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The word Salem, in the Hebrew language,' signifies peace and as the city of Melchizedek, called Salem, is probably thought to be the same with Jerusalem; so it is certain, that Jerusalem was 2 otherwise called Jebus, and therefore, as it preserves the name of Salem in the latter, so it is thought to preserve the name of Jebus in the former part of it, and to be nothing else but a compound of Jebus and Salem, which, for the better sound's sake, by the change of one letter, and the omission of another, is softened into Jerusalem.

stood his royal palace likewise, and the temple of the Lord; for the temple was built upon Mount Moriah, which was one of the hills belonging to Mount Zion, Between these two mountains lay the valley of Millo, which formerly separated ancient Jebus from the city of David, but was afterwards filled up by David and Solomon, to make a communication between the two cities. But, besides this valley of Millo, we read in Scripture

art or nature, out of a natural rock. This trench was defended by a wall of great strength, erected upon its inner edge, and this wall was, in like manner, defended and beautified with strong to have been built of white marble, the lowest 60, and the highest and square towers, at regular distances; which towers are said 120 cubits high, but all exactly of one level on the top, although in themselves of very different heights, according to the declivity of the ground on which they stood.-The History of the Life of King David, vol. 2.

Whether this city stood in the centre of the world or no, we shall not pretend to determine, though some a very zealously contend for it; since it is a matter of more material disquisition, in what tribe it may be supposed to have been situated. In the conquest of the land of Canaan, and at the famous battle of Gibeon, 3 Joshua put to death the king of Jerusalem, and, very probably, took the city, though, by some means or other not mentioned in Scripture, the Jebusites afterwards got possession, and continued their possession even till the days of David. In the division of the land, it was ap-whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty parently one of those cities which were given to the tribe of Benjamin; and yet when we read, that at one time the children of Judah could not drive out

4

the Jebusites,' and, at another, that the children of Judah took and burnt Jerusalem,' one would be tempted to think, that it lay within the limits of that tribe. But then this difference may be easily reconciled, if we will but consider, that as this city was built on the frontiers of both tribes, it is sometimes made a part of the one, and sometimes of the other; that, by Joshua's division of the country, Benjamin had most right to it, but, by the right of conquest, Judah; however, when it came to be made the metropolis of the whole nation, it was thought to belong to the Israelites in common, and therefore was claimed by neither.

The city of Jerusalem was built upon two hills, and encompassed all round with mountains. It was situated in a barren and stony soil; but the places adjacent were well watered, having the fountains of Gihon and Siloam, and the brook Kidron at the foot of its walls. Jebus, or the ancient city which David took, was seated on a hill towards the south; and, on the opposite quarter, towards the north, was Mount Zion, where David built a new city, and called it after his own name, and where

Heb. vii. 2. 2 Compare Josh. xv. 8. with 1 Chron. xi. 4.

* Josh. x. 23-40. and xii. 10. Josh. xv. 63.

Josh. xviii. 28. 6 Judg. i. 8.

a To this purpose they observe, that the sacred writers are very well acquainted with this, as appears by that passage of Ezekiel, c. v. 5. Thus saith the Lord God, this is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries round about her.' For what purpose he did this, the Psalmist has not been wanting to inform us: Out of Zion,' says he, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined,' (Ps. 1. 2.) Here the Almighty kept his court, and from hence he sent out his ambassadors, the prophets, to publish his decrees to the whole world around him, with more ease, and speedier conveyance, than could possibly be done from any other region of the habitable world. From hence, as from a central point, the light of the law at first, and the gospel afterwards shone out to the surrounding nations; and therefore we find Jerusalem emphatically called the city of our God, the mountain of his holiness, beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole earth,' (Ps. xlviii. 1, 2.)—The History of the Life of King David, vol. 2.

