A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine, Book 5 · Part 1 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XX. Objections, concerning the Description of Mount Libanus, answered.
Philol.
YOu make Libanus to be the north-ridge of these hills, and Anti-Libanus to be the south part thereof, clean contrary unto learned aCosmog. lib. 5. pag. 1001.Munster in his description of it.
Aleth.
Munster is singular therein, unseconded by any other Authors. However, the controversie is not important as touching Scripture, wherein this distinction appears not at all, both the north and south chains of those mountains being promiscuously called Libanus in Holy Writ. Some humane Authors lay this distinction in point of east and west, so great is the difference among them. If I may freely profess my opinion herein, I conceive that the inhabitants of this mountain, termed the place of their own habitation, wheresoever they dwelt, Libanus, and named the mountains of their overthwart neigh…bours Anti-Libanus: as commonly men account their own Religion onelyonly to be Christianity, and all such opinions as are opposite to their own, Antichristian
Phil…l.
In your Map generall of old Canaan, the Island of Arvad (or Aradus) is not above forty miles from Zidon, which in this Map of mount Libanus are fourscore miles asunder. Indeed I have read of a floating Isle in Scotland, moving from place to place with the winde and waves. But is this Isle of Aradus fixed to no firmer foundations, so that it hath swom forty miles more northward in this, then in your former draught thereof?
Aleth.
May you be pleased to remember, that in our instructionsbLib. …. cap. 14. § 8. premised to the Reader, we gave notice that places standing on the Um-stroke▪ or utmost line of any Map, denote not their accurate position, but situation thereabouts, to clear the continuation of the Countrey. Such the location of Arvad in our former Map, which in this of mount Libanus is placed according to the true distance thereof.
Philol.
You make the River Aban… (in heathen Authors Chrysorrho…s) to sink into the ground, without communicating it self to the sea. This is out of the common road of nature, that this River should be free from paying tribute to the Ocean, to which all smaller waters are indebted. Yea andcIn his desc…iption of Manas. beyond Iordan. Lit. A. Adrichomius (no doubt on good authority) maketh it, when passing from Dam…scus, to run through a plain called Arch abod, and so into the Syrian, or Medite…ranean-sea.
Aleth.
His error therein is confuted, both by ancient, and modern writers. Strabo speaking thereof, foreign. Which Chrysorrho…s beginning from the City, and Countrey of Damascus, in a manner is wholly spent in drains thence derived; for it watereth much ground, and that very deep. Some thing more may be collected from Ptolemies expression, not terming the fall of Chrysorrhoas foreign (his ordinary word) the Out-lets, or Ejections thereof into the sea, but onelyonly foreign, the End, or determination thereof. Where, by the degrees by him assigned, Be…tius in his Maps presenteth this River swallowed up wholly in the sands: and the same is confessed by Bellonius an eye-witness thereof, and other moderndV…d… Ferrarii L…x con Geographicum. Geographers, that it never cometh unto any sea.
Philol.
You have omitted the Vale of Salt in your Map (near Aram… Zoba… ) neither mentioning in your description that most memorable defeat, which David gave the Syrians therein. Your modern Merchants of Aleppo will inform you thereof, who have been on the very place where the battell was fought, as tradition reporteth.
Aleth.
I have heard so much from the mouths of my judicious eM. Roger Vivion and M. Hump. Brown.friends, which have lived in those parts: and have formerly read the same in effect; How, within halfe a days-journey fRiddul…hs Travels pa. 45.of Aleppo, there is a very great plain, without grass growing on it, the sand whereof is naturally good salt, and after rain being dried again with the Sun, the people gather it. However, I cannot be perswaded, that this Salt Vale was the place, whereon David gave his enemies that notable overthrow, as on the perusall of the following Scriptures will appear.
2 Sam. 8. 13
And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the valley of Salt being eighteen thousand men. And he put garrisons in Edom, throughout all Edom put he garrisons.
1 Chr. 18. 12.
Moreover Abishai the sonne of Zerviah slew of the Edomites in the valley of Salt, eighteen thousand.
Inscription of Psal. 60.
To the chief Musician upon Sushan-Eduth; Michtam of David, to teach. When he strove with Aram Maharaim, and with Aram Zobah, when Ioab returned and smote of Edom in the valley of Salt, twelve thousand.
Here under favour, I conceive, these severall Scriptures intend one, and the same victory, because fought in the same place, the Valley of Salt, whilest the seeming contradictions, in the names of the Conquerors, different numbers, and nations of the persons conquered, are easiely reconciled:
1. Ioab (as Generall) might give the Command, and Abishai (Lieutenant Generall) do the execution, whilest David (as Soveraign) received the honour of the Action.
2. Twelve thousand might be slain on the place, and six more kild in the pursuit, so making up eighteen thousand in the totall number.
3. This slaughter fell on the Edomites, who are called Syrians, not by their Countrey (though Syria taken in a large sense is comprehensive of many nations) but cause, and confederacy, as ingaging themselves (to their cost) auxiliaries in the same quarrell of the Syrians against King David.
This battell thus stated (with most probability in my opinion) it seems fought rather in the land of Edom, where there is another Valley of Salt eminent ing2 King. 14. 7. & 2 Chr. 25. 11 Scripture, and not near Aleppo, or Aram Zobah. However, because Tradition is a Tyrant on the contrary, I dare resolve nothing positively, but suspend my own, and attend the judgments of others herein.
Philol.
You make Marra the next modern stage south of Aleppo: whereas there be many moe miles, and intermediate lodging-places (namely Cane-Toman, andhSee Biddulph… Travels pa. 88. Saracoop) betwixt them.
Aleth.
I confess no less, but am sorry your memory is so short, that I must so often incultate the same rule unto you: That places situate on the Um-stroke (such the location of Aleppo in our Map) are not in their exact position, whilest we onelyonly make a long arme to reach them confusedly into our description, though otherwise they be at greater distance, then the scale of miles will admit.
Philol.
I wonder you make the Mediterranean from Tripoli to Antioch, to run with such a crooked flexure, in form of an Hook, which certainly will not catch the beleefe of any judicious beholder thereof. The rather because no Geographers take cognizance of it, and such a bending is disavowed by all modern Maps.
Aleth.
Consult Ptolemies Maps (as drawn by learned Bertius) and they present the fashion thereof accordingly: though such an Elbow appears not in the late Cardes of this Countrey. No news now adays for Sea to gain, Land to lose, or (reciprocally) both to alter their ancient, and accept new forms: seeing our Cornish-men will tell us, that a good piece of their horn is blunted, and broken off by the sea: whose land formerly stretched out more westward, and wasiCamdens Brit. in Cornwall. called (as they say) Lioness, before the waters devoured both the paws, and whole body thereof.