he went with his army from Babylon to Carchemis a City of Syria scituated neere the riuer Euphrates which was 280 miles Here he ouercame Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt in a great battel Ier. 46. Herod lib. 2. From Carchemis he went to Ierusalem which was 400 miles here he tooke Daniel and his companions captiue and brought them to Babylon After he went with his army to Pelusio being 132 miles which hee tooke conquered all the land of Egypt put to death Pharaoh Necho and made Psammeticus his son King in his place Ieremy the Prophet told of this war cap. 25.26 From Pelusio he returned to Babylon 800 miles Within a while after his father died and he succeeded in the gouernment and reigned 43 yeares In the 11 yeare of Ioachim King of Iudah he went again from Babylon to Ierusalem which was 680 miles and by policy tooke that city and put Ioachim the king thereof to death according to the prophecie of Ieremy cap. 22. 2 Kin. 24. From thence after he had made Iechonias his son King hee returned backe again to Babylon 680 miles About three moneths after he went the third time back to Ierusalem 680 miles for he feared Iechonias would rebell and reuenge the death of his father Ioachim 2 Kin. 24. In the eight yeare of his reign he tooke Iechonias Mardoche and 3000 other Iews of the Nobilitie and caried them captiue to Babylon which was 680 miles 2 Kin. 24. 2 Chr. 36. Est 2. Nine yeares after he came the fourth time to Ierusalem being 680 miles and besieged the City because of the impietie and rebellion of Zedekiah King thereof During this siege he tooke diuers towns but chiefly Lachis and Aseka Ier. 34. But when hee vnderstood that Pharaoh was comming with an army out of Egypt to rescue Zedekiah he raised his Campe and went about 80 miles into the countrey of Egypt which Pharaoh hearing was abashed and turned backe againe In the absence of this Emperor Ieremy the Prophet being then within the city hauing foretold the destruction therof would haue fled thence for his better safety into the tribe of Benjamin but by the way hee was taken in the gate of Benjamin and cast into prison Ier. 7. Within a while after according to the prophecie of Ieremy Nebuchadnezar returned out of the desart of Sur whither he went to meet the Egyptians being 80 miles and vtterly destroyed the city of Ierusalem carrying thence the vessels and ornaments of the Temple to Babylon 2 Kin. 25. 2 Chr. 36. From Ierusalem hee went to Riblah in the tribe of Nepthaly 80 miles where hee put out Zedekiahs eies and kild his children 2 Kin. 25. From Riblah he carried Zedekiah to Babylon which was 600 miles where he died miserably in prison 2 Kin. 25. Afterward Nebuchadnesar went with his army from Babylon to Tyrus which hee won and pittifully wasted with fire and sword according to the prophecie of Ezekiel cap. 26. being 600 miles From Tyrus he went to Egypt and passed 480 miles through that kingdome conquering all the countries and prouinces as he went a long euen the Ammonits the Moabits Philistins Idumaeans and Egypt it selfe all which countries hee made tributarie to him Isa 15 16 19. Ier. 46 47 48 49. Ez. 25.29 From Egypt he returned to Babell 960 miles From that time till his death hee was Emperour of all those kingdoms In the second yeare of his Empire Daniel expounded vnto him his wonderfull dream vnder the similitude of an image setting forth the condition of the four monarchies of the world Dan. 2. Not long after he caused Sidrack Misack and Abednego to be cast into a fiery furnace because they refused to worship the golden image which he had set vp Dan. 3. Also this Nebuchadnesar for his great pride and arrogancie was by God strucken mad and into a deepe melancholy in which disease hee continued for the space of seuen yeares tyed in bonds and chaines running vp and downe like a beast and feeding vpon grasse and roots vntill he came to vnderstand That God the Gouernour of Heauen and earth had the disposing of Kingdoms and Gouernments giuing them to whom he list and againe taking them away At the end of which time he was restored to his vnderstanding and Empire and after beautified the city of Babylon with many goodly buildings faire orchards and pleasant places as Iosep lib. Ant. 10 saith And when hee had reigned 43 yeares died and was buried by his father in Babylon An. mundi 3387. and before Christ 581. So all the trauels of Nebuchadonesar or Nebuchadnesar were 7892 miles ¶ The Description of the Cities and places that haue not as yet been mentioned Of Carchemis THis was a city in the country of Syria neere Euphrates 400 miles from Ierusalem Northward and signifies A sacrificed Lambe being deriued of Car which signifies a Ram or Lambe and Mosch He hath cut in pieces It may also be taken in the third Conjugation for a Lambe sacrificed to the idol Chemosch or Chamos the god of meetings or nightly salutations Of Pelusio THis City Pelusio was built by Peleus the father of Achilles from whence it tooke the name It stands in Egypt some 172 miles from Ierusalem Southwestward neere to the gate of Nilus called Pelusiachus where it falleth into the Mediterranian sea Not far from this city in the mountain Casius vpon the borders of Arabia Petraea where the Temple of Iupiter Casius stood is to be seen the tomb of Pompey the great beautified and adorned by Adrianus Caesar as Capitolinus saith At this day this city is called by the name of Damiata You may read of it Ezek. cap. 30. Of Tyrus or Zor TYrus signifieth Cheese or to congeale together as Cheese doth milk somthing alluding to the Hebrew word Zor signifying to make straight or a rocke hauing a straight and sharpe edge It was the metropolitan city of Phoenicia now the hauen or passage of Sur but in antient time it was called Sarra Aul. Gel. lib. 14. cap. 6. It was scituated vpon a very high rocke compassed about with the Mediterranean sea 100 miles from Ierusalem Northward and a famous mart towne for all the Holy land By the description of Ezekiel it seemes to haue bin like vnto Venice both in scituation and dignitie Ez. 72.28 Ierem. Esay 27.28 and many other Prophets prophecied against this town saying Out of the land of Kithim that is from Macedonia the destroyer of Tyrus should come As after hapned for Alexander the Great King of Macedon besieged that town and in the 7 moneth after tooke it for the obtaining whereof he was constrained to fill vp the sea which compassed it about containing 700 paces and made it firm land for his army to passe vpon to the wals of the city In this country that famous Civilian Vlpian was borne as he writeth lib. 1. ff de Censibus And vpon the borders of Tyrus and Sidon Christ cured the daughter of a Canaanitish woman of a
both and with great facility conquered the kingdome and destroied Ierusalem In this yeare 1187 there happened so great an Eclipse of the Sunne that at noone day the Starres were plainely to bee seene Soone after this Raimond and Guy were both taken prisoners and thirty thousand Christians cruelly put to the sword After this the Saracens sacked the Towne threw the Bells out of the Steeples made stables of the Churches only the Temple on Mount Golgotha stood vntoucht for the Turkes and Saracens honour Christ as a great Prophet And thus the new kingdome of the Christians in Ierusalem ended which was vpon the second day of October in the yeare 1187 after it had continued in their possession 88 yeares During the continuance of this kingdome there were many horrible visions and strange Signes and Wonders seene both in Heauen on earth and in the ayre foreshewing no doubt that God was not well pleased with their actions which sought to restore that kingdom of Ierusalem For My kingdome saith Christ is not of this world And although after that there were many Kings that by all possible means endeauored to recouer and restore the same and for that purpose haue leauied many great Armies and vndertaken many tedious journies yet all their counsels and determinations came to nothing for that God so often as they vndertooke any such expedition either stayed their Armies oppressed them with war or else plagued them with famine in such an extreame measure that with very hunger they haue bin constrained to eat their Horses Frederick Barbarossus may be an example of these calamities who with a great army making an expedition to Ierusalem as he was trauelling through Asia minor his horse started and flung him into the riuer where he died miserably ere he could be saued Many other Princes besides in the like enterprise came to the like ends for they were either destroied by the Barbarians with the losse of thousands of their men cruelly slain or vtterly destroied with vnnatural diseases or vntimely deaths Now when the Emperour Fredericke the second of that name had beseeged and brought to great miserie the Sultan of Egypt and the Knights Templers had done the like to Damieta Corderio the Sultans son beat downe the walls of Ierusalem and had it not bin for the great lamentations and ernest entreaties of the Christians he would haue destroied the city but for their sakes he left standing Solomons Temple and the Temple of the holy Sepulchre for at this time Christians inhabit in them Within a while after about the yeare 1228 Fredericke the second of that name Emperor of Rome went to the holy land with a great army and came to Ptolomais otherwise called Acon where staying a while he made a league with the Sultan of Egipt for ten years regained Ierusalem without drawing sword was there crowned in the yeare 1229 keeping at that time in Ierusalem a royal Easter This man fortified the Christians with a garrison rebuilt Nazareth and Ioppa and so returned into Italy In the yeare 1246 Cassanus King of the Tartars being persuaded by the Sultan with a great army inuaded Iudaea won Ierusalem caused the Christians to be cruelly slaine beat downe the holy Sepulchre euen to small pieces and left but little standing It was after this destroyed by Tamerlaine King of the Tartars and by Mahomet the second of that name Emperour of the Turkes But the Monkes had leaue to build vp the holy Sepulcre againe for the which they payed to the Sultan or his Deputy a yearely tribute In the yeare of our Lord 1516 Selymus Emperor of the Turks about the twenty fourth day of August neere to Damascus ouercame Campson Gaurus Sultan of Egypt in a cruell Warre and put to death many thousands of his men and the Sultan himselfe seeking to saue his life by flight was miserably slaine This Selymus conquered the Holy Land Syria Damascus and all the Countries thereabouts and as he went through Iudaea leauing his Army at Gaza with a few of his Souldiers he went to Ierusalem that he might see with his eyes that place which was made so famous by the antient Writers and was so often mentioned in the Old and New Testament But when he came he found nothing but a ruinate and waste place barren and rude to looke vpon inhabited by a few poore Christians and they also held in great contempt and bondage paying a great tribute to the Sultan of Egypt for their liberty and the holy Sepulchre as P. Iouius writeth But after that Selymus in that place had done his Offerings and Sacrifices to his god Mahomet seeing the Priests and Christians prest with extreme pouertie out of his singular mercy and compassion gaue them a large and sumptuous gift when hee had stayed but one day and one night in the Towne The next morning before day he went with all expedition to his Army at Gaza from thence into Egypt where he besieged the great and famous city Alcaire and in the yeare 1517 took it conquered all the country vtterly extirpated the Sultan and went away with an honorable victory and rich booty From this yeare euen till now the towne of Aelia or Ierusalem is vnder the jurisdiction of the Turks Thus may we see how often and with what miserable calamities this city hath bin afflicted euen since the first destruction by Vespasian which makes euident the great iudgment of God not only vpon the Iews but also vpon the earth where they inhabited for their infidelitie and vnmercifull cruelty The description of Ierusalem and the scituation thereof as it is now in these times THe former incursions and common desolations leauing this town ruined and spoiled for want of inhabitants it became a desart and forsaken place onely some few Christians either out of the zeale of religion or for vulgar ostentation to shew that there had bin a town dwelt there and thus it continued vntill the yeare 1542. at which time Solyman the great Turk either in respect of the strength of the place or in hope of profit or else to get himselfe a name with great cost and labor re-edified it set vp many stately buildings and sumptuous houses beautified it with two costly Temples the one the Temple of Solomon and the other the holy Sepulchre inlarged the extent thereof and seated it vpon high hils After all this compast it about with a spatious and thicke wall and vpon that placed many strong and stately towers wherein there stands eight gates viz. the fish gate the Old gate S. Stephens gate so called because they say S. Stephen went out by that gate when hee was stoned the Angle gate the Dung gate the Sheep gate the Golden and Fountaine gates Thus the antient city and that which the Emperor Adrian built being both destroied in another place is set vp again So that between both this new city standeth and the first city begins to be again inhabited Of the Temple of the
