its being uniformly adapted to the same object, The Scholiast upon Theocritus takes notice that the island Naxos was called Dia: 57 ALL THE καλεμενήν Ναξον; and he adds, πολλαι δε και ἑτεραι εισι νήσοι Διαι καλεμεναι, ήτε προ της Κρήτης-και η περι Μηλον, καὶ ἡ περι Αμοργον, και ή της Κεω χερρονησος, και ท nτns Пeλоmovunσ. All these were islands, or peninsula regions.

BETH.

Beth is a house or temple; as in Beth. El, Beth-Dagon, Beth-Shemesh, Beth-Oron, or BethOr-On, &c. &c. It is sometimes subjoined, as in Phar-beth, and Elisa-beth; the latter of which is the house of " Elisa, the same as Elusa of Idume, and Eleusa of Egypt. Beth was in different countries expressed Bat, Bad, Abad. Hence we meet at this day with Pharsabad, Astrabad, Amenabad, Moustafabad, Iahenabad in Persia,

1

It is still common in the Arabian Gulf, and in India; and is often expressed Dive, and Diva; as in Lacdive, Serandive, Maldive. 58 Baibnλ, oixos 8. Hesychius.

Before Goa is an island called Diu xar'

oxy.

20 at 9

59 Elisa, called Eliza, Elesa, Eleasa, go. 1 Maccab. c. 9.

y. 5. and c. 7. v. 40. often contracted Lesa, Lasa, &c.

61

60

India, and other parts of the east. Balbec in Syria is supposed to be the same as Balbeth, the temple of Bal, or the Sun. There are, says " Dr. Pocock, many cities in Syria, that retain their antient names. Of this Balbeck, or rather Balbeit, is an instance; which signifies the house or temple of Baal. Gulielmus Tyrius, so called from being bishop of Tyre, who wrote of the Holy war, alludes to Baalbec, under the name of " Balbeth. He lived in the eleventh century, and died anno 1127. According to Jablonsky, Bec and Beth are of the same meaning. Atarbec in Egypt is the ' temple of Atar or Athar; called Atarbechis by 62 Herodotus. The same is Athyr-bet, and styled Athribites (Ageßirns) by 3 Strabo. The inner recess of a temple is by Phavorinus and Hesychius called Bairns, Berns, Beris, similar to N 2 among the Chaldeans. It was the crypta or sacred place, where of old the everlasting fire was preserved. Hesychius observes, Berns,, TO άπоngupon το αποκρυφον MEROS TIEg. Bet-Is signifies the place of fire.

"

It is said of Horapollo by Suidas, that he was a native of Phainubuth in Egypt, belonging to the

co Pocock's Travels. vol. 2. p. 106.

Iablonsky. vol. 1. 1. 1. c. 1. p. 4. de Gulielmo Tyrio, ex libro 21. c. 6.

62 Herodotus. 1. 2. c. 41.

€3 Strabo. 1. 17. p. 1167.

nome of Panopolis: Ωραπολλων Φαικό Ευθέως κωμής τε Πανοπολίτη Νομα. Phainubuth is only Phainabeth varied, and signifies the place sacred to Phanes; which was one of the most antient titles, of the Deity in Egypt. So Pharbeth was an abbreviation of Pharabeth, or the house of Pharaoh.

GAU, expressed CAU, CA, and Co..

Gau likewise is a term which signifies a house; as we learn from Plutarch. The great and decisive battle between Alexander and Darius is generally said to have been fought at Arbela. But we are assured by this writer, that it was decided at: Gaugamela 4. He says, that Gau signified in the. language of the country a house: and that the purport of the word Gaugamela was the house of a camel. This name, it seems, was given to the town on account of a tribute exacted for the maintenance of a camel, which had saved the life of some king, when he fled from battle and the

64 Ταυτά · μεν ουν Ερατοσθενης ισόρηκεν την δε μεγαλην μαχην προς Δαρείον ουκ εν

Αρβήλοις-αλλά εν Γαυγαμήλοις γενέσθαι συνέπεσεν σημαίνειν δε φασιν οικον Κάμηλο την διαλεκτον, Plutarch. vita Alexand. vol. 1. p. 683.

Strabo says the same. Ει μεν ουν τοπος επίσημος έτος, και τ' ούνομα μεθερμηνευθεν γαρ εςι Καμηλα οικος. 1. 16. p. 1072.

65

reason why the victory of Alexander was adjudged, to Arbela, arose from its being more fainous than the other place: for Ga gamela was not of sufficient repute therefore the honour of this victory was given to Arbela, though it was according to some five hundred, according to others six hundred stadia 5 from the field of battle. I have not now time, nor is it to my purpose, to enter into a thorough discussion of this point: I will only mention it as my opinion, that Arbela and Gau gamela were the same place. The king alluded to. is said by Strabo to have been Darius the son of Hystaspes. But is it credible, that so great a prince, who had horses of the famous breed of Nysa, as well as those of Persis and Arabia, the most fleet of their kind, should be so circumstanced in battle, as to be forced to mount a camel,, that could scarce move six miles in an hour and this at a time when the greatest dispatch was necessary? This author gives a different reason for the place being thus denominated. He says, that it was allotted for the maintenance of a camel,

66

f

65 Οι μεν τα πλείςα συγγράψαντες λεγεσιν, ὅτι ἐξακοσίες σαδίες διδε τα ελαχίσα, ότι ες πεντακοσίες.

απέχει,

Αλλα εν Γαυγαμήλοις γαρ γενεσθαι την μαχην προς τῷ ποταμῳ. Βεμαδῳ λέγει Πτολεμαίος και Αριεοβόλος πόλις δε εκ ην τα Γαυγάμηλα, αλλά κωμη μεγάλη, δε ονοματος ο χώρος, છંદ εις ακόην ήδυ το ονομα.

Arrian. Expedit. Alex. 1. 6. p. 247.

66 Strabo. 1. 16. p. 1072,

which used to bring the king's provisions from Scythia, but was tired and failed upon the road. I know not which of the two circumstances in this short detail is most exceptionable; a king of Persia's provisions being brought to Babylon, or Sushan from Scythia; or a tired camel having such a pension. The truth is this: the Grecians misinterpreted the name, and then forged these legendary stories to support their 67 mistake. Had they understood the term, they would have been consistent in their history. Gau, and, as it was at times expressed, Cau, certainly signifies a house, or temple: also a cave, or hollow; near which the temple of the Deity was founded. For the Amonians erected most of their sacred edifices near caverns, and deep openings of the earth. Gaugamela was not the house of a camel, as Plutarch and Strabo would persuade us, notwithstanding the stories alleged in support of the notion: but it was the house and tempie of Cam-El, the Deity of the country. Arbela was a place sacred to Bel, called Arbel, of the Chaldeans. It was the same as Beth Arbel of 68 Hosea: and

67 Strabo acknowledges the failure of his countrymen in this respect.—Πολλα μεν ουν και μη οντα λεγεσιν οι Αρχαίοι Συγγραφείς, συντεθραμμένοι τῳ ψευδει δια της μυθολογιας. 1. 8. p. 524.

68 All thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth Arbel in the day of battle. The mother was dashed in pieces upon her