Of these,

geographical limits of the promised land. seventeen cities were situated in the land of Phoenicia,

Botrys, Byblus, Berytus, Sinon, Tyrus, Ecdippa, Ptolemais, Sycaminos, Dora, Arca, Palæabiblus, vel vetus biblus, Gabala, Cæsarea, Panias.

COMAGENE (Azar) Areca, Antiochia penes Taurum, Singa, Germanicia, Catamana, Doliche (Dolica), Deba, Chaonia, Chobmadara, Samosata. CYRRISTICA, Ariseria, Regias, Ruba, Heracleum, Niara, Hierapolis, Cyrrus, Beroea, Thena, Paphara, Vrema, Arudis, Zeuguma, Europus, Cecilia, Bethammaria, Gerrhe, Arimara, Eragiza.

SELEUCIDIS, Gephyra, Gindarus, Imma.

CASSIOLIDIS, Antiochia, Daphne, Bactaialla, Audea (Lydia), Seleucus penes Belum, Larissa, Epiphania, Raphaneæ, Antaradus, Marathus, Mariamne, Mamuga.

CHALYBONITIDIS, Thema, Acoraca, (Acoraba), Derrhima, Chalybon, Spelunca, (Spelucca), Barbarissus, Athis.

CHALCIDICES, Chalcis, Asaphidama, Tolmidessa, Maronias, Coara. APAMENE, Nazama, (Nazaba), Thelminissus, Apamia, Emissa, (Hernesa.) LAODICENE, Cabiosa Laodicia, Paradisus, Jabruda.

CURVA SYRIA, CŒLE-SYRIA, or DECAPOLIS, Heliopolis, Abila cognomine Lysanii, Gaana, (Gasana), Ina, Damascus, Samulis, Abida, Hippus, Capitolias, Idara, Adra, Scythopolis, Gerasa, Pella, Dium, Gadora, Philadelphia, Canatha.

PALMYRENES, Rhesapha, Cholle, Oriza, Putea, Adana, Palmyra, Adacha, Danaba, Goaria, Auera, Casama, Odmana, Aleia, Alalis, Sura, Alamata. BATANEA, Gerrha, Elere, Nelaxa, Adrama.

ARABIA PETRÆEA, Eboda, Maliattha, Calguia, Lysa, Guba, Gypsaria, Gerasa, Petra, Characoma, (Characomba), Auara, Zanaatha, Adrou, Zoara, Thoana, Necla, Cletharro, Moca, Sebunta, (Esebon), Ziza, Maguza, Medaua, Audia, Rhabmathmoma, Anitha, Surratha, Bostra, (Bosrah), Mesada, Adra, Corace.

ARABIA DESERTA, Thapsacus, Bithra, (Bithra), Gadirtha, Auzara, Audattha, Eddata, (Dadara), Balataa, (Balagaa), Pharga, Colorina, (Calarina), Belgnæa, (Belygnæa), Ammæa, Adicara, (Idicara), Jocara, (Jucara), Barathema, (Barathena), Saue, Coche, (Choce), Gauara, Aurana, (Auran), Beganna, (Rheganna), Alata, Erupa, Themma, Luma, Thauba, Seuia, Dapha, Sora, Odogana, Teduim, Zagmais, Arrhade, Abæra, (Obæra), Artemita, Nachaba, (Banacha), Dumætha, Allata, Abere, Calathusa, Salma.

The celebrated Itinerary of Antoninus Augustus, a most precious relic of antiquity, worthy of a Roman emperor to bequeath to the world, marks the relative distance of the chief of these cities. And the portion of it that refers to them is inserted in the APPENDIX.

along the coast, between the mouth of the river which flows between Tyre and Sidon, opposite to Dan, to the mouth of the Orontes. On the banks of that river stood twelve noble cities or towns, among which, Seleucia, Antioch, Apamea, Epiphania, Emesa, and Heliopolis, (Baalbec) were numbered, the last of which, though in modern times greatly renowned among ruins, had anciently but a subordinate place among the cities of Syria. Other cities were situated between the Orontes. and the Mediterranean; while the Syrian provinces north of Damascus, as then distinguished, Seleucia, Cyrristica, Cassiotis, Chalchis, Chalybon, Apamea, and Laodicea ad Libanum, numbered collectively upwards of fifty towns or cities. Besides the ten cities, whose number gave that region its name, other eight are added by Ptolemy to the cities of the Decapolis. Syria, as Volney justly remarks, contained a hundred flourishing cities, and abounded with towns, and villages, and hamlets.

