Book I.

2.

fucceeding Times by the Greeks and Romans. The Country was then divided into these five diftinct Provinces, three on the Weft fide, and two in the Country beyond Jordan : 1. Galilee, the moft Northern Province, bordering upon Syria and Phenicia, and containing the old Habitation of the four Tribes of Afer, Nepthali, Zabulon, and Iffachar being divided into the Upper and Lower, and about 85 Miles in Length, and 70 in Breadth. Samaria, on the South of Galilee, and bordering upon the Mediterranean Sea, containing the old Settlement of the Tribe of Ephraim, and half of Manaffeb; being about 75 Miles long, and near so in Breadth. 3. Judea, South, or rather SouthWeft of Samaria, containing the Territories of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin, together with Dan and Simeon; being almoft the fame with the old Kingdom of Judah, and about 100 Miles in Length, and 60 in Breadth. Beyond Jordan were, 4. Traconitis, on the Eaft of Galilee, bordering upon Syria, and containing the Country poffefs'd by the other half of Manaffeh, being lefs fruitful than the reft, and about 70 Miles in Length, and 50 in Breadth. 5. Perea (which Name was fometimes given to all that Country beyond Jordan) on the South of Traconitis, and Eaft of Samaria and Judea, containing the Lands allotted to the two Tribes of Gad and Reuben, and fomewhat more; being about 110 Miles in Length. and near 60 in Breadth. This was the Divifion of the whole Land, which continued to our Saviour's Time, when another Province was added by the Romans to this Country, called Idumæa, which took in fome of the Southern Parts of Judea, and Part of Arabia. Of these five Provinces the Jews only poffefs'd that called Judea, and for a confiderable Space not all that, being hated and opprefs'd by all their Neighbours; efpecially the powerful Nations of Egypt and Syria, two great Branches of the Macedonian, or Grecian Empire.

Compared

1

Compared with this, all Countries under Heaven Chap. 3were by the Jews efteemed polluted and unholy, except a part of Syria, by which they underftand the Territory oppofite to Mefopotamia, to the Weft of Euphrates, which was conquer'd by David, and added to the Kingdom of Ifrael. This Land was indulg'd fome fingular Privileges, it being an establish'd Rule,that to purchase an Estate in Syria, was the fame as if it lay in the Suburbs of Jerufalem: It was oblig'd to pay Tithes, and bound to obferve the Rights of the Sabbatical Year; but it was not allow'd to provide the two Wave Loaves to be offer'd at the Feast of Pentecoft, and fome other Oblations, that were peculiar to the Land of Ifrael: a Spot of Earth highly honou red by the Care of Providence, and efteem'd fo facred among the Jews in all Ages, long after their Dif perfion, that in the time of Adrian, the Roman Emperor, it was prohibited by a publick Decree, ratified by the Senate's Confent, for any Jew to come even within the Sight of Judea,left the View of their native Soil fhould infpire them with fome defperate Refolutions to endeavour their Settlement there again. But (fays the Learned Dr. Jackson) herein he was unwittingly the Angel of God, to keep this wicked Race out of that Paradice, the good Land out of which he had driven them.

CHA P. III.

The Inhabitants of the Holy-Land,Canaanites, Hebrews, Samaritans, Hellenifts, Profelytes, and Jews.

T

HE original Inhabitants of the Land of Canaan were the Pofterity of Cham, who were branch'd out into feveral petty Kingdoms when the Ifraelites took Poffeffion of the Country, neither could they be fo wholly difledg'd from.

'Book I.

their old Settlements, but that fome of them, particularly the Jebufites, continued unfubdued till the time of David and Solomon, when all the Territories of the Canaanites were conquer'd, and fell under the Government of the Hebrews. The many Revolutions that follow'd in the Kingdoms of Ifrael and Judah, introduc'd a Mixture of feveral Nations; and from the preceding Account it will appear, that at the time of our Saviour's coming, the Inhabitants of Canaan, or Palestine, were a Compofition of People both of Foreigners and native fews. The Jews were but a Remnant of an often featter'd, conquer'd, and captivated People, but two entire Tribes of twelve, and those tributary to Herod, and the Romans. The Foreigners who refided in this Country were principally Grecians and Romans, the former being the Reliques of the Macedonian Empire; and the latter, Magiftrates, Governors, and Soldiers, to keep it in Obedience, and to receive the Tributes. The rest of the Inhabitants, tho' of many different Extracts, may principally be conceived under these two following Names, Jews and Samaritans, of whom, for Difpatch fake, I fhall first take notice of the latter.

