Pilgrimage, Book 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
The Chaldean, and Assyrian Chronicle, or Computation of Times, with their manifold alterations of Religions and Gouernment, in those parts vntill our time.
WE hauehave before aChap. 10.shewed the prodigious Chronologie of the Chaldeans, reckoning the reignes of their Kings before the Floud, 43 2000. yeares. They tell also after the Floud of diuers Dynasties or gouernments, in this countrey of Babylon.
First, bScaliger. Can. Mag. lib. a. & 3.the cThe Chaldean Dynastie.Chaldeans, Euechoos raigned 6. yeares, Chomusbolos, 7. Pores, 35. Nechubes, 43. Abios.48. Oniballos, 40. Zinziros, 45.
He being dispossessed by the Arabians, dThe Arabian Dynastie.Mardoecntes began the second Arabian Dynastie, and reigned 45. yeares, and after him, Sisimardacos, 28. Abias, 37. Parannos. 40. Nabonnabos, 25.—41. The space of these two Dynasties is reckoned 440. yeares. Thus Scaliger relateth: but in my minde, as the former was beyond all possibilicie of Truth (which they tell of before the Floud) so this hath no great likelihood, at least for so long a space before Belus, with whom the most histories begin their relations, and Scaliger his eThe Affyrian Dynastie. Moses, Gen. 14.1 speaketh of Amraphel King of Shinar, that is, of these parts of Babylonia, as his companions reigned not farre hence.third Dynastie, of one and fortie Kings in this order.
1 Belus, 55
2 Ninus, 52
3 Semiramis 42
4 Ninyas Zames 38
5 Arius 30
6 Aralius 40
7 Xerxes 30
8 Armamithres 38
9 Beluchus 35
10 Balaeus 52
11 Sethus 32
12 Mamythus 30
13 Aschalios 28
14 Sphaerus 22
15 Mamylus 30
16 Spartbeus 42
17 Aschatades 38
18 Amyntes 45
19 Belochus 25
20 Balatores 30
21 Lamprides 30
22 Sofares 20
23 Lampraes 30
24 Panyas 45
25 Sofarmos 42
26 Mithraeos 27
27 Tentamos 32
28 Teutaeus 44
29 Arabelus 42
30 Chaiaos 45
31 Anabos 38
32 Babios 37
33 Thinaeos 30
34 Dercylus 40
35 Eupacmes 38
36 Laostbenes 45
37 Pyritiades 30
38 Ophrataeus 21
39 Ephatberes 52
40 Acracarnes 42
41 Tones Concoleros qui & Sardanapalus 20
The summe of this Dynastie, 1484. yeares.
The fourth Dynastie was fThe Median Dynastie.of the Medes, begun by Arbaces, who depriued Sardanapalus, he reigned 28. yeares, his sonne Mandauces 50. Sosarmus 30. Artycas 50. (In the 19. yeare of this King, Nabonassar, the Babylonian, rebelled, and began a new Dynastie in Babylonia. And in the 43. yeare of his raigne Salmanassar captiued the ten Tribes) Arbianes, or Cardiceas 22. Arfaeos, or Deioces 40. Artynes called also Phraortes 22. Astibaras or Cyaxares 40. Apandas alias Astyages 40. In all 322. yeares.
The fifth gThe Persian Dynastie. Dynastie was of the Persians, begun by Cyrus, which ouerthrew Astyages, and reigned 30. yeares: His sonne Cambyses 8. the Magi 7. moneths. Darius sonne of Hystaspes 36. yeares, Xerxes 20. Artabanus 7. moneths, Artaxerxes Longimanus 40. Xerxes 2. months, Sogdianus 7. months, Darius Nothus 19. yeares, Artaxerxes Mnemon 40. yeares, Artaxerxes Ochus 26. Arses 4. Darius 6. in al 231. years.