carrieth the smell vnto the red sea and they that saile can easily discerne the sweetnesse of the aire There is gold also found there very fine and pure insomuch as for the goodnesse of it it is called Arabian gold The Phoenix is found there of which there is but one in the world Pliny lib. 9. cap. 35. describes her to be as big as an Eagle with a list of feathers like gold about her necke the rest are of a purple colour therefore from Phoenicea and the purple colour of her wings shee is called Phoenix Shee hath a tuft of feathers vpon her head like vnto a crowne Shee liueth 660 yeares at the end of which time she buildeth her a nest of Cassia Cinnamon Calamus and other pretious Gummes and herbs which the Sun by the extremitie of the heate and the wauing of her wings fires and she taking delight in the sweetnesse of the sauor houers so long ouer it that she burnes her selfe in her owne nest Within a while after out of the marrow of her bones and the ashes of her body there groweth a worme which by little and little increaseth to some bignesse and after to a purple bird Then her wings extend themselues to a full greatnesse till such time as she commeth to be a perfect Phoenix This Bird doth liuely represent our Sauiour Christ who only and alone is the true Messiah and through whom we must expect euerlasting life who in the fulnesse of time offered himself a Sacrifice vpon the Crosse sustaining the punishment for sin at the time of his Passion putting on a purple robe being all be sprinkled with his owne bloud Ioh. 19. And as the Phoenix is burnt in her owne nest so likewise was hee consumed in the fire of Gods wrath according to that in the 22 Psal My heart is become like melting wax in the middest of my body And as the Phoenix of it selfe begetteth another of the same kinde so Christ by the power of his Deitie raised vp his body from the dust of the earth and ascended vp into heauen a glorious body to sit at the right hand of his father in that euerlasting Kingdome of glory Thus gentle Reader I thought fit to describe vnto you these two townes that when you shall reade of them in the holy Scripture the one being in Aethiopia towards the South the other in Arabia Foelix and called Seba you might discerne the one from the other of both which there is mention in the 72 Psalme The Kings of the Sea and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Saba and Seba shall giue gifts The Trauels of King Pharaoh out of Aegypt when he ouercame the Towne of Gazer 1 Reg. 9. IN the 16 yeare of King Dauid Anno mundi 2906 and before Christ 1602 Chabreus King of Aegypt began to raigne and raigned 56 yeares Diod. lib. 2. cap. 2. Herodotus calleth this man Chephrines in his second booke and Eusebius Nepher Cherres He went from Memphis the chiefe Citie of Aegypt with a great armie 268 miles euen vnto the tribe of Ephraim and there tooke Gazer a Citie of the Leuites and burned it with fire 1 Reg. 8. Ios 21. After he came to Ierusalem which was 28 miles And this city which he had thus destroied he gaue to his daughter the wife of Solomon 1 Reg. 9. From thence he returned to Memphis in Aegypt 244 miles So all the Trauels of King Pharaoh were 244 miles Of Memphis MEmphis is a great city in Egypt where commonly the kings of that country keepe their Courts and lyeth from Ierusalem 244 miles South-westward This citie was built a little before the floud but repaired and enlarged by a king called Ogdoo who in loue of his daughter after her name called it Memphis You may reade of it in the ninth of Hosea called there by the name of Moph for thus he saith The people of Israel are gone out of the land of Ephraim because of their Idolatrie into Aegypt but Aegypt shall gather them vp Moph that is Memphis shall bury them Moph or Mapheth in this place signifieth A prodigious wonder but the rest of the Prophets call it Noph for the fertilitie pleasantnes of the country as you may reade Esa 19. The Princes of the Zoan are become foolish and the Princes of Noph or of Memphis are deceiued See also Ierem. 2.44.46 Ezech. 30. in which places you may find it called after this name Zoan is the citie Tanis where Moses wrought all his miracles But Noph or Moph is this Memphis a beautifull towne large and spacious scituated in the strongest and profitablest place in Aegypt diuided into two parts by the riuer Nilus so that any kind of commodities or merchandise might with ease bee brouht thither by water for which cause the kings of that countrie for the most part kept their abiding there Strabo saith lib. 17. That vpon the East part of this citie there standeth a Tower or Castle called Babylon built by certaine Babylonians who leauing their owne countrey by the permissions of the kings of Egipt dwelt there in after times there was placed a garrison in it one of the three which were for the defence of Aegypt and by Ptolomy was called Babilon through both which viz. Memphis and Babilon Nilus passed the one standing vpon the East side the other vpon the West Zoan or Tanis stood about some foure miles from this towne and was a faire spacious citie also scituated towards the South vpon the East side of Nilus to which the kings of that country often resorted and Heliopolis anothet faire citie stood some six miles off that towards the Northeast All these foure townes were so wonderfully inhabited by reason of their pleasant profitable scituation that in processe of time they become all one citie and in this age is called Alcaire containing in circuit 60 miles so that it seemeth to spectators to be like a country replenished with nothing but fair houses goodly churches strong towers exceeding all the rest of the cities of Egypt aswell for the beautifulnesse of the place as the extent and largenesse of it It is reported that in the yeare of our Lord 1476 there was such an extreme pestilence in it that there died 20000 a day from whence may be gathered how infinitely it is peopled Neere to this towne stood the Pyramides which are held to he one of the wonders of the World as Strabo saith lib. 17. the height of one of them was 625 foot and square on each side 883 foot it was twentie yeares a building a hundred thousand workemen emploied about it whence it may be easily gathered how hard and difficult it was in those times to get stone it being for the most part brought from Arabia and at what an excessiue charge they were that set vp them Of Gazar This Citie is described in the Trauels of Solomon The Trauels of Hadad King of Idumaea WHen Dauid conquered Idumaea Hadad
are mentioned Of Esdras the Lawyer ESdras signifies a helper of Asar he helped He is a type of our Lord Iesus Christ who is our helper and Sauiour which hath brought vs into that holy land eternall life and is the restorer of religion and the Christian Common-wealth This Esdras was sent to Ierusalem to restore the common-wealth of the Iewes Anno mundi 3511 before Christ 457 in the seuenth yeare of Artaxerxes Longimanus that good Emperour of the Persians So he went from Babylon to Ahaeua a certaine riuer neere Babylon to which place he assembled a great multitude of Iewes and from thence sent to Caspia to fetch a certaine number of Leuites this land was in Chaldea not far from Babylon These being here met together celebrated a fast vnto the Lord and with solemne prayers besought his aide and furtherance in their enterprise then they went thence to Ierusalem which was 680 miles and there restored the Iudaicall gouerment instituting Ecclesiasticall officers chiefe Priests Princes and other gouernours Of the land of Caspia THe land of Caspia signifieth the land of siluer being deriued of Kesaeph that is siluer It was so called because they vsed to dig siluer in that place see Lyra it was a country neere Babylon where the priests and Leuites were in captiuitie and stood 680 miles from Ierusalem towards the East Of Nehemia IN the 20 yeare of Artaxerxes Longimanus which was anno mun 3524 and before Christ 444. Nehemias went from Susan to Ierusalem which was 920 miles there hee repaired the walls and gates in 52 daies Nehem. 1.2.6 When he had gouerned Iudaea 12 yeares he returned backe againe to Susan to Artaxerxes Longimanus which was 920 miles Nehem. 3. Afterward Artaxerxes about the end of his raigne suffered Nehemia to returne backe againe to Ierusalem which was 920 miles Nehem. 17. So these journeyes of Nehemia make 2760 miles Of this citie Susan you may reade before Of the name and typicall signification of Nehemiah NEhemiah signifies The consolation of God being deriued of Nicham He hath comforted This man was a type of our Lord Iesus Christ for as Nehemias was a comfort vnto the dispersed Iewes in that he was sent to restore them into their own country and to rebuild Ierusalem so Christ our comforter was sent by his Father from that euerlasting throne of heauen to refresh comfort vs by his doctrine and gather the dispersed members of his Church into one communion that he might bring them into that heauenly Ierusalem which he hath built and where he hath prepared a place for vs. The Trauels of Serubabel SErubabel carried the people of Israel from Babylon to Ierusalem which was 680 miles in the first yeare of Cyrus Emperor of Persia anno mundi 3433 before Christ 535. In the 17 yeare of his gouernment he went from Ierusalem to Susan 920 miles 3 Esd 3.4 From Susan he went to Babylon which was 242 miles 3 Es 4. From Babylon in the same yere he returned to Ierusalem 680 miles where the next yeare after in the beginning of the second moneth which answers to the 21 of May in the 3 yere of Darius Ahasuerus Zerubabel and Iosua the chiefe Priests of the Iewes began to build the Temple and finisht it in the sixt yere of the same King 1 Esd 6. So all the trauels of Zerubabel were 2280 miles The Booke of ESTER MOrdochius was led prisoner with Iechoniah to Babylon which was 680 miles From Babylon he went to Susan which was 252 miles there he brought vp Ester his brothers daughter and taught her honest discipline and the feare of God This maid was very beautifull and comely wherefore at such time as Darius Ahasuerus the sonne of Hystaspis had caused all the beautifull Virgins of his Empire to be brought before him that from amongst them he might chuse him a wife Mordochius adorned this Virgin with goodly apparell and she also went with them in whose presence by his instruction she behaued her selfe so well that the Emperor chose her from among the rest and made her his Queene she being at that time but a poore maid and of small abilitie They were married in Susan in the second yere of his Empire an mun 3454 and before Christ 514. From whence it is euident That preferment commeth neither from the East nor from the West but from the Lord. So these two journies make 932 miles The Types and Allegories collected out of the Booke of Ester MOrdochius or Mordochai signifies bitter and contrite being deriued of Marah He was bitter and Dachah Sorrowfull and contrite A fit resemblance of that true Mordochius Christ Iesus who for our sinnes and offences was constrained to drinke of that bitter cup of afflictions the necessities of this world suffering in his body more than tollerable torments as you may reade in his passion therefore justly called Mordochius that is bitter and contrite Ester and Alma haue both one signification that is a virgin or one kept from the bed of man Therefore she was a notable image of the Church who keepeth her selfe chast and vndefiled auoyding the society of euill men and although she seeme to be desolate and forsaken in this world in respect of the wicked who flourish like a floure and glory in voluptuousnesse and pleasure yet hath shee her Mordochius her Spouse her deerely beloued which prouides for her euen Iesus Christ that immaculate lambe who died for her saluation and will clothe her in white put into her hand a regall scepter crowne her with glory and set her with him in the throne of eternall happinesse Ahasuerus signifies a noble Captaine and typically represents God the father for as the Emperour had the command of 127 Prouinces and in them did principally rule so God our heauenly father is the Emperor and gouernor of all Kingdomes and all creatures both in heauen and in earth be obedient to his will he sitteth in that euerlasting pallace of heauen that place of joy and that eternall Paradice from whence he looketh downe to behold vs miserable and distressed creatures vpon earth of his mercifull goodnesse electing and chusing vs to be heires of that eternall Kingdome and purifieth vs with the graces of his holy Spirit so that we might be made capable to sit with him in eternall felicitie The disdainfull Queene Vasthy may be a fit Type and Effigies of this world not onely in respect of her pride but her excesse in drinking taking her name from Schatha which signifies To drinke so this World liueth in all manner of prodigalitie and luxurie and contemneth the Lord and King thereof that Almighty God which sitteth in the Heauens and therefore is justly throwne downe from that eternall Kingdome whereas on the contrary humble Ester that is the Church is taken vp into dignitie and crowned in that euerlasting Kingdome of Heauen Haman signifies A rebellious and proud man being deriued of HAMAN He hath stirred vp a tumult typically representing the Diuel
