A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 20
Of Arabia.
NExt unto the Holy Land, Arabia bounded.lieth the great Country of Arabia, having on the North part, Palestina, and Mesopotamia; on the East side the Gulph of Persia; on the South, the maine Ocean of India, or Ethiopia: on the West Egypt, and the great Bay, called Sinus Arabicus, or the Red Sea.
This Countrey is divided into three parts: North part whereof is called Arabia Deserta, theArabia divided into three parts. South part, which is the greatest is named Arabia Foelix: and the middle betweene both, that (which for the abundance of Rocks and stones) is called Arabia Petrea, or Petrosa.
The Desart of Arabia, is thatOf the Desart of Arabia. place in the which God after the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, by passing thorow the Red Sea, did keep his people under Moses, for forty yeares, because of their rebellion; feeding them in the mean time with Manna from Heaven; and sometimes with water miraculously drawn out of dry Rocks: for the Country hath very little water, almost no trees, and is utterly unfit for tillage or corne.
There are no Towns nor inhabitants of this Desart: in Arabia Petrosa are some, but not many.
Arabia Foelix, for fruitfulness of ground, and convenience standing every way toward the Sea, is one of the best Countries of the world: and the principall cause why it is called Foelix, is, for that it yieldeth many things in abundance, which in other parts of the world are not to be had; as Frankincense especially, the most precious Balmes, Myrrhe, and many other both Fruits and Spices, and yieldeth withall, store of some precious stones.
When Alexander the great was young, after the manner of the Macedonians, he was to put incense upon an Altar; pouring on great store of Frankincense one of the Nobility of his Countrey told him, that he was too prodigall of that sweet perfume; and that he should make spare, untill he had conquered the Land wherein the Frankincense did grow. But when Alexander afterward had taken Arabia, and had possession thereof, he sent a ship load of Frankincense to the Noble man, and bad him serve the gods plentifully, and not offer incense miserably.
This is that countrey whereinMahomet born in Arabia. Mahomet was borne, who being of mean parentage, was brought up in his youth in the trade of Merchandise; but afterward joyning himself with thieves and robbers, his life was to rob such Merchants as passed thorow Arabia; and to this purpose having gotten together many of his own Countrey-men, he had afterward a whole legion or more of the Roman Souldiers, who being offended with Heraclius the Roman Emperour, for want of their pay, joined themselves to him; so that at length he had a great Army, wherewith he spoiled the Countries adjoining: And this was about the yeare of Christ 600.
To maintaine his credit and authority with his own men, he fained that he had conference with the Holy Ghost, at such times as he was troubled with the falling sicknesse: and accordingly he ordained a new religion, consisting partly of Jewish Ceremonies, and partly of Christian Doctrine, and some other things of his own invention, that he might inveigle both Jewes and Christians, and yet by his own fancy distinguish his own followers from both.
The Booke of his Religion isThe Turks Alcaron. called the Alcaron. The people which are Sectaries (whereas indeed they came of Hagar, the Hand-maid of Sarah, Abrahams wife, and therefore should of her be called Ishmaelites or Hagarens) because they would not seeme to come of a bond-woman, and from him whom they suppose a bastard; they terme themselves Saracens, as comming from Sarah; they are called by some Writers, Arabians instead of Saracens, their name being drawn from their first Countrey.
Mahomet did take something ofThe Turks Religion. his doctrine both from the Jewes and Christians: as that there is but one God; that there is a life eternall in another world; and the ten Commandements, which they do admit and beleeve; but from the Jewes alone, the false Prophet did borrow divers things, as that all his males should be circumcised, that they should eate no swines flesh; that they should oftentimes bathe, purge and wash themselves; which divers of their people, which are more religious than the ordinary sort, do five times in the day, and therefore they have neare to their Churches and Houses of Devotion divers Baths; whereinto when they have entred and washed themselves, they do perswade themselves that they are as cleare from sinne, as they were the first day they were born.
