heard of the Incarnation of our Saviour, Juad no Traditions among them r and called themfelves Ifraelites ; a manifeft Proof oft an early Migration. The Jews of India may have di- vers Originals. Some of them were probably Adventurers who came in the Fleets which Solomon fent to Ophir for Gold, who liking the Gold, and the Country which pror duced it in fuch great Plenty much better than their own, never thought of returning. Others defcended from the Captive T ribes. A third Part are. the Defcendants~of tholp Jews, who fought for an Affylum in India from the juft Vengeance of Titus. And the fourth are the Children of thofe, who after their Revolt, in the Time ofjufiinian, were fent to the Number of twenty Thoufand into Perfia, where they were fold to Indian Merchants. Though it is the ge- neral Opinion of the modern Jews, that fome of the Tribes fettled in America, I can by no Means credit fuch a Report, and firmly believe with Mr. Bafnage, that the Traces of Judaifm, which fome have there pretended to difcover, maybe attributed either to Jews who went there fince the Difcoveryof that Continent, or from a few Indi- viduals who have been thrown Arhore by fome Temptft. Upon Enquiry it appears, that this Suppofition is founded only upon a whimfical Story, the Subftance cf which is— A certain Span ih Jew, named Aaron Levi (but who- went by the Name of Montefinos, in Spain, for Fear of the In- quifition,) told R. Manaffeh Ben Ifrael, of Amfterdam, A. D. CHAP. XVIII. 129, the Gentiles, but have a Prince of their own, named R. Joleph Amraceli, or chief Governor,, a Levite. They have among them tome Dilci- pies ot the wile Men, and lome, who exercile- Agriculture, and go out to Battle as far as the Region of Culh (2) journeying through the De- Parts. A. D. r 6 44, that when he was at Chili, in South America,., he got acquainted with one Francis, an Indian, with whom he went to Peru. That he was there confined in the Prifon of the Inquifition, that after his Releafe, lie found that his Indian Friend was a Jew. To cut the Story fliort, he condu&ed the Spaniard to the other Side of the tre- mendous Mountains of Chili, named Andes, and Cordil- leras, where they found an Empire of Jews ; they then came to a River, at a Signal given, four Jews coiled the River, and after proving themfelves to be Jews by nine different Signs (for they did not underftand each other’s language) returned. Four more came over, and returned j which they continued to do by Fours, for the Space of- three Days, who all ufed the fame Language, or at leaft the fame nine Signs. At laft the Jews having fatisfied their Curiofity, and Aaron Levi and his Friend, being tired «f their Adventure, returned back to the feme Places from , whence they came. See Manafielr Ben Ifraelj Mikve If- sael, where this Story is fully related, and our Benjamin’s Travels at full Length, to flatter the Jews in the Opinion,, that their Brethren are in Pofleflion of Kingdoms and Em- pires, in every Quarter of the Globe. (1) By this the Reader mull not fuppofe that our Au- thor (lays C. L’ Empereur) means Cufli, or ./Ethiopia, un- der Egypt, but that Culh, Cuth, or Cutha, mentioned a Kings, 17* 24, “ And the King of Affyria brought Men “ from Babylon, and from Cutha, from Ava, and from ** Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the u Cities of Samaria, initead of the Children of Ifrael ; and “ they poflefled Samaria,, and dwelt in the Cities thereof. Abarbanel lays, FIO Cuth is another City .in the Land “ of the Chaldseans. Perhaps this may be the Country w which Herodotus fpeaks of. Twr fta vrrsp Aiywra A&ioiruv xai Aga$»0» Vi' oi oLic xvxToXeav AtSboTrsj. trgctTtVCVTo)^ v^ojereTx^aro rotn h^otn* * 5 o CHAP xvm. ferts. TheCopheral ( 3 ) Turks, (who have great Affection for the Jews) are their Allies. '1 hefe- People worfhip the Wind, and inhabit the De- iart, they neither eat Bread nor drink Wine, but devour their Meat raw, and almoft alive, as they happen to meet with it, without any Kind of Cookery whatever. Thefe favage People have in the Place of a Nofe, two ffnall Holes through which they draw their Breath. They eat all Sorts of Animals, both clean and unclean. ’Tis now about fifteen Years fince they collected » rnoft powerful Army, and coming into Perfi^j took the great City Rai, which they fmote with the Edge of the Sword, and utterly deftroyed j and carri^$J>ack.the Spoil. thereof with them to. their Deiarts. The like was never known in Perfia* for the Space of many Years. At the Mews 6 f this Overthrow the King of Perfia was greatly enraged, and equally furprized y “ having, “ as he obferved, never heard that any Army ** came from that Defart in the Days- of his “ Forefathers. 1 will therefore go, continued he* “ and extirpate the very Name of them from “ the Earth.” Upon which he fent Meffengers, to gather together alL the Forces in his Domi- nions ; and being at a Lofs for fome Spy to con- duit him unto the Tents of his Enemies, he at laft found one, who (pretending to he one of that People) promifed to conduit him to their En- campments; on which Condition the King promifed amply to reward him. He then afked*. “ what ,l Arfames had the Command of the ^Ethiopians beyond “ Egypt, and the Arabians; but thofeiEthiopians from the* “ Riiing of the Sun (for they fought two different Ways) ** were ranked together with the Indians.” (3) The Copheral Turks are fuppofed to be the Calmuc* Tartars. CHAP. XYIir, 13 1 ** .what Quantity of Provifion was neceflary for them during their March through 'the Wilde r- ** nefs?” TheSpy replied , 44 takeBread andVVater “ for fifteen Days, for you will meet with no (< Provifion until you, come to their Territories.” When all things were got ready, they took their Rout thro’ the Wildernels for the Time above- mentioned, at the Expiration of which having little Provifion -left, fome of the Men and Beafts died through Fatigue and Hunger. At this the King ordering the -Spy to be brought before him, addrefled him in the following Manner. 