gessit is in Latine or if you will Principatum obtinuit which signifies to obtaine Principalitie And therefore the Saracens or Sarazens may be said Princes or Captaines whose Principalitie extends it selfe far and neere but Agarins signifies Peregrinators for Gor or Gar is as much to say as a Pilgrim These people combined themselues with Mahomet that false Prophet borne of obscure parentage his fathers name was Abdiminech of his wife that was of the family of Ishmael or of the Saracens borne in Arabia the stony and as it is exprest in their Alcaron vpon the xxj day of September according to our account about the yeare of Christ 570. he tooke his name from a tumultuous confusion for hamah signifies tumultuatus est he hath beene tumultuous And Hamam tumultuando disturbauit He diuided by contention From hence Maimo signifies tumultuor A contender and Maiomai concitor a rebell From whence may be gathered That Mahomet is an ominous seditious name Whiles he was in his infancie hee liued with his father after being of a prompt wit he serued one Abdomoneplis a Merchant in whose seruice conuersing with Christians and Iewes he got a smattering knowledge of the old and new Testament and many acquaintance amongst which was one Sergius an Arian Monke a man very well affected of this Abdomoneplis Abdomoneplis died and by the persuasion of this Monke Mahomet married Cadican his wife although she was fiftie yeares of age and by her had great riches shee soone after also died and left Mahomet all that shee had He on a sudden being lift vp to this height of substance grew very ambitious for he was naturally proud wrathfull a theefe a whoremaster a most impudent adulterer and whersoeuer he came made hauocke of all things This man by the helpe of the Sarazens and others affected the kingdome of Arabia which within short time after he obtained entring Mecha the chiefe city therof vpon Thursday the fifteenth of Iuly Anno Dom. 622. and by the helpe of two Iewes and this Sergius wrote that blasphemous Law of the Alcoron falsly professing himselfe to be a Prophet and began cruelly to oppose himselfe against all neighbouring nations and cities The Alcaron taketh the name from Splendor or Brightnesse for Al in the Arabicke is as much as Karan in the Hebrew and that signifies to shine or cast forth a brightnesse This Alcaron containes a blasphemous and detestable law written in the Arabian tongue without any order or colour of knowledge teaching manifest lyes and execrable blasphemies against God and for the most part the pleasures and delights of this world for he doth deny that there is one eternall essence of the Deitie and the holy Trinitie our Sauiour Christ they one while call the Sonne of God and another while the Soule or Spirit of God They deny his Deitie but say that he was a holy man borne without a father of the chast and incorruptible Virgin Marie And although he was before all beginning yet they beleeue that he was not begotten but created before all other essentiall creatures by the eternall God Also they say hee was not crucified but some other in his place and therefore the saluation of man not to consist in the merits of Christ but in our owne proper workes And that the Iewes might embrace the Alcaron they retaine Circumcision which is commonly done when the children are thirteene yeares of age about which time Ishmael was circumcised They forbeare the meates forbidden in the Law they haue many wiues at one time they tollerate a bil of Diuorce and affirme that after the resurrection men may haue many wiues and with them banquet surfet and vse pleasant recreations with diuers such errours and vaine trifles which for breuities sake I omit That hee might the better perswade men to embrace and beleeue these his lies and blasphemous doctrines he very cunningly seemed to confirme them with many false and fained miracles and amongst the rest this was one Hauing taught a white Doue to fetch corne in his eare whiles he was preaching to the people it chanced she came and sat vpon his shoulder and putting her bill into his eare according to her accustomed manner he persuaded the people that it was the spirit of God which deliuered him the words of the Law A Bull also taught after the same manner at his voice came before him and kneeling downe did him reuerence with the Alcaron tied vpon his hornes which he affirmed was come from heauen and brought that new Law Then did hee make diuers hornes of gold and siluer and filling them full of milke hid them in the earth after which in a great assembly he caused the same places to be opened and told the people that these signified plenty and abundance to all such as kept and obserued that Law But the violaters thereof should be punished with death Together with many other such like idle and foolish miracles which would be too tedious to recite that he might make the people beleeue that it came from God And being afflicted with the falling sickenesse gaue it out that then the Angell Gabriel told him the Law making this likewife a meanes to further his designes but after viz. vpon the eighth of Iune Anno Dom. 632. and in the sixtie one yeare of his age he died miserably of this disease after he had raigned in Mecha ten yeres and Enbubizer or Abubachar his father in law succeeded him in the gouernement who built in his honour a Church and in that put his sepulchre both stately and sumptuous The Turkes also embrace this doctrine and joyned their forces with the Saracens They extended their Empire vnder Mahomet the third into Asia Europe and Affrica They deriue their name as I suppose from Crueltie for Turca signifieth A cruell destroyer or an armed enemie being deriued from the Hebrew word Tarach that is to effect his purpose From whence they are not improperly called of the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to vex and make wearie or else from the Hebrew word Tachaera which signifies a shield and from the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to put on a shield and to arme themselues for the Turkes are armed enemies and destroyers of the whole world And by Ezechiel are called Gog and Magog cap. 38. 39. of Magog which was the son of Iaphet Gen. 10. and as some thinke inhabited the North parts of the world Pliny places them in Bospherus Cimmerius Scythia c. which lieth toward the East But indeed they haue often changed their residence and haue come into Persia Armenia Syria Palestina Arabia cruelly destroyed them vntil they had conquered Constantinople and got a great part of Europe and haue infected the mindes of al the inhabitants in those parts with their manners slaughters and rapines according to that blasphemous Law of the Alcaron They first afflicted those parts about the yeare of our Lord 760. Constantius
the inhabitants to death because of their mocks From thence he went to Ophra foure miles where gathering together all the gold which hee had taken from the Midianites he made a rich Ephod Iudg. 8. From Ophra hee went to Sichem where his sonne Abimalech was borne which is 10 miles From thence he returned backe to Ophra which is ten miles and there he died after he had judged Israel 10 yeares So all the trauels of Gedion were 82 miles The Description of the Townes and places to which GEDION trauelled Of Iesreel IEsreel was a faire Citie scituated vpon a hill neere to the flood Kison bordering vpon the Tribe of Isacher 48 miles from Ierusalem towards the North and signifieth the seed of God being deriued from El and Dara the seed of the Almighty God There was another of this name in the tribe of Iuda Ios 15. In times past this was onely the seat and chiefe abiding place of the Kings of Israel For Ahab and Iesabel kept their Court there and Ioram their sonne whom Iehu ouercame and here Iesabel was eaten vp of dogs At this day this faire citie hath in it but thirtie houses and is called by the inhabitants of the holy land Sanatham being scituated at the foot of the mountaine Gilboah Westward in it there is a Watch tower vpon the top whereof you may see through all Galile to Carmel and the mountaines of Phaenicia also to mount Thabor and the mountaines beyond Iordan called Gilead Of this Towne you may reade Ios 17.19 2 Sam. 2. Of Nobach THis was a citie beyond Iordan and stood in the halfe Tribe of Manasses 38 miles from Ierusalem Northeastward In times past it was called Kenah but after Nobach Prince of the halfe Tribe of Manasseh had conquered it he called it Nobach Num. 23. and signifieth a Prophet being deriued of Nabah or Nabach he hath prophesied or cryed out Of Iogbeha THis towne was built by the children of Gad and lies beyond Iordan 34 miles from Ierusalem Northeastward and taketh the name from the height of the place where it standeth being deriued from Gabah which signifieth it excelleth in height Of this you may reade Iudg. 8. Numb 32. Of Karkor KArkor is a citie in the halfe Tribe of Manasseh and is scituated beyond Iordan some forty miles distant from Ierusalem Northeastward and taketh the name from Kir which signifies he hath destroyed or subuerted the walls for here the two Kings Zeba and Zalmuna were taken Saint Ierom saith in his booke de locis Hebraicis That in his time it was a faire Towne The typicall signification of GEDION THis Gedion whose name signifieth to root out destroied and subuerted the enemies of the Iewes so Christ hath destroied the kingdome of Sathan and daily rooteth out all his impious and wicked members which are enemies to his Church The Trauels of Abimalech the sixt Iudge of Israel GEDION being dead Abimalech his sonne went from Ophra to Sichem which is ten miles and there was chosen by the citizens to succeed his father in the gouernment From thence he went backe to Ophra which is ten miles and there put to death his 70 brethren all sonnes of Gedion but by diuers concubins for God permitted Bigamie but did not command it From Ophra he went ten miles into the land of Sichem and there was chosen King about the yeare of the World 2712. From Sichem which was the seat of the kingdome he went to Ophra being ten miles there he iudged Israel three yeares After that hee went the third time backe to the Sichemites which is 10 miles but they breaking promise with him for very madnesse he caused the citie to be destroied and salt to be sowne in the place that so euer after it might become barren accursed and vnhabitable From Sichem hee went with his hoast to Thebets or Tebez which is two miles where he was mortally wounded by a woman that flang a stone vpon him at the siege of that towne wherof he died Iudg. 9. So all the Trauels of Abimelech were 52 miles Of Thebez THis was distant from Sichem two miles Northward and from Ierusalem 38 it tooke the name from Bitzah which signifieth a deepe pond Abimelech tooke his name from an hereditary kingdome or rather because he obtained the kingdome ouer Israel after his father and is as much to say as My father is a King because good Princes differ little from good fathers for Maelaech with the Hebrews signifieth a King Malechah a Queene and Malchech a kingdome So that this name Abimelech properly signifieth a King or one that is a father of his people Of the flight of Iotham which was the brother of Abimelech IOtham signifieth a perfect and swift man being deriued from Iatham that is perfect and swift This man at such time as Abimilech put to death the rest of his brethren to saue his life fled to Mount Carizin where hee propounded the riddle mentioned Iudg. 9. And after from thence he went to Beerah where he hid himselfe from the fury of Abimelech All this was 44 miles Of Mount Gerizim GErizim or Garizim was a mountaine in the kingdome of the Samaritans and extended it selfe in the longitude as farre as Iericho neere to mount Hebal In these two mountains the blessings and the cursings were recited of which more shall be said hereafter and it taketh the name from the felling down of trees being deriued from Garaz which signifieth to cut or to fel down here Christ spoke with the Samaritan Iohn 4. Of Beerah BEerah was a Towne in the Tribe of Iudah ten miles from Ierusalem Westward Neere to this Citie Iudas Machabeus fought a memorable battell against Bacchides and others whom he conquered It taketh the name from a cleere Well being deriued of Beer that is he hath made cleere Of Thola the seuenth Iudge of Israel In the 3 yeare of this mans rule Hercules king of the Argiues famous for his twelue labors began to raign Macrob. lib. 1. THola takes his name from a red worme or purple colour which colour is proper to Princes Hee succeeded Abimelech in the gouernment of the Iewes and began to rule An. mun 2715. and 1253 yeares before Christ His fathers name was Puah of the Tribe of Issacher He dwelt in Samir a citie of Mount Ephraim not far from Iericho twelue miles from Ierusalem towards the North and there he was buried as you may see Iosh 15. Of Iair the eighth Iudge of Israel In the 10 yeare of this Iudge An. mun 2747 and before Christ 1221 Hercules died and Priamus king of Troy began his raigne which he lost fortie yeares after IAir succeeded Thola began his gouerment in the yere of the world 2738 and 1230 yeares before Christ He took his name from the singular worth and noble disposition that was in him This Iair was one of the tribe of Manasseh he was lame of both his feet and was a man of great estimation among the Iewes for
him euery mans enemy then making himselfe apparant when he is in aduersitie and his best friends commonly forsake him From thence hee went to Iordan 14 miles where the Priests Ionathan and Ahinaaz brought him certaine intelligence of that wicked and peruerse councell of Achitophel a man in those times famous for his wisdome but perfidious in his actions as commonly such are that hope after honours or seeke to benefit themselues by innouation and change After he had intelligence hereof hee went ouer Iordan with those few men that he had with all possible speed went to Bethabara some 16 miles from Ierusalem toward the North-East At this place Ioshuah led the children of Israel through Iordan on drie ground Ios 3.4 and here Iohn the Baptist taught and baptised Christ Mat. 1. Luke 3. From thence hee went to Makanaim which is twentie eight miles where hee sent forth his army by bands against Absolon who at this time had assembled a great host neere the Wood Ephraim not far from that place where Ioshuah woon a memorable battell against the Canaanites and that the place might bee made more famous Dauids men though few in number gaue Absalon and his host as great Thus Absalon being left in danger to saue himself fled but in his flight the haire of his head being long and blowne with the wind tooke hold of the branch of a tree by which he hanged betweene heauen and earth as vnworthy of either and Ioab who but a little before was his friend in that very place with three darts put him to death a just end for so vnjust a man 1 Sam. 18. Dauid notwithstanding tooke the death of Absolon maruellous heauily till by Ioab he was recalled from that griefe and then in the company of Barzillai and of his sonne Chimea of Mephiboseth the sonne of Ionathan and Zeba his seruant Shimei also that before curst him who to leaue a memorable token of a base Sicophant after this victory came first downe to craue pardon for his offence with many others went along with him from Makanaim to Bethabara which was 28 miles To this place there came a great multitude of people to meet Dauid 2 Sam. 19. This Barzillai was one of the eighteene that held the principalitie of the citie of the Giliadites and had a sonne called Chimea whom Dauid tooke with him to Ierusalem that he might make euident his thankefulnesse towards him for that courtesie which he had receiued of his father From Bethabara Dauid passed Iordan and went backe to Gilgal which was 4 miles 2 Sam. 19. From thence he went to Ierusalem which was 12 miles in the same yeare that he was exiled by his sonne which was about the 13 yeare of his raigne The next yere Saba the sonne of Bicri taking example of Absolon and obseruing the mutabilitie of the peoples affections moued a sedition against Dauid but Ioab his captain ouercame him 2 Sam. 20. After this there followed three yeares of famine About the end of the third yeare of famine and in the 34 yeare of his raigne Dauid went to Iabes Gilead which was 52 miles to fetch the bones of Saul and Ionathan to bury them in the sepulchre of his fathers 2 Sam. 21. From Iabes in Gilead Dauid brought the bones and relickes of King Saul and Ionathan his sonne to Gibeah of Saul which was 52 miles and there he honourably buried them in the Sepulchre of his father Kish 2 Sam. 21. From thence Dauid returned to Ierusalem which was 4 miles In the 35 yere of his raigne he went forth to fight against the Philistines neer to the Leuiticall towne of Nob or Nobe which is 12 miles from Ierusalem vpon the borders of the countries of the Philistines in the tribe of Dan. From thence he returned backe againe to Ierusalem which is 12 miles So all the Trauels of Dauid were 3904 miles The Description of the places to which Dauid trauelled OF the cities of Socho Asekah Gibeon Gibeah of Saul Nob Ziph Moan Engaedi Arimathea Gath the Caue of Odullam Kegila Paran Apheck and Makanaim you may reade before in the trauels of Saul and the Iudges of Israel Of Ziclag ZIclag was a towne in the kingdome of Iuda neere to the riuer Besor 40 miles from Ierusalem towards the Southwest not far from Gaza a citie of the Philistines In Saint Ieroms time it was but a small towne 1 Sam. 27. Of Sur. SVr is a desart in the wildernesse of Arabia Petraea extending it selfe from the vtmost borders of Iudaea to the Red Sea euen vnto Aegypt and signifieth a Bulwarke or place of defence and is deriued of Schor which signifies To see or contemplate because from Bulwarks men may see into neighbouring countries This was a place of defence of the Aegyptians Gen. 16.20.25 Ex. 15. 