6 This city was of a circular form, situated on a much higher hill, and surrounded with a broad deep trench, hewn whether by

c The tower which went under the name of David, was situated upon the utmost angle of Mount Zion, and the beauty and fine proportion of this fabric, as well as the use that was made of it, may be fairly inferred from that famous comparison of Solomon's: Thy neck is like the tower of David, built for an armony, men,' (Cant. iv. 4.) The tower of furnaces,' which probably had its name from the many fires that were lighted up in it at once, answered all the ends of a Pharos, or watch tower, both to of being an excellent light-house both to the Mediterranean and land and sea. By the advantage of its situation, it could not fail Red sea, and was probably so contrived, as to illuminate a great part of the city likewise, and in that respect, was not only a glorious ornament, but of excellent use. The house of the mighty' was a palace erected by David, in honour of his worcording to their reputation and merit in arms, were always ready thies, or chieftains in war, in which they had apartments, acat hand, for counsel or aid, as the king's atlairs required, and at leisure hours, by superintending and instructing the youth in academy for the science of war.-The History of the Life of their military exercises, answered all the purposes of a royal King David, vol. 2.

d Dr Clarke and Mr Buckingham, who have investigated more closely than other travellers the topography of Jerusalem, suppose a hill on the south of that generally considered as Mount of Hinnom, to be the true Zion. This hill is the one usually Zion, and from which it is separated by the valley taken for that described as the mountain of Corruption, or of Offence, so called from Solomon's idolatry; and the valley which separates it from Josephus describes but one valley after the filling up of that bethe supposed Zion, as that of Hinnom, or Gehinnom. But as tween Acra and Moriah by the Asmoneans, namely, that of the Cheesemongers, or Tyropoon, which united at the fountain of Siloam with the valley of Jehoshaphat; and as this supposed valley of Gehinnom is the only one which answers to that description; and further, as this hill alone has the distinct outline, stand the citadel of Zion possessed; it has certainly very strong and superior elevation, which we are universally given to underclaims to be considered as such. Every representation of Zion ground on which the lower city stood. It was the hill or citadel in Scripture implies a hill distinct from, and loftier than the of Jebus, the "castle" or "stronghold of Zion," which, from its insulated and impregnable nature, the Israelites were unable to take for 400 years after they had gained possession of the lower city (2 Sam. v. 1 Chron. xi.) it was the crowning eminence of the ridge on which the city stood; and from which the whole was denominated after its name. (Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14.) But no marked division or superiority of height which can explain such a pre-eminence of character, and such an uncommon power of defence, as are here represented, distinguishes the hill commonly received as that of Zion. It is further to be remarked, that Josephus describes the city as seated on two principal hills only, with one principal intervening valley, namely, that of the Cheesemongers, or Tyropoon, joining the valley of Jehoshaphat at the fountain of Siloam, as already stated. mentions the upper city as situated on the one, and the lower He also expressly when applied to the slight inclination of the uncleft ground o city on the other, relative terms certainly, but of little meaning which the modern city, with its allotted part of Zion, stands.-Er

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of the house of Millo, which is said to be 2 in the city | &c., seems to denote the contrary. However this be, of David, and therefore was built either upon Mount St Jerome himself aflirms, that the waters of this founZion, or some adjacent place. Let us then inquire a tain made the valley through which they ran, as watering little what this house of Millo might possibly be. the gardens and plantations that were there, very pleasant and delightful.

36

Millo, considered in its etymology, is thought to be deduced from a root which signifies to be full, and is The fountain of Gihon, which springs very probably therefore, in the sacred history, supposed to denote a from an adjacent hill of the same name, was on the west large capacious place, designed for public meetings, or, side of Jerusalem; and as king Hezekiah ordered in short, a senate-house. That this was some public the upper channel of this fountain to be conveyed into edifice, I think may be inferred from the notice that is Jerusalem, that when the city was besieged, the enemy taken of it among some other of Solomon's public build- might not have the benefit of its waters; so we need not ings, where the reason of the tax, which he levied upon his doubt, but 10 that the other spring of Siloam was, in like subjects, is said to be this, That he might build the manner, conveyed into the city, and that, for the convehouse of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and | nience of its inhabitants, they were both, in several places, the walls of Jerusalem,' &c., for, since we find it joined distributed into pools; though some make that of Siwith the house of the Lord, and the walls of Jerusalem,' loam to be without the walls. we cannot but suppose, that it was a building of the same public nature; and we since find farther, that the servants of king Joash arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew him in the house of Millo, very probably when he was come thither to debate, and consult with his princes, and other chief men, the thing seems to be incontestable, that this house of Millo was erected for a public senatehouse, though there is some reason to imagine that it was employed likewise for other purposes.