44 Where 44 are thy Words and Promifes, by which thou haft made us to hope, and reft allured of find- < 4 ing our Enemies ?” To which he anfwered andfaid, 44 I have gone out of the Road.” At which Anfwer the King’s Anger was fiercely kindled, and commanded his Head to be cut off, at the fame Time iffuing a Proclamation thro’ his Army, whereby he commanded 44 that every * 4 Man, who had any Provifion left, fhould divide it with his Companion.” After this, eating up all, even the very Beafts of Burthen which carried their Baggage, &c. they continued their March for the Space of thirteen Days more through the Wildernefs, and came at laft unto the Mountains of Nifbor, where the Jews dwelt. As the Per- sians arrived here in the Day Time, they pitched their Tents in the Gardens, and Orchards, and befide the Springs of Water, which arife near the Banks of the River Gozan. The Fruit being ripe, they ate and laid wafte without Molefta- tion ; and at the fame Time faw many large Cities and fortified Places in the Mountains, at this Difcovery the King fent out two of his Scouts, to enquire what Nation it was which inhabited the Mountains ; and ftri&ly charged them 1.32 CHAP. XVIII. them to get a Sight of the Inhabitants at any Rate, either by failing, rowing, or fwimming. After they had gone on , for feme Time, they difco- vered a large Bridge, well fortified by Towers, - and theGatefhut ; and fronting theRridgejOn the further Side, was a large City. Upon which they called aloud from this Side of the Bridge, ’till a Perfbn came out to them, demanding what they wanted, and whole Subjects they were $ but they underftood not what he faid, until an Interpreter, who was acquainted with their Lan- guage, came out and made the like Enquiry* upon which the two Scouts anfwered after the following Manner ; “we are the Servants of the ■« King of Perfia, and are come hither to enquire “ what People ye are ? and what King ye obey ? 0 Then they anfwered, “We are Jews, fubjedfc to “ no King or Prince of the Gentiles, but have *■* a Prince of our own, who is a Jew.” They then made fuch Enquiries as they thought pro- per, concerning theComaiins, Sons of Gotz, who dwell among the Copheral Turks. To all which the Jews replied, e- teilion. This whole Story feems to be of the Apocryphal Kind. The fopheral Turks plunder and deftroy the" City Rai, about Nine Hundred Miles from their own Country, and return back with the Spoil unmoleiled. The King of Perlia never thinks of purfuing them till they are gone out of his Kingdom ; after which he vows Vengeance, colle&s all his Forces, leaves his Country defencelefs, and trulls his own Perfon, and all his Troops, -to the Guidance of a Stranger, whofe Veracity he had the greateft Reafon to fufpeft. His Army, after a tedious March, encamped in the Environs of a large fortified City. Tho’ they arrived in the Day Time, not a living Creature was to be feen. He was neverthelefs affrighted, and why ? Becaufe his Scouts told him, that they had feen a Bridge acrofs a River, and were told 'by the Gentinel that the Copheral Turks were the Jews Allies. —The Gozan mull be a very narrow River, or the Scouts mull have had fine Lungs to make themfelves to be heard, for I do not find that Speaking Trumpets were then in Falhion. The King’s Fear increafed when the Jews came out the next Day to give him Battle ; he acknowledged their Superiority, and humbly capitulated. But where was this numerous Army the Day before ? Did they drop from the Clouds ? Were they raifed in Hot-Beds ? Or did they fpring up in one Night, like Mufhrooms ? His Ac- count of the Country is pleafing and romantic; Gardens, Orchards, Springs, Fountains, and a fine River; ’ris a fe- cond Land of Canaan. But while he thus praifes thp Country, he places in ftrong Contrail the Treachery of its Inhabitants, who were equally perfidious to their Friends and Enemies ; ill, for receiving the Perfians in a friendly Manner ; and, adly, for fcandaleufly betraying them. Why CHAP. XIX. 135 fie Had heard what had happened, and how he had been enticed away from his Country , by the Horfeman, he prefented him with his Freedom, cloathed him in fine Linen, and Silk Garments,, made him great Prefents ; and finally told him, if thou wilt embrace our Religion, I will kill further exercife my Bounty towards thee, by enriching thee exceedingly, and making thee Chief Steward over all my Houfhold ; to which he anfwered and faid, “ Omy Lord, and ** King, this Thing I cannot do.” Then the King took him, and placed him in the College of lfpahan, under the Care of the great R. Sar- Schalom, who gave him his Daughter to Wife, It was the fame R. Mofes,. who told me all thefe Things. CHAP. XIX. Return to Cbuzejlan. Defcription of the Jjland of Nekrokis, and of the Pearl Fijhery j of Haoulam y and the lfle of Chenerag , or Cinrag , with the Diabolical Super flition of the Natives ; and laftl} % of the Nikpha , or Frozen Sea, p'ilOM thence I returned to Chuzeftan, upon the Banks of the Hiddekel ; from whence this- great River rolls on, till it falls into the Sea N 2 of did not the King of Perfia avenge himfelf on the Jews that were in his own Dominions, as he had before threatened ? Or rather, why did not the Jews of Periia take Refuge with their Brethren of Nifbor ? The King offering to make Rabbi Mofes Prime Minifter, becaufe he was a good Markf- man, crowns the whole. Finally, if the Perfian Army has not 1 already deftroyed this powerful Empire of Ifraelites, thefe kefiettions, addled by a little common Senfe, cannot fail to do it. 13 6 C H A P. XIX. of Hodhu, or the Indian Sea ; near to a certain Ifland,' named ( i ) N ikrokis. This Ifland is fix Days Journey in Extent ; the Inhabitants never fow any Kind of Grain, they have no River, and but qne Spring, in the whole Ifland; for which Reafon they are obliged to make ufe of Rajn Water. Jt is notwit bji'anding , much frequented- by Mer- chants from the Indies, and from the Iflands, who come here for the Sake of Trade ; alfo by the Inhabitants of Shinaar, i. e. Mefcpot^mia^ Al-yeman and Perfia, who bring all Kinds of Silk and purple Garments, Hemp, Cottonj Flax, and Indian Cloth, W heat, Barley, Millet, Rice, all Sorts of Provifions and Pulfe. Thefe they bar- ter among themfelves, and with the Indian Mer- chants, for Spices, which are brought here in great Abundance ; between whom the Inhabitants - ~ t ^ OQ P > 1 * * 4 /^ ?-»■/%.--» ’ 1 .of the Ilianu a.wi ~~ mux vy max auopmis great Wealth. Here are about five tboufand Jews. From hence you go in ten Days by Water toKati- pha,where you find five thoufand Jews. In this Place the (2) Bdelliac is found. About thetwenty- iburth (1) Some Commentators have fuppofed that this was the Ifland of Ormus, formerly a Place of great Traffic, and very badly fupplied with frefh Wdter; others, that it ■was the City and Country of BafTora, becaufe he places 4 t at the mouth of the Tigris ; makes it the Centre of Indian Commerce, and mentions precifely the Commodities, &c. (a) By nbi'O Bdelliac, or as the fame Word is tranfla- ted Gen. 2. Bdellium, he means Pearl. By fin© Rep- tiles, he means the Oyfters in which the Pearls were found. The Perfian Gulph, or as it is otherwife called the Gulph of BafTora, hath long been famous for its Pearl Fisheries. The Fifhing for Pearls is performed by Perfons, whp are let down to the Bottom of the Sea in five Fathom of Water, by Means of a heavy Stone fattened to their Toes: when they r each the Bottom, they pick up the Shells with CHAP. XIX. 137 fourth' Day of the Month, Nifan, or March , a certain liquid Matter defcends and remains upon the Surface of the W a er, which Matter the Reptiles fuck in, and then fink teethe