Stephen. in Ethnic. Ptolemais. Vide & Etymolog. mag. Vide, si lubet, Reland. Palæst. l. 3. p. 538. Judg. i. 31.I. PTOLEMAIS, a City of Phœnicia, upon the Mediterranean Sea, having Mount Carmel to the South, being a considerable Sea Port. Its antient Hebrew Name is Accho. See Judges i. 31. The Greeks have given it the Name of Ake, and we have already spoke of it under the Name Accho. The Greeks not knowing that Accho was a Hebrew Word, have derived Ake from the Verb Akeomai, which signifies to cure or heal; imagining that it took this Name, because Hercules had been cured here of the biting of a Serpent. The River Belus or Beleus, falls into the Mediterranean near Ptolemais. See BELUS. I have not found who the Ptolemy was, that gave his Name to this City. It afterwards became a Roman Colony under the Reign of Claudius, and there are several antient Medals that prove it a Roman Colony. The Christians that undertook the Expedition of the Holy War, gave it the Name of Akre, or of St. John of Acre. The Arabians at this Day call it Acca. This City was assign’d by Joshua to the Tribe of Ashur, who did not drive out the Inhabitants. Ummah, an unknown City mentioned in Joshua xix. 30. might well be Accho, which the Transcribers have changed to Ummah.
The Crusado’s gave the Name of St. John of Akre to this City, because of a magnificent Temple, which was there dedicated to St. John. This City is built in a triangular Form, wash’d by the Sea to the West and South, surrounded by two strong Walls towards the Land, at about fifty Paces from each other, and fortify’d by a great Number of Towers at equal Distances. On the first Wall towards the East was a Tower larger and stronger than the rest, call’d the King’s Tower; and at the middle Angle was such another Tower, which was always call’d the cursed Tower. And it proved its Right to this Name; for it was by this that the Saracens enter’d the City, and took it, as was observed at that time. Juste proinde maledicta vocata est Turris illa, qua maledicta gens Saracena subintravit, anno 1291, & qui illi nomen imposuit, eventum tam diri infortunii nesciens quid diceret, prophetavit. This was the last City that the Christians had possession of in Syria. The Sultan of Egypt, Elpy, sirnamed Melle-messor, having besieged it in 1291, with Sixty thousand Horse, and an Hundred thousand Foot, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem defended it bravely; but at last they were forced to give Ground; it was taken and almost destroy’d.
