lestine, by how many eruptions of the Arabs and other nations it has been injured, who laboured to destroy every thing in their way; it will necessarily follow that, agriculture being neglected, the whole region must have suffered incalculable loss and calamity. If we take these things into the account, it will appear evident that Palestine has deteriorated; but it is by no means so much changed as the adversaries of religion assert; so that by the testimony of ancient and modern writers it is allowed to be favourable for cultivation. Tacitus* says of Palestine, it has few showers, a rich soil, and produces sour fruits, and besides them balsam and dates. Thus that author speaks, from whom we find no mention of its barrenness, but rather praise of its fertility. I will allow that the neighbourhood of Jerusalem does not produce so great a supply of fruits as the rest of Palestine; but I disagree with the opinions of those who pronounce it barren. Maundrell has asserted that the land about Sichem is unfruitful, but Thomson denies it, saying that the land about Naplosa, (so Sichem is now called) is very fruitful; its hills are finely cultivated, abounding with olive trees, citron trees, and other fruit trees, and watered with clear rivulets which descend from the mountains. Strabo is cited by all the adversaries as their favourite author, who is said to have described the whole of Palestine as barren. I will quote his words:" Moses," says he, "brought his people into those places where Jerusalem is now built: which country he easily obtained, as it was not an object of contention, not being worthy of it. For it is a stony place, abounding in water, but the country around is dry and barren, and

* Lib. v. cap. 6.

Neapolis in Samaria, Ptolem. lib. v. c. 16. Sichem it was called in the time of Christ according to Benjamin in Itiner. p. 38. By the inhabitants it was called Mabortha according to Josephus, lib. v. bell. Jud. cap. 4. Pliny calls it Mamortha. At this day it is called Nuplosa.

In rebus Geograph. lib. xvi. p. 761. edit. Paris.

for sixty stadia, it has a stony surface."

It will therefore

strike every one that reads it, that the adversaries have been drawn into a great error: for he by no means speaks of the whole of Palestine, but of the neighbourhood of Jerusalem only and in what part of the world is there a country that has not some barren spots, if we take even the most fertile parts? It would be more to the purpose, says John Toland,* if the commentators would cite the words of Strabo to the iii. chapter of Exodus, and not those fictitious writers Aristeus, Hecateus, and I know not what others who have exaggerated the fertility of Palestine. But what Vitringat answered to Phaletranus who depended on the authority of Strabo, that we also oppose to Toland: for what is brought from Strabo describing the region of Jerusalem as barren, rocky and dry, ought to be received with considerable allowance. For in the first place, if you should transfer it to the whole lot of the tribe of Judah, you would commit a gross blunder. Then if you should apply it to the whole region near Jerusalem on all sides, you would not have the truth. For although something may be wanting, yet it is not so as Phaletranus and others say from Strabo: but it is to be understood especially of the mountainous and sterile land, which above the Mount of Olives lies in a long tract eastwardly towards Jericho. Strabo applied that without sufficient cause, to the whole region, and that excellent author who excels in describing other parts of this land, has not used the greatest accuracy, as the learned have already discovered. It is moreover a very false argument to say, a country is stony and therefore it is unfruitful: I freely grant that land of that kind is little suited to agriculture, but it may be very good for vines. The Jebusites would

* In libro de origine Jud. sect. ii. p. 139.

+ Comment in Esaiam. Tom. I. p. 199.

In dissertat. de oblatione sceptri Judaici, cap. 7.

have acted very foolishly in fixing their habitation there, if the testimony of Strabo was true. Allow me to bring forward the testimony of Aristeus about Judea. He says Jerusalem is well situated: the region is large and good, and some part of it consists of plain, as that towards Samaria, and also the parts contiguous to Idumea: but some parts are mountainous, where they need agriculture and perpetual care to produce fertility, and from this it hap pens that all parts are cultivated, and there is a great abundance throughout the whole country. A little farther on, he states, that there is there a great attention to agriculture; the region abounds in olives; it is fruitful in corn, pulse and vines, and it produces much honey. There are many fruit trees, but the palm trees especially are innumerable. There are also many flocks of various kinds, and plenty of provision for them. Josephus* mentions some places from Hecatæus, in which the fertility of Palestine is praised. Hecatæus Abderita, a philosopher, and a man renowned for his exploits, who lived with king Alexander, and conversed with Ptolemy, son of Lagus, has made mention of the Jews, not merely by the way, but has written a book concerning them. This Hecatæus, says Josephus, has written an account of the extent of our country, and its excellence. They have, says Hecatæus three hundred thousand acres of land, generally of the very best and most fertile soil for of so great extent is Judea. Shaw also testifies that the greater part of Palestine is very fruitful. Which fertility he makes to include fitness for cultivating the vine, and therefore, he says, the region of Je

