A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine, Book 3 · Body of book · Chapter 6
Here the Map of Zebulun is to be inserted.
THE TRIBE OF ZEBVLVN. CHAP. 6.
§ 1. ZEbulun tenth son of Iacob by Leah his wise had his posterity so increased in Egypt, The populousness and puiss…nce of Zebulun.thataNum. 1. 31. fifty seven thousand four hundred were extracted from him. All which dying in the wilderness for their manifold disobedience, their next generation beingbNum. 26. 27. sixty thousand five hundred possessed the land of Canaan. Honourable mention on all occasions is made of this Tribe in Scripture. How forw…rd were they in their expedition against Sisera, in so much ascIudg. 5. 14. out of Zebulun they came down that handled the pen of the writer; Gown-men turned Sword-men, Clerks became Captains, changing their penknives into swords. Thus the peaceableness of their profession can bail none to stay at home, when eminent danger arrests all at the suite of the Commonwealth to serve in person abroad. David calls them the PrincesdPsal. 68. 27. of Zebulun &c. and well might he afford them that style of dignity, who attended him at Hebron with an army so absolutely accomplished
For
1 Number,e1 Chr. 12. 33. fifty thousand.
2 Skill, expert in war, which could keep ranke.
3 Weapons, with all instruments of war.
4 Loyalty, they were not of double hearts.
Yet in all ages, of all the numerous Tribe of Zebulun, we finde but two Grandees expressed by name,fIudg. 12. 12. Elon a peaceable Judge, and Ionah an eminent Prophet. But what shall we say? A greater then Ionah was here, even Christ himself, the honour and dishonour (though not of the tribe) of the land of Zebulun: honor, because here miraculously conceived, poorly & painfully bread & brought up, here frequent in preaching & working of miracles: dishonour, because carelesly neglected and scornfully contemned, yea dispightfully persecuted of his own countreymen.
§ 2. Zebulun had Asher on the north-west,The situation and sea conveniences thereof. Naphtali on the north-east, Issachar on the south, the Mediterranean on the west, and Galilean sea on the east thereof. This maritime position of this Tribe Iacob foresaw in his Prophecy,gGen. 49. 13. Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the Sea, and he shall be for an haven of ships, and his border shall be unto Zidon. Which Charter of sea conveniencies is renewed, and enlarged by Moses in his blessing, Rejoyce hDeut. 33. 18, 19.Zebulun in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountains, and there shall they offer Sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall suck of the abundance of the Seas, and treasures hid in the sand. Where though these two Tribes be made Partners, and joint sharers in marine interests, and are promised equall profit thereby, yet Issachar it seems loved land and an home life best, imploying his canvase rather for Tents, then Sails, whilest the sea and going out in long voiages was rather Zebuluns delight. So have I seen chickens and ducklings hatched under the same hen, no sooner unhoused out of their shels, but presently the one falls a pecking on the ground, the other a padling in the water.
§ 3. Nor let any be staggered at the close of Iacobs Prophecy,Zebulun how bordering on Sidon. wherein he foretelleth, Zebuluns border shall be untoiGen. 49. 13. Sidon, finding this Tribe to fall many miles short and south of that place. For Sidon is not there to be taken for the City but CountreykBochar. Geog. Sacr. par. pri. pag. 342. so named. And the land of the Sidonians or Phenicians, extended to Accho or Ptolemais a city thereof, on which the north bound of Zebulun did confine. Greater will be the difficulty to assigne a cleare reason, why in the first book of Chronicles, where the Pedegrees of all the other Tribes are reckoned up; Zebulun and Dan (as considerable and deserving as the rest) is omitted. The best is, places not persons concern our present subject, and I hope I shall not betray such indiscretion to leave the plain and ready Rode of my work in hand, to enter into the wood (not to say the bog) of an impertinent question.
§ 4. We begin with the sea of Galilee the eastern boundary of this Tribe,The severall measures and names of the Galilean Sea. called always a sea by three of the Evangelists, but generally a Lake by Saint Luke. Indeed amongst lakes it may be accounted for a Sea, such the greatness; amongst seas reputed for a lake, such the sweetness and freshness of the water therein. The extent thereof is most variously reported amongst Authors.
lIos. l. 3. de bel. Iud. ca. 18.Iosephus makes it an hundred furlongs long, and sixe broad.
mLib. 5. c. 15. Nat. hist.Pliny measures it to be sixteen miles long, and six broad.
nDe Ter. sa…c.Munster assignes it to be twenty German miles (eighty English) in compass.
oTrav. of Patriarchs. p. 446.Bunting contracts it to twelve in length, four miles and somewhat more in breadth.
pTrav. p. 104.Biddulph a late English Divine, and eye-witness thereof computes it eight leagues in length and five in breadth (three miles to all leagues) whom for the main we have followed.
