multitude of towns mentioned in these books, only now and then one possessed anything to render it per

manent.

The simple mode of life that prevailed in those days, admitted of a vast population in a city, without the complex arrangements that are now deemed indispensable. And this was true of all the cities of Canaan; so that probably no country on the globe ever supported a denser population, than did Palestine, at the period when the nation of Israel was in its best estate.

2. Another thing it is important for us to understand, if we would have correct views of the Geography of these books. In addition to the name a place might have at first, it was customary to add one or more names from some occurrences that might there take place. The second name may never be referred to afterwards; and it may become permanent a circumstance that gives rise to difficulties and apparent contradictions.

3. Again, there is a Hebrew idiom, brought to view in connection with certain names, that makes it impossible to determine whether they denote persons or places. In 1st Chronicles, chapter second, there is a genealogical record-or what appears to be such where we find the following:-"These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the first-born of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim, Salma the father of Beth-lehem, Hareph the father of Beth-gader. And Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim had sons; Haroeh and half of the Manahethites. And the families of Kirjath-jearim; the Ithrites and the Puhites and the Shumathites and the Mishraites," etc., etc. Verses 50–53.

Does this passage refer to persons or places? Is the author speaking of natural generation, or of the founding of cities and communities? We know that there were places having the names, Kirjath-jearim, Beth-lehem and Beth-gader, but the other names seem to denote persons.

Again, we read of "Maresha the father of Hebron, '

both being names of well-known places. And again, in the same chapter, we read of the sons of Hebron, Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema, also the names of places. But if it be decided that places are intended, what must we think of the following language? "Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam; and Rekem begat Shammai." Most of them not being recognized as places, will incline us perhaps to the opinion that persons are intended after all, and especially as the word begat occurs between the names. But with this conclusion, how is the following passage to be understood? "And the son of

Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Bethzur;" for here the names of places again appear.

The most obvious theory is, that there is a commingling of two subjects- Genealogy and Geography. Those who lived at the time, and on the spot, had no trouble about understanding the language; but to us it presents formidable, not to say insuperable, difficulties.

There is a passage of similar character in Ezra and its parallel in Nehemiah. Ezra 2d. Neh. 7th. When we read of "the children of Parosh, Shephatiah, Arah,' etc., we have no doubt that the language applies to persons. But when we come to the "children of Beth-lehem, Netopha, Anathoth, Azmaveth, Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, Beeroth, " etc., names of well-known towns, our former conclusion seems less certain.

In making up our chapter on the Geography of this part of the Bible, we have not attempted to decide, in doubtful cases, whether the reference is to persons or places.

4. Once more. We have added a few names of places that are not found in our English version. They are in the original Hebrew, and we take them from that. In Jud. xi. 33, there is an expression which becomes, in our version, the "plain of the vineyards," the original being Abel-carmim, a proper name, denoting a place which Eusebius locates six miles from Rabbah. In 2 K.

12, 14, Beth-eked, the name of a place, becomes, in

our version, the shearing house. In the story of Judah and Tamar, Gen. xxxviii., the reader will find the expression "an open place," the original being Enam, the name of a town, and put down among the towns of Judah in Jos. xv. 34. The context contains a reference to "the men of the place," as to a town or city. Other instances will be noticed in our comments.

From what has been said on this last particular, one will see that passages may admit of great doubt, many times, whether expressions found in them, should be given in the version as proper names, or translated according to their literal sense. To illustrate, Bethel signifies house of God; and the original is the same, when the reference is to the city, as when it is to the place of worship. We have a way of distinguishing between these. We begin the proper name with a capital letter. But the Hebrew letters are all of a size, and the name of Bethel consists of two words, and the Hebrew for house of God does the same.

When, therefore, the Hebrews went up to the house of God, the fact is expressed by the same words, as if they went up to Bethel. And in a few passages, it can not be decided with certainty, which was intended. In such cases the Vulgate has Bethei, the English version has house of God. The Septuagint sometimes agrees with our version, and sometimes with the Vulgate. See Jud. xx. 31; xxi. 19; 1 Sam. x. 3.

