Ephesus. There is not one of the Seven Churches the overthrow of which has been so severe, and the desolation so entire, as Laodicea. It is a heap of ruins, which testify both to its ancient grandeur, and to the displeasure of the Almighty at the departure of its once celebrated church from the faith. See Rev. iii. 14--22.

No. XIV.

ANCIENT PERSIA.

THIS Country was bounded by Media and Susiana westwards; by the Persian Gulf southwards; by the great desert that lay between it and Parthia Proper northwards; and by another still greater that lay between it and the river Indus eastwards. Before the succession of Cyrus to the Median empire it was an inconsiderable country, subject either to the Assyrians, Babylonians, or the Medes. Its capital was Persepolis, now Chelminar, in the neighbourhood of which was Pasargada, where was the tomb of Cyrus. Persepolis is now a heap of ruins, among which Sir John Chardin observed figures of rams' heads with horns, one higher and the other lower, "exactly corresponding," says Dr. Hales, "to Daniel's vision of the Medo-Persian empire, Dan. viii. 3, the lower horn denoting the Medes; the higher, which came up last, the Persians." At the date this Map refers to, the Persian empire was widely extended, embracing all the countries therein delineated, which were divided into twenty satrapies. Its chief scriptural interest is derived from the position which Palestine occupied in that empire. Herodotus determines this position: he says, "Under the fifth satrapy was comprehended the tract of country which extends from the city Posideum, built on the frontiers of Cilicia and Syria, as far as Egypt, part of Arabia alone excluded. The same satrapy, moreover, included all Phenicia, the Syrian Palestine, and the isle of Cyprus." Over this province it would appear that Tatnai, mentioned Ezra v. 6, governed. In the time of Nehemiah, Syria appears to have formed more than one government: see Neh. ii. 7-9; which also is learned from common history. When divided, it is probable that Palestine was included in the government of Coelo-Syria. The Hebrews, it would seem, were indulged with native governors, invested with full powers for internal government, but subject to the control of the governor of the satrapy. Nehemiah was the last of these governors; but the internal administration was left in the hands of the high priests till the overthrow of the Persian empire by Alexander.

The only other countries embraced in the Persian empire, mentioned in the Old Testament, and which require notice here, are, 1. Ararat, which appears to denote the country of Armenia Major. 2. Minni, generally applied to Armenia Minor. 3. Ashkenaz, conjectured by Dr. Hales to apply to some part of Phrygia: see Jer. li. 27. 4. Tubal and Meshech, supposed to have been the countries between and near the Black and Caspian Seas. 5. Togarmah, conjectured by some to allude to Armenia, which was anciently celebrated for its breed of horses: see Ezek. xxvii. 13, 14.

There are only two places of note which demand notice in this article. These are, 1. Susa. This city appears to have been founded in the earliest ages. It was first made the residence of the Persian court by Cyrus. Ancient writers describe it as being 120 stadia in circumference. The celebrated palace of Ahasuerus was here, Esth. i. 5; and amongst its ruins, the tomb of the prophet Daniel, real or imaginary,

is pointed out by the inhabitants. 2. Ecbatana, or Achmetha, now Hamadan. This city was near the north-west end of Media, and was remarkable for the coolness of its temperature, for which cause it was chosen to be the summer residence of Cyrus and the succeeding kings of Persia. It is mentioned, Ezra vi. 2, as the place where the records of the kingdom were preserved.

No. XV.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND ITS PROVINCES IN THE AUGUSTAN ERA, WITH THE EMPIRE OF PARTHIA.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE.-The boundaries of the Roman dominion, as fixed by Augustus, were the Atlantic Ocean on the west; the Rhine and Danube on the north; the Euphrates and the Arabian Desert on the east; and the deserts of Africa on the south. The numerous provinces into which it was divided are specified in the table inserted in the Map. The careful reader of the Bible will perceive that the countries therein delineated illustrate the whole of the New Testament, in which so many interesting events are recorded as having been transacted during this period within the limits of this empire. The position which Judea occupied in the scale of the great nations of the West, appears circumscribed; but its incomparative insignificance, in a geographical point of view, impresses on the mind more strongly the importance of the events which took place there during the Augustan era, and which to this day have attracted the attention of mankind. From thence, in this age, sounded forth the word of God from the lips of those holy men, the apostles, which souls have found, and still find precious, and which will eventually be for the healing of all nations under the sun. It was while Judea was a province of the Roman Empire that "there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven," and that the astonished multitude asked on the great day of Pentecost, "How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea," (or India,) "and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God," Acts ii. 5-11.

For remarks on some of the countries of Europe and Northern Africa comprised in this Map, to which allusion is supposed to be made by the prophetic writers in the proper names, see Map No. I., where they are referred to as illustrative of the division of the word made by Noah to his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

THE PARTHIAN EMPIRE.-This was one of the most powerful of the eastern empires. It extended from the head of the Euphrates, to beyond the river Indus in Asia, together with Egypt and Libya in Africa. Its duration is usually dated from B. c. 254 to A. D. 220. It was founded by Arcases, whence his successors were called Arcasides. The last of these kings was Artabanus, after whose death the empire was transferred to the Persians. Ancient Parthia is now, indeed, the Persian Irak, which is situated in the heart of Persia. There were, as we have seen, Jews of Parthia present at Jerusalem on the great day of Pentecost, which shows how far they were extended over the earth, and how far the gospel spread in those early ages. The Christian religion is now extinct there, except in a very corrupt state, among the Armenians, who settled there for mercantile purposes.