Bottom of the Sea ^afterwards about the Middle of Tifri, or September , two Men dive to the Bottom, by the Affiftance of Ropes, and colletting the Reptiles together, bring them up, open them and take out the Pearls.' From thence you go in /even Days to Haoulam, (3) which is the Entrance of the Kingdom of the Worfbippers of the Sun. They are descended from Ciiufch ; are much N 3 addicted all poflible Expedition, and put thiem into' Bafkets pro'- :vjded for that Purpofe ; they then give a Signal to be drawn -up to' take Breath, and refrefh themfelves with ■ a Pipe of Tobacco, while others pull up the Bafkets. All the Pearls which weigh above ten Grains, are the Property of the Emperor, and fevere Penalties are inflifted upon thofe who embezzle them. The whole Produce of the various Pearl Fifheries, in- the Perfian Gulph, Sir John Chardin fays, amounts to above a Million Sterling An- nually. (3) ‘A’. Montanus and C. L’Empereur, fuppofe this to bfe the Ifland of Ceylon. Modern Travellers inform us that Ceylon is one of the moll pleafant and fruitful Iflands in all the Indies, that the Air is much more temporate than could bfe expelled, from its Vicinity to the Line. B. fays the Climate is, fo fultry and hot for a great Part of the Year, that the Inhabitants are obliged to do their Work in the ' Night Time. That they are great Cultivaters of Pepper* That they are all black to a Man, &c. All which (abat- ing their Honefty and Sincerity, which their Connexions with the Europeans have prevented them from praXifing for feme Time paft. ) is an exaft Defcription of the Ifland of Sumatra and its Inhabitants. Had B. aXually made the Tour which he pretends to deferibe ; and did no other Dif- ficulty occur, but the Impoffibility of coming from Cape Comorin, or fome other Place near it, to Haoulam- in feven Days, all might be reconciled by fuppofing that the Author wrote feventy, which fome Tianfcriber by an cmiffion of the’ Jod, reduced to feven. 138 CHAP XIX. acjUJifted to Aftrology, are all black to a Man, and very honeft and faithful T raders. When Merchants.come hither from foreign Countries, and are permitted to enter their Port, three of the King’s Scribes or Secretaries come and take down their Names, after which they are brought before the King, who takes Charge of their Property, (4) which when landed is left on the Shore without any Guard whatever. There is aJfo a principal Officer Appointed by him, to tyhom all Things are brought, which have been either loft or mifplaqed \ who rdbares them to the different Owners immediately, upon their bringing fuch Tokens as are necefTary to afcer- tain their Property. This Cuftom prevails throughout his whole Kingdom. From the Pafiover until the Beginning of the Year. Dur- ing the Summer Months, the Heat is fb great that from the third Hour, or Nine o' Clock th$ People remain within Doors until the Evening; after which they go out, and light up Lamps in all their Streets and Markets, and proceed to Bufinefs, which they are prevented from tjlojng in the Day Time, by the exceffive Heat of the Climate. The Pepper grows in this Country, of which there are large Plantations in tfye Country and Fields roundabout the City ; wher^ each Man knows his own Garden. The Trees are low, the Pepper itfelf is at firjl white j after ft (4) Property .] C. L’ Empereor tranflates pDO Mam- mon, by the Word Pecunia, and Baratier, by B’Argent, both which fignify Money j but the Word is feldom taken in fo limited a fenfe ; more efpccially in this Place, where it means the Property in general of the Merchants, which confided of fundry kinds of Merchandize, which they bartered among themfelves and the Natives. The Good# were earned on Shore to be viewed before the Sale, as wt may eafily difcotter from what folloyes. CHAP. XIX. , s? it is gathered, they put it into large Bowls, pouring hot Water on it, after this they dry it in the Sun; by which means it becomes hard, and of a black Color. The Country likewife produces Cinnamon, Ginger and many other Sorts of Spiees. The Inhabitants of this Land do not bury their Dead, but embalm them with various kinds of Spices, and afterwards wrapping them in fine Linen, place them on Benches, or rather in Niches according to their refpedtive families, fo that when the Flefh and Bones are equally dried, they appear like living Men ; and by this Means each of the Natives may know iheir own Parents and Anceftors for many Years part. The Sun is their chief Deity : which they worship on Altars and high Places without the City, at about half a Mile Diftance. Early in the Morning they go out to meet (5) this Lu- minary. On each of the Altars, or high Places, is a Iblar Sphere, fo contrived by Magic, as to turn round with a great Nolle as the Sun rifes ; at which Time all the People, both Men and Women, take a Center in their Hands, and offer Sacrifice to the Sun ; and by this Cuftom they betray their Fooiilhnefs. There are about a hundred Jews in their Cities and Territories, who (5) A very ancient fpecies of Idolatry which prevailed even among the Jews, who not only ran to meet the Son, but were alfo carried on Horfes and in Chariots, which were dedicated to the Sun. Thus 2 Kings 23. 11. And be (Jofias) took away the Horfes which the King of Ju- dah had given to the Sun, at the entering in of theHoufe df the Lord, by the Chamber of Nathan Melach, the Chamberlain, which was in the Suburbs, and burned the Chariots of the Sun with Fire. Though the Sun was their chief Deity, yet they had feveral inferior ones. R. Maim fays. More Nebuehim, that the Stars were their Gods, but -that the Sun was the Principal, *40 G H A P. XIX. who are ah as b’ack as the Natives. The Jew's are good Men, obfervers of the Command- ments ; have among them the Law of Mofes-; the Writings of the Prophet*, femeof ; the TaL mud and Cuftoms. From hence you go in tvventy-twoDays to thelflesof Chenerag: (6) In- habited by the Fire- Worth ippers, who are called Dugbijin : among whom are twenty- three thotf- fand Jews, ThefeDugbijin have every where their Priefts in their idolatrous Places of Wor- fhip ; who are moft profoundly {killed in all Kinds of Enchantment, not having their. Equate in that Art, in any Part of the whole World. Fronting the high Places, or Altar of their fuper* Jiitious Devotion, there is a large Valley, where every Day they conftantly light a great Fire, which they call the Divinity ; through which they caufe theirSons to pafs : and into the Mid** die of which they call their Dead. There are Inftances of foine of the greateft Men in the Country, who devote themlelves to be burned (7) alive in. the Fire: when he comes to this Refolution, (6) This is fuppofed by C. L’Empereur, to be the lfiand of Java, or iome Ifland very near it, which the faint Commentator thinks was anciently named 'Aurea Cher-- fonefus, of which