Elihu) was of the posterity of Nachor, (as also in this place he confesseth so much expressly,) and inasmuch as he readeth not, e familia Aram, or Ram, but e familia Syra; like as elsewhere Laban who sprung of Nachor is called a Syrian.

As for the h other three of Job's friends, (of whom by this note of Elihu's being of the Syrian family, or the family of Nachor,) it is implied that they were of other kindreds; as also by the Septuagint's addition, that this Elihu was of the land of Hus, or Ausitis, it is implied that they thought only Elihu to have been of Job's own country.

Franciscus Brochard the monk, in his description of the Holy Land in the journey from Acon eastward, findeth Suetha, and Theman on the east of the sea of Galilee, both very near to the land of Hus; whereof the one may seem to have denominated Bildad the Shuchite, the other Eliphaz the Themanite; two of the three friends of Job, of the which Job ii. 11. But Junius thinks that the Shuchites were inhabitants of Arabia the Desert, descended of Shuach the son of Abraham and Ketura; of whom Genesis xxv. 2. perhaps, saith he, the same whom Pliny calls Saccæi. So also he thinketh the Themanites, of whom Eliphaz was, to have been of Arabia the Desert; and Eliphaz himself to have been of the posterity of Theman the son of Eliphaz, which was the son of Esau. And so also Nahamah, whence Tsophar, the third of Job's friends, (which in this place of Job ii. 11. are mentioned,) is by the same learned expositor thought either to be named of Thimnah, by transposition of letters, (which Thimnah, Gen. xxxvi. 40. is named among the sons of Esau that gave denomination to the places where they were seated,) or else to be the same Nahamah which, Josh. xv. 41. is reckoned for a city of Juda, in the border, as he thinks, of Edom. And yet I deny not, but that near to the land of Hus in Basan, as it seems, in the tribe of Manasses, there is a region which at least in latter times was called Suitis, or of some like name. history of Gulielmus Tyrius,

For this is evident by the which reports of a fort in De Bell. Sacr. 1. 22. c. 15. et 21.

this region of Suita, or Suites, (as he calls it diversely,) of exceeding great strength and use for the retaining of the whole country which in the time of Baldwine, the second king of Jerusalem, was with great digging through rocks recovered by the Christians; having not long before been lost, to the great disadvantage of the country, while it was in the hands of the Saracens. The situation of this fort is by Tyrius described to be sixteen miles from the city Tiberias, on the east of Jordan, by Adrichomius, four miles northward from the place where Jordan enters the lake Tiberias at Corazim.

Other cities of this part of Manasses named in the scripture are these; Golan, Beheshthera, Mitspah of Gilead, and Kenath, which after the coming of the Israelites was called Nobach. Of Nobach, or Kenath, and Mitspah of k Gilehad, we have spoken by occasion among the cities of Gad; the two other were given to the Levites, and Golan made one of the cities of refuge; from which Golan we have both Gaulanitis Superior and Inferior, oft in Josephus. Beheshthera is accounted the chief city of Basan by some, but the writers corrupting the name into Bozra, it is confounded with Betser, or Bozra of Reuben, and with Bozra of Edom. Argob is oft named for a region in this tract, and hence Jerome hath Arga, a name of a city placed by some about the waters of Merom, (as they are called by Joshua,) which make the lake Samachonitis, as Josephus calls it. This lake being as it were in the midst between Cæsarea Philippi and Tiberias, through which, as through the lake of Tiberias, Jordan runneth, boundeth part of this half tribe on the west. When the snow of Libanus melteth, it is very large, saith Brochard; otherwise more contract, leaving the marish ground on both sides for lions and other wild beasts, which harbour in the shrubs that plentifully grow there.

Adjoining to this lake, in this country of Manasses, Josephus names two places of strength fortified by himself in the beginning of the Jews' rebellion; Seleucia the one, and Sogane the other. In the north side of this half tribe of Manasseh, and in the north-east, the scripture nameth divers * Josh. xxi. 27. Deut. iv. 43.

bordering places towards Damascus, as Tsedad Chauran and Chatsar-Henan, lying in a line drawn from the west; of which three cities we read Ezek. xlvii. 16. with which also agrees the place Numb. xxxiv. 8. where for Chauran, between Tsedad and Chatsar-Henan, Ziphron is named. From this Chauran is the name of Auranitis Regio, in Josephus and Tyrius, whose bounds (as also the bounds of Gessur and Mahachath, or Macati, which were likewise borderers to Manasses towards the north-east) are unknown; only that Gessur was of might, it appears in that David married 'Mahaca the daughter of Tholmay king of Gessur; by whom he had the most beautiful, but wicked and unfortunate Absalom.

