Hamath. KINGDOM OF HAMATH. Location. The kingdom of Hamath lay on the northern frontier of Canaan, and east of Rehob. This opinion is supported by Num. xiii. 21. "So they," the spies, "went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath." The meaning seems to be, that the spies went through the whole land of Canaan, to the point where Rehob and Hamath meet, or to the entering in to Hamath. Boundaries. It was bounded on the east, by the kingdom of Zobah, on the south, by Canaan-on the west, by the kingdom of Rehob-and on the north, by unknown districts. Cities. Riblah. Hamath. The cities belonging to this kingdom, were 1. RIBLAH.-This was a city of Hamath, II. King, xxiii. 33, and lay on the southern border, as the northern line of the land of Promise ran by it. Num. xxxiv. 11. 2. HAMATH.—This was situated in the southern border, 1. King. viii. 65. Zobah. KINGDOM OF ZOBAK. Location. This kingdom lay on the northeastern frontier of Canaan, as may appear from the following considerations. 55 1. It adjoined Hamath, 11. Sam. viii. 3. REESE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 2. It was probably, composed in part, of a territory taken from the kingdom of Hamath, 11. Chron. viii. 3. 3. It was in the neighbourhood of DamascusCompare 11. Sam. viii. 5, 6, 1. King. xi. 23. It was bounded on the east, by the kingdom of Boundaries Damascus on the south, by the kingdom of Maachah -on the west, by the kingdom of Hamath-and, on the north, by unknown regions. There were two cities supposed to belong to this Cities. kingdom 1. Helbon-afterwards Aleppo. bably in Zobah. Ezek. xxvii. 18. This was pro. Helbon 2. Tadmor, II. Chron. viii. 3, 4. afterwards called Tadmor Palmyra, Joseph. Antiq. B. vii. ch. 2. This lay in the northeastern part of the kingdom... KINGDOM OF DAMASCUS. Damascus This kingdom, as we have seen, lay in the neigh. Location bourhood of Zobah. Perhaps it rose out of Zobah, in the time of David; or included the southeastern part of that kingdom, as it existed before David, 1. Kings, xi. 23. It probably extended from the borders of Zobah, east, to the river Euphrates. It was bounded on the east, by the river Euphrates -on the south, by the kingdoms of Ish-Tob, and Boundaries City. Maachah. Boundaries. City. Geshur. Geshur- DAMASCUS was the principal city of this kingdom. KINGDOM OF MAACHAH. The kingdom of Maachah, lay on the east of Jordan, having the country of Bashan, on its southern frontier, as the following considerations will show. 1. Abel-Beth-Maachah, a city in this kingdom, seems to have been within the lot of the tribe of Naphtali, II. Sam. xx. 14. 1. Kings xv. 20. 11. Kings xv. 29. 2. To provide for the allotment of the half tribe of Manasseh, beyond Jordan, the country of Bashan was subdued from the river Jabbok to the kingdom of Maachah, and Geshur, Deut. iii. 11, 14, 16. Josh. xii. 5. Num. xxi. 24. It was bounded on the east, by the kingdom of Geshur-on the south, by the country of Bashanon the west by Canaan-and on the north, by the kingdom of Zobah. ABEL-BETH-MAACHAH.-This was a city which lay in the western part of the kingdom. KINGDOM OF GESHUR. Location, The kingdom of Geshur, lay east of Maachah, having the country of Bashan on the south. This may by thus shown, 1. Maachah, and Geshur, evidently joined together, and lay on the northern frontier of the country of Bashan, Deut. iii. 11, 14, 16. Josh. xii. 5. Num. xxi. 24. 2. Maachah was the western kingdom, as it joined on Canaan. See Maachah. It was bounded on the northeast and east, by the Boundaries. kingdom of Ish-Tob-on the south, by the country of Bashan--on the west, by the kingdom of Maachahand on the north, by the kingdoms of Zobah, and Damascus. KINGDOM OF ISH-TOB, OR TOB. Ish-Tob. The kingdom of Ish-Tob, called also the land of Location. Tob, Judg. xi. 3, lay east of the mountains of Gilead, and south of Damascus. This appears probable, from the locations that have been given to the other kingdoms of Syria; and from the inhabitants of Ish-Tob appearing to be neighbours to the children of Ammon. Compare Judg. xi. ch. 11. Sam. x. 6, 8. Josh. xiii. 1-5. It may be considered as bounded on the east, by Boundaries. the river Euphrates, or a country bordering upon it-on the south, by Arabia-on the west, by the mountains of Gilead-and on the north, by Damascus. Rivers. Abaaa. Pharpar. RIVERS OF SYRIA PROPER. There are but two rivers mentioned in Scripture, that appear to belong to Aram, or Syria Proper, II. Kings v. 12. 1. ABANA.-This run by Damascus, and emptied into a small lake, east of that city. It is supposed to be the same as the ancient Chrysorroas, or modern Baradi. 2. PHARPAR.-This united with the Abana, as it is thought, near the city of Damascus. Volney observes that the city of Damascus, is furnished with three branches of the same river, which flows into a hollow, southeast, called Behairet el Mardi-Lake of the Meadow. Two of these branches are supposed to be the Abana and Pharpar. Trav. vol. II. p. 269. Mountains. MOUNTAINS OF SYRIA PROPER. The most famous, lay in the western part, and were designated by the name of Lebanon, from a Hebrew word meaning white, on account of their tops being covered with perpetual snow. While the Scriptures speak only of Lebanon, there were two ranges, which were distinguished by Lebanon, and Anti-Lebanon. |
