Josh. xviii, xix, xxi.II. SHILOH, or Silo, a famous City of the Tribe of Ephraim, at twelve Miles or four Leagues Distance from Shechem, according to Eusebius; or ten Miles, according to St. Jerom. It was in Acrabatena, according to both of ‘em. In St. Jerom’s time Shiloh was intirely ruin’d1, and nothing remarkable was found there, but the Foundation of the Altar of Burnt-offerings, which was there when the Tabernacle was set up there. It was at Shiloh that Joshua assembled the People,2 to make the second Distribution of the Land of Promise. ‘Twas in the same Place that the Tabernacle of the Lord was set up, when the People were settled in the Country, Josh. xix. 51. The Ark and the Tabernacle of the Lord continu’d at Shiloh, from the Year of the World 2560, when it was set up by Joshua, to the Year of the World 2888; before Christ 1112, before the Vulgar Era 1116, at which time it was taken by the Philistines, under the Administration of the High-priest Eli. ‘Twas at 1 Sam. iv. 1 Kings xiv. 2. Jer. vii. 12, 14. & xxvi. 6, 9. 1 Sam. vi. 21.Shiloh that Samuel began to appear: ‘Twas there also that the Prophet Abijah dwelt. Jeremiah foretold, that the Temple of Jerusalem should be reduced to the same Condition as Shiloh was. After the Return of the Ark out of the Country of the Philistines, instead of taking it back to Shiloh, it was laid up at Kirjath-jearim.
Pausan. l.6. c.24.Mr. Reland conjectures, that it is from the Name Shiloh, that Pausanias took Occasion to say, that Silenus the Companion of Bacchus was buried in Palestine. Benjamin of Tudela affirms, that the Tomb of Samuel was still to be seen there. Upon the Medals of Shechem, or Neapolis, we see Silenus represented; which should make us think, that it was rather at Shechem than at Shiloh, that they might expect to find the Tomb of this Demi-god.
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