This Temple afterward growing in decay, Herod the [VI. 251.]great, (that killed the young Infants for Christs sake, who suffered for him, before he suffered for them) built another much inferiour to the first, and superiour to the second. And although some Authors would have him but to repaire the second Temple, yet it is most certaine, he did even from the foundation raise its greatest beauty and glory. For this Herod the Ascolonite, was an Edomit stranger, or Idumean, who having gotten the Kingdome contrary to the Law of Moses; and created King of Jewry by Octavius Augustus; and knowing these people to be offended therewithall, to procure their favour did Herod the Idumeans Temple.build to them a third Temple: This was it, in which our Saviour, and his Apostles did daily Preach; and was set on fire by Titus the tenth day of August, on which day likewise the first Temple, was burnt by Nabuchodanezzar. And lastly there is another great Temple builded in the Selim Solimans Temple.same place, by Sultan, Selim Soliman, reserved by Turkes, and highly regarded, for that respect they carry to Salomon; neare the which, or within whose courts no Christian may enter under the paine of loosing his head.
This present Temple hath two incircling Courts invironed with high wals, having two enteries: In the inner Court standeth the Temple, that is composed of five circling and large Rotundoes, rising high and incorporate from the ground with round tops: The outward fabrick whereof we cannot see, save on Mount Olivet, which is over against the Citie, and twice as high as Mount Sion.
These are all the monuments which in one day, I saw within Jerusalem; but as for Mount Calvary, and the Holy Grave, I saw them afterward, which in their owne place shall be orderly touched. As we were spending that [VI. 252.]day in these sights, the Guardian had prepared one hundred souldiers, sixty horse-men, and forty foot-men, to take with him the day following, for his conduction to Jordan, and the mountaine in the Wildernesse where Christ fasted; which is his usuall custome once every yeare betweene Palme-sunday and Easter, returning againe before Good-friday. These places cannot be viewed, save onely at that time; neither may a Pilgrime goe along with the souldiers, unlesse he give the value of seven Crownes or Piasters (as a propyne) unto the Lieutenant, being forty two shillings starling: and if the Traveller will not goe to that charge, he may stay there till their returne, which I would not wish him to doe, if possibly he may spare the money, for the sight of Sodome, and Jordans sake. That same night after supper, the Guardian demanded of us Travellers, if we would goe with him to see these memorable, & singular things, upon the former condition: To whom we answered, in a generall consent, we would, and so payed our moneyes.
A voyage to Jordan.Earely upon Tuesday morning all the Friers and Pilgrimes being mounted on Mules save onely pedestriall I, and two Mules loaden with our provision of victuals; we departed from the City, about our nine of the clocke in the forenoone, keeping our faces South-east, and leaving Bethphage and Bithania on our left hand, wee had pleasant travelling for seaven miles; but in the afternoone wee entred in a barren and desart Countrey till Sun-setting: where at last wee arrived at a standing Well, and there refreshing our selves and the beasts, wee reposed till two houres within night. After that the Captaine had cried Catethlanga, that is, march away: we set forward, being well guarded round about with our keepers, because we entred into a dangerous way, and a most desolate and fabulous soile.
[VI. 253.]In all this deformed Countrey, wee saw neyther house, nor Village, for it is altogether desartuous, and inhabited onely by wilde Beasts, and naked Arabians. Before wee came neere to Sodom and Gomorrah, by seaven miles: (for so wee behooved to passe by the East end of it, before wee could arrive at that place of Jordan which wee intended) we I say incountred with such deep sandy ground, that the Mulets were not able to carry our Company through: Whereupon they all dismounted, wrestling, and wading above the middle part of their bodies, and sometimes falling in over their heads, they were in great danger of perishing, although the robustnesse of my body carried mee through on my feete, relieving also divers times some of these Friers and Pilgrimes, that were almost choaked and over-whelmed with Sand, but not for lacke of Wine. Even in the middest of this turmoyling paine, (the night being darke) the unwelcomed Arabs, environed, A fearefull danger.and invaded us with a storme of Arrowes, which they sent from the tops of little hard hils, whereupon they stood, for knowing the advantage of the ground: they tooke opportunity to give the more feareful assaults: yet they prevailed nothing (although they wounded some of our Souldiers) such was the resolute Courage of our valourous Defendants. True it is, that in all my travailes I was never so sore fatigated, nor more fearefully indangered, as I was that night.