Others assigne it other dimensions, all agree it is not very great. But what it wants in bigness, it hath in variety of names, called the Sea of
1 Cinnereth onelyonly in the oldqIosh. 13. 27. & Iosh. 19. 35. Testament from a City of that name in the Tribe Naphtali. Others conceive it so named from Kinnor, an Harp in Hebrew, which it is said in shape to resemble: sure the high winds, sometimes make but bad musick (to the eares of mariners) when playing thereupon.
2rLuke 5. 1. Gennesareth
3sIohn 6. 1. Tiberias.
cities of note in our Saviours time flourishing thereon.
4tMat. 15. 29. Galilee, the countrey which almost on all sides surrounded it.
Small vessels sometimes termeduLuke. 5. 2. foreign Ships, sometimes foreign, wMa…ke 3. 9.Boates or Barges, went to and again in this sea, Gally-likexLuke 8. 23. sailing or yMark 6. 48.rowing (or perchance both) as they saw their advantage. They were little of strength, (because no Pirates to molest them) and not great of burthen, not comparable to the ship wherein Saint Paul sailed on the Mediterranean Sea, carrying twozActs 27. 37. hundred threescore and sixteen souls, which for the greatness thereof might be Admirall of all the Navy in the new Testament. The river of Iordan runneth through the midst of this Sea, and mingleth not therewith, but preserveth his own stream intire: which some impute to the swiftness, yea rapidness of his course, not at leasure to take notice of (much less to unite with) any water he meets in the way, before he come to his journeys end at the dead Sea.
§ 5. This was the onelyonly and all the seas,Why our Saviour traversed sea as well as land. that ever our Saviour sailed upon. It is reported of wise Cato, that he repented he ever went thither by Sea, whither he might have gone by land. But see here Wisdome it self (who by going about might have passed to any place on the other side of the Sea) preferred the use of a ship, not to spare his own pains, (whereof none more liberall) but to
1 Shew natures intent of the Sea, made as well to be sailed, as the ground to be gone upon.
2 Take occasion to manifest his Deity in working of miracles thereon.
3 Comfort seafaring-men in their distresses, praying to such a Saviour as had an exprerimentall knowledge of the danger on both elements.
And here, amongst the many voyages of our Saviour (who often crossed the length and breadth of this sea-lake) let us take account of some most remarkable. And first in generall we may observe, that after the working of some extraordinary miracle, (which might have great influence on peoples affections) as the feeding of so many thousands, Christ presently put to sea (clouding himself in obscurity) and shunning popularity so far, that it should venture a drowning, if offering to follow after him.
§ 6. The first voyage we will insist on,Christs first voyage. was when our Saviour sailed in Simons aLuke 5. 7.ship, who formerly had fished all night, getting nothing save a drowzie head and empty hands, untill casting his net at Christs command, he caught such store of fish, both his and his partners ship began to sink. O when will any earthly thing fall out even to our desires! We always finde fish, either none at all, or too many; and a surfeit of wealth is as dangerous as a famine thereof. The fish were now ready to return into the water from whence they came, and not by their wit, but weight had caught their fishermen, had not Christ by miracle brought all safe to shore.
§ 7. A second when the Disciples put to sea at the command,The second voyage saves Peter. but without the person of their Master. Tossed they were on the waves, rowing with great pains to little purpose, for the wind was contrary, till looking at lastbM…t. 14. 24. they see Iesus walking on the water; Then were the words of the Psalmist literally true,cPsal. 77. 19. Thy way is in the Sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. The Disciples unable to conceive such a mystery conclude it was a Ghost. It is not worth our enquiry, what Ghost, or whence, good or evill, of man or devill, this wild guess being the effect of their fright, then which no more professed foe to a cleare judgment. Christ quickly discovering himself, Peter requests a commission to meet him: which granted, he walks for a while on the water, till his Faith first, then feet failing him, he began to answer the name of Cephas, proving himself a stone, not by the stability, but the heaviness thereof, and began to sink, till Christ saved him. Nor was Christ sooner in the ship, but the ship wasdIohn 6. 21. at the land. Thus those many strokes at the oares which the Disciples had taken before, were not meerly lost, but onelyonly laid up, and now restored them in their speedy arrivall. Yea the sails of the ship were not now on the mast, but in the keel thereof, Christs person did the deed. Thus projects driven on without Gods gracious presence are but driven on, whilest such designes fly to their wished end, which take God along with them.
