Book 16
2.30
Next and near Ascalon is the harbour of the Gazaei. The city is situated inland at the distance of seven stadia. It was once famous, but was razed by Alexander, and remains uninhabited. There is said to be a passage thence across, of 1260 stadia, to the city AilaAkaba or Akaba-Ila. (Aelana), situated on the innermost recess of the Arabian Gulf. This recess has two branches, one, in the direction of Arabia and Gaza, is called Ailanites, from the city upon it; the other is in the direction of Egypt, towards Heroopolis,Near Suez. to which from Pelusium is the shortest road (between the two seas). Travelling is performed on camels, through a desert and sandy country, in the course of which snakes are found in great numbers.
2.31
Next to Gaza is Raphia,Refah. where a battle was fought between Ptolemy the Fourth and Antiochus the Great.B. C. 218. Then Rhinocolura,El Arish. so called from the colonists, whose noses had been mutilated. Some Ethiopian invaded Egypt, and, instead of putting the malefactors to death, cut off their noses, and settled them at Rhinocolura, supposing that they would not venture to return to their own country, on account of the disgraceful condition of their faces.
2.32
The whole country from Gaza is barren and sandy, and still more so is that district next to it, which contains the lake Sirbonis,Sebaki-Bardoil. lying above it in a direction almost parallel to the sea, and leaving a narrow pass between, as far as what is called the Ecregma.The passage through which the lake discharged itself into the sea. The length of the pass is about 200, and the greatest breadth 50 stadia. The Ecregma is filled up with earth. Then follows another continuous tract of the same kind to Casium,El-Cas. and thence to Pelusium.