A little after midnight, these Savages leaving us, and wee leaving our troublesome way, we accoasted the Lake of Sodome, and marched along the marine shoare above nine miles before we came to Jordan. This Lake is called Lacus Asphaltites, it yeeldeth a kinde of slime, named Bitumen Asphaltum; the which bituminous savour no [VI. 254.]living thing can indure. And now Mare mortuum, a sea because it is salt, and mortuum or dead, for that no living thing breedes therein: and more properly for this cause called the dead Sea, because of it selfe it is unmoveable, such is the Leprosie and stability of the water. It is also called so, because if a Bird flye over it, shee presently falleth downe therein dead: And as Salomon reporteth of it, Wisdom. 10. 7. it smoaketh continually: from whence proceedeth filthy Vapours, which deforme the fields, lying about for certaine miles, as it were blasted, scorched, and made utterly barren: this smoake I take onely to be but the exhalation of Jordan: For this River falling into it, and there ending his course, the two contrary natures cannot agree; the one being a filthy puddle, and the other a pure water, as I shall more approbably Record.
The length of Sodoms Lake.This Lake is foure score miles in length, and according to its intervalling Circuite, sometimes two, three, foure, or five miles in breadth: yet the body thereof, bending directly South-west; keepeth a glassie course, till it salute the austiere conspicuosity of the sabulous and stony Desarts: beeing compassed with the Rockes of Arabia Petrea on the South: On the North, with the sandy hils of the Wildernesse of Judea: on the West, with the steepy mountaines of Arabia deserta: and on the East, with the plaine of Jericho. How commeth it to passe therefore, that the fresh running flood of Jordan, falling evermore into this bounded Sea, that the Lake it selfe, never diminisheth, nor increaseth, but alwayes standeth at one fulnesse: neyther hath it any issuing forth, nor reboundeth backewards on the plaine of Jericho, which is one of the greatest wonders in the World. Wherefore, as I have [VI. 255.]sayd, it must needes eyther exhale to the Clouds, or otherwise runne downe to Hell: for if it ranne under the Rockes, and so burst in the Desarts, it would soone bee knowne; but in all the bounds of Arabia Deserta, which betwixt this Lake and the Red Sea, extend to 300. miles; there is no such matter, as Brooke, or strand, much lesse a River, neyther hath it any intercourse with the Ocean, unlesse it runne through some secret passage of the earth under the Wildernesse, unto the Red sea. And that is doubtfull, although it may appeare probable; in regard of Nilus, that runneth a hundred miles under the ground in the exterior Æthiopia: and divers other Rivers also after the same manner, obscuring themselves under Rockes, mountaynes, and planures, for many miles: which particulars, by my owne experience, I could denote.
The doubtfulnes of Jordans ending.But as for this River, the question may arise, whether ran it during the time of these five Citties of the plaine, now overwhelmed with Water; or where was the issue thereof. To this I answere, was not the hand of the Almighty, that rained downe from the Heavens fire and Brimstone to consume them, able also, to drowne their situations and intervalling plaines with water: Yes and doubtlesse yes, and the course of the River keeping still its former condition: And for moderne examples, how many Citties, Mansions, and Stations, have beene sommerssed with water: nay innumerable, and so remayning to this day, place, beauty, and being, all defaced: As now in Scotland neere to Falkirk, rests the last and latest memory of such woefull accidents, and superabounding disgorgings.
It breedeth nor reserveth no kinde of fishes; and if by the swelling of Jordan, any fishes be carried to it, they immediatly dye. Although Josephus witnesseth, that in [VI. 256.]his time, there was an Apple grew uppon the Bankes thereof, like to the colour or gold, and within was rotten, and would consume to powder; yet I affirme now the contrary: For there is not such a thing (whatsoever hath beene in his dayes) as eyther Trees, or Bushes, grow neere to Sodome by three miles: such is the consumation of that pestiferous Gulfe.
Wrong informations made false.Divers Authors have reported, that nothing will sinke into it, of any reasonable weight, as dead men, or Carkasses of Beasts: but by experience I approve the contrary: For it beareth nothing at all; yea, not the weight of a Feather, nor the pile of withered Grasse, but it will sinke therein, with the which my hands made sundry trials; and dare approove it to be of trueth, in spight of the leying world, and all doting varieties of auncient Relations.