ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Brittle Books Project, 2013. COPYRIGH!T NOTIFICATION, In Public Domain. Published prior to 1923. This digital copy was made from the printed version held by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It was made in compliance with copyright law. Prepared for the Brittle Books Project, Main Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by Northern Micrographics Brookhaven Bindery La Crosse, Wisconsin 2013 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN BOOKSTACKS HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS IN SYRIA AND PALESTINE; INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF THE GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, ANTIQUITIES, AND INHABITANTS OF THESE COUNTRIES, THE PENINSULA OF SINAI, EDOM, AND THE SYRIAN DESERT; WITH DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF JERUSALEM, PETRA, DAMASCUS, AND PALMYRA. MAPS AND PLANS. NE W AND RE VISED EDITION. PART II. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. PARIS: GALIGNANI; AND XAVIER. MALTA: MUIR. NAPLES: DORANT. TRIESTE : MONSTER. 1868. The right of Translation is reserved. THE ENGLISH EDITIONS OF MURRAY'S HANDBOOKS MAY BE OBTAINED OF THE FOLLOWING AGENTS :- Germany, Holland, and Belgium. AIX-LA- CHAPELLE } I.A. MAYER. AMSTERDAM. J. MULLER.-W. KIRBERGER. ANTWERP . MAX. KORNICKER. BADEN-BADEN D. R. MARX. BERLIN . . ASHER. BRUSSELS . MUQUARDT.- KIESSLING & CO. CARLSRUHE . A. BIELEFELD COLOGNE. . GUEVEN.-NELTE & CO. DRESDEN . ARNOLD. FRANKFURT . C. JUGEL. GRATZ . . LEUSCHNER & LUBENSKY. THE HAGUE NIJHOFF & CO. HAMBURG . MAUKE, SOHNE. HEIDELBERG. MOHR,. KISSINGEN . C. JUGEL. LEIPZIG . BROCKHAUS.-DURR. LUXEMBOURG BUCK. MANNHEIM . ARTARTA & FONTAINE. LOFFLER.-KOTTER. MUNICH . . LITERARISCH.-ARTTISISCHI -ANSTALT.-I. PALM. NURNBERG . SCHRAG.-ZEISER. PEST . � HARTLEBEN.-G.HECKENAS -OSTERLAMM.-RATH, PRAGUE. . CALVE. ROTTERDAM. KRAMERS.-PETRI, STUTTGART . P. NEFF. TRIESTE. . MUNSTER.-COEN. VIENNA . . C, GEROLD.-BRAUMULLEE WIESBADEN . KREIDEL. Switzerland. BASLE . . H. GEORG.-H. AMBERGER. LUCERNE. . F. KAISER. BERNE . . DALP.-JEUT & REINERT. NEUCHATEL . GERSTER. COIRE . . GRUBENMANN. SCHAFFHAUSEN HURTER. CONSTANCE . MECK. SOLEURE. . JENT. GENEVA . . H. GEORG.-DESROGIS.- ST. GALLEN . HUBER. CHERBULIEZ.-GEX.- ZURICH . * H. FUSSLI & CO.-MEYER:r MONROE.-GHISLETTY. & ZELLER. LAUSANNE . MARTINIER & CHAVANNES.- H. F. LEUTHOLD, POST-, T. ROUSSY. STRASSE. Italy. BOLOGNA . M. RUSCONI. P FLORENCE . GOODBAN. PI GENOA . . GRANDONA & CO.-ANTOINE P BEUF.-T. D. ROSSI; R LEGHORN . MAZZAJOLI. LUCCA . . F. BARON. Si MANTUA . NEGRETTI. TI MILAN . . ARTARIA. - DUMOLARD FRERES.-MOLINARI. MODENA. . VINCENZI & ROSSI. V NAPLES . DORANT. -DUFRESNE. PALERMO � PEDONE. VI France AMIENS . . CARON M ANGERS . . BARASSE'. M AVIGNON . CLE'MENT ST. JUST. N AVRANCHES . ANFRAY. N BAYONNE . JAYMEBON.-LASSERRE. BORDEAUX . CHAUMAS.-MILLER.-SAU- VAT.-FERET. NI BOULOGNE . WATEL.-MERRIDEW. BREST . HEBERT. O CAEN . . BOISARD.-LEGOST.-CLE- PA RISSE1. P- CALAIS . . RIGAUX CAUX. PE CHERBOURG . MLLE. LECOUFFLET. R DIEPPE . . MARAIS. DINANT . . COSTE. R DOUAIT JACQUART.-LEMALE. R DUNKERQUE. VANDENBUSSCHE. SA GRENOBLE . VELLOT ET COMP. ST HAVRE . . COCHARD.-BOURDIGNON.- ST FOUCHER.-MME. BUYS. ST LILLE . . BEIGHIN. ST LYONS . . AYNE' FILS.-SCHEURING.- ME RA. T MARSEILLES . CAMOIN FERES.-LE T MEUNIER. T( METZ , , WARION. T Spain and Po GIBRALTAR . ROWSWELL. I M LISBON . MATT. LEWTAS. M ARMA . SA. ERUGIA. OME .� ENA . URIN ENICE . ERONA . SJ. ZANGHIERI. SNISTRI.-JOS. VANNUCCHI. SVINCENZ. BARTELLI. SSPITHOVER.-PIALE.- MONALDINI. ONORATO PORRI. MAGGI.-GIANNINI FIORE.- MARIETTI.-BOCCA FRERES. SMUNSTER. - COEN.- MEINERS. H. F. MUNSTER. -MENIERS. . ONTPELLIER LEVALLE. ULHOUSE . RISLER. ANCY . . GONET. ANTES . . GUE'RARD.-PETIPAS.- POIRIER LEGROS.-AN- DRE'.-MME. VLOORS. CE . . VISCONTI.-GIRAUD.- JOUGLA. RLEANS. . GATINEAU.-PESTY. ARIS . . GALIGNANI.-XAVIER.- U . :. LAFON.-AUG. BASSY. ERPIGNAN . JULIA FRERES. EIMS . . BRISSART BINET.- GEOFFROY. OCHEFORT . BOUCARD. )UEN . . LEBRUMENT.-HAULARD. UMUR. . GAULTIER BRIE'RE. . ETIENNE . DELARUE. . MALO. . HUE. . QUENTIN . DOLOY. RASBOURG . TREUTTEL ET WURTZ.- GRUCKER. OULON. . MONGE ET VILLAMUS. ULOUSE . GIMET & COTELLE. OURS . . GEORGET. ROYES . . "LALOY.-DUFEY ROBERT. rtugal. ADRID. . DURAN.-BAILLIERE. ALAGA . FR. DE MOYA. Russia. ST. PETERS- ISSAKOFF.-ROTTGER.-WOLFF MOSCOW. W. GAUTIER.-DEUBNER.-LANG. BURG. ODESSA . . CAMOIN FRERES. Malta. lonian Islands. Constantinople. Greece. MUIR. CORFU . J. W. TAYLOR. WICK. ATHENS . A. NAST. CONTENTS. PART II. SECTION IV.-NORTHERN PALESTINE AND DAMASCUS. PAGE Preliminary Information .... ............ .. .... 275 Routes .. ...... ... ... .. .. .. ...... .. ... 280 SECTION V.-NORTHERN SYRIA. Preliminary Information .. ...... .. .. .. ...... .. 556 Routes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 558 GENERAL INDEX .. .. . .... .. .. . . .. .. .. .. 591 INDEX OF PLACES NOT IDENTIFIED .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 614 LIST OF MAPS AND PLANS. Plan of Damascus .. .... .. .... .. .. .. .. Page 445 ,, Mosque at Damascus .. .. .. . .......... 460 ,, Cathedral at Bozrah .... .. .. ...... .. .. 496 , Church at Edrei .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .... 503 ,, Palmyra .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. to face page 512 ,, the Temples at Ba'albek, restored .... ... .. .. page 528 ,, Church and part of Monastic Buildings at Kul'at Sim'an .. 576 ,, Church at Kalb Louzy .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. 583 Apse of ditto .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. 84 Plan of Church at Ruweihah .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 586 Map of Northern Syria .... .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. at the end. N. PALESTINa. ( 275 ) SECTION IV. NORTHERN PALESTINE AND DAMASCUS. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION. Mode of travel - Escorts, when necessary.-PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL GEO- GRAPHY.-- The Maritime Plain - Sharon - Plain of Acre - The Ladder of Tyre - Phoenicia, Tyre, and Sidon - The Mountain range - Mountains of Ephraim - Possessions of the house of Joseph - Samaria - The Plain of Esdraelon, or "Megiddo" - The hills of Galilee, and their inhabitants - Lebanon and its people - The Jordan Valley - Thie Sea of Galilee - Dan - Colesyria - The country east of the Jordan - Gilead and Percea - Bashan and its provinces - lturcea -. Hermon - Antilebanon - Abilene - Damascus - Books on the Geography and History. ROUTES. ROUTE PAGE 19. Jerusalem to Jericho, Hes- ban, 'Amman, Jerash, Um Keis, and Tiberias .. .. 280 Hesban to Kerak;-Description of Rabbath Ammon;-Site of Ramoth Gilead;-Description of Jerash, Gerasa ;-Sites of Jabesh-Gilead and Pella;-Description of Gada- ra; Baths of Amatha. 20. Gerasa to Gadara, by El-Husn and Hebras. .... .... 305 Sites of Mahanaim, Arbela, and Capi- tolias. 21. Jerualem to Nabulus .. .. 306 Sites of Nob, and Gibeah of Saul;- Description of Shiloh ;-Descrip- tion of Shechem;-The Samari- tans;- Mount Gerizim ;- Jacob's Well ;---Joseph's Tomb. 22. Nabulus to Nazareth, by Sa- maria and Jezreel .. .. 328 Description of Samaria;-Sites of l irzak and Thebez;-Dothan;- Plain of Esdraelon;- Jezreel;- Mount Gilboa;-Battles of Gideon and Saul; -Bethshean; Shunem ; -Nai ;--Endor;- azareth. ROUTE PAGE 23. Jerusalem to Nazareth, by the sea-coast .. .. .... 347 Description of cesarea;-Site of Antipatris ;-Dora ;-Carmel and its convent ;-Scene of Elijah's sacrifice; - Acre; - Struggles of the Crusaders ;-Jezzar Pasha;- Sites of Jotopata, and Cana of Galilee;-Sepphoris. 24. Nabulus to Caesarea, Carmel, and Nazareth .. .. .. 360 The Plain of Sharon ;=-The River Kishon:-Sites of Simonias, Ma- ralah, and Japhia. 25. Jenin to Carmel .. .. .. 365 Sites of Taanach and Megiddo;-De. feat of Sisera ;-Death of King Josiah;-Site of Jokneam. 26. Nazareth to Beyrout, by Tyre and Sidon .. .. .. .. 367' Descriptions of Tyre, Sidon. and Beyrout ;- Rides from Beyrout: First,. to Nahr el.Kelb; Second, to Deir el-Kul'ah; Third, to Deir el-Kamr and Bteddin. Mode of Travel.--GeographIy. ROUTE PAGE 27. Nazareth to Tiberias - 1st, direct; 2nd, by Tabor .. 392 Description of Tiberias;-Warm baths of Ammaus. 28. Excursion round the Sea of Tiberias .. .. .. .. 399 Sites of Gamala, Julias, Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Mag- dala. 29. Tiberias to Banias direct .. 410 Dan and Caesarea-Philippi. 30. Tiberias to Banias, by Safed and Kedesh.. .. .... 414 Sites of Hazor and Kedesh-Naplhtali. 31. Banias to Damascus direct .. 425 Sources of the river Pharpar. 32. Banias to Damascus, by Has- beiya .. .. .. .. .. 427 Mount Hermon;-.Remarkable lem- pies. 33. Tiberias to Damascus, by Jisr Bengt Yakfib .. .... 436 Provinces of Gaulanitis and Iturcea ; - DAMASCUS ; - Rides round the city ;-Site of Helbon. 34. Tour in the Hauran .. .. 470 Kingdom of Bashan ;-Provinces of Trachonitis, Batanca, and Aura- ROUTE PAGE nitis ;-The Saf h and Eastern De- sert ;-.The ruins of Bozrah, Edrei, and other ancient cities. 35. Excursion to Palmyra .. .. 506 The Bedawin ; - Description and history of Palmyra. 36. Damascus to Beyrout direct.. 520 Site of Chalcis. 37. Damascus to Ba'albek .. .. 522 The river Abana;-Site of Abila;- Description and history of Ba'al- bek. 38. Ba'albek to Beyrout direct .. 534 39. Ba'albek to Tyre, by Chalcis and Kul'at esh-Shukif .. 536 40. Ba'albek to the Cedars-st, direct; 2nd, by Riblah, Ku- 1l'at el-Husn, and Tripoli .. 540 Site of Riblah ;- The Orontes ; - " The entrance of Hamath; "- The northern border of the Pro- mised Land;-The Cedars. 41. The Cedars to Beyrout, by Tripoli and the coast.. .. 551 Site of Gebal. 42. The Cedars to Beyrout, by Afka and Nabr el-Kelb .. 553 The remarks made at the commencement of Sect. III. regarding the mode of travel, &c., apply equally to this section. As a general rule the whole region from Jerusalem to the northern line of Lebanon, lying on the west side of the Jordan valley and the ridge of Antilebanon, is safe, and may be traversed in all directions without an escort. It should be remembered, however, that local quarrels between rival factions often render some parti- cular district dangerous for a few months; and such circumstances can only be learned from resident consuls, or others on the spot. Travellers should also bear in mind that there is scarcely a district in Syria in which amateur bandits may not be met with, ready to take advantage of the unarmed, solitary wayfarer. A pair of sturdy shepherds with their clubs, or a wander- ing peasant with his long musket, or an irregular trooper with sword and pistols, or a Bedawy chief with his fleet mare and tufted spear, may at any moment extemporize a little foray when a favourable opportunity offers. The moment a traveller crosses the Jordan, or enters the desert E. of Damascus, an escort becomes necessary. Such as visit 'Amman, Jerash, and the country in that region, had better start from Jerusalem, where a sheikh of the Adwan may generally be procured to act as escort. For an excursion through the Hauran, however, Damascus forms the best starting-point, and the Druzes who inhabit that province form the safest and best escort. For a trip across the desert to Palmyra the company of a Bedawy chief is essential; and one can be heard of at Damascus. PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY.-The general geography has already been described in the Introduction; but I shall here glance at it in connection with the ancient and modern political divisions. The district embraced in 276 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Geography--the Mountain Bange. 277 this section extends from Jerusalem on the south to the "entrance of Hamath" on the north, and from the Mediterranean on the west to the desert on the east. Physically it may be divided into four longitudinal belts. 1. The Maritime Plain, which runs from Philistia northward to the promon- tory of Carmel, beyond which it spreads out into the plain of 'Akka, and then, hemmed in by Lebanon, and often broken by rocky spurs, it stretches away a narrow strip to the "entrance of Hamath." The portion south of Carmel is the Sharon of Scripture, on whose fat pastures " Shitrai the Sharonite" fed his flocks in the days of king David. It has now few culti- vated fields, and still fewer villages; but it is dotted with the black tents and flocks of wandering Arabs. On its coast Herod founded the city of Caesarea, the capital of Palestine in later times. To the north of Carmel, on a low pro- montory running out from a plain of unrivalled fertility, stands the ancient city of 'Akka (Acre), around whose massive ramparts most of the modern his- tory of Syria clusters. The plain fell to the lot of Asher, who, as is said in Scripture, "dipped his foot in oil," and his "bread was fat, and he yielded royal dainties" (Deut. xxxiii. 24; Gen. xlix. 20). A bold headland called in classic ages "the Ladder of Tyre," and now Ras en-Nakfirah, separates the plain of Acre and Palestine proper from Phoenicia, whose narrow plain and adjoining mountain heights the Israelites never possessed. Phoenicia was the England of antiquity, and its famous seaports, Tyre and Sidon, may still be seen, though their glory has long since departed. 2. The Mountain Range descends from the heights of Gerizim to the plain of Esdraelon, but rises again into the hills of Galilee, and finally culminates in the great chain of Lebanon. In the southern section of the range, in the very heart of Palestine, the powerful family of Joseph was established-Ben- jamin on the south, Ephraim next stretching out to the western sea, and Manasseh on the north-east. For more than four centuries Ephraim, in close alliance with his two brethren, exercised supreme sway in Israel. Joshua was an Ephraimite; Gideon, the greatest of the judges, was of the tribe of Manasseh; and Saul, the first of the kings, sprang from Benjamin. It was not till the close of the first period of Jewish history that God chose the tribe of Judah, and gave to it supreme power. But under Rehoboam Ephraim again threw off the yoke, and established an independent kingdom whose chief seat was among these mountains, in the city of Samaria. The whole tract of mountain country is emphatically a " good land ;" the rocky ridges that run up into it from Judah and Benjamin are interrupted by wide fertile plains, by pontinuous tracts of verdure, and by vales with streams of water. The prophetic blessing of the dying Lawgiver was fulfilled when Joseph's house received this lot-" For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the last- ing hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, let the blessing come upon Joseph" (Deut. xxxiii. 13-16). The district round the ancient cities of Shechem and Samaria is among the most fertile in the country; and the inhabitants still inherit something of the turbulent and warlike spirit of their remote predecessors. N. of Samaria comes the rich plain of Esdraelon, the "plain of Megiddo" and "valley of Jezreel" of the Old Testament, and the " Merj Ibn 'Amer" of the modern Arab-drained by "that ancient river, the river Kishon." Its corn-fields and pasture-lands fell to the lot of Issachar; and became celebrated as the scene of those battles which were fatal to Sisera, Saul, and Josiah. Immediately beyond it rise the hills of Galilee, the southern roots of the Lebanon range. Prominent on the front rank stands Tabor; wooded to the summit and crowned 278 Country east of the Jordan. Sect. IV, with ruins. This broad range is picturesque in its features, abounding in wood, and diversified by long green vales stretching down to the Mediter- ranean on the one side, and the Jordan valley on the other. Here was the stronghold of some of the most powerful Canaanitish tribes; the Amorites, Hittites, and Hivites, under Hermon; and at the eastern base of the mountains near, or in the plain of Hfleh, stood Hazor their capital (Josh. xi.). This section fell to the lot of Zebulun and Naphtali; the former "' rejoicing in his goings out" towards the sea and the plain of Acre; the latter running more northward and eastward, and reaching down from the hills into the upper Jordan valley and the plain of Merom. After Galilee came Lebanon, inhabited of old by hardy, industrious, independent tribes, called Giblite8 (" literally Mountaineers"), a name still retained in the modern district Jebeil. The Metawileh have succeeded the Canaanites in the moun- tains of Galilee, while the Druzes and Maronites are the modern representa- tives of the Giblites on Lebanon. 3. The third natural division of Northern Palestine is the Jordan Valley, and its continuation the Buka'a, the ancient Ocelesyria. The fertile shores of the Sea of Galilee have been hallowed as the scenes of our Saviour's life; His home having been in Capernaum during the greater part of His ministry. The fountain of the Jordan at Tell el-Kady (" The Hill of the Judge ") marks the site of the Canaanitish city of Laish, afterwards better known as Dan (" Judge"), the border-town of Palestine. " From Dan to Beersheba" sounds familiar to every ear. The valley of Coelesyria, now the richest and best cultivated in the land, is scarcely mentioned in Bible history. It may be questioned whether the passages in Josh. xii. 7, and Amos i. 5, refer to the Bukn'a. Here two of the greatest rivers of Syria take their rise -the Orontes and Leontes-not far distant from the Cyclopean ruins of Ba'albek. 