east. The tribe of Asher never possessed the whole range of district assigned to it, which extended to Libanus, Syria, and Phoenicia.

ASHTAROTH, or ASTAROTH, (lat. 32°. 40.-long. 36o. 10',) a city beyond Jordan, six miles from Adraa, or Edraï, between that city and Abila.

ASKELON, or ASCALON (lat. 31o. 40'.-long. 34o. 34',) a city in the land of the Philistines, between Azoth and Gaza, on the coast of the Mediterranean; 520 furlongs from Jerusalem. Joseph. de Bell. lib. iii. cap. 1. After the death of Joshua, the tribe of Judah took Ascalon; but it became afterwards one of the five governments belonging to the Philistines. Judges i. 18. The ancients praise the shalot, which takes its name from Ascalon.

The Rabbins reputed all south of Ascalon to be heathen land: indeed, Ascalon itself was reputed heathen; but some of the grounds about it were considered as being in the land of Israel; and their productions, whether fruits or corn, were accepted as first-fruits.

The temple at Ascalon was reckoned among the five most famous temples; which were, that of Bel, in Babylon; that of Nebo, in Cursi; that of Tiratha, in Mapheg; [probably Mabog; i. e. Mahabaga of the Hindoos,] that of Zeripha, in Ascalon; and that of Nishra in Arabia.

The fabulous history attributed to this city ascends to the highest antiquity, and places its origin in very early ages. It is certain, that it subsisted one thousand five hundred years at least before the Christian era. We cannot tell whether it coined money before the Greek language was predominant in Palestine: but it is possible, that some of the medals having Phenician characters on them, may determine that point.]

The wine of Ascalon is mentioned with applause; and the cypress tree, a shrub much esteemed, was common there. Origen notices wells to be seen at Ascalon, said to have been dug by Abraham and Isaac, lib. iii. contra Celsum. Vide et Euseb. Onomast. ad vocem.

Ascalon is often mentioned in the sacred writings: it subsists still, but is inconsiderable. There was near Ascalon, a pond filled with fish, consecrated to the goddess Dorceto, of which the people of the country never dared to eat, nor of the pigeons consecrated to the same deity. Diodor. lib. i. Bibl. Vide et Lucian. de Dea Syria, et Philon. apud Euseb. Præpar. Evang. 1. viii. &c.

ATAROTH, (lat. 32o. 15'. 30".-long. 35o. 34',) on the frontiers of Ephraim, Josh. xvi. 17; probably Ataroth Addar. Josh. xviii. 13.

AZEKAH, (lat. 31°. 47.-long. 35o. 11',) a city of Judah. Josh. xv. 35; 1 Sam. xvii. 1. Eusebius and St. Jerom say, that in their time, there was a city of this name between Jerusalem and Eleutheropolis.

B

BAALATH, (lat. 31o. 43'.-long. 34°. 50',) of Dan, Josh. xix. 32; 1 Chron. iv. 28: is probably that mentioned in the enumeration of the cities of Judah, Josh. xv. 9, yielded afterwards to Simeon.

BAALMEON, (lat. 31°. 49.-long. 36°. 9',) of Reuben. Numb. xxxii. 38; 1 Chron. v. 8. Sometimes called Beth Baal Meon the house, i. e. temple of Baalmeon. The Moabites took it from the Reubenites, and were masters of it in the time of Ezekiel. Ezek. xxv. 9. Eusebius and St. Jerom place Beelmeon, or Beelmaus, nine miles from Esbus, or Esebon, at the foot of Mount Baaru, or Abarim.

BAALPERAZIM, (lat. 31°. 43'.-long. 35o. 20',) where David put to flight the Philistines. 2 Sam. v. 20. It could not -be very far from Jerusalem, being in the valley of Rephaïm. BAALZEPHON, (lat. 30°. 2.-32o. 30'.) The Hebrews having left Egypt, after three days came to Baalzephon, where they passed the sea. Exod. xiv. 2. 9; Numb. xxxiii. 7. Baalzephon, therefore, was near Clysma, or Colsoum; for here the ancients tell us the Hebrews passed. It is thought Sephon, or Zephon, was an Egyptian deity, from which the city was named.

[Probably, a temple to Baal at the northern point of the Red Sea: it was also, most likely, an establishment, or town, like the present Suez; in which, or adjacent to which, stood this temple. The learned J. M. Hasius, in his Geographical Description of the kingdom of David and Solomon, understands the temple of Jupiter Cassius. I rather think it was at the head of the Red Sea; not on the coast of the Mediterranean, as Ezion Gaber, at the head of the gulf of Eloth, answered to Beth Gaber, on the coast of the Mediterranean. Hiller, in his Onomasticon, understands Baalzephon in the sense of shut, or closed, and contrasts it, by way of opposition, to Baalpeor, the open or opening Baal. But possibly, this appellation is an epithet of aunzephe, “the aun

:

looking out," i. e. hopefully, expectingly, for deliverance and liberation as Psalm v. 3.-" In the morning will I direct my prayer, expectation, hope of deliverance, and will look up, or look out," for the approach of this blessing. Could it allude to Noah looking out for the dove, or the raven, or looking out from the enclosure of the ark ?]