1 Sam. 15.17 Of Sunem THis was a city in the tribe of Issacher 48 miles from Ierusalem towards the North not farre from Naim where Christ raised the widowes sonne to life Luke 7. So did Elizaeus the Prophet also 2 Kings 4. And seemeth to take the name of a Purple or Scarlet colour being deriued of Schanah which signifies He hath changed and interated a colour Of Gazer GAzer is a towne lying vpon the borders of the Philistines not farre from Ekron 16 miles from Ierusalem Eastward Of this you may reade before Of Sichor THe riuer of Sichor was in the desart of Sur not far from Rhinocura of which it tooke the name and runneth thence into the Mediterraneam Sea from whence also it is called the riuer of Aegypt 1 Chron. 13. It is 72 miles from Ierusalem Southwestward Of the Hebrewes it is called Schichor or Siohor because of the blacknesse of the water Of Bahurim BAhurim was a town in the tribe of Benjamin a mile and something more from Ierusalem towards the Northeast To this place Phaltiel followed his wife Michael 2 Sam. 3. Here also Shimei cursed Dauid 2 Sam. 16. At this time it is a faire castle strongly fortified standing in a high place Neere vnto it in the valley just in the Kings way there is a stone called Bohen taking that name of Bohen the sonne of Reuben and is of an extraordinary greatnesse shining like vnto marble of this you may reade in the 15 of Ioshuah Bahurim or Bachurim signifies A citie of electors being deriued of Bachar To elect or chuse Of Dauids name DAuid is as much to say as my deere my beloued my chosen one being deriued of Dod which signifies a friend or beloued For which cause he was said to be a man after Gods owne heart How Dauid was a type of Christ DAuid represented Christ diuers waies First in his name he was beloued so God testifies of Christ This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Secondly in the place of his birth he was borne at Bethlem so was Christ Thirdly in his imployment he was a shepheard so was Christ I am the true Shepheard for a good
in that country peopled many towns cities with them so that there were many of the Israelites led into captiuitie aboue 1396 miles for so many miles is Rages and the Cities of the Medes from Ierusalem Northeastward This captiuitie of the ten Tribes hapned An. mundi 3227 and before Christ 741. OF the cities of Rages and Niniveh you may reade in the trauels of Toby and the Angell Gabriel The Trauels of the People which SALMANASSER Emperour of the Assyrians sent to dwell in the Land of Israel SALMANASSER after hee had carried the Children of Israel away captiue into Assyria sent as it is said part of them into Media and part of them into Persia and so dispersed them here and there about the Countrey But because the Land of Israel by reason of this captiuitie became desolate and without inhabitants therefore he caused those people which dwelt about the riuer Cutha in Persia to go thence and dwell in Samaria and in all the countrey round about to till the land and dresse the Vines least some other people that were strangers to his gouernment should vsurp vpon that kingdom it being thus without inhabitants Ios li. Ant. 9. You may reade of this also 2 Reg. 7. In whose place and neere to the said riuer of Cutha a multitude of Iewes with great shame and griefe were constrained to dwel He also gathered a great multitude of other people out of Babylon Hamath or Antiochia some out of his own dominions of Assyria also out of Medea and the people of Ava and Sepharuaijm which people are mentioned Esay 37. and sent them to inhabit in Samaria and all the cities and countries round about because it was a fertile and pleasant country and to defend it against the incursions of strangers From whence may be gathered that in this behalfe the policy of this Emperor was much greater that of the Romans for the retaining of this kingdome but especially than that of Titus Vespasian for hee hauing conquered the land wasted it and destroyed it with fire and sword put thence the inhabitants and dispersed them heere and there left the countrey bare and naked onely a few Garrisons were placed in the strongest cities to keepe it to their vse Which not beeing able enough to oppose the incursions of the Saracens that in great Troupes brake out of the Desarts of Arabia Petraea they soone lost all that they had gotten and the Turks ioining with them they haue now gained into their possession that pleasant and fruitfull Land of Iudaea and inhabit therein euen to this day to the great detriment and scandall of the Christians But to return to the people sent to inhabit this kingdom who as they were of diuers Nations so were they of diuers religions and euery Family had his particular god Wherefore the Lord sent a multitude of Lions among them which daily vexed them from whence it hapned that Salmanasser was constrained to send backe vnto them a Levite one of the Priests that had bin caried away captiue to shew them the true worship of God He came to Bethel and there taught them the doctrine of the Lord and the customes and ceremonies of the Mosaical Law whereby it hapned that they began to worship God and their idols in neither obseruing their antient custome For which cause they became so abominable vnto the Iewes that they refused their companie and familiaritie as that Samaritan woman confessed to Christ at Iacobs Well Ioh. 4. so that when the Iewes could call a man by any ignominious or odious name they would term him a Samaritan Ioh. 8. Do we not say rightly that thou art a Samaritane and hast a Diuell But of all the people which Salmanasser sent into the Holy land those that came out of the East part of Persia from Cutha called Cutheis dwelt in Samaria and got the chief command and gouernment ouer the rest The Trauels of the Kings of Syria that made warre vpon the Kings of Israel And first of the Trauels or incursions of BENHADAD BEnhadad King of Syria went from Damascus the chiefe city of his kingdome and came to Samaria and streightly besieged it in the time of Ahab King of Israel 1 Reg. 20. being 132 miles From thence being ouercome and put to flight by Ahab he returned backe againe to Damascus which was 132 miles The second time he came from thence and inuaded the land of Israel euen vnto the city of Apheck 124 miles which hee besieged But Ahab King of Israel ouercame him in a great battell and put 100000 Syrians to the sword and when the rest of the multitude would haue fled into the city the ruines of a wall fell vpon them so that there died 27000. This put King Benhadad into such a feare that hee was constrained to fly from one chamber to another to hide himselfe but at lost was taken and not without the great wrath and indignation of God by that wicked king Ahab pardoned and set at liberty 2 Reg. 20. Wherefore he went thence backe vnto Damascus which was 124 miles Within three years after he brought a great army against Ramoth in Gilead which is 104 miles from Damascus South-eastward Here he won of Ahab a great battell in which Ahab was slain with an arrow 1 Reg. 22. From thence he returned back to Damascus which was about 104 miles After that he came again from Damascus into the land of Israel with a great army 120 miles where he counselled with his Captains and men of war saying Here and there will we incamp our selues But the Prophet Elisha discouered their purposes 2 Reg. 6. Out of the land of Israel he returned to Damascus which was 120 miles From thence he returned again with his army to Samaria being 132 miles which the second time he besieged so straightly that an asses head was worth 80 pieces of siluer But yet the Lord at the feruent prayers of Elizeus the Prophet strook such a feare and anguish among the enemies that Benhadad and his army were constrained to fly 2 Reg. 6. Being sore troubled because he was thus put to flight he went to Damascus which was 132 miles and there within a while after died of grief 2 Reg. 9. So all the trauels of King Benhadad were 1224 miles The Trauels of the Captaines which Benhadad King of Syria sent to waste and destroy the land of Baesa King of Israel THis army went from Damascus and came to the towne of Hion 72 miles From thence they went to Dan which is 4 miles From Dan they went to the city of Abel-Bethmaacha twelue miles From thence they went to the land of Chineroth which was accounted 8 miles there they tooke certain cities of fruit and spoiled and destroyed them From Chineroth in the tribe of Nepthali when they had cruelly wasted destroyed that country they returned with a great booty to Damascus being 88 miles 1 Reg. 15. So all their Trauels were 184 miles ¶ The Description of
fetch gold from Tharshish and other places in India he displeased the Lord for which cause there arose a great tempest which brake down the workes and destroyed the Navy From Ierusalem he went with Iehoram King of Israel to war against the Moabites and with them went the King of Idumaea so passing through the desarts of Edom they came to Mount Seir and so went to Petra the chiefe city of the King of the Moabits distant from Ierusalem 72 miles 2 Reg. 3. From Petra Iehosaphat returned to Ierusalem 72 miles where he died and was buried 2 Reg. 22. 2 Chr. 21. So all the trauels of Iehosaphat King of Iuda were 372 miles The Typicall signification of IEHOSAPHAT AS Iehosaphat by prayer and the sound of trumpets and other instruments of musick ouercame dispersed his enemies without drawing his sword so Christ also by the sound of his Word and doctrine without drawing weapon ouercame the enemies of the Church The Trauels of IORAM King of Iudah IOram signifies The Exalted of the Lord. He was crowned king his father yet liuing at such time as he made his expedition against Mesa King of the Moabites which hapned about the fift yere of Iehoram King of Israel An. mundi 3055 before Christ 913. He reigned with his father Iehosaphat 2 yeares and after his decease six So Ioram reigned 8 yeares ouer Iudah and when hee was forty yeares old died miserably 2 Reg. 8. 9. About the beginning of the second yeare of this Kings reign which was the sixt of Iehoram King of Israel Elias the Prophet was taken vp into heauen About the beginning of his reigne he went from Ierusalem to Mount Seir which was 28 miles Southward where he vsed such extreme cruelty toward the Edomites which at this time were his subiects that of a sudden they fell from him and chose them a King of their own 2 Reg. 8. From the Mountain of Seir he returned to Ierusalem which is 28 miles and there cruelly put to death his owne brothers But God stirred vp against him the Philistines and Arabians who broke into Iuda and destroyed it with fire and sword They also went to Ierusalem and tooke thence all his substance and riches put his children to the sword all but Ioachas which also called Ahaziah or Ochorias caried away his wiues captiue into Arabia Foelix which is neer vnto Ethiopia 1200 miles Then the Lord strooke him with an extreme paine in his bowels of which after two yeares he died and was buried without any funerall pomp or honorable respect neere to the Kings tower A man vnworthy to be buried in the sepulchre of the rest of the Kings because hee so much degenerated from Dauid his predecessor 2 Reg. 8. 2 Chr. 28. So all the trauels of Ioram were 56 miles The Trauels of AHAZIAH King of Iudah AHaziah which also was called Iehoachas succeeded his Father Ioram in the gouernment of Iudah began his reign in the 12 yeare of Iehoram King of Israel Ann. mundi 3062. and before Christ 906 and reigned one yeare 1 Reg. 8. He went from Ierusalem to Ramoth in Gilead which is accounted 48 miles There he went to battell with Iehoram King of Israel against the Syrians 2 Reg. 8. 2 Chr. 22. From Ramoth in Gilead he returned to Ierusalem forty eight miles Within a while after he went backe again to visit his kinsman Iehoram King of Israel to Iesreel for hee was wounded in the battell against Hasael and lay there to be cured which was forty and eight miles With Iehoram he went to meet Iehu the Captaine of the Host who shot an Arrow and wounded Iehoram that hee died in the field of Naboth the Iesreelite Wherefore Ahaziah to saue his life fled with all possible speed taking his way to the Kings garden that stood close by the vineyard of Naboth the Iesreelite not farre from the City and Tower of Iezreel But Iehu followed him so close that he wounded him as he ascended vp vnto a place called GVR which signifieth A Lions Whelpe neere vnto the Towne which is called Iiblea Wherefore Ahaziah feeling himselfe hurt he went to Megiddo foure miles from Iesreel and neere to Apheck vpon the West There as Iosephus saith Lib. Antiq. 