4. The country E. of the Jordan includes the ancient kingdoms of Gilead and Bashan. Seen from the W. this region is a range of purple-tinted mountains rising abruptly from the chasm of the Jordan, extending from Moab on the S. to Hermon on the N. When viewed from the E., however, the appearance is entirely different. That section S. of the Hieromax is a low irregular ridge, rising gradually from the desert-plateau on the E.; while N. of the Hieromax no ridge at all is seen; the elevated plain of Bashan breaks down into the Sea of Galilee. Nearly 4000 years ago this country was occupied by three tribes of giants-the Emim on the S., the Zuzims next, and the Rephaim on the N. (Gen. xiv. 5; Deut. ii. 9-19). These were succeeded by the Amorites, who under their two chiefs, Sihon of Heshbon, and Og of Bashan, first gave battle to the invading host of Israel. The pasture-land of Moab and Gilead, with its forests, streams, and picturesque scenery, attracted the attention of Reuben and Gad, who "had a very great multitude of cattle;" and the plain of Bashan was no less pleasing to the half-tribe of Manasseh; so that here they settled down. Gilead, which was bordered on the N. by the Hieromax, afterwards became Piera-" the land beyond" (i. e. beyond the Jordan)-so often mentioned in the New Testament and Josephus. On the N. of the mountains of Gilead spreads out the plateau of Bashan, celebrated both in ancient and modern times for its fertility. On its eastern side is a ridge of hills, covered with oaks,-the "oaks of Bashan;" and stretching out from their base towards the N.W. is a region of unparalleled wildness, dotted with the remains of strong cities now deserted. This is the Argob, "Rocky," of the Bible, in which were "threescore great cities, with walls and brazen bars" (1 Kings iv. 13); the Trachonites, " Stony," of the Greeks; and the Lejdh, "Retreat," of the modern Arabs. On the N.W. of the plain of Bashan rise the southern spurs of Hermon, also covered with oak N. PAL:gstNE. Antilebanon-1ain of Damascas 27 forests. Bashan was subsequently divided into a number of provinces, whose names are only Shemitic words with Greek terminations-Gaulanitis (Golan), Auranites (Hauran), Batanma (Bashan), and Trachonitis (Trachon). The ancient names, with the exception of the last, still remain almost unchanged in the Arabic Jaulan, Hauran, and Bathanyeh. On the N.W. of Bashan, along the base of Hermon, is a little province which originally derived its name Jetur from a son of Ishmael; this was softened by the Greeks into Iturma; but in its Arabic form, Jedur, it still pre- serves the name of Abraham's grandson. From the plain of Jediur on the one side, and the fountains of the Jordan on the other, rise the steep sides of Hermon, Jebel esh-Sheikh, "The Chief Mountain,"-the chief of all the mountains of Syria. It is not quite so lofty as the ridge of Lebanon behind the cedars; but its isolated cone, tipped with snow during the heat of summer, presents a far nobler appearance. Let those inclined to doubt this fact look at it from the top of Carmel; or from the coast of Tyre; or from the desert E. of Damascus; or from the basin of the sea of Galilee. Some one of the southern spurs of Hermon, them- selves far overtopping any of the hills of Palestine, was the scene of the Transfiguration. From Hermon as a centre radiate the ridges of Antilebanon; that to the 1. running N.E., skirting the valley of Ccelesyria, and terminating in the plain of Hums, "the land of Hamath" (2 Kings xxiii. 33); and that on the extreme rt. running eastward along the plain of Damascus and the great desert beyond, till it passes the ruins of Palmyra. Between these expanding ridges lay the Tetrarchy of Abilene (Luke iii. 1), whose capital Abila stood on the banks of the Abana. It is a region of wild mountain ranges and arid plains; the whole intersected at right angles by deep verdant valleys. One of the latter is the Helbon of Ezekiel, in whose wine the merchants of Damascus traded in the marts of Tyre (Ezek. xxvii. 18). At the eastern base of Antilebanon is the plain of Damascus, covered with foliage and verdure, the products of the rivers " Abana and Pharpar," which Naaman rightly preferred to " all the waters of Israel." In the centre is the city itself, the oldest in the world, yet still possessing all the freshness of youth. An eastern poet has described it as a diamond encircled by emeralds; and it is universally admitted by Arabian writers to be the loveliest of the four terrestrial paradises-" Gorgeous are thy palaces, fragrant are thy gardens, sweet are thy waters, O Damascus, thou Queen of the East!" The mountain region of Lebanon and Antilebanon cannot be said to belong to Palestine. Indeed that name is only strictly applicable to the "Land of the Philistines,"-the plain of the coast, with which the Greeks were first and chiefly acquainted. It was afterwards given to the interior also; but it has always been used very indefinitely. Neither Lebanon, Antilebanon, nor the intervening valley, was ever possessed by the Israelites, though all three were included in the land promised to them (Num. xxxiv.; Ezek. xlvii.). But independent of this fact, they are so closely connected in their history and physical features with Palestine, that they cannot well be separated. The following books may be consulted for the geography and history of Northern Palestine and Damascus: Ritter, ' Palistina und Syrien;' Robinson, 'Biblical Researches,' 2nd edi- tion; Stanley, ' Sinai and Palestine ;' Porter, ' Five Years in Damascus,' for Damascus, Bashan, and Lebanon; Burckhardt, ' Travels in Syria;' Irby and Mangles, ' Travels in Syria;' Mr. Cyril Graham's Papers in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Asiatic Society, &c.; Wetzstein's 'Reisebericht uber Hauran,' &c.; De Vogii, ' Les Eglises de la Terre Sainte; ' for the country E. of the Jordan. Reland's ' Palistina' is, of course, the standard on what may be called the "literature" of the geography. .Route 19.---Jerusalem to Jericho, d~e. ROUTE 19. JERUSALEM TO JERICHO, HESBAN, MsN, JERASH (GERASA), UM (GADARA), AND TIBERIAS. Jerusalem to Jericho (Rte 9) .. Ford of the Jordan .... .. Hesbin, Heshbon .. .. .. Hesban to Kerak . 16 0 Hesban to Medaba 1 45 Medaba to Um er- Rusks .... .. 6 0 Hesban to es-Salt.. 8 0 'Amman, Babbath-Ammon .. 'Amman to Jerash 10 0 Es-Salt, Bamoth-Gilead .. Jericho to es-Salt .. 9 0 Jerash, GERASA .... .. .. Castle of Rubud .... Wady YAbes, Jabesh-Gilead .. Fahil, Pella ...... Um Keis, Gadara ...... Amatha, Baths of .. .. Tarichma .. .. .. .. .. Tiberias .. .. .. .. .. Total .. 'AM- REIS El. M. 5 30 2 0 7 0 6 0 6 8 0 4 0 4 0 2 0 6 0 1 0 2 10 1 15 54 55 This route embraces the principal places of interest on the E. side of the Jordan - the royal cities of Heshbon and Rabbath-Ammon, the ruins of Gerasa, the sites of Jabesh-Gilead and Pella, and the remarkable tombs and ruins of Gadara. The whole tour to Tiberias will require 6 days' smart riding, independent of the time that may be spent in examining the ruins, which for ordinary travellers may be estimated at 3 more. Such as desire to examine satisfactorily the various objects of interest should allow at least three weeks for the work. With- in the last few years a number of travellers, including ladies, have made the tour, with the exception of Hesh- bon and Gadara; going direct from Jerusalem to es-Salt, and thence to 'Amman and Jerash. The southern section about Heshbon and the plain at the foot of the moun- tains on the Dead Sea shore, has recently been examined with great care by M. de Saulcy, and described in his beautiful work, Terre Sainte. The escort, without which it would be madness for ordinary tourists to attempt the journey, must be obtained at Jerusalem, through the Consul, or some other person of influence. The usual and best plan is to contract with a local chief, who guarantees the safety of person and property, pro- cures requisite guards, pays all bakh- shish under every name and form, pro- vides competent guides-and in return is paid a fixed sum. The sum will depend on the number and rank of the party, the time occupied, and the places visited. The tour can scarcely be made safely, as matters now stand, for less than 10,000 piastres, about 1001. During some seasons the tour is impracticable owing to war between the Arab tribes. On this point the Consul is always able to give or procure authentic information. Jerusalem to Jericho and the Ford of the Jordan, 71 hrs. (see Rte. 9). Jericho to Es-Salt, 9 hrs. (see below). The Ford of the Jordan to Hesbdn, about 7 h. The plain which lies along the E. side of the Jordan is about 5 miles wide; and is peculiarly inte- resting as the place where the Israel- ites encamped before crossing the Jordan into the promised land. "They departed from the mountains of Aba- rim, and pitched in the plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho." Some section of that rugged mountain range now before us must have been the Abarim here referred to. It could not have been very far distant from Hesh- bon to the S., and would thus bear S.E. from the ford of the Jordan. The position of the camp of the Israelites Sect. IV. 280 N. PALSTINE..oute 19.--Helshbon.28 is given by the historian: " They pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth unto Abel-shittim" (Num. xxi. and xxxiii.). We cross the Jordan by a ford nearly due east of Jericho, and then turn S.E. towards the mouth of Wady Hesban, which is seen at the distance of some five miles. The plain is at first comparatively barren, but becomes rich, and well-watered. There is an abundant vegetation of semi-tropical plants, among which turtle-doves, rollers, and other birds find a fitting home. At the northern border of this oasis are the ruins of Keferein, cover- ing a considerable space, and well watered, but possessing nothing of interest. Tristram would identify it with Abel-Shittim, which marked Qne of the extremities of the Israelitish camp. There is no evidence for this. On reaching the mouth of Wady Hesban we observe on its left bank a tell with some traces of ruins. It is called Ramah, and from it the glen is sometimes called Wady Ramah. There can be little doubt that this is the site of Beth-aram, a town of Gad (Josh. xiii. 27), also called Beth-haran (Num. xxxii. 36). Jerome describes it as lying east of Jericho on the road to Heshbon. From this point we commence our long ascent of the Moab mountains, now called el-Belka-a bare grey ridge, which rises abruptly from the plain of the Jordan, and the bosom of the Dead Sea southwards, and is deeply furrowed by mountain torrents. It must have been down this very pass, through glen, and along rugged hill- side, that the Israelites pressed forward to the Jordan valley, after they had conquered Gilead and Bashan (comp. Num. xxi. and xxii. 1). After ascend- ing some 3000 ft. we come out on a wide irregular table-land, diversified with undulating downs, low ridges, and stony tells; partially covered with grass such as is rarely met with in Western Palestine, except among the hills of Galilee, and on the ridge of Carmel. We now see the pasture- lands which Reuben and Gad deter- mined to make their home. A fatiguing ride of 7 hrs. from the Jordan brings us at length to the ruins of Heshbon. HESHBON, now Hesbdn, stands on a little hill which rises considerably above the undulating plateau, and has a streamlet running past its eastern base. On its flattened top are traces of some public building of the Roman age-perhaps a Forum. In an archi- tectural and antiquarian point of view there is little here worthy of no- tice. The space occupied by the ruins is more than a mile in circuit, but not a building remains entire, and the old walls are almost completely prostrate, though their circuit can be traced. Towards the western part is a singular structure, whose walls exhibit the workmanship of successive ages-the massive stones of the Jewish period, the sculptured cornice of the Roman era, and the light arch of the Saracens. Some prostrate columns around it are remarkable for the way in which the joints of their shafts were made to set into each other; and likewise for the fantastic style of their capitals. There are many cisterns among the heaps of rubbish; and towards the S., a few min. from the base of the hill, is a large ancient reservoir, which may call to mind the passage in the Song of Solomon --" Thine eyes are like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim" (vii. 4). A commanding view is obtained from the summit of the hill, extending on the S. to the mountains that sur- round Kerak; on the E. across the desert plain of Moab as far as the eye can see; on the N. to the wooded heights of 'Ajlfmn; and on the W. to the hill country of Judea, where Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Frank mountain may be distinguished. A number of interesting sites, too, are within view. Through a depression on the W. we look down into the Jordan valley, and obtain a glimpse of the Dead Sea. Some 2 m. to the S. are the ruins of Main, the ancient Baal-meon which the Reubenites re- built (Num. xxxii. 38). Away be- yond it, a little to the rt., rises the N. PALrsE. 281 8Route 19.-HeeAdn to Kerak. barren peak of Attarfis, which is generally (but incorrectly) supposed to be Nebo. Far away on the S.E., some 15 or 20 m. off, may be seen the tower of Um-Rusas. A little over a mile N. by E. on the summit of a high tell is el-'A1, the Elealeh of Scripture; and to the 1. of it, away on the distant horizon, the eye can just distinguish the outline of the commanding castle of es-Salt, the ancient Ramoth-Gilead. Heshbon is chiefly celebrated in history as the capital of Sihon king of the Amorites, who was the first to give battle to the Israelites. The gigantic Emims were the aborigines of this land; but they were dispos- sessed by the Moabites, who were in their turn driven out by the Amorites under Sihon (Deut. ii.). The Israel- ites advanced from the S.E. round the territory of Moab; and on reaching the border of Sihon's kingdom at the river Arnon they apparently passed on and encamped beside Pisgah. From hence they sent an embassy to Sihon, requesting permission to pass through his country, and promising in case of compliance to abstain from all acts of injury. The request was re- fused, and Sihon marched against the Israelites to Jazer, which must have been situated a short distance S. of Heshbon. He was routed, and the victory was decisive, for his kingdom was immediately overrun, as well as that of his ally, Og king of Bashan (Num. xxi.; Deut. ii. and iii.). Hesh- bon stood on the border between the tribes of Reuben and Gad, but was assigned to the Levites in the terri- tory of the former (Josh. xxi. 39). After the captivity of the 10 tribes, Heshbon was taken possession of by the Moabites, and hence it is men- tioned in the prophetic denunciations against Moab (Is. xv. 4; Jer. xlviii. 2, 34, 45). In the 4th centy. of our era it was still a place of some conse- quence. It has now been for centuries deserted. The "pools" of Heshbon are dry, her palaces are fallen, her walls are in the dust, her fields are waste, and her rich pastures are devoured by the flocks of the wander- ing Bedawy. Hesbdn to Kerak (1ir 1ttoab), 16 hrs, -There is scarcely enough of interest in the direct route from Hesban to Kerak to repay the fatigue and danger of a journey through the wild and in- hospitable mountains of Moab. The Arab tribes who inhabit them have been found by most travellers who have ventured among them, faithless, rapacious, and cruel. They possess in fact all the bad qualities of both Bedawin and villagers, without a single redeeming one as a set-off. Yet still, if some trustworthy escort could be procured, a zigzag exploring tour through the highlands of Moab would not be devoid of interest; and would have at any rate the charm of novelty. I shall indicate the distances in the direct route to Kerak-nothing beyond this is yet known. The direct road passes at 45 min. the ruins of Ma'in, Baal-meon, situ- ated, like those of Hesban and el-'A1, on an eminence. An extensive view is gained from this point; but there is another peak a little distance west- ward, which commands the whole Jordan valley from the base of the Moab mountains to Jericho, and also the Dead Sea. The position of Baal- meon, the name (" The habitations of Baal"), and the commanding views gained from the neighbouring peaks, would seem to show that here are the very " high places of Baal" to which Balak king of Moab led Balaam, that "he might see the utmost part of the people," and curse them for him (Num. xxii. 41). Balak met Balaam on the banks of the Arnon; he led him thence to Kirjath-huzoth (" the Town of Streets"), which may perhaps be identical with the ruin Kureiy&t (" the Towns"), situated at the southern base of Jebel Att&rfis and then on the next day Balak brought the prophet to "the high places of Baal," that he might obtain a full view of the Israelites. Such as have the good fortune to reach this spot will read with renewed interest the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th chapters of Numbers, as they look from "the high places of Moab" upon the same landscape Sect. IV. 282 N. PAU~STIt, Route 19.-Warm Stprings of Callirrhoe. which lay before the Assyrian prophet, as he stood by the burning sacrifices of Baal, with the king and princes of Moab around him:-- He watch'd till morning's ray On lake and meadow lay, And willow-shaded streams, that silent sweep Amid their banner'd lines, Where, by their several signs, The desert-wearied tribes in sight of Canaan sleep." It was to the same mountain range of Abarim (Num. xxxiii. 