PART III. was spoken of in the last section but one of the last chapter of Vol. I. viz. chap. vi. §. 25. And chap. v. §. 36. of Vol. I. Part II. we have taken notice of another place of the like name, lying in the land of Gilead, or Mizpeh, and thence called Ramoth-Gilead, and Ramath-Mizpeh. The Ramah we are here speaking of feems to be called Ramathaim-Zophim on a like occafion, namely, from its being fituated in a tract called Zuph, or Zophim, and (as the text, ver. 1. tells us) in mount Ephraim; and, according to Eufebius and Jerom, in the (then) district of Timnath near Diofpolis or Lydda, being the very fame that is called Arimathea in the history of the Gospel.

2.

The prefent ftate of

Rama.

From this account of its fituation, it is not to be doubted, but that this is the place which to this day goes under the name of Rama, and lies in the usual road taken by pilgrims from Jaffa, or Joppe, to Jerufalem, and is accordingly taken notice of by Thevenota and Le Bruyn. From these we learn, that whereas this Rama was anciently a city, it is now no more than an open town, under the government of the Baffa of Gaza. It is ftill pretty large, and looks well enough on the outside, as may be feen by the draught which Le Bruyn has given of it. Hard by the place where ftood part of the ancient city, is ftill to be seen a large fquare tower, much like to a steeple. They say, that formerly it was as high again as it is at prefent, and was erected in honour of the forty martyrs that suffered death in Armenia. It joins on to a church, and is by Thevenot represented as the steeple to that church, built in honour of the forementioned martyrs. At this tower are likewise to be seen some ruins, which feem to be the remains of a monaftery. Thevenot exprefsly fays, that heretofore there was a stately large convent here, of which the cloister seems to be still very entire, by what could be obferved in paffing by the gate, for he was told, that Chriftians were not permitted to enter into it. The Latin monks have a convent or monaftery at

Thevenot, Part I. chap. xxxvi. Le Bruyn, chap. xlvi.

present

prefent in Rama, where there commonly refides a father CHAP. I. superior with two monks. The pilgrims ufually lodge SECT. 1. there till they go to Jerufalem. This convent, which hath a very neat church, was built, as they say, in the very place where the house of Nicodemus anciently stood. The inhabitants, as far as Le Bruyn could guefs, amounted to about three thousand souls, as well Chriftians as Turks. All the caravans, which go from Cairo in Egypt to Damafcus, Aleppo, and Conftantinople, pass by this Rama. All the doors in this town are very low, not three feet high, says Thevenot, to hinder the Arabs from riding into their houses. There is in Rama another church, befides that above mentioned, dedicated to the honour of St. George.

All round about Rama one meets with a great many wells, which ferved, as they say, to keep wheat and oats. We threw, fays Le Bruyn, into one of them, which was very deep, a great many ftones, which, in falling to the bottom, made a very extraordinary and hollow noise at top.

Hard by Rama is also a very fine cistern, made with a great deal of art upon two rows of piazzas. It certainly ferved, fays Le Bruyn, to supply the town with water, as feveral for the fame use are to be seen in Italy.

Le Bruyn adds, that, whilft he stayed at Rama, he walked as far as Lydda, which lies on one fide of Rama, about three miles from it: which confirms the opinion, that this Rama is the fame called Arimathea in the New Teftament, and fo the fame with Ramah, the birth-place of the prophet Samuel; forafmuch as Eufebius and Jerom exprefsly tell us, that this lay near to Lydda.

I fhall conclude what relates to Ramah with a particular taken notice of by Le Bruyn. It is, fays he, no extraordinary inatter for men to take a journey to Jerufalem; but that women fhould have fuch wandering heads, may seem somewhat strange. However, there are inftances of it. A little before I arrived at Rama, an English middle-aged gentlewoman was come thither, attended

B 2

PART III. tended only with one footman. After fhe had completed her journey to Jerufalem, and there paid her devotions, she went into France, where the fettled, because of fome affronts she had met with in England.

3.

Of Aphek.

Of the

country of the Philiftines.

5.

It was difive lord

vided into

ships.

In chap. iv. of this first Book of Samuel we have an account of a fight between the Ifraelites and the Philiftines; the former encamping befide Eben-ezer, the latter in Aphek, ver. 1. Eben-ezer is here mentioned proleptically, this name being not given to the place till fome time after, as we read, chap. vii. ver. 12. Of which therefore more, when we come to that chapter. I have in chap. iv. §. 40. of Vol. I. Part II. obferved, that there were apparently two Apheks, one lying in the tribe of Afher, the other in the tribe of Judah; and this last must be underftood here, as lying in all probability not far from Eben-ezer, which lay in the tribe of Judah, as will appear hereafter, viz. §. 14.

men.

