A Geographical Description of All the Countries in the Known World, Part 1 · Subpart 7 – Subpart 14
The Temple Described.
The Temple was built upon a Rocky Mountain; the plain on the top whereof was at first scarce big enough for the Temple and Court, the hill being very steep: But the people every day bringing earth thither, at last made it plain, and large enough, and inclosed the hill with a treble wall, which was a work passing all expectation; to the effecting whereof many Ages were spent, and all the holy treasure offered to God from all parts of the world: The foundations of the Temple were laid three hundred cubits deep, and in many places more. The stones of it were forty cubits, The Porches were double, and every one was supported by many stately pillars, five and twenty cubits high, all of one peece of white Marble; the tops of them were of Cedar so exactly wrought, as astonished the beholders: These Porches were thirty Cubits broad, and the compass of all was six Furlongs. The Courts were curiously wrought, and paved with all sorts of stones.
Thirdly, The way to the inward Temple was all inclosed with stones, wrought like Lattice-work, which were three Cubits high, of curious workmanship: to this second there was an ascent by fourteen staires; and aloft it was four square, and enclosed with a wall by it self, whose outside being forty Cubits high, was all covered with stairs to ascend up to it, and within, it was twenty five Cubits high: At the top of the fourteen staires within the wall was a level, compassed with a wall of three hundred Cubits, which had eight Gates in it; and between the Gates were Porches opposite each to other, reaching from the wall to the Treasury, supported with great and stately Pillars. All the gates were covered with Plates of gold, and silver, only one was covered with Corinthian brasse, which for beauty far excelled the other, dazling the eyes of the beholders: In every gate were two doores, each of them thirty Cubits high, and fifteen broad; and on each side they had seats thirty Cubits long, and forty Cubits high, each one supported with two Pillars, twelve Cubits thick: Only the gate which was covered with Corinthian brasse, was fifty Cubits high, the gates were forty Cubits, and it was more richly adorned than the rest.
Fourthly, the Holy of Holies was situated in the midst of all, and had twelve staires to go up to it. The forepart of it was an hundred Cubits high, and as many broad: Backward it was forty Cubits; on each side it had as it were two shoulders rising up in height twenty Cubits: The first gate was seventy Cubits high, and five and twenty wide, and had no doores, to shew that Heaven was alwayes open, &c. All the foreparts were gilded, and all wi…in was covered with fine gold. The inward part was divided into two rooms, whereof the first only might bee seen, which was in height fourescore, and ten Cubits, in length forty, and in breadth tvventy: round about the wall vvas a golden Vine, vvhereon hung many grapes in clusters all of gold, every cluster being about six foot long: It had golden gates fifty five Cubits high, and sixteen Cubits broad. It had curious hangings of the same length, admirably vvrought vvith Purple, Violet, and Scarlet Silk, all the fabrick vvas so exquisitely and richly vvrought, that none could possibly imagine any vvorkmanship that it vvanted: For it vvas all covered vvith a massie plate of pure gold vvhichwhich dazled the eyes of the beholders: The top vvas all set vvith rods of gold, sharp like pikes at the ends, lest birds should sit thereon, and defile it. The stones wherewith it was built were forty five Cubits large, five in length, six broad, and as many long. Joseph. l. 6. c. 7.
The City of Ninive described.
Ninive was first founded by Assur the son of Sem, Gen. 11.10. Enlarged by Ninus, the third Babylonish King: The compasse of it was four hundred and eighty Furlongs, or sixty four Italian miles▪ the Walls were one hundred foot high, and so broad, that three Chariots might passe abreast upon them; upon the Walls were fifteen hundred Towers, each of them two hundred foot high: It's called a great City, Jonah 3.3. It was eight years in building, and there were never fewer than ten thousand workmen about it.
The City of Babylon described.
Babylon was founded by Nimrod, Gen. 10.10. but enlarged by Semiramis, who for the carrying on of that work, drew together thirty hundred thousand workmen; who in one year finished the Walls, which contained in circuit four hundred and eighty furlongs, or sixty four Italian miles: They were two hundred foot high, and fifty foot thick; so that six Chariots might drive abreast on them. The River Euphrates ran through the midst of it: over which shee built a strong, and stately Bridge of a mile long, binding each stone to other, with clips of Iron fastened with molten lead. These Walls were one of the seven Wonders of the World. It was built four square, each side sixteen miles long; scituated in a large plain. Aristotle calls it a Country, rather than a City: and it must needs bee very great, when some part of it was taken three dayes before the other heard of it.
