habitants from it, took Poffeffion of it, and divided it among their twelve Tribes. Those of Reuben, Gad, and part of Manasseh (as was obferv'd before) fat down on the other fide Jordan, the rest on this fide. Many Years after which, when ten of the twelve Tribes were carried away Captive into Affyria, from whence they never return'd to this Day, the Country on this fide Jordan came to be distinguish'd by the Provinces of Judæa, Samaria, and Gali lee: that, on the other fide, by Palestine on the Sea-Coaft, Ituræa, Trachonitis, and Chalcidica.

Each of thefe Provinces contain'd feve ral Cities or Towns. In That of Judea, which took its Name from the Tribe of Judah to which it belong'd, were these nine following (befides others of leffer Note;) Jerufalem, Bethel, Jericho, Arimathæa, Emmaus, Bethlehem, Hebron, Kirjath-jearim, and Eleutheropolis. Samaria, fo call'd from the City of that Name, (built by Omri King of Ifrael, and made the Metropolis of the Kingdom, instead of Tirzah) contain'd three, Shiloh, Sichar or Sichem, and Samaria. Galilee, known by

that

that Name even when the Ifraelites firft came over Jordan, had these five, Nazareth, Nain, Capernaum, Bethfaida, and Tiberias: It was moreover divided into two Parts; Upper Galilee, which extended up as far as the Syriac Sea; and Lower Galilee, which reach'd down to the Sea of Tiberias. The Cities of Paleftine or the Philiftines, were five; Gath, Gaza, Ashdod or Azotus, Ekron, and Askelon, which were govern'd by five Lords; or Kings, as they are sometimes call'd.

These are enough for our present Enquiry. And we muft obferve, that in After-times, when the ten Tribes were parted off and gone from them, and their Affairs came to be in a flourishing State, their whole Country was call'd Judæa; even the fame which fince the time of our Saviour, has gone by the Name of Palestine, and the Holy Land.

The Metropolis of the HOLY LAND.

Now as all the twelve Tribes were under one and the fame Conftitution and Government,

vernment, it was neceffary that some one Place fhould be fix'd upon to be the Metropolis, or Mother-City of the whole Country; which should be the chief Place of Refidence to that Perfon who prefided in the Administration of the Government, and was intrusted with the Supreme Charge of all their Affairs, both religious and civil: To which they might, upon Occafion, refort out of every Tribe and City; as at the folemn Times of Worship, their stated Feafts and Festivals; at their holding the Grand Council; and keeping their High Courts of Judicature; to which all Appeals were to be made.

The Nomination and Appointment of this Place God referv'd to himself. In the Deut. xii.

4, &c.

xvii. 8.

place which the LORD fhall choose in one of t
thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt-
offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I
command thee. And again; If there arife Deut.
a matter too hard for thee in judgment, be-
ing matters of controverfy within thy gates;
then shalt thou arife and get thee up unto the
place which the LORD thy God fhall choose:
And thou shalt come unto the Priests and Le-
vites, and unto the judge that shall be in thofe

xviii. I.

days, and inquire; and they shall fhew thee the fentence of judgment.

Now the Places which God chose for this Purpose, were those where his Tabernacle and his Temple ftood. These were two; firft, Shiloh in Samaria, in the Allotment of Ephraim, which was afterwards rejected; and then Mount Sion in Jerufalem, within the Portion of the Tribe of Judab.

SE C T. III.

Firft, S HILO H.

Of Shiloh we have the following Account. 1 When the Children of Ifrael had clear'd the Land of Canaan of the ancient

Inhabitants, under the Conduct of Joshua, Joshua and divided it among the Tribes; the whole congregation of them affembled together at Shiloh, and fet up the tabernacle of the congregation there. Without queftion, by the Direction of Joshua: for the doing of which we may conclude he was mov'd by a divine Impulse. The Inheritances are divided among the Tribes by lot, in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the taber

Joshua xix. 51.

naele

xxii. 12.

nacle of the congregation. And afterwards, when the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had given the rest some Umbrage by building an extraordinary Altar, in a different Place, the whole congregation of the Jofhua children of Ifrael, gather'd themselves together at Shiloh to go up to war against them. Again; when they held a Confultation how to save the Tribe of Benjamin, they come Judges to the house of God, and fix their camp in Shiloh. Then they faid, Behold there is a feaft of the LORD in Shiloh yearly, &c.

xxi.2.12.

19.

However, upon some great Provocation, Shiloh was afterwards rejected; and God chofe Jerufalem for his City, and Mount Sion for the Situation of his Temple; and Shiloh was left defolate and abandon'd to Destruction: as appears from a threatning Denunciation of the LORD against those who came into his holy Temple, and boasted of their being admitted to fo great an Honour, though they were utterly unprepar'd and difqualify'd for it. Go ye now unto my place which was in where I fet my Name at the first; what I did to it for the wickedness of my peo

Shiloh,

and fee

Jerem.

vii. 12.

ple Ifrael.