After Passing Cairo, This Great River Divides Into Four Branches, One Of
Which Runs By Damietta, Sometimes Called Caphtor.
The second runs near the
city of Rosir or Rosetta, not far from Alexandria.
The third passes by
Asmon, a very large city on the eastern borders of Egypt. Near these great
branches, there are many cities, castles, and towns, to which people travel
partly by land, and partly by water. No country in the world can be
compared to this for the multitude of inhabitants; and the whole land is
plain, fruitful, and stored with good things. Old Misraim is two league
distant from New Misraim, or Cairo; but the old city is now desolate,
having many ruins of walls and houses, and not a few remains of the
granaries and storehouses, built by Joseph, are still to be seen. In the
same place, there is an artificial pillar, built by art of magic, the like
of which is not in all the land. On the outside of the city, there are the
remains of an ancient synagogue, which bears the name of our teacher Moses,
and to preserve its ruins, an old minister of the disciples of the wise men
[31], is maintained at this place, who is styled Schech Albounetzar, or
father of the watch. The ruins of Old Misraim extend about four miles.
The land of Goshen is eight leagues from Old Misraim, and in it is Bolsir-
salbis, a great city, in which there are 3000 Jews.
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