MOUNTAINS. Judæa was a mountainous Country, but the very Mountains were generally beautiful, fruitful, and well -cultivated. They bore Fruits, Olives, Vines, Deut. xxxii. 13.Pasturage. Moses says, that the Rocks of its Mountains produce Oil and Honey, by a Figure of Speech, which elegantly Deut. viii. 7, 9.shews their Fertility. He says elsewhere, that the Mountains of Palestine are the Heads of excellent Fountains, and that in their Bowels are Iron and Brass. And indeed we are informed by History, that heretofore there were very good Mines in Palestine and Mount Libanus. Aristeas in the History of the seventy Interpreters assures us, that these Mines were in Being down to the Empire of the Persians, and that then the Governors of this Province acquainting the King, that the Charges of working the Mines exceeded the Profit, they were left off. Moses desires earnestly of the Lord, that he might see these fine Mountains of Judæa and Libanus. Deut. iii. 25. Videbo montem istum egregium, & Libanum.
Here are the Names of the chief Mountains mentioned in Scripture, of each of which we say something in particular, under their respective Heads.
A Catalogue of the most famous Mountains mentioned in Scripture,
Mount Seir, in Idumæa, Gen. xiv. 6.
Mount Horeb, near to Sinai, in Arabia Petræa, Deut. i. 2.
Mount Sinai in Arabia Petræa, Deut. xxxiii. 2.
Mount Hor in Idumæa, Numb. xx. 22.
Mount Gilboa, to the South of the Valley of Israel, 2 Sam. i. 21.
Mount Nebo, Part of the Mountains of Abarim, Numb. xxxii. 3.
Mount Tabor in the lower Galilee, to the North of the great Plain, Judg. iv. 6.
The Mountain of En-gedi, near the Dead-Sea, Josh. xv. 62.
Mount Libanus and Anti-libanus, Deut. iii. 25.
Mount Calvary, whereon Jesus Christ was crucified, North-West from Rev. xvii. 5.Jerusalem, Luke xxiii. 33.
Mount Gerizim, whereon was afterwards the Temple of the Samaritans, Judg. ix. 7.
Mount Ebal near to Gerizim, Josh. viii. 30.
Mount Gilead beyond Jordan, Gen. xxxi. 21, 23, 25.
Mount Amalek in the Tribe of Ephraim, Judg. xii. 15.
Mount Moriah, where the Temple was built, 2 Chron. iii. 1.
Mount of Paran in Arabia Petræa, Gen. xiv. 6. Deut. i. 1.
Mount Gabash in the Tribe of Ephraim, Josh.
The Mount of Olives, otherwise called the Mount of Scandal, Luke xxi. 37.
Mount Pisgah beyond Jordan, Num. xxi. 20. Deut. xxxiv. 1.
Mount Hermon beyond Jordan, near Libanus, Josh. xi. 3.
Mount Carmel near the Mediterranean Sea, between Dora and Ptolemais, Josh. xix. 26.
There are many other Mountains, which are famous only for having Cities on their Tops; as Hebron, Samaria, Nazareth, Gibeon, Shophim, Shilo, &c.
The Mountains of Judah are chiefly to the South of the Country belonging to this Tribe, inclining towards Idumæa.
The Mountains of Ephraim are spread through the whole Extent of this Tribe, except what is situated upon Jordan to the East, and upon the Mediterranean Sea to the West.
The Mountains of Gilead stretch out North and South, from Libanus, or Mount Hermon, as far as the Mountains of Seir, or of Idumæa.
The Mountains Abarim, Pisgah, and Nebo, make but one Chain of Mountains, stretching from East to West, from the Mountains of Gilead or Seir, far into the Plains of Moab, to the East of Jordan.
In the Article of Jerusalem may be seen what Mountains were in or near this City. The Hebrews frequently give to the Gen. xlix. 26. Deut. xxxiii. 15.Mountains the Epithet of Eternal, because they are as old as the World it self.
Some Philosophers have doubted, whether before the Deluge there were any Mountains in the World. They pretend that Mountains were first produced by the sinking and tumbling of Earth, caused by the Openings made by the Waters under the Earth in several Places, to overflow the Globe of the Earth. Then the Surface of the Earth being unequally raised and sunk by the Shocks and Motions that the Waters caused, Mountains and Vales must of Necessity be produced. This is the System proposed by the Author of Telluris Theoria Sacra: The Reader may consult what we have said before, upon the Article DELUGE.