47) that Moses went up from the plains of Moab, according to God's command; and it was on the top of one of these peaks he stood when he obtained his first and last view of the Promised Land. Northward his eye glanced over "all the land of Gilead" to the snow-tipped peak of Hermon. Turn- ing westward, he saw on the horizon the hills of Naphtali; and nearer, "the land of Ephraim and Manasseh." Immediately opposite was "all the land of Judah," beyond which lay "the utmost sea ;" and on the 1. was the hill country sinking into the desert of" the south." Below him lay "the plain of the valley of Jericho," with its palm-trees; and the chasm of the Dead Sea stretching southward to Zoar. Having taken a last look at the " Land of Promise," a last look at the tents of his people, and having bid a last farewell to Eleazar and Joshua, "Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the Land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley of the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor" (Deut. xxxiv.). The peak of Nebo, the exact position of which has remained so long un- known, or at least unsatisfactorily in- dicated, appears at last to have been absolutely identified by De Saulcy. When marching south-west from Hes- ban his attention was fixed on a pro- minent peak a little to the right, and on the very brow of the table-land, commanding the valley and the whole region beyond it. He asked the name of the peak. The immediate reply of the Arab chief was Jebel Neba, " Mount Nebo." It thus appears that the ancient name still clings to the spot. We shall be all the more satisfied with this discovery when we find it confirmed by some future less enthusiastic traveller. (See Terre Sainte, i. 289.) Around the ruins of Ma'in is a fer- tile plain, still cultivated by the Arabs; and this affords an additional argument for the identification of this place with Pisgah. Balak is said to have brought Balaam "into the culti- vated field (the Hebrew has this mean- ing) of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah" (Num. xxiii. 14). Continuing S. by W. across the plain for more than 3 hrs. we reach Wady Zurka Ma'in, through which flows a stream fringed by a thicket of oleanders. Some 6 or 7 m. farther down this valley are the warm fountains of Callirrhoe already mentioned (Rte. 9). A Roman road leads to them from Ma'in (4j hrs.), passing some remarkable and very ancient tombs, about 1 m. from that place, and afterwards winding down the valley. Callirrhoe is thus described by Irby and Mangles, who visited it in 1818. " Looking down into the valley of Callirrhoe, it presents some grand and romantic features. The rocks vary between red, grey, and black, and have a bold and imposing appear- ance. The whole bottom is filled, and in a manner choked, with a crowded thicket of canes and aspens of different species, intermixed with the palm, which is also seen rising in tufts in the recesses of the mountain's side, and in every place where the springs issue. In one place a considerable stream of hot water is seen precipitating itself from a high and perpendicular shelf of rock, which is strongly tinted with the brilliant yellow of the sulphur de- posited upon it. On reaching the bottom we found ourselves on what may be termed a hot river, so copious and rapid is it, and its heat so little abated; this continues as it passes downwards, by its receiving constant supplies of water of the same tempera- ture ...... We passed 4 abund- ant springs, all within the distance of 283 Route 19.---The Arnon. i m., discharging themselves into the stream. We judged the distance from the Dead Sea by the ravine to be about 1 h. . . . The whole surface of the shelf, where the springs are, is strewed over with tiles and broken pottery; and, what is most surprising, within very few minutes, without any particular search, 4 ancient copper medals were found; all were too much defaced to be distinguished, but they appeared to be Roman." For the appearance of the chasm at the shore of the Dead Sea, see Rte. 9. After crossing Wady Zurka Ma'in we have Jebel Attarfis about 1 m. on the rt., a barren isolated peak, with a heap of stones and a large tree on its sum- mit. It is too far S. to be the Nebo of Scripture; and the fact of its being the loftiest hill in this region forms no argument in its favour, for not a word is said in the Bible regarding the height of Nebo. At the southern base of the hill is the ruin Kureiyat, evidently the Kirjathaim of Gen. xiv. 5, and Num. xxxii. 37; and probably, as has been stated above, the Kirjath- huzoth to which Balak first brought Balaam. The road now traverses a barren plain for about 2 h. 30 min. to the ra- vine of Waleh. The pavement and milestones of the Roman road are here and there visible; and one of the latter bears the name of Severus (A.D. 222- 35). In the wady is a ruined Roman bridge of 5 arches, with other ruins near it. About a mile farther up is a little knoll in the centre of the valley, crowned with some very ancient ruins and a more modern tomb. In 1 h. 45 min. more are the remains of Dhiban, the Dibon of the Bible. This was one of the stations of the Israelites in their advance to Palestine (Num. xxxiii. 45). It was rebuilt by the tribe of Gad (xxxii. 34), and finally assigned to Reuben. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah afterwards mention it among the towns of Moab (Isaiah xv.; Jer. xlviii. 18, 22). In 1 h. from Dibon we reach the brow of Wady Mbjib, the ancient Arnon. It has cut deeply into the limestone strata, and has left on each side precipitous banks of naked rock. Here on the very brink of the precipice are the ruins of Ara'ir, in which we recognise that AROER which stood" by the brink of the river Arnon," at the southern extremity of the country con- quered by the Israelites (Deut ii. 36, iv. 48; Josh. xiii. 9). It was the same Aroer which was "before Rabbah," and beside which, "toward Jazer," Joab first pitched his tent when David ordered him to "number Israel" (Num. xxxii. 34; 2 Sam. xxiv. 5). The valley, when viewed from this spot, "looks like a deep chasm, formed by some tremendous convulsion of the earth, into which there seems no possi- bility of descending to the bottom. The distance from the edge of one pre- cipice to that of the opposite one is about 2 m. in a straight line." The bottom of the valley, through which the little stream runs, is a narrow ver- dant strip of level ground, about 40 yds. across. In Josh. xiii. 9, we find the somewhat puzzling sentence, "From Aroer that is upon the bank of the river Arnmen, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon." There must therefore have been some town or "fortress" (Air) in the bed of the Amernon, at or near to Aroer. There is no trace of any, nor indeed is there room for one, at this spot; but Burck- hardt states that about 1 h. eastward, at the junction of Wady Lejim with the Arnon, there is a level tract of pasture-ground, "in the midst of which stands a hill with some ruins upon it;" and this may probably be the site of "the city that is in the midst of the river." In descending from the ruins of Aroer to the bottom of the wady, Burckhardt observed a thing which is characteristic of the country and of the place ;-" Upon many large blocks by the side of the path I saw heaps of small stones, placed there as a sort of weapon for the traveller in case of need. No Arab passes without add- ing a few stones to these heaps." The Sect. I*V 284 Route 19.-The Arnon. pass is, in fact, reckoned one of the worst in the country; and robbers often waylay travellers, concealing themselves behind the rocks until their prey is close upon them. The stone-heaps ready at hand must prove a most effective weapon in such a case against Bedawin armed with clubs, or at most a sword and a boar-spear. I have seen similar heaps, and for simi- lar objects, in one or two of the passes of Syria. The traces of the Roman road and milestones are seen both in descending and ascending. The river is passed by a bridge with a single arch 31 ft. in span and 28 ft. in height, but of comparatively recent construc- tion. The crossing of this difficult ravine occupies about 1 h. 45 min., and fortunate is the traveller who is not stripped in the interval, as Seetzen was. The AnnoN was the boundary be- tween Moab and the Amorites in the days of Moses. It was upon its north- ern bank the Israelites first encamped after they had come round the eastern side of Moab; and it subsequently formed the southern frontier of their territory on this side of the river. What from " Dan to Beersheba" was on the W., " from the river Arnon un- to Mount Hermon" was upon the E. of the Jordan (Num. xxi. 13, 26; Deut. iii. 8, 16; Josh. xii. 1). As we cross this wild pass aid see the dreary desolation of the country around, we may call to mind the solemn and beautiful language of Isaiah: "For it shall be that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon." The heads of the wady stretch out into the eastern plain; but except during the brief winter rains no water flows into it from that arid region. The stream of the Mojeb during summer is very small. It enters the Dead Sea through a chasm in the sandstone rock not more than 100 ft. wide, while the almost perpen- dicular sides range from 100 to 400 ft. in height. On reaching the southern bank of Wady Mojeb we have, spreading out on each side, the plateau of Moab, strewn here and there with blocks of basalt. About a mile to the right is the isolated peak of Shihn, with a ruined village on its summit. The Roman road is almost perfect in places -the pavement, the walls on each side, the milestones; everything, in fact, but the traffic. A singular trait of Arab character is given by Burckhardt at this place. After a long and dreary day's march he and his guide found some shepherds who guided them to the tents of their tribe behind a hill near the road. They alighted at the tent of the sheikh; were hospitably received; a lamb was killed for them; and a friend of the family did the honours. It was only the next morning when leaving the camp they were informed that the poor sheikh himself was dying of a wound he had received a few days before from the thrust of a lance. Such was the hospitality of the Arabs, and their attention to the comforts of strangers they had never seen before, that they would not even tell their visitors of their affliction lest it should prevent them from enjoying their evening re- past and a night's rest. And yet it may be that same chief had got his death wound in trying to strip some other wayfarer who had the mis- fortune to be beyond the strict bounds of hospitality ! Two hrs. from the Arnon are the ruins of Beit el-Kurm (" The house of the Vineyard"), a name which re- minds us of Isaiah's prediction regard- ing this land: "Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah. . . . in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting; the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease" (xvi.). The vineyards that gave their name to this ruin have disappeared; and for many miles around there is not a settled inha- bitant. The soil, however, is fer- tile, and patches of corn are cultivated 285 N. PALESTINE. Route 19.--Hesbdn to Mddeba. by the people of Kerak. Here are the ruins of a temple, 100 ft. by 90, with a portico of 4 columns. RABBATH-MOAB, now called Rabba, is 2 h. from Beit el-Kurm. The ruins are about 1 m. in circumference, and are situated on a low hill commanding a view over the plains of Moab. Here are the prostrate remains of some temples and other structures, possess- ing little interest in themselves, but historically important as the site of An (which means "city"), the ancient capital of Moab (Deut. ii. 9, 29). There was an old proverbial ex- pression, well known in the days of the Hebrew prophets, descriptive of the conquest of Moab by the Amorites, under Sihon their king. "There is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon" (Num. xxi. 28; Jer. xlviii. 45). A prophecy of Isaiah, as explained by Jerome, is also worthy of notice : "In the night Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence" (xv. 1); on which Jerome, comment- ing, states, "I have heard from a cer- tain Areopolitan that one night during my infancy there was a great earth- quake, which laid prostrate the whole walls of this city." This occurred in the year A.D. 315. Eusebius informs us that it was also called Rabbath- Moab-hence its modern name Rabba; it likewise received from the Greeks the more euphonious appellation of Areopolis. It became an episcopal see, and, after the fall of Petra, the metropolis of the province of Palestina Tertia. It has now been for centuries desolate. In fact, at the present time there seem to be only four inhabited places within the territory of Moab- Kerak, Ketherabba, 'Orak, and Khan- zireh-the 3 last mere hamlets (Rte. 4); and Kerak itself has only 3000 Inhab. From Rabba to Kerak is 2 hrs. (For Kerak, see Rte. 4.) Such as desire to pass round the S. end of the Dead Sea, without throwing them- selves into the hands of the Kerak robbers, may descend the mountains from Rabba to the S.W. The plain at the ruins of Zoar, near the neck of the peninsula, can thus be reached in about 8 hrs.; the road leading down a wild ravine called Wady Beni Hemad. The remainder of the way round the southern end of the Dead Sea and through the wilderness to Hebron is described in Rte. 4. Hesbdn to Mddeba and Um er-Rusds. -Madeba is 1 h. 45 min. from Hesbin, towards the S.E. An ancient paved road united thein. The ruins of Ma- deba occupy a little hill, and are about 12 m. in circumference. Every building is now prostrate, but some foundations - remain, and immense quantities of building-stones. The only objects of interest are a vast cistern, and the ruins of a temple apparently of high antiquity. Two Doric columns remain standing. This is the site of the ancient Moab- itish city Medeba, assigned with its plain to the tribe of Reuben (Num. xxi. 30; Josh. xiii. 9, 16). It was on this plain before Medeba that Joab, the general of King David, defeated the armies of the Ammonites and Syrians, and signally revenged the insults offered to the Jewish ambas- sadors, the half of whose beards and robes Hanun King of Ammon had clipped off (1 Chron. xix.). Medeba reverted to the Moabites at the cap- tivity; and became an episcopal see in the early ages of Christianity. From Madeba to Um er-Rusas (" The Mother of Lead") is about 6 hrs., over a plain dotted with ancient ruined towns and villages. Traces of a Roman road are visible nearly the whole way. The ruins of Urn er-Rusas are very extensive, but apparently not of remote antiquity. A high square tower, the crumbled fragments of the town walls, and the foundations of private houses ranged along the straight streets, are all that remain, and these of themselves are not worth a day's journey. They may however form a good station for those who would explore the plain of Moab, which in this direction is a terra in- cognita. 286 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 19.--He8bd n to e8-Salt. Before turning northward from the "land of Moab," now so bleak, so desolate, so inhospitable, we may call to mind two events in its early history which will for ever invest it with a sacred interest. Moab was the native country of the affectionate Ruth; and in crossing its borders to follow her widowed and childless mother-in-law she uttered the memorable words, "Entreat me not to leave thee . . . . for whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried" (Ruth i. 16, 17). From that loving daughter of Moab sprung David, and David's greater SoN. Some 250 yrs. later the family of David found a refuge from the persecutions of Saul among their kinsmen the Moabites: "And David went to Mizpeh of Moab ; and he said unto the king of Moab, I'Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.' And he brought them before the king of Moab; and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold" (1 Sam. xxii. 3, 4). Hesbdn to es-Salt direct-8 hrs. The only place of interest on this road is a remarkable ruin called 'Arak el-Emir, 4 hrs. from Hesban, which has been visited by Irby and Mangles, and more recently by De Saulcy and Tristram. Mr. Tristram gives the following description :-" It stands in a small open area surrounded by hills, with an oleander-fringed stream run- ning through the midst, and five scarped cliffs protecting it on two sides. .... . We went to visit Hyr- canus' Castle, a noble relic of anti- quity. The remains of a massive wall may be traced, with a deep fosse, en- closing an enceinte of about 12 acres, in the centre of which stands the castle. There is a very large entrance gateway, with a raised causeway lead- ing from it direct to the fortress. This gateway is built of stones of very large size with the Jewish bevel, and the face of each stone rough ashlar dressed. The frieze of this portal is Ionic, and is formed of enormous slabs of stone. One which we measured was 20 ft. by 10. "The castle itself has been about 150 ft. by 60 ft. in extent, with a co- lonnade in front, and there are many fragments of pillars, some fluted and others plain, strewn about. Only a portion of the front wall has stood the test of more than 2000 years, but this is in wonderful preservation. It is composed of great slabs. One in situ measured 15 ft. by 10 ft. high; an- other, prostrate, was 20 ft. long. These stones have been bound together, not by lime or clamps, but by numerous square knobs or bolts left in the different sides of the stone, which fitted tightly into corresponding sockets cut to re- ceive them in the next block. Many loopholes for archery provided for the defence of the place. About 20 ft. from the basement runs a beading of Doric orniaments, and above this a colossal frieze, 12 ft. high, formed of enormous slabs, with lions sculp- tured in alto relievo of colossal size. . . . . Over these has been a Doric entablature and frieze, but this has been thrown down, as also have been many of the lions. "Passing from this interesting re- cord of Jewish history, we went half a mile northwards, up to the rock- dwellings and stables of Hyrcanus. The ancient road to these is marked by a double row of square stones, three feet apart, and each perforated, as if for a running bar or rail. When we had reached the cliff, on the base- ment, among many other once inha- bited caves, we examined one, which had been a noble square hall, with roof artificially hollowed out, and a plain cornice running round it. By the side of the square doorway, out- side, was a mutilated Hebrew inscrip- tion, in the old or Samaritan character, which we copied. "A zigzag slope above this leads to a long range of caves. On the first floor is a great cave, with stabling for 100 horses, the mangers running round it, all cut out of the solid rock. Pass- ing in front of this, on a narrow ledge, 287 Route 19.