The sixth hThe Macedonian Dynastie.Dynastie was of the Macedonians, the first of which was Alexander, who after the conquest of Darius reigned 6. yeares, Antigonus 12. Seleucus Nicator 32. Antigonus Soter 19. Antigonus Theos 15. (In the 12. yeare of his raigne, Arfaces the Persiā rebelled) Seleucus Callinicus 20. Selencus Ceranuns 3. Antiochus Magnus 36. Seleucus Philopator 12. Antiochus Epiphanes 11. Antiochus Eupator 2. Demetrius Soter 12. Alexander Bala 10. Demetrius Nicanor 3. Antiochus Sidetes 9. Demetrius D. F. 4. Antiochus Grypus 12. Antiochus Cyzicenus 18. Philippus 2. In all 237. And from the beginning of the first Dynastie 2633. These I hauehave heere inserted out of Scaliger, rather to shew the continued succession of the Easterne Empire, then with any intent to perswade, that all these were Kings, and ruled the countrey of Babylonia. For after Arsaces rebelled, the Parthians dispossessed the Syrian Kings of these parts: and before, the Babylonians often rebelled: as in the time of the Persians, when Zopyrus by a strange stratageme, recited by Iustin and others, restored them to Darins: but especially in the times of the Medes, whose Dynastie was much disquieted: sometime the Scythians ( iOros. lib. 1. cap. 19.saith Orosius) and sometimes the Chaldeans, and sometimes the Medes preuailing. Sometimes also (as the Scripture witnesseth) the Assyrians renewed their ancient power. Yea in the time of the Assyrian Dynastie, the Chaldeans are said to warre (in the reigne of Panyas) against the Phaenicians, which argueth that they were then free.
The Scripture and other Histories speake of Phul, Teglath-Phalasar, Iareb, Sargon, Salman-asar, Senacherib, Asar-haddon: which were great and mightie, not onelyonly strong enough to defend themselues against the Medes, but to inuade forren Nations, yea did translate people from one kingdome to another, and k2. Reg. 17. 24.seated the captiues of Israel in the Cities of the Medes, and sent Babylonian Colonies to Samaria; which they could not do, if they had not commanded both Assyria, and Media, with Babylonia.
Nabonassar rebelled, as is said, against Artycas, and began the Chaldean Dynastie, from whom, for this restitution of libertie, the Chaldeans began their Astronomicall computations: he reigned 14. yeares, Nassyus 2. Chinzerus and Porus 5. DiIulans 5. Mardokempadus 12. *Called Merodach.Hee sent Ambassadours to Hezekia. Arkeanos 5. Interregnum 12. Belithus 3. Aporonadicus 6. Herigebalus 1. Nesnoemondacus 4. Interregnum 17. Ieracdin 13. Saosducinus 9. Kiniladachus 14. Nabopellasarus 29. (In the seuenteenth yeare of his reigne, hee sent his sonne Nabuchodmoser into Syria with an armie.) Nabuchodonosor 30. Euilmerodach 6. Neregasolarus 5. Nabonidus 17. This was a Mede by linage (not as some say, King of the Medes) and therefore called Darius Medus, depriued by Cyrus, who after that reigned nine yeares. From the beginning of Nabonassar, to the end of Cyrus, are 217. yeares. From thence to the Asiatike Empire of the Macedonians 201. From thence to the rebellion of Arsaces the Parthian, of whom the Parthian Kings were called Arsacidae 79. And the Dynastie of the Parthians continued 479. yeares: the last of them Artabanus, being slaine. These Kings, and the times of their reignes are not easie to set downe, and Onuphrius is therefore reproued of Scaliger, for vndertaking this taske, in which Authoritie faileth him. Of them wee shall speake in due place.
The lThe second Persian Dynastie.second Persian Dynastie continued till the Mahumetans depriued them. The first, Artaxares reigned 12. yeares, Sapores 31. Ormisdas 1. Wararanes 3. Wararanus 2.—17. Wararanes 3. foure Moneths. Narses 7. Ormisdas 7. Sabores was borne King, and raigned 70. yeares, Artaxerxes 4. Sabores 5. Wararanes 4.—11. Izdigerdes 21. Wararanes 5.—10. Isdigerdes 2.—17. Perozes 24. Obalas 4. Cabades 11. Zamaspcs 4. Cabades againe—30. Cosrees Magnus 48. Ormizda 8. Cosroes 39. Sirees 1. Adeser 7. moneths, Barasas 6. moneths, Baram 7. moneths, Ormizda Iezdegird 3. in all 402.