*Contra Apionem lib. i. p. 596. Antiq. Jud. lib. xv. c. 5. de bello Jud. lib, iii. c. 2, et 12. Ammianus Marcellinus lib. xiv. c. 26. Polybius lib. v. c. 70. Justinus lib. xxxvi. c. 3.

+ Many doubt whether Judea is of so great extent, but this is nothing to us; we want only his testimony respecting its fertility.

Travels and observations in several parts of the Levant, p. 336. Radzivili Peregrinat. Hierosol. p. 47.

rusalem is by no means unfruitful. Thomson* and Maundrell affirm that at this day there are to be found on the most barren rocks, marks by which it is evident that these rocks were formerly fruitful. There are on them the remains of walls, manifestly constructed to prevent the earth from washing away from which it appears that these rocks formerly contained vines. The same custom still prevails in China and Switzerland. If the Talmud be examined, it will be found that the neighbourhood of Jerusalem was productive, and that one acre there was held in greater estimation than the same quantity in any other part of Palestine. Which thing is easily explained: the neighbourhood of Jerusalem was stony, and on this account not suitable for agriculture, but very favourable for olives and vines, from which greater profit was made. For Catot says, of all kinds of lands, if you would buy an hundred acres to the best advantage, a vineyard is the most profitable; in the second place, a moist garden; in the third, a willow grove; in the fourth, an olive yard; in the fifth, a meadow; in the sixth, a plain for corn; in the seventh, a wood for cutting; in the eighth, an orchard; in the ninth, a wood for masts. Moreover, Abulfeda‡ living not far from Jerusalem and an eye witness, has given a minute description of Palestine and the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, which I consider as decisive on this subject. And ought not his testimony to have more weight than that of Strabo ? He did not see Palestine when it was in its most prosperous state, but long after, when wars had wasted it; and yet he says, that Palestine is the most fertile region of all Syria, and that it has advantages of salubrity, because it is watered with rain, except only the

* Thomson's Description of Palestine, p. 19. Maundrel p. 94. Arvieux T. II. p. 204. Bellonii Observat. lib. ii. c. 81.

De re rustica, cap. VI.

In descriptione Syriæ, p. 10.

BB

country of Sichem. He says, moreover, that Jerusalem has the richest soil of Palestine. So much for Abulfeda, who is the most credible witness, and by whom the testimony of Strabo and others is destroyed. The bountiful earth pours forth from its bosom its splendid gifts over Palestine, and that part that is mountainous is favourable for the cultivation of the vine, and is covered with trees and various fruits. It is naturally not very moist, but in most places rains descend in abundance. Its waters are sweet, and on account of the abundance of good grass, its flocks abound in milk more than elsewhere. Josephus says, since we possess a fertile country we attend to agriculture. But let us admit the objection of those who say, that the neighbourhood of Jerusalem is unfruitful; yet the proofs of the fertility of the other parts of Palestine are abundantly sufficient to vindicate the truth of the descrip tions, contained in the Sacred Scriptures. As to the testimony of those who have travelled to this land, and affirm that it is barren and unfruitful, if we consider the doubts which arise from them, and their tendency to destroy our faith in the Sacred Scriptures, they appear to be fallacious: for Palestine, even in our days, is far from being sterile, according to Thomson.* That the principal part of this land at the present lies uncultivated and desert, I freely grant, although that is by no means to be attributed to the poverty of the land, but rather to the fewness of the inhabitants and their neglect of agriculture. But if that region was well inhabited and the land cultivated, it would exhibit its former fertility, and would afford more luxuriant crops than the best parts of Syria: and even now, better wheat and other kinds of grain are nowhere found, than the land of Jerusalem produces: for Saligniacot says, that he has not eaten any bread so sweet and delicate as in Jerusalem.

* In itinerario suo, pag. 19.

+ In itinerario terræ sanctæ, lib. ii. cap. 1.