§ 8. The third and last voyage we will insist on,The third voyage when Christ was fast a sleep. was when the ship was not upon but under the sea,eMat. 8. 24. covered with the waves. Yea, it was now full offMark. 4. 3. 7. water, and the Disciples of fear, whilest Christ him self was fast asleep, having a pillow under his head, and a softer under his heart, a clear conscience. See we here our Saviour a perfect, because an imperfect Man, his infirmities speake the reality of his humanity. Working had made him weary, weariness had caused him to sleep much out of a desire to be refreshed, more out of a designe to be awaked. Here all cry out, Master save us, we perish. Danger will make the profane to pray, the wilfull-dumbe to speak, who will finde a tongue, rather then lose a life. No doubt Iudas himselfe, who afterwards sold him, was now as clamorous as any to be saved by him. Christ awakes, and rebukes first the DisciplesgMar. 4. 39, 40. for being too fearfull, and despairing, then the winds and waves, for being too bold and presumptuous. Both obey, owning their Creatours voice; as well may his words, who made them at first, make them now to be quiet.
§ 9. Many more were the voiages our Saviour made on the Sea,Why Christ never sailed after his resur…ection. as when after the feeding of so many thousands, they had but onehMar. 8. 14. loafe in the ship, and on our Saviours caveat of the leaven of the Pharisees, their jealousies grew solicitous for food. Had they not besides that one loafe in their Cup-board, twelve moe in their memory (five at one batch, and seven at another) on the recollection whereof their mindes might feed, to depend on providence, especially whilest the founder of the feast was in their company. But we who condemne them, are too likely to commit the like distrust, if left to our selves, upon less occasion. To return to our Saviour, it is observable that after his resurrection, we read not that he sailed any more upon the Seas. For such a fluctuating and turbulent condition, which necessarily attends sea-voyages, was utterly inconsistent with the constancy, stability, and perpetuity of Christs estate when risen from the grave. The firme land therefore better agreeing with his fixed and immoveable happiness, thereon he stood, and onelyonly gave the word of command to his disciples at Sea, on which side they should cast forth their net, when they caught soiIohn 21 4. many fishes. And so much for the Sea of Tiberias, hoping that if the weakly reader be sea-sick by staying so long on the water, he will instantly be well upon our arrivall on the main land, to which now we proceed.
§ 10. As this Tribe did overflow in sea conveniences;The method of the future description. so it fell not short in the commodities of the land. The countrey thereof was enamelled with pleasant rivers, whose bankes were adorned with fair Cities. We will follow the chanells of those rivers, which will direct us to the most considerable places in Zebulun; beginning with little Iordan. Indeed so little, that there is no mention thereof at all in Scripture, and little in other Authors,kVid. Tabulam Ter. Sanc. Mercator being one of the first in my observation that takes notice thereof. It ariseth in the south part of the vale of Iephtael, and running full east is augmented from the south with the tribute of another brook, fetching his course by Nazareth an eminent place, and famous in the new Testament.
§ 11. Nazareth lLuke 4. 29.was seated on the brow of an hill, in the very center of this Tribe:The situation and denomination of Nazareth. so called (as SaintmTom. 1. epi. 17. ad Marcellam. Hierom will have it) from a flower which it signifieth in Hebrew, because Christ, that PrimenCant. 2. 1. Rose and Lily, had here his conception. For though he saw his first light at Bethlehem, he sucked his first breath in Nazareth, where his mother lived till very near the time of her delivery. Also here he afterwards had his poor and painfull education, working on his Fathers trade (as it is probable from the words of the Evangelist,*Mar. 6. 3. Is not this the Carpenter?) though who would not have rather looked for a Scepter, then an Axe in his hand, who was born King of the Iews?
§ 12. His short and secret abode at Bethlehem, A Vulgar error.long and publique living at Nazareth, gave the ground to the then vulgar errour, that he was born in this place. To foment this popular mistake, and disguise the truth of Christs nativity (so to leave the Iews at the greater loss concerning their Messiah) the devills (who knew full well that he was Iesus of Bethlehem by birth) publiquely called him IesusoLuke 4. 34. of Nazareth, the reputation of that place running so low in common account, thatpIohn 1. 46. no good could thence be expected. This nickname of Nazareth, first publickly fastened (as some conceive) by Satan on our Saviour, stuck by him all his life, yea at his death, (fixed by Pilate in his title onqIohn 19. 19. the Cross) yea after his ascension, so that such as believed on him, and embraced his doctrine, were opprobriously termed, the sect of therAct. 24. 5. Nazarens.
§ 13. Here also some (otherwise good and learned) men,Christ no ceremonious Nazarite. are guilty of another mistake, in making Christ one of the Legall Nazarites (whence groweth the length of his hair in most pictures) who by vertue of theirsNumb 6. 2. vow were tied to many ceremonious observances. Whereas our Saviour frequentlytMat. 11. 19. drank wine, familiarly touched the dead & took uLuke 8. 54.them by their hands, (and probably therefore a Rasor touched his head) both the former being expresly forbidden the Mosaicall Nazarites, during the days of their separation. Yet how our Saviour is tearmed a Nazaren xMat. 2. 23.in reference, it may seem, amongst others, to that Prophecy,*Isay 11. 1. And there shall come out a Rod out of the stem of Iesse, and a branch [foreign] shall grow out of his roots, we leave to the learned Commentators on that Text.
