A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine, Book 5 · Part 1 · Chapter 5 – Chapter 6
CHAP. V. Objections concerning Naphtali answered.
Philol.
YOu make all the Tribe of Naphtali west, and on this side the River of Iordan; whereas that passage foretold by the aIsa. 9. 1.Prophet, and applied by thebMat. 4. 15. Evangelist, describes it on the other side; The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali by the way of the sea beyond Iordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The particle beyond is foreign in the Greek, which makes it plain, that Naphtali lay on the east side of Iordan.
Aleth.
The strength of your objection consists in the words beyond Iordan, which are variously rendered by learned men. By Tremellius in Isaiah secundum Iordanem, by the same Author in Matthew, transitus Iordan; by Beza, secus Iordanem. The dicision of the difficulty depends on the proper sense of the preposition foreign …nebher, in Hebrew; which barely imports no more, then over; but which way, whether Cis, or Trans; whether on this side, or beyond, is to be expounded by the context. This flexible nature, and promiscuous sense of foreign Gnebher, is observed bycOn mat. 4. 15. instancing on J…r. 22. 20. Tremellius, and others; so that the text alledged by you, renders no more, then the land of Naphtali over Iordan, without specifying any side of the river. Secondly, we answer, that those words beyond Iordan, are so indifferently placed in the Prophet, that they may equally be referred, to what followeth, Galilee of the Gentiles; part of which Galilee, we have dLib. 1. ca. 11. parag 6.formerly described, to lie east of Iordan, and therein the City Chorazin, wherein our Saviour so frequently conversed.
Philol.
You make two fountains, the one Ior, the other Dan, as the father and mother of the River Iordan: a fancy (I fear) rather pretty, them solid; bearing too much affinity with the derivation of the River Dourdan in France, from the confluence of the two streams, Dour, and Dan; whilest such a composition hath more of Latine, then Hebrew therein. Not to say, that Iosephus is wholly silent hereof, I suspect it for a modern conceit, unavouchable by ancient Authors; and prefer his opinion eGreg. Gr…g. Lex. Sa…c…num. 209.as most probable, who deduceth Iordan from the Hebrew foreign Iarad, to descend, because it comes down with a powder, and at set timesfJosh. 3. 15. overflowes, all his bankes.
Aleth.
The negative argument from Iosephus, is of small validity; but to attest the antiquity of Iordans descent, according to our description, grudge not to read the following testimony of Philostorgius, both because he is an ancient Author (living in the fifth Century after Christ) and his book at this day not extant, save that some parcells of his are recited by Ioannes Antiochenus, out of whosegIn part set down by Sal…sius in his notes on Solinus cap. 35. Manuscript, not yet printed, the following words are transcribed, foreign. In this Countrey of Paneas one of the fountains of Iordan is begotten, there being two of them; Dan so called even to this day from the ancient name thereof. As for the other, which is named for, a certain hill of the samehMeaning Libanus. mountain sendeth it forth, distant from the former about an hundred and sixty furlongs; from either of which flows a rivolet, the one termed Io…ates, the other, Danites, which flowing by the mountains to the foot of the plain, thence forthwith compleate one great River Iordan, in the same mingling both their names and streams. See here an excellent evidence of the extraction of Iordan, which cannot be condemned for a modern invention. However if any will deduce Iordans name from a third fountain, (that Hebrew word aforesaid) let him herein contentedly embrace his own opinion.
Philol.
If you stick so stedfastly to the authority of Philosto…gius, why dissent you from him in the distance between those two fountains, which …e makes an hundred and sixty furlongs, that is, twenty miles, (if eight furlongs make a mile) and the interstitium in your Map amounts not fully to half so much?
Aleth.
Some mistake may justly be suspected in Philostorgius his number, because for exceeding the proportion in other Authours. IiBook. 1. ca.…. formerly acquainted you with that arbitrating power I have assumed (I hope not unjustly) to reconcile such differences in Authors by pitching on a middle number betwixt their extremities, and here have made use of the same power accordingly.
Philol.
What mean you by these eight nameless buildings surrounding the City of Cesarea Philippi?
Aleth.
