SCRIPTURE GEOGRAPHY.

CHAPTER I.

Geography of the Early Ages; with Explanatory Remarks.

1. Scripture or Sacred Geography is that part of Ancient Geography, which treats of the countries and places that are mentioned in the Bible.

2. The historical parts of the Scriptures relate almust wholly to the Israelites, and to nations whose history was, in some way, connected with that of the Israelites.

3. No one of the four quarters of the world, as they are now understood, is mentioned in the Bible.

4. The term Asin, as used in the New Testament, sometimes denotes a small district round the city of Eph'esus, and sometimes the proconsular province of Asia, which comprised Mys'ia, Phryg'ia, Lyd'ia, and Ca'ria ; but never more than Asia Minor.

5. The Mediterra'nean Sea is called in the Bible the Great Sea; and most of the countries mentioned in the Scriptures either bordered upon it, or were situated not far distant; some of the most remote were Chalde'a, Per'sia, and Me'dia.

6. The other seas, which are much spoken of, are the Red Sea, the Sea of Sodom or Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee; the last two of which are comparatively small. But no one of the five great oceans of modern geography is mentioned in the Bible.

7. The three great rivers, which are found within the limits of that portion of the globe which is embraced by Scripture Geography, are the Nile in Africa, and the Euphra'tes and Tigris in Asia. The Hid'dekel, mentioned

CHAPTER I.-1. What is Scripture or Sacred Geography? 2. To what people do the historical parts of the Scriptures relate? 3. Is either of the four quarters of the globe inentioned in the Bi.

ble? 4. What does the term Asia denote in the New Testament? 5. What is said of the Mediterranean Sea? 6 What other seas? 7. What rivers?

in Genesis, is commonly supposed to be the same as the Tigris.

8. Scripture Geography has scarcely any connection with Europe, except as it respects the illustration of the travels of St. Paul.

9. Most of the places mentioned in the book of Genesis, before the migration of the Israelites into Egypt, were situ ated in the southwestern part of Asia.

10. From that time, Egypt and the country lying between it and the land of Canaan, were the scenes of most of the transactions recorded by Moses.

11. The Land of Ca'naan then became the scene of most of the events contained in the history of both the Old Testament and the New; and this country included more than half of all the places mentioned in the Bible.

12. Almost all the countries and places, which are mentioned in ancient history, have been known by different names in different ages; and the greater part of those which are spoken of in the Old Testament, had assumed new names before the New Testament was written.

13. With respect to the situation of a number of places rendered memorable by transactions recorded in the Old Testament, there is great uncertainty; and men of learning differ much in their opinion respecting them.

14. Various opinions have been entertained by learned men respecting the situation of the Garden of Eden; and many have supposed the account of it is not to be under stood literally, but allegorically or figuratively.

15. The most common supposition of those who have undertaken to assign it a particular place, is that it was situated near the confluence of the Euphra'tes and Tigris, or near the sources of these rivers.

16. Respecting the situation of O'phir, the country from which Solomon obtained gold, there has been much learned

8. What connection has Scripture Geography with Europe? 9. Where were most of the places mentioned in the book of Gen. esis, before the migration of Jacob and his family, situated? 10. Where were the scenes of the subsequent events recorded by Moses? 11. What country afterwards became the scene of most of the events recorded in the Bible?

12. What is said respecting the changes which have taken place with regard to geographical names?

13. What is said respecting the situation of some memorable places› 14. What is remarked respecting the Garden of Eden ?

15. What is a common supposition respecting its situation?

16. What is said respecting the situation of Ophir?

inquiry, and various opinions have been maintained but it is commonly supposed to have been situated on the eastern side of Africa, or in the East Indies.

17. The situation of Tar'shish or Thar'shish, has furnished another topic of learned discussion, and has given rise to a great variety of opinions. Some of the suppositions respecting it are, that it was the same as Tarsus in Cilicia, Carthage and Tunis in Africa, and Tartes'sus in Spain; and also that it means the sea or ocean in general.

18. It has also been supposed that there were two places or countries so called, one on the Mediterranean, and the other on the east side of Africa or in the East Indies.

19. The ark of Noah, after the waters of the flood began to diminish, is said, in Genesis, to have 'rested upon the mountains of Ar'arat.'

20. A mountain in Arme'nia, now known by the name of Ararat, is supposed by many to be the mountain on which the ark rested; but some suppose it was a summit of the chain of Cau'casus, between the Black and Caspian seas; others, a summit of Taurus, in the eastern part of Asia Minor; and others, that it was a mountain near the sources of the river Indus.

21. The three sons of Noah, by whom the world was peopled after the flood, were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

22. The residence of Noah and his posterity, till after the dispersion at Babel, is supposed to have been in the country watered by the Euphrates and the Tigris.

23. The tower of Babel was erected on the Euphrates, on or near the site where the city of Bab'ylon was afterwards built; and from this point the human race were dispersed over different parts of the earth.