-Rabbath-Ammon. we came to a series of artificial cham- bers and rock-dwellings, several of them connected, and the interior ones quite dark. One suite of dark apart- ments, in one of which was a deep well, was only accessible by a trap-door, the hole for which had been hewn deeply through the rock from above. . At the western end of the cliffs are some enormous slabs, cut down at right angles to it, and deeply indented with square chequers, several score in number."-(Land of Israel, pp. 529 seq.) There can be little doubt that this is the site of the palace erected by Hyrcanus, son of Josephus Tobias, farmer of the taxes in Judaea under Ptolemy Lagus. Josephus the Jewish historian's account of it agrees in every respect with the description given above. Hyrcanus, being a younger son, was driven away from Jerusalem by the partisans of his elder brother, and obliged to settle " beyond the Jordan, not far from Heshbon." Here he erected a strong castle, and had animals of great size sculptured on its walls. He excavated long ranges of caves, in which he dwelt for greater security. These remains are important as showing the style of architecture in this land early in the 2nd centy. B.C. Hesbdn to 'Ammdn, "Rabbath-Am- mon," about 6 hrs. 2 h. from Hesban are the ruins of el-'A1 (" The High "), so called, from its commanding situa- tion on the summit of a rounded hill. It was formerly surrounded by a well- built wall, of which fragments yet re- main. The interior is a mass of ruins, exhibiting here and there crumbling walls, foundations of houses, and large cisterns, half-filled with rubbish. El- 'Al is the ELEALEH of Scripture, men- tioned in connection with Heshbon and placed by Jerome 1 Roman m. from the latter (Num. xxxii. 3, 37). As we stand on the hill-top and look down on its prostrate ruins, and abroad on its deserted fields, we recall the beautiful language of Isaiah: " I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for alarm is come upon thy summer fruits, and thy harvest is fallen" (xvi. 9). It is indeed a place of alarm; and fortunate will be the traveller who gets away from it with- out some adventure. A short distance N. of El-'A1 we enter the territory of the tribe of Gad, which extended hence northward to the Jabbok. The road to 'Amman leads across the plateau, now bare and deserted, but still capable of cultiva- tion, and during the spring and early summer months covered with grass. Ruined towns are seen in every direc- tion, generally situated on low hills. RABBATH-AMMoN, Philadelphia, now 'Amman.-The ruins of this ancient city are situated in a dreary valley on both sides of a little stream which in winter becomes a torrent. The source of the stream is a short distance to the W. of the site, and the water flows eastward. Nearly opposite the foun- tain another valley comes in from the N.; and on its eastern side, at the point of junction, rises up an isolated rugged hill, on which stands the citadel commanding the town, and capable itself of separate defence. The aspect of the whole place is desolate in the extreme. The place is offensive too from its filth. The abundant waters attract the vast flocks that roam over the neighbouring plains; and the deserted palaces and temples afford shelter to them during the noon- day heat; so that most of the build- ings have something of the aspect and stench of an ill-kept farm-yard. We shall commence our examination of the several buildings that call for particular notice at the western ex- tremity near the fountain. The first structure that calls attention is a small temple or mausoleum, square without and circular within. It is ornamented with Corinthian pilasters and a chaste cornice. The niches in the interior are well finished. The next building is a large Christian church, with a square tower, in excellent preserva- tion; this was doubtless the cathedral of Philadelphia. A few paces farther down on the banks of the stream are Sect. IV. 288 N. PALESTINE. Route 19.--Blabbath-Ammon-the Theatre. the ruins of a temple or church, of which a portion of the side walls, and the niche or shrine, alone remain standing. Proceeding along the stream, we reach the remains of a portico, or public promenade. On the side next the river is a curved wall supported by round towers; while on the other side is a range of Corinthian columns, of which 4 still stand without their capitals. From the ruins and frag- ments of columns that strew the ground, it would seem that this struc- ture extended considerably to the N. The river, in its whole course through the city, is confined, like the Barada at Damascus, within a channel of ma- sonry; and its bed was once paved. It is generally not more than 15 to 20 ft. wide, but it is filled with little fish that are everywhere seen sporting about through the clear water. Some distance below the portico an ancient bridge of a single arch, still entire, spans the stream. Crossing this, we proceed a few hundred paces south- ward and reach the noblest ruin of 'Amman- The Theatre.-This building is one of the largest in Syria. It is placed against the side of the southern hill, and part of it is excavated in the rock. The front is open, and was ornamented by a Corinthian colonnade, of which 8 columns remain, surmounted by their entablature. When complete there must have been at least 50 columns. They are about 15 ft. high; and, though not in the purest style, have a striking and indeed beautiful appearance. Within is an arena of horseshoe form, 128 ft. in diameter. Round this are ranged 43 rows of seats, separated into 3 tiers by broad passages, and approached by 7 flights of steps. The second tier of benches has doors communicating with an arched passage behind, which opens upon side staircases. In the centre of the uppermost bench is excavated a square chamber, with an ornamental cornice, and a niche of a shell pattern on each side. This vast building must have been capable of accommodating more than 6000 spectators: as seen [Syria and Palestine.] from below, it is one of the most striking ruins in Syria. The broken portico springing from the confused heaps of shattered columns, capitals, and architraves that strew the ground; the graceful curves of the tiers of benches; and the gray cliffs of the mountain-side rising over all, form a picture seldom equalled. Not far distant is another smaller theatre or Odeum; but it is little more than a heap of ruins. The 3 arched doorways are perfect; and the stage may be traced, though encumbered with the debris of the fallen roof. The proscenium is handsomely ornamented with a Corinthian frieze and cornice, in good preservation. Recrossing the bridge, we observe, a little to the rt., the remains of a temple, consisting of a part of a wall with several chastely sculptured niches, and some shafts of a portico. The whole space to the rt. for nearly 4 m. farther is covered with the ruins of private houses intermixed with columns; but there is nothing worthy of particular notice : we therefore pro- ceed direct to the citadel. The Citadel is a rectangular oblong building of great extent. The exterior walls are nearly perfect, and are con- structed of massive stones closely jointed, without cenment, bearing the marks of high antiquity. The foun- dations of the wall are placed some- what below the crest of the hill, and on the N. side the rock is scarped, and a deep ditch cut through it so as com- pletely to isolate the fortress. The walls do not appear to have ever risen much above the level of the sum- mit within, which is now covered with the ruins of ancient structures. Among these is a temple once adorned with a portico and peristyle of Corin- thian columns, whose fragments lie around it; and a large square struc- ture, of the form of a Greek cross within, which appears to have been a church of the late Byzantine age. Several large and deep cisterns may also be seen. Such is the royal city of Ammon; its temples, palaces, theatres, tombs, o 289 Route 19.--'Ammdn to es-Salt. all alike desolate, and defiled by the flocks that seek a temporary shelter beneath their tottering walls, and by the mangled carcases and bleached bones of animals that have fallen to rise no more. Jackals prowl around it; vultures hover over it; but no, human being seeks a home within it. Few will look upon this scene of almost unparalleled desolation with- out calling to mind the language of prophecy: "Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and pro- hesy against them. I will make abbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching-place for flocks; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. . . Behold, therefore, I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will de- liver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people; and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries : I will destroy thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord." (Ezek. xxv. 2, 5, 7. See also Jer. xlix. 1-6). The History of Babbath-Ammon embraces that of the Ammonites them- selves. The Ammonites and Moabites were brethren, descended from Lot, and thus allied by blood to the Israel- ites. These 2 nations drove out the gigantic aboriginal inhabitants from the country E. of the Dead .Sea and the Jordan. But they were them- selves expelled by the Amorites from a portion of this territory, embracing the western declivities, and a section of the plateau between the Arnon and the Jabbok. (Num. xxi.; Deut. ii.) This portion became the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben and Gad; while the Ammonites retained the plain from Rabbah eastward. On the captivity of the 10 tribes Moab and Ammon regained their ancient possessions, and the border between them appears to have been a little N. of Heshbon. Rabbath-Ammon is first mentioned in Deut. iii. 11, as the place where the iron bedstead of the giant king of Bashan was deposited. But it is chiefly celebrated for the siege it stood against the Israelites under Joab, during which the unsuspecting Uriah was slain through the contrivance of king David. Our survey of the site enables us to understand the parti- culars of the siege; and the 11th and 12th chapters of 2 Sam. will be read here with new interest. Joab on his first attack took "the city of the waters ;" that is, evidently, the lower town situated along the banks of the river. But the citadel still held out; therefore messengers were sent to David asking for a reinforcement, and the presence of the king himself; "lest," says Joab, "I take the city and it be called by my name." David marched with an army, and the citadel fell; "and he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones, and it was set on David's head : and he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance." In the 3rd centy. B.C. the city was rebuilt by Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, and called Philadelphia, under which name it is frequently mentioned by Greek and Roman writers. In the early centuries of our era it was the seat of a bishopric; and remained a strong and prosperous city until the conquest of Syria by the Saracens; but it was very soon afterwards, like many others, ruined and deserted. 'Amman to Jerash, Gerasa-10 hrs. For 2 hrs. we traverse an undulating plain, with excellent pasturage and many ruins; then the road enters the forest of Gilead. The trees are at first thinly scattered over the downs, but they become thicker as we advance. The scenery is in places picturesque and even beautiful, presenting a marked contrast to the bleak plateau of Moab. 'Ammdn to es-Salt-6 hrs. The road to es-Salt continues across the plain for nearly 2 hrs., within view of several ruined villages. It then enters among pleasant hills, covered with oak-forests, and diversified with some rich vales. These are the hills of Gilead. Traces of a Roman road may be observed here and there on this 290 Sect. IV. BRoute 19.-Ramoth-Gilead. route. In about 4 hrs. we pass the ruined town of el-Fuhais, to which the inhabitants of Salt come to culti- vate the neighbouring fields. Not far to the S. of this place is another ruin called el-Khanduk. Leaving Fuhais, we cross Wady Ezrak, then a ridge, from which we see es-Salt a short distance in front, occupying the sum- mit and sides of a conspicuous hill beyond a ravine. Jericho to es-Salt- about 9 hrs. Such as intend only to include 'Am- man and Jerash in their tour E. of the Jordan will proceed direct from Jericho to es-Salt, thence to 'Amman, and thence to Jerash. A day is thus saved; but Hesban and the interest- ing region around it are missed. The road from Jericho to es-Salt leads across the plain of the Jordan in a N.E. direction to a ford about 5 m. distant. Passing the river here, it runs in nearly the same line over the plain E. of the river. Not far on the rt., about 2 m. from the Jordan, are the ruins of Nimrim, the ancient Beth- Nimrah, one of the cities of the Amor- ites, rebuilt by the tribe of Gad. It is situated on the banks of a little stream, amidst a tangled thicket of dom, zizyphus, caper, and other trees and shrubs. Heaps of ruins, and some foundations of old buildings, alone mark the site of the city. The mas- sive Jewish masonry, and solid Roman walls, which are seen so frequently in other places, are not found here. In passing over the deserted plain and the prostrate ruins we recall the words of the prophet: "For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate; for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing." (Num. xxxii. 36; Josh. xiii. 27; Isa. xv. 6.) The road soon strikes up the bare mountain-side, but on approach- ing es-Salt it enters the oak forests of Gilead. Es - SALT, RAMOTH - GILEAD. - The situation of this town is strong and picturesque. The castle occupies the summit of a hill, on whose declivity the houses are ranged. The hill is in a great measure isolated from the loftier mountains around it, having on the E. and W. deep ravines which unite on the S., and form a tributary to Wady Sha'ib. The declivities are carefully terraced, and the whole neighbourhood abounds in vineyards and olive-groves. The raisins of es- Salt are among the best in Syria. The inhabitants also cultivate the soil and raise abundant crops of wheat and barley in the fertile vales of Gilead. Most of their fields, however, are miles distant from the town; and conse- quently during the harvest a great number of the people encamp for weeks in the open country, while en- gaged in cutting and " treading out" their corn. This indeed is the ordi- nary practice of the villagers in most parts of Syria, and it reminds the traveller of the romantic story of Boaz and Ruth. (Ruth iii.) The population of es-Salt, accord- ing to Burckhardt, consists of about .400 Mohammedan and 80 Christian families of the Greek Church; and will thus number 3000 souls. They are courageous and well armed; and, having a strong position, they can, when occasion requires it, defy both Bedawin and Turks. They are cele- brated for their hospitality, expending large sums on the entertainment of strangers; but they are still somewhat jealous of Frank visitors. In the town itself there is nothing to call the atten- tion of the traveller except the ruins of an old mosque. In the sides of the hill are many grottoes excavated in the rock, and beside the fountain of Jedur, z m. distant, is one of great size. The citadel or castle on the summit of the hill is the most con- spicuous object. It is a rectangular building with towers at the corners, surrounded by a moat hewn in the rock. The lower part of the walls is built of large stones, and appears to be more ancient than Saracenic times. The whole however was repaired during the past centy. by Dhaher ibn 'Omer, the predecessor of the infamous Jezzar Pasha in the government of Acre. From the interior of the castle o2 N. PALESTINE. 291 R2oute 19.-Mount Gilead. there is said to be a secret passage to a fountain in the midst of the town. The first mention of the name Salt in history occurs in the beginning of the 6th centy., in the Synecdemus of Hierocles, under the Greek form Salton. It is mentioned as one of the towns of Palestina Tertia. In the Notitiaz Ecclesiastiew it is also found as a bishop's see, with the important addi- tion of Hieraticus ("Sacerdotal") to the name Saltus. This suggests its identity with one of the Levitical cities of the tribe of Gad ; and other circumstances render it highly probable, if not entirely certain, that it is Ramoth-Gilead, which was not only a Levitical city, but also one of the three cities of refuge beyond Jordan. Ramoth signifies "Heights," a name which applies well to the position of es-Salt. It is strongly corroborative also of this view, that beside es-Salt rises the loftiest peak of the mountain range E. of the Jordan, which is called to the present day both Jebel Jil'ad, "Mount Gilead," and Jebel es-Salt. Eusebius, too, states that Ramoth-Gilead was a sacerdotal city of the tribe of Gad, still existing in his day, and situated in the 15th m. from Philadelphia ('Amman) to- wards the W. This agrees precisely with the position of es-Salt. Here, then, without much doubt, we have the Ramoth-Gilead first mentioned in Deut. iv. 43, as a city of refuge in the tribe of Gad. It became afterwards celebrated as the scene of some im- portant events in Jewish history. Having been captured by the Syrians, Ahab king of Israel invited Jehosha- phat king of Judah to unite with him in an attempt to regain it. The two kings with their armies crossed the Jordan and attacked the Syrians; but Ahab was slain and the Israelites de- feated ([ Kings xxii). About 14 yrs. afterwards a second attack was made upon this city by the united forces of Israel and Judah; but they were again unsuccessful, and Joram king of Israel was badly wounded (2 Kings x.). The great strength of the city is attested by the length of time the Syrians were enabled to hold it, and by Ahab and Joram having both been solicitous to obtain the aid of the kings of Judah when about to attack it; these being 2 of the 3 expeditiohs in which Judah and Israel co-oper- ated. It was here too that Jehu was anointed and proclaimed king (2 Kings ix.). MOUNT GILEAD, Jebel Jil'ad.