9. hee caused his wounds to be searched and bound vp This citie of Megiddo is 48 miles from Ierusalem Northward From Megiddo hee went to Samaria which was 14 miles there he lay hid for a while flying from one place to another to saue himselfe 2 Chron. 22. But being found out he was carried backe to the citie of Megiddo which was 14 miles and at the commandement of Iehu was there slaine 1 Reg. 8. From Megiddo his carkasse was carried to Ierusalem which was 48 miles and there buried 2 Reg. 8. 2 Chron. 22. So all the Trauels of Ahaziah King of Iudah were 224 miles Of that Idolatrous and wicked Queene Athalia AThalia was sister to Ahab and daughter to Omri married to Ioram sonne of that good King Iehosaphat when he was but 17 yeares of age and after the death of Azahiah who was slaine about the 23 yeres of age she vsurped vpon the kingdome of Israel anno mundi 3063 before Christ 905 and raigned with great tyranny almost 7 yeares So soone as she had obtained the gouernment she cruelly and miserably put to death all the children of Ahaziah and all those that were next heire to the Kingdome onely Ioas who was saued by the policie of Iehoshabeath sister to Ahasiah that stole him from among the rest of the Kings sonnes and put him to nourse in her bed-chamber and hee was with them in the house of God six yeares all which time Athalia raigned ouer the land And in the seuenth yeare Iehoiada waxed bold and proclamed Ioas King as being next heire to the crowne and annointed him in the temple who after Athalia was slaine succeeded in the gouernment 2 Reg. 11. 4. 2 Chron. 22. Of Ioas King of Iudah IOas began th raigne ouer Iudah when he was almost 7 yeres of age and about the middle of the seuenth yeare of Iehu King of Israel anno mundi 3069 and before Christ 899 and raigned ouer Iudah 40 yeres He did that which was acceptable in the sight of the Lord all the daies of Iehoiada the Priest who crowned him king but after his death he fell into euil courses and caused that good Priest Zachariah the sonne of Iehoiada who was the author of all his preferment to be stoned to death in the vpper court of the Temple which act argued that he was very vnthankefull and tyrannicall But the Lord displeased with his crueltie within a yeare after the death of Zachariah stirred vp the Syrians who inuaded Iudaea and spoiled the citie of Ierusalem in which warre all those that stirred vp the king to Idolatrie were cruelly slaine To conclude within a while after some of his courtiers conspired against him and as he lay sicke of a grieuous disease in his
of the Assyrians ioyning his army with Pekah son of Remalia King of Israel had streightly besiege Ierusalem Ahas was constrained to craue aid of this Tiglath Phulasser sent him great presents which he accepted kindly brought his arm from Niniveh to Damascus 520 miles where he put Resin and the whole city to the sword 2 Reg. 16. From Damascus he came with his army into the land of Israel which was 120 miles where he ouercame Pekah in a great battell conquered all the land of Gilead and the tribe of Nepthaly and put a great multitude of the Israelites into perpetuall exile 2 Reg. 15. From thence he went backe to Niniueh 640 miles A little after this King Tiglath Philasser went from Ninive to Ierusalem 680 miles where hee so streitly besieged that wicked King Ahas that he was constrained to giue him great abundance of gold and siluer to raise his siege and be gon 2 Chr. 28. From Ierusalem he returned back to Ninive being 680 miles So all his trauels were 6640 miles OF the city Niniveh you may reade after in the trauels of Ionas the Prophet Of Kyr which is commonly called Cyrene KYr or Cyrene is scituated in Africa 816 miles from Ierusalem Westward In which country Simon that bore the crosse of Christ was borne Mat. 27. Luke 23. It signifies in Hebrew A strong wall and in Latine a Heart The Trauels of King SALMANASSER SAlmanasser signifieth The Assyrian Peace-maker This man Ptolomaeus that excellent Mathematician calleth Nabonassarus that is the Prophet of the Assyrians He began to reign vpon the 26 of February An. mundi 3221 before Christ 747 and reigned ten yeares or thereabout This man went with his army from Ninive to Samaria being 652 miles where hee compelled Hosea the last King of Israel to pay him tribute 2 Reg. 16. From thence he returned backe again with his army to Niniveh 652 miles After when Hosea K. of Israel conspiring with So K. of Egypt denied to pay him tribute hee returned backe againe the second time to Samaria which was 652 miles and after 3 yeres siege he tooke and destroied it with fire and sword and conquered all the country round about From Samaria he returned back again to Niniveh 652 miles So all the trauels of Salmanasser King of the Assyrians were 2608 miles The Trauels of SENACHARIB King of the Assyrians SEnacharib as Melancthon expounds it signifieth a two edged Sword He succeeded his father Salmanasser Ann. M. 3231. before Christ 737. He reigned 7 years This man imitating his father endeauored to cary away the rest of Gods people into captiuitie for which purpose he brought an army from Niniveh to Lachis which was 700 miles which town he besieged sent his Princes to Ieresalem beeing 20 miles where hee blasphemed the Lord of which you may reade more in the historie of King Hezekiah From Lachis hee went to Libnah 8 miles This was a strong Hold but he besieged it so narrowly that within a while after he had begun the siege he tooke it While he was before this town there came newes That Taracha a King of the Ethiopians had inuaded his country Wherefore he sent the second time messengers to Ierusalem But the Lord was offended with their blasphemie wherefore hee sent his Angell who in one night destroyed 185000 of his army This sudden and vnexpected euill falling upon him in a great feare he returned to Niniveh 692 miles where he was slain by his sons in the Temple The same of these things was so divulged abroad that Herodotus lib. 2. makes mention of them So these three journies make 1400 miles Of Lachis and Libnah you may reade before Of Assarhaddon King of the Assyrians ASsarhaddon his father Senacharib being slaine succeeded in the gouernment An. mundi 3238 which agreeth with the 730 yeare before Christ and reigned ten yeares in Niniveh the chiefe city of the Assyrians Here again the mutation change of Kingdoms may be obserued for Merodach a Chaldaean rebelling against Senacharib continued his gouernment in Babylon 11 yeares that is during a part of the reign of Senacharib and all the reign of Assarhaddon his son in which time he conquered the Assyrians and made them subiect to the empire of the Babylonians Of Merodach the first Emperor of the Babylonians MErodach signifieth A bitter repentance He was the sonne of Baladan Prince of Babylon who ruled at such time as Senacharib had that grieuous ouerthrow in Iudah Wherefore taking aduantage of the time and the necessitie of that Prince he rebelled against him and his son Assarhaddon taking vpon him the absolute command of the city and whole Empire The beginning of whose reign hapned in the yeare of the world 3236 and before Christ 732. This Merodach sent to Ierusalem wise and learned men with gifts and presents to King Ezekiah iust in that yeare when the Sun went backe ten degrees to know the truth of this miracle For it was a custome amongst the Nations round about Ierusalem if any thing hapned beyond the expectation of man to send thither to enquire the truth thereof Such and so wise a people were the Iewes esteemed in those times as may appeare by diuers places in holy Scripture In the beginning of the 12 yeare of this King Assarhaddon Emperor of the Assyrians died after whose death he became Emperor of all Assyria Chaldea He began to reign ouer that spatious kingdome An. mundi 3247 before Christ 721. and reigned after that 40 yeares Of Ben-Merodach Emperor of Babylon BEn-Merodach that is the son of Merodach succeeded his father An. M. 3287. before Christ 681. He reigned 21 yeares Of Nebuchadnezar first of that name Emperor of Babylon NEbuchadonesar or Nebuchadnesar signifieth A Divine Iudge He was the most potent king of all the Babylonians This man obtained the chiefe command ouer the Babylonian Empire An. M. 3309 before Christ 659. He reigned 35 yeares and held his Court somtime in Babylon sometimes in Niniveh Iud. 1. He made war with Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt of which battell you may reade 2 Reg. 25. 2 Chr. 35. in the vally of Megiddo where Iosias was slain Herod lib. 2. doth also make mention of this battell and calls the place by the name of Magdalum Of which Ieremy also speaketh But they were towns in the tribe of Manasses scituated neere to the plaine where this battell was fought in which country Mary Magdalen was borne The Trauels of Nebuchadnezar the second of that name Emperor of Babylon NEbuchadnesar or Nebuchadonesar the Great which Ptolomaeus calleth Nebupollasser about the end of the third yeare of Ioachim King of Iudah being a little before created Emperour his father yet liuing came vnto Ierusalem which hee besieged so streightly that hee constrained Ioachim to pay him Tribute for thirty seuen yeares Berosus saith Lib. 3. A little after that is Anno mundi 3344. before Christ 624 hee was sent against the Syrians Phoeniceans Egyptians that rebelled So
empire of the Persians came to Persepolis in the yeare before Christ 329 and there celebrated a great feast in triumph of his victories to which there resorted a great many women not such as were of the better sort but them that followed the camp and liued dissolutely amongst whom was that notable curtesan Thais who perceiuing the King inclined to mirth and full with wine began to flatter him in his cups among other things to commend and dignifie his noble exploits withall giuing him to vnderstand how acceptable it would be to the Grecians to see that royall palace of the Persians fired which had so often afflicted Grecia No sooner had she vttered these words but another seconded her and then a third After the whole assembly cried out Shall we reuenge the injurie of Grecians and burn the city with that they al rose in great fury the king himself being crowned beginning first to fire the palace wherein was great aboundance of Cedar from whence it happened that suddenly the fire spred it selfe a great way which when the army that lay without the walls perceiued with all speed came to the city to stay the burning of it for which purpose many brought water with them But when they beheld the King himselfe busie in this tragedie laying aside their water they also in hope of booty and to imitate the steps of their Prince fell to firing the city and according to the custom of soldiers in such massacres made a prey of what they could get increasing the fire with dry stuffe and other combustible matter whereby it came to passe that the whole city was therewith fired and burnt to the ground This was the end of that mighty city which ruled ouer so many nations where so many mighty Princes gouerned that was the scourge of Grecia and the greatest part of the world that sent forth a Navie of 10000 ships and an army of an infinit number there being at this day nothing to be seen vnlesse the riuer Araxes that ran close by it remaineth Thus was that consumed in a fury which the King and all his army before endeauoured to spare But after it turned to the great shame of the Macedonians that their King should fire so famous a city in the midst of his cups and Alexander himselfe after hee had slept repented what he had done You shall find in 2 Mac. cap. 6. That Antiochus Epiphanes besieged a certaine City in Persia called Persepolis from whence for his exceeding couetousnesse and sacriledge he was forced by the inhabitants dwelling about the town to raise his siege be gon Therefore some may gather that this Persepolis before mentioned was rebuilded because it also stood in Persia but if you read 1 Mac. cap. 6. you shall finde that this city so besieged by Antiochus was also called Elymais wherein stood the temple of Diana beautified with goodly ornaments shining with the splendor of fine gold wherewith it was gilt In which temple as faith Iosephus lib. Ant. 12. Alexander the Great left his armor and other things From whence may be gathered that this towne was not the Persepolis which he caused to be burnt but rather some other towne built out of the ruines of that city according to the opinion of Quintus Curtius or else some village standing neere to it which being built vp and inlarged might of some be called new Persepolis though indeed it was antiently called Elymais and all the East part of Persia beyond Susa of that towne called Elematica hauing some affinitie with Elam the antient name of Persia so called of Elam the son of Sem Gen. 10. Wherefore it may well be concluded that that Persepolis burnt down by Alexander was neuer restored but lieth waste to this day Thus the empire of the Persians afrer they had ruled ouer the nations of the earth 260 yeares was conquered by the Grecians who held it 129 yeares At the end of which time Demetrius Nicanor the last Emperour of the Grecrans in Syria and Asia going with a great army out of Syria toward the East Arsaces King of the Medes and Parthians being aided by the citisens of Elymais the Persians and Bactrians meeting him in those parts gaue him many sharp and cruell battels and in the end vnder pretence of peace took him prisoner in the yere before Christ 137 and from that time the Parthians gouerned Persia and Grecia and opposed the Romans in many cruell battels Afterward in the yere of our Lord 226 Artaxerxes that mighty Lord of Persia ouercame Artabanus King of the Parthians in a mighty battell and took his crown