MESOPOTAMIA.

This country was situated between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, south of Armenia, and above Babylonia. Chief towns. Edessa, now Ourfa, was the capital.—It is now a considerable town, containing about 40,000 inhabitants.

Carræ, (Haran and Charran in the Scriptures.) now Heren, was a very ancient city, from which Abraham departed for the land of Canaan. It is also famous for the death of Crassus.

Nisibis, now Nisibin, was once a celebrated and important city.

Phoenicia was situated in the northwest part of Syria, and was famous for its commerce.

Cities. Antioch, situated on the Orontes, 18 miles above its mouth, is famous both in sacred and profane history. It was for several hundred years the residence of the Macedonian kings of Syria, and was at one time accounted the third city in the world in splendour and population. The followers of Christ were here first called Christians.-It is now a ruinous town, containing less than 20,000 inhabi

tants.

Damascus, 50 miles from the sea, a very ancient city, once the capital of the kingdom of Syria, is celebrated in both sacred and profane history.-It is still a large city.

Heliopolis, now Balbec, 40 miles NNW. of Damascus, is famous for the ruins of a most magnificent temple of the

sun

Palmyra or Tadmor, 85 miles west of the Euphrates, was the city of the celebrated Zenobia, and now exhibits the most magnificent ruins of a temple of the sun, other building, towers, pillars, obelisks, and sepulchres. These ruins surpass any others found in Asia or Greece.

Tyre, now Sur, a very ancient city of Phoenicia, founded by the Sidonians, situated on the coast of the Mediterranean, 80 miles N. of Jerusalem, was once celebrated for its extensive commerce.-It is now a miserable village, inhabited chiefly by fishermen.

Sidon, now Saida, situated on the coast of the Mediterranean, 18 miles NNE. of Tyre, a very ancient of Phonicia, once famous for its great commerce. It is now the chief port of Damascus, has considerable trade, and contains 6, or 8,000 inhabitants.

Mountains. The principal mountains are Lebanon, or Libanus, and Anti-Libanus.

PALESTINE.

Names. This country was first called the Land of Ca ntan, afterwards the Land of Promise, or the Promised Land, the Land of Israel, Judea, Palestine, and the Holy Land. It is called the Holy Land, on account of its being the country of the Israelites, and the scene of a great part of the transactions recorded in the Bible, and particularly of the birth, sufferings, and death of our Redeemer.

Divisions. The country was anciently divided into 12 parts or tribes, named from the sons of Jacob; afterwards into the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel; and lastly, under the Romans, into three provinces.

Provinces.

Galilee

Samaria

Judea

Chief towns.

Nazareth, Tiberias, Capernaum.
Samaria, Cæsarea, Shechem.
Jerusalem, Hebron, Jericho, Joppa.

Chief towns. Jerusalem, the capital of Judea and the chief city of Palestine, was built on 4 hills, Zion, Moriah, Acra, and Bezeta. Around it is a plain, encompassed by

mountains. It is celebrated beyond all other cities in sacred history. It contained a famous temple, and is rendered memorable by the death and resurrection of our blessed Saviour.It is still a considerable town.

Mount Calvary, on the NW. side of Jerusalem, was the scene of the crucifixion. Bethlehem, 6 miles S., is memorable as the birthplace of our Saviour; Bethany, to the NE., as the place whence he ascended into heaven. The Mount of Olives was to the E., beyond the brook Kidron.

Samaria, situated 30 miles N. of Jerusalem, was the capital of the kingdom of Israel.It is now in ruins.

Caesarea, situated on the coast of the Mediterranean, S2 miles NNW. of Jerusalem, was anciently a magnificent city, and the seat of the Roman governors.It is now a heap of ruins.

Hebron, now El Khalil, 22 miles SSW. of Jerusalem, was for seven years the royal residence of David. Near Hebron was the plain of Mamre, in which was the cave of Machpeluh, where Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac were buried.