-A short and interesting excursion may be made from es-Salt to the summit of Jebel Osh'a, the highest peak of the range of Gilead, and the highest mountain E. of the Jordan. A nar- row valley, partly terraced for vines, leads to the top, which is reached in about 1 h. Here is the reputed tomb of Neby Osh'a (the prophet Hosea), greatly honoured by both Mohammed- ans and Christians, who are in the habit of offering up at it prayers and sacrifices. The latter consist gene- rally of a sheep slain in honour of the saint, and then feasted on by the de- votees. The tomb is 36 ft. long, 3 wide, and about 32 high; and is covered by a vaulted building, each end of which serves as a mosque. The whole is the work of the Mohammed- ans, who suppose that all the patri- archs and prophets were giants. From this spot is obtained one of the most extensive and interesting views in the land. The deep valley of the Jordan is at our feet; extending far to the N. and S. The dark winding track of the river itself is seen towards its southern end. Beyond the valley is the long mountain chain of Pales- tine; on the 1. the "wilderness" and "hill-country" of Judea ; and on the rt. the mountains of Samaria, and in the far distance "that goodly mountain, even Lebanon." The Pales- tine range has a more pleasing and picturesque appearance from this than from any point of view W. of the Jordan. The wild, deep gorges that run down into the great valley; the numerous peaks that spring up, crowned with ancient ruin or modern village; and the wavy line of the summit boldly traced along the west- ern horizon, make up a picture at Sect. IV. 292 Route 19.---River Jabbok. once pleasing and impressive. And when one remembers how often a similar view was wistfully gazed on by the great and the good of olden times, a new charm is thrown around it. This was the very view which presented itself to the eyes of Abra- ham and Jacob, as they descended the mountains of Gilead on their way from Mesopotamia. It is highly probable that Jebel Osh'a may be the Ramath-Mizpeh (" The Heights of the Watchtower") mentioned in the book of Joshua (xiii. 26) as one of the landmarks in the tribe of Gad; and also the "Miz- peh of Gilead," from which Jephthah "passed over unto the children of Ammon," and where he vowed the strange vow unto the Lord (Jud. xi.). The spot is admirably adapted for a gathering-place in time of invasion or of aggressive warfare. About 2 m. N. of the tomb of Hosea is. a ruin called Jil'ad, which may perhaps be the site of an ancient town of that name. Es-Salt to Jerash, Gerasa.-8 hrs. This is one of the most picturesque rides in Palestine. In passing along it one can scarcely get over the impres- sion that he is roaming through some English park. The graceful hills; the rich vales; the luxuriant herbage; the bright wild-flowers; the planta- tions of evergreen, oak, pine, and arbutus,--now a tangled thicket, and now sparsely scattered over the gentle slope, as if intended to reveal its beauty; the rivulets fringed with oleander, at one place running lazily between alluvial banks, at another dashing madly down rocky ravines. Such are the features of the motun- tains of Gilead. And we have the cooing of the wood pigeon, the call of the partridge, the hum of myriads of insects, and the chirp of grass- hoppers scarcely less numerous, to give life to the scene. Add to all, the crumbling ruins of town, village, and fortress, clinging to the mountain side or crowning its summit, and you have a picture, as far as dry descrip- tion can portray it, of the country between es-Salt and Gerasa. Leaving behind us the castle of Salt, we clamber up the western shoulder of Mount Gilead, passing near its summit the little ruin of Zi, where a few fragments of columns among heaps of rubbish tell of prouder days. The view behind us is mag- nificent, embracing the mountains of Moab, the Jordan valley, and the hills of Judea; while that in front, if less extensive, is more picturesque; for we look over the wooded heights of the Belka, and the deep ravine of the Zurka (Jabbok), to the dark moun- tains of 'Ajldn. Descending for an hour, we reach the deserted village of 'Allan, and in 1 h. more Sihan. About 1 min. W. of these villages are the ruins of Jil'ad. The soil of part of this hill being upon sandstone strata, the pine takes the place of the oak, giving great variety to the scenery. In another hour we descend into a deep picturesque glen, where we have above us the ruins of 'Alakin, and another village; and then passing a low wooded ridge, we descend into Wady Zurka, 4 hrs. from Salt. THE RIVER JABBOK, Wady Zurka.- This river, or river-bed, as the upper part of it ought rather to be called, rises in the eastern plateau, though there it only flows during the winter rains; it cuts through the mountain range in a winding course from E. to W., and enters the Jordan nearly midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It receives nume- rous tributaries in its passage through the mountains, which not only make its stream perennial, but often during the winter impassable. The ravine through which it flows is narrow, deep, and in some places wild. Through- out nearly its whole course it is fringed by thickets of cane and oleander, and the large clustering flowers of the latter give it a gay and gorgeous appearance during the spring months. The Zurka is now the boundary be- tween the provinces of Belka and Jebel 'Ajlfin; just as the Jabbok was N. PALESTINE. 293 2Route 19.-Gerasa. in ancient times the boundary be- tween the kingdoms of Sihon and Og (Josh. xii.). The Jabbok was also the northern border of the Ammonites. It was near the banks of this river Jacob wrestled with the angel until the morning dawn, when he received from him the name ISRAEL. And it was somewhere on its southern bank, perhaps not far from the ford at which we cross it, that the patriarch had the interview with his brother Esau. In reading the 32nd and 33rd chaps. of Genesis, as we rest at noonday by the "ford Jabbok," imagination will fill the surrounding glen and mountain sides with the flocks of Jacob, and will picture the shepherds forcing them across the stream, while the wives and children are brought over on the backs of camels; and then turning to the lofty hills behind, we can see with the mind's eye the glitter- ing arms of the Edomite chieftain, and his 400 followers, as they descend through the forest glades. As we ascend from the ravine of the Jabbok, the loftiest summits of Jebel Ajlfin rise on our left, almost black with the foliage of the oak. In about an hour we reach the ruined village of Hemta; and several other ruins are in sight among the hills. In another hour is Dibbin, deserted and ruinous, from which we descend into a region of quieter scenery, but not less rich or picturesque. In the little valleys are groves of olives, with green corn- fields between, while the higher ridges still retain their forests. In 2 hrs. from Dibbin we reach Jerash. GERASA-JERASH. The ruins of Gerasa are the most extensive and beautiful E. of the Jordan. They are situated on both sides of a shallow valley that runs from N. to S. through a high un- dulating plain, and falls into the Zurka about 5 m. distant. A little rivulet, fringed with oleander, winds through the valley, giving life and beauty to the deserted city. The first glance at the ruins is very strik- ing; and such as have enjoyed it will not soon forget the impression left upon the mind. The long colonnade stretching through the centre of the city, terminating at one end in the circle of the forum; the groups of columns clustered here and there round the crumbling walls of temples; the heavy masses of masonry that mark the positions of the great thea- tres; and the vast field of shapeless ruins rising gradually from the green banks of the rivulet to the battle- mented heights on each side-form a picture such as is rarely equalled. The tent should be pitched on some commanding spot, such, for instance, as the theatre on the S., overlooking the Forum; or the great temple on the W., where the eye can take in the whole panorama. The form of the city is an irregular square, each side measuring nearly an English mile. It was surrounded by a wall, a large portion of which, with its towers, is in a good state of preservation. Three gateways still stand, and within the city upwards of 230 columns remain on their pedestals. I shall now give a detailed account of the several buildings, beginning at the S., proceeding up along the W. side of the stream, on which the prin- cipal buildings lie, and then returning by the E. side. On approaching Gerasa from the S. (or rather S. by W.) the first thing which attracts attention is a triumphal arch in a florid style of architecture, with a central and 2 side arches. The front is ornamented with 4 columns, the lower parts of whose shafts are deco- rated with foliage. The upper parts of the columns,with the frieze and cornice, are gone. Passing through the arch, we have on the left a large stadium or circus, rectangular toward the S., but semicircular at the northern end. It appears to have been occasionally filled with water from the stream, for the exhibition of sea-fights. At 300 yds. from the triumphal arch we reach the city gate, having a triple entrance 294 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 19.-Gerasa--Buildings. like the arch itself; and still in good preservation. The South Temple. - On entering the city gate we turn to the left and ascend the steep side of a mound to the remains of one of the most beau- tiful buildings in the city;-a large temple situated on the summit of the mound, fronting the great street, and commanding an extensive view. It was adorned with a peristyle, and a portico of 2 rows of Corinthian co- lumns, 8 in each row. They appear to have been thrown down by an earthquake, and most of the shafts lie in order along the declivity. One column of the peristyle alone remains standing. The capitals are beautifully executed, and the entabla- ture is in good taste. The side walls of the cell remain, and are ornamented with a row of niches on the outside, and pilasters within; but the front and back walls, as well as the roof, have fallen. The dimensions of the cell are about 70 ft. by 50. The com- manding situation of this temple, and its fine proportions, must have made it an object singularly striking and beautiful from every part of the city, but especially from the main street. The Great Theatre is situated on a little hill about 60 paces W. of the temple above described. It faces the town, so that the spectators on the upper benches had a view of the prin- cipal buildings. There are 28 ranges of benches, divided into 2 tiers by a broad passage. The proscenium was highly ornamented. Within it was a range of Corinthian columns in pairs. Corresponding to these were pilasters ; and between each pair of pilasters were alternately an ornamented niche and a doorway. The Forum.-This name I give to the open oval area in front of the temple, encircled by an Ionic colon- nade: Its greatest diameter is 308 ft. The ground is not entirely level, but the columns are made of different heights so as to preserve the uni- formity of the entablature, which ap- pears to have been unbroken, except on the N. at the opening of the main street, and on the S. in front of the temple. The object of this noble area cannot now be ascertained; but it was most probably used for a market-place and for public assemblies. Fifty-seven columns still stand, and most of them have their entablatures, but originally there could not have been less than 100. The columns are without pedes- tals, 2 ft. in diameter, and from 16 to 20 high. The main street.-It is a remarkable peculiarity of some of the great cities of Syria that each had a street lined with colonnades. Damascus had its via recta thus adorned. The noble remains of that at Palmyra are familiar to every one. Apamea, Antioch, and perhaps Samaria, were similarly orna- mented; and here we have the via columnata of Gerasa-broken, totter- ing, patched, but still magnificent in its decay. Colonnades once extended along the sides from the forum to the N. gate, and enough still remain to give an idea of the whole. They are mostly of the Corinthian order, but debased in style, and often differing in height and workmanship. When a high column stands near a shorter one the entablature of the latter rests upon a projecting bracket set into the shaft of the former. These colonnades are thus but poor representatives of those at Palmyra. Proceeding along this street, whose pavement is in places quite perfect, we reach a point where another main street crosses at right angles; and here stand 4 cubical masses of stone, each occupying one of the angles of intersection. Three of them are entire, 7 ft. high, and about 12 on each side; but the 4th is in ruins. They may have been in- tended as pedestals for statues. The street that here runs to the rt. and 1. had also a colonnade on each side. Continuing along the main street, we have on the rt. and 1. sections of the colonnades with the entablature entire. We next observe on the 1., in the line of the street, a small building of which 3 great columns of the portico, and the back curved wall of the cell, 295 2oute 19.-Gerasa-Temple of the Sun. are all that remain. In the wall are several niches, and on a broken pedes- tal of the portico is an imperfect Greek inscription, apparently contain- ing the name of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, which might fix its date between A.D. 160 and 180. Behind this to the westward is another public building in ruins. About 100 paces farther, and nearly in the centre of the city, is a group of buildings of great beauty and extent. Here on the rt. is an avenue lined with columns running at right angles to the street; and leading to a gateway (30 paces distant) opening into a large enclosed area, around which are ranges of columns, 7 of them still standing with their entablatures. At the eastern end of the area are the ruins of a curved wall. This structure bears sqme resemblance to the palace at Kunawit, in the Haur'n mountains. The Temple of the Sun.-Opposite the structure above-mentioned, on the other side of the main street, is a noble gateway occupying the centre of a long wall. It was adorned with pilasters and niches; but these are much injured, and the arch itself is fallen. This is the Propylmum of the great temple, on the rising ground to the W. The buildings which flanked the gateway on the interior are entirely destroyed; but the facade is in toler- able preservation, and is one of the most entire examples of this kind of structure extant. From an inscrip- tion copied by Burckhardt, it appears to have been built under Antoninus Pius (A.D. 138-61). Scrambling over the masses of ruin that encumber the gateway, we climb the low hill, and the columns of the temple itself burst upon our view. 11 are standing, 2 of them without their capitals; they measure about 45 ft. in height, and 5 in diameter. This temple stands on an artificial platform, elevated 5 or 6 ft. above the ground. It appears to have been peripteral, but the columns of the peristyle have disappeared, with the exception of one at each side adjoining the portico. The latter con- sisted of 2 ranges of columns, 6 in each; 5 of the front range still stand, and 4 of the second. The cell is about 70 ft. by 50; the interior is encum- bered with the ruins of the roof and front wall. The sides and end re- main, and have no ornament except a range of 6 niches along each of the former, and a recess or apse in the latter. The building stood in the centre of a court, encompassed by 2 ranges of columns, about 22 ft. in diameter, and 22 high. In front of the portico many bases remain, and 3 columns of the outer row still stand. On the southern side are upwards of 40 pedestals in situ, with many pro- strate shafts. The corner columns are heart-shaped. An inscription found by Mr. Bankes on the Propyleum shows that this noble structure was a temple dedicated to the Sun. In form it resembles the Temple of the Sun at Palmyra, though the shrine of the latter is entirely different. There was also a large temple at Damascus, and there is a small one at Kenath of the same design. The Temple of Jerusalem, too, it will be remembered, was constructed on this plan, with a large open court and porticos. Returning to the main street, and advancing northwards for some 200 yds. between ranges of prostrate columns, we reach a rotunda with 4 entrances; 2 for the main street, and 2 others for a cross street, which here intersects it at right angles. Around the interior of this building are pedes- tals for statues. Turning up the cross street to the 1., we observe 3 small Ionic columns on its N. side, and a little distance beyond them a double range of large and beautiful Corinthian columns. There were originally 6 in each row; but now 5 remain standing in one row, and only 2 in the other. These form a por- tico to The small Theatre.-I term this " the small Theatre," because, though larger in area than the other near the S. gate, it is not constructed to contain so many spectators. It has 16 ranges of benches, divided in the centre by a tier of 6 boxes, having between them 296 Sect. IV. Boute 19.---Gerasa--3aths. sculptured niches. This theatre ap- pears to have been intended for pur- poses different from the other, perhaps for gladiators or combats of wild beasts; the arena is much larger, and there is a suite of dark arched cham- bers under the lowest bench, opening into it, near the principal entrance. The proscenium is fallen, but traces of it remain. The Baths.