In the reign of Hezekiah, when Sennacherib came against Jerusalem with a purpose to besiege it, the king took counsel with his princes, and among other things, that were thought proper for his defence, it is said, "that he built up all the wall that was fallen, and repaired Millo, and made darts and shields in abundance.' From whence we may infer, that this Millo was a place of great consequence to the strength of Jerusalem, and was very probably made to serve two purposes, that is, to be both a parliament-house and an arsenal.

6

The palace which David built for himself, to which was adjoined that which his son built for the king of Egypt's daughter, must needs have been a very magnificent structure, since he had both his workmen and materials sent him a from Tyre, which, at that time, surpassed all other nations in the art of building: but of this we can give no other account, than that it stood westward from the temple, and consisted of a large square court, defended by flankers, from one of which was the descent by stairs into the gardens, which, in all probability, were watered by the fountain of Siloam.

This fountain of Siloam, rises just under the walls of Jerusalem, on the east side thereof, between the city and the brook Kidron; and in all probability, was the same with the fountain Enrogel, or the Fuller's fountain, whereof we find mention in Joshua, and in the books of Samuel and the Kings. Some travellers will have it that the water of this fountain is brackish, and has not a good taste; but the prophet Isaiah, when he utters the complaint of God against the Jews, forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah, which go softly,'

Josh.

22 Chron. xxxii. 5.

12 Kings xii. 20. 1 Kings ix. 15. 2 Kings xii. 20. 52 Chron. xxxii. 5. 1 Chron. xiv. 1. xv. 7; 2 Sam. xvii; and 1 Kings i. 9. Is. viii. 6. a This must be understood of the Old Tyre, which was situate upon the continent, and where the temple of Hercules stood, of whose antiquity Herodotus talks so much; and not of the New Tyre, which stood upon a neighbouring island, but was not built until the days of Solomon.-Calmet's Dictionary under the

word.

The brook Kidron runs in the valley of Jehoshaphat on the east of Jerusalem, between the city and the Mount of Olives. It has usually no great quantity of water in it, and is frequently quite dry; but, upon any sudden rains, it swells exceedingly, and runs with great impetuosity. It was indeed of singular service to the ancient city, as it received its common sewers, and, upon every such violent flood, emptied them into the Dead Sea.

The mount of Olives, which doubtless had its name from the great quantity of olive trees that grew there, was situated to the east of Jerusalem, and parted from the city only by the valley of Jehoshaphat, and the brook Kidron; for which reason it is said to be a Sabbath-day's journey, that is, about a mile from it. It was on this mountain that Solomon built temples to the gods of the Ammonites and of the Moabites, in complaisance to his wives, who were natives of these nations; and for this reason it is likewise called in Scripture, 12 the mount of corruption,' because such as follow vain idols are frequently said in Scripture to corrupt themselves. 13 Some indeed have imagined, that this mount of corruption was a distinct place, but the matter of fact is, that Mount Olivet had three summits, or was made up of three several mountains, ranged one after another, from north to south. The middle summit was that from which our Lord ascended; toward the south was that whereon Solomon 14 set up his abominations; and towards the north was the highest of all, 15 which was commonly called Galilee.

Mount Calvary, which, in all appearance, had its name from the similitude it bore to the figure of a skull, or a man's head, was to the west of the ancient Jerusa

92 Chron. xxxii. 30. 10 Lamy's Introduction, b. 1. c. 3.
"John ix. 7.
122 Kings xxiii. 13.
13 Wells' Geography of the Old Testament. 142 Kings xxiii. 13.
15 See Reland's Palæst.

b Some formerly have been of opinion, that this mount was called Calvary, because the head of the first man in the world was buried there, and that our Saviour was crucified in the same place; and that his blood running down upon the body of this person, might restore him to life, and procure him the favour of a resurrection. To support this tradition, they tell us that Noah, having preserved Adam's body in the ark, distributed the several parts of it to his children, and, as a particular favour, gave the skull or head to Shem, who was to be the parent of that holy stock, from whom the Messias was to come; and that Shem, with a spirit of foresight, buried the skull in Calvary, where he knew the Messias would be crucified. But neither the ancient fathers nor any modern authors that mention this tradition, were ever persuaded of its truth; and, without any disrespect to them, we may look upon all this as mere fiction.-Calmet's Dictionary under the word Calvary.

