have been settled by a colony from Crete.

This was the

birth-place of Thales, one of the seven wise men of Greece, and also of several other eminent philosophers. It was visited by St. Paul, (Acts xx. 15.) where he was met by the elders of the church of Ephesus, as he could not take that place in his way.

Miletus was once exceedingly powerful and illustrious, and its early navigators extended its commerce to remote regions. The whole Euxine Sea, the Propontis, Egypt, and other countries, were frequented by its ships, and settled by its colonies. These colonies, which were settled abroad, amounted to no less than 80, or as Seneca says, 380. The history of this place, after the declension of the Greek empire, is very imperfect. The whole region has suffered frequent ravages from the Turks. One of their sultans, in 1175, sent twenty thousand men with orders to lay waste the Roman provinces, and bring him sea-water, sand, and an oar. All the cities on the river Meander and on the coast were then ruined. Miletus was again destroyed, near the close of the thirteenth century, by the victorious Ottomans. It is at present a mean place, and the whole site of the former city, to a great extent, is overspread with rubbish, and grown up with thickets. The principal monument of its ancient magnificence, is a theatre in ruins, 457 feet long, with a front of marble. There are also remains of the wall, broken arches, a few scattered pedestals and inscriptions, with marble urns, and many wells. One of the pedestals supported a statue of Adrian, and another the emperor Severus, which has this inscription, "The senate and people of the city of the Milesians, the first settled in Ionia, and the mother of many and great cities both in Pontus and Egypt, and various other parts of the world."

From the number of forsaken mosques among the ruins, it is evident that Mahometanism has flourished in its turn at Miletus.

The Miletus at which Trophimus was left sick by St. Paul, (2 Tim. iv. 20.) is supposed to have been Miletus in the island of Crete; because when St. Paul visited Miletus on the continent, Trophimus went with him to Jerusalem, and St. Paul did not return to that Miletus. (Acts xx. 17.)

MILLO: this word in Hebrew signifies filled up, and probably refers to a deep valley in Jerusalem, between the old city on Mount Sion, and the temple on Mount Moriah. This val

ley is supposed to have been filled up by David and Solomon, and a place made for the people to assemble, probably in a house or castle built for that purpose. (2 Sam. v. 9. 1 Kings ix. 15. 24. xi. 27. 2 Chron. xxxii. 5.) The Millo mentioned in Judges ix. 6. probably refers to a person of that name. MINNI, a region in Armenia. Jer. li. 27.

MINNITH, a city east of Jordan, not far from Heshbon. Judges xi. 33. Ezek. xxvii. 17.

MISHAL, a city of Asher, near Mount Carmel, otherwise called Mashal. Josh. xix. 26.

MISPHAT, or En-mishpat, a fountain, also called Kadesh, where Moses and Aaron were judged for their unbelief. Gen. xiv. 7. Numb. xx. 12. xxvii. 14.

MISREPHOTH-MAIM, a city in the north of the tribe of Asher, near the sea. Josh. xi. 8. xiii. 6.

MITHCAH, a station of the Israelites in the wilderness. Numb. xxxiii. 28.

MITYLENE, a principal city of the island of Lesbos, which at last became so considerable as to give name to the whole island, which is yet called Metelin. This island is about seven miles from the main land of Troas or Mysia, and is one of the largest islands in the Archipelago. St. Paul visited Mytilene in his way from Corinth to Jerusalem, (Acts xx. 14.) and from the 5th to the 8th century we find Christian churches here.

This place is memorable for having produced many eminent persons, as Sappho, the poetess, Pittacus, one of the seven wise men of Greece, Alcæus, Theophanes, Arion, &c. The city is on the south-east side of the island, and is well fortified.

MIZAR, a hill near the Dead Sea, probably not far from Zoar; a place of resort for David, and where he appears to have received some peculiar manifestations of divine goodness. Psalm xlii. 6.

MIZPAH, or Mizpeh : this name in Hebrew signifies a watch tower, or a look-out station; and it is not strange that in a hilly country, and one perpetually exposed to the incursions of enemies, like that of the Israelites, that we find many places distinguished by this name.

1. Mizpeh, a city of Judah. Josh. xv. 38.

2. Mizpeh, in Benjamin. Josh. xviii. 26. Judg. xx. 1. 1 Sam. vii. 5. 1 Kings xv. 22. 2 Kings xxv. 23. Jer. xl. 6. 3. Mizpeh of Gilead, a city of Gad or Manasseh. (Judg. x.

17. xi. 11. 29. 34.) called Ramath-mizpeh, Josh. xiii. 26, See Part I. p. 37.

4. The land of Mizpeh, and the valley of Mizpeh (Josh. xi. 3. 8.) were in the east of Canaan, near the mountains of Hermon or Gilead.

5. A place in Moab, (1 Sam. xxii. 3.) probably the watch tower in the wilderness mentioned in 2 Chron. xx. 24.

MIZRAIM, a name for Egypt, which was peopled by the descendants of Mizraim, the son of Ham. See Egypt.

MOAB, a country east of the Dead Sea, and south of the river Arnon, inhabited by the descendants of Moab, the son of Lot. See Part I. pp. 34. 56.

