CAPPADOCIA, a province of Asia Minor, to whom, with several other people, St. Peter directs his first epistle. It was bounded west by Galatia, south by Armenia, east by the mountains of Anti-Taurus. Though the inhabitants of this country were anciently notorious for their wickedness; after the introduction of Christianity among them, several great and good men did honor to Cappadocia. Among these were two Gregories, Basil and St. George. Christianity flourished here till about the ninth century, nor is it now wholly extinct.

CARCHEMISH, a town upon the Euphrates, belonging to the Assyrians. Necho, king of Egypt, took it from the king of Assyria, 2 Chron. xxxv, 20. CARIA, a south-western district of Asia Minor. Its western part was called Doris, and occupied by Grecian colonies. In Doris was Miletus. Carpenter.

CARMEL, a city in the tribe of Judah,situated on a mountain of the same name,in the southern part of Palestine, Josh. xv, 55. St. Jerome says, that in his time the Romans had a garrison in this city. Upon this mountain, Saul returning from his expedition against Amalek, erected a triumphal arch, 1 Sam. xv, 12. Carmel is ten

miles from Hebron to the east.

CARMEL, a mountain to the south of Ptolemais, and the north of Dora, upon the Mediterranean. At the foot of this mountain, on the north side run the Kishon; and a little further the river Beleus. Josephus makes Carmel to be a part of Galilee, but it belonged rather to the tribe of Manasseh, and to the southern part of the tribe of Asher, Josh. xv, 26. On the side next the sea, there is a cave shown, where some suppose the prophet Elijah desired Ahab to bring Baal's false prophets, when the fire from heaven descended upon the burnt sacrifice, 1 Kings xviii. It is a rocky mountain 2000 feet high, once cultivated, but now overgrown with brambles, wild vines, and olive trees. On the summit is a chapel, dedicated to the prophet Elijah, from which is an immense prospect over sea and land. It is 20 miles south of Tyre, and 70 north from Jerusalem. Lat. 32,40.

Both Tacitus and Suetonius speak of the god of Carmel; whom Vespasian went to consult when he was in Judea; but they tell us there was neither temple nor statue upon the mountain; that there was one altar, plain, and even then venerable for its antiquity. This

altar of Carmel had its original from the altar of God, which the ancient Hebrews erected, and which Elijah repaired, when he summoned Ahab and his false prophets to appear there. This altar the heathen held in such veneration, that when they became masters of the country, they did not presume to place an image near it. They even repaired to it as to an oracle. As Thevenot tells us, mount Carmel is ten miles from Acre. At the foot of the mountain stands the village Caiphas, which was formerly a town. Here is a convent of barefooted Carmelites, a sort of monks so named. Thevenot found Thevenot found here two French fathers, and an Italian brother, who had been twenty years there. They ..observe very severe rules; they are removed from all worldly conversation; they neither eat flesh nor drink wine, and if such supports become necessary, they must go to another place. Nor do they suffer pilgrims to eat flesh in their convent, though they may drink wine. This convent is not on the top of the mount, where was a very fine monastery before the Christians lost the Holy Land, the ruins of which are still to be seen; but it is a very little one, somewhat lower. Two or three monks fill it,

who would have much ado to subsist, if they had not alms given them. They say, that it is the place where the prophet Elijah lived; and that their church, which is neatly cut in the rock, is the spot where he sometime abode. About the convent is a pretty hermitage. Though the convent be very small, it contains a commodious and neat apartment, in which pilgrims lodge; but they must not exceed the number of six. At the distance of a league from the convent, is a well, which the prophet Elijah is said to have caused to spring out of the ground, and a little over it is another, reported to be no less miraculous; the waters of both are very pleasant and good. Close by the last fountain, are stately ruins of the convents of St. Bocard, who was sent thither by St. Albert, patriarch of Jerusalem, to reform the hermits, who lived there, without rule, or community.

Not far from thence is the garden of the stone melons, concerning which they tell you, that Elijah passing that way, desired a melon from a man, who was gathering them, who in contempt replied to the prophet, that they were stones, and not melons, upon which all the melons were immediate

ly turned into stones. Le Bruyn tells us, that these stone melons have the same shape on the outside, as natural ones, and if opened, they have the same cavities, as the true ones; they have also some smell, which is pleasant.

Near the convents are shown the grots of the prophets, Elijah and Elisha; there is a third, also, but it is walled up. Lower down the mountain is the cave, where the prophet Elijah instructed the people. It is cut very smooth in the rock, both above and below; it is about twenty paces in length, fifteen in breadth, and very high, and I think, says Thevenot, that it is one of the finest grots, that can be seen. The Turks have made a little mosque there.

Mount Carmel, says D'Arvieux, advances considerably into the sea, and forms a cape or promontory, the most elevated of any on the coast; the smaller mountains of this group may be cultivated, and have a good soil, deep and fertile, capable of producing in a very uncommon degree. There were formerly many more vineyards than at present. The Christians who inhabit part of these villages, cultivate only as many vines as may furnish what wine they want, and dried grapes for their own consumption. They neglect the

cultivation of fruit trees, which here would reach great excellence, as may easily be inferred from those here gathered,though chiefly from wild stocks. They have delicious melons and water-melons.

