PART III. fouth coaft of the fea of Galilee. It was a confiderable city in the times of Eufebius and Jerom, and was then, and had been for fome ages, called by Greek writers, Scythopolis, i. e. the city of the Scythians. It is fupposed to take this name from fome remarkable occurrence here, when the Scythians made an inroad into Syria. It is faid 2 Macc. xii. 29. to lie fix hundred furlongs from Jerufalem. And thus much for the places mentioned in the first book of Samuel.

CHAP.

South

CHAP. II.

Of the Places mentioned in the fecond Book of Samuel, and not yet spoken of; that is, of the Places mentioned in the Hiftory of David, from the beginning of his Reign, to his appointing his Son Solomon to be anointed King.

Two days after David was returned to Ziklag, from

rim.

1.

the flaughter of the Amalekites, news were brought him of Bahu of the death of Saul, 2 Sam. i. 1, 2, &c. Hereupon, by the direction of God, he removed to Hebron, and there was anointed King over the house of Judah, chap. ii. 1-4. But Abner, captain of Saul's hoft, took Ifhbofheth the fon of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim, and made him King over the other tribes. After this there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. One fight near Gibeon is particularly related chap. ii. ver. 12, &c. At length Abner, taking distaste at Ishbosheth, goes and makes his peace with David, upon condition he should bring David his wife Michal; which Abner did, her second husband (to whom Saul had given her, after he had first given her to David) going with her as far as Bahurim. This place is more remarkable, on account of Shimei's behaviour here towards David, when he fled from his fon Abfalom, of which we read chap. xvi. ver. 5-14. It appears, from the circumstances taken notice of in the context, that Bahurim was near the mount of Olives, and confequently not far from Jerufalem to the east, and fituated within the tribe of Benjamin.

Of

2.

cient ftate

lem.

Abner being flain by Joab, and Ifhbofheth by two Benjamites of Beeroth, David was by the univerfal confent of of the anall the tribes anointed King over Ifrael, chap. v. ver. 3. of JerufaAfter which David went to Jerufalem, and took the strong hold of Zion. And David dwelt in the fort, and called it The city of David; and David built round about from Millo and inward; and experienced and kilful carpenters and mafons, fent by Hiram King of Tyre, built David an houfe,

PART III. or royal palace. Chap. v. ver. 6-11. I take this to be a proper place to speak of the ancient ftate of Jerufalem, or of the several places thereof, mentioned in the history of the Old Testament.

3. In what

fense the

It is an opinion generally received, and not without much probability, that Jerufalem is the fame city which, fame with Gen. xiv. 18. is called Salem, and whereof Melchifedek is Salem, the city of Mel. there faid to be King. Not that Salem, or the city of chifedek. Melchifedek, was of equal extent with Jerusalem in after

4.

Of the

rufalem, or Jerufalaim.

times; but Jerufalem was no other than the city of Salem, enlarged and beautified by the Kings of all Ifrael, David and Solomon, and by fome of the fucceeding Kings of Judah, after the divifion of the twelve tribes into the two diftinct kingdoms of Judah and Ifrael.

The word Salem does in the Hebrew language fignify name Je- peace, as St. Paul obferves, Heb. vii. 2. And as the city of Melchifedek, called Salem, is probably thought to be the fame with Jerufalem; fo it is certain, that Jerufalem was otherwise called Jebus; for we expressly read, Josh. xv. 8. that Jebufi, or rather Jebus, (compare 1 Chron. xi. 4.) was the fame with Jerufalem. Now as Jerufalem preserves the name of Salem in the last part of it, so it is thought to preserve the name of Jebus in the former part of it, and to be nothing else than a name compounded of Jebus and Salem, and (for better found fake, by the change of one letter, and omiffion of another) foftened into Jerufalem, instead of Jebuffalem or Jebufalem. It is indeed true, that the word, which in the Seventy Interpreters, and in others, and fo in our English translation from them, is rendered Jerufalem, in the original or Hebrew text is moft frequently, if not always, written Jerufalaim, as if it were a dual; whereby may probably be denoted, that the faid city did confift principally of two parts, one whereof was the old city, that was in the time of Melchifedek and of the Jebufites; and the other part was the addition, or new buildings added to the old city by King David and his fon Solomon, or their fucceffors, and which for its largeness might be esteemed as a new city, or new

Jerufalem;