§ 14. During our Saviours living at Nazareth after he entered into the Ministery,The first fruits of Christs preaching in Nazareth. he bestowed a Sermon on this place of his education, and having found out his textyLuke 4. 20., Isa. 61. 1.
1 He closed his book. Not in any vaine ostentation of his memory; but because either his Auditours were so well versed in the letter of the Scripture, that they could tell by heart any quotation he should cite therein: or rather, because out of his fulness of divine knowledge and wisedome, himself had no more need of it; and he would thereby fasten the more their eares, and his tongue to that one text which was of so maine concernment and importance unto them.
2 And he gave it againe to the Minister. Of him he received, to him he restored it, and coming in Reader by his leave, he would not undermine the Incumbent, of the place, but honoured him in the presence of his people. Hereby also he might haply shew that Ministers are to keep Gods word, not as hucksters in gross, but as Stewards to dispense it.
3 And sat down. Professor-like, to shew his authority, and the steadiness of his doctrine. In England the Pastour onelyonly stands, whilest the people sit; yet we envy not their ease, nor begrudge our own paines; any posture shall please us, which may profit them.
4 And the eyes of all were fastened on him, (advantaged likely thereunto by the round and pillar-less structure of their Synagogue) not sleeping there, nor gazing about, nor reading, an action (like Achitophel hisz2 Sam 17. 7. counsell) good, but not at that time:
But thus fixing their eyes to help their attention, and express their longing desire to know how he would interpret that famous place of Scripture; as also for the fame that they had heard of him, who without study and ordinary meanes became so incomparable a Teacher*John 7. 15.. And yet curiosity as much as true devotion may seem to cause this their attention; seeing they who out of novelty were ready to eate his words, soon after out of cruelty were more ready to devoure the speaker, contemning him for the poverty of his parentage, person and kindred, and hating him for the truth he delivered, that a Prophet is not without honour but in his own Countrey.
§ 15. How this comes to pass,Why Prophets without honour in their own countrey. let others largely dispute. We may in briefe conclude, it is partly because their cradles can be remembred, and those swadling-cloathes, once used about them, to strengthen them whilest infants, are afterwards abused against them, to disgrace them when men, and all the passages of their childhood repeated to their disparagement. Partly because all the faults of their family (which must be many in a numerous alliance) are charged on the Prophets account. Wherefore that Prophet who comes at the first in full growth from a far forein place (not improving himselfe amongst them from a small spark, to a fire, to a flame; but sunlike arising in perfect lustre) gaines the greatest reputation amongst people: Because in some respect he is like Melchisedek,aHeb. 7. 3. without Father, without Mother, without descent, whilst the admiring vulgar, transported with his preaching, and ignorant of his extraction on earth, will charitably presume his Pedegree from heaven, and his breeding, as calling, to be divine.
§ 16. The cruell Nazarites brought Christ to the brow of the hill,The murdering intents of the Nazarites defeated. with full intent to cast him down headlong. All in vaine. For Christs death was to come a clean contrary way, not by throwing him down, but bybIohn 3. 14. lifting him up. And he passing thorow the midst of them went his way. Not that (as the*See them on the place. Rhemists interpret it, to make way for their transubstantiation) he penetrated contrary to the nature of a body, thorow the very breasts of the people, but that either he smote them with blindness, that they did not see, or else struck them with fear, that they dared not to stay him, the power of his Person wedge-like cleaving its way, and forcing a lane for his passage in the midst of the people.
§ 17. Expect not here …hat I should write any thing of the opinions of the hereticall Nazarenes, The travels of the chappell of Lauretto.taking their name from this City of Nazareth, and are commonly (but corruptly) called Nostranes at this day. Much less will I trouble my self and the reader, with the severall stages of the Chappel of the Angelical-salutation. A Chappell which well may pity the pains and perils of such pilgrims as repair thereunto, having it self had an experimentall knowledge how tedious travail is in its own often removealls: flitting first from*See T…re…llinus his historia La…rettana. Nazareth to Flumen a City in Illyrium, thence for the unworthiness of the inhabitants translated to a wood in the Picene field, and thence again (because the wood was infected with theeves) carried by Angels into the ground of two brethren, who falling out about parting the profit thereof, was the fourth and last time conveyed into the high way, where ever since (not because weary but welcome) it is pleased to make its abode. But I remember the precept of the Apostle,c1 Tim. 1. 4. nor give heed to fables; and therefore proceed to more profitable matter.