Chenerag, or Cinrag is a Corruption. (7) The Cuftom of burning the Living with the Dead, was introduced by the Bramins, to prevent the Woriten from poifoning their Hufbands. Though the Laws recom-» mend a voluntary Sacrifice, they are in a Manner com* pelled to it through a Fear of that' Ignominy -which attends their Refufal. There have however been Inftances of Women, , who have been animated with the moftE-xtraor-* dinary enthufiaftic Intrepidity. About the . Year 174.3; The Widow of the Rha3m Chund Pundit, figwified hei* Intention of burning herfelf with 'her deceafed Hulband. The dreadful Pain was delineated to her in the moft ex-» preflive Colors ; all however had no ESeft, Iho even putdief Hands! CHAP. XIX. i+i Refolution, he makes the following Declaration to his Sons, Domeftics and Relations. “ Behold I “ have Hands into a Fire, and held them there for fome Time. Her Friends finding her fo determined, confented. The Melancholy Hour approached : She took leave of her Mother and three Children, diverted herfelf of her Orna- ments, walked three Times round the Pile with the Bra- mins, from yvhom fhe received a Wick of Cwtton, and faking one more tender Farewell of her Children, feated herfelf by the Corpfe of her Hufband, and after looking Redfaftly at him, in a few Minutes fet Fire to the Pile ; hut (1) every Week, as they do throughout all Spain, by which Means they go through the whole in one Year. But the Syrians divide each Section into three different Parts ; and by that Means are three Years about it. It is however an eftablilhed Cuftom among them to affemble all together in public Worlhip twice in the Year, namely, upon the Anniverfary of the Rejoicing of the Law, and on the Fejiival for the Day when the Law was given. Over both Dodlor Nathaniel prefides, as chief Prince and Ruler, as well as over all the Colleges and Affemblies in Egypt ; for whom he appoints Singers, Read- ers, and Teachers. He alfo minifters before the great King, who dwells in the Palace of Zoan, a City of Egypt; and this City is the Metro- polis of all the Arabians, and Relidence of the Commander of thofe who believe(2)Ali, the Son O 3 of (1) This method is generally prattifed by the Modem Jews throughout Europe. (») Ali. ] The Refidence of the Egyptian Caliph, whofe Subjefts believe and acknowledgcAli to be the true and law- ful Succeflor of Mohammed, covimonly called Mahomet. The Commentators have feverely handled Benjamin for telling them (as they pretend) that Ali who had been dead more than 500 Years was the reigning Caliph, when he wrote his Journal. He never told them any fuch Thing. The Word which they read 0'£’ 1 fhould be punftuated Otffi and then all the Difficulty will be removed. C. L’Em- pereur’s Tranflation of this difputed Paflage, which op- poses Hiftory and common Senfe, has milled all his Follow- ers, who have read our Author, as Men read the Bible, it) a lame ‘Tranjlation j lb very lame , that Rabbi Benjamin, BA Jofeph the Nazarene, never ventures to quote it with- out firft consulting the Original. My Crandmothtr indeed. 150 CHAP XXI. of Abitaleb. All the Inhabitants of this Terri- tory are called Rebels, becaule they rebelled a- gainft the Abaffian Caliph, who dwells at Bagdad, They bear a deadly Hatred towards each other. He who refides in Egypt makes Zoan his chief Relidence, becaufe the Situation pleaies him ex- ceedingly ; he makes his Appearance in Public, twice in the Year, once on their annual Feftival, and and many other good fort of old Women, expected a new Tran-flation, in which all Difficulties would be removed. The old Lady became a Subicriber to the Work, but how was ffie difappointed, after waiting about ao Years, ffie found at laft, in fpiteof her Piepofl'tffio'i, that the profound' Dr. had amufed himfelf with collating inltead of tranjlating ; that he had only been cutting out Work for other People, which they could have cut out as well for themfelves in half the Time, and at half the Expenfe, ffie difcovered, (which any old Woman might, after learning the Alpha- bet) that ffie was as well qualified to collate, as the col- lator himfelf. As a little Hebrew is a dangerous T hing, efpecially in an old Woman’s Noddle j though ffie had loll the Horfe, ffie thought ffie had found the Saddle, and heating her 1 magination by reflect ing on the golden Reward, went into Duke’s Place, and bought up all the Hebrew Books and Mamifcripts that ffie could meet with, and for ever after, when the Droply, Rheumatilrn, and Afthma, permitted, amufed herfelf and Acquaintance with collating as ffie called it. The Progrefs which ffie and her Sifter Bridget made was prodigious, in a few Years they dif- covered, that in fome PalTages a Beth had been tranfcribed and printed for r Caph,"i Daleth for "i Reffi, and ' Jod fori Vau, with many other Difcoveries of equal Importance, which made them fo intolerably va : n, that they were for ever linging, “ Old Women can do as well as old Men." Whether ni) Grandmother deierved to be made a Canon, Prebend, our Librarian for her Pains, I will not pretend to determine, ’til ceriain that ffie expedited it, and pleaded Precedent to juftify her Claim, but unluckily for her Relations, Melons wect very plenty laft Summer, and ffie died of a Difentery, a little before the grand Coll it.-i's Preferment was difpofed of, tp the in e x ; reffi hie Grief and Dilappoiflfment of all her Family and Friends. CHAP XXI. f 5 , and once more at the Overflowing of the River Nile. Zoan is furrounded by a Wall, but Mitz- v3) h a s none, but one Part of it is walked ky River. It is a largeCity, ornamented with public Markets and Shops, and has many wealthy Jewifh Inhabitants. The Climate very hot, in which Rain, broft, Snow, &c. are never feen. The River overflows once a Year,, in the Month of Elul, or Auguji , at which Time it waters the Country to the Extent of fifteen Days Journey ; which it continues to do until the End of Tizri, or September ; by which Means the Country is moifiened and enriched. They have a Marble Pillar, (4) which they pru- dently ereded before a certain Ifhnd, in the Midit of the Water ; which arifes twelve Cubits- above the Surface. When the 1 op of this is covered, they know that the Waters have over- flowed the Country to the Diftance above-men- tioned. When half of the Pillar appears, they then know that only half the Country is covered. Its Progrels is daily attended to, and meafiired by (?) Jouc. fob 147. tells us O'-WS rn pnr«p Chara, {or Cairo) is Mitfraim. EJmacin fays it was firft called Fuftaa f , or the Tent, becaufe Omri had an Encampment tnere, &c. Benjamin fays Mitzraim had no Walls. Elm. fays Omri encompalled the City Mitfraim with aWall j which if true was long before our Author’s Time. (4) Elmac. Hilt. Sar. 1. r. p. 74. tells, us that this Pillar fell down and was rebuilt by the Command of Suleiman, An.Heg. 97. A. D. 715. This Pillar Hands on an Ifland, inhabited only by the Moor, who meafures the Rifing of the Water, and proclaims aloud on Horfebaclc in ■the Streets, &c. as B. defcribes. This is his foie Em- ployment, for which he is well payed, every one being obli- ged to contribute his Part for the good News. The above Pillar was a fecond Time thrown down by an Earthquake, and rebuilt, after which it was called the new Meafure or Pillar. 