The Saracens succeeded, whose names and times you may see in our mLib. 3. cap. 1.Saracenicall relation. After the Saracens, reigned the Tartars; and since, sometime one family, sometime another, among the Persians, till Solyman dispossessed the Sophian of the Babylonian dominion, vnderunder which Turkish feruitude it groned, till our daies, in which the present Persian hath recouered it.
I dare not take vponupon me to bee vmpire and decider of those many altercations among Chronologers: but hauehave simply followed Scaliger, whose verie name is able to shield mee from contempt, if not to yeeld mee commendation. Let others, that hauehave more lust and leisure, trauerse these matters at their pleasure: my intent is, most of all, the Histories of Religions: and the successions and alterations of States I hauehave lightly touched: But precisely to determine in what yeare of the world eueryevery King began his reigne, and to dispute the same with all opponents, would bee somewhat tedious to the Reader: to mee (perhappes) in these varieties of opinions, impossible. Leauing therefore the more studious, to the Chronologers, let vsus take a little reuiew of some principall occurrents in the former Catalogue.
Africanus beginnes the Assyrian Monarchie at Belus, and not, as the most, with Ninus. That Belus some thinke to be the same with Nimrod, whom Ninus as wee said before, consecrated. Semiramis is nCoeïus R lb. 13. cap. 29.reported to bee the first, that caused Eunuches to bee made. Ninias, which succeeded, left not like monuments of his great exploits, as his Predecessours before him. Buntingus thinkes him to bee that Amraphel King of Shinar, mentioned, Genes. 14. and that Arioch King of Elasser was his sonne. How euer, it breedes much difficultie, to reconcile the ancient historie of the Babylonian and Assyrian great and long continued Empire, with the kingdomes and Kings in that Chapter by Moses mentioned. Eupolemus, as before is cited out of Eusebius, saith that those Kings were Armenians; Diodorus Tarsensis, as Percrius affirmeth, reckons them Persians, Iosephus. Assyrians: Pererius himselfe thinkes them vassals, and tributaries to the Assyrian: Genebrara suspects the Historie of the Assyrian greatnesse: and truely, not altogether vniustly, as all the Historie of: Moses and Ioshua concerning the Kings in those parts, for ought can bee gathered, yeelding no subiection to Babylon. And the Sodomite and his neighbours had beene the tributaries of Chedarlaomer King of Elam, and not of Amraphel King of Shinar: vnlesse we say that violent things are not permanent, and the yoake imposed before by the Assyrians, was now in Ninias daies reiected: Semiramis being weakened with her Indian expedition, and Ninias by killing her, giuing occasion of discontent to her followers, the men of warre, which might hereupon (contemning this effeminate King, who had suffered his mother to possesse the Scepter so long) fall to sharing for themselues, and erect pettie kingdomes. Arius (happily) restored the Empire thus decayed, if it bee true that Buntingus writeth, that hee was a great warriour, therefore called Arius and Mars, and, as the God of warre, inuocated by the Assyrians. When Tentamos reigned, oDiodor. Sic. lib. 3. cap. 7.Diodor. lib. 3. testisieth, that Priamus, then besieged by Agamemnon, as vassall and tributarie to the Assyrians, sent to him for aide, who sent to his succour Memnon, with 20000. souldiers.