Syria, according to heathen testimony, was thus overspread with cities at the commencement of the Christian era. It was the garden, and, together with Egypt, the granary of Rome-the imperial city which reigned over the greatest empire that ever existed in the world. The fierce and protracted warfare of the Jews with the Romans, and their desperate, and all but despairing attempt to repossess their inheritance, brought renewed and redoubled desolation on Judea, and levelled its cities with the ground. But, in after ages, it greatly recovered from the destructive overthrow. Christianity flourished for a season in the country which gave it birth. Though Jerusalem had fallen, the city where men were first called Christians had for a long time a high place among the chief cities of the world, and unquestionably ranked next to Rome and Alexandria as

the third, if not the second city of the empire. Though the people of the land had perished from off it, and were scattered abroad, and imperial decrees followed hard on each other, prohibiting the Jews from entering the land of their fathers, or daring even to draw near to look upon the place where Jerusalem had stood, a once alienated people, who embraced the everlasting covenant, and received the Spirit of adoption, arose within it, and, for a season, prospered there, as if Israel's inheritance had been given to the Gentiles. The progress of desolation was stayed, and time was given, as if to try whether the better covenant, established upon better promises, would be kept by those who, in the faith of Jesus, professed to be the children, though not according to the flesh, of faithful Abraham. But as the great apostacy began to work in the days of the apostles, so the simplicity of the faith as it is in Jesus soon forsook the scene of its origin; and, leaving the plains of Syria and other fertile regions, took refuge in an Alpine wilderness, in the place which the Lord had prepared' for his faithful witnesses, while idolatry resumed its domination in the east and in the west.

The forbearance and long-suffering patience of God is manifested by the suspension of unrepealed judgments, even when the sinfulness of man might call them justly down. The proof is too abundant, that in the land where its Author was crucified, the everlasting covenant was broken by those who bore the Christian name.

The prophetic cause assigned for the ultimate desolation of the land, while its own inhabitants shall be scattered abroad, till nothing but a tithe of what it was should remain, is thus declared in the word that never errs, and that speaks of things then future, as if they

had been past: "Because the inhabitants thereof have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, and broken the everlasting covenant, therefore hath the curse devoured the land, and they that dwell therein are desolate." It is needful to bear this testimony of the Spirit of prophecy in remembrance while surveying that land where Christian churches were established after Jerusalem and its temple had been laid even with the ground. A far greater and longer desolation has come over the land of Israel than that which was brought on it by the Romans. And Christian churches, almost without number, have been laid as low as were the temple of Jerusalem and the synagogues of Israel. In a retrospect of the past, there are manifold proofs that Palestine and the surrounding regions vied in fertility, population, and wealth, with any land during the earlier ages of the lower empire. Judea, indeed, had fallen after one of the bloodiest wars that ever stained the page of history, or reddened any land. But beyond Judea there was little else than quiet submission to the Roman yoke. That iron power kept the world in awe. And comparative peace, to what it long had known, reigned over Syria. As a Roman province, it was renowned in the world; and witness was given again how vast a population it could sustain. Long after their domination began, not only were ancient cities restored, but new cities arose; to the massive structures of ancient ages they added the beauties of Grecian art; and though the withering blight of Heaven's wrath had fallen on the mountains and plains of Judea, Syria, under the Romans, recovered for a time from many desolating contests, gave some renewed token of what it may be in the hands of its rightful possessors, when Israel shall be redeemed;

1 Isa, xxiv. 5, 6.

when peace shall universally prevail; and when there shall be desolations no more.

In a description of the provinces of the east, as they existed in the middle of the fourth century, when the empire was called Christian-as if Jerusalem not Rome had been the capital of the world-Ammianus Marcellinus, an eminent Roman historian, pourtrays, in a few words, the different divisions of Syria, and gives a brief notice of its cities as they existed then.

Syria, (Coele Syria) spreading over a spacious plain, is ennobled by Antioch, a city known throughout the world, which in the number of its exports and imports is unequalled by any other; and also by the very flourishing cities of Laodicea, Apamea, and Seleucia. Phoenicia, lying along the acclivities of Lebanon, is full of the bounties and loveliness of nature, and is adorned with many beautiful cities, among which, though Tyre, Sidon, and Berytus excel for their pleasantness, and the celebrity of their names, they yet have their equals in Emesa and Damascus. Palestine, abounding in cultivated and flourishing regions, has several great cities which rival each other in their excellence, viz. Cæsarea, Eleutheropolis, Neapolis, Askelon, and Gaza. The region beyond the Jordan, denominated Arabia, is rich in the variety of the merchandise of which it is full; it has, besides other large towns, the cities of Bostra, Gerasa, and Philadelphia, which the solidity of their walls renders most secure.'

The Roman colony of subjugated Palestine was divided into three provinces, each of which appropriated alike that noblest of territorial names. Of these the first, Palestina prima, included the land of Philistia, the greater part of Judea, and Samaria. The second em