from his head the same yere entring vpon the gouernment of Persia 548 years after the death of Alexander the Great from which time Artaxerxes and his posteritie reigned in Persia for the space of 314 yeares in the which space there succeeded 28 Kings viz. Artaxerxes 1. Sapores Ormisdates Vararanes Vararanes 2. Vararanes 3. Narses Misdates Sapores 2. Artaxerxes 2. Sapores 3. Vararanes 4. Cermazat syrnamed Isdigertes Vararanes 5. Vararanes 6. Perozes Valens Cavades Zambades Cavades 2. Cosroës Hormisda Cosroës 2. Siroes Adhasir Sarbaras Bornarim Hormisda 2. who was the last King of the Persians for being ouercome by Humarus Amiras of the Saracens and third Emperor of the Mahumetans he was thrown out of his kingdom Anno Dom. 640. After which time it continued long in the gouernement of the Saracens and Turks Where that holy Priest Mattathias the father of Iudas Machabeus dwelt MAttathias and Dorotheus haue both one signification that is The gift of God being deriued of Matath a gift and Iah God This Mattathias was a holy Priest of the tribe of Levi the son of Iohn the son of Simon of whom all that family was called the posteritie of Simon of the stocke of Ioarib of whom you may read 1 Chr. 15. He dwelt in a town called Modin 14 miles from Ierusalem toward the Northwest scituated in a mountaine close by the way as you go to Ioppa in the tribe of Dan. Modin signifieth a measure being deriued of Madad he hath measured In this place seeing the crueltie of Antiochus Epiphanes and the insolencie of his soldiers he killed one of his captains and afterward in the synagogue put to death an idolatrous Iew ouerthrew the Altar set vp by Antiochus after called forth all the inhabitants of Modin and other towns neere adioyning to withstand the fury of this King So they brought their goods out of the city into the wildernesse where they incamped themselues and after so manfully opposed Antiochus that he deliuered all the cities towns thereabouts out of his bondage and from idolatry But beeing now grown old after he had admonished his sons to constancy in the seruice of God and courage in defence of the countrey he died in the yeare before Christ 164 and was buried at Modin where afterward his sons were buried Simon his third son high-priest of Ierusalem did maruellously beautifie this
the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1. So these trauels were 140 miles The Trauels of our Sauior Christ in the first yeare of his Ministery which was the 31 of his age BVt yet our Sauiour Christ began not to preach publiquely because it was not lawfull for any to be admitted into the Ministerie of the Word vntill they were past thirty yeres of age Now our Sauior Christ in the moneths of Ianuary and February being then past thirty for he was full thirty vpon the 25 day of December began to preach publiquely but yet hee had no disciples neither had he wrought any miracles In the month of March Iohn Baptist testified of Christ before the Priests Levits and within two daies after Christ being then present Iohn said Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world c. Within a while after Christ went thence towards Cana in Galile in which journy he took vnto him some disciples namely Andrew and Iohn the Evangelist and as some thinke Peter Philip and Nathaniel neere to the town of Bethel where the Patriarch Iacob saw a ladder reaching from earth to heauen for Christ maketh mention of that vision in this journey which was 32 miles Ioh. 2. where hee graced the marriage with a notable mircle turning six pots of water containing 168 gallons and three quarts or thereabouts into wine Ioh. 2. After he went thence with his mother and his disciples to Capernaum 20 miles but he stayed there but a while for the passeouer of the Iewes was at hand Ioh. 2. In the beginning of Aprill Christ went from Capernaum to Ierusalem to the feast of the Passeouer which was 56 miles and there cast out of the Temple the money-changers and those that sold sheepe and oxen and doues in it This was done about 46 yeares after Herod Ascalonita King of the Iewes had rebuilded and beautified the Temple of which you may read in Iosep li. Ant. 15. cap. 14. Ioh. 2. This first Passeouer of the Ministery of our Sauiour Christ The first Passouer of the Ministerie of Christ of which you may reade Iohn cap. 2. was celebrated vpon the sixth day of Aprill and continued vntill the thirteenth day of the same moneth During which time our Sauiour Christ did many Miracles insomuch that many beleeued in his name and amongst the rest Nicodemus who came to him by night and reasoned with him concerning the kingdome of God Nicodemus signifies the Victorie of the people Ioh. 3. At this time he continued in Ierusalem till the moneth of October and there celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles and preached the acceptable yeare of the Lord Esay 61. The feast of Tabernacles being ended Iesus with his disciples came into Iudea that is hee went from Ierusalem and began to teach in Iudea and his Disciples baptised Ioh. 3.4 Iohn also baptised at this time vpon the borders of Galile neer Iudea 42 miles from Ierusalem Northward vpon the East side of the riuer Iordan for hee was not yet cast into prison Therefore Christ chose him a place to teach and baptise in vpon the riuer of Iordan neere Iohn that they might meet and conuerse together A little after the question was moued concerning Purification and Iohn began to preach of Christ and that he was the Son of God and Spouse of the Church In this Sermon Iohn in many places called himselfe the Friend of the Spouse From whence it is euident That Christ and Iohn in the moneth of Nouember did often meet and conuerse together In the moneth of December Christ being assured of the captiuitie of Iohn the Baptist Mat. 4. Mark 1. and of the persecution and fallacies of the Pharisees Iohn 4. went from Iordan and returned into Galilee by the prouince and countrey of Samaria in which countrey he came to Iacobs Well which stood close by Sichar in former times called Sichem about some 10 miles from Iordan towards the West in which place he spake with the Samaritan woman this happened some foure months before Haruest and after went into Sichar and continued there for the space of two dayes and after returning into Galile was very acceptably entertained of the Galileans because they formerly hauing seene his miracles done at Ierusalem were ioyfull to see him there When he had trauelled from Sichar to Cana a city in Galile the lower which was 32 miles where he had changed water into wine there was a certain Ruler came vnto him whose sonne lay sicke at Capernaum 20 miles distant and besought him to heale his son our Sauiour told him that his son was made whole so he beleeued and his son was made whole the same houre This was the second miracle that our Sauior Christ did Io. 4. It is thought that this rulers name was Chuza of whom there is mention Luk. 8 and was Herods Procurator whose wiues name was Iohanna which signifieth Gratious This woman ministred of all her substance vnto Christ Ioh. 4. So these Trauels were 192 miles ¶ Of the Townes and places to which he trauelled Of Canain Galile THis was a city of the lower Galile where our blessed Sauior Christ turned water into wine being distant from Ierusalem 68 miles Northward The place where our Sauior wrought this miracle is to be seen at this day but it is within the ground and you must descend by certain steps before you can come at it because as it seemes there haue bin many churches and buildings set vpon it which being sundry times ouerthrown the ruins therof haue raised the earth in such sort that the antient place is as it were hidden laid vnder the earth as is also the place of the Annuntiation of the natiuity of our Sauior Christ and many other where hee wrought miracles to which they doe descend downe vnder the earth by steps Vpon the North side of this towne stood a round hill and vpon the South a goodly plaine beeing called Cana in Galile to put distinction between it and another towne called after the same name which stood vpon the borders of Tyrus and Sidon in the Tribe of Aser in which the Canaanitish woman or Syroph oenicean dwelt which besought Christ to heal her daughter who was possessed of a diuel Mat. 15. Mark 7. which was called Canah the greater as this was called Canah the lesse and was distant each from other 44 miles Canah was so called because round about it grew Reeds and there were many moorish and waterish grounds wherof the town tooke the name For Canah signifies a Reed which is a fit type of the Church for as our Sauior Christ at this town which stood in a moorish and reedy place graced the marriage with an extraordinarie miracle so likewise will he grace the marriage of his Church though troubled with miseries and afflictions in this world tossed to and fro like a wauering reed with the glorious presence of his gratious countenance and in the world to come crowne it with eternall
of whom you muy reade Nehem 13. But some two hundred yeares after the first foundation Iohn Hircanus high Priest of Ierusalem vtterly destroied it to the ground The Trauels of our Sauiour Christ in the second yeare of his Ministerie which was the two and thirtieth yeare of his age IN the moneth of Ianuary Christ went from Cana in Galile to Nazareth which was eight miles Here vpon the Sabboth day he went into the Sinagogue and began to teach insomuch as the inhabitants were astonished at his doctrine but the citizens being ingratefull he went to Capernaum a citie which he had chosen to dwell in before all others Luke 4. Mat. 4. which was 12 miles or thereabouts In the moneth of February hee compassed about all Galile preaching the Gospel of the kingdome of God healing the sick and those that were diseased amongst the people Matth. 4. In this visitation our Sauiour went to Gaesarea Philippi which was distant from Capernaum fortie eight miles towards the North. Here Matthew was called as he was at the receipt of Custome and the woman was healed of her bloudy issue Mat. 9. But that Mathew was called about this time the circumstances of times make euident for a little after the second Passeouer of our Sauior Christ the same Mathew was chosen to be an Apostle Luke 5 6. Mat. 9. Mark 2. In the moneth of March the inhabitants of the towns which Christ visited in Galilee brought vnto him many that were possessed of diuels and afflicted with other diseases all which he healed insomuch that there followed him a great company out of Galile and Decapolis and from Ierusalem and Iudaea and of all the countries beyond Iordan Mat. 4. Thus hauing finishing this visitation as it may be thought he returned backe againe to Capernaum where he dwelt as I haue shewed before which was 48 miles for Caesarea Philippi stood so farre from Capernaum A little after these things were finished The second Passeouer of the Ministerie of Christ was the feast of the Iewes Iohn 4. and Iesus went vp to Ierusalem Iohn 5. to celebrate the feast of the Passeouer which this yeare hapned a little before Haruest which was 56 miles This second Passeouer of the Ministrie of Christ fell vpon the six and twentieth day of March at which time Christ celebrated the Passeouer with his Disciples according to the Law of God Here vpon the Sabboth day being the last day of March he healed a certaine man that lay by the Poole Bethesda which had bin diseased eight and thirtie yeres Ioh. 5. And at the end of the Passeouer he went with his Disciples from Ierusalem through the corne fields but his Disciples being hungry began to pull the eares of corne and to eat them wherefore the Pharises beeing offended at them began to reprehend our Sauiour Christ and his Disciples vpon which followed the disputation concerning the Sabboth Luke 6. Matth. 12. Vpon the seuenth day of Aprill he went on the Sabboth day to Peraea which country was in the command of Herod Antipas and there he healed a man with a dried hand Luke 6. Marke 3. The country of Peraea beyond Iordan is distant from Ierusalem twentie miles But when the Herodian Councell heard that he had healed a man on the Sabboth day they sought occasion how they might doe to put him to death Wherefore our Sauiour Christ went thence to the sea of Galile which was 40 miles Here he went vp into a mountain not far from Capernaum and chose the twelue Apostles Luke 6. Mark 3. And then vpon this mountain he preached vnto the people which resorted thither vnto him out of the Countrey round about whom they heard with great diligence and attendance This sermon being ended hee came down from the mountaine and healed the man that was sicke of the Leprosie Hee also went into Capernaum and healed the Centurions seruant Mat. 8. Luke 7. Afterward Christ in the same moneth of April when the man whom he healed of his leprosie had published that Miracle hee went from Capernaum into the Desart which lay neere vnto Bethsaida for there was a certaine Desart Marke 1. Luke 7. In the moneth of May our Sauiour went out of Galile towards Ierusalem to keep the feast of Penticost so he came to the gates of the city Naim which stood on the border of Samaria and was distant from Capernaum 16 miles Here he recalled the widowes sonne to life Luke 7. And after he went to Ierusalem which was 48 miles that he might celebrate the feast of Penticost according to the law of God Exo. 23. Thrice euery yeare shall euery male childe appeare before the Lord thy God This feast fell this yeare vpon the 15 day of May for it behooued our Sauiour according to the law to go euery yere to Ierusalem to these three principall feasts that is of the Passeouer Penticost and of the Tabernacles A little after the feast of Penticost Iohn Baptist being then in prison hauing certaine intelligence of the Miracle that our Sauiour wrought vpon the Widowes sonne at the gates of Naim and of other wonderfull Miracles that he did in Ierusalem and in other places in Iudaea sent two of his disciples from the Castle of Macharuntes to aske him the question whether he was the Messia or no So when they came vnto him and deliuered their message at that time he cured many of their sicknesse and plagues and euill spirits and to many blinde men hee gaue sight freely And Iesus said vnto them Goe your wayes and tell Iohn what things you haue seene and heard That the Blinde see the Halt go the Lepers are clensed the Deafe heare the Dead are raised and the Poore receiue the Gospell And blessed is hee that shall not be offended in me Mathew 11. Luke 7. At this sermon it was thought hee conuerted the sinner that washed his feet poured a box of pretious oile vpon his head Luke 7. In the moneth of Iune our Sauior Iesus Christ went with the Twelue about six and fifty miles out of Iudaea into Galilee and there in diuers Cities and Townes he began to preach and teach the Kingdome of God At this time there were diuers Women followed him whom hee had healed of euill Spirits and of their infirmities but principally Mary Magdalen out of whom he had cast seuen Diuels and Ioan the wife of Chuza Herods Procurator and Susanna All which ministred vnto him of their substance Luke 8. Now when he had trauelled from place to place some certain time and visited many cities and towns thereabouts he returned backe again to the city of Capernaum where it is said that our Sauior Christ dwelt and there dispossest the man of a diuel that was both blind lame and dumbe Mat. 12. Mar. 3. Luke 11. And going thence to the sea he recited 8 Parables Matth. 13. Marke 4. Luke 8. In the euening of the same day he went six miles into the country of the Gadarens