§ 18. To returne to Nazareth, the nameless rivolet arising near thereunto,Ioseph sold by his brethren. runneth north betwixt Dothan on the east, and Sephoris on the west. At the former Ioseph was conspired against by his brethren. The cause of their hating of him (besides his Fathers loving him) was the reporting what he saw in his sleep, (dreames of his future preferment) and what he saw waking, (no dreames of his brethrens presentdGen. 37. 2. debauchedness) who resolved to murther him. O how they eGen. 42. 21.saw the anguish of his soul, made visible in his bended knees, held up hands, weeping eyes, wailing words, and all to no purpose! Into the pit he is put, whilst his brethrenfGen. 37. 25. fall a feasting: oh with what heart could they say grace, either before, or after meat, whilst it was so sad with Ioseph! Stars they say are seen the clearest (even in day time) by those that are in deep pits. Surely divine providence appeared brightest to Ioseph in that condition. Indeed*verse 22. Reuben endevoured his restitution to his Father;*verse 26. Iudah his preservation from death; but neither being privy to others designe, unwittingly countermined one another, had not God wrought all for the best. Ishmaelitish Merchants, and Midianites in their company, pass by, bearing Spices, and Balm, and myrrh to carry down intogGen. 37. 25. Egypt. To them Ioseph is sold, of whom we take our leave for the present; not doubting in due time and place to meet him again. Mean time may those merchants be carefull to carry him safe; for among all the spices they were laden with, none more fragrant and precious, then the perfume of this captives innocence. So much for Dothan, onelyonly I will adde that I have placed it here, out of a peaceable compliance with the judgements of learned men, otherwise I shall not spare to manifest my private opinionhSee description of Ephraims Tribe. Sephoris the greatest city in Galilee. on just occasion.
§ 19. On the west of this rivolet, was Sephoris, afterwards called Dio-caesarea; not to be omitted (though not mentioned in Scripture) because accounted byiDe bel. Iud. lib. 3. foreign. Iosephus, the greatest City in Galilee, where the Jewish Sanhedrin for some time had its residence. Let the same Authour inform you, how this City was burned by Varus, how molested by the seditious, how basely it deserted Iosephus, was bravely recovered by him, plundred by his souldiers, and the spoile thereof restored again, with severall passages of high concernment in the Jewish history. A little more northward, this brook falls into Iordan the less, which afterwards payes its tribute to the sea of Galilee.
§ 20. Which sea runneth Southward bykJosh. 19. 13. Gittah-hepher, or Gath-hepher as most place it, the birth-place oflThe birth plac… of Ionah. 2 King. 14. 25. Ionah the Prophet. His name in Hebrew a Dove, to which he answered rather in his speedymIonah 1. 3. flight from Gods service, then in any want of Gall, whereof he manifested too much in hisnIonah. 4. 9. anger without cause or measure. Iona… therefore being born here in the heart of neather Galilee, no less untrue, then uncharitable was that assertion of the high Priests and Pharisees; oIohn 7. 52.Search and look, for out of Galilee cometh no Prophet. Except their words herein referred to the future, not to what was passed, and that also onelyonly in relation to the Prophet Paramount, the Messiah of Israel. More south, the sea ran by Magdala a turreted town (as the name thereof imports:) and common tradition is all the argument we have, that Mary surnamed Magdalen that eminent penitent, was so called from this place, because living (others say richly landed) therein. Into the coastspMat. 15. 39. of Magdala Christ came from sea, when the Pharisees tempted him to shew them a signe from heaven. In the parallel place in the Gospell of Saint Mark the same Countrey is called Dalmanutha; qMar. 8. 10.different names (it seems) for the same territory.
§ 21. Going forward on the sea side,Bethulia the stage of the tragedy of Holofernes. still southward, we meet with the influx of a riyolet thereunto, fetching his fountain from the heart of the Countrey, near the City of Bethulia, nigh unto which was acted the atchievments of Iudith against Holofernes.
§ 22. Form Bethulia the rivolet running full east, is swallowed up in the Galilean Sea, beholding the high seated City of Iotopata, The high seated city Iot… pata.some two miles distant from the inlet thereof. The stout defending of this place against the Romans, with no less wisdome, then valour, was the masterpiece of Flavius Iosephus, in the behalfe of his Countrey-men. And now having made necessary mention of his name, pardon a digression in giving a free Character of his writings, whereof, next holy writ, we have made most use in this book.
§ 23. It must be confessed that he was guilty of some unexcusable faults:The character of Flavius Iosephus Iew and Priest, son of Ma…tathias. namely of
Boasting immoderately of his own birth, valour, learning, piety.
Levity, inserting frivolous fables of the root Boras &c. And yet we will not confine natures power to our beliefe, concluding that impossible which we conceive improbable.
Flattery of the Roman Emperours Vespasian and Titus, (a catching disease, wherewith the soundest Authours in that age were infected) and that so gross, that it seems not limn'd with a Pencill, but dawb'd with a Trowell.
