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Commences to the southwest of Kirjath-Jearim, and west of
the Mount Modiim, and extends to the Mediterranean, and southwardly to the south
of Gaza. If one stands on one of the mountains west of Jerusalem, and east of
the village En-Karem, he has the whole of the Lowland, with the sea, before his
view. The towns of this division are:
Zorah
and Eshtaol
זרעה
ואשתאל. Two and a half English miles
west of the Mount Modiim is, even at the present day, the village Zareah; and 2½
west of this is the village Stual, no doubt Eshtaol.
Zanoach
זנוח One English mile
southeast from Zarea is the village Zamea, no doubt the former Zanoach.
En-Gannim
עין גנים,
is certainly identical with the village Dshinin, 3 English miles southeast of
Ashkelon. A town of the same name was in the territory of Issachar.
Tappuach
תפוח is probably the
village Beth-Tapa, 5 English miles northwest of Beth-Djibrin. A town of the same
name was also on the boundary line between Ephraim and Manasseh.
Enam
עינם, is probably the
village Beth-Ani, distant 2½ English miles from Saafir (which see). Some think
that this is the place spoken of as Enajim, in the history of Tamar (Gen.
38:14).
Jarmuth
ירמות. See
explanation of
the 31 Kings.
Adullam
עדלם.
Ibidem.
Socho
סוכו is without doubt
the village Suweiche, situated 5 English miles north-northeast from
Beth-Djibrin.
Azekah
עזקה.
Three English miles east of the valley Saphia is the village Tell
Ezakaria, which is probably the ancient Azekah, which was not far from Socho.
(Com. 1 Sam. 17:1.)
Shaaraim
שערים, is not
clearly known; but to judge from 1 Sam. 17: 52, it must have been in the
neighbourhood of Ekron and Gath.* It is probably identical with the Ir-Tarain of
the Tosephtah, end of Ahaloth, as the Chald. Tarain is the same with the Hebrew
Shaaraim, gates.
*
In the 1 Macc. 5:66, there is mentioned a place Shomrin, which should be
Shaaraim, as it clearly refers to a city in the land of the Philistines, near
Ashdod.
Adithaim
עדיתים, is
probably the village Eddis, 5 English miles east of Gaza. Hieronymus also says
that it was situated near Gaza.
Gederah
and Gederothaim גדרה
גדרתים, formed but one town, and was,
as Strabo and Josephus tell us, between Ashdod and Ashkelon, and is probably the
same with BethGader mentioned in 1 Chron. 2:51. Some suppose it tohave
been the seat of the 31 Kings (Joshua 12:13).
Zenan
צנן is the same with Zaanan
of Micah 1:11, and is probably the village Zan-Abra, situated 2½ English miles
southeast of Mareshah.
Chadashah
חדשה (compare with
Erubin, fol. 46), is, according to the opinion of some, the town called in I
Macc. 7:40, and Josephus, Adasa, which, however, appears erroneous to me, since
the latter lay near Beth-Choron, consequently not in the territory of Judah, but
of Benjamin. I am rather led to think that it is the village Dshora di al
Chadas, between Migdal and Ashkelon (see above, Jagur), which, though but a
village, I fancy bears traces of the two towns Jagur and Chadashah; as in
general the inhabitants of Palestine allow themselves transpositions,
abbreviations, and additions in the names of the towns. At the distance of one
mile from this place, in the vicinity of the sea, lies
Migdal-Gad
מגדל גד at
present called Midjdal (Migdal).
Dilean
and Mizpeh דלען
מצפה There is, 7 English miles northwest of
Beth-Djibrin, on a small mount, the village Tell Zaphi, which is probable a
compound of the two names in question. According to Hieronymus, Mizpeh was north
of Beth-Djibrin, which also coincides with Tell Zaphi.
Lachish
לכיש. See the
description of
the 31 Kings.
Eglon
עגלון. See
ibidem.
Gederoth
גדרות is probably
the same with the ruins of Gadara, situated northwest of Jerusalem at the edge
of the valley Zarr, which also appears to be the correct view from Chron. 28:18,
where this place is mentioned in connexion with Beth-Shemesh, Ajalon, Socho, and
Timnah, which all were situated in Wady Zarr. (Compare Joshua 12:13.) Geder is
probably the same place.
Beth-Dagon
בית דגון
must not be mistaken for a town of the same name between Ramlah and Jaffa.
Eusebius reports that between Jamnia (Jabne) and Diospolis (Lod), there were in
his time the ruins of the village Dagon; but at present not a vestige of them
can be found.
Makedah
מקדה, See the
description of
the 31 Kings.
Libnah
לבנה.
Ibidem.
Ashan
עשן. also called Kor-Ashan in
I Sam. 30:30. Eusebius states Asan to be 15 mill west of Jerusalem; but it is
now unknown.
Nezib
נציב Two and a half English miles
east of Beth-Djibim is found as yet the village Beth-Nuzib.
Keilah
קעילה was,
according to Eusebius, 8 mill from B. Djibrin, on the road to Hebron; but it is
not to be found at present.
Achzib
אכזיב was at the
time of Eusebius yet a village, north of Adullam, and is the same place called
Chezib in Gen. 38:5. It is now unknown.
Mareshah
מראשה; the ruins
of this town, called Marasa by the Arabs, are yet discoverable 1 English mile
south of B. Djibrin.*
*
R. Benjamin of Tudela says, that Maresha is B. Gubrin (Djibrin); but this is not
so, as it is merely in its vicinity. Astori, the author of Caphtor Vapherach,
fol. 69a, asserts that Mareshah is near to Kefar Dichrin, north of Lud
(Diospolis) ; but this too is erroneous, for this would place Mareshah in the
mountains of Ephraim, in Benjamin’s portion.
When
speaking of the land of the Philistines, I will treat of Ekron, Ashdod, and
Gaza.
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