No. XVI.

TURKEY, WITH REFERENCE TO THE COUNTRIES MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE.

THIS mighty empire established itself upon the ruins of the Saracen, and exceeded it in power and duration. Like that of the Roman empire, it arose from small and weak beginnings to great extent and dominion. It received large accessions, however, under Mohammed the Great; and under his successors its limits were extended from the Adriatic Sea, eastward, in Dalmatia, Hungary, etc.; Armenia, Persia, etc., in Egypt, and the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It attained its height during the reign of Solyman the Magnificent: since that time it has been gradually declining, and it is now fast verging to ruin. "The unwieldiness of the empire," says Dr. Hales," now paralyzed in every limb, shows strong symptoms of approaching dissolution. But the precise time is known only to Him in whose unfathomable counsels all these great revolutions of states and empires are from eternity shut up, until they shall be revealed at those proper times and seasons, which THE FATHER hath reserved in his own power, or jurisdiction, to support the patience and faith of the saints, and to humble the pride and presumption of shortsighted mortals, and for his own glory." How far the conquests of the Turkish rulers extended over Christendom is defined in the Map. There is seen, that almost every country where the gospel was preached in the early ages of Christianity, and Jerusalem itself, was trodden under foot of these Gentiles. See Map, MODERN PALESTINE, NO. XII. Vital religion has drooped under the withering influence of Turkish sway in many countries traced in our Map. There was a time when the hosts of the followers of Mohammed fiercely struggled with the Christian armies in the heart of France, and even England herself had much to fear from their wrath; but "Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth," Psa. cxxiv. 6, who still permits the word of salvation to be promulgated sabbath after sabbath in our highly favoured isle. Reader, prize this high and holy privilege, for thereon thy eternal welfare depends!

No. XVII.

MODERN EGYPT.

Ar the present day, Egypt is commonly divided by geographers into three regions, namely, Bahari, or Maritime or Lower Egypt; Vostani, or Middle Egypt; and Said, or Upper Egypt. The administrative division of the country, however, is by provinces, or prefectships, of which there are fifteen in Lower Egypt, and ten in Middle and Upper Egypt together. These provinces are-1. Cairo, with the town of Boulack, the port of Cairo, Fostat, and Suez; 2. Kelioub, with the towns of Matarieh, Artrib, Choubrah, and Abouzabel; 3. Belbeis, east of Kelioub; 4. Chibeh, north of Belbeis, with the towns of Tel Basta and Heydeh; 5. Mit Ghamer, north of Kelioub; 6. Mansourah, north of Mit Ghamer, with the village of Tmay el Emdid; 7. Damietta, with the town of Menzaleh, and the forts of El Arish and Tyreh; 8. Mehallet, and the small towns of Semennout and Abousir; 9. Tantah, south of Mehallet; 10. Melig, south of Tantah, with the town of Chibn el Kourn; 11. Menouf, south of Melig; 12. Negileh, with the towns of Terraneh and

Wardan; 13. Foua, north-west of Mehallet, with the towns of Rosetta and Deiroot; 14. Damanhour, north of Negileh, with the town of Ramayeh; 15. Alexandria, with, as in all the former provinces, the city of that name. On entering the valley of the Nile from the Delta side, we find-1. Gizeh, head of the prefectship of that name; 2. Benisouef, south of Gizeh, with the towns of Abou Girgeh and Samallout further south; 3. Atfyh, on the opposite, or east bank of the Nile; 4. Faioum, with the town of Medinet el Faioum; 5. Minyeh, with the towns of Melaoui and Eshmounein on the left, and those of Sheyk Abadeh on the right bank; 6. Manfalout, south of Minyeh; 7. Siout, the capital of Lower Egypt; 8. Girgeh, with the town of Ekhmim; 9. Keneb, in the prefectship of which are the ruins of Thebes and of Abydus; 10. Esneh, which is the most southern province of Egypt. Most of the towns of Egypt may be traced on the Map.

The present dominions of the ruler of Egypt extend, on one side, to Senaar and Kordofan; and, on the other, over all Syria to Adana, a part of Cilicia, at the foot of Mount Taurus. He possesses also the fine island of Candia, and in Arabia he is protector of Mecca and Medina, and lord of the Hedjaz. His authority over Palestine, that "glory of all lands," has been stated in the Map of Modern Palestine. We would fain hope, however, that the time is not far distant when this country shall be taken out of the hands of the infidel, and put into the possession of the descendants of Abraham, who, although they now wander over the face of the whole earth, are, it is thought by many, to be gathered together once more in the Promised Land, under the gentle sway of Him they once despised-the Messiah, when the prediction is fulfilled: "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn," Zech. xii. 10.

Thus some of the principal points of interest in each Map have been briefly described. For a notice of every empire, country, and place mentioned in the Holy Bible, and inserted in the various Maps, the reader may refer to "BIBLE GEOGRAPHY," published by the Religious Tract Society, where the numerous incidents recorded in Scripture will be found, in connexion with each, pointed out to his notice in a compendious form.