But all these may be winked at, with a charitable eye, were he not also guilty of falsity: appearing first in his faults ofuThough in his Proeme he promiseth, foreign, without adding or diminishing any thing. omission, not mentioning the Jewish Idolatry, in making the Calfe, nor the disobedience of Moses their Ministerial Legislator in smiting the Rock, which Moses himself, writing of himself, thought fitting to relate. Secondly, of Cōmission, stuffing his history with improbable tales of Moses loving the Lady Tarbith &c. and some mistakes contradictory to holy writ. When we meet with any such in him relating to this present work, we have made bold (the Sun is not to be set by dials, but dials by the Sun) to alter and rectifie his extravagancies according to Scripture. Notwithstanding all these faults, the main bulk of his book deserves commendation, if not admiration; no doubt at the first compiled, and since preserved by the speciall providence of God, to reflect much light and lustre upon the Scriptures. His last book De bello Iudaico is the best Comment on that part of the twenty fourth Chapter of Saint Matthew, which concerns the destruction of the City and Temple. As for the censure of Baronius, it is too harsh and uncharitable, charging him withwIn Apparatu, numero 84. absurda & portentosa mendacia, seeing that it cannot appear, that Iosephus willingly and wittingly made those mistakes. Wherefore such chance-medly amounts not to manslaughter, much less to wilfull murther; not to say, that the charitable Reader ought to be a City of refuge to such Authors, who rather unhappy, then unfaithfull, fall into unvoluntary errours. In a word, historians, who have no fault are onelyonly fit to write the actions of those Princes and people, who have no miscariages, and onelyonly an Angels pen taken from his own wing is proper to describe the story of the Church triumphant.
§ 24. We still follow the Sea shore southward,Christs Sermon on this sea. and light on the place where our Saviour standing in a ship taught the people on the land in hisxMat. 13. 2. Sermon full of parables. A Sermon not unlike the pillar of cloud and fire, which gave light to the Israelites at the red sea,yExod. 14. 19, 20. but was a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians: because his preaching then obscure and parabolicall to the common people, was privately expounded, and made plain unto his disciples.
§ 25. At last we are come to the City of Tiberias, Tiberias, nigh to which Christ multiplied the loaves.so named by Herod the Tetrarch in honour of Tiberius the Roman Emperour. A populous City, and which gave the name to the neighbouring sea, thence termed zIohn 21. 1.the sea of Tiberias. Near to this placeaIoh. 6. 22, 23. Christ fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes. Afterwards he went over the sea, but how and which way, grudge not Reader to peruse this following account given us b… abM Biddulph in his Trav. p. 104. M. Biddulphs eye-comment on our Saviours sea-voiage. learned man, an eye-witness of the place.
§ 26. It is said Iohn 6. 1. that Iesus went over the sea of Galilee: and in another place that he went beyond the lake: and Luke 9. 10. it is said that he went into a solitary place near unto a City called Bethsaida; which place of Iohn I learned to understand better by seeing it, then ever I could before by reading it. For seeing that Tiberias and Bethsaida, were both Cities on the same side of the sea, and Christ went from Tiberias to or near unto Bethsaida: I gather thereby that our Saviour Christ went not over the length or breadth of that sea, but over some arme, bosome, or reach thereof, viz. so far as Tiberias was distant from Bethsaida, which is also confirmed in that it is said elsewhere,*M…. 6. 33. a great multitude followed him on foot thither; which they could not have done, if he had gone quite over the sea, to the other side among the Gergesens. So far our author, with whose judgement I am moved to concurre.
§ 27. More southward,The ancient river of K…shon. the sea of Tiberias leaveth the Tribe of Zebulun, and entereth into Issachar. Come we therefore now to describe the remaining places of note in this Tribe, most of them being seated on, or near the river of Kishon, whose course we will observe. It is called bycJudg. 5. 21. Deborah, the ancient river the river Kishon. And why ancient? are not all rivers of equall antiquity, and the same seniority, seeing Gen. 1. (the Register book of the age of all creatures) they were made in the third day, when this lower globe was distinguished into earth and waterdGen. 1. 9.? No surely, though this be true of originall and primitive rivers, many since have been of a second edition, occasioned by Noahs flood, earthquakes, eruptions of waters after long raine; not to speake of many o…thers derived by art and industry. Thus we discourse with our selves whilesteVid. eum in locum. Tremellius takes away the subject of the question rendering foreign, or the Ancient river, torrens occursuum, or the river of meetings. Not that many tributary rivolets met therein (a probable sense on the first sound) but (as hefAd quem utrique exc…citus concur…entes manu conseruer unt: Tr…m. ibid. The 2 streams of Kishon running into severall seas. expounds himself) because the armie of Israel there against Sisera appeared in their generall Rendezvous.