But to descend vntounto times neerer both vsus and the truth, and to view the ruine of that great estate: we reade in the same Author, and in *Iustin. lib. 1. Orosius lib. 2. c. 2.others, that Arbaces (whom Iustin calleth Arbactus; Orosius, Arbastus) was by Sardanapalus made captaine of the armie which was yearely sent to Nina, or Niniue, where a conspiracie was contracted betweene him and Belesus a Chaldean Priest, Captaine of the Babylonians, who by his Chaldean skill in diuination, had foretold Arbaces this destined Empire, and was promised, for his share, the Babylonian principalitie. Thus the Medes, Babylonians, and Arabians, enterprising rebellion, assembled to the number of 400000. whom Sardanapalus ouerthrew in battaile twice; but being still animated by pSome thinke t… s Belesus to bee Din…el, whom the Babylonian King called Belesh zzar. Bi… h ins Concent.Belesus predictions, which (said he) the Gods by the Starres fore-signified: and by corrupting of the Bactrian armie, sent to succour the King, and adioyning themselues to the enemie, they at the third battell ouerthrew the forces of Sardanapalus, led by Salamenus his wiues brother. The King fled into Niniue, trusting to a prophecie, That the Citie should neuer bee taken till the riuer were enemie to it. After two yeares siege, by extreame raines, the riuer swelling ouerflowed part of the Citie, and cast downe twentie furlongs of the walls. Whereupon despairing (as seeming to see GOD and Man against him) he, which before had chambered himselfe with women, and accustomed himselfe to the Distaffe, in a womans both heart and habite: now in a manly resolution (if it may not more sitly be called a Feminine Dissolution, which thus runneth from that danger which it should encounter) gathered his treasures together, and erecting a frame in his Pallace, there burnt them, himselfe, his wiues, and eunuchs together. The Ashes, vnderunder pretence of a Vow thereof, made to Belus, Belesus obtained of Arbaces the new Conquerour and Monarch, to carrie to Babylon. But the cousinage being knowne, and Belesus condemned for the treasures, which with the ashes he had conueyed, Arbaces both gaue it, and forgaue him; adding the praesecture of the Babylonians, according to promise. qPhrygio. Carion. lib. 2.Some say that Belesus, whom they call Phul Beloch, shared the Empire with him, Arbaces reigning ouer the Medes and Persians, the other ouer Niniuie and Babylonia: following heerein the forged Metasthenes, who (as Annius maketh him to say) out of the Susian Librarie penned his Historie, hauing before fabled a Catalogue out of Berosus of the auncient Kings, contrary to that which out of the fragments of the true Berosus before is deliuered.
Sardanapalus is written (saith rEuseb, Chron. per Scalig.Scaliger in his Notes vponupon Eusebius) with a double ll. Sardanapallus, a name, sitting to his effeminate life. …αλλὸς and φαλλὸς signifie the same, whence are those words of Cicero 3. De Repuh. Sardanapallus ille vitijs multò quàm nomine ipso deformior. Sardanapalus built Tarsus and Anchiale (saith Eusebtus) at the same time: the one famous for the most famous Diuine that euer the Sunne saw, (except the Sunne of Righteousnesse himselfe) Paul the Apostle and Doctor of the Gentiles: The other for the Authors Monument and stony Image, sStrabo lib. 14.with this Assyrian Epigramme; Sardanapalus, the sonne of Anacyndar axis, built Anchiale and Tarsus in one day: and thou O stranger, Eate, drinke, play. And Verses were annexed, which I hauehave thus englished.
Mortall, thou knowst thy selfe: then please thine appetite
With present dainties: Death can yeeld thee no delight.
Loe, I am now but dust: whilome a Prince of might.
What I did eate, I hauehave; and what my greetly minde
Consum'd: how much (alas) how sweet, left I behinde?
Learne this, (O man) thus liue: best wisedome thou canst finde
.
This his Legacie hee hath bequeathed to all Epicures, the liuing Sepulchres of themselues, breathing graues (not of so many Creatures onelyonly better than themselues, which they deuoure, but) of Reason, Nature, Religion, Soule, and (if it were possible) of GOD, which all lie buried in these swine, couered with the skinnes of Men. t1. Cor. 15.32.Let vsus eate and drincke, for to morrow wee shall die. Who knoweth whether Paul did not allude to this speech of the Founder of his Citie? This subuersion of the Assyrian Empire was Anno mundt 3145. after Buntingus accompt. Of the Medes see more in their proper place.