MODIN, a city or town west of Jerusalem, probably in the tribe of Dan, situated on a hill, and famous for being the dwelling and burying place of the family of the Maccabees. 1 Macc. ii. 1. 15. ix. 19. xiii. 25.

MOLADAH, a city of Judah, afterwards given to Simeon. (Josh. xv. 26. xix. 2.) It lay near the southern boundary of Canaan.

MOLASTHI, a town not far west of Jerusalem, the native place of the prophet Micah. Mic. i. 1.

MOREH, a celebrated plain, and also a hill near Sichem or Shechem. See Part I. p. 30.

MORIAH, a mountain in Jerusalem, on which the temple was built by Solomon. 2 Chron. iii. 1.

MOSELA, (Deut. x. 6.) or Moseroth, (Numb. xxxiii. 30.) one of the encampments in the wilderness, near Mount Hor, where Aaron died.

MYNDUS, an island in the Icarian sea. 1 Macc. xv. 23.

MYRA, a city of Lycia in Asia Minor, where St. Paul embarked on board a vessel of Alexandria, in order to go to Rome. (Acts xxvii. 5.) Myra was the metropolis of Lycia, under the Romans; and was afterwards the see of a Christian archbishop.

MYSIA, a province in the west of Asia Minor, bounded north by the sea of Propontis and Bithynia; east by Phrygia; south by Lydia; and west by the Egean sea. St. Paul preached in this province. Acts xvi. 7.

N.

NAAMAH, a city of Judah. Josh. xv. 41.

NAARATH, a city of Ephraim, (Josh. xvi. 7.) called also

Naaran, (1 Chron. vii. 28.) situated, according to Eusebius, five miles from Jericho.

NABATHEANS, or Nabathites, the descendants of Nebaioth, the son of Ishmael, (Gen. xxv. 13.) inhabiting Arabia Deserta. These people are hardly mentioned in Scripture before the time of the Maccabees; but in the several wars which the Jews maintained against the Syrians, the Nabathæans alone showed them friendship, while most of the other surrounding nations were against them. 1 Macc. v. 24, 25, &c.

NACHON, the name of a place, (2 Sam. vi. 6.) called also Chidon. 1 Chron. xiii. 9.

NAHALAL, a city of Zebulon, given to the Levites. (Josh. xix. 15. xxi. 35.) The Canaanites were suffered to dwell in it, not being driven out. Judges i. 30.

NAHALIEL, an encampment of the Israelites in the wilderness. Numb. xxi. 19.

NAHASH, the name of a city, (1 Chron. iv. 12.) the situation of which is not known.

NAIN, a city in Issachar, about six miles south of Mount Tabor, and near the town of Endor. Here Christ restored the widow's son to life. Luke vii. 11.

NAIOTH, a place near Ramah, to which David withdrew from Saul. (1 Sam. xix. 18, 19.) Samuel, with the sons of the prophets, also dwelt here.

NAPHTALI, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. See Part I.

p. 67.

NAPHTUHIM, a people descended from Misraim. Part I. p. 26.

See

NAZARETH, a small city in the tribe of Zebulon, in Lower Galilee, west of Mount Tabor, remarkable as being the place where our Saviour was brought up, and where he resided until about thirty years of age. (Matt. ii. 23. Luke ii. 51. iv. 16.) From this place he received the name of a Nazarene.

The ancient city was built upon a hill; (Luke iv. 16. 29.) but according to the accounts of modern travellers, the present town stands at the foot of it, and is surrounded on all sides by hills and mountains. It is but a small place, and its inhabitants are about one third Mahometans, and the remainder Christians, chiefly of the Greek church. The fathers of the Holy Land have an inn here, for the reception and entertainment of pilgrims. The place is still shown where stood the house of the Virgin Mary; and on the hill near the town, is a rock on the top of a precipice, said to be the place where the

inhabitants were about to cast down Jesus. Both Turks and Christians have a great veneration for this place and its neighbourhood. Nazareth is 90 miles from Jerusalem, and 24 from Acre.

NEAH, a city of Zebulon. Josh. xix. 13.

NEAPOLIS, a city in the east of Macedonia, to which St. Paul came after he had left Samothracia. (Acts xvi. 11.) Neapolis or Naplous, according to Jerom, was also a name afterwards given to the ancient Sichem or Shechem.

NEBALLAT, a city of Benjamin. Neh. xi. 34.

NEBO, a celebrated mountain east of the Jordan. See Part I. p. 49. There were also two cities of this name, one in the tribe of Reuben, probably near Mount Nebo, (Numb. xxxii. 38.) and another in Judah, (Ezra ii. 29. x. 43.) thought to be the same afterwards called Nabau, eight miles south of Hebron.

NEIEL, a city in the boundary of the tribe of Asher. Josh. xix. 27.

NEKEB, a city of Naphtali, (Josh. xix. 33.) supposed by some to be the place called in the same verse Adami.

NEPHTOAH, a fountain in the tribe of Benjamin. Josh. xv. 9. NETOPHAH, a place probably near Bethlehem. Ezra ii. 22. Neh. vii. 26. 1 Chron. ii. 54.

NEZIB, a city of Judah. Josh. xv. 43.

NIBSHAN, a city of Judah. Josh. xv. 62.

NICOPOLIS; there were two cities of this name; one in