almost inuincible and for that cause called The mother of strength as the Church is called The mother of the righteous against which the gates of hell shall not be able to preuaile In the time of Iudas Macchabeus though it was then a small city it was numbred amongst the greatest cities of Iuda because of the scituation and strength of it To this place our Sauiour trauelled from Ierusalem the same day that hee arose from the dead Luke 24. In the time of the Romans warres in Iudaea this city was wonderfully defaced and ruined by the souldiers of Tiberius Maximus who was chiefe Captaine in this countrey in the absence of Titus Vespasian but yet not vtterly abolished for about a hundred and fiftie yeares after Heliogabolus Emperour of Rome caused it to be rebuilded and called by the name of Nicopolis that is the citie of Victorie Not farre from Emmaus there was an Inne or a place to which strangers might resort and there three waies met two went of either side the towne and one through it in this place the two Disciples constrained our blessed Sauiour to stay with them because it was then about Sunne-set Neere vnto this Inne Nicephorus and Zozemenus say in their Ecclesiasticall Historie there was a Spring or Well of that admirable vertue that if either man or beast that was infirme or sicke did drinke of the water thereof they were immediately restored to their former health The reason that these Authors haue for it because they are impertinent I willingly omit But to return ro the city of Emmaus as it is now called Nicopolis being scituated eight miles from Ierusalem towards the Northeast in the way as you goe thence to Ioppa the countrey round about it being very fertile and pleasant by reason of the riuers and springs wherewith it is watered as Pliny saith l. 5. c. 14. and much altered from that which it was in times past but because you may reade more of this city in Pliny as it is at this day and in Nicephorus and Eusebius I leaue to speake further of it Of Simon of Cyrene THis Simon which carried the Crosse of our Sauiour Christ was born in Kir a city in Africa scituated 16 miles from Ierusalem towards the West Matth. 27. Luke 23. In which city Tiglath Phulasser Emperour of the Assirians planted many of the inhabitants of Damascus after he had conquered that city 2 Reg. 16. This citie and the country round about it by reason of these new inhabitants by little and little changed the name and wheras in former times it was called Kir in the time of our Sauiour it was commonly called Cyrene and this man of that countrey Simon of Cyrene At this day it is a strong and beautifull city scituated betweene Mareotides and Zeugitania at first built by Battus whom Callimachus the Poët claimeth to be his progenitor This Battus was a mighty king in Africa but was one that had a great impediment in his speech insomuch that many thinke this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to haue beene originally vsed by him and by none other Afterward as is said Tiglah Phulasser hauing obtained the jurisdiction of this citie planted the people of Damascus in it and they obtaining some power there continued till a long time after Christ and imbraced the religion of the Iewes built vp Synagogues and dispersed that law in many parts of those quarters There were some of this countrey that opposed that holy Marter Stephen and were consenting to his death There were many learned men in it as Eratosthenes the Mathematician Callimachus the Poët both which were had in great estimation among the Aegyptians Carneades also the Academian Cronus Apollonius and Hegesias the Philosopher of whom Cicero speaketh in the fifth book of his Tusculans and Eratosthenes the Historian who was sonne of Agaclis Salust saith that this citie in his time was so mightie that it maintained war against the Carthaginians for their bounds and limits of their fields and grounds a long time and Iustine lib. 39. That they maintained warre against two nations the Phoenes and the Aegyptians in which warres they gaue Aprius the King of the Aegyptians such a mighty ouerthrow that there were very few of his army that returned into his countrey with him as Horodot affirmeth lib. 4. there were also many great Princes that ruled in this city of which because you may reade in diuers other Authors more at large I omit to speake of them Of Ioseph of Arimathea who buried Christ THis Ioseph which caused our Sauior Christ to be buried in his garden was a rich man vpright just in all his actions a Senator of Ierusalem and one that expected the Kingdome of God borne at Arimathea a citie of the Iewes Luc. 23. This citie was sometime called Ramathaim Sophim and sometime Ramah because it was scituated in a high place and in times past was a fair citie standing 16 miles from Ierusalem toward the Northwest the description whereof you may reade before At this day it is called Ramalea being nothing so farre as it was but like a countrey towne the houses being carelessely dispersed here and there lying without walls or bulwarkes to defend it notwithstanding the ancient ruins of the former city is to be seen euen at this day There is also a great Inne or resting place for strangers hauing within it many roomes for the receit of passengers and a well of very sweet water This house was first purchased at the charge of Philip Duke of Burgondie and by him committed to the protection of the Monkes of Mount Sion by whom it is at this day made an hospitall wherein pilgrims trauellers and strangers are entertained and find much reliefe In an inward Orchard belonging to this hospital there is a faire plot of ground that bringeth forth great aboundance of Aloes of which there is often mention in the holy Scriptures but more especially in Psalme 48. Thy garments smell of Aloes and Cassia when thou commest out of thy Iuorie pallaces where they haue made thee glad Nichodemus a Prince of the Iewes together with Ioseph of Arimathea brought with them an hundred pound of Aloes mixed with Myrrhe to embalme the body of our Sauiour Christ when they had begged it of Pilat before they buried it Ioh. 19. Myrrh is a kind of gum that issueth out of a tree that growes in the East countries but principally in Arabia the tree out of which it issueth is commonly two yards and a halfe high with some pricks vpon it the barke whereof being cut there issueth out of it drops like teares which congealeth into a gum and is called Mirrh the principall vertue that it hath is to keepe the bodies of the Dead incorruptable see Pli. li. 12. ca. 15. 16. In Arabia Foelix there is such abundance of sweet Myrrhe Frankincense and other odoriferous gums that such as saile in the Red sea may easily smell the sauour of them There is also found
1â—0 broad There were so many gifts gratuities sent from all the cities and kings round about toward the building of this Temple that the riches and treasure thereof was wonderfull insomuch that when it was finished it was accounted one of the stateliest buildings the world could afford and numbered amongst the wonders of the world This temple thus built at such an extraordinarie charge that it was almost vnvaluable was set on fire by one Herostratus a wicked peruerse fellow in the same Olympiad and day that Alexander the Great was borne who hauing nothing in him that might make him famous in after-ages burnt this goodly building that so though not for his good but for his euill he might get a name But the Ephesians were so insenced because of this mischiefe that they procured proclamation to bee made through all the kingdomes round about that his name should not be once mentioned which perhaps for a time was obserued but in future ages they could not preuent it but that he was both spoken of written of Notwithstanding afterward the inhabitants of this City became so exceeding wealthy that they soon after rebuilt this temple of Diana and made it much fairer than it was before all the Citisens contributing with willing hands to the charge of the building insomuch that the women brought all their siluer gold and other pretious ornaments and communicated them towards this great worke Also in after-times those faire pillars before spoken of were againe erected towards the rebuilding whereof they receiued so many and wonderfull gifts from all the neighbouring Kings Cities and Countries that this Temple might as it was thought compare with all the world beside for riches and treasure It was standing in S. Pauls time who came thither about 12 yeares after the resurrection of our Sauior and continued there three yeares in which time he so faithfully and diligently preached the Gospell that he conuerted most of the Citisens from their idolatry and worship of Diana to the reuerend knowledge and confession of our blessed Sauior For which cause Demetrius the siluer smith who made a great gain by idolatry stirred vp a great tumult so that the Gentiles running vp and down the City for two houres space cried out with a loud voice Great is Diana of the Ephesians Acts 19. Here also Paul fought with beasts 1 Cor. 15. And to this city Paul wrot his Epistle and sent it from Rome 996 miles He made Timothy also a Bishop of this city to whom he wrot two Epistles the first was sent him from Laodicea to Phrygia beeing 280 miles the second from Rome as I said By these Epistles Timothy was greatly comforted and taught them to his disciples and auditors that so they might constantly continue perseuer in the Christian faith and religion to the end To conclude Iohn the Evangelist came also to Ephesus wrot his Gospel against the heretick Cerinthus who denied Christ to be the true God for which cause God grieuously punished him so that he died as hee was bathing himselfe in a bath Irenaeus lib. 5. ca. 3. Euseb li. 3. c. 22. This was the first Church to which Iohn wrot his Reuelation and there when he returned out of Pathmos he raised his host Drusana from death to life So when he had gouerned the churches in Asia 30 yeares after the death of Paul hee died when hee was 91 yeares old and was honorably buried at Ephesus not far from the city There was also another Iohn that liued in Ephesus to whom as many think the Epistles of Iohn the Evangelist were dedicated as Ierom sheweth in his catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers The sepulchre of this man is shewed not far from the Sepulchre of S. Iohn the Evangelist as Euseb witnesseth lib. 3. cap. 31. At this day this city is named Figlo ho Epheso See Gesner Of Pathmos THis is an Isle of the Aegean sea scituated betwixt Asia minor Grecia 2080 miles from Ierusalem Northwestward Pli. l. 4. c. 12. saith that it was 30 miles in compasse Into this Isle the Evangelist was banished by Domitian Nero where he wrot his Reuelation It was one of the Cyclad Islands which were 53 in number that lay round about the Island Delus as Stra. li. 10. Geog. obserues It stood 40 miles from Ephesus Southwestward and as Petr. Apianus saith was somtimes called Posidius but now Palmosa Of Smyrna THis is the second city to which Iohn dedicated his Reuelation It was scituated in Ionia in Asia minor 540 miles from Ierusalem Northwestward This was a very faire city beautified with many goodly buildings and of good account in Grecia It was at first but a Colony transplanted from another city in that country But Theseus that great prince beeing then King thereof that he might adde some grace to that which hee had begun hee called it after his wiues name Smyrna signifying Myrrh Herod saith that Homer was born here but not blind and called by the name of Melisigines but after the Cumaenians called him of his blindnesse Homer Strab. li. 14. Geogr. saith That the inhabitants take vpon them to shew his picture standing there also a temple built in his honour During his life he was a man of small or no reputation or rather contemned than honored as Herod saith But after his death his works beginning to grow famous the Cities of Greece contended who should patronise him The Colophonians claim a part in him because he was in that towne and there made some of his Odysses They of Chios say he belonged to them because he liued there a long time and taught schoole But for ought that can bee found by Authours the Smyrnians haue most interest in him Neuerthelesse I leaue him to them that please to patronise him since it is not certainly found where hee liued He liued about 900 yeares before Christ Eusebius saith Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 14. that in after times this city grew very famous and was so much inlarged that it became a Bishops See whereof Polycarpus a very godly and religious man was Bishop He gouerned the Church in that place at such time as Iohn the Evangelist wrot his Reuelation and by him cap. 2. is called the Angell of the Church of Smyrna This man after he had faithfully preached the Gospell for the space of 86 yeares was by the inhabitants thereof condemned to death for the profession of Christ Anno 170. But the towne of Smyrna because of the vnthankfulnesse and crueltie of the inhabitants was grieuously punished for within ten yeares it was cast downe by an earthquake since which time it was hardly rebuilt again The riuer Pactolus which beginneth in Lydia runneth by this town of Smyrna But the inhabitants because of the golden veins that are found therein call it Crysorrhoas Plin. lib. 5. cap. 29. A little after that there was such an extreme plague hapned in Rome that they were constrained to carry out the dead bodies