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lem, just without the gates: and, as our Saviour suffered | extravagant, that when he returns again he will judge the there, we may presume it was the common place where criminals of all kinds were generally executed, a

world in this valley, merely because the prophet Joel hath said, 1 ́ I will gather all nations, and will bring them into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them for my people;' for what is there called the valley of Jehoshaphat, is not a proper, but an appellative name, and denotes no more than the judgment of God.

26

There is another valley that the Scripture makes early mention of, and that is the valley of Shaveh,' which is likewise called the king's dale, where Melchizedek met Abraham in his return from the slaughter of Chedor

The valley of Hinnom, or the sons of Hinnom, lay to the south of the city, and was remarkable for the cruel and barbarous worship of Moloch, where parents made their children pass through the fire, or be burned in the fire, by way of sacrifice to that idol; and where it was usual to have musical instruments, from whence it obtained likewise the name of Tophet, the Hebrew word Toph, signifying the same as Tympanum in Latin, and Timbrel in English, to drown the lamentable shrieks of the children | laomer. According to Josephus, it was, in his time, but thus sacrificed. In this place there were afterwards kept a perpetual fire, to consume the dead carcasses and excrements, which were brought from Jerusalem; and therefore our Saviour alluding to this, calls hell by the name of Ge-henna, or the valley of Hinnom.

about two furlongs distant from Jerusalem, and for this reason, perhaps, it has been thought by some, to be no other than the valley of Jehoshaphat; though others make it different, yet so, as to come up near to the said valley, and to lie on the south-east part of the city, not far from the king's gardens. 3 Why it obtained the name of the king's dale, whether it was from its near situation to the king's palace and gardens, or from its being the place where the kings were wont to exercise themselves, or at least to entertain themselves, with seeing others perform their exercises of running, riding, and the a Mr Buckingham, who is satisfied of the identity of the pre-like, is not agreed, and very likely will never be detersent hill shown as Calvary, imagines that it was at the time of the crucifixion, as it is now, within the city. Of the arguments by which this opinion is supported, the following is an abstract:

The valley of Jehoshaphat, which is likewise called the valley of Kidron, because of the above mentioned brook which runs through it, lies on the east of Jerusalem, between the city and the mount of Olives. Our Saviour, indeed, ascended from this mount; but the notion is very

The objections commonly urged against the position of Calvary

within the walls are-that the term Golgotha, which is inter-
preted the place of a skull,' implies a place of public interment;
that it was contrary to the custom of the east to bury in cities; and
that it would be considered as defiling by the Jews to have a place
of execution in the heart of the town. To the first of these objec-
tions it is answered, on the part of Mr Buckingham, that the
word Golgotha thus translated a place of skulls, implies merely
a skull; and is so used by St Luke, who, without mention-
ing Golgotha, writes, And when they were come to a place
called skull,' &c.; that the name applies rather to a tradition that
the skull of Adam was found in this spot; or, which is more pro-
bable, that it was derived from the figure of the eminence itself,
which was a mound of small elevation, consisting of a round nodule
of rock, which, from a resemblance which it bore to the shape of
a skull, obtained that name for it. To the second objection it
is replied, that whatever the general custom of the east may be,
it was the common practice of the Jews to bury in their own
gardens, whether within or without the town. The third objec-
tion is endeavoured to be removed, by showing, that Calvary was
not, as is generally supposed, a place of public execution; but
was merely seized on by the enraged and impatient multitude, as a
convenient spot for carrying their mad purpose into speedy effect.
This opinion is considered to be corroborated, by the singular
fact, that it is nowhere said that Christ was led out of the city to
be crucified; and by the no less extraordinary circumstance of
Joseph of Arimathea having, on this same spot, a garden and a
tomb, which he would not be likely to have had in a place defiled by
public executions. Wherever Calvary was, it does not seem pro-
bable that it was a place of common execution for malefactors. It is
quite inconceivable that a wealthy Jew like Joseph of Arimathea,
should make choice of a place of public execution, where these
horrid exhibitions must have been frequent, as the scene of his
recreation while alive, and of his interment after death. The
choice of this spot may rather be considered as accidental
as the first convenient one which offered itself to the impatient
Jews, on which to immolate their victim, and to which he was
hurried lest he should again escape them. This spot or mount is
a rock, the summit of which is ascended to by a steep flight of
eighteen or twenty steps from the common level of the church,
which is equal with that of the street without; and besides this,
there is a descent of thirty steps from the level of the church to
the chapel of Helena; and eleven more to the place where it is
said the cross was found; making in all sixty-one steps, or, if
the last eleven be considered as subterraneous, fifty; equal to at
least thirty-five feet of perpendicular height-sufficient to give
this little eminence the character of a mound or mount.-ED.

mined.