CHAP. XI.

The history of the Syrians, the chief borderers of the Israclites, that dwelt on the east of Jordan.

SECT. I.

Of the city of Damascus, and the divers fortunes thereof. DAMASCUS, of all other in this border, and of that part of the world, was the most famous, excelling in beauty, antiquity, and riches, and was therefore called the city of joy or gladness, and the house of pleasure; and is not only remembered in many places of scripture, but by the best historians and cosmographers. The Hebrews, saith m Josephus 1.14. think it to have been built by Hus the son of Aram, of which opinion St. Jerome upon Isaiah xvii. seemeth to be; though in his Hebrew Questions he affirmeth, that it was founded by Damascus, the son of Eliezer, n Abraham's steward, a thing very unlikely, seeing the city was formerly known by that name, as appears by Abraham's calling this his steward Eliezer of Damasco. David was the first that subjected it to the kingdom of Juda, after the overthrow of Adadezer their king; but in Solomon's time Rezon recovered it again, though he had no title at all or right to that Joseph 1. 14.

1 1 Chron. iii. 2.

m

u Gen. xv. 2.

principality: but David having overthrown Hadadezer king of Sophena, (otherwise Syria, Soba, or Zobah,) Razon, or Rezon, with the remainder of that broken army, invaded • Damascena, and possessed Damascus itself, and became an enemy to Solomon all his life.

The next king of Damascus was Adad the Edomite, who flying into Egypt from David and Joab, when they slew all the males in Edom, was there entertained, and married Taphnes the king of Egypt's wife's sister, of whom Taphnes in Egypt was so called. This Adad returning again became an enemy to Solomon all his life, and (as some writers affirm) invaded Damascus, and thrust Rezon thence out. In the line of Adad that kingdom continued nine descents, (as hereafter may be shewed in the catalogue of those kings of Syria,) to whom the Assyrians and then the Grecians succeeded. This city was exceeding strong, compassed with waters from the rivers of Abanah and Parphar; whereof one of those profane writers call Chrysorrhoas, the golden river. Junius takes it for Adonis. The country adjoining is very fruitful of excellent wines and wheats, and all manner of excellent fruits. It had in it a very strong castle built, as it seems, by the Florentines after it became Christian; the lilies being found cut in many marbles in that citadel. Against this city the prophets $ Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zacharias prophesied that it should be taken, burnt, demolished, and made a heap of stones. In the time of the last Rezon, and tenth king of the Damascenes, Teglatphalassar, invited by Achaz king of Juda, carried away the naturals of Damascus into the east, leaving of his own nation to inhabit it. After that it was utterly ruined by the Babylonians, saith Jerome upon Isaiah xvii.; which thing was performed by Salmanasar, according to Junius in his note upon that place, five years after the prophecy. In time it was restored by the Macedonians and the Ptolomies; but long after, when Syria fell into the hands of the

• 1 Kings xi. 40.

PI Kings xi.

92 Kings v.

S

Romans, it was taken by "Metellus and Lollius. In the time of the Christians it had an archbishop: St. Jerome living, as he affirmeth upon the Acts, it was the metropolis of the Saracens, being taken by Haomar their king from the Romans, in the year of our redemption 636. And in the year 1147, Conrad the third, emperor of Rome, Lewis king of France, Baldwin the third king of Jerusalem, Henry duke of Austria, brother to Conrad, Frederick Barbarossa, afterwards emperor, Theodorick earl of Flanders, and other princes assembled at Ptolomais Acon, on the sea-coast, determined to recover Damascus; but being betrayed by the Syrians, they failed of the enterprise.

In the year 1262, Halon the Tartar encompassed it, and having formerly taken the king brought him under the walls, and threatened extreme torture unto him, except the citizens surrendered the place; but they refusing it, the 2king was torn asunder before them, and in fine, the city taken, Agab the son of Halon was by his father made king thereof.

In the year a1400, Tamberlaine, emperor of the Parthians, invaded that region, and besieged the city with an army of 1,200,000, (if the number be not mistaken.) He entered it, and put all to the sword, filling the ditch with his prisoners; those that retired into the castle, which seemed a place impregnable, he overtopped with another castle adjoining; he forbore the demolishing of the city in respect of the beauty of the church, garnished with forty gates or sumptuous porches. It had within it 9000 lanterns of gold and silver; but while he invaded Egypt, they again surprised Damascus. Lastly, in his return, after three months siege, he forced it; the Mahometans, prostrating themselves with their priests, desired mercy; but Tamberlaine commanding them to enter the church, he burnt them and it, to the number of 30,000, and did so demolish it, as those that came afterwards to see their houses knew them not by the foundations. And as