They are set there to signifie the townes of Cesarea Philippi mentioned by thekMark. 8. 27. Evangelist, whereabouts Saint Peter gave that eminent testimony of the Deity of our Saviour.
Philol.
At Dan in this Tribe (aliàs Leshem, and Cesarea Philippi) you erect one of Ieroboam his Calves; whereaslIn descrip. Ter. sanc. pag. 237. Brocard, who exactly surveyed Palestine, in his Iournall gives us to understand, that half a league from Bethel, where one of the Calves were set up, stood a mountain called Dan opposite thereunto, where the other Calfe was erected.
Aleth.
His authority cannot countervaile Saint Hieromes, Benjamin in Itinerario, and others, yea Truth it self, which are on our side, and against his opinion. For, Ieroboam was too good an husband to lavish both his Calves in one place, which he rather would scatter in distant Cities, the better to spread Idolatry in his kingdome. Besides, consider the end pretended at their erection, namely to spare the peoples pains, It is too m1 Kin. 12. 28.much for you to goe up to Ierusalem, that these Calves should be (as it were) Chappels of ease, to save his subjects a tedious journey. Now, if both his Calves were penn'd up in a stall near Bethel (as Brocard would have it) little ease thereby was given to the northern Tribes, and their journey not considerably shortned. Therefore the other Calfe was set up at Dan in Naphtali, as we have described it.
Philol.
All that you have said, doth not satisfie me, that this Dan was the place where the Calfe was worshipped. For, soon after Ieroboams death, in the reign of Baasha, this Dan you speak of wasn1 Kin. 15. 20. smitten by Benhadad King of Syria. This, probably, would have extinguished Calfeworship, if set up in that place, which notwithstandingo1 Kin. 10. 29. continued many hundred years after in the kingdome of Israel.
Aleth.
You might argue on the same grounds, that the other Calfe was not erected in Bethel, seeing even in the life of Ieroboam, Abijah King of Iudah took from him p2 Chr. 13. 19.Bethel with the towns thereof. Observable herein is divine Justice, punishing both those idolatrous places by the sword of their enemies, so soon after the Calves were set up in them. But, we may be confident, the Kings of Israel recovered both Dan and Bethel again, and restored them to their former impious uses.
Philol.
In the Worthies of Naphtali you account on Hiram Solomons Architect in building the Temple,qDescription of Naph. §. 1. as a Naphtalite by the mothers side: And yet in therDescrip. of Dan. §. 9. description of Dan you make him a Danite by his female extraction. Now, what saith Nicodemus? sJo…. 3. 4.Can a man enter the second time into his mothers wombe? Yea, can he be born (as you would have it) twice, though not of the same, of severall women?
Aleth.
This your objection is not brought against my description, but against the very letter of the Scripture that affirmeth the same.
1 KING. 7. 14.
He was a widows son of the Tribe of Naphtali, and his Father was a man of Tyre.
2 CHRON. 2. 14.
The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre.
Now although I am not ingaged to meddle with the solution of this difficulty; yet, under favour, I conceive the same properly to depend on an observation in Chorography. May you be pleased to remember, that Dan had a parcell of his portion acquired by conquest, near the fountains of Iordan, where Leshem, Laish, or Dan was placed, which small territory lay above an hundred miles from the main body of that Tribe, surrounded about with the Tribe of Naphtali, as appeareth in ourtSee our Map of Dan, and description. §. 9. description thereof. Now I suppose Hiram (whose paternall extraction from Tyre is confessed on all hands) was descended a Danite by his mother, and called a Naphtalite also by his mothers side, because of her habitation (though in Dans small Countrey aforesaid) lying in the land allotted to Naphtali.
Philol.
You term ituIn descrip. Naph. §. 5. a most erroneous opinion in such, who conceive the Galileans more drossie Iews then the rest, herein contradicting your self, having formerlywBook. 1. cap. 11. §. 7. affirmed, that they were courser, and less refined Iews.
Aleth.
Give me leave to distinguish, between Iews courser in Religion, and courser in Extraction. The former we confess, that the Galileans were less pure in Gods service, as probably descended from the remnant of the ten Tribes: Yet were they most truly the lost sheep of Israel, not debased by mixture of Gentilisme in their bloud, like the Samaritans, whom Christ declined, whilest he constantly conversed with these Galileans.