There were several gates, belonging to the ancient Jerusalem, that are mentioned in Scripture; but it is

1 Joel iii. 2.

Gen. xiv. 17, 18. Wells' Geography of the Old Testament, vol. 3. The present style of building in Jerusalem will, perhaps, in the unchanging character of eastern customs, best enable us to understand its ancient structure. The streets of almost every eastern city are narrow, for the purpose of excluding the sun and wind between the deep and almost blank walls of the houses, having small and but few windows towards the street; their fronts, properly speaking, being towards the central quadrangle. The entrance into the principal houses is by a porch, having benches on each side, where visits are received and business is despatched; few guests being permitted to penetrate further into the mansion. This porch communicates with the court in the centre: which, with persons of rank or wealth, is paved with marble, and laid out with fruit-trees and fountains. This court is surrounded with a cloister; over which is a gallery, having a balustrade or latticed work on the side towards the court, and on the opposite one the entrances to the chambers. Whoever has travelled in Spain or Portugal, where, by their Moorish posses sors, many eastern customs were introduced, may have seen houses of this construction: the convents almost universally answer to it exactly. The open space in the quadrangle is the place where company is received on festive occasions; and is the same as the To μsoov, the "midst" or the middle of the house into which the paralytic was let down, when our Savicur was preaching to a numerous assembly. (Luke v. 18, 19.) The stairs are placed either in the porch itself, or at the entrance into the court; from whence they are continued up one corner of the gallery to the top of the house, which is made flat to walk on, and surrounded by a parapet or balustrade. Thus a person may ascend from the porch to the top of the house without having any communication with its interior: and to this arrangement car Lord alludes, in his directions to his disciples respecting the troubles which were approaching, and their flight from Jerusalem. 'Let him who is on the house-top not come down to take any thing out of his house.' (Matt. xxiv. 17.) Of the present state and appearance of Jerusalem, M. Chateaubriand gives the following account: "When seen from the mount of Olives, on the other side of the valley of Jehoshaphat, Jerusalem presents an inclined plane descending from west to east. An embattled wall, fortified with towers and a Gothic castle, encompasses the city all round; excluding, however, part of mount Zion, which it formerly enclosed. In the western quarter, and in the centre of the city towards Calvary, the houses stand very close; but in the

A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. no easy matter to discover where their particular situa- | these gates did not lead out of the city into the country. tion was. There is reason to believe likewise, that their The gate of the valley, which doubtless had its name names have been varied, or that one and the same gate from leading into some valley, and a as travellers will has gone under different appellations; and as there were have it, to the valley of Jehoshaphat, was situate on the several circuits of walls in the city, which had their east side of the city. respective gates, it is more than probable, that some of

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from the dung and filth of the beasts that were sacrificed | upon as a wonder, is, that the ceiling, the doors, as well

at the temple, being carried out of it, was probably the same with what is now so called, and stands on the east side of the city, likewise.

The water gate, which took its name from its use, because through it was the water brought to serve the city and the temple, was on the same side; and so was The gate of the fountain, so called from its nearness to the fountain of Siloam, only inclining a little towards the south.

The gate of Ephraim, which opened to the main road, leading to the tribe of Ephraim, and from it derived its name, stood on the north side of the city, because on that side was that tribe seated; 2 though others had rather place it on the west.

The horse gate, sheep gate, and fish gate, are supposed by some to have had their denominations from the several markets of these creatures, that were kept there. The horse and sheep gates were both on the east side, not far from the palace and the temple; and the fish gate was on the north, though some, who think it had its name from the fish that were brought from the Mediterranean sea, had rather place it on the west side.

Lastly, the high gate, or the gate of Benjamin, so called from its situation towards the land or tribe of Benjamin, is supposed by some to have been the principal gate of the royal palace; but from what we read concerning Jeremiah's being grossly abused near this gate, it appears to have been situated by the house of the Lord.