The Babylonian Empire renewed by Nabonassar, continued till Cyrus, of which times wee hauehave little record, but in the Scripture, as neyther of those Assyrian Kings, which before had captiued Israel, and inuaded Iuda. Senacherib is famous, euen in the Ethnike history, although they had not the full truth. For thus Herodotus uHerod. lib. 2.telleth, That Sanacharib King of the Arabians and Assyrians warred on Aegypt, where Sethon (before, Vulcans Priest) then reigned: who, beeing forsaken of his souldiours, betooke him to his deuotion, amiddest the which hee fell asleepe. And the god appearing, promised aide which hee performed, sending an Armie of Mice into the Armie of Sanacharib, which did eate his Souldiours quiuers, and the leathers of their shieldes, and armour, in so much, that the very next day they all fled. In witnesse whereof, the Image of the King, made of stone, standeth in the Temple of Vulcan, holding a mouse in his hand, vttering these words; He that looketh on me, let him be religious. This History the Egyptians, in vanity and ambition, had thus peruerted and arrogated to themselues.
Funcius and Osiander make Nabopollasar and Nabuchodonosor to be one and the same, and diuerse Commenters vponupon Daniel hold the same opinion, whom Scaliger and Caluisius confute at large. Nabopollasar is supposed to begin his reigne Anno mundi 3325. which he continued nine and twenty yeres: in his *Sc.canon.….3.seuenteenth yere Nebuchadnezzar (so the Masorites mis-call him, saith Scaliger) or Nabuchodonosor his sonne was sent by him, to subdue the rebellious Egyptians, Iewes, and Palestinians: at which time he carried away Daniel into captiuitie. yBerosus apud Iosephum contra App.libr.1. Caluisius.Hee beganne his reigne Anno mundi 3354, and in the yeare 3360. destrōyed Ierusalem. In the yeare 3386. Euilmerodach his sonne succeeded him, whom Neriglessoorus, (as Scaliger zAnimaduers. in Eusebium pag 85.affirmeth) slew, thereby to aduance his owne sonne the nephew of Nabuchodonosor, called Laborosoarchadus, to the Scepter; which himselfe swayed as Protector in the minoritie of his sonne. But he being dead, & his sonne more fit for a Chamber then a Throne, Nabonidus conspired against him, and slew him. This Nabonidus, saith he, is Darius Medus, and Laborosoarchadus is that Baltasar mentioned by Daniel, after Scaligers interpretation of the Prophet out of Berosus and Megasthenes.
It is a world to see how the Catholikes (so they call themselues) sweate in finding out that Nabuchodonosor mentioned in Iudith 1. Pintus would make it a common name to the Babylonian Kings, as Pharao to the Egyptians: Pererius will hauehave two of the name; others will hauehave him to be Cyrus; others, Cambyses, Artaxerxes, Ochus. Once, Babel is a mother of confusion to her children, and makes them babble, while they will canonise Apocrypha-scriptures.
Cyrus ended the Babylonian monarchie, and hauing wonne Babylon, and taken Darius Medus at Borsippa, he gaue him his life, and the gouernement of Carmania. An. mundi 3409. As Nabuchodonosor had by Edict proclaimed the God of Daniel, so Cyrus ended the captiuity of his people; giuing liberty to such, as would, to returne. But many Iewes abode there still, and thence sent their yeerely offerings to the temple. In the time of Artabanus the Parthian (when Caligula tyrannized at Rome) *Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 1S.ca.12.Asimaeus and Anilaens, brethren of the Iewish nation, grew mightie, and haughtie withall, forgetting God and themselues, which caused the Babylonians to conspire against thē, & (after the death of the brethren with thousands of their partakers) they slew in Seleucia fiftie thousand of the Iewish Nation. Neerda and Nisibis were then much peopled by the Iewes. And thus Religion partly held the ancient course, partly was mixed (according to the custome of Conquests) with the Persian, Macedonian, Parthian, besides the Iewish and Syrian, vntill the Apostles preached heere the Christian veritie.