It had a hundred brazen Gates, and two hundred and fifty Towers upon the Walls, for beauty, and strength. Semiramis built in it two Pallaces both for ornament, and defence: One in the West, which was sixty Furlongs in compasse, with high brick Walls, and within that a lesse, and within that a third, wherein also was an impregnable Tower. These were wrought sumptuously with Images of Beasts: It had three stately gates, and within the walls were game of Beasts of sundry sorts. The other Pallace was in the East, on the other side of the River, containing thirty Furlongs in circuit.
Semiramis her Obelisk described.
Semiramis Queen of Babylon caused an huge Obelisk, square, and of the fashion of a Pyramid, to bee cut out of the Armenian Mountains one hundred and fifty foot long, and four and twenty foot thick, which with much difficulty was brought to the River Euphrates, and from them thence to Babylon, where shee erected it, to bee matter of admiration to future ages. Diod.
The Rarities in old Babylon described.
Within the heart of this huge and stately City of Babylon shee built a Tower, reckoned amongst the VVorlds VVonders; It had an hundred brazen gates, and two hundred and fifty Towers. Semiramis also built in the same City a stately Temple which shee dedicated to Cush, or Jupiter Belus, four square; each side containing two Furlongs or a thousand paces, with thick Towering walls, entred by four gates of polished brasse. In the midst was a solid Tower of the height and thicknesse of a Furlong: upon this another, and so each higher than another, being eight in number, reaching far above the middle Region of the Air: In the highest Tower was a Chappel, and therein a fair bed covered, and a Table of gold, in the top of this Chappel shee placed three golden Statues: One of Jupiter, forty foot long weighing a thousand Talents (each Talent containing sixty three pounds, and almost ten ounces): Another of Ops, weighing as much, sitting in a golden Throne, at her feet two Lions, and hard by, huge Serpents of silver, each of thirty Talents. The third Image was of Juno standing, in weight eight hundred Talents: To all which was a common Table of gold forty foot long, and twelve broad, weighing fifty Talents. There were also two standing Cups of thirty Talents, and two Vessels for perfume, of the like weight: besides three other Vessels of gold weighing twelve hundred Talents: all which the Persian Kings after their conquest of it took away. Herod.
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon with its Rarities described.
Nebuchadnezzar, after hee came to it, having conquered all the neighbouring Nations, enriched this Temple of Belus with their spoils, and added a new City to the old without the same, which hee compassed about with three walls, and made in them stately gates: and neer his Fathers Palace hee built another more stately, wherein hee raised stone works like unto Mountains, which hee planted with all manner of trees: Hee made also Pensile Gardens (one of the VVorlds VVonders) born upon arches four square, each square containing four hundred foot, filled above vvith earth, vvherein grevv all sorts of trees and plants: the arches vvere built one upon another in convenient height, still increasing as they ascended: the highest vvhichwhich bate the vvalls vvere fifty Cubits high: Hee made also Aquaeducts for the vvatering of this Garden. Hee erected also an Image of gold in the plain of Dura sixty Cubits high, and six broad: These stately buildings made him so to boast;When Alexander took it, hee h…d in i… two hundred thousand Talents of Gold. Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the Kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majesty? Herod.
The Tower of Babylon Described.
About one hundred and thirty years after Noahs comming out of the Ark, his posterity being affrighted with the late Flood, under Nimrod they intended to raise up such a pile, as should secure them from a second deluge, and admirable it is to consider, what multitudes of men there were in the world in so short a space, there being but eight persons that came out of the Ark, and now this building was carried on by five hundred thousand men; the Basis of it was nine miles in compass, and in a few years they raised it above five thousand paces into the sky, and had proceeded farther, but that God by confounding their Languages, despersed them over the whole face of the Earth. Herb. Trav.
The Country about Babylon hath been the fruitfullest in the VVorld, yeilding ordinarily two hundred, and in some places three hundred increase: the blades of the VVheat and Barley are about four fingers broad; They cut their Corn twice in the year, and depasture it a third time, or else it would bee nothing but blade: Pur. Pilgri. p. 59.
The City of Bagdat Described.
Bagdat is raised out of the ruines of old Babylon: its in circuit above three miles, containing fifteen thousand families: its watered by Tygris, somewhat broader than the Thames; it hath a bridge over it made upon thirty long boates, chained together, made to open, and shut at pleasure: The Mosque stands at the West end, large, round, and pleasantly raised of white freestone: The Pallace joyns to the market, its large but low. The Coha-house is a house of good fellowship, where every evening they assemble to drink a certain Stygian Liquor, a black, thick, bitter potion, brewed out of Bunum berries, of great repute, because it provokes lust, and purges melancholly. The Buzzar is square, and comely, the gardens are sweet and lovely.