-Returning to the ro- tunda, we follow the cross street east- wards between ranges of fallen columns -2 only remain standing-to a build- ing of great extent and strength near the side of the stream. It is divided into numerous chambers, with high vaulted roofs and massive walls. It covers a square area upwards of 200 ft. on each side; and the western side appears to have had a range of columns in front. This was evidently a bath; and the remains of an aque- duct may still be seen leading from it along the bank of the stream south- ward. We again return to the main street, and proceed northward. It will be observed that the colonnades along this section are mostly of the Ionic order. The greater part of them have now fallen. As we approach the city gate portions of the ancient pave- ment of the street remain perfect. The northern gate is a strong plain portal; and the wall on each side is of fine workmanship, about 8 ft. in thickness. The valley, which is only about 100 yds. E. of the gate, is here narrow, and the banks much steeper than at any other part. Crossing the bed of the stream and ascending for a short distance, we arrive at the ex- tensive ruins of a Christian ch., only a fragment of the walls, an arched doorway, and a single column in the interior remain standing; but the heaps of hewn stone, broken columns, and shattered cornices that encumber the ground, prove that it was as beau- tiful as it was extensive. It was pro- bably the cathedral of Gerasa, the episcopal city. Adjoining this ruin on the S. is a little meadow, having on its E. side a ridge of rugged rocks; and near its centre a fountain sur- rounded by a group of ruined build- ings. The fountain is shaded by oleanders and other shrubs. Continuing down the valley, on the E. side of the stream, we reach the ruins of a bridge just opposite the pro- pylnum of the great temple. About 100 paces E. of the bridge is a large irregular ruined building, probably a bath. Advancing 200 or 300 paces farther, we reach another bridge, oppo- site the southern cross street. The rt. bank of the stream is here high, and a broad flight of steps leads down from the street to the bridge, which is 14 ft. wide, with a high central arch and two lower ones. The whole face of the eastern hill is covered with the confused ruins of private dwellings, not a single one of which has escaped the destroyer. The visitor, after examining the principal structures as above pointed out, with others of minor importance between them, may make a little ex- cursion round the walls, in which lihe will see some good specimens of Roman mural architecture. The rock- hewn tombs and sarcophagi which abound in every direction beyond the walls, but chiefly in the sides of the valley to the N. and S., are worthy of notice, and might perhaps repay the trouble of a more thorough examina- tion than has ever yet been attempted. Considerable doubt seems to exist among writers as to the nature of the stone used in the buildings of Jerash. Some call it marble; some sandstone; but it is just the com- mon limestone of the country, quarried from the neighbouring hills. Occa- sional blocks of basalt are met with; and there are also a few fragments of red granite and variegated marble in one or two of the principal buildings. It is generally said that the 17 beau- tiful marble monolithic columns which now adorn the mosque of Omar at Busrah were taken from this place. The ruins of Gerasa, it will be seen, are extensive and beautiful. The general view obtained from the temple 03 N. PALESTINE. 297 Route 19.-Gerasa---History. near the S. gate, or the great Temple of the Sun on the hill, is exceedingly striking. But there is nothing here which, for purity of taste, richness of detail, or architectural splendour, will bear comparison with the temples of Ba'albek or Palmyra. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF GERASA. -It is neither known when nor by whom this city was founded. The first men- tion of it occurs in Josephus, who relates that Alexander Jannmus, king of the Jews, "having subdued Pella, directed his march to the city of Ge- rasa, lured by the treasures of Theo- dorus; and, having hemmed in the garrison by a triple wall of circumval- lation, carried the place by assault" (circ. B.c. 85). This proves that the city does not owe its origin to the Romans. It is referred to by Ptolemy, Strabo, Pliny, and other Greek and Roman writers; but no details are given of its history. Soon after the RIoman conquests in the East this re- gion became one of their favourite colonies. Ten cities were built, or rebuilt, and endowed with peculiar privileges; and the district around them was called Decapolis. Of these Gerasa was one of the most important. It was among the cities which the Jews burned in revenge for the mas- sacre of their countrymen at Casarea, at the commencement of their last war with the Romans; and it had scarcely recovered from this calamity when the Emperor Vespasian des- patched Annius, his general, at the head of a squadron of horse and a large body of infantry, to capture it. Annius, having carried the city on the first assault, put to the sword 1000 of the youth who had not effected their escape, enslaved their families, and permitted his soldiers to plunder their property. He then set fire to their houses, and advanced against the villages around. It appears to have been more than half a century subsequent to this period that Gerasa attained its greatest prosperity, and was adorned with those monuments which give it a place among the proudest cities of Syria. Ancient history tells us 'nothing of this, but the fragments of inscriptions found among its ruined palaces and temples show that it is indebted for its archi- tectural splendour to the age and genius of the Antonines (A.D. 138 to 180). Gerasa became the seat of a Christian bishop, and the name of one of its prelates is found among those who were present at the Council of Chalcedon. There is no evidence that the city was inhabited for any length of time by the Saracens. There are no traces of their architecture, no mosques, no inscriptions, no reconstruc- tions of old edifices, such as are found in most other great cities in Syria. All is Roman, or at least ante-Islamic; every structure remains as the hand of the destroyer, or the shock of the earthquake, left it,-ruinous and de- serted. In the history of the crusades a castle is referred to, constructed of great stones, which was supposed to stand on the site of Gerasa. It was destroyed by Baldwin II. in the year 1122; but there is no trace of any such building here, and it is most probable that William of Tyre mis- took the identity. Some have ques- tioned the identity of Jerash and Ge- rasa; but the name is the same; the extent and splendour of the ruins are such as would mark a city which was classed with Bostra, Philadelphia, and Damascus; and the position accords with the ancient notices which place it on the borders of Perea and Arabia. Jerash to Wady Ydbis (Jabesh-Gil- ead)-8 hrs. This ride resembles in scenery that from es-Salt to Jerash. We have thickly wooded hills, deep and fertile valleys, and luxuriant pasturage in every part of it. The road leads over the hill to Sftf (1- h.), a small village situated on the west- ern side of Wady ed-Deir, the little stream of which is supplied by 3 springs near the village, and, winding round to the eastward, passes through Jerash. There is an old square build- ing here with several broken columns, on one of which is a Greek inscription. 298 Sect. IV. Route 19.-fabe8-Gilead There are also many sepulchral caves in the neighbouring hill-sides. From Sff the road leads up the mountain- side, amid forests of oak-trees, inter- mixed with the arbutus and wild olive. Traces of the Roman road that connected Gerasa and Pella are here seen, with 2 or 3 prostrate milestones. In 40 min. we gain the top of the ridge. We now strike down a narrow picturesque valley, having the Castle er-Rubud on the summit of a high peak before us, and in 40 min. more reach the village Jermeh; and 2 h. afterwards 'Ajlfin. This place is built in a narrow passage on both sides of a stream that runs down from a foun- tain at Jermeh. The only building worthy of notice is an old mosque. A'jldn has given its name to a pro- vince, and also to the mountain range extending from the Zurka to the Sheriat el-Mandhfir. This, however, is a modern name, and is to be dis- tinguished from the province of Jau- lin, the ancient Gaulanitis. The whole of Jebel Ajlfin appears to have been embraced under the general name GILEAD in the Bible. Kul'at er-Rubud, " Castle of Rubud." -The direct road to Wady Yabis lies down the valley to the village of Kefrenjy, about 1 h. distant; but the fine old castle on the neighbouring hill is too tempting an object to be passed without a visit. Turning to the rt. and winding up the steep path for 45 min., we stand beside its gloomy portal. The fortress is strongly situated on the summit of a hill, and is surrounded, like the castle of es- Salt, by a deep moat excavated in the rock. It is nearly square, having a flanking tower on each side, and its walls are of great thickness and excel- lent masonry. It seems to be almost, if not altogether, of Saracenic construc- tion; but I think it highly probable that a fortress may have occupied the same site from a much earlier period. An Arabic inscription on the walls ascribes its erection to the Sultan Selah ed-Din Yusef ibn Aiyfib, better known by his English name Saladin. Abulfeda tells us that the fortress was in his day called 'Ajlfdn, and its suburb or village Rubud; but a transposition of names has taken place since. The castle is at present, or was a few years ago, occupied by the great family of Barakat, the chiefs of which have for some generations claimed exclusive dominion over the whole district. To the traveller it is chiefly interest- ing for the noble view it commands. Nearly the whole valley of the Jordan, with the Lake of Tiberias at the one end and the Dead Sea at the other, is laid open. Beyond it is the mountain range of Palestine sinking down into the broad plain of Esdraelon on the N.; farther to the rt. is Tabor, and the hills of Galilee behind rising gra- dually to the chain of Lebanon. Turn- ing to the N. the view is shut in by the snow-tipped summit of Hermon. Descending the hill towards Ke- frenjy (1 h.), we observe, about half way down, an immense cavern, one of the largest in Syria. At Kefrenjy we again join the regular road, and, crossing the valley, proceed through beautiful woodland scenery to the village of Heliweh, 3 h. distant. It is situated on the ridge S. of Wady Yabis. The mountains here break down into the valley of the Jordan in a series of terraces; and the view commanded from the brow of each is extensive and interesting. The wild ravines that seam the moun- tains of Ephraim, and the eastern slopes of Gilboa, are seen to great advantage; the Jordan itself too, as it runs in its serpentine course through the valley, almost hid by tangled thickets of cane, oleander, willow, and tamarisk, forms a fine object. JABES-GILEAD.-On the S. bank of Wady Yabis, not far to the N. of Helaweh, and near the line of the ancient road that leads to Beisin, stands a little hill covered with ruins, called by the Arabs ed-Deir: this, Dr. Robinson has conjectured, marks the site of Jabesh-Gilead. It was visited by Tristram, who says, however, that his guide did not know the name Ed- N. PALESTINE. Deir. He says, "It is an isolated ing-place at Bezek, not far from round-topped hill, just such an one Bethshean. From thence he made a as is ordinarily seized upon for a night march across the Jordan, attack- Gilead village, whose top was strewn ed the Ammonites in the "morning with ruins, and with some broken watch," and routed them with great columns among them. It stands slaughter. (1 Sam. xi.) It was pro- where Jabesh-Gilead ought to do, bably in grateful remembrance of this and full in sight of Bethshean. There deliverance, that, when the bodies of were, however, no traces of walls, or Saul and his 3 sons, after the fatal of any important Roman station." A battle of Gilboa, were fastened by the short distance farther up the valley Philistines to the walls of Bethshean, is another ruin called el-Maklfb, situ- the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead went ated on a tell; but the remains are by night, carried the bodies to their not important and show no traces of own city, and there burned them and antiquity. The name of the Wady, buried their bones. (1 Sam. xxxi.) Ydbis, is the Arabic form of Jabesh; For this brave act they received the the position, too, in the mountains of thanks of David, who afterwards re- Gilead, within a few hours of Beth- moved the bones to the sepulchre of shean (Beisan), and about 6 Rom. m., Kish, in Zelah of Benjamin. (2 Sam. as stated by Jerome, from the ruins ii. and xxi.) of Pella (also discovered by Robinson), on the road to Gerasa, forms conclu- sive proof that the city must have PELLA.-The site of this ancient stood in, or beside, this valley. A city is now known as Fahil, and the place historically so interesting is fountain beside it is called Jerm el- well worthy the attention of travellers. Mauz. Descending from Wady Yabis It was strongly situated, but not of in a N.W. direction, on the line of the great extent; and the fact of its not old road to Beisan, we pass through a being mentioned by any of the Greek rugged but highly picturesque coun- or Roman geographers, with the ex- try, and in 2 h. we see to the left a ception of Eusebius and Jerome, who low mound, in a nook among higher call it a village, shows that it had hills, and having around it on the W. greatly declined in importance. Pella and N. a narrow plain. On its S. side took its place as capital of th'e pro- is a ravine, and beyond this also a vince, and we cannot, therefore, look little strip of level ground. The tell for any very extensive or splendid is joined by a low neck to the hills on ruins on its site. the E., and beside this neck there is Jabesh-Gilead is mentioned in the a mound apparently formed by art. book of Judges (xxi. 8) as the only These mounds, and a section of the city which did not join in the war plain at their base, are covered with against the tribe of Benjamin; for the ruins of Pella. The plain looks which reason the male inhabitants like a terrace on the side of the moun- were destroyed, and their 400 virgin tains, nearly 1000 ft. above the valley daughters given as wives to the sur; of the Jordan; hence its modern name viving Benjamites. Afterwards Na- Tubukat Fahil, "The Terrace of Fa- hash, king of the Ammonites, besieged hil." the city, and would only consent to The ruins, though extensive, are spare its inhabitants on the cruel and not of much interest. A few columns degrading terms of putting out all are first seen scattered among foun- their right eyes, " for a reproach upon dations as we approach from the N.E. all Israel." The terrified people asked On ascending the mound we pass a and obtained 7 days' respite, during temple or church, now almost pros- which they made known their woeful trate, with 2 or 3 granite pillars condition to their brethren. The news in the interior. The surface of the reached Saul at Gibeah; that very mound is about 5 acres in extent, day he summoned Israel to the gather- and is covered with the foundations Route 19. Jabesh-Gilead* Sect. IV. 300 Route 19.--Pell. of houses. On the southern side the descent to the ravine is steep, and here the houses seem to have been built in terraces to the bottom. The fountain is at the base on the S.E. ; and near it are 2 columns. In the plain to the W. are foundations and ruins. There are a few excavated tombs on the mountain-side beyond the plain on the S., but scarcely de- serving of a visit. Such are the ruins of Pella, and the main features of its site. The proofs of its identity are well given by Dr. Robinson. The early history of Pella, like that of Gerasa, is unknown. A late writer indeed has stated that the city was built by Macedonian veterans from the armies of Alexander, who settled here under the Seleucide, and named their new home after Pella of Mace- don. But the earliest trustworthy record is that of its capture by An- tiochus the Great in the year B.C. 218. It was afterwards destroyed by the Jews under Alexander Jannaus, because the inhabitants refused to conform to the Jewish rites. It was taken from the Jews by Pompey, and restored to its rightful owners; and it finally became the head of a toparchy. Pliny mentions it as abounding in waters; and to the present day we admire the fountain that attracted the attention of the Roman naturalist. But the chief interest of Pella arises from the fact that it formed the refuge and the home of the Christians of Jerusalem during the siege of that city by the Romans. It afterwards became an episcopal city; but it seems to have been destroyed and deserted at, or immediately after, the conquest of Syria by the Saracens. Pella to Beisaa (Bethslheae)-24 hrs. The ford of the Jordan is deep and difficult during the spring months. Pella to Umn Keis (Gadara)-about 6 hrs. This road has not been de- scribed by any traveller. A tour on the E. of Jordan, however, can scarcely be considered complete without a visit to the ancient capital of Permea, to its very remarkable and numerous tombs, and to the warm springs of Amatha, celebrated by classic writers. The journey affords an opportunity of ob- serving the features of the upper section of the Jordan valley. The north-western.section of Gilead has been well described by Tristram. "This part of northern Gilead, the foreground of the plateau, with Tib- neh for its metropolis, is hemmed in on all sides by Arabs . . . . yet by combination and courage the people so far hold their own, and have baf- fled the encroaching attempts of their restless neighbours. The whole is studded with villages, containing from 500 to 1000 inhabitants each, few of. which are marked on the maps, and which are utterly unknown beyond their own neighbourhood .... They are, for security against cavalry raids, invariably situated on the knoll of a hill-top; and the configuration of the country is admirably adapted for de- fence. It is a flat plateau, furrowed and scarred by deep ravines, the crests of these never precipitous, but gently rounded, and the sides often furrowed by smaller nullahs; with little wood, and that generally scrub, or open olive groves. The villages are almost as thick as in the south of England, but how unpicturesque !