THEBES, what a glory on thy temples sate, Through the long vista, as we gaze, half hid, Distinct though distant, graceful, though austere, Palace and pillar, fane and pyramid, In awful grandeur and repose appear. Nations, since born, have wept o'er thy decay; The native spirit yet may wake and live, (Freedom and Culture, what hast thou not done,) And Ethiopia kindle and revive, Like her own table when it felt the sun. The city of SIN,) Ezek. xxx. 15, 16,) is the Pelusium of the Greeks, and is called the strength of Egypt, because of its position as a bulwark. The ruins of it are supposed to have been discovered by the French army in the invasion of Egypt under Bonaparte. ZOAN, (Num. xiii. 22,) by the Greeks called Tanis, and by the Arabs, San, was one of the oldest cities of the world, founded only seven years later than Hebron, and situated on the Tanitic arm of the Nile. It was evidently the residence of a line of princes, (Isa. xix. 1113; xxx. 4,) and probably the place where Moses wrought the Egyptian miracles.(Ps. lxxviii. 12, 43.) Ezekiel prophesied against it, (Ezek. xxx. 14,) and its ruins are yet visible, and present numerous pillars and obelisks, as evidence of its former magnificence. The city of ZOAR. Delta was the city of Tanis, the Zoar of the scriptures, alluded to by the Psalmist, situated in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were held in bondage. The antiquities of this part of Egypt throw much light on scripture history. The labors of the Israelites, it is thought, were confined to the land of Goshen, and it is not probable they were employed in the construction of the pyramids, as some persons have supposed. In Zoar, which is no longer inhabited, may still be seen the remains of brick work, which, we are taught by Holy Writ, was the employment of the Israelites. The walls of this city were of immense size, being 80 feet in thickness at the base, perpendicular at the outside, but sloping internally, the top being 30 feet thick, and sufficiently extensive for three chariots to ride abreast. The interior portion of the walls was made of bricks without straw. Zoar is now desolate-and the waters of the Nile flow over a portion of this once populous and renowned city. The RIVER OF EGYPT, (Josh. xv. 47,) does not mean the Nile, but the Sihor, or the brook Bezor, which runs into the Mediterranean. That which is called, (Gen. xv. 18,) by way of pre-eminence, the River, (Gen. xli. 1; Ex. vii. 17,) and sometimes Sihor, (Isa. xxiii. 3,) or Shihor, (1 Chron. xiii. 5,) is the Nile, a remarkable river, which flows 1200 miles without meeting a tributary stream. Its overflowings inundate the adjoining country, (Amos viii. 8; ix, 5,) and give it its extraordinary fertility. Hence a failure of this periodical overflowing must occasion the utmost distress. (Isa. xix. 5, 6.) The Egyptians were celebrated legislators and able politicians, magistrates born for government, men that have excelled in all arts and sciences, philosophers who carried their inquiries as far as was possible in those early ages, and who have left us such maxims of morality as many Christians ought to blush at. From the history of Herodotus we learn that the ancient Egyptians were black, and that their hair was frizzly or curly. The inhabitants of ancient Colchis, since called Mingrelia, were originally Egyptians, and colonized that country when Sesostris, king of Egypt, extended his conquests in the north. They had, like the Egyptians, black skins and frizzly hair, and were the ancestors of the warlike Philistines. Samson's wife was the daughter of a Philistine.-(Judges xxiv.; Herodotus.) THE LAND OF CANAAN. CANAAN was the Scripture name of what was called Palestine, or the Holy Land. This name was derived from Canaan, the fourth son of Ham, [literally black,] whose posterity settled there, and remained for about 700 years. It is now called Judea, and its divisions, at different times, have been as follows: Ancient Canaanitish Division. Israelitish Div. Sidonians, Unknown, Perizzites, Same, Hivites, Same, Jebusites, Amorites, Hittites, Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Gilead, Tribe of Asher, (in Lebanon,) Roman Div. Napthali. (Northwest of the lake Upper Galilee.. of Genessaret.) Zebulon. (West of Genesaret.) Issachar. (Valley of Esdraelon, and Lower Galilee. Half tribe of Manasseh. (Dor and Cesarea.) Ephraim. (Shechem & Samaria.) Reuben. (Gilead and Heshbon.) Kingdom of Bashan, Half tribe of Manasseh. (Golan Bashan.)* Samaria. Judea. Gilead. The boundaries of Canaan, as generally laid down, are Lebanon on the north, Arabia on the east, Idumea on the south, and the sea on the west. At the time when Abraham came into the land of Canaan, there were already in existence numerous towns, which are mentioned in the book of Genesis; Sodom and Gomorrah, Zeboim, Admah, Bela, Hebron and Damascus. This last is truly venerable, as it is beyond doubt the oldest city in the world. The spies who were sent over Jordan brought back an account of well fortified cities. In the book of Joshua, we read of no less than 600 towns, of which the Israelites took possession. When the city of Ai was taken, its inhabitants, who were put to the sword, amounted to 12,000, (Josh. viii. 16, 25,) and we are told that Gibeon was a still greater city.