152 C H A P. xxr. by a Man, who proclaims aloud in Zoan, and Mitzraim, “Give Glory to God, for the River is “ increafed to fuch and fuch a Height.” This is his cojiftant Practice during the whole Seafon. If the River entirely covers the Pillar, a great Plenty follows throughout all the Land of Egypt. As this Seafon approaches, all thofe who are in PofTeliion of Land, hireLaborers to dig Trenches in their Fields, which the Fifh get into, at the Increafe of the Waters, and are left behind in thefe Trenches, as the River begins to fall. Some of them are caught and eaten by the Owners of the Ground; and fbrrte are fold to Merchants, who fait and export them to different Parts of the World. Thefe Fifh are fo exceeding fat, that the Grandees of the Country ufe the Fat or Oil which comes from them, in the Place of Candles or Lamps. When any Perfon happens to eat too much of thefe Filh, he drinks the Nile Water and recovers, without having Recourfe to any other Medicine. The Egyptians inform all thofe who make Enquiries concerning the Over- flowing of the River, that it proceeds from heavy Showers, which fall in the Country Al-Habafh ; which is Havilah, from whence it defcends to them, and enriches their Country by the Inun- dation akeady deforibed. When the River does not overflow, they never fow the Land, and a grievous Famine prevails over all the Country. Their Seed Time is towards the End of Marchef- van, or Q£lober\ after which Time the River returns to its ufual Boundaries. They mow their Barley in the Month of Adar, or February, and their Wheat in Nifan, or March \ at which Sea- fon the Egyptians have ripe Cherries, Nuts, Cu- cumbers, Gourds, Peafe, Beans, Gum, Vetches, all Sorts of Herbs, Purflain, Afparagus, Balm, Lettuce, CHAP. XXI. 153 Lettuce, Coriander, Succory, Coleworts, and Grapes. The Country abounds with all good Things. The Gardens and Orchards are watered both by the Lakes and River, which runs through Mitzraim, and from thence takes itsCourfe four different Ways ; from one Source it rolls on to Damiat (which is Caphtor) and then falls into the Sea ; from another it flows on to Rafid, near Alexandria, and empties itfelf in the fame Man- ner ; from a third it Aides on by the Way of Afhrion, a very great City in the Confines of Egypt, &c. On each Side of thefe four Heads of the River, are Cities, Cattles, and Villages, which Travellers may go to either by Water, or Land. No Country in the World can boaft a greater Number of Inhabitants, a more ample Territory, or a greater Variety of all good Things, than Egypt. It is two Parafangs from the ancient Mi tzraim, to the modernCmVSodratus the Cnidian, the Son of Dexiphanes, to the Gods, the Saviours, for the Benefit of thofe who pafs by Sea, which bemg in lading .Letters, deeply engraved in the Marble, laded as long as the Tower itfelf. i{8 CHAP. XXII. pleafed. To fum up the whole, he Invited the Governor to a Feaft, at which he made him and all his Attendants fo drunk that they all fell afleep, upon which the Captain and his Crew went to the T ewer, broke the Mirror, and on the fame Night fat Sail for their own Country. From thisTime the Edomites began to infeft the Coaft.with large and imall Ships of War, by which Means, they at firft took from them the great Illand of Crete, and at length made them- jelves Matters of Cyprus ; which is a Part of the Javanitifh Empire unto this Day : the Egyptians never having been able to contend with them for the Recovery of them. From that Period to the prefent, the Tower has ferved as a Beacon for all thofe VefTels who are coming to the Port of Alexandria ; the Light of which may ttill be feen at the Diftance of a hundred Miles : bv the Means of a large Fire which is kept conftantly burning on the Top of it. This Country which is much frequented for the Sake of Commerce, may be confidered as the Market of all the World ; the Harbor of Alexandria is conftantly crowded with Merchant Ships, from all the Kingdoms of the Edomites, i. e. From Valencia, Tulcany, Lombardy, Apulia, Malfi, Sicily, from the mojt Northern and fome inland Parts of Europe . Cracow, Cordova, Spain, Ruffia, Ger- many, Sweden, Denmark, England, Flanders, Artois, Normandy, France, Poitou, Anjou, Galcony, Arragon and Navarre, Genoa, Pifa, and Aquitain ; Jikewife from the Weftern Em- pire of the Ifhmaelites, from Andalufia, Al- garve, Africa, and the Regions of Arabia ; in like Manner from the Indies, Havilah, iEthio- pia, Lybia, Aljerman, Mefopotamia and Syria, together with the Javanites, who are called Greeks CHAP. XXII. ig) Greeks and Turks. A great Quantity of Mer- chandize is brought here from India, efpecially Spices of all Sorts \ which are bought up by the Edomitifh Merchants. The People of each Nation have their Snoj>s and particular Walks aifigned them, and through the Hurry of Bufi- nefs which is there carried on, the City is in a continual Tumult. On the Sea Shore is to be leen a Marble Sepulchre, on which are engraved all Kind of Birds and other Animals, together with an ancient Infcription, the Charadfers (4) Pa of (4.) This is no other than the famous Corinthian Column, known by the Name of Pompey’s Pillar, con- cerning which I (hall transcribe the following excellent Letter, fent by E. Wortley Montague, Efq. F. R. S. to William Watfon, M. D. F. R. S. dated Oftober 10, 1767, which was at his Requeft read before the Royal Society, on the 19th of November following. S 1 R, I here fend you a few Lines, which I believe will ap- pear extraordinary, as every Traveller that has been at Alexandria, has mentioned the famous Piliar of oriental Granite, which is about a Mile without the Walls of that City, as erd&ed, according to mod Writers, either by Pompey, or to the Honor of Pompey. As I differ in Opinion from them all, and think this famous Pillar was creeled to the Honor of Vefpalian, you certainly will ex- peft to hear on what Foundation I formed fo extraordinary a Conjefture, as fo new a one may appear to you. • By my Menfuration, F. In. The Capital of the Pillar is — — V The Shaft — — — ■ — c: The Bafe — — — — S The Pedeflal — — — — 2 <£ Height from the Ground — - — 1-5 Its Diameter — — * — - pq i66 CHAP XXII. of which, no Man can read. .The Account which they pretend to give of it is ; that a cer- tain As foon as I-faw this fiirprizing Pillar, I was convinced, that if it had been ereCted in Pompey’s Time, Strabo, or feme