JEWS, the name borne by the Hebrews, among foreign nations, especially after the return from Babylon, from Judah, their ancestor. See HEBREWS.

JEZREEL, a celebrated city of Issachar, Josh. 19:18, in the great plain, lying westward of Scythopolis. Ahab had here a palace; and this city became famous on account of his seizure of Naboth's vineyard, and the vengeance executed on Ahab. 2 K. 9:10, &c. Hence the plain was sometimes called the Plain or Valley of Jezreel. See Es

The Book of Job is written in Hebrew poetry, except the two first chapters and part of the last, which are prose. The age in which it was written is very uncertain, as well as the author. Some suppose it to have been written by Moses; others regard it as much later. There is not in all antiquity a piece of poetry more copious, more lofty, more magnificent, more diversified, more adorned, or more affecting. The author has practised all the beauties of his art, in the characters of the four persons whom he brings upon the stage. The hisJOAB, son of Zeruiah, David'story, as to the substance of it, is sister, and brother of Abishai and Asahel, was one of the most valiant soldiers and greatest generals in David's time; but he was also one of the most cruel, revengeful and imperious of men. He was commander in chief of his troops, when David was king of Judah only, and was always firm to his interests. He was at last slain, by order of Solomon. 1 K. 2:28, &c.

DRAELON.

I. JOASH, or JEHOASH, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, was preserved from Athaliah, and hidden in the temple by his aunt. After an interregnum of six years, he was proclaimed king, B. C. 874, and reigned forty years. See 2 K. c. 11,12. 2 Chr. 22:10.-c. 24.

II. JÓASH, or JEHOASH, Son and successor of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, B. C. 835. He reigned sixteen years. See 2 K. 13:10. -14:16.

JOB, an ancient patriarch of the land of Uz, probably East Edom, or the northern part of Arabia Deserta, between Babylonia and Palestine or Idumea. He was distinguished for his patience, his probity, his submission and devotion to God under the severest adversity.

true; the sentiments, reasons and arguments of the several persons are faithfully expressed; but the terms and turns of expression are the poet's own.

JOEL, one of the minor prophets. Of the circumstances of his life, and of the time in which he lived and prophesied, the Scriptures afford us no account whatever; except what may be inferred from different hints and circumstances contained in the book itself. From these it is clear, first, that he lived in the kingdom of Judah, at a time when the temple and the temple-worship still existed. Comp. c. 1:14. 2:1,15, 32. 3:1, &c. He must, in all probability, have prophesied somewhat early in the reign of Uzziah, and rather before Amos.

The whole book is made up of one oracle. The occasion of the prophecy was the devastation caused by swarms of locusts, one of the most terrible of all the plagues of the East. (See LoCUST.) Such a plague, accompanied with drought, the prophet vividly describes in c. 1, and subjoins warnings and admonitions. He admonishes to fasting and penitence; and promises

and

the removal of the calamity || James and John, with Peter, as witnesses of his agony in the olivegarden. After the ascension of our Lord, John continued to reside at Jerusalem, where he was one of the chief pillars of the

renewed fertility. 2:21, &c. While describing this returning plenty and prosperity, the prophet casts his view forward on a future still more remote, and predicts the outpour-church. ings of the Holy Spirit, and the signs, and wonders, and spiritual prosperity of the Messiah's reign. 2:28. This passage is quoted by the apostle Peter, in Acts 2: 16. The style and manner of Joel are exceedingly poetical and elegant. In short, this book belongs among the most splendid exhibitions of Hebrew poetry.

1. JOHN THE BAPTIST, the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ, and son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, was born about six months before Jesus Christ. His birth, name and office were foretold to his father Zacharias, when he was performing his functions as a priest in the temple of Jerusalem. Luke 1:10,11, &c. He baptized unto repentance, but not in the name of Christ; and was at length put to death by order of Herod, at the instigation of Herodias, whose licen

tiousness he had the boldness to reprove. See under HEROD 2. II. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, son of Zebedee, was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee, and by trade a fisherman. Our Saviour called him and his brother James, Boanerges, sons of thunder. (See JAMES.) It is supposed that John was the youngest of the apostles. Our Saviour had a particular friendship for him, and he describes himself by the phrase of "that disciple whom Jesus loved." He was present at the transfiguration, and at the last supper, when he lay on his master's bosom, who discovered to him who should betray him. John 13:25, 21:20. Jesus also chose