The Ifraelites in their firft engagement with the Philiftines were worfted by them, lofing about four thousand Whereupon they fetched the ark from Shiloh into their camp, thinking that the prefence of that would certainly fave them from their enemies; inafmuch as God would not permit the ark to fall into the hands of the Heathens. But they found their confidence ill-grounded. For upon joining battle a fecond time, they were quite routed, and the ark taken by the Philiftines, and carried into their country. Which it will be here requifite to speak more diftinctly of, for the better understanding the feveral particulars related concerning the ark, during its ftay in this country.

We learn then, that the Philiftines were defcendants of Mizraim, the father of the Egyptians, and the second fon of Ham, and fo brother to Canaan, the father of the Canaanites, Gen. x. 6-14. We learn alfo from Gen. x. 19. that the coaft lying along the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, from Sidon unto Gaza, did originally belong to the Canaanites. Whence it follows, that whereas we find by the Scripture-hiftory, that the Phi

liftines

SECT. 1.

liftines were poffeffed of a confiderable tract of this coaft CHAP. 1. to the fouth; these must become mafters of it by dif poffeffing the Canaanites, the original masters of it. And this is the more probable, because that, the Philistines being defcended of Mizraim, it is not to be doubted, but they settled in Egypt, or the parts adjoining, and so to the south-west of Canaan. And if mount Cafius was fo called from Cafluhim, of whom the Philistines were more immediately descended; then it is evident, that they were feated in the tract next adjoining to the Canaanites, on the south or fouth-weft, and fo lay ready to make an invafion upon the fouth-weft coaft of the Canaanites, as foon as they became ftrong enough. That they had actually made themselves masters of fome part of Canaan in the days of Abraham, seems to be countenanced by the history of Abraham. And Josh. xiii. 3. we learn, that they had then extended their conquests from Gaza so far northwards as to Ekron; dividing this tract into five lordfhips, or leffer principalities or kingdoms. For as the princes hereof are in the forecited place of Joshua, and alfo 1 Sam. vi. 17, 18. called the five Lords of the Philistines, and are thus reckoned up, Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron; fo we have Abimelech called King of Gerar in the hiftory of Abraham, and the fame, or another of the fame name, called King of the Philistines in the history of Ifaac, Gen. xx. 2. and xxvi. 1: and what is ftill of more weight, we have the prince of Gath called King of Gath more than once in this first book of Samuel. In fhort, though they were fubdued by David, and kept in fubjection by fome others of the fucceeding Kings; yet they afterwards became fo confiderable, as that from them the Holy Land came to be called by the Greeks, Paleftine, under which name it frequently occurs both in Greek and Latin writers, and that Chriftian as well as Heathen:

Of the five lordships, into which the country of the Philistines was diftinguifhed, that of Gaza was the moft fouthern; the city of Gaza, from which it took its name,

6.

Of Gaza.

PART III. ftanding as it were in the very fouth-weft angle or corner of the land of Canaan. Of this city I have spoken already in Part II. chap. ii. §. 6. of my Geography of the New Teftament.

7.

Of Afkelon.

8.

Of Afhdod.

North of Gaza lay next the city of Afkelon, called by the Greeks and Latins, Afcalon, and fituated likewise on the fea-fide. It is faid to have been of great note among the Gentiles, for a temple dedicated to Derceto, the mother of Semiramis, here worshipped in the form of a mermaid; and for another temple of Apollo, wherein Herod, the father of Antipater, and grandfather of Herod the Great, (who, from his being born in this city, was called Herod the Afcalonite,) ferved as prieft. It had in the first times of Christianity an epifcopal fee; and in the course of the holy wars it was beautified with a new wall, and many fair buildings, by our King Richard the First.

Above Afcalon to the north lay Afhdod, called by the Greeks Azotus, and under that name mentioned in the hiftory of the Acts of the Apostles, and so taken notice of in my Geography of the New Testament, Part II. chap. ii. §. 9. I there obferved, that it was memorable for the temple of Dagon; to which I must add here, that this was the temple, into which the ark of God was brought, and set by Dagon. And when they of Afndod arofe early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth, before the ark of the Lord: and they took Dagon, and fet him in his place again. And when they arofe early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground, before the ark of the Lord: and the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, were cut off upon the threshold, only the stump of Dagon was left to him. Nor was this all, but the hand of the Lord was heavy alfo upon the men of Ashdod, and he deftroyed them, and fmote them with emrods, even Ashdod, and the coafts thereof. And when the men of Ashdod faw that it was fo, they faid, The ark of the God of Ifrael fhall not abide with us: for his hand is fore upon us, and upon Dagon our God. They fent therefore, and gathered

all