of the Ancients would have mentioned it. I there- fore determined to examine it narrowly. I perceived too that the Pedeftal was cf a bad and weak Mafonry, compofed of f'malLand great Stones, of different Sorts, and abfolutely unable to 1'uftain fo great a Weight ; I therefore eaiil y concluded fuch Pedeital, not originally be- longing to the Pillar. I attempted to get out a Stone, which I did without Trouble, and difeovered the Pedeftal lobe hollow. After fome Time, I mean during the Courfe of many Days, I made an Opening wide enough to enter it; when within it you will judge how much I was fur- prized to find this prodigious Mafs of Granite flood, as on a Privot, on a reverfed Obeli fk, as I then believed it was, only five Feet fquare. Curious to know the Length of the Obelifk, I began to move the Earth on one of its Sides : but my Surprize increafed much, when I found: after moving a few Inches of the Soil, that the Obelifk was not entire, this Privot being only four Feet and one Inch thick. It is feated on a Keck : the Stone is of an extreme Hardnefs, and almoft a Petrifaction, or rather Conglutination of many different Stones, but all vitrefeent. I never met with any Stone of this Kind any where, ex- cept with one final! Piece on the Plain of the Mummies t I broke a Piece of it, which Lord Bute has : a final! Piece too of the Pillar was lent, that Gentlemen may be convinced it is of red Granite, and not a Compofition as fome have imagined. This Part of the Obelifk is covered with Hieroglyphics, which are reverfed, a plain Procf the Pillar was not ereCted whilft they were held facred Characters. Convinced therefore, that it was not of the Antiquity one would, fuppofe it, from being called of Pompey : Ivifited it feveral Times, to fee if it might not be poflible to find out Something that would give Room fora reafonable Conjecture, in- Honor of whom, and at what Time it was ereCled. From the Infcription, I could not dii'cover any Thing. It is on the Weft Face of the Bafe ; but fo much injured by - Time, and I may fay. too by Malice, (for the Marks cf fome Inftrument appear clearly to have contributed towards defacing it) that one can CHAP. XXII. 161 tain ancient King, who lived before the Deluge, lies buried there. The Sepulchre is fifteen Spans in Length, and fix in Breadth. There are about three thoufand Jewifh Inhabitants at Alexandria. can but imperfectly make out fome Greek Characters, fo imperfeCtly indeed, that no one Word can be found. At length, obferving that the Cement, or Mortar, which clofes the fmall Separation of the Shaft from the Bafe, was quite deftroyed in one Part, I was curious to fee if any Thing was made ufe of within, to fatten or tie the Shaft to the Bafe ; I faw there was : being defirous to know if it was Lead, and if fo, if it was not of that pure, and of which we ftill meet with fome few Medals, I endeavoured, with a pretty large Hanger, to cut off a fmall Piece of the Grapple : there was a great Number of Lizards that had taken fhelter there, and which ran out, on my introducing the Hanger. I then difeovered a dark Spot, at the Dis- tance of more than a Foot, within the Circumference of the Pillar; which by ftriking it with the Hanger, I found* was Something ft uck faft to the Bafe : after ftriking it feveral Times, I detached it from its Place, and it proved* a Medal of Vefpafian in fine Order. On one Side of ifi was the following Inscription. AVT.KAlS.EEBA.OvEm. On the Reverfe, Vittorio, gradient; Dextra Spicas, finis. Palman. “ The reverted Hieroglyphics are a Proof that this amaz-- ing Monument was not ereCted in Pompey’s Time ; and as there is no Mention of it in any of the ancient Writers that I have met with, it feems plain that it was not known before the Time of Vefpafian. This Medal could not by any Accident, I think, have been introduced above a Foot within the Circumference of the Shaft; therefore I fuppofe it was placed there, when the Pillar was erefted, which from thence, I conclude to have been done to tho Honor of that Emperor. If you think this Paper worth it, you will pleafe to communicate it to the Royal Society y, and that of the Antiquarians. Iam, Sir, your humble Servant, ED. WORTLEY MONTAGUE.’* Zante, May 7, 1767* P3 CHAP, i6z CHAP. XXIII. CHAP. XXIIT. Rout from Alexandria^ to Mount Sinai , frotn thence to Sicily , by the Way of D ami at, or Damiata. Defcription of Palermo , and Mef- fv.a. Rout to Rome and Lucca. 'C'ROM thence you go in two Days to Damiaf, which was formerly called Caphtor; where there are about two hundred Jews. From [Caphtor] men go in half a Day to Sonbat.The Inhabitants of this Place cultivate Hemp, and carry on a large Manufactory of white Cloth, which they export to all Parts of the World. From hence you go to Elam (which was once called Elim) in about four Days. This City is in the PofTeffion of the Arabs of the Defarts. Rephidim lies two Days Journey beyond it-: which is inhabited by Arabians, without any Jews. From thence. the Traveller comes in one Day, to Mount (i) Sinai, on the Top of which (x) Mount Sinai has two Summits, and is called by the Arabs the Mountain of Mofes, becaufe many remarkable Things happened there to that Prophet. It was here, they fay, that the Almighty appeared to him in the Burning Bufh ; and the Fathers (hew a Bramble, which they affirm is of the fame Kind. Here he likewife fed the Flock of Jethro, his Father-in-law ; and not far off he (truck the Rock, out of which. Water inftantly guflied ; the Stone is a red Granite, about fifteen Feet long, ten broad, and twelve high -. The Opening does not refemble any Thing done by a Tool, and is (omewhat like the Mouth of a carved Lion : into this Apertuiethe Arabs put certain me- dicinal Herbs, which they afterwards give to their Camels, in Cafe they are disordered, thinking them very falutary for any Difeafe, There is a Convent at Mount Sinai, founded by chap, xxirr. i % is a certain Convent or Cloifter of Monks, who are called Sorianim, or Syrians. At the Foot of the by the Emprefs Helena, and dedicated to the celebrated St. Catherine ; it Hands at the Bottom of the Mountain, and is an irregular awkward Building, of unburnt Brick, walled round, and flopped up at every Entrance, to prevent the Incurfions of the roving Arabs. Tne only free En- trance is by a Window that is upwards of thirty Feet from the Ground, and to which People are drawn np in a Ma- chine, by a Windlafs. Within the Walls, which are 25$ Feet long from Eaft to Well, and 55 broad fiom North to South, are Mills, Bake-houfes, Store-houfes, and every Office neceflary to a fequeftered Society. Here is the Shrine of St. Catherine, the Relics are depofited in a mar- ble Cheft, whereupon are carved feveral Pieces of Foilage in Baffo’ Relievo. One of that Saint’s Hands is fhewed to the Curious, the Fingers of which are covered with