or Calachene. In like manner, Habor may be CHAP. IV. written, agreeably to the original, Chabor; whence it is probably thought to be the mountain (or the mountainous country) between Media and Assyria, called by Ptolemy, Chaboras. And lastly, Harah, mentioned in 1 Chron. v. 26. is thought by some to denote the same with the cities of the Medes, in this 2 Kings xvii. 6. which, they say, is confirmed by the observation, that Media is by the Greeks sometimes called Aria, and the Medes Arii, (namely, in Herodot. vii. 62. and Pausan. in Corinth.) It is certain, that in the east or south-east parts adjoining to, or not far from Media, we meet with a country, called Aria or Ariene.

14

In ver. 24. chap. xvii. of this second Book of Kings we are informed, that the King of Assyria Of Cuthah, brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and and Avah. from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria, instead of the children of Israel. I need not speak any thing more of Babylon and Hamath; and I need but remind the reader, that it has been before observed in my account of the Garden of Eden, that Cuthah here mentioned was in all probability the same with Cush, which is said by Moses to be encompassed by the river Gihon, and that accordingly it is much the same with the country called by the Greeks Susiana, (where we read of the Cossei and Cossii, &c.) and to this very day is said to be called Chusestan. As for Ava, what city or country is denoted hereby, is hard to be accounted for. We do indeed read Deut. ii. 23. of the Avims; but then in the same text we read also, that the Caphtorim (or Philistines) destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead, long before these times. And therefore Ava here mentioned cannot with any probability denote the country of the Avims, mentioned in the fore-cited place of Deuteronomy, as some have imagined. Nor does it appear, that the King of Assyria had then under his subjection the parts where these Avims are said to dwell; nay, the contrary rather appears. The most probable

PART III. opinion in this matter seems to be that of the learned Grotius, who has observed, that there are by Ptolemy mentioned a people of Bactriana, under the name of Avadiæ. It is not to be omitted, that the place here called ́Ava seems in all probability to be the same that is called Ivah, chap. xviii. ver. 34. and chap. xix. ver. 13.

12.

vaim.

The Sepharvaim above mentioned is very proOf Sephar bably conjectured by the learned to be the city called Sipphara by Ptolemy, and by Abydenus, the city of the Sippareni. It is called by a plural name in Ptolemy, as well as by a dual in the Hebrew, probably, because the river Euphrates ran through it, and so divided it as it were into two cities.

13.

Arvad.

In chap. xviii. ver. 34. together with the Gods Of Arpad or of Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and Ivah, we have mention made of the Gods of Arpad and Henah. As to Arpad, thereby is probably denoted the country lying above the land of Hamath, and over against which lies the small island, called Aradus by the Greeks and Latins; which name contains in it apparent footsteps of the Hebrew name Arpad or Arvad.

14. As for Henah, I can neither meet with in others, Of Henah. nor think myself of any satisfactory account of it. Grotius thinks it might be, perhaps, Ange in Arabia Felix. Others take Henah and Ivah to be the names of two idols: but it seems clear from chap. xix. ver. 13. that they were both cities. The Chaldee Paraphrast renders them as two verbs. The Syriack and Arabick Interpreters render, what is Ivah in our translation, all along by Avah; and Henah by Noa.

15.

In chap. xix. ver. 12. besides Gozan, and Haran, Of Rezeph. and the children of Eden, which were in Thelasar, (which have been all spoken of already), we have mention made of Rezeph. Now since we find in Ptolemy mention made of Resapha in the country Palmyrene, on the west of the Euphrates, and above spoken of; and also of Rezipha, a city of Mesopotamia, and so on the east of the Euphrates;

it is very probable, that one of these two might be CHAP. IV. the place here called Rezeph; and most probably the last, as carrying in it the greatest affinity to the letters of the Hebrew word.

Of Carche

mish.

In the history of the reign of the good King 16. Josiah, we have mention made of Carchemish by Euphrates, 2 Chron. xxxv. 20. This is probably thought to be the same, called by the Greeks and Latins, Circesiúm.

17.