(Josh. x. 2.) ASHTAROTH, (Josh. ix, 10,) called Astaroth, (Deut. i. 4,) and Ashteroth Karnaim, (Gen. xiv. 5,) was one of the chief cities of Bashan, and is supposed to be the same with the modern Mezaraib, on the route of the pilgrims from Damascus to Mecca. * A section of Canaan, extending across from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, and northwardly to the territory of Benjamin and Dan. (Josh. xv. 1-63.) ADAD-RIMMON, a city in the valley of Jezreel, famous for a dreadful battle.-(2 Kings xxiii. 29; Zech. xii. 11.) It was afterward called Maximianopolis, in honor of the emperor Maximian. ANTIPATRIS, a city of Canaan, situated in a pleasant valley, near the mountains, in the way from Jerusalem to Cæsarea, about 17 miles distant from Joppa, and 42 from Jerusalem.-(Acts xxiii. 31.) It was formerly called Capharsalama, (1 Macc. vii. 31,) but was of little note till enlarged and adorned by Herod, who named it after his father, Antipater. ADMAH. (Deut. xxix. 23.) The most easterly of the five cities of the plain or vale of Siddim, which were miraculously destroyed by fire, because of their great wickedness. Some infer from Isa. xv. 9, the last clause of which is translated by the Septuagint, "and upon the remnant of Admah," that Admah was not entirely destroyed; but the more probable supposition is, that another city of the same name was afterwards built, near the site of the former. ARAD. (Judg. i. 16.) A city in the southern border of Judea, whose king opposed the passage of the children of Israel, and even took some of them prisoners, for which they were accursed, and their city destroyed. АсCHо, a seaport of Canaan, belonging to the tribe of Asher, but not conquered by them.-(Judg. i. 31.) It first became an important city in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, who greatly enlarged and beautified the place, and from whom it was long called Ptolemais. It became famous during the crusades, and was then called St. Jean d'Acre. AJALON. 1. (Josh. x. 12.) A village of Canaan, situated in the tribe of Dan, between Jerusalem and Ekron. In the vicinity of Ajalon is the valley of the same name, memorable for the miracle of Joshua. 2. A city in the tribe of Asher, also called Aphik, (Judg. i. 31) situated in Lebanon, on the northern border of Canaan, where there is now a village called Aphka. It was here that Benhadad assembled the Syrians, (Josh. xii. 18; xiii. 4; xix. 30; 1 Kings xx. 26,) 37,000 of whom were destroyed by the falling of a wall. BEER-LAHAI-ROI. (Gen. xvi. 14.) A place in the southern border of Canaan, near the desert of Shur, which received its name in consequence of the appearance of an angel to Hagar, when she was in exile. The name of the place signifies "the well of him that liveth and seeth me. BEER-SHEBA. (Gen. xxi. 31.) This was at first the name of a well, near which Abraham long resided, (Gen. xxi. 33,) and Isaac after him, (Gen. xxvi. 32, 33.) It afterwards became a town of considerable note. It was situated about 20 miles south of Hebron, at the southern extremity of the land of Canaan, as Dan was at the northern extremity. Hence the expression, (Judg. xx. 1,) "from Dan to Beer-sheba," denoted the whole length of the land, as also did the expression, "from Beer-sheba to Mt. Ephraim," (2 Chron. xix. 4,) represent the whole length of the kingdom of Judah. The town was within the territory of Judah, and fell finally into Simeon's hands. (Josh. xv. 28; xix. 2.) At Beersheba resided the sons of Samuel, (1 Sam. viii. 2,) and in later times the place was given to idolatry (Amos v. 5; viii. 14.) BETHEL, (Gen. xxviii. 19,) was the residence of one of the Canaanite kings; and the Ephraimites, to whom it was assigned in the division of the land, were unable to gain possession of it until they were aided by the treachery of one of the inhabitants. Judg. i. 22—26.) The tabernacle was stationed a long time in this place. This city was situated east of a line running from Shechem to Jerusalem, and at about an equal distance from each. When Jacob was journeying towards Mesopotamia to avoid the fury of his brother Esau, he lodged at a place near the city of Luz, and was favored with a remarkable vision of the Almighty. For this cause, he named the place, and the adjoining city, Bethel, [house of God.] BETHSHEAN, a city west of the Jordan, known in ancient geography as Scythopolis, but now called Bysan, and containing only 70 or 80 houses. BOZRAH was a city situated to the eastward of Bashan. CANA, of Galilee. (John ii. 1.) A small village about 15 miles north-west of Tiberias, and 6 miles north-east of Nazareth. CHORASIN. (Matt. xi. 21.) A town on the shore of |