I.

CHA P. other places in the Holy Land, which were alfo called by the name of Ramah. One place of this name was spoken of in the laft fection but one of the laft chapter of Vol. I. viz. chap. vi. §. 25. And chap. v. §. 36. of Vol. I. p. 329. we have taken notice of another place of the like name, lying in the land of Gilead, or Mızpeh, 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) diftrict 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 ufual road taken by pilgrims from Jaffa, or Joppe, to Jerufalem, and is accordingly taken notice of by Thevenot* 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 outfide, as may be feen by the draught which Le Bruyn has given of it. Hard by the place where stood part of the ancient city, is ftill to be seen a large square tower, much like to a steeple. They fay, 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 reprefented as the fteeple to that church, built in honour of the forementioned martyrs. At this tower are likewise to be seen some ruins, which seem to be the remains of a monaftery. Thevenot exprefsly fays, that heretofore there was a ftately large convent here, of which the cloister feems to be ftill very entire, by what could be obferved in paffing by the gate, for he was told, that Christians were not permitted to enter into it. The Latin monks have a convent or monaftery at prefent in Rama,

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

where

I.

where there commonly refides a father fuperior with two SECT. monks. The pilgrims ufually lodge there till they go to Jerufalem. This convent, which hath a very neat church, was built, as they fay, in the very place where the house of Nicodemus anciently stood. The inhabitants, as far as Le Bruyn could guess, amounted to about three thoufand fouls, as well Christians 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 fay, 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 alío a very fine ciftern, 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 ufe are to be feen in Italy.

Le Bruyn adds, that, whilst 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 expressly 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 matter for men to take a journey to Jerufalem; but that women should have fuch wandering heads, may seem somewhat ftrange. However, there are inftances of it. A little before I arrived at Rama, an English middle-aged gentlewoman was come thither, attended only with one footman. After fhe nad completed her journey to Jerufalem, and there paid her devo

CHAP. tions, she went into France, where fhe fettled, because of fome affronts she had met with in England.

I.

3.

In chap. iv. of this firft Book of Samuel we have an Of Aphek. account of a fight between the Ifraelites and the Philistines; 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 some 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. p. 304. of Vol. I. 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 understood here, as lying in all probability not far from Eben-ezer, which lay in the tribe of Judah, as will appear hereafter, viz. §. 14.

Of the

Country of

tines.

The Ifraelites in their first engagement with the Philiftines were worsted by them, lofing about four thousand men. the Philif- Whereupon they fetched the ark from Shiloh into their camp, thinking that the presence of that would certainly save 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 second time, they were quite routed, and the ark taken by the Philistines, and carried into their country. Which it will be here requifite to speak more diftinctly of, for the better understanding the several particulars related concerning the ark, during its ftay in this country.

vided into five lord. ships.

We learn then, that the Philiftines were defcendants of It was di- Mizraim, the father of the Egyptians, and the second son 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-history, that the Philistines were poffeffed of a confiderable tract of this coaft to the fouth; these must become masters of it by difpoffeffing the Canaanites, the original mafters of it. And this is the more probable, because that, the Philif

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tines being defcended of Mizraim, it is not to be doubted, SE C T. but they settled in Egypt, or the parts adjoining, and so to the fouth-west of Canaan. And if mount Cafius was lo called from Cafluhim, of whom the Philiftines were more immediately defcended; then it is evident, that they were feated in the tract next adjoining to the Canaanites, on the fouth or fouth-west, and fo lay ready to make an invafion upon the fouth-west coast of the Canaanites, as soon as they became ftrong enough. That they had actually made themselves mafters of some part of Canaan in the days of Abraham, seems to be countenanced by the hiftory of Abraham. And Jofh. xiii. 3. we learn, that they had then extended their conquefts from Gaza fo far northwards as to Ekron; dividing this tract into five lordships, or lefler principalities or kingdoms. For as the princes hereof are in the forecited place of Joshua, and also 1 Sam. vi. 17, 18. called the five Lords of the Philistines, and are thus reckoned up, Gaza, Askelon, Afhdod, 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 Isaac, Gen. xx. 2. and xxvi. 1: and what is still of more weight, we have the prince of Gath called King of Gath more than once in this first book of Samuel. In short, 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, Palestine, under which. name it frequently occurs both in Greek and Latin writers, and that Christian as well as Heathen.

Of the five lordships, into which the country of the Philiftines was distinguished, that of Gaza was the most fouthern; the city of Gaza, from which it took its name, ftanding as it were in the very south-west angle or corner of the land of Canaan. Of this city I have spoken already in Part II. chap. 2. §. 6. of my Geography of the New Teftament.

North of Gaza lay next the city of Askelon, called by the Greeks and Latins, Ascalon, and fituated likewise on the feafide. It is faid to have been of great note among the Gen

6.

Of Gaza.

Of Afkelon.

CHAP. tiles, for a temple dedicated to Dirceto, the mother of SemiI. ramis, here worshipped in the form of a mermaid; and for

8.

Of Ashdod.

Of Gath.

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) served as prieft. It had in the firft times of Chriftianity an epifcopal fee; and in the courfe of the holy wars it was beautified with a new wall, and many fair buildings, by our King Richard the First.

ry

Above Afcalon to the north lay Afhdod, called by the Greeks Azotus, and under that name mentioned in the histoof the Acts of the Apostles, and fo taken notice of in my Geography of the New Teftament, Part II. chap. ii. §. 9. I there observed, 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 fet by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod 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 ftump of Dagon was left to him. Nor was this all, but the hand of the Lord was heavy also upon the men of Ajhdod, and he destroyed them, and fmote them with emrods, even Afhdod, and the coafts thereof. And when the men of Ashdod faw that it was fo, they faid, The ark of the God of Ifrael shall not abide with us: for his hand is fore upon us, and upon Dagon our God. They fent therefore, and gathered all the Lords of the Philistines unto them, and faid, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Ifrael? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Ifrael be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Ifrael thither. 1 Sam. v. 2—8.

Gath lay ftill more north than Afhdod, and is memorable for being the birth-place of the giant Goliath, flain by David, as alfo of feveral others of the fame gigantic race, flain by David's worthies. It was difmantled by David, rebuilt after

ward