§ 28. However, Kishon was a fair River, and surely the same which is termed by Ptolemy Choriaeus. Entering with a full and large streame (next to Iordan in breadth, depth, and swiftnesse) into the land of Zebulun, it divideth it self according to the observation of ourgB…eiden bachius in ter. Sacr. Author (if not hypercriticall herein) into two channels, the one, and that the lesser, running east (commonly called Kadumim) and falleth into the sea of Galilee, the other rushing northwestward, and emptieth it self into the Mediterranean. Nigh the banks of the former stands the famous mountain of Tabor, generally conceived to have been the place of Christs transfiguration, wherehMat. 17. 1. Mark 9. 2. Luke 9. 30. Moses and Elias were seen talking with him. Origen (according to his allegorising of the text) saith that thereby was signified, the harmony betwixt the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospell, all agreeing together. But here I cannot but smile at whatiIn his de…cription of Palestin which is neither divided into l…aves, p…ges, columns, nor chapters. Breidenbachius reports (who travelled up this mountain) Ibi etiam hodie ostenduntur ruinae trium tabernaculorum secundum desiderium Petri constructorum, there (saith he) even at this day, are shewed the ruines of those three tabernacles built according to Peters desire. In very good time no doubt. I confess one Scripture saith, Aske and yee shall have kM…t. 7. 7., but another Text answereth it, Yee aske andlIam. 4. 3. because yee aske amiss; and improbable it is, that God would grant the desire (or rather distempter) of Peter; and that his wish should come to him, who was not come to himself, by reason of his great fear, amazement, and extasie of joy. Besides, Tabernacles or Tents, being light, slight occasionall structures, make small visible impressions in the earth, when set up; and leave no durable footsteps to be seen so many hundred years after. So that herein, Breiden…ach seemeth to speak (as S. Peter did in the same place) notmLuke 9. 33. knowing what he said. More likely it is, that there may at this day remain some ruines of Oratories erected many years since, seeing there was there a Monastery inhabited by Friers, untill they being molested by the Arabians (to use mynBiddulphs Trav. p. 101. Authors expression) took their holinesse away with them, and left the mountain behind them.
§ 29. The greatest stream of Kishon runneth northward thorow the midst of this Tribe,The city Naim & Judge Elons sepulcher. not far from the City of Naim, where Christ meeting the widowes onelyonly Child, carried forth to be buried, miraculously restored him tooLuke 7. 11. life. Hereabouts also was the City Aijalon, wherepJudg. 12. 12. Elon Judge of Israel was buried, of whom nothing else is recorded save his name, time of his rule, ten years, and place of his interment. Slight him not because so little is reported of him, it tending much to the praise of his Policy in preventing forein invasions, and domestick commotions, so that the land enjoyed peace; as far better then victory, as health is to be preferred before a recovery from sickness. Yea times of much doing, are times of much suffering, and many martiall a…chievements are rather for the Princes honour, then the peoples ease.
§ 30. From Naim the river Kishon glides by the northern skirts of mount Carmel, The place where Baals pr…est… were slain by Eliah.beholding the place where Eliah did execution on Baals Priests, on this occasion. All Israel met on mount Carmel, concluding him the true God, who answered by fire unto their sacrifices. Baals Priests being vainly clamorous in invoking their Idol, whose petitions finde no answer from heaven, except the echo in the aire descanting in derision on their importunate bawlings; discontented hereat theyq1 King. 18. 28. cut themselves with knives and lancers, the ready way to make bloud, but not fire to come. Then enters Eliah on his work, and to prevent all suspicion of fraud, he three times caused four barrels of water to be powred on the Altar. If any here demand how they came by such plenty of water, a precious commodity after three years and six months drought, when springs, wells, and brooks werer1 King. 17. 7. dried up: it is answered, it was fetched from the sea hard by, whose brackish water, though useless to quench the thirsts of men and beasts, was proper enough therewithall to trie the present experiment. Hereupon at Eliahs prayers, fire from heaven licked up the water, and consumed the Sacrifice. The Prophet taking advantage of this juncture of time, whilest the people of Israel were possessed with an high opinion of his power and person, King Ahab stood admiring at the miracle, Baals Priests stood dispirited with guiltiness and wonder, and Iazebel their active Patroness absent at great distance, being a single man, slew four hundred and fifty of them without any resistance. Formerly their flattering hands rather acting and doing, did theatrically in superstitious formalities let out some drops of wild bloud in the surface of their flesh, whereas now Eliah in true earnest, with an unpartial arme, gave vent to their heart bloud by the brook Kishon, which presently carrieth both their gore, and its own water into the Mediterranean Sea.
§ 31. However though Satan then was silent,The God Carmelus. (when in credit most concerned to speak in answer to Baals Priests) it seems he found his tongue afterwards, and here pretended to informe people of their fortune. Suetonius tells us*In V…sp…siano cap. 5. that Vespasian in Iudea took counsell from the oracle of the God CARMELUS, wch foretold his good success in whatsoever he should undertake, which God we conceive was some Spirit of delusion, (thogh then speaking truly) having his residence in or nigh this mountain of Carmel.