-the houses, of mud and stone, huddled close together, never more than 6 ft. high, with flat roofs, and little crooked lanes between the hovels, which are crushed together in a square mass, with a low wall or bank surrounding the whole, and the accumulated filth of generations pitched down the slope just outside. . . . Such is a Kurah village. How naturally would an Old Testament writer have spoken of 'Tibneh and her towns,' and how well such a dis- trict illustrates the expression !" Descending from the " Terrace of Fahil," we reach the GhSr, such is the name of the great valley, in less than an hour. It is here about 3 m. in width, and is shut in on both sides by steep ridges; those on the E. being much the loftiest. The river itself runs in a ravine through the centre of the plain, between double banks, N. PALESTINE. 301 3Route 19.-Gadara. such as we observed at Jericho (Rte. 9). The upper banks vary from 40 to 100 ft. in height, and are from 200 to 400 yds. apart. The lower banks do not average more than 10 ft. in height, and press closely on the bed of the river. The course of the Jordan is exceedingly crooked, and its current swift, with frequent "rapids," almost amounting to water- falls. Its average breadth is about 100 ft., and its depth varies from 5 to 10. Many little streams descend from the mountains on each side, especially the W., irrigate the plain, and render it productive; but unfortunately those tribes that claim the soil are indolent and quarrelsome, so that they have little time and less taste for agricul- tural pursuits. A march of some 3 hrs. up the valley brings us opposite the bridge called Jisr Mejami'a (" The bridge of Mejiamia"), where we strike the an- cient road that led from Beishn to Gadara. About 1 m. farther up, the Sheri'at el-Mandhfir falls into the Jordan. Here we turn to the rt. and ascend the mountain by a steep and difficult path. The change in scenery and natural products becomes very marked as we ascend. The d6m- trees, so common in the valley, dis- appear; and the oak and terebinth now dot and now clothe the mountain sides. The birds, too, are different. Instead of the turtle-dove, and heron, and quail, we have the ring-dove and woodpecker. In about 2 hrs. we reach UJm Keis. GADARA. -. The ruins of this an- cient city stand upon a projecting spur at the north-western extremity of the mountains of Gilead. Three miles northward is the deep bed of Sheri'at el-Mandhir, beyond which is the plateau of Jaulin, the ancient Gaulanitis. On the W. is the Jordan valley; while on the S. is Wady-el- 'Arab, running parallel to the Mand- hfir. Um Keis occupies the crest of the ridge between these 2 latter wadys; and as this crest declines in elevation towards the E., the posi- tion is strong and commanding. The space occupied by the ruins may be reckoned at 2 m. in circumference, and there are traces of fortifications all round. On the top of the hill to which we first ascend in order to gain a general view of both the surrounding country and the outline of the city, are con- fused heaps of hewn stones. On the northern side of the hill is a theatre, the benches remaining, but the front entirely gone. It is remarkable for its great depth; the uppermost row of seats being some 40 ft. higher than the lowest. This peculiarity arises from its position on the declivity. Not far from this theatre was one of the gates of the city; and here com- mences a street which extended through the city, and was lined, like that at Gerasa, by colonnades. The columns are all prostrate. On the W. side of the hill is another larger theatre in better preservation. The walls and some of the seats remain; and beneath the latter are deep vaulted chambers, probably for wild beasts. The principal part of the city lay to the W. of these thea- tres, on an even piece of ground. Now not a house, not a column, not a wall remains standing; yet the an- cient pavement of the main street is almost perfect, and even the traces of the chariot-wheels are visible upon the stones, reminding one of the thoroughfares of Pompeii. In passing along this street we observe one spot where a larger heap of columns lie, and here appears to have stood the cathedral of Gadara, in those pros- perous ages when it enjoyed the rank of an episcopal city. The crypt is in tolerable preservation. The architec- ture of the buildings is chiefly Corin- thian; Ionic also occurs; but neither order is remarkable for purity of style or taste in execution. Towards the western end of the city is a large rect- angular reservoir, and beside it exten- sive ruins, consisting of hewn stones, sculptured friezes, and prostrate co- lumns. A long range of arched cells runs from it away to the eastward. 302 Sect. IV. N. PALESTIN. Route 19.-Warm Springs of Amatha. Probably this] may have been the ancient forum. Perhaps the most interesting re- mains of Gadara are its tombs, which lie on the E. and N.E. sides of the hill. They are excavated in the lime- stone rock, like those around Jerusa- lem, and consist of chambers of vari- ous dimensions, some more than 20 ft. square, with loculi for bodies. The doors are slabs of stone, a few ornamented with panels, but most of them plain. Some of these doors still remain in their places, and can be opened and shut with ease. The hinge is a part of the stone left pro- jecting above and below, and let into sockets cut in the rock. Hundreds of similar doors exist among the de- serted cities of Hauran. The present inhabitants of Um Keis, when it is inhabited, are Troglodytes, " dwell- ing in the tombs," like the poor maniac of old; and occasionally they are almost as dangerous to the soli- tary traveller. Along the hill-sides, too, are numbers of sarcophagi of basalt, which must have been brought from some distance. Many of these are ornamented with sculptured gar- lands and wreaths, gods and genii; but very few have any merit as works of art. The first historical notice we find of Gadara is its capture, along with Pella and other cities, by Antiochus the Great in the year B.c. 218. Some 20 yrs. afterwards it was taken from the Syrians by Alexander Jannaeus after a siege of 10 months. The Jews retained possession of it for some time; but the city having been de- stroyed during their civil wars, it was rebuilt by Pompey to gratify the desire of one of his freedmen who was a Gadarene. When Gabinius the pro- consul of Syria changed the constitu- tion of the government of Judea by dividing the country into 5 districts, and placing each under the authority of a supreme council, Gadara was made the seat of one of these councils. The city, however, derives its greatest interest from being the reputed scene of our Lord's miracle in healing the poor maniac, who "had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs." The distance of the city from the lake (more than 3 hrs. ordinary travel) makes it doubtful whether this was the real scene of the miracle. It may probably be true that while the whole of this region extending to the shore of the Sea of Galilee may have been called "the country of the Gadarenes," from the fact of its be- longing to the city of Gadara; yet there may have been close to the shore a small town called Gergaza, near which the miracle was performed. There is, as we shall see, a ruined village, near the mouth of Wady Semakh, called Kersa, which .may mark the site of Gergasa. Gadara was captured by Vespasian on the first outbreak of the war with the Jews; all its inhabitants massa- cred, without regard to age or sex; and the town itself, with its villages, reduced to ashes. It was at this time one of the most important cities E. of the Jordan, and is even called by Jo- sephus the capital of Perea. At a later period it was the seat of an epis- copal see in Palestina Secunda, and its bishops were present at the coun- cils of Nice and Ephesus. There is no appearance of its having been in- habited subsequent to the Moham- medan conquest. Some travellers may perhaps desire to go direct across the mountains from Gadara to Gerasa, I consequently give the itinerary as stated by Tristram, who took this route :-" Um Keis to Taiyibeh, a small village, 5 hrs., passing only one small collection of mud huts, Fafuara, on the way; Tai- yibeh to the little village of Jenina, 1 h.; Jenina to the town of Tibneh, the capital of the district of E1-Kxrah, two hours; Tibneh to Souf, 5 hrs.; Souf to Gerash, 1 h. The geology of the whole region is limestone of the early cretaceous age, without a trace of igneous eruption, but exhibiting much local and irregular disturbance and dislocation." WARM SPRINGS OF A3ATHA.-Leav- ing the ruins of Gadara, and turning 303 .Route 19.-Tarichcta. down the mountain-side northward, toward the Sheri'at el-Mandhftr, we reach at the distance of 3 Rom. m. (1 h.) the side of the rivulet, and observe on the opposite bank the steaming "Baths of Amatha." There are 7 or 8 warm springs, some of them several miles up the valley; but those at this point are the most copi- ous. Remains of ancient buildings are scattered over the narrow plain that intervenes between the river and the northern cliffs; the plain is partly covered with luxuriant herbage, and by the clumps of shrubs and dwarf palms that cluster round the fountains. The lowest spring, called Hammim esh-Sheikh (" The Bath of the Sheikh"), is the hottest of all. It bubbles up in a basin about 40 ft. in circumference and 5 ft. in depth, enclosed by dilapidated walls. The water is so hot that the hand cannot be kept in it for any length of time; it deposits on the stones a yellow sulphureous crust, which is esteemed by the Arabs a sovereign remedy in certain disorders to which their camels are subject. Adjoining this basin are remains of arched buildings, which doubtless belonged to a Roman bath. The " Baths of Amatha," or Gadara as they were some- times called, were greatly celebrated in ancient times, and were esteemed by the Romans as second only to those of Baie. The notices of these springs by Eusebius and Antoninus Martyr form the strongest proofs in favour of the identity of Um Keis with Gadara-the former stating that they issue from the base of the hill on which that city stood; and the lat- ter, that they are 3 Rom. min. distant from it. The Sheri'at el-Mandhdr, on whose banks we now stand, is the Hieromax of the Greeks, and the JARMUK of the Rabbins. Its modern name Mandhfir is derived from a tribe of Arabs that pitch their tents along this section of its valley. It drains the whole plain of the Hauran and Jaulhn, with a large section of the mountain range eastward; but during the summer it derives its whole supplies of water from the fountains of Mezarib, Dilly, and one or two other places on the plain of Jaulan. In its western part it flows through a wild ravine, whose sides are rugged cliffs of basalt, in places upwards of 100 ft. in height. About 2 m. below the warm springs it enters the great valley and falls into the Jordan 4 m. below the Lake of Tiberias. At its mouth the Man- dhftr is 130 ft. wide. This river was the boundary between Bashan and Gilead, and in more recent times be- tween the provinces of Perma and Gaulanitis. Amatha to Tiberias.-Riding down the wild glen, we come in about 45 min. to the place where it opens into the plain of Ghor. Another hour through shrubberies of hawthorns and tamarisks brings us to the ford of the Jordan, beside a ruined bridge called Jisr es - Semakh ("The Bridge of Semakh "), from a small village of that name 1 min. to the eastward. This ford is less than a mile below the place where the river leaves the lake. The Jordan is here about 90 ft. wide, the banks high and rounded, and the scenery of the neighbouring mountains rugged and barren. Tarichwa. -On crossing the ford the path turns to the rt. along the bank, and in about 20 min. we reach a spot where the river makes a long and sharp bend to the W., having between its bank and the southern shore of the lake a narrow peninsula, which is covered with ancient ruins, and has also upon it a few modern houses- this is the site of Tarichma, and is now called Kerak. On the W. side of the peninsula is a long causeway on arches, through which the water flows into the river when the lake is high, thus making it an island. The city was strongly fortified by Josephus at the commencement of the war with the Romans; but it was stormed by the army of Titus, and the greater number of its inhabitants put to the sword. 304 Sect. IV, Route 20.-Ge From Kerak a ride of an hour along the margin of the lake brings us to the Baths of Tiberias, and 4 h. more to that city itself. For a description of Tiberias see below, Rte. 27. ROUTE 20. GERASA TO GADARA (UM KEIS), BY EL- HUSN AND HEBRAS. For a description of Gerasa and the route thence to Gadara, by Jabesh- Gilead and Pella, see Rte. 19. Sif-11 h. (Rte. 19.) Leaving this village, we proceed northward through a country richly wooded and picturesque. About 3 h. N. of Suf is a ruin called Mahneh. It has never, so far as I am aware, been visited, and such an interesting locality might well claim the attention of future travellers in this region. It was at Mahanaim- a name which Mahneh at least sug- gests, though the position does not fully accord with the Bible narrative- that Jacob met the angels of God on his return from Padanaram, and its name is derived from that circumstance. "He said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Ma- hanaim" (" The Two Hosts," Gen. xxxii.). The town was at, or near, the border of the tribes of Gad and Ma- nasseh, and was given to the Levites out of the territory of the former tribe. (Josh. xiii. 26 and 30, xxi. 38.) It was here that Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was crowned by Abner (2 Sam. ii.); and to this city, some years afterwards, David himself fled for refuge on the N. PALESTINE. rasa to Gadara. 305 rebellion of his son Absalom; from it his army went out, under the com- mand of Joab, against the forces of Absalom. In looking over these mountains, covered with noble forests of oak, we recall the description of the battle: "The battle was here scattered over the face of all the country; and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword de- voured." We remember, too, the singular death of Absalom: "The mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up be- tween the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away." It was while sitting in the gate of Mahanaim that David heard the tidings of the fate of his rebellious son; and there he uttered, as he went up to the chamber over the gate, the pathetic words, " 0 my son Absalom ! my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son ! " (2 Sam. xviii). We only read of Mahanaim again as the station of one of Solomon's 12 pur- veyors (1 Kings iv. 14). Josephus says that Mahanaim was a strong and beautiful city. In ancient times it was one of the most important cities E. of the Jordan. The name, however, suddenly and mysteriously disappeared from history. May it not be that the name was in some way changed to Gerasa ? The situation of the latter suits exactly to the Scrip- ture narrative. The ancient history of Gerasa is unknown. It is first mentioned by Josephus, but at that time and afterwards it was the capital of Persea-thus occupying the poli- tical status previously held by Maha- naim. E1-Husn.-From Mahneh to el-Husn is about 2 h. This is the principal village in the district of Beni 'Obeid. It stands on the declivity of the mountain. It is inhabited by Mus- lems, and Christians of the Greek Church. There are in it a number of ancient wells excavated in the rock. The country round el-Husn is bleak and stony. 0Route 21.-Jerusalem to Nabulus. Irbid, Arbela-11 h. Irbid is the capital of the district el-Butein. It contains a small castle, or fort, situated on the top of a low hill, at the base of which the village is built. A large ancient reservoir is the only curiosity of the place; and around it are scat- tered some fine sarcophagi of basalt, with sculptured figures and garlands in bas-relief upon them. This is doubtless the Arbela mentioned by Eusebius as in the district of Pella beyond the Jordan. Beit Aras, Capitolias ?-about 1 h. This is a little village situated on the summit of a hill, and said to contain extensive and important ruins. Its position seems to correspond to the ancient episcopal city of Capitolias, placed in the Peutinger Tables at 16 Rom. m. from Gadara, and the same from Adraha, or Adraa (now Der'a). The identification of Capitolias would be important in a geographical point of view, as forming the connecting point of the two great Roman roads. Hlebrds.-about 1 h.-is one of the largest villages in this region, and the capital of the district el-Kefarat. It had in Burckhardt's time some Chris- tian families residing in it. About I h. N. of it are the ruins of Ibil, said to be of considerable extent. Ibil is doubtless identical with Abila, one of the cities of the Decapolis, placed by Eusebius 12 Rom. m. E. of Gadara, and said to have been famous for its vine- yards. It was captured by Antiochus the Great, along with Pella and Ga- dara. Its name is found among the episcopal cities of Palestine. This Abila is not to be confounded with the "Abila of Lysanias," near Da- mascus. From Hebras to Um Keis is 3 hrs. For Um Keis (Gadara) see Rte. 19. ROUTE 21. JERUSALEM TO NABULUS. II. iI. Jerusalem to Tuleil el-Fll, GIBEAH .. .. .. .. .. 1 0 Er-Ram, BRamah of Benjamin.. 0 50 Birch, Beeroth .. .. .. .. 1 10 'Ain Yebrftd .. .. .. .. . 1 20 'Ain el-Haramlyeh .. .. 1 15 Sinjil .. .. .. .. .. 0 50 Seilftn, SHILOH .. .. .. .. 0 35 Lubban, Lebonah .. .. .. 1 0 Nabulus, SHECHEM .. .... 4 0 Total ... 