1. The Samaritans were principally Defcendants of thofe Affyrians whom Salmanaffer fent to inhabit the Kingdom of Ifrael, when he carry'd the ten Tribes captive, originally Pagans, and call'd Cubites by the Jews, either from the Name of their Country,or by way of Reproach. But mixing with the Remainder of the Tribes, and being punifh'd with Lions,and inftructed by fome Ifraeliti Priefts, they gradually receded from their Pagan Idolatries, and after the Babylonian Captivity, they became zealous in the Worship of the true God. They were circumcis'd,offer'd Sacrifices, perform'd the Ceremonies of the Law, and expected the Meffiah, who was to deliver them from all Calamities, and to teach them all things. Yet they never comply'd with Judaifm any farther than to own the five Books of Mofes, rejecting all the rest that are in the Jewish Canon; and thefe

five Books are fill preferv'd written in the old Chap. Hebrew or Phanician Character, and were brought U among them by Manaffeh, and thofe Apoftate Jews that came over with him and fettled in Samaria. And tho' they had Priefs and Sacrifices like the Jews, yet they would not allow Jerufalem to be the Place of publick Worship; and therefore to divert the common People from the Temple of God, by the means of Sanballat, a great Prince of their Nation, they, erected another Temple of great Magnificence upon Mount Gerizim, near Sichem, and not far from Samaria; imitating the Policy, tho' not the Idolatry of Jeroboam, the first King of Ifrael after the Divifion. This Temple was built two hundred and four Years after the Babylonian Captivity, and three hundred thirty two before the Nativity of Chrift, and prov'd a great weakning to the Jewish Church; for all profligate Wretches, Malefactors, and excommunicated Perfons among the Jews, immediately repair'd to this Place,and join'd with the Samaritan Worship. This, with fome former Refentments, occafion'd fuch violent Heats between the Jews and Samaritans, tho' immediate Neighbours, that they would have no Commerce or Correfpondence with each other, and one continually branded the other with the moft reproachful Titles imaginable. About two hundred years after, the Jews growing powerful by the Valour of the Maccabees, the Samaritans were fubdued by John Hyrcanus, who destroy'd Samaria and their Schifmatical Temple, and confin'd them to the little Province of Samaria above defcrib'd. Yet this did not extinguifh their Hatred and Prejudices; but they ftill kept Mount Gerizim for their Place of publick Worship, and continued their Schifm till the final Deftruction of both Nations by Titus the Roman Emperor.

Because the Samaritans agreed with the Sadducees in rejecting Traditions, and keeping strictly to the written Word, from hence the Jews have taken occafion to calumniate them, as if they agreed in other Particulars with the Sadducees,and denied with

them

1

Book I.

them the Refurrection of the Dead, which led Epiphanius and St. Gregory into the Miftake of afferring this Opinion; whereas the Resurrection of the Dead has always been a Doctrine as firmly held, and as certainly believ'd among them, as by the Jews themselves,

The Samaritans were divided into feveral Sects, more particularly these three: The Dofitbeans, the Sebueans, and the Gortheni. 1. The Dofitheans were fo called from Dofitheus or Dofthui, supposed to be the first Prieft fent into this Country by the King of Affyria: Thefe did eat nothing that had Life,like the Pythagoreans; abftained from Marriage,like the Jewish Effenes; and in the point of keeping the Sabbath exceeded the Pharifees, it being a Law among them, that in whatsoever Pofture a Perfon was found in the Morning of the Sabbath, he ought to continue in the fame the whole Day without Alteration. 2. The Sebueans, fo named from Sebua or Sebuiah, one of the Affociates of Dofitheus, who, tho' they kept the fame publick Festivals with the Jews, and other Samaritans, yet obferv'd not the fame time, transferring the Paffover to the Month of August, the Pentecoft to Autumn, and the Feast of Tabernacles to the time of the Paffover: For which reason they were not permitted to worship at the Temple of Gerizim. 3. The Gortheni kept the fame Festivals, and obferv'd the fame Times of those Solemnities, as the Law required; but, contrary to the Law, they kept only one of the feven appointed Days, and neglected the reft as Days of ordinary Labour.

2.The Jews were moft properly fuch as inhabited the Country of Judea; but because in our Saviour's time all were called Jews who obferved the Law of Mofes and all the Prophets, we fhall take notice of them in their full Extent,and under these three Denominations. 1. Hellenifts; 2. Profelytes; and 3. Fews in a proper Senfe, who are often called by the Name of Hebrews.

1. The Hellenifts or Grecizing Jews were fuch as were real Jews by Defcent and Profeffion; but li

ving