the roundness of its circumference, as being round like a wheel; its
water continues always up to its edges, without either sinking or
running over. And as this origin of Jordan was formerly not known, it
was discovered so to be when Philip was tetrarch of Trachonitis; for
he had chaff thrown into Phiala, and it was found at Paninto, where the
ancients thought the fountain-head of the river was, whither it had been
therefore carried [by the waters]. As for Panium itself, its natural
beauty had been improved by the royal liberality of Agrippa, and adorned
at his expenses. Now Jordan's visible stream arises from this cavern,
and divides the marshes and fens of the lake Semechonitis; when it hath
run another hundred and twenty furlongs, it first passes by the city
Julias, and then passes through the middle of the lake Gennesareth;
after which it runs a long way over a desert, and then makes its exit
into the lake Asphaltitis.

8. The country also that lies over against this lake hath the same name
of Gennesareth; its nature is wonderful as well as its beauty; its
soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it, and the
inhabitants accordingly plant all sorts of trees there; for the temper
of the air is so well mixed, that it agrees very well with those several
sorts, particularly walnuts, which require the coldest air, flourish
there in vast plenty; there are palm trees also, which grow best in hot
air; fig trees also and olives grow near them, which yet require an air
that is more temperate. One may call this place the ambition of nature,
where it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another
to agree together; it is a happy contention of the seasons, as if
every one of them laid claim to this country; for it not only nourishes
different sorts of autumnal fruit beyond men's expectation, but
preserves them a great while; it supplies men with the principal fruits,
with grapes and figs continually, during ten months of the year [7] and
the rest of the fruits as they become ripe together through the whole
year; for besides the good temperature of the air, it is also watered
from a most fertile fountain. The people of the country call it
Capharnaum. Some have thought it to be a vein of the Nile, because it
produces the Coracin fish as well as that lake does which is near to
Alexandria. The length of this country extends itself along the banks
of this lake that bears the same name for thirty furlon