12 0 This is the usual route taken by travellers on leaving the Holy City, and it is the best, as it leads to some of the most interesting places in Palestine. For a good general outline of a single tour from Jerusalem to Damascus and Beyrout, I refer the reader to the Skeleton Tours in the Introduction. Time and taste may cause many to modify it; but for those who wish to see the cream of the country, and yet cannot afford separate excursions, the plan there prescribed can scarcely be improved. It is always practicable, and generally as safe as other Syrian roads. A sharp look-out may be kept on the plain of Sharon for stray Arab horsemen, who are addicted to raids in that region. On leaving Jerusalem we follow the great northern road-once, doubtless, a good specimen of Roman engineer- ing; but now in places scarcely prac- ticable even as a bridle-path. We leave the Tomb of Helena on the rt., cross the upper end of the Kidron, and ascend the side of Scopus. We may here take our farewell glance Sect. IV. 306 Route 21.-Site of Nob. at the Holy City-its domes, and minarets, and gray walls, and the mountains that stand around it, with Olivet at their head. Many a pilgrim in former days (and even yet), in "going up" for the first time to Jeru- salem, pressed forward with throbbing heart and eager eye to this command- ing height; many a pilgrim, and tra- veller too, on leaving it, takes a long, lingering look backward at the sacred spot, and only turns away when the picture grows dim and indistinct through the quivering tear-drop. Jeru- salem is enshrined in our affections even before we see it. We were taught in infancy to lisp its name; and it is thus linked with the tenderest remem- brances of home, as well as with every feeling of faith and hope. We could almost adopt the plaintive, passionate language of the captive Israelite by the streams of Babel: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not re- member thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." On passing the crest we enter a naked, desolate tract. A broad undu- lating plateau extends northwards for about - m., and then declines gently between a bare conical peak on the rt., and a bare rounded hill on the 1., into a stony valley. The trees are few and stunted; the patches of cultivated ground have a gray parched look, and are almost hidden by bald crowns of limestone and heaps of stones; and the ruined and half- ruined villages that dot the landscape, on hill-side and summit, can scarcely be distinguished from the rocks that surround them. The first impression left on the mind by this view is that of hopeless sterility-heightened if we chance to turn a few yards to the rt. and look down into the wilderness of Judaea; but a closer examination cor- rects a first impression. The soil be- tween the rocks, though scanty and dry, is rich; the hill-sides and wady- sides all exhibit traces of old terraces, which a little industry could again make available-the fig and the olive would flourish luxuriantly in the for- mer, while the latter seem intended by nature, as they are arranged by art, for the growth of the vine. The " Land of Promise" was a land of "vines and fig-trees, and pome- granates, a land of oil olive, and honey." (Deut. viii. 8.) How graphic ! How true ! will be the exclamation of every man who travels with his eyes open. To the 1. of the road is Shdfat, a small village with a few fig-orchards; and on the rt., nearly opposite, a conical tell. Riding up the latter among loose stones and sharp rocks, we find ltraces of a small but appa- rently very ancient town on the sum- mit and round the sides. Here are several cisterns hewn in the rock; some very large stones roughly hewn; portions of the rock levelled and cut away ; and on the S.E. the ruins of a small tower of a later date. From the top there is an extensive view; Mount Zion is seen, though Moriah and Olivet are hid by an intervening ridge. On visiting this tell in the spring of 1858, the thought immediately occurred to me that this might probably be the site of the long- lost NOB. Nob appears to have been a small village, for, though inhabited by priests, its name is not found among the towns given to them by lot. We know from 1 Sam. xxi. that it lay S. of Gibeah; from xxii. 9-19, that it was close to that city; from Neh. xi. 32, that it was near Anathoth; and from Isa. x. 32, that it was within sight of Mount Zion: with all these notices this site accords. The site of Gibeah is 2 m. to the N.; Anathoth is 1 m. E.; and Mount Zion is full in view. Between this little hill, which we may safely assume to be the site of Nob, and Tuliel el-Fuil, the site of Gibeah, is a valley breaking down on the E. in rocky declivities into Wady Suleim. Here doubtless took place the interview between David and Jonathan. Behind some of the rocks in it David could easily lie hid, and yet see Jonathan descend- ing' from the city above. Immediately after they separated David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest, and got N.P Alastnar. 307, 0Route 21.--Gibeah. from him bread and the sword of Go- liath. Poor Ahimelech feared there was something wrong when he saw the king's favourite alone, and appa- rently in trouble; but David deceived him with a plausible story. But there was one there who suspected the truth -Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief shepherd. The news of David's flight soon reached Saul, and he charged his followers with treachery. Doeg told what he had seen at Nob, and Saul summoned Ahimelech before him, with all his father's house. The priest's defence would have justi- fled him in the eyes of any rational man; but Saul was mad. "Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house." Such was the sentence. Not an Israelite, how- ever, would raise a hand against the priests of the Lord; and Doeg, the stranger and the spy, now became the tyrant's executioner. He did his bloody work thoroughly, for he "slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep." The very thought of such inhuman barba- rity makes one shudder still as he stands on the spot once drenched with the blood of the victims. But Saul, madly and Wickedly as he acted, was in all this the instrument in God's hand for executing the curse long be- fore pronounced on the wicked house of the High Priest Eli (1 Sam. ii. 27-36; iii. 11-14). One man, Abia- thar, the son of Ahimelech, escaped, and became David's priest and coun- sellor. GIBEAH, now Tuleil et-Fl.-From the site of Nob we ride down the rocky declivity, then across the nar- row valley, and then up the bare side of Tuleil el-Fdl, "The Hill of the Beans." On the summit are ruins, but of what-whether palace, fortress, or temple-it is impossible to tell; a rounded heap of stones is all that can be made out. This forms a kind of nob upon the conical hill, rendering it more conspicuous over the surrounding country. Below it the sides are rudely terraced, and clothed in spring with narrow strips of corn that one would think scarcely worth reaping. The view from the top is wide, and wild, and dreary; but in- tensely interesting. The eye follows the grey declivities of Benjamin, down to the Jordan valley, and then rises to the long wall of purple-tinted moun- tains beyond. On the S. we get a peep at the buildings on Zion over the brow of Scopus. On the W. is the peak of Neby Samwil, the ancient Mizpeh, crowned with mosque and mi- naret. On the N. the village on the top of the little hill is er-Ram, the Ramah of Benjamin. The sites of Anathoth, Geba, and Michmash are also visible. On and around this tell once stood the city that gave Israel its first king- sometimes called Gibeah (" The Hill ") of Benjamin, and sometimes Gibeah of Saul. (Jud. xix. 14; 1 Sam. xi. 4.) The ancient name is gone, but the posi- tion is fixed definitely by the notices of Josephus and Jerome. The former, in connexion with Titus's march upon Jerusalem, gives its distance from that city at 30 stadia. The latter mentions it in his narrative of Paula's journey -" She stopped for a little at Gabaa, then levelled to the ground, calling to mind its ancient crime, and the con- cubine cut in pieces; and then, leav- ing the mausolemn of Helena on her 1., she entered Jerusalem." With these agree also the painful story of the Levite in the book of Judges (xix.). He left Bethlehem in the after- noon to go home to Mount Ephraim. His servant advised him to spend the night in Jebus (Jerusalem); but he declined to lodge with strangers, and said he would pass on to Gibeah or Ramah. The sun set as they were beside the former, and they entered the city. The abominable crime and awful tragedy which followed are well known - they resulted in the almost total annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin. (Jud. xx. and xxi.) Gibea'h was the home of Saul, and the Sect. IV. 308 1. PAtSTINE. Route 21.-Ramah of Benjamin seat of his government during the greater part of his reign. (1.Sam. x. 26; xi. 4; xv. 34; xxiii. 19.) And here on this hill the Amorites of Gibeon hanged the 7 descendants of Saul in revenge for the massacre of their brethren. Gibeah was then the scene of that touching tale of maternal tenderness, when Rizpah, the mother of two of the victims, "took sackcloth and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of hea- ven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest upon them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night." It must have been a mournful spectacle to see the bereaved mother sitting by the wasting skeletons of her sons, throughout the long days of a whole Syrian summer, from the beginning of harvest in April till the first rains in autumn. (2 Sam. xxi.) There is no mention of this city subsequent to the captivity; and we know it was already desolate in the days of Jerome. RAMAH of BENJAMIN, er-BRd.-De- scending the N.W. side of Tuleil el- Fl1, we observe at its base, near the road, some old foundations and heaps of ruins called Khirbat el-Kut'a, pro- bably remains of Gibeah. A few min. farther the road to Yafa by el-Jib and Wady Suleiman strikes off to the 1.; and in 20 min. more is a ruined khan with arches and reser- voirs, from which a path leads up the stony hill on the rt. to er-Ram. This is a small poor village, with some fragments of columns and large stones built up in the modern houses and scattered among the dirty lanes. The situation is high, as the name implies, but the view eastward is not equal to that from Tuleil el-Ffil. This is Ra- mah of Benjamin, which lay between Gibeon and Beeroth (Josh. xviii. 25) ; and which we learn from the poor Levite's sad story was not far distant from Gibeah. (Jud. xit. 13.) It is probably the place mentioned in the story of Deborah, " She dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Eph- raim." (Judg. iv. 5.) Eusebius places it 6 Rom. m. N. of Jerusalem. It was inhabited by the Jews after the captivity (Ezra ii. 26); and has pro- bably continued ever since much as we see it now. It is about 10 min. off the road, and is scarcely worth a visit. After skirting the hill of Ramah the road enters a shallow wady. On the southern slope of the low rocky ridge which constitutes its western bank are some ruins, a few hundred yards from the path. Two ancient reservoirs, several broken arches and cairns of stones, and a few rock tombs, bear the name 'Atara, and proba- bly mark the site of Ataroth, also called Ataroth-adar, a frontier town of Benjamin and Ephraim. (Josh. xvi. 2, 5; xviii. 13.) Jerome mentions two Ataroths in this region. Another I h. brings us to Bireh, the ancient Beeroth, for which see Rte. 10. At Bireh the road branches - one branch runs to Beitin, BETHEL (for an account of which see Rte. 10), and then strikes northward across a rugged plateau for about 3 m., when it unites with the other branch, which proceeds nearly due N. from Bireh, past the village of Ain Ye- brfd. There is a third branch, which makes a considerable ditour to the westward, and reaches in 1 h. the village of Jifna, containing about 200 Inhab., all Christians; and encom- passed by luxuriant vineyards and groves of figs and olives. There are here the ruins of an old (perhaps cru- saders') castle within the village, and the remains of a ch. dedicated to St. George without it. Jifna is the GOPHNA of Josephus, where Titus en- camped a night on his march to Jeru- salem. Through it ran the Roman road laid down in the Peutinger Ta- bles; and it can still be traced. In some places the pavement remains almost entire. A ride of some 20 min. up a beautiful glen brings one from Jifna to 'Ain Yebrfid ..... Such as wish to visit Bethel will take the first branch; but as we have already visited that - - 30 Route 21.-Jerusalem to Nabulus. sacred spot in Rte. 10, we shall now go by the more picturesque and direct route to 'Ain Yebrud. Soon after leaving Bireh we de- scend gradually into a wady-at first shallow with sloping, terraced sides, but soon becoming deeper and wilder, with high cliffs of gray rock frown- ing over the little torrent-bed. Every available spot is terraced; and in spring verdant with wheat. After some time the road strikes up the rt. bank, and at about an hour from Bireh turns abruptly to the rt., round a bold projecting brow of the hill. A view of singular beauty here opens up before us. A wide glen coming down from the E. unites with that through which we have descended; and then sweeps away off to the N.W., wind- ing gracefully among rugged hills. Olive-groves fill its bed and straggle here and there up the furrows in its sides; then follow fig-orchards, so thinly planted, however, that their foliage does not cover the sharp rocks and large heaps of stones; to these succeed vineyards, their rude ter- races running up to the very summits of the hills. There is a look of rich- ness and fertility in the whole scene that reminds us we have entered the territory of Ephraim, who was blessed with "the precious fruits brought forth by the sun . . . . and the pre- cious things of the lasting hills." (Deut. xxxiii. 14, 15.) 'Ain Yebrfid is in front, crowning an isolated hill that rises in tiers of terraces from the wooded glens. The road to it across the intervening ravine was once good, and the zigzag cuttings in the rock show what time and labour were ex- pended in making it so. But time has made it a sad wreck: and the mules and donkeys-the modern road- engineers of Syria - despising all windings, scramble straight down the cliffs. : h. brings us to the little village; but as there is no- thing to detain us, we descend the N. side of the hill. Here the vineyards, and fig-trees, and olives are still more luxuriant; and we get a glance at 'Ain Sinia away down a picturesque glen on the 1. Again we ascend, and about 20 min. from 'Ain Yebrfid join the Bethel road. The village of Ye- brsd now comes in sight on the top of a wooded ridge a mile on the N.W. There is also a nameless ruin on a tell partly behind us on the 1. As we advance we are struck with the remarkable character of the country. A rugged plateau extends a mile or more to the rt. and 1.-huge bare crowns and jagged points of limestone rock everywhere shoot up above the ground, and between them are innu- merable loose fragments of every size and shape, carefully collected and thrown into heaps. The cultivation is wonderful ; and the capabilities of the soil still more so. The whole of this forbidding tract is now a fig- orchard. In summer, when the leaves are out, one cannot see the nature of the ground; but in winter and early spring the whole is bare-rocks, nothing but rocks, meet the eye in looking across it, with the gnarled stems and branches of the fig-trees springing up out of them, like a coral forest suddenly exposed to view. The trees grow out of rents and holes; and nowhere are the patches of cleared soil more than 2 or 3 yards in dia- meter. From this strange plateau the road dives into the narrow bed of a winter torrent, which it follows down a romantic glen. After descending about a mile the glen turns at right angles to the W., being joined by 2 others, one from the E. and another from the N. The scenery is most enchanting. The banks, steep, high, and rugged, are all terraced. Here and there a gray cliff forms the supporting wall, and, as if to add to the effect, it is pierced with rock-tombs. Olive-trees fill the lower part, and oc- casionally run up to the very sum- mit; but figs are there more general. The high bank on the S.W. is crowned with the picturesque ruins of an old castle, whose crumbling walls still frown upon the traveller below, giving a hint of its original use. The Arabs call it Burj el-Berdawil; but, of Sect. IV. 310 Route 21,--Shilokh. course, know nothing of its history. Proceeding up the northern ravine, called Wady el-Jib, we reach in 4 hr. (1 h. from 'Ain Yebrfd) a little wayside spring with the start- ling but appropriate name 'Ain el- Baramiyeh," The Robbers' Fountain." The water trickles down the side of a cliff, amid trails of ferns, into 2 or 3 little artificial basins hollowed out near the bottom. Below it is a car- pet of green turf, an inviting camp- ing-ground, with the massive remains of a large cistern beside it, now con- verted into a cornfield. It is a strange, wild, lonely spot,-not a human ha- bitation is in view, and as the evening closes not a human footfall breaks the silence; yet everywhere around are the marks of industry-olives and fig-trees below, and terraces above, leading up the steep hill-sides, like stairs to the clouds that rest upon their summits. But the associations are not so pleasant as the scenery. The glen has a bad name and de- serves it; and if the traveller should pitch his tent of an evening by the little fountain, as I have done, it will amuse him to see how the stray pas- sengers hurry along with anxious glances to the rt. and 1., before and behind, as the shadows begin to deepen. Scarcely a year passes in which some new deed of blood is not added to the chronicles of 'Ain el- Haramiyeh. From the fountain the road winds up the glen, which gradually widens as we