§ 32. As for Carmel in generall,The pleasure of Carmel. it was so delicious a place▪ that more pleasure was hardly to be fancied, then here to be found. It consisted of high hills, (where the wicked thought in vain byaAmos 9. 3. hiding themselves in the height thereof, to be secured from divine justice) a fruitfull vale, pleasant river of Kishom, and a goodly forrest, so that the feet of Sennacherib did itch tob2 King. 19 32. enter it, as his fingers did long to fell the fair Cedars in Lebanon. From this Carmel, the platform of pleasure, other delightfull places are so named (as copies and transcripts of this the originall) yea the name is sometimescIbid in the marginall note. rendered appellatively for any fruitfull field.
§ 33. From the top hereof we may easily discover two neighbouring townes Cain and*V…de …abulas Adrichomii. Caiaphas, Cain, Caiaphas, …, &c.the one named from the murderer of dGen. 4. 8.Abel; the other from theeJoh. 11. 49. active contriver of his death,fHeb. 12. 2. whose bloud speaketh better things then that of Abel. But neither appearing in Scripture, it is enough to name them. More northerly we behold the valley of Iiphthah-el, or river thereof, the same*foreign word in Hebrew expressing both, as indeed it is hard to finde a vale, especially in winter, without a rivolet therein. And if I mistake not, the BOURNE in Wilt-shire, and the west, signifieth both the river and the dale down which it runneth. In the vale nigh the river of Iiphthah-el stood the city Zebulun, so beautifully built, saithgDe bel. I…d. li…. 2, cap. 32. Iosephus, (let him forfeit his fingers when he measures any thing to loss which concerns his own countrey) that Cestius the Roman Governour who burnt it, admired the houses therein as corrivalls with those of Tyre, Zidon, and Berytus in magnificence. More southward is Cana called commonly the lesse, though greatened with Christs first miracle wrought there at a mariage, turninghIohn 2. 1. water into wine. How many matches have been made, to which Christ was never invited guest; yea the riot and revels thereat, would fright his gracious presence from the place. Hence the rivolet*Iosh. 19. 11. runneth to Iokneam, surnamed iIosh. 12. 22.of Carmel from the vicinity thereof; the King whereof was destroyed by Ioshua, and the City afterwards bestowed upon thekIosh. 21. 34. Levites.
§ 34. Having mentioned the Levite-cities,A ch…rlish difficulty an importunate difficulty (whilest I hoped silently to slip by it) plucketh me back in my passage: It resulteth from the ensuing parallel.
Joshua 21. 34, 35.
And unto the families of the children of M…r…ri, the rest of the Levites, out of the Tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs, Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalol with her suburbs: four cities.
1 Chron. 6. 77.
VntoUnto the rest of the children of Merari, was given out of the Tribe of Zebulun, Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs.
The difficulty is double: first four Cities are mentioned in Ioshua, and but two in Chronicles. Secondly, those two fall out by their different names, nothing like the four formerly assigned them.
§ 35. In solution hereof,Rather waved then s…tisfied. some will say that the Levites might have six cities in Zebulun. But why should this tribe being not the biggest be most bountifull unto them? Was it because Zebuluns lot advantaged by the sea-situation thereof, was larger in worth then in view; and so the Merchant adventurers of this tribe, making gainfull voyages and profitable returnes, were obliged in conscience to be more liberall to the maintenance of Gods Ministers? Or are two of the Levites cities left out in Chronicles (omission in such cases for reasons to us unknown is no contradiction) and the otherlTostatus, & Trem…llius in locum Chroni…o…um, who maketh Dimnah the same with Rimmon, Tabo… with Nahalol. two the same (though unlike in sound) with the two last mentioned in Ioshua. Indeed I deny not, but the towns at the same time may have two names nothing alike, (Medena, aliàs Newport, in the Isle of Wight may be an instance thereof.) But for all I can finde, still I languish in expectation of a better solution. Yet let not his good will be slighted, who though unable to cure the wound; (whilest Commentatours on the place suffer it to lie festering in silence) desires to wash it and keep it clean, till a more skilfull hand apply an effectuall plaister thereunto.
§ 36. In Solomons division of the land into twelve purveyour-ships,The armes of Z…bulun. Zebulun had no distinct officer over him, but belonged to the territory of Baanah the Son of Ahilud; who, besides many places he had in Manasseh, extended his Jurisdictionm1 King. 4. 12. even beyond Iokneam. The Armes of Zebulun, confirmed unto him by custome, and Rabbinicall tradition, were Argent, a ship with Maste and tackling sable. An honourable Bearing, the same with the Coate armour of Albertus free Baron of Alasco in Poland, …ave that his ship is without sailes, (with this Motto, Deus dabit vela, God will send sailes) and Zebuluns accomplished with all the accoutrements thereof.