In this Country of Arabia standeth a City called Mecha, where isThe City Mecha. the place where Mahomet was buried, and in remembrance of him there is builded a great Temple, unto which the Turkes and Saracens yearely goe on pilgrimage, (as some Christians doe to the Holy Land) For they account Mahomet to be the greatest Prophet that ever came into the world; saying that there were three great Prophets, Moses, Christ, and Mahomet: and as the doctrine of Moses was better by Christ, so the doctrine of Christ is amended by Mahomet: In this respect as we reckon the computation of our yeares from the incarnation of Christ, so the Saracens account theirs from the time of Mahomet.
The Turkes, whose fame began now about 3000 yeares since, have imbraced the opinions and religion of the Saracens, concerning Mahomet. Some of our Christians doe report, that Medina a City, standing three daies journy from Mecha, is the place where Mahomet was buried, and that by order from himself, his body was put into an Iron Coffin, which being carried into a Temple, the roofe or vault whereof was made of Adamant, or perhaps of the Loadstone, is attracted unto the top of the vault, and there hangeth, being supported by nothing. But there is no certainty of this Narration.
This false Prophet (as Lodovicus Vives, de veritate fidei, doth write) being desirous in some sort to imitate Christ Jesus, who foretold that he should rise again within the space of 3. dayes, did give out that himself should rise again; but he appointed a larger time, that was after 800. yeares, and yet that timeThe blasphemous prophecy of Mahomet. also is expired, but we heare no newes of the resurrection of Mahomet. As the Deviil hath ever some device to blinde the eyes of unbelievers, so he hath suffered it to be reported and credited among the Turkes, that as Moses did allude to the comming of Christ, so Christ did foretell somewhat of the appearing of Mahomet. Whereupon it is ordinarily received among them, that when Christ, in St Johns Gospel, did say, That although he departed, he would send them a Comforter, it was added in the Text, and that shall be Mahomet: But that the Christians in malice to them, have raced out those words.
Their own bookes do mention that. Mahomet (while he lived) was much given to lasciviousnesse,Mahomet a lascivious person. and all uncleannesse of body, even with very beasts; and his followers are so senslesse, that in imitation of him, they think no such wickednesse to be unlawfull: For they are utterly unlearned, and most receive whatsoever is delivered unto them out of the Alcaron, Mahomet having made it a matter of death to dispute, sift, or call in question any thing which is written in his Law.
On the West side of Arabia, between that and Egypt, lieth the Gulph called of the Country, Sinus Arabicus; by some, Mare Erithraeum, but commonly the Red sea, The red seanot from the rednesse of the water, but because the land and bankes thereabout, are (in colour) red. This is the Sea, through the which (by Moses the people of Israel were led, when they fled out of Egypt from Pharaoh, God causing by his power, the waters to stand on both sides of them, that they passed through as on dry land.
This is that Sea, through which the spices of the East Indies were in times past brought to Alexandria in Egypt, and from thence dispersed into Christendome by the Venetians: which spices, and Apothecaries drugs, are found to be farre worse than before time they were, by reason of the great moisture which they take on the water, by reason of the long navigation of the Portugals, by the back parts of Africa.
This is the sea, through the which Solomon did send for his gold, and other precious Merchandise unto the East Indies, and not to the West-Indies, as some lately have disputed. Whereout the vanity of that opinion may appeare that America, and the West Indies, were known in the time of Solomon. For if he had sent thither, his course had been along the Mediterranean, and through the straits of Gibraltar, commonly called Fretum Herculium, between Spain & Barbary: But the Scripture telleth, that the Navy which Solomon sent forth, was built at Ezion Geber, which is there also said to stand on the Red Sea. So his course might be East-ward or South-ward, and not West-ward.
In the Desart of Arabia, is theMount Horeb. Mount Horeb, which by some is supposed to be the same that is called Mount Sinai, where they think it was that Abraham should have offered up his sonne Isaac. But this is certaine, that it is the place where God in the wildernesse did give unto the people of Israel his Law of the ten Commandements, in thundering, lightning, and great earth quake, in most fearefull manner.