and it was here that he made his eloquent defence before Felix, Festus and Agrippa, (Acts ch. xxiii. xxv. and xx vi.,) and here he suffered two years' imprisonment. Philip the evangelist resided here, (Acts xxi. 8;) and Eusebius the historian was born here. Here Cornelius lived, (Acts x. 1;) here Agrippa was smitten of worms; and here Agabus foretold Paul's imprisonment.—(Acts xxi. 10, 11.) This is the Cæsarea mentioned also in Acts viii. 40; ix. 30); xii. 19; xxi. 8; xxiii. 23,33; xxv. 4, 13. It is now wholly deserted and desolate; and its ruins have long been resorted to for building materials required at Accho. The present name of the place is Kaisaria.
Gaza. A city between Palestine and Egypt, and about two miles and a half from the Mediterranean Sea. It was anciently a city of the Philistines, but included in the tribe of Judah, which conquered it after the death of Joshua.—(Jud. i. 18.) The Philistines retook it, and kept possession of it till the reign of David. Sampson carried the gates of it to the top of a high hill, on the road towards Hebron; afterwards he was imprisoned and died here.—(Judges xvi.) During the reign of David, it was re-conquered by the Jews, and remained subject to them many years. During the wars of Alexander, it was laid waste; and a new town of the same name being laid out not far distant, it fell into decay, and became desolate, according to the prediction in Zeph. ii. 4. The old town is referred to in Acts viii. 26, as "Gaza which is desert."
Iturea, a region in the north-east part of Palestine, thought to have derived its name from Jetur, a son of Ishmael. Hauran was one of its cities, whence the province was called Hauianitis by the ancients. Philip, was its tetrarch in the days of Christ.—(Luke iii. 1.) The modern name is Houran.
Joppa. A seaport of Palestine, of very ancient date, though possessing an inferior harbor. Its name is thought to have been derived from Japhet, son of Noah who founded it. It is now nothing more than a ruinous village of fishermen, called by the natives Jaffa.