Some describe this deity as in shape, a dog; so the Egyptians had their king Anubis, with a dog's head; signifying his vigilant eye over this place, and his office by barking to give notice of an enemy's arrival; and to guard the coast of the Red Sea, on that side. It is said, he was placed there principally, to stop slaves that fled from their masters. The Jerusalem Targum assures us, that all statues of the Egyptian gods having been destroyed by the exterminating angel, Baalzephon alone resisted, whereupon, the Egyptians conceiving great ideas of his power, redoubled their devotions to him. Moses observing that the people flocked thither in crowds, petitioned Pharaoh that he might make a journey thither with the Israelites: this Pharaoh permitted; but as they were employed on the shore of the Red Sea, in gathering up the precious stones which the river Phison had carried into the Gihon, and from thence were conveyed into the Red Sea, [an exquisite instance of Rabbinical geography! Vide the maps.] Pharaoh surprised them, like people out of their senses; he sacrificed to Baalzephon, waiting till the next day to attack Israel, whom he believed his god had delivered into his hands: but, in the mean time, they passed the Red Sea, and escaped. The poet Ezekiel, cited in Eusebius, (Demonst. lib. cx. cap. 29.) believes Baal Zephon to have been a city; and the text of Moses favours this opinion.

BASHAN, (lat. 33o.-long. 36°. 20',) the land of Bashan, otherwise the Batanæa, in the Peræa, i. e. beyond Jordan, north of the tribes of Gad and Reuben, and in the half tribe of Manasseh; is bounded east by the mountains of Gilead, the land of Ammon and East Edom; north by Mount Hemon, south by the brook Jabok, west by the Jordan. Og, king of the Amorites, possessed Bashan when Moses conquered it. Bashan was esteemed one of the most fruitful countries in the world; its rich pasture, oaks, and fine cattle, are exceedingly commended. Reland. Palest. lib. i.

BEER, (lat. 31o. 56′.--long. 35o. 20',) a city of Benjamin, four leagues from Jerusalem, in the way to Shechem, or Na

plouse; says Maundrell, Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem. It is probable, that Jothan, son of Gideon, retired to this place, to avoid falling into the hands of his brother Abimelech. Judg. ix. 21.

BELEUS, or BELUS, (lat. 32.45′.long. 350.12, a little river of Judea which falls into the Mediterranean, about two furlongs from Ptolemais. Pliny says, lib. xxxvi. cap. 26, it rises from a lake, and does not run above four miles. Its waters are not good to drink; its bottom is marshy; but the water of the sea, flowing into its channel, washes the sand; and of this they make glass. The bank, from whence the sand is taken for this use, is not above five hundred paces in extent, and though for so many ages much has continually been carried away, yet it remains inexhaustible. Josephus, and Tacitus, lib. v., speak of it, as well as Pliny; but the authors who treat of the holy wars, take no other notice of the sands of Belus than of something out of use, and known only by the writings of the ancients. It is said the making of glass originated from this river.

BENEBEARAK, (lat. 31o. 41′.—long. 34o. 43′,) a city in the tribe of Dan. Jos. xiv. 45.

BENEJAAKAN, (lat. 29o. 44'.-long. 33o. 5',) a station of the Hebrews in the wilderness. Numb. xxxiii. 31.

BENJAMIN,

BENJAMIN, (lat. 31°. 52'.-long. 35o. 20',) the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel. Jacob journeying from Mesopotamia, southward, with Rachel in company, she was surprised with the pains of childbearing about a quarter of a league from Bethlehem, (Gen. xxxv. 16, 17, &c.,) and died, after the delivery of her son, whom, with her last breath, she named Benoni, i. e., the son of my sorrow: but Jacob called him Benjamin, i. e., the son of my right hand. He is often called in Scripture Jemini only, i. e., my right hand.

During the famine which afflicted Canaan, Jacob sending his sons into Egypt to buy corn, kept Benjamin at home. Joseph, who well knew his brethren, though they did not discover him, not seeing Benjamin among them, inquired very artfully, whether he were living, and gave them corn, only on condition they would

bring Benjamin to Egypt; he also detained Simeon till their return. Jacob after great reluctance, at last permitted Benjamin to undertake the journey.

Joseph now seeing Benjamin among his brethren, carried them to his house, made them eat with him, but not at his own table; and, in the distribution which he made of the meat he sent them, Benjamin's portion was five times larger than that of any other. After this, Joseph commanded his steward to fill their sacks with corn; and in the sack belonging to the youngest, to put the silver cup which he used, and the money which Benjamin had brought to pay for his corn. When Joseph's brethren were gone out of the city, he sent his steward after them, who reproached them with their robbery. He searched all their sacks, and in that of Benjamin the cup was found. They returned to Joseph, who after much solicitude on their part, and tears on his part, discovered himself to them, fell on Benjamin's neck, kissed him, and all his brethren, and invited them into Egypt, with their father. He gave to each of them two suits of raiment ; but to Benjamin five suits, with three hundred pieces of silver.

After this, Scripture says nothing of Benjamin. Jacob says of this tribe," Benjamin shall raven as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil." Gen. xlix. 27. Moses, in his last song, says of Benjamin, "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders," Deut. xxxiii. 12. These words, "Benjamin is a ravening wolf," are allusively applied to St. Paul, who was of the tribe of Benjamin; but much more properly to the valour of this tribe. Vide Judges xx.

BESOR, (lat. 31°. 20.-long. 34°.40,) a brook which falls into the Mediterranean, between Gaza and Rhinocorura; or between Rhinocorura and Egypt, according to Jerom. This is the brook of the wilderness, Amos vi. 14, which many have taken, unadvisedly, for the river of Egypt, mentioned in Scripture, which is the eastern branch of the Nile. Josh. xv. 4, 47; 2 Chron. vii. 8.

BETHABARA, (lat. 32o. 3′. 30′′.—long. 35o. 44',) beyond Jordan, where John Baptist baptized. John i. 28. The Latin, instead of Bethabara, reads Bethania; but the true reading is Bethabara, as Origen, Chrysostom, and Epiphanius observe: thought to be where Israel passed the Jordan under Joshua; the