The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of JerusalemJosephus, Flavius
Religion
The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem
Josephus, Flavius
Jews -- History
6. Hereupon Titus sent one of his horsemen to his father, and let him
know the good news of what he had done; at which, as was natural, he was
very joyful, both on account of the courage and glorious actions of his
son; for he thought that now the greatest part of the war was over. He
then came thither himself, and set men to guard the city, and gave them
command to take care that nobody got privately out of it, but to kill
such as attempted so to do. And on the next day he went down to the
lake, and commanded that vessels should be fitted up, in order to pursue
those that had escaped in the ships. These vessels were quickly gotten
ready accordingly, because there was great plenty of materials, and a
great number of artificers also.
7. Now this lake of Gennesareth is so called from the country adjoining
to it. Its breadth is forty furlongs, and its length one hundred and
forty; its waters are sweet, and very agreeable for drinking, for they
are finer than the thick waters of other fens; the lake is also pure,
and on every side ends directly at the shores, and at the sand; it is
also of a temperate nature when you draw it up, and of a more gentle
nature than river or fountain water, and yet always cooler than one
could expect in so diffuse a place as this is. Now when this water
is kept in the open air, it is as cold as that snow which the country
people are accustomed to make by night in summer. There are several
kinds of fish in it, different both to the taste and the sight from
those elsewhere. It is divided into two parts by the river Jordan. Now
Panium is thought to be the fountain of Jordan, but in reality it is
carried thither after an occult manner from the place called Phiala:
this place lies as you go up to Trachonitis, and is a hundred and twenty
furlongs from Cesarea, and is not far out of the road on the right hand;
and indeed it hath its name of Phiala [vial or bowl] very justly, from
the roundness of its circumference, as being round like a wheel; its
water continues always up to its edges, without either sinking or
running over. And as this origin of Jordan was formerly not known, it
was discovered so to be when Philip was tetrarch of Trachonitis; for
he had chaff thrown into Phiala, and it was found at Paninto, where the
ancients thought the fountain-head of the river was, whither it had been
therefore carried [by the waters]. As for Panium itself, its natural
beauty had been improved by the royal liberality of Agrippa, and adorned
at his expenses. Now Jordan's visible stream arises from this cavern,
and divides the marshes and fens of the lake Semechonitis; when it hath
run another hundred and twenty furlongs, it first passes by the city
Julias, and then passes through the middle of the lake Gennesareth;
after which it runs a long way over a desert, and then makes its exit
into the lake Asphaltites.
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