Cliap. 15.] ACCOUNT OF COUITTEIES, ETC. 427 King Herod, but now the Colonj of Prima Flavia, esta- blished by the Emperor Yespasiauiis : this place is the fron- tier town of Palsestina, at a distance of 188 miles from the confines of Arabia ; after which comes Phoenice^ In the in- terior of Samaria are the towns of Neapolis", formerly called Mamortha, Sebaste^, situate on a mountain, and, on a still more lofty one, Gamala CHAP. 15. (11.) — JUD^A. Beyond Idumsea and Samaria, Judsea extends far and wide. That part of it which joins up to Syria^ is called GalilcTa, while that which is nearest to Arabia and Egypt bears the name of Per^ea*'. This last is thickly covered with rugged moimtains, and is separated from the rest of Judaea by the river Jordanes. The remaining part of Judrea is divided into ten Toparchies, which we will mention in the following order : — That of Hiericus^, covered with groves of plied with stones from tliis site. Massive remains of its mole or break- water and its towers still exist. ^ Or Phoenicia. - By some regarded as the Scriptural town of Sichem, but by others as a distinct place, though in its immediate vicinity. Its present name is Naplous or Nabolos, situate between Mounts Ebal and Gerizun. Its proper name under the Romans was Flavia Neapolis. It was the birth- place of Justin iVIartyr. 3 The city of Samaria, so called from Shemer, the owner of the hill which Omri, King of Israel, puveliased, about B.C. 922, for its site. Herod greatly renovated tliis ciry, which he called Sebaste, in honour of liis pa- tron Augustus, in Greek" Sebastos." Its site is now occupied by a poor village, which bears the name of Sebustieh.
- A town of Palaestina, frequently mentioned by Josephus as remarkablo
for the strength of its fortifications, and situate on the Lake Tiberias, opposite to Tarichtea. After a spirited defenci', it was taken by Ves])asian, who slaughtered lOOO of the survivors, upon which 5000 tluTW themselves from the walls, and were dashed to pii'ces below. The site had been for- gotten for nearly eighteen centuries, when Lord Lindsay discovered it on a lofty luU on the cast of Lake Tiberias, and nearly opposite the town of that name. It is now called El-Hossn, and the ruins of the fortifications arc very extensive. * Autiochian Syria. ^ Pera-a was the general name of that part of Palirstina which lay cast of the river Jordan ; but more usually, in a restricted sense, it signilied a part only of that region, namely the district between the rivers Hiero- max on the north, and Anion on the south. J Jericho, so oftoa mentioned in Scripture. It was celebrated for its
