By Water & Blood

Concerning Names of Places, in Part

61. Ararat is a place in Armenia in which there is a mountain called Lubar.^[494] On it the ark of Noah came to rest,^[495] and it is situated in the middle of Qardu ^[496] and in the salt lands of Armenia.^[497] 

62. [Concerning Atat.] Atat,^[498] in Transjordania, where they made lamentation for Jacob when he died. It is four miles ^[499] from Jericho, about two miles from the Jordan. And it is now called Beth-hagla,^[500] which is interpreted the place of a circuit, because there, making lamentation, they completed a circuit. And there is a fountain of sweet water in the place. At this fountain stands to this day a great thorn bush, which is interpreted atat.^[501] On account of this thorn bush the place also is likewise called the "thorn bush" of the salt lands.

63. [Concerning Abarim.] Abarim,^[502] the mountain on which Moses died. It is said, however, to be Mount Nebo, and it is in the territory of Moab, opposite Jericho, overlooking the Jordan, on the summit of Pisgah. And it is visible on the ascent from Libias ^[503] to Heshbon,^[504]|72which is Heshbu,^[505] called by the same names, over against Mount Peor,^[506] which also is thus called to this day. So also again the place is still called Pisgah, which is interpreted "hewn stone."^[507] It is also often called a hill. Therefore it was said to Moses: "Go up on Mount Nebo to the hill of hewn stone,"^[508] and he died.

64. [Concerning Azekah.] Azekah is a city of the Canaanites to which Joshua the (son) of Nun pursued the five kings.^[509] Moreover, it belonged to the tribe of Dan.^[510] But it is now called in Syriac H^ewarta, for the reading Azekah is Hebrew; and it is translated into Greek as "white." It is situated midway between Eleutheropolis and Elia,^[511] nine miles from Eleutheropolis, where Goliath died.^[512]

65. [Concerning @@] @@,^[513] but also called ^'Ailun,^[514] is a valley over which the moon stood still when Joshua prayed, near the village which is still called @@, eastward of Bethel, three miles ^[515] distant. Geba and Ramah, the city ^[516] of Saul, however, are situated near it.

66. [Concerning Anathoth.] Anathoth, a city in the portion of Benjamin, set apart for the priests, in the neighborhood of Elia, about three miles away.^[517] Jeremiah the prophet was from here. But what was formerly a city is now a village.

67. Hafra,^[518] in the portion of Benjamin, still exists. It is a large village of Ephraim five miles ^[519] east of the city of Bethel, but it was formerly a city. And it is situated near the wilderness of Bethel, as |73 you go down by way of the Akrabattine ^[520] to the Aulon ^[521] (valley). Thither the Lord Jesus Christ turned aside when they came to anoint him king.^[522] And, going to the wilderness, to the city of Ephraim, ^[523] he hid himself there, where there is a great miracle to this day. For vipers or other noxious reptiles are not found. But if you compel a viper to go upon the soil of the village, it loses all its strength and is unable to do harm and finally dies; but it makes haste to depart from these borders. The people of the place say that the Lord Jesus Christ gave this sign to the village at the time when he was abiding there, sealing up the place so that a reptile would not come there, or, if it disobeyed in any respect, it would do no harm. But if and when it disobeyed, seeking to remain in the place, it would perish immediately upon entering and be found dead.

68. [Concerning 'Avi^cazar.] 'Avi^cazar, ^[524] the stone of my help, the place upon which the ark rested when it returned from the foreign tribes.^[525] And it is situated between Elia and Azotus,^[526] near Lower Beth-Shemesh, which is fourteen miles distant east and north of Eleutheropolis, in a valley.

69. Concerning the threshing floor of 'Aran.^[527] This is Jerusalem, that is, only the inclosure of the temple wall, specifically ^[528] where the altar ^[529] was built.

70. [Concerning Abel-meholah.] Abel-meholah,^[530] a city of one of the princes of Sodom,^[531] whence Elisha was. It is now a village in the Aulon (valley), from Bajshan ^[532] ten miles distant toward the south, that which is now called Beth-meholah. |74 

71. Concerning Rekem. Rekem, which is in Kingdoms,^[533] but called Rekem ^[534] in Isaiah.^[535] It was, however, a great and famous city that was reckoned to be in Arabia-Palestine, which is also called Edom^[536] in the Scripture. But in the Greek language it is called the Rock. You also have this name in Isaiah, who says: "And the Rock shall be desolate," but in (some) codices: "The Rock shall be desolate."^[537] For it is not in regard to a rock that the divine Scripture says, "it is desolate," as many mistakenly think, but in regard to that which we have indicated. And it is situated in Mount Seir; often it also is called Seir, for it had these names from Esau, because he built it. For he was named Esau because of ruddiness of countenance, Seir because of hairiness,^[538] Edom because of gluttony and worldliness, because he sold his birthright in exchange for food. But the inhabitant of the (region) round about is called, along with it, Edom.