About the same time, Helena and her sonne Izates King of Adiabena (which is in these parts of Assyria) became Iewish Proselytes. *Seleucia was built by Seleucus Nicator on a channel digged out of Euphrates into Tigris. Plin.lib.6.ca.26.Seleucia built by Seleucus (as it were the marriage-Chamber of Euphrates and Tigris, which there meete and mix their waters: Nature being by mans industry forced to yeeld to the match) as Plinie saith, for that purpose, emptied Babylon of her Inhabitants, and inherited her name also, with her people. It was from Babylon ninetie miles, or, as some reade it, fortie, inhabited with sixe hundred thousand citizens. To spoile the spoyler, the Parthians built Ctesiphon three miles from thence, and failing of their purpose, Vologesus built another towne by, called Vologesocerta. Yet did Babylon it selfe remaine (but not it selfe) in the time of Ammianus Marcellinus, and after.
Ortelius thinketh that Bagdat was called Babylon (as Seleucia before had beene) because it stood neere to the place where Babylon had stood. For that old Babylon in aPausanias Arcad. lib.8.Pausanias time, had nothing left standing but the Temple of Bel, and the walls; sometimes, saith he, the greatest Citie that euer the Sunne saw.
In Ieromes time, bHieron in Es.13.within those walls were kept beasts for the Kings game. It was after inhabited with many thousands of Iewes, and was laid euen with the ground, as Ios. Scaliger cScal. animadversan Euseb. pag.126.affirmeth, in the yeare, after the Iewish accompt, foure thousand seuen hundred ninetie and seuen, and after the Christian, one thousand thirtie and seuen. Maister Fox hath a little dAct.&Mon. ex M.S. Caricus.lengthned the date and fate thereof, shewing that Almaricus King of Ierusalem rased and ruined it, and that it was neuer after inhabited.
Before that time was Bagded built by Bugliafar as eI.di Bar. As.dec.1. lib.1.Barrius calleth him, or after fScal.can.Isa.lib.2.& 3.Scaliger, Abugephar Elmantzur, who beganne to reigne in the one hundred thirtie and sixe, and died in the one hundred fiftie and eight yeare of their Hegeira. Scaliger and gLidyat Em. Tem.Lydyate agree of this place (which in their Emendations of Time disagree so eagerly) that it was Seleucia, or built in the place, & of the ruines thereof: an opinion not improbable, as theirs is altogether which thinke the present Bagded to be the old Babylon. The story of this Bagded or Baldach, and her Chalifs, ye may reade in *Lib.3.ca….2.our Saracenicall Historie. hLoys le Roy. libr.8. Knolls T.H.pag.113. M Polo Ven. Haiton Armen.Authors agree, that Haalon the Tartar sacked it, about the yeare one thousand two hundred and three score. Mustratzem being then Chalipha, the foure and fiftieth, and last of those Saracenicall Popes. He found a miserable death, where others with miserablenesse seeke a blessed life, being shut vp and starued amidst those Treasures, whereof he had store, which Niggardise forbade him to disburse in his owne defence.
There is yet a bone left of this Calipha's carkasse; or some ghost and shadow of that great and mighty body, I meane that ancient name and power of the Calipha's, which, magnificent Solyman the Turkish Emperour in his conquest 1534. would seeme to acknowledge, in accepting the royall ensignes of that new conquered state at the hands of their Calipha: a ceremony which the Soldans in Egypt and Persia vsed, more for forme them necessitie; this Assyrian and that Egyptian Caliph hauing but gesture and vesture, the Souldans themselues enioying both body and soule of this authority.