He afterwards seems

to have travelled in Asia Minor; and was banished, probably by Domitian, to the isle of Patmos, where he had the visions describ ed in the Apocalypse. He afterwards returned to Ephesus, where he lived to a very great age, so that he could scarcely go to the assembly of the church, without being carried by his disciples. Being now unable to make long discourses, his custom was to say, in all assemblies, to the people, "My dear children, love one another." At length they grew weary of this concise exhortation; and when he was informed of this, his answer was, "This is what the Lord commands you; and this, if you do it, is sufficient." He died at Ephesus, in the third year of Trajan, the 100th of Jesus Christ, being then, according to Epiphanius, ninety-four years of age. He was buried near that city; and several of the fathers mention his sepulchre as being there

We have three Epistles of John. The first is a kind of tract, designed to refute certain erroneous doctrines, which had been propounded in the church, similar to, if not the same with, those of the Cerinthians and the Gnostics. The second is addressed to a lady of rank, named Electa, and called in our translation the elect lady; or, as others think, to a Christian church, The third letter is directed to Gaius, whom John praises for his hospitality to the faithful, and exhorts to continue his pious practice.

en of Jonah's being swallowed. The fish afterwards cast him out again upon the land. The word of the Lord a second time directed him to visit Nineveh. He now went thither; but because the Lord had mercy on the penitent

nah's prediction, the prophet was angry. By the example of a gourd, or rather palma christi, God taught him his unreasonableness and folly. See under GOURD.

III. JOHN, surnamed Mark, || tirely to the representation givcousin to Barnabas, and his disciple, was the son of a Christian woman named Mary, who had house in Jerusalem, where the disciples and apostles met. Here they were at prayers in the night, when Peter, who was delivered out of prison by an angel, knock-Ninevites, and did not fulfil Joed at the door. Acts 12:12, &c. John attached himself to Paul and Barnabas, whom he followed to Antioch, and thence to Perga and Pamphylia, where he left them, and returned to Jerusalem. Acts 15:38. Six years afterwards, he accompanied Barnabas to the isle of Cyprus; and, || in A. D. 63, we find him at Rome, performing signal services for Paul during his imprisonment. The apostle speaks advantageously of him, in Col. 4:10, and again in his Epistle to Philemon, ver. 24. Two years afterwards, he was in Asia, and with Timothy, whom Paul desires to bring him to Rome; adding, that he was useful to him for the ministry of the gospel. 2 Tim. 4:11. It was he who wrote the Gospel according to Mark. See GosPEL, and also MARK.

Besides the history in the book of Jonah, this prophet is mentioned in 2 K. 14:25; and also by our Saviour, Matt. 12:41. Luke 11:29,30,32.

JOPPA, or JAFFA, is one of the most ancient seaports in the world. It was a border town of the tribe of Dan, and is situated in a fine plain, on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, thirty miles south of Cæsarea, and about forty-five north-west of Jerusalem. It owes all the circumstances of its celebrity, as the principal port of Judea, to its situation with regard to Jerusalem. As a station for vessels, its harbor is one of the worst on the

coast.

The present town of Jaffa is situated on a promontory, jutting out into the sea, rising to the height of about 150 feet above its level, and offering, on all sides, picturesque and varied prospects.

JÓNAH, one of the minor prophets, was a Galilean. Being ordered of God to prophesy against Nineveh, he endeavored to avoid the command by embarking at Joppa for Tarshish, in order to fly as far as possible just in the opposite direction. But being overtaken by a storm, Towards the west is extended the he was thrown overboard, and open sea; towards the south are miraculously preserved, by be-spread fertile plains, reaching as ing swallowed by a large fish. This fish, in the N. T. is called a whale in our translation, Matt. 12:40; but it more probably refers to the large shark, common in the Mediterranean, the canis carcharius of naturalists, whose size and habits correspond en

far as Gaza; towards the north, as far as Carmel, the flowery meads of Sharon present themselves; and to the east, the hills of Ephraim and Judah raise their towering heads. The town is walled round on the south and east, towards the land, and par

and after running two or three leagues, by the nature of the country, it forms what is now called the marsh of Jordan, anciently lake Merom, which extends about two leagues in circumference, when the snows melt on mount Libanus, but is dry in the heats of summer. (See MEROM.) This marsh is almost wholly overgrown with reeds, of that kind which is used for writing, and for the fledging of arrows. The environs of the lake are full of tigers, bears, and even lions, which descend from the neighboring mountains. Coming out of this lake, the Jordan resumes its course southwards, and, at half a league's distance, is crossed by a stone bridge, which the inhabitants call Djisr Beni Yakoub, or bridge of the sons of Jakob. (See GESHUR.) After a course of eight or nine leagues, the river enters the lake of Gen

tially so on the north and west, towards the sea. The approach to Jaffa is quite destitute of interest. The town, seated on a promontory, and facing chiefly to the northward, looks like a heap of buildings, crowded as closely as possible into a given space; and, from the steepness of its site, they appear in some places to stand one on the other. The interior of the town corresponds with its outward mien, and has all the appearance of a poor village. The streets are very narrow, uneven and dirty; and are rather entitled to the appellation of alleys. The inhabitants are es timated at between four and five thousand, of whom the greater part are Turks and Arabs; the Christians are stated to be about six hundred, consisting of Roman Catholics, Greeks, Maronites and Armenians. The Latins, Greeks and Armenians have each a small convent for the reception of pil-nesareth, or the sea of Galilee, or grims.