Mahanaim, the name of a place east of the Jordan, involves the same doubt. The meaning is camps. Thus the Vulgate makes Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, estab-. lish himself in his camps, to oppose David and confirm his own authority in the government. He goes out from his camps, and returns to his camps. On the contrary, our version says he established his head quarters. at Mahanaim, from which place he made his expeditions, and to which he returned. See 2 Sam. ii. 8, 12, 29.

Our version is not always consistent with itself. In one passage the same original expression is given as

"Maaleh-akrabbim," and in another as the "ascent of Akrabbim. " Comp. Num. xxxiv. 4, with Jos. xv. 3.

It may be added that all copies of the Bible are not alike, in respect to the proper names. The Septuagint often differs from our present Hebrew Bible, both in giving different names to persons and places, and in adding to, and taking from, the numbers. In some passages, made up mainly of names, the Septuagint adds a large number. This is the case in Jos. xv. containing a list of the towns of Judah. We must suppose the copy of the Hebrew Bible, made use of by the Seventy, differed from ours in this regard. In like manner, the Septuagint gives David half a score or so of sons, whose names do not occur in our copy. In our present chapter, we shall be entirely satisfied, if we succeed in finding and naming all the places that are mentioned in our present books. This is what we aim to do, and we omit none on the ground that "they are not important. Every place becomes important, when you wish to find it, and learn what is known of it.

In Joshua there is a list of the towns belonging to each tribe, at the time the land of Canaan was divided among them. These we propose to give as there presented, to which we will add such others as we may find in the history.

That part of the country which was occupied by the Israelites east of the Jordan, was apportioned to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, by Moses himself. The portion of each tribe is given as follows:

SECTION I. — THE TOWNS AND CITIES OF REUBEN.

The following names are given in connection with the tribe of Reuben: Aroer, on the border of the tribe; Medeba, Heshbon, Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zareth-shahar, Beth-peor, Ashdoth-pizgah, and Beth-jeshimoth. Jos. xiii. 15 – 23.

Aroer was situated on the bank of the river Arnon. It was the same city, or another spoken of in connection with it, that was "in the midst of the river." It has been identified by Burckhardt. There was another place of this name, in the tribe of Judah, west of the Jordan. Jos. xii. 2; xiii. 25; 2 Sam. xxiv. 5.

Heshbon was the capital of the kingdom of Sihon, before it was taken by Moses. The name denotes a city and a district. The city was two miles east of the Jordan, as identified by modern travellers. It was situated on an eminence, from which one could see to a great distance in all directions. The ruins are numerous and magnificent. See Buckingham's Travels. Jos. ix. 10; xii. 5; xiii. 10.

Dibon was on the border between the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and is spoken of as belonging to both. We shall find a number of such instances. Jos. xiii. 17. See Num. xxxii. 34.

Jahaza, Heshbon, Kedemoth, and Mephaath were cities of the Levites. Jos. xxi. 36, 37, 39; 1 Chron. vi. 78, 79, 81. This is all we know of them, except what we have said of Heshbon, and that Jahaza was the place where a great battle was fought by Moses and Sihon, in which the latter was defeated. Deut. ii. 32, 33.

Kirjathaim was built by the children of Reuben. Modern travelers think they have identified it ten miles west of Medeba. There was a town of this name in Naphtali. Num. xxxii. 37; Comp. Gen. xiv. 5. Sibmah was near to Heshbon. St. Jerome says that there was no more than 500 paces between them. It was distinguished for its excellent wine. Num. xxxii. 38; Isai. xvi. 8, 9. Beth-peor was the place where Baal-peor was worshiped, and where the Israelites were enticed into idolatrous practices. Num. xxv. 1-5; Deut. iii. 29; iv. 46. Peor is the same as Beth-peor. Jos. xxii.

17.

Ashdoth-pizgah has the adjunct from mount Pizgah, near which it was situated. Beth-jeshimoth was ten