Mount Carmel, says Volney, is a flattened cone, and very rocky. We still find brambles, wild vines, and olive trees, which proves, that industry has formerly been employed, even on this ungrateful soil. On the summit is a chapel, dedicated to the prophet Elias, which affords an extensive prospect over the sea and land. To the south the country presents a chain of rugged hills, on the top of which are oak, and fir trees, the retreat of wild boars and lynxes. As we turn towards the east, at 6 leagues distance, we perceive Nasra, or Nazareth, so celebrated in the gospels. Lat. 31,7.

CASIPHIA. Ezra viii, 17, says, that being on the point of returning to Judea, he sent to Iddo, who dwelt at Casiphia. Calmet is of opinion that he meant Caspius, near the Caspian Sea, between Media and Hyrcania, where there were many captives. Others think this distance to be too great for such a mission, and suppose it must have been near Babylon.

CASLUHIM. The Casluhim are not improperly thought to have been settled in the country east of Egypt, called Casiotis, where is a mount Casius; both which retain somewhat of the Casluhim. And this situation is confirmed by what Moses adds, that from them sprang the Philistines; who in process of time made themselves masters of the adjoining tract, the land of Canaan. This people descended from Mizraim, a son of Ham. Egypt is sometimes called Mizraim, after the name of one of its principal settlers.

CASPHIN, a town on a lake, 6 miles from Jamnia, famous in the wars of the Maccabees.

CASPHOR, a city in the land of Gilead, taken by Judas Maccabeus, 1 Macc. v, 26, and thought it to be the same with Heshbon.

CASPIAN, this word is not mentioned in Scripture; but some have supposed, that it was meant, (Ezra xi, 17) "I sent then to Iddo, the chief of those, who dwell at Casiphia." It is said that Artaxerxes and others transplanted a great number of Jews into Hyrcania, near the Caspian sea. Grosus tells us, that these Jews were very much increased in his time, and were in hopes of re

turning to Judea, the land of their fathers' sepulchres. This author says that Alexander the Great shut up a great number of Jews, within the Caspian gates. Ezra, on his march from Babylon to Palestine, was desirous of having some Nethinims to serve in the temple; that is, servants, dedicated or devoted to the lower or menial services of the temple. He, therefore, sent to Iddo, the head of these Nethinims, who were probably at work in the mines of the Caspian mountains, between Media and Hyrcania. He obtained two hundred and fiftyeight persons.

CASPIS, mentioned in 2 Macca. xii, 13, is also thought to be the same with Heshbon, in the tribe of Reuben. This town was not far from Jamnia; it was a strong city, fenced about with walls, and inhabited by people of divers countries.

CEDRON, a temporary torrent or brook, running in the valley between Jerusalem and mount Olivet. It is, however, a brook only in the winter, or immediately after great rains, being entirely dry at all other times. See Kidron.

CENCHREA, was the eastern port of Corinth, almost nine miles distant. This was a considerable town; it enjoyed the privilege of coining money, and

here very early was planted a Christian church. St. Paul respectfully mentions one of its female members.

CHALDEA, a country of Asia, known in the most ancient times by the name Shinah, Shinar, &c. lies between 30 and 35 degrees of north latitude; and was bounded, according to Ptolemy, on the the north, by Mesopotamia; on the east by the Tigris; on the west by Arabia Deserta; on the south by the Persian gulf, and part of Arabia Felix. The metropolis of Chaldea was Babylon, whence the country more immediately in the neighborhood of this city, was generally, by profane writers, terined Babylonia. The name Chaldea is no where to be met with in the Hebrew text; the Hebrew word being Chasdim, whence Josephus thinks, and Dr. Wells is of the same opinion, that the name of Chaldea was taken from Chesed, one of the sons of Nahor, Abram's brother. The Babylonians were famed for learning, particularly the Chaldeans, who were, as is said, their priests, their philosophers, astronomers, astrologers, soothsayers, &c. and in respect to this pretended claim to learning and supernatural knowledge, the Chaldees are distinguished from the Babylonians, and are

said to have inhabited a region peculiar to themselves, next to the Arabians, and the Persian gulf.

As the Chaldees were peculiarly the men of learning in this nation, so the Babylonians, properly so called, applied themselves to the arts. See Babylon and Assyria. 'The bounds, which we have assigned to Chaldea are taken from profane writers; but in the sacred Scriptures, it is plain that Chaldea, certainly, at some periods, advanced further north, and included part of Mesopotamia, particularly, it may be supposed along the Tigris. Acts vii, "The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, and said unto him, “Get thee out of this country. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldees, and dwelt in Charran." Here we see that "Abram was in Mesopotamia," and "came out of the land of the Chaldees;" therefore, some part of Chaldea must have been in Mesopotamia.

CHARACA, a city of the tribe of Gad, whence Judas Maccabæus drove Timotheus, 2 Macc. xii, 17.

CHEBAR, a river in Chaldea, where the prophet Ezekiel saw several of his visions. It