Soles of your feet fhall tread, fhall be yours" thus ran the original Edi&t.

The Country is Mountainous, but beautifully faced with Vale and rifing Ground, cloathed with the Orange and the Citron grove, with Vineyards interfected with Lawn, and Arable in luxuriant crops, and more than once a year. The bud, the bloffom, and the ripe fruit, on the fame tree exhibit a variety of beauty. It abounds with the fragrant Balm of Gilead and Apples of Paradife by hundreds in a cluster. Honey ran down in plenty from the Trees, and even from the Rocks, the industrious Bee hiving every where. Cotton -Hemp-Flax-and Sugar Canes all grew in great profufion, hill and vale were in perpetual verdure,- -the rifing grounds wooded with the fweet Cypress, Palm-trees, and the stately Cedar

the River Jordan overflowed its banks, luxuriantly fertilizing all the plain. Sea-breezes, and refreshing Springs, in rivulets, and ftreams invigorated and beautified a very principal part of this once happy Country. One Acre feemed heaped upon another, increafing its matchless fertility. The Prophet Ezekiel calls it the glory of all lands, flowing with milk and honey,

It

It far exceeded in fruitfulness the celebrated land of Egypt, lying under the fourth and fifth Climates, and its longeft day was fourteen hours and a quarter-its extent two hundred Miles in length, and not more than four-fcore in breadth. A Soil fo luxuriant Mofes also describes as flowing with Milk and Honey-A land of brooks and waters, of wheat and barley, of Vines, Figs, Pomgranates, and Oil, and the Vintage was twice and thrice a year, its bowels were Mines of iron, and brafs, and its furface rich in pafturage for numerous Flocks and Herds of Cattle great and fmall.

Fish were caught in the greatest abundance and variety, and a principal Gate of the City Jerufalem, was called the fifh-gate.

An adjacent Lake fupplied them with immense quantities of Salt, efteemed of a moft excellent quality.

Sacred History furnishes you with proofs, which aftonish you, of the richness and fertility of the Soil, and the bill of fare of one Day's confump. tion in the Palace, is a glowing picture of Plenty and hofpitallity,

729 Bufhels of Wheat.

30 Oxen.

100 Sheep with a proportionable

quantity of Venifon-Poultry-Fish and Vegetables.

The daily religious Ceremonies in the Temple, and elsewhere, confumed much more Cattle, and the Sacrifice offered up at the folemn and magnificent dedication of it, was

Two and twenty thoufand Oxen,

One hundred and twenty thousand Sheep.

The fruitfulness of the promised Land is accounted for, from "the Serene temperature of the Air, under the North-temperate Zone," the regularity of its Seafons, "the conftant fruitful fhowers of November and April, called the former and the latter Rain, "The natural richnefs and fatness of its Soil, requiring no Dung nor Manure, and very little plowing," The overflowing of the River Jordan, annually, foon after Eafter, about the time of the early harveft," from the encouragement given to husbandry, every inch of Land was improved, the barren places yielded fomething, Rocky ground, covered with Mould, produced

produced corn, pulfe, and pasture, the bleffing and influence of heaven was every where experienced.

JUDEA was divided into Maratine and inland, into the mountainous or hilly Country, and Champain and Valley, and as the River Jordan ran across it, into Judæa on this fide, and beyond Jordan- -but a more confiderable one, was, into twelve Cantons and divided by lot among the twelve Tribes, of which ten and a half were feated on one fide the River, and only two and a half on the other. In the reign of Solomon it was divided a little differently, and called the twelve Provinces or Diftricts, from each of which, an Officer or Steward was, by rotation deputed monthly to fupply the Kings-household with Provifions, each cut of his own diftri&t. A more fatal Divifion was made after Solomon's Death, ten tribes revolted under Jeroboam, who affumed the title of King of Ifrael, two Tribes only remained with Reoboam, Son of King Solomon, and he was afterwards ftiled King of Judah.

In this Diftrict once flourished the celebrated City of Jerufalem, divided into four parts, and each was enclofed in its own Walls.

The Old City on Mount Zion, contained a fuperb Caftle and the Palace of David-The

Lower

Lower City on the fide of the fame hill, called the Daughter of Zion, contained two Magnificent Palaces built by Solomon for himfelf and his Queen the Daughter of Pharoah, and a third for the Princes and household, and also a stately Amphitheatre, capable of containing Eighty thoufand Spectators, and two immenfely strong Fortifications which were called CITADELS.-The third City was called the new City, inhabited by Tradefmen, Artificers and Merchants-The fourth food on Mount Moriah, and was dignified with the most magnificent Temple, the Ornament and Glory of a World, immense, of polished Marble, eighty two yards high, and its celebrat ed Tower, twelve hundred feet.

Under the vifible Displeasure of the Almighty, and the Turkish Yoke, a fad and difmal Change is now experienced in JUDEA, by far the greatest part is reduced to a mere Defert, of its numerous Inhabitants, Millions were flain under Titus, thousands and ten thousands deftroyed by Famine and Peftilence, and the remainder fold, and dispersed into almoft every Clime and Country: and of fo fmall eftimation were they, that the price of four Jews, was only a bushel of barley. A Sangiac, the present Governor refides in a house, faid to have been Pontius Pilate's, the Churches