Page 104.—_Translation of the Books of Kings._] The first translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made by the Greeks of Alexandria included only the Pentateuch; (Jos. Ant. Proœm. 3.) the other historical books were translated at various times; (see Hody, Vers. Græc. ii. 9.) the prophets probably soon after the time when the Jews of Palestine began to read them in their Synagogue, as a substitute for the reading of the law, forbidden by Antiochus Epiphanes. Eichhorn Einl. i. d. A. T. i. 342. ed. 3. Page 117.—_Rhinocorura._] This place, sometimes spelt Rhinocolura, as observed before, is El-Arish. It is said to have taken its Greek name from the mutilation of the nose which a king of Ethiopia, when master of Egypt, inflicted on those whom he sent to reside here, Strabo, xvi. p. 759. It was twenty-six miles from Ostracine. Page 125.—“_Three sins have I passed by._”] The words with which Amos prefaces his denunciations have been variously explained. Literally they are, “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four will I not avert it.” Our author supposes an ellipsis, “For three transgressions _I did avert the punishment_, but for four I will not avert it.” Others with more probability suppose, that three and four are used here for an indefinite number, as six and seven, Job v. 19. Page 145.—_Traces of melancholy._] The author has applied to the first destruction of Jerusalem, what the modern Jews say of themselves with reference to the second. Buxtorf. Syn. Jud. 124. 479. Page 147.—_Raphia._] “The name is still retained in Rafa, six hours’ march to the south of Gaza, where there are many remains of ancient buildings, and among them two columns of granite, which are supposed by the natives to mark the boundary of Asia and Africa.” Pref. to Burckh. p. viii. note. It was distant, according to the Antonine Itinerary, twenty-two miles from Rhinocolura, Cellar. Book iii. cap. 13. p. 372. The battle of Raphia was fought between Ptolemy Philopater and Antiochus, B. C. 217, and the result was that Antiochus, being totally defeated, was obliged to yield Cœle-Syria and Palestine to Ptolemy. Page 155.—_An Israelitish maiden was Xerxes’ queen._] That Xerxes was the Ahasuerus of Scripture was the opinion of Scaliger. It is examined and opposed by Prideaux, Conn. P. i. Book iv. An. 465. Usher thought that he was Darius Hystaspis; Prideaux himself, Artaxerxes Longimanus. The subject is embarrassed with difficulties apparently inextricable, though there can be little doubt that the author of the Book of Esther intended some Artaxerxes by the name of Ahasuerus. Jos. Ant. xi. 6.