Rings -adorned with Pearl. Adjoining to the Eaft End of the Church, wherein thefe Relics are preferved, is the Chapel of the Holy Buffi, which the Monks aflert grew on the fame Spot whereon now lies a Flag of White Mar- ble, which Chrillians approach, and molt devoutly kifs j ■nor will they enter this Chapel with their Shoes on. There are many other Chapels about the Convent. Here ■are two Wells, one is called the Well of Mofes, which has a very fine cool Water, and is drank in Summer j the other is called the Well of the Holy Buffi, and is cf a warmer Temperature. St. Athanafius was a Brother of this Monaftry, as was Sergius, who affifled Mahomet in writing the Koran. This Convent is exempted from alj Juril'diftion, except that of its own Biffiop, who is elected by the Monks, and receives his Confirmation from the Patriarch of jeruialem. The Monks here live in the mod abftemious Manner, and in Lent rife at Midnight to per- form their Devotions. The Emperor Juftinjan fer.t a Hundred Families from the Red Sea, and die fame Num- ber from Egypt, to ferve them as Vafials ; at that Time they wete pretty numerous, but now coniiftonly of about forty or fifty, owing to the Difputes among themfeives, which coil l-veral o“f them their Lives. Their ValTkis cultivate their Gardens, and do other menial Offices. A Lay Brother, or Caloyer, is appointed to attend upon 1 Strangers *64 CHAP. XXiri. the Mountain is a large Citadel, which they call Tor Sinai, the Inhabitants of which fpeak the Chaldean Language, the Mountain is fmalJ, and five Days Journey from Egypt, to which it belongs. The Sea- (2) of Suph, or the red Sea is Strangers arriving here, to fhew them the Chapels, Offi- ces, and the Library, in which are depofited fome of the firft Greek Books that were ever printed. The Feet of Pilgrims at their Arrival here, are waffied by a Lay Bro- ther $ and thofe of a Prieft by one of equal Rank in the Church. Dottor Pocock, Bifhop of Oltbry, had the Sa- tisfa&ion of being prefent at all their Eafter Ceremonies. The Church, containing the Relics of St. Catherine, is called the great Church ot the Transfiguration j it lies to the North-Eaft on the loweft Part or the Convent, and confiftsof a Nave, an Ifle on- each Side, and three Chapels on the Outfide, lower than the Ifles. The Pi&ure of Juf- tinian, and his Emprefs Theodora, over the Arch of the High Altar, are well executed in Mofaic ; and feveral In- scriptions to the Honor of that illuftrious Pair, are carved on the Beams that fupport the Roof, which is of Cyprefs covered with Lead, and is very antique. The Turks de*. ftroyed the Pavement of this Church, digging it up in Hopes of difcovering^ Treafures ; but it was elegantly re* paired by one Archbilhop Athanafius, in the laft CeBturyi Mount St. Catherine is fituated near Mount Sinai ; and it was to the former Place that the Body of St. Catherine was brought,, after her Martyrdom,, under the Tyrant Maxentius } it overtops Mount Sinai, and its Soil is a Species of fpeckkd Marble, in which are feen beautiful Configurations of Trees, and other vegetable Reprefenta* tions. M*iddl. Geog. (2) O' The Sea of Suph, or the Red Sea, took its Name not from the Red Sand, or. Weeds, in the Bot* tom of it, but from its Vicinity to the Kingdom of Edom\ or the Red Kingdom. This Country was named, as was the Cuftom in thole early Times, from its King Efau, who was alfo called Edom, aft, Becaufe he was remarkably red when he came out of his Mother’s Womb. 2dlv, On Ac- count of Something, 66 CHAP. XXiri. Day’s Voyage to Tunes, (3) which is the ancient Hanes ; where there are about forty Jews, it is an liland in the Middle of the Sea, which has al- ways belonged to the Kingdom of Egypt. From this Place you take Ship, and arrive after a Voyage of twenty Days at the liland of Mefi- fina, (4) which is the Beginning of the Ifland of Sicily, fituated upon an Arm of the Sea, named Lunid, which divides Calabria from Si- cily. Here you find about two hundred Jews : the Country abounds with Gardens, Orchards and good Things of every Kind ; and is much reforted to by Nazarenes, who embark here for Jerufalem ; becaufe they have a moll agreeable and convenient Paffage. From thence you con&e in two Days to the City named Palermo, which is two Miles in Length ; and as many in Breadth. Here you find the Grand Palace of King William, (5} and about fifteen hundredjews; together with Ldofnites and Ifhmaelites in great Abundance. The Country is fo plentifully flocked with Springs, Rivers, Wheat, Barley, Gardens and Orchards, that none in Sicily can equal it. This* City is the Refidence of the Viceroy, who is named Alchetzeina. Here are all Kinds of Fruit Trees; in the Middle of the City is a large Fountain, furrounded with a Wall ; in the lame Place is an elegant Fifh Pond, named Albehira, well Hocked with Filh of different Sorts, together with the royal Yatches, all gild- ed (3) A learned. Commentator fuppofes this to be a ces- tain Ifland near Egypt, named Thennes, which fhould have been written C'jfi and not D’Jlu (4) of Meffina.] Meffina is not a feparate Ifland, but a City in Sicily. Lunid I never heaid of. The Strait is now called Faro di Meffina. ( 5 ) William the Second, King of Sisily, firnamed the CHAP. XXIV. 167 ei over with Gold and Silver, in which the King is accurtomed to amufe and regale himfelf, together with his Women. Here is alfo a large Palace built in a Garden, the Pavement is of Marble, the Walls of this Structure, are graced with Figures of all -Sorts, walhed over with Gold and Silver, fuch as are to be found in no other Place. Meffina is confidered as the Be- ginning of the Ifland of Sicily : which is the Rout ufually taken by all who make the Tour of the World, from whence they go on through Catania, Syracuie, Mazara, Petelaria, Trapana, and fo in about fix Days travel through the Ifland. At Trapana the Coral Stone is found, which is called, in Arabic , Almurgan. From thence you may go to Rome in three Days: and from Rome you go by Land to Lucca in five Days more. CHAP. XXIV- From thence to France , through Germany . pROM thence Men travel in twelve Days fo A Mount Apennine, to the City Moriena, and the Alps of Italy, as far as the City called Sarnt Bernardin, the Frontier of Germany. This Country is full of Hills and Mountains, in which there are many Jewi-fh Colleges and aflemblies, efpecially towards the great River Rhine ; from the City of Cologn as far as (1) Sufenburk, the Boundary of Germany, about fifteen Days Jour- ney, This Land was once called Afchenaz. The (1) In this, and the Names of many other Towns in Germany, I follow C. L’ Etnpereurj the Rabbinical Text is greatly corrupted* 1 68 CHAP XXIV. The following Cities of Germany are moft re- markable, on Account of the Colleges and Af* fembliesof pious and exemplary Ifraelites, which are to be found in them, not