24. This position, which may be regarded as the second cradle of the human race, is nearly central, as it respects the residence of the most ancient nations of which we have any knowledge, namely, the Babylonians or Chalde'ans, Assyrians, Persians, Hindoos', Hebrews, Ca'naanites, Phæni cians, and Egyptians.

17. What is remarked of Tarshish or Tharshish? 19. What other supposition has been made? 19. Where is the ark of Noah said to have rested? 20. What is supposed to have been the mountain on which the ark rested? 21. Who were the three sons of Noah, by whom the world was peopled after the flood? 22. Where is the residence of Noah and his family supposed to have been?

23. Where was the tower of Babel erected? 24. What is said of this position, with relation to the most ancient nations?

25. The posterity of Shem is supposed to have peopled the greater part of Asia; that of Japheth, Europe and Asia Minor; and that of Ham, Africa and part of the southwest portion of Asia.

26. Of the sons of Shem, Arphax'ad is supposed to have resided in the country near the Euphra'tes; Ash'er, to have been the founder of Nin'ereh and the empire of Assyria; Elam, to have given name to the country of Elam, afterwards Persia; and A'ram, to the country of A'ram or Syria.

27. Of the sons of Ham, Miz'ra-im was the reputed founder of the kingdom of Egypt, sometimes called in the Bible the Land of Miz'raim and the Land of Ham; Cush, the father of the Ethio'pians; and Ca naan, the father of the Ca'naanites.

28. The foundation of Bab'ylon is ascribed to Nimrod, the son of Cush.

29. Ja'van, one of the sons of Ja'pheth, is commonly supposed to have been the father of the Greeks.

30. The Greeks themselves maintained that Jap'etus, whose name has a near resemblance to that of Japheth, was the father of their nation, and of all mankind.

31. A'braham was a descendant of Arphax'ad, the eldest son of Shem; and he and his posterity are supposed to have been called Hebrews, either from Eber or Heber, the grandson of Arphax'ad, and the ancestor of Abraham, or because they came from beyond the river Euphra'tes into Ca'naan; the word in the original signifying beyond or from the other side.

32. Abraham was born at Ur of the Chaldees, which some suppose to have been situated not far from Babylon; others believe it to have been on the site of the modern town of Ourfa, north of west from Nineveh; and others place it much further to the east.

33. Terah, the father of Abraham, was a worshipper of idols, like his countrymen.

25. What parts of the globe are the three sons of Noah supposed to have peopled? 26. What is mentioned respecting several sons of Shem? 27 What of the sons of Ham?

28. To whom is the foundation of Babylon ascribed?
29. Who is supposed to have been the father of the Greeks?

30 Whom did the Greeks consider as the father of their nation? 31. From whom was Abraham descended, and why were he and his posterity called Hebrews? 32. Where was Abraham born? 33. What is said of Terah?

34. Abraham, together with his father, his wife Sarah, and his nephew Lot, left Ur, and took up his abode, for a while, at Ha'ran.

35. While at this place, he was called by God to leave his country and his kindred, to go into the land of Ca'naan, which was promised to his posterity

36. Although he had much property in cattle and servants, he did not acquire any permanent possession in Canaan, but sojourned at several different places.

87 Some time after his arrival in the country, he was obliged, on account of a severe famine, to retire, for a while, into Egypt.

33. On his return, he pitched his tent between Beth'el Land A'i.

39. As Abraham and his nephew Lot, who accompanied him to Ca'naan, possessed large flocks, and therefore could not conveniently dwell together, Lot retired to the plain of Sod'om, and Abraham to the plain of Mam re, near He'bron.

40. Hebron and its vicinity became the more common residence of the patriarch and his family; and in the cave of Machpelah, in the plain of Mamre, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, together with their wives, were buried.

41. Abraham, however, did not, after this, reside cor stantly at Hebron, but sojourned for a while at Ge'rar, the city of Abimelech, in the country of the Philistines, and also at Beersheba, where Ish'mael was born.

34. Where did Abraham take up his residence after leaving Ur? 35. What call did he receive while at this place? 36. In what

manner did he reside in Canaan? 37. To what country did he retire for a time? 38. Where did he pitch his tent on his return? 39. What is mentioned respecting Abraham and Lot? 40. What is remarked of Hebron and its vicinity?

41. At what other places did Abraham reside?

See Map No. V.
thros? Cush or Ethiopia? Goshen?

How was Egypt or Mizraim situated?

Pa

How was Arabia situated? Midian? Hav'ilah? Canaan? Am. alek? Edom? Aram or Syria? Mesopotamia? PadanAram? Armenia? Assyria? Babylonia or Chaldea> Shinar? Elam or Persia? Parthia? Meshech? Magog Ash kenaz? Javan? What countries were watered by the Nile ? What by the Euphrates and Tigris? The Ulai? How is mount Sinai situated? Mount Ararat? How was Babylon situated? Nineveh? Susa or Shushan? Calneh? Car'chemish? Haran or Charran? Damascus? Tadmor? Hamath? Tarshish? Ezion-geber? Noph or Memphis ? On?