The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

SUPPLEMENTAL ENCYCLOPAEDIAheathen writers, the Holy Land has been variously termedPalestine, Syria and Phoenicia. Canaan was bounded onthe west by the Mediterranean Sea, north by Mount Lebanonand Syria, east by Arabia Deserta, and south by Edomand the desert of Zin and Paran. Its extreme length wasabout one hundred and eighty miles, and its average widthabout sixty-five. The soil of Canaan was highly productive.Olives, figs, vines and pomegranates grew in abundance ;the hills were clothed with flocks and herds, and the valleyswere covered with corn. The land of promise was currentlydescribed as "flowing with milk and honey." Therewere eleven tribes, the lineal descendants of the patriarchCanaan.Canaan was conquered from the Canaanites by the Hebrewsunder Joshua, 1450 B. C., who divided it into twelveconfederate states accordingit into one kingdom, and David enlargedto the tribes. Saul unitedits territories.In 975 B. C. it was divided into the kingdoms of Israeland Judah, the latter consisting of the tribes of Judah andBenjamin, and the former of the rest of the tribes. Assyriacrushed the northern kingdom of Israel about 721 B. C.,and Babylon crushed the southern kingdom of Israel about588 B. C. Since then the country has been under foreigndomination, with hardly more than the shadow of independenceat any time. Persians, Greeks and Romans succeededone another in the mastery. In the time of Christ underthe Romans, there were four provinces Galilee, Samariaand Judea on the west side of the Jordan, and Perea onthe east side. Since A. D. 637, when Palestine was conqueredby the Saracens, it has, with little interruption, beenunder Mohammedan power.CeresThe Roman name of the goddess of grain, fruitand agriculture ;identical with the Grecian Demeter. Cereswas the mother of Proserpine.Chaldeans See CITALDEA.172