Philol.
You say, that the City Naasson depends meerly upon the credit of the vulgar translation Tobit 1. Whereas looking on the Hebrew Map, graven at Amsterdam by Abraham Goos, but designed, and made by another Abraham a great Rabbin, skilled in the land, and language of his own nation, this Naasson appears there in Hebrew characters, the Author (no doubt) having good assurance for the same. Whose Map (I can tell you) is much valued by many Antiquaries, as appears by their difficult procuring, dear purchasing, and carefull preserving thereof. And you may finde it solemnly set up, at the upper end of Sion Colledge Library.
Aleth.
It ill becomes me to detract from the pains of any, being also my self, a man under authority of the pens, and tongues of others, and Candidate for the Readers good will in this my description. Yet, give me leave, plainly to profess, that the Map by you alleadged, answereth not the great price, and generall praise thereof, being nothing else but Adrichomius his Map translated into Hebrew. What once Sir Iohn Old Castle, Lord Cobham, spoke jeastingly, that the Priests made Christ to be boots, and spurs, and all in the Sacrament, may I serously say that Adrichomius, with his faults, and failings, dross, dirt, and all together, without any correction, is cast into this Abrahams overvalued description, so that the Map you alledge is not gold, but mean metall gilded over, containing surreptitious names out of the Vulgar Latine therein Hebraized, and presenting many spurious places utterly disclaimed in the Originall.
CHAP. VI. Objections against Asher answered.
Philol.
I Admire you have altogether omitted the River Eleutherus in this Tribe (much mentioned inaMac. 11. 7. & 12. 30. Maccabees, and which Adrichomius makes to fall into the Mediterranean in the mid-way betwixt Zidon and Tyre. Yea,bLib. 3. p. 213. M. George Sandys in his travels, going from Sarepta to Tyre, crossed a little valley divided by the River Eleutherus, called Casmire at this day by the inhabitants thereabouts.
Aleth.
By what name, or title soever, the water, he there went over, is known at this day, sure I am, it cannot be the ancient Eleutherus, which by Ptolemy, Strabo, and generall consent of all Authors, falls above sixty miles more northward, into the Mediterranean. And therefore the error of Adrichomius and others herein, is briefly taxed by judicious Sir cHist. lib. 2. part. 1. pag. 289Walter Ralegh.
Philol.
You make Asher to border on Zidon, contrary to the description ofdSee Masius on the 19. of Joshua. Wolsegangus Wiseburgius, and learnedeIn his Comment on Gen. …9. Tostatus, who set Zebulun in the same place, as the most north-west of all the Tribes, and alleadge fGen. 49. 13.Iacobs words to avouch the same, prophecying, that Zebuluns borders shall be unto Zidon.
Aleth.
GodsgJosh. 19. 2…. Word, the coast of the Countrey, and all good authors justifie our description, those two onelyonly excepted which you alleadge, being both deceived, by taking Zidon restrictively in Iacobs prophecy, for the City so called, whereas the whole Countrey thereby is intended (as Sarepta is called a CityhLuke. 4. 26. of Zidon) and the name of Zidonians adequate to Phenicians, in which sense Zebulun confined on the Countrey, though Asher onelyonly on the City of Zidon.
Philol.
You peremptorily place the defeat of Ben…adad, and fall of Apheks wall on his flying Army, in this Tribe, not remembring the while, that there is anotheriMen…ioned 1 Sam. 29. 1. Aphek in Issachar, (nearer to Samaria) which puts in with more probability to be the theater, whereon that tragical accident was acted.
Aleth.
I confess Aphek a place in Issachar, but finde it not charactered to be a City, such an one as ourkJosh. 19. 30. Aphek in Asher is described, and whose walls are therefore more probable to doe the foresaid execution. However, be it known unto you, whensoever two places are with equall likelihood corrivals for actions therein atchieved, we adjudge it to that place, that falls first under our description. Thus, the start of half an hour, bestows on the elder twin, the whole inheritance. To avoid confusion, and prevent repetition, first come, first serv'd; the place first occurring, carries away all history in our describing thereof.