72. [Concerning ^cIn-Jawn.] ^cIn-Jawn,^[539] "near Salim," where John |75 was baptizing in the Gospel of John. And the place, moreover, is to be seen to this day, eight miles south of Bajshan, near Salim and the Jordan.

73. [Concerning Bethel.] Bethel ^[540] is even today a village, ten miles distant from Elia as you go to Neapolis, on the right hand of the way, (a village) which of old was called @@@ ^[541] and Luz. It is also of the tribe of Benjamin, near Bethau ^[542] and Ai. And Joshua besieged it, killing its king.

74. [Concerning Jerusalem.] (As for) Jerusalem, of it Adonibezek was king,^[543] and afterward the Jebusites, by whom it was called Jebus. When David had driven them out ^[544] he made it a priestly metropolis of Judah because of the temple that was established in it. Josephus says that this is the Salem of Genesis over which Melchizedek was king.^[545] And it was in the portion of the tribe ^[546] of Benjamin. But others say that the Salem of Melchizedek was opposite Shechem in Samaria, whose grounds are seen (lying) waste. For Eusebius also, who wrote the Onomasticon,^[547] so testifies, saying: "Salem is the city of Shechem, which is Shechem,^[548] as the Scripture says. But there is also another village to this day beside Elia, to the west of it. And there is yet another situated in a plain eight miles from Bajshan (the village), of Salumia. But Josephus says that this is the Salem over which Melchizedek was king, saying: 'Salem is that which was later Jerusalem.' "^[549] But some say that there is another Salem near Hobah,^[550] to the left of Damascus. |76 

75. [Concerning Jafo.] Jafo, which is transferred (into Greek as) Jope, is a city of Palestine on the seacoast in the portion of Dan.^[551] But today many of its buildings are in ruins. Here Jonah the prophet embarked for Tarshish,^[552] which is called Tarsus above.^[553] And here they of Judea were accustomed to embark----I mean, from Jope----for it was their port.

76. Akko,^[554] which is Ptolemais and Thimuna,^[555] beside great Carmel, was also the harbor of Jamnia ^[556] and the port for Betosigon.^[557] But it is now laid waste. From here, again, they say Jonah, having been vomited up by the whale, departed on the way to Nineveh, the great city, for forty days. For thus it is in the Hebrew: "Jonah began to enter the city forty days." ^[558] But it is not possible that the city could have had a street of forty days' (length), but it is also impossible that Jonah could have sat by it forty days until he saw what was going to take place; for so do the followers of Aquila interpret: "Again forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown."^[559] Where then did Jonah tarry, so that he knew that it was not yet overthrown? Or while the sun beat down upon his head with heat, the gourd from which he had shade rising up over his head? And if he waited for forty days while it shaded him from the heat, why did he say: "It sprang up one night and withered another,"^[560] if he persevered for forty days looking for what was to take place? So the seventy-two have well translated: "Yet three days and Nineveh shall be overthrown."^[561] For they have explained that what is involved in the |77 forty days is said of the journey, as we think. And when they have explained it as the measure of the length of the journey, they have resolved the difficulty of the words and have explained the note about the three days.

77. Concerning Karm^ela. Karm^ela, where Nabal was,^[562] is a village that is even yet called Karm^ela, which is transferred (into Greek as) Karmelos, toward the east from the tenth milestone on the road from Hebron, where there is also situated a fort of the Romans.^[563]

78. Concerning another second Karm^ela. The other Karm^ela is the great mountain that reaches to the sea of Phoenicia and separates Palestine from Phoenicia; (it is) where Elijah sat.^[564]

79. [Concerning Karchedon.] Karchedon,^[565] which is Carthage, also Carthagina, the metropolis of Africa. Thither once upon a time Canaanites migrated from Phoenicia. For even until today the Africans speak Canaanitish. And being asked about their language, they reply: "We are Canaanites." But they are called Bizakanoi,^[566] which is translated "scattered." But because of their racial relationship to the Phoenicians, Isaiah says to the king of Tyre: "Till thy land, for the ships of Karchedon no longer come to thee."^[567] But in the Hebrew Isaiah and Ezekiel call it Tarshish.^[568]