4

as all the rest, their hinges, their posts, their frames, &c., are all cut out of the same continued rock. It may therefore be worth our inquiring a little in what manner these structures were employed, and who possibly might be the persons that were reposited in them.

That these subterraneous structures were not the sepulchres of the kings of Judah, the generality of those that have inspected them are agreed, because the Scripture tells us, that David and Solomon, and most of their successors were buried in the city of David; and yet these grots lie without the gate of Damascus, as it is now called, at a considerable distance from the city of David: but how far this city of David did formerly extend, or where we shall find any other signs of the places, where David and the other kings his successors were buried, we have no hints given us. The Rev. Mr Maundrell, from this passage in Scripture, 6 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David,' is of opinion, that this was the place where Hezekiah, and the sons immediately born to David, that were not reposited in the royal sepulchres, were buried: but it is much more probable, and what both the Syriac and Arabic versions seem to confirm, that by the sons of David here, we are not to understand his immediate sons, properly so called, but the kings rather that succeeded him. This is a form of speech frequently made use of by the sacred writers; and therefore the sense of Hezekiah's being buried in the sepulchres of the sons of David,' must be, that he was buried in the sepulchres of the kings descended from David.

The more probable opinion, therefore, is that of Le Bruyn, who supposes, that these grots were the sepul

Thus we have passed through most of the gates of this ancient city; and on the north side of it, without the walls now, but then probably within them, we meet with some subterraneous chambers, that are wonderfully mag-chres of Manasseh, his son Amon, and his grandson nificent, and at present called the sepulchres of the Josiah, kings of Judah. Of Manasseh the Scripture kings, of which some late travellers give us a descrip- tells us expressly, that he was buried in the garden of tion to this effect. "When you come to the place, you his own house, in the garden of Uzza;' and of Amon it pass through an entry hewed out of a rock, which admits is said, that he was buried in the garden of Uzza;' you into an open court about twenty-six feet square, all which garden Manasseh might very probably purchase, cut out of the rock, which is of solid marble, and serves and being taken with the pleasantness of it, might there instead of walls. On the left hand of this court is a build him a house, which is here called his own house," portico nine paces long, and four broad, with a kind of in contradistinction to the royal palace, which was built, architrave running round its front, cut out of the same and inhabited by his ancestors, on Mount Zion. Of Jorock, as are likewise the pillars that support it. At the siah indeed the sacred history does not say expressly, end of this portico there is a passage into the sepulchres, that he was buried here; all that it tells us is, that he which when you have crept through it with some diffi- was buried in the sepulchres of his fathers;' but whether culty, lets you into a large chamber of above four and twenty feet square. Its sides and ceiling are so exactly square, and its angles so just, that no architect, with levels and plummets, could build a room more regular. From this room you pass into six more, one within another, and all of the same fabric with the first, except that the two innermost are deeper than the rest, and have a descent of about six or seven steps into them. In every one of these rooms, except the first, were coffins of stone, placed in niches, along the sides of the room, and amount in all to about fifty."

This perhaps is the only real work that now remains of the old Jerusalem; and what makes it justly looked

$ 1 Kings ii. 10. and xi. 43.

7

2 Kings xxi. 18, 26.

62 Chron. xxxii. 33. $ 2 Chron. Xxxv. 24.

lates, that not above fifteen years before, a wall belonging to a Benjamin of Tudela, who wrote about the year 1173, remount Sion, fell down, and the priests set twenty men to work upon it. Two of these workmen being one day left alone, took up a stone, which opened a passage into a subterraneous place, into which they entered. There they found a palace, supported by marble pillars, and crusted over with gold and silver. At the entrance was a table, and upon this table a golden crown and sceptre. This, say the Jews, was David's monument, and opposite to it was Solomon's, adorned in the like manner. As they were attempting to penetrate farther, they were overset by a whirlwind, and remained senseless till the evening, when they heard a voice, bidding them arise, and begone. Benjamin sures us, that he had this story from the mouth of one Abraham, a Pharisee, who, as he said, had been consulted about this event by the patriarch of Jerusalem, and declared that this was David's monument. But the whole of this account has so much the air of a fable, that it is needless to confute it.—Calmet's Dictionary, under the word David.