In the yeare one thousand one hundred fiftie nine, the riuer Tigris ouerflowed Bagded, and desolated many Cities. Barrius iDecad.As.li.2.affirmeth out of the Arabian and Persian Tarigh, which he saith hee had seene, that Bagded was built by the counsell of an Astrologer, a Gentile named Nobach, and hath for ascendent Sagittarius, was finished in foure yeares, and cost eighteene millions of gold. These studies of Astrologie did there flourish. One Richardus kRich.contra Alcoran.ca.13.a Frier Preacher saith, That here was an Vniuersitie, the Students whereof were maintained at publike charge, of which number himselfe was one. That Caliph, that founded it, for the preuenting of Sects, banished Philosophie out of these Schooles, and accounted him a bad Saracen which was a good Philosopher. The reason whereof grew from some, which, reading Aristotle and Plato, relinquished Mahomet.
lM.Po.lib.t, ca. 7.Marco Polo or Paulus the Venetian saith, that they studied here in his time, the Law of Mahomet, Necromancie, Geomancie, Physiognomy, Physicke, and Astronomie: And that it was then a great Staple of the Indian Commodities. This was within few yeares after the Tartar had wonne it. Hee addeth that there were many Christians in these parts: and that in the yeare one thousand two hundred twentie and fiue, in derision of the Gospel, the Chaliph commanding by a day, that the Christians should remoue a mountaine in testimony of their faith, according to the words of CHRIST, or else to abide the perill; this was effected by a Shoomaker, and the day in remembrance thereof yeerely solemnized with fasting the Euen.
The Iewes goe still to visite the Denne which is there shewed, as the place of 'Daniels imprisonment, with his terrible Gaolers or fellow-prisoners, as Maister Allen tolde me.
A certaine Merchant, (the Discourse of whose voyage *Cap. 8.Ramusius hath published) speaketh of Orpha, a towne in the way from Byr to Babylon, wherein the people foolishly suppose, that Abraham offered Isaac: at which time (say they) there sprang a fountaine which watereth their Countrey, and driueth their milles. Here was a Christian Temple called Saint Abraham, after turned into a Mahumetane Moschee, and now called Abrahams well, into which if any enter so many times (they hauehave a set number) with deuotion, he is freed of anie feuer: The fishes which are many, hauehave taken Sanctuarie in these waters, and none dare take them, but hold them holie. Six miles from hence is a Well, holden in like sacred account, which cureth Leprosies. Nisibis, Carrae, and mV…later.ls.11.Edessa, were chiefe Cities of Mesopotamia: at Edessa reigned Ab igarus, betwixt whom and our Sauiour passed (if we may beleeue it) those Epistles yet extant.
At Carrhae nAlex.ab Alexand.gen.dier.lib. 4.cap.8.there was a Temple of the Moone, in which, they which sacrificed to the goddesse Luna, were subiect to the gouernement of their wiues: they which sacrificed to the god Lunus, were accounted their wiues Maisters. Hee saith, that the Babylonians allowed marriages of parents and children. oLib.2.cap.24Cafe is two dayes iourny from Bagdet, pCartweight.religious for the buriall of Hali and his sonnes, Hassan and Ossain: whereunto is resort of Pilgrims from Persia, whose kings were wont here to be crowned. But this city Curio qCurio Sar. Eist.lib.1.calleth Cusa, assigneth it to Arabia, & saith that of this accident it was called Massadale, or the house of Ali, slain here by Muaui his cópetitor.
Mesopotamia is now called Diarbeth. rMaginus.The chiefe Cities in it are Orfa, of seuen miles compasse, famous, say some, for the death of Crassus. sAssyrias Latio maculauit languine Cari as: saith Lucan.Caramit the mother-citie of the Countrey, of twelue miles compasse: Mosul and Merdin, of which in the next Chapter. Betweene Orpha and Caramit, was the Paradise of Aladeules, where he had a fortresse destroyed by Selim. tCartwright.This his Paradise was like to that which you shall finde in our Persian Historie. Men, by a potion brought into a sleepe, were brought into this supposed Paradise, where at their waking, they were presented with all sensuall pleasures of musicke, damosells, dainties, &c. which (hauing had some taste of an other sleepie drinke) after came againe to themselues. And then did Aladeules tell them, That he could bring whom he pleased to Paradise, the place where they had bin: And if they would commit such murders, or haughty attempts, it should be theirs. A dangerous deuise. Zelim the Turke destroyed the place.