Though Palestine was, in the divine purpose, destined for Israel by God, j-et Israel was not its first possessor. Other nations, seven in number (if not more), meted it out between them— children of Ham, not of Shem ; nay, Jerusalem itself owed its origin to them, " Thy fa- ther was an Amorite, thy mother a Hittite" (Ezek. xvi, 3). These Canaanites were allowed to occupy it for a season, that they might prepare it for its proper owners. Wells were dug, houses were built, towns were reared, terraces were made, vineyards and olive-yards were planted, the whole land was brought under cultivation, so that when Israel came he found all things made ready for his occupancy (Deut. vi, 11; Porter, Five Years in Damascus ; Giant Cities of Bashan). The fact is a singular one, unique in the history of nations; and it explains how a people, amounting to between two and three millions, all at once sat down in comfort and plenty in a new territory. They entered the desert with the spoil of Egypt on their hands ; they took pos- session of Canaan with the riches and abundance of seven nations at their disposal.
3. Classical References. — The Egyptian hieroglyphics contain references to the nations of Canaan. The splen- dor of Karnak under Thothmes is indebted as much to the Phoenician Arvad as to the southern Cush (Os- burn, Egypt, ii, 284). The paintings of Abu-Simbul tell us how Kameses
"Makes to tremble the rebels of the Jebnsites ;" and how Sesostris "fought with the Hittites in the plains of the north" — how he swept over Phoenicia —
" lie prevails over you ; Ye cutters of Tyre, Ye dividers of Arvad, He casts you down, He hews you in pieces !"
Hadasha (Kadesh Barnea), in the land of the Amorite, is seen on a wooded hill, attacked by enemies. The Pharaohs of both Egypts are seen busy in punishing a Jebusitish aggression against Phenne, which Mr. Osburn understands to be not the Iduma^an Phoeno, but Wady Magharah, the mining district in the Sinaitic desert (Osburn, Egypt, ii, 473). The hierogh'phical name for Canaan is Naharain (ibid. p. 474). But this is not the place for enumerating these Egyptian references to Pal- estine and its cities; nor for investigating the no less important and interesting notices of them in the As- syrian relics. Perhaps the time has not yet come for a work on this subject, inasmuch as new information is finding its way to us every year; but the reader would do well to study the works of Layard, Rawlinson, Botta, Bonomi, and Smith.
Homer (who probably wrote in Solomon's reign) makes no mention of the Jews or of Palestine, though he very frequently names Phoenicia and Sidon. That Phoeacia, so often sung in the Odyssey, was Judwa, its king Solomon, and the twelve princes of its court the heads of the twelve tribes, has been maintained, but Homer must have been nodding grievously if he had persuaded himself that Corfu was at all like Palestine. Herodotus (more than 400 years after) speaks of " the Syrians in Palestine" in connection with the practice
PALESTINE
558
PALESTINE
of circumcision ; of Kady tis, of Phoenicia, of the " sea- coasts of Syria" (ii, 104, 159 ; vii, 89 ; Kawlinson, Herod. ii, 171, note), l^ysimachus, about B.C. 400 (as quoted by Joscphus), speaks of Judiea, of Hierosyla or Hiero- solyma, and of the leprosy of the Jews (Joseph. conti-a Ap. i, 3-1; i\Ieier's Judaica, p. 2). Berosus (B.C. 3'20) mentions Nebuchadnezzar's expedition into Syria, and his taking Jews and Phoenicians captives (Joseph. .4 ?;/. X, 11, 1 ; Giles, Heathen Records, p. 55). Manetho (B.C. 280) speaks of a land " noin called Judaea," and of Jeru- salem a city that would " suffice for many myriads of men" (Joseph, contra Ap. i, 14; Giles, p. G3). Heca- Ueus (B.C. 300) mentions Syria and " the 1500 priests of the Jews, wlio received the tenth of the produce." He describes Jerusalem thus: "There are of the Jews numerous fortresses and villages throughout the coun- try ; and one strong city of about tifty furlongs in cir- cuit, inhabited by about twelve myriads of men, which thej- call Jerusalem." He then mentions the Temple, the altar, the lamp, the priests, etc. (Giles, p. G8, 70). Agatharchidcs (B.C. 170) speaks of " the nation of the Jews and their strong and great city" (Joseph. Ant. xii, 1, 1). Polybius just names the Jews ; but Strabo, Dio- dorus Siculus, and Pomponius Mela have frequent refer- ences to them and to Palestine (Meier, p. 10-21). Vir- gil makes no mention of the Jews or their land; but Cicero, Ovid, and Horace contain references to it (Giles, p. 10, 12). Pliny (elder and younger), Plutarch, Sueto- nius, and even Martial, Petronius, and Juvenal, refer to them. We must leave our readers to follow out these Gentile references in later centuries, in Justin, Dio Cas- sius, and Procopius ; reminding them merely of Luciau's description of St. Paul, " the Galitean, bald-headed and long-nosed, who went through the air into the third heaven" (^Dial. Peregr. et Philop.). In addition to Meier and Giles, Krebs's work, Decreta Romanoruni jiro Judceis facta e Josepho, can be consulted. The classical allu- sions to the Jews and their land are in general very in- correct, and betray a greater amount of ignorance and prejudice than might have been expected from culti- vated pens ; but they are curious.