PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE.

Placing many of them in a Light altogether new; Afcertaining the Meaning of feveral not determinable by the Methods commonly made use of by the Learned';

Propofing to Confideration probable Conjectures on others, different from what have been hitherto recommended to the Attention of the Curious;

And more amply illuftrating the reft than has been yet done, by Means of Circumstances incidentally mentioned

VOL. III. RELATING TO

I. The Weather of JUDEA.

II. Their living in Tents there.

III. It's Houfes and Cities.

IV. The Diet of it's Inhabitants, &c.

V. Their Manner of travelling.

VI. The Eastern Methods of doing Perfons Honour.

Sanctam Scripturam lucidius intuebitur, qui Judæam oculis contemplatus fit.

S. HIERON, in lib, Paralip. præfatio.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON,

N° 72, SAINT PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.

M.DCC.LXXXVII,

Gift

Tappon Prest. Ass

3-28-1932

PREFACE.

THE Public received the two preceding

volumes of Obfervations in fo candid a manner, that I have been induced to publish a third and a fourth of a fimilar' nature.

As the business of my life has been to study and endeavour to illuftrate the Scriptures, as well as to prefs the truths contained in them on the heart, many other Observations have rifen up to view, in looking over again the books I had before examined, as well as in perufing fome I had never seen, when I made the Obfervations before published.

Sir Philip Mufgrave, after having favoured me with the perufal of Sir John Chardin's manufcript notes on many paffages of Scripture, most obligingly fent me, (after the two first volumes of my Obfervations appeared,) the three tomes of his Travels, printed in French, at Amfterdam, 1711, which furnished me with confiderable additions, inserted in the third and fourth volumes: and I cannot

but make my very grateful acknowledgments to Sir Philip, for this fresh inftance of goodnefs.

A very eminent Member of the University of Cambridge, obtained for me Vinifauf's account of the expedition of King Richard I. to the Holy-Land, out of the University library, to whom alfo I acknowledge myself highly obliged, for this, as well as many other literary favours. This account of Vinifauf was published in the fecond volume of the collection of old English hiftorians, printed at Oxford, in 1687.

Several very agreeable remarks were communicated to me by a very learned and ingenious Clergyman of this county of Suffolk, mostly indeed relating to what had been published in the two first volumes; but they have furnished fome materials for these two fucceeding ones. I would here return my very respectful thanks to this gentleman, and am forry I am not at liberty diftinctly to mention his name.

I alfo took a journey to London fome time ago, exprefsly for the purpofe of converfing with two perfons on matters of this kind.

The

The one was a very ingenious and friendly gentleman, who visited the East in 1774': he very obligingly read over to me that part of his Journal which related to the HolyLand, and also communicated fome other matters he recollected, about which I enquired, but which were not fet down in his memorandums. The other was Signior Lufignan, the author of the History of the Revolt of Ali Bey, of which the second edition, made ufe of by me, was printed at London, in 1784, who not only had anfwered several queries I put to him by letter, but had affured me of his readiness to communicate any farther eclairciffements I might want, in converfation, if I came to London, which he could not fo well commit to writing, as being a foreigner. This promise he very kindly fulfilled; and thofe communications were very useful to fettle fome matters, of fuch a minute nature as not to be met with in books of travels, but of confiderable ufe to accomplish what I had in view. It gives me pleasure to think that my native country, the land of

• W. Boylston, Efq. of London.

a 3

liberty