(1.) Joseph us is invaluable, both for its own sake and as an accompaniment and elucidation of the Bible narrative. Josephus had a very intimate knowledge of the country. He possessed both the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint, aud knew them well; and there are many places in bis works which show that he knew how to compare the various books together, and com- bine their scattered notices into one narrative, in a man- ner more like the processes of modern criticism than of ancient record. He possessed also the works of several ancient historians, who survive only through the frag- ments he has preserved. It is evident that he had in addition other nameless sources of information, now lost to us, which often supplement the Scriiiture history in
a very important manner. These and other things in the writings of Josephus have yet to be investigated. Two tracts by Tuch {Qucestiones de F. Josephi libris, etc., Leips. 1859), on geographical points, are worth at- tention.
(2.) The OnomasHcon (usually so called) of E use- bins and Jerome, a tract of Eusebius (j 340), "'con- cerning the names of places in the sacred Scriptures;" translated, freely and with many additions, by Jerome (t 420), and included in his works as Liber de Situ et Nominibus Locnrum Ilebraicorum. The original ar- rangement is according to the books of Scripture, but it was thrown into one general alphabetical order by Bonfrere (1631, etc.), and finally edited by J. Clericus (Amst. 1707, etc.). This tract contains notices (often very valuable, often absolutely absurd) of the situation of many ancient places of Palestine, so far as they were known to the two men who in their day were probably best acquainted with the subject. In connection with it, see Jerome's Ep. ad Eustochium de Virginitate — an itinerary through a large part of the Holy Land. Oth- ers of Jerome's Epistles, and his Commentaries, are full of information about the country.
(3.) The most important of the early travellers — from Arculf (A.D. 700) to Maundreil (1697)— are contained in Early Travels in Palestine, a volume pub- lished by Bohn. The shape is convenient, but the translation is not always to be implicitly relied on.
(4.) Keland, Palmstina ex Monumentis Veleribus II- lustrata (1714). This is still the best work on the an- cient geography of Palestine. It is in three books: 1, the country; 2, the distances; 3, the places; with maps (excellent for their date), prints of coins, and inscrip- tions. Reland exhausts all the information obtainable oil his subject down to his own date (he often quotes Maundreil, published in 1703). His learning is im- mense ; he is extremely accurate, always ingenious, and not wanting in humor. But honesty and strong sound sense are his characteristics. He has combined and classified his materials with great ability.
(5.) Benjamin of Tndela, Travels (in Europe, Asia, and Africa) from 1160-73. The best edition is that of A. Asher (1840-1), 2 vols. The part relating to Palestine is contained in p. 61-87. The editor's notes contain some curious information ; but their most valu- able part (ii, 397-445) is a translation of extracts from the work of Esthori ben-Mose hap-Parchi on Palestine (A.D. 1314-22). The original work, Kaphtor va-Pherach, " knop and flower," has been reprinted, in Hebrew, by Edelmann (Berlin, 1852). Other Itineraries of Jews have been translated and published by Carmoly (Brux. 1847), but they are of less value than the two already named.
(6.) Abulfeda. — The chief Moslem accounts of the Holy Land are those of Edrisi (cir. 1150) and Abulfeda (cir. 1300), and translated under the titles of Tabula Syrim and Descr. Arabite. Extracts from these and from the great work of Yaktit are given by Schultens in an Index GeograpMcus appended to his edition of Bohaeddiu's Life of Saladin (1755, fol.). Yakut has yet to be explored, and no doubt he contains a mass of valuable information.
(7.) Q u a r e s m i u s, Terra Sarictm Elucidatio, etc. (Ant. 1639, 2 vols, fol.), the work of a Latin monk who lived in the Holy Land for more than twelve years, and rose to be principal and commissary apostolic of the country. It is divided into eight books : the first three, general dissertations; the remainder, "peregrinations" through the Holy Land, with historical accoinits and identifications (often incorrect), and elaborate accounts of the Latin traditions attached to each spot, and of the ecclesiastical establishments, military orders, etc., of the time. It has a copious index. Similar informa- tion is given by the abbe jNIislin (Les Saints Lieux, Paris, 1858, 3 vols. 8vo), but with less elaboration than Quaresmius, and in too hostile a vein towards Lamar- tiue and other travellers.
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(8.) The great burst of modern travel in the Holy Land began with Seetzen, who resided in Palestine from 1805 to 1807, during which time he travelled on both the east and the west of Jordan. He was the first to visit the Hauran, the (ihor, and the mountains of Ajlun : he travelled completely round the Dead Sea, besides exploring the east side a second time. As an experienced man of science, Seetzen was commissioned to collect antiquities and natural objects for the Ori- ental Museum at Gotha; and his diaries contain in- scriptions, notices of flora and fauna, etc. They have been published in three volumes, with a fourth volume of notes (but without an index), by Kruse (Berlin, 185-4-59). The Palestine journe\-s are contained in vols. i and ii. His letters, founded on these diaries, and giv- ing their results, are in Zach's Monatl. Corresp, vols, xvii, xviii, xxvi, xxvii.