I. JORAM, or JEHORAM, son of Ahab king of Israel, succeeded his brother Ahaziah in the throne, B. C. 892, and reigned twelve years. See 2 K. 1:17. c. 3. c. 6. c. 9.

II. JORAM, or JEHORAM, son and successor of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He reigned with his father, from B. C. 889, four years, and four years alone, in all eight years. See 2 K. 8:16 -24. 2 Chr. c. 21.

JORDAN, the chief river of Palestine, running from north to south, and constituting the eastern boundary of Palestine proper. According to Burckhardt, it rises about four miles north-east from Paneas, in the plain; and is soon after joined by the river of Paneas. (See DAN.) The Jordan is but an inconsiderable stream, till, after receiving several rivulets,

of Tiberias. Having passed through this lake, it issues near the ruins of Scythopolis, and after about thirty leagues, loses itself in the Dead sea.

The distance between the lake of Tiberias and the Dead sea is what is properly called the Plain or Valley of Jordan. It is thus described by Burckhardt: "The valley of the Jordan, or El Ghor, which may be said to begin at the northern extremity of the lake of Tiberias, has, near By san, a direction north by east and south by west. Its breadth is about two hours. The great number of rivulets which descend from the mountains on both sides, and form numerous pools of stagnant waters, produce, in many places, a pleasing verdure, and a luxuriant growth of wild herbage and grass; but the greater part of the ground is a parch

ed desert, of which a few spots || great valley, called towards the only are cultivated by the Be-north, El Ghor, and towards the douins. The river Jordan, on south, El Araba, and forming a issuing from the lake of Tibe- prolongation of the valley of the rias, flows for about three hours Jordan, through which, in all near the western hills, and then probability, that river once poured turns toward the eastern, on its waters into the Red sea. The which side it continues its course course of this valley is between for several hours. The river south and south-south-west. Its flows in a valley of about a quar-length from the Dead sea, in ter of an hour in breadth, which about lat. 31°5', to Akaba in lat. is considerably lower than the 29° 30', is, therefore, not far from rest of the plain of the Ghor: 95 minutes of latitude, or about this low valley is covered with 110 miles in a direct line. From high trees of a luxuriant verdure, the extremity of the sea, a sandy which afford a striking contrast plain or flat extends southward with the sandy slopes that bor- between hills, and on a level with der it on both sides. The river, the sea, for the distance of eight where we passed it, was about or ten miles, where it is intereighty paces broad, and about rupted by a sandy cliff, from sixthree feet deep: this, it must be ty to eighty feet high, which recollected, was in the midst of traverses the valley like a wall, summer. In the winter it inun- forming a barrier to the waters dates the plain in the bottom of of the lake when at their greatthe narrow valley; but never est height. Beyond this cliff, the rises to the level of the upper valley is prolonged without interplain of the Ghor, which is at ruption to Akaba. It is skirted least forty feet above the level on each side by a chain of mounof the river." The high trees in tains; but the streams which dethis lower valley are interwoven scend from these, are in summer with close thickets, the retreat lost in their gravelly beds before of wild beasts, which of course they reach the valley below; so would be driven out by the inun- that the lower plain, or bottom dations of the river. Hence the of the great valley, is in summer figure of "the lion coming up entirely without water, which from the swelling of Jordan." alone can produce verdure in the Arabian deserts, and render them habitable. There is not the slightest appearance of a road, or of any other work of human art, in any part of the valley. At the southern extremity of the valley, where it opens upon the plain of Akaba, Rüppell describes it, towards the end of April 1822, as shaded by bushes, and covered with luxuriant pasturage. The chain of mountains on the east side of this valley is the ancient mount Seir, or Edom. See in IDUMEA.

Jer. 49:19. 50:44.

At the present day, the Jordan is lost in the Dead sea; but the discoveries of Burckhardt and other modern travellers compel us to believe, that in very ancient times, before the destruction of the cities in the vale of Sodom, and the conversion of that plain into a sea, the Jordan continued to pursue its course southwards to the Elanitic gulf of the Red sea. The southern end of the Dead sea is found to be connected with the northern end of the Elanitic gulf, or gulf of Akaba, by the

It has often been a question,