in carts Thus God turneth the aire and the earth to the confusion of those that persecute his Church Of Pergamus THis was another of the townes whereto Iohn wrot his Reuelation It was a famous city and metropolitan of Mysia scituated in Asia minor 228 miles from Ierusalem Northwestward It stood vpon a high rock close by the riuer Caicus from whence it was called Pergamus For in antient times all famous and notable places were called amongst the Graecians Pergama as Suidas and Servius obserueth Strabo lib. 13. saith That in the time of Lysimachus the sonne of Agathocles who was one of the successours of Alexander the Great it was but a castle in which place because of the strength of it he vsually kept all his treasures and those things that were of account and committed the custody of it vnto one named Philetaerus an Eunuch of Tyanus But this man being accused to Lysimachus That he would haue forced his wife Arsinoës for feare of some future punishment because of that offence moued the inhabitants of that Hold to rebellion At the same time also there happened many commotions in Asia whereby Lysimachus was constrained to leaue this and make opposition against Seleucus Nicanor who had inuaded his dominions But in this war Lysimachus was slaine And Philetaerus hauing in his possession great riches that hee might enioy what hee had was alwayes obseruant to him that gat the victorie by which meanes he kept himselfe and his riches for the space of 20 yeares in that castle and then dyed and left all his wealth to Eumenes his brothers sonne who inlarged his gouernment and ouercame Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus This man after hee had raigned 32 yeares dyed and Attalus his sonne succeeded him in the Gouerment who hauing conquered Galatia made a league with the Romans and by them was first called by the name of a King After him succeeded his son Eumenes the second of that name who aided the Romanes against Antiochus magnus King of Syria for which seruice the Romans gaue him all the dominions that Antiochus had on this side the Alps. This man was the first that enlarged the castle of Pergamus and made it a goodly city planting round about it a thick wood or grove and called it Nicephorus And after he had reigned 49 yeares he died and left his kingdom to his son Attalus called Philometor This Attalus after hee had done many notable exploits died without issue when hee had reigned 5 yeares and left his kingdome to the Romans who turned it into a prouince There liued in this town many learned men as Galen the Physitian who was famous in the time of Trajan the Emperor and as the fame went liued 140 yeares Of that town also was Apolodorus the Rhetoritian who was schoole-master to Augustus Caesar of which man the Apollodorean sect tooke name and Dionysius Atticus his scholer Here Antipas was crowned with the Wreath of martyrdome To the Bishop of this Towne Iohn wrot his Reuelation and in the second Chapter thereof sharpely reprehendeth him because he bore with the sect of the Nicholaitans which although it lasted not long yet it was very dangerous Eusebius saith That Nicholaus one of the seuen Deacons for the poore at Antiochia of whom you may reade Act. cap. 6. was the first author of this sect yet Clem. Alexand. cleares him of it laying that offence rather on certaine idle persons that misconstruing his words being giuen ouer to vile affections couered their euils vnder his name calling themselues Nicolaits though indeed he had no hand in it but liued and died honestly The opinion that this Sect held as Euseb saith li. 3. ca. 23. and Irenaeus libr. 1. Chap. 27. was That women were to be common That it was lawful to eat meat offered to Idols That fornication and Adultery was no sin beside many other wicked and peruerse opinions concerning the Deity which would be too tedious to recite in this place You may read more of it in Eusebius and Tertullian Of Thyatira THis was the fourth church to which Iohn wrot his Reuelation it was scituated close by the riuer Caicus vpon the borders of Mysia and Lydia 600 miles from Ierusalem Northeastward It was a very faire city in Asia minor yet subiect to the Lydians In this country Lidda was born that dwelt at Philippa and gaue entertainment to Paul and Sylas Acts 16. Philippa was distant from this town 400 miles It was at first called according to the testimony of Stephen Pelopea and Semiramis But after Seleucus Nicanor K. of Syria making war vpon Lysimachus king of Thrace comming to this towne had newes that his wife had bore him a daughter in honor whereof he would needs haue the town called Thugateira which in Greeke signifies a daughter but Thyatira Diuine reuerence Of Sardis TO this city also S. Iohn wrot his Reuelation It was a famous and princely seat scituated in Asia not farre from the mountaine Tmolus where Croesus King of the Lydians kept his court being 536 miles from Ierusalem towards the Northwest It was so called without doubt of Sardus the sonne of Hercules which maketh Sardis in the plural number Of this Towne were those two Diodories which were Oratours The younger of them did write Histories and Poems and was one of Strabo's great friends Close by this Towne is found a precious stone which after the townes name is called Sardis it is of a fleshly colour and therefore is commonly called Carnalia of which you may reade more in Pliny lib 37. cap. 4. Of Philadelphia SAint Iohn also wrote his Reuelation to this city It was scituated in Mysia a countrie in Asia Minor being 450 miles from Ierusalem towards the Northwest This city is so often troubled with Earthquakes that the inhabitants are many times constrained to dwell in the open fields Vpon the East side thereof lies a dry and barren country which seemeth to be burnt and scorcht with heat being 60 miles long and 48 miles broad where there grows no trees but there are found great plenty of grapes which being prest yeeld very pleasant wine and may compare with the best of those parts The superfices of the earth seemeth like ashes mountany stony and blacke many conjecture the cause therof to be by reason of the great thunders and lightning that they haue there but there are some which giue other reasons for it It was called Philadelphia of Attolus Philodelphius who first built it Of Laodicea THis was the seuenth and last Citie that Iohn directed his Reuelation to It stood close by the riuer Lycus in Caria a country in Asia the lesse fiue hundred and twentie miles from Ierusalem towards the Northwest and is likewise oftentimes troubled with Earthquakes as Sardis Magnesia and Philadelphia are The reason of these often Earthquakes is thought to be because there are vaults and hollow caues vnder the earth into which the aire in the time of heat hauing free entrance
broad here Xerxes when he inuaded Graecia built vp a bridge for his army to passe ouer There is also another strait and narrow place in this sea which is called by the name of Cimmerius Bosphorius These two Bosphori are so called as some authors hold because a Bull when he loweth may be heard from the one side to the other but Pliny seemeth to deriue the name from Io that faire maid which Iupiter turned into a Cow who swam ouer this sea and of her was called Bosphorus lib. 6. cap. 1. It is also called Propontus because it lieth just before the Euxine sea and Hellespont from Helle the daughter of Athamantis K. of Thebes who was drowned therein then running thence it falleth into a gulph of the Mediterranean Ocean there it is called the Aegean sea of Aegeus King of Athens who drowned himselfe therein for the supposed losse of his sonne Theseus In this sea were scituate the Isles of Pathmos Mytelene Samothrace Chius Lesbus and many other Isles as you may reade in the trauels of S. Paul Of Samothracia ot Samothrace SAmothracia is an Isle of the Aegean sea scituate between Troades and Thracia eight hundred and eightie miles from Ierusalem towards the Northwest close to that part of Thracia where Hebrus falleth into the sea sometimes called Dardania of Dardanus King of Troy who when hee had slaine his brother Iacius and taken from him the Palladiam he came first into Samothracia and then into Asia where he first laid the foundation of the citie called Troy and of that Kingdome And although this Isle at that time was called Dardania yet because of the neerenes that it had to Thrace and the altitude of the rocke whereon it stood it soone changed the name and then especially when the people called Samos came thither to inhabit who after their own name called it Samothracia It stood vpon such a loftie place that from thence all the countries round about might easily bee seen Arsinoë Queene of Thrace was banished by Ptolomeus her brother into this Island who after put to death all her children and vsurpt vpon the kingdome of Thrace A cruell part in a brother Virg. li. Aeneid 3. makes mention of this Island saying Treiciamque Samum quae nunc Samothracia fertur And Samian-Troy which now adayes is Samo-Thracia call'd Strabo also writeth of it li. 13. And in Acts 16. it is said S. Paul sailed from Troad is to Samothracia so went thence into Thracia and came to the city of Neapolis Of Neapolis THis Neapolis to which Paul went was a city of Thrace not far from Macedoni 880 miles from Ierusalem Northwestward called also of some Caurus There are many other Cities of this name one in Iudea where Sichem and Sichar stood another in Caria a third in Africa a fourth in Pannonia but aboue all that which stands in Campania is most remarkable being the chiefe city of the Neapolitan kingdome Of Philippa THis city in times past was called Crenides because of the veins of gold that were found close by it But after Philip King of Macedon father of Alexander the Great caused it in the yeare before Christ 354 to bee re-edified and inlarged and then after his own name called it Philippos It was scituated in Grecia close by the riuer Stridon 936 miles from Ierusalem toward the Northwest and endowed with many priuiledges In those times the gold was so much increased in this place that the reuenue thereof was worth vnto this King more than a thousand Talents which at 4500 li. the talent amounteth to forty fiue Millions of pounds yearely By the which means King Philip grew so rich that he caused his gold to be coined and called it after his owne name Philippian gold To this place Paul came and did many miracles taught the Gospell and conuerted many From hence he wrote his second Epistle to the Corinthians and sent it to Corinth euen 292 miles He also wrote an Epistle from Rome to the Christians of this Towne and sent it them by the hands of Epaphroditus euen 628 miles It was afterward a Colony of the Romans Of Amphipolis THis was a city of Macedonia compassed about with the riuer Strymon from whence it tooke the name and was distant from Ierusalem 960 miles towards the Northwest Here also the Apostle Paul was Acts 17. Of Apollonia THis was a citie of Mygdonia scituated not farre from Thessalonica towards the West close by the riuer Echedorus 948 miles from Ierusalem towards the Northwest being so called from Apollines which signifies the Sunne it stood twentie miles from Thessalonica There are many other Cities of this name one scituate in Graecia close by the Adriatick sea another among the Islands of Thrace a third in Creet on this side the riuer Ister a fourth in Syria and a fift in Africa amongst the Cyrenes Of Thessalonia or Thessalonica THis was a citie of Macedon in ancient times called Halia because it stood vpon the sea after called Therma of the hot bathes that were in it and lastly Thessalonica of Philip the sonne of Amyntas King of the Macedonians who gaue it that name either of the great victory that he had against the Thessalonians or else after the name of his daughter called Thessalonica who was the mother of Cassandrus it stood close by the Thermaick gulph not farre from the mouth of the riuer Echedorus 932 miles from Ierusalem towards the Northwest The Apostle Paul taught publiquely in this city and there conuerted a great multitude of people Act. 17. Hee also wrote two Epistles to the inhabitants thereof and sent them from Athens being 232 miles distant In the time of Theodosius the first Emperor of Rome there hapned by reason of some discontent a grieuous sedition amongst the Thessalonians in which stirre some of his captains gouernors were slain Wherefore the Emperor hauing intelligence of what had hapned sent an army against the city with authority to put to death a certain number of those who had rebelled whence it hapned that the city was filled with many vniust slaughters for the soldiers respecting more their priuat profit than the equitie of the cause spared neither innocent nor nocent yong nor old so that as well the inhabitants as strangers that resorted thither did partake of this miserie and suffered like punishment as did they which were the first authors of this rebellion But because the emperor was consenting vnto these euils Ambrose Bishop of Millaine would not suffer him without publique repentance to come to the sacrament of the Lords supper wherefore in a publique assembly hee acknowledged his offence with great contrition Theodor. li. 5. ca. 17. Soz. li. 7. ca. 24. This town was afterward purchased by the Venetians of Andronichus Palaeologus son of Emanuel Emperor of Constantinople who held it a long time vntill Amurath Emperor of the Turkes won it from them and exercised grieuous cruelty vpon the inhabitants At this day it is