In 2 Kings xxiii. 33. we read, that Pharaohnecob put Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, în bands at Of Riblah. Riblah, in the land of Hamath. Where the land of Hamath lay, has already been shewn. And it is hence evident, that Riblah lay in the land of Hamath; and consequently out of the land of Canaan, contrary to the opinion of some. others more reasonably suppose it to be Antioch, or else Apamea, or some other of the cities situated on the river Orontes; on which stood Epiphania, called Hamath in the days of Jerom, and therefore probably thought by him to be the Hamath mentioned so often in Scripture.

Hence

18.

of Chroni.

cles, &c.

And thus I have gone through the second book of Kings. The places mentioned in the books of Ofthebooks the Chronicles are chiefly the same with those mentioned in the books of the sacred History already gone through: some few that are mentioned peculiarly in these books of the Chronicles, and are not mentioned in the other preceding sacred books, I have inserted in their proper places, into the geography of the books of Kings. As to the following books of the sacred Scripture, the principal plac mentioned in them, and of which, I think, we have any tolerable knowledge, have also been taken notice of before; excepting the cities and other places lying in Persia or Media, or adjoining to the Persian empire, and mentioned in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ezekiel, Daniel, and some other; of these therefore I shall speak something in the following chapter.

PART III.

1.

Persia,

called.

CHAPTER V.

Of Places situated in, or bordering on, the ancient Persian Empire, and mentioned in the Old Testament, but not spoken of already.

WE meet not with the name of Persia in the sacred History, before the time of Daniel the prophet, whence so who lived in the reign of Cyrus, the founder of the Persian empire. This great and famous Emperor is said, not only to have taught the inhabitants of Persia properly so called, the art of horsemanship; but also to have published an edict or law, importing, that it should be esteemed mean and scandalous for any man of that country to go on foot, whether the journey he went were long or short; by this means enjoining the inhabitants to become horsemen. Now the word Paras in the Oriental tongues denoting an horseman, hence it is not improbably thought, that upon the said inhabitants thus becoming universally horsemen, the country and people came to be denoted by the name of Paras, first in the days of Cyrus; whereas, in former days, both country and people were denoted by the name of Elam, one of the sons of Shem, who first settled in these parts after the Flood. From the word Paras, the Greeks easily framed the word Persis, and from it the Latins the word Persia. - Paras, or Persis, in its most proper acceptation, Persis, or denoted only one province of the Persian empire, Persia, pro- which adjoined on to the east side of Susiana, forperly taken, merly spoken of; and which is said to this day to be called Phars, or Pharsistan, names which apparently retain footsteps of the ancient Oriental name Paras. But this name is also used to denote several other and large provinces, that were subdued by the Persians, properly so called, and lay chiefly to the north and east of the province of Persis. As to the extent of the Persian empire, we find that it

what.

2.

was in the days of Ahasuerus, from India even unto CHAP. V. Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces. Esth. i. 1.

The word here rendered Ethiopia is Cush; which has been largely shewn to denote in Scripture, Arabia, not Libya or Africa; and therefore, by Ethiopia here mentioned is probably to be understood only the Asiatick Ethiopians, i. e. some Arabians denoted by this name in Herodotus the historian.

The word rendered India is in the original Hoddu, or Hondu, as it is now-a-days read. But it is likely, that it was formerly read Hiddu, or Hindu. Whence the Greeks derived the names India and Indus, the latter given by them to the great river, which has been generally esteemed the eastern boundary of Persia, and the former to the country lying on the east side of the said river, called nowa-days by us most commonly the East-Indies, to distinguish it from the West-Indies, otherwise called America, and unknown to the ancients; who therefore called the East-Indies simply India, as knowing no other than that.

3.

Of Cush, or

Ethiopia.

4.

Of India.

shan.

5.

It is evident from Dan. viii. 2. and Esth. i. 2. that the Kings of Persia had a palace in a city called Of ShuShushan, which we may well suppose to be the same called by the Greeks Susa, and so situated in the province of Susiana, which is the first province of Persia that lies on the east of the Euphrates, or Tigris. This city probably took its name from, the lilies which abound in these parts, for the lily is called shushan in the Hebrew tongue. As from Shushan, the Greeks called the city itself Susa; so from their Greek name of the city, they called the province it lay in Susiana. The city is thought to have been founded by Tithonus, brother to Priamus King of Troy, and father of Memnon: from whom the citadel was called Memnonium ; the palace and walls, Memnonians; and Susa itself, the city of Memnon. But others will for these reasons have the city to have been built not by Tithonus the father, but by the son himself, Memnon.