Jericho, 14 miles ENE. of Jerusalem, situated on a plain abounding in palm trees, was once an important city, but is now reduced to a miserable village.

Joppa, now Jaffa, 34 miles WNW. of Jerusalem, is the port of the city.

Tiberias, now Tabaria, 48 N. by E. of Jerusalem, situated on the west side of the sea of Tiberias, was for a long time the capital of Galilee, and a flourishing and important city.

Nazareth, 42 miles N. of Jerusalem, is remarkable for the residence of our Saviour. It was once the see of an archbishop.

Shechem, or Sichar, now Nablous, 7 miles S. of Samaria, after the destruction of Samaria by Shalmanezer, be came the capital of the Samaritans. It is now a considerable town.

Beer-sheba, a town of some note, was situated on the southern border of the land of Israel; and on the north border, 156 miles distant, was the city of Dan, afterwards

called Cæsarea-Philippi. Hence the phrase to express the limits of the country, "From Dan to Beer-sheba.”

Acco, or Ptolemais, now Acre, 24 miles S. of Tyre, is at present the most important seaport on the coast. It is famous for a siege in 1191, by the Crusaders, in which 300,000 lives were lost.

Gath, Ashdod, Askelon, Gaza, and Ekron, in the country of the Philistines, were all cities of note.

Lakes. The lakes were the Dead Sea, Lake of Genesareth, and Lake Merom.

The Dead Sea, called also the Sea of Sodom, Salt Sea, and Lake Asphaltites, is about 70 miles long, and 10 or 15 broad. Its water is clear and limpid, but uncommonly salt and bitter, and of greater specific gravity than any other hitherto discovered. The country bordering on it is barren and cheerless.

The Lake of Genesareth, called also the Sea of Tiberias, and Sea of Galilee, is 17 miles long, and 6 broad. It is environed by lofty eminences, and has a beautiful and pic turesque appearance.

The Jordan, the only considerable river in Palestine, is of great celebrity in the sacred writings. It rises from Mount Anti Libanus, and passes through lakes Merom and Genesareth, and after a course of about 150 miles, flows into the Dead Sea.

Face of the country. The face of the country is beau tifully variegated by mountains, hills, valleys, and plains. Mountains. Remarkable mountains; in the north of Palestine, Lebanon and Hermon ; west of the lake of Genesareth, Tabor, supposed to have been the scene of the transfiguration; in Samaria, Carmel, Gerizim, Ebal, and Gilboa.

Soil. The Scriptures, in describing the great fruitfulness of this country, characterizes it as "a land flowing with milk and honey." According to the best informed travellers, the soil still displays a luxuriant fertility. The cultivation of it, for the most part, is much neglected; but where well attended to, as in some parts in the vicinity of Jerusalem and Naplous, it is very productive.

Productions. Palestine abounds with almost every ar

ticle that is necessary or useful for the life of man; as wheat, barley, pulse of all kinds, fruit, wine, oil, tobacco, cotton, and silk.

Climate. The climate is exceedingly good. It seldom rains here, but the deficiency is supplied by the most abundant dews. The cold is never excessive; and although the summer heats are great, yet they are mitigated by a periodical breeze, which renders them supportable.

Population. The land of Canaan contained a great number of cities and villages at the time when it was invaded by the Israelites, and in after ages it was very populous. In the time of David there were 1,100,000 combatants in the kingdom of Israel; and from this the total population has been computed at 8,000,000.

PEREA.

Perca, more anciently called Gilead, lay beyond the Jordan, between that river and Arabia. A part of the country belonged to the Israelites. It was generally rough and barren, and divided into various districts.

Mountains. The principal mountains were Pisgah, Nebo, and the mountains of Gilead-From the top of Nebo, opposite to Jericho, Moses had a view of the Promised Land.

Idumea, or Edom, lies south of Palestine and the Dead Sea; and east of the Dead Sea was the country of Moab and Midian.

Mountains. The mountains Sinai and Horeb, situated near the northern parts of the Red sea, are celebrated in sacred history.