far from (a) Molella. Cobletz, Andernach, Cub, Creutznach, Bing, Gemerlheim, and Upper Munfter, for the Is- raelites arefcattered over all the Nations of the Earth. “ But he who is not follieitotis about (3) “ gathering together the Outcads oflfrael, fliall not behold with his Eyes the Tokens of our “ Deliverance, neither (hall he live and be re- newed with Ilrael : But when the God of our “ Fathers , fhall vifit our Captivity, and exalt the “ Horn of his Meffiah, then every Man will be “ ready (z) Many of ihefe Towns are however, at a confiderabk Diltance from Mofella. (3) Here Benjamin begins to preach. After having given many Proofs of his Skill in Geography, and Hif- tory, he at laft gives us a Specimen of his Divinity. Perufe with Admiration, this chief d’ Oevre of one of the greateft Do&ors of the Synagogue of the “ Grand iumi- “ nary, nvbofe Sun arofe over all ifrael." Confider the pi- ous Malediction, denounced againft thofe who are not •fol!icitcus about gathering together the Outcafts of Ifraell They (hall not fee with their Eyes, & c. by which he means (according to their Traditions,) they fliall not, at the coming of the Meffiah, be carried upon the Shoulders of the Kings of the Gentiles, like^he reft of their Brethren. They fliall not be Partakers of that fenfual Paradife, where Diamonds, precious Stones, Gold and Silver, (bring up fuddenly like Muffirooms. They (hall not feaft on the Flefh of Behemoth, and Leviathan. They (hall not (for the fecond Oourfe) tafte of the Dainties contained in the Roc’s Egg. They (hall not bathe in the Rivers of fweet Milk ; nor recline on Banks of Rofes befide the Bowers of Afphodel and Amarinth, quaffing from mafly Goblets the lufcious Wines of Eden. Join with me, my Chriftian Readers, in dropping a fympathetic Tear for thofe un- happy Inventors of palatable Errors, and twenty more f®f thole who have been credulous enough to follow them. CHAP. XXIV. i £9 *« ready to fay, I will be a Leader to the Jews* ** and I will gather them together.” In thele Cities are tome Dilciples of the Wife Men, and Colleges of thole who love their Brethren, and courteoufly entreat their Neighbors and Strangers. When a T raveller vifits them, they are delighted therewith, hofpitably entertaining him, and fay- ing, “ Rejoice, our Brethren, for the Salvation “ of Gcd will come as in the Twinkling of an ‘‘ Eye. For unlel's we had feared and doubted “ the Time of his Coming, and drawing near “ unto us, welhould before this Time have been “ gathered together ; but we cannot be collected “ together before theT imeofthe linging of Birds, “ and the cooing of the 'T urtle approacheth, and “ thofe in the latter Times come, preaching “ glad Tidings, and faying always, “ The Lord “ be prailed.” They hold Correlpondence with each other by Letters, in which they admonilh one another, and fay, “ Be ye firm and ftedfaft in “ the Law of Moles ; and may thole who mourn “ for the Delblation of Sion and Jerusalem, im- “ plorethe tenderMercies of God, bewailing their “ Sins, in fervent Prayer, and cloathing them- “ lelves with black Veftments in their Integrity.” Belides thole Cities of Germany which we have already taken Notice of, are Stratlburg, Duif- burg, or rather Aulburch, Manturn, Pefmges, or lather Freiling, Bamberg, Zor, and Regens- purch, in the Frontiers of the Empire ; in which Cities there are alfo a great many Jew- ilh Inhabitants, who are rich, and Difciples of the Wife Men. From hence you go on to the Country of Bohemia, which is there called Prague, the Entrance of Sclavonia, which the Jews (who refide there) call the Land of Ca- Q. naan, 170 CHAP. XXIV*. naan, becaufe the Men of that Country (4) fell their Sons and Daughters to all Nations that will buy them, like the Ruffians. This Kingdom is of very confiderable Extent, from the Gate of Prague even unto the Gate of St. Nicholas, or rather Pinego, a large City in the Extremity of the Kingdom. The Country is mountainous and woody ; where thofe Animals are found which are called Veergares, or Erm'tn. The Cold is fd intenfe during the Winter Seafon, that no Perfon goes from Home. — So much for the Kingdom ofRuflia The Kingdom of France > which we call the Land of (5) Zarephath, ex- tends from the City of Alfodo, perhaps the Terri- tory of Elf as, fix Days Journey to the great City of Paris, the chief Refidence of King Lewis, lituated (4) This is utterly without Foundation. It is founded hpon a Conje&ure that the ancient Sclavi, and Germans', are defcended from the Canaanites, who fled before Joftiua. The Truth is, a Part of Bohemia was formerly called the. Land of Canaan, on Account of its Fertility. (5) The modern Jews very improperly call France Zarephath, or Zorphath, which arifes from their Ignorance' of a PafTage in Obadiah, ver. 20. “ And the Captivity f ‘ of this Hoft of the Children of Ifrael, lhall pofiefsthat “ of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath, and the Cap- tivity of Jerufalem, which is in Sepharad, lhall poffeflf the Cities of the South.” The Zarephath here men- tioned, is the Zarephath which belonged to Zidon, 1 Kings, 17, 9,. where Elijah raifed, the Widow’s Son to Life. The fame Place is called in the Greek Teftament Xagi'&lx Sarepta, Luke 4, 2 6, as this was the molt Northern City in the Holy Land, the Prophet Obadiah perhaps meant, that the Jews Ihould again recover their Territories from North to South. Whether this Prophecy was fulfilled after their Return from Babylon, or whether it ftill remains to be fulfilled at the Calling of the Jews, I leave to greets* Cafuifts to determine* CHAP. XXIV. 171 (6) fituated upon the River Seine. Here are iuch Difciplesof the Wife Men as are no where elfe to be met with throughout the World ; who give themfelves ilp to the Study of the Law both Day and Night ; are hofpitable to ail Strangers* and behave as Brethren and Friends to all their Jewifh Relations and Kindred. May God, out of his abundant Mercy, have Compafljon on them and 11s ; and may he fulfil that Scripture towards us and them, “ If thou wilt return, he “ will gather thee from all the Nations whither u the Lord thy God hath fcattered thee.” Amen. Amen. Amen. (7) The Work is perfe&ed and finifhed. (6) Lewis. ^ This was Lewis the Seventh, called by French Writers, “ Louis le Jeune to diftinguilh him from his Father, with whom he jointly reigned for fome Time. He began his Reign Aug. n 37, and died at Paris, Sept. 18, 1180. During which Period Stephen reigned in England. Malcolm the 4th in Scotland. Sancho in Spain. Suetcher, Eric the 9th, and Charles the 7 th in Sweden. Ladiflas the 2d in Poland. Alexander the 3d was Pope of Rome. Mr.nuel Commenes, (as we have al- ready obferved) was Emperor of the Eaft, and Conrade the 3d of the Weft. (7) on is ufually placed at the End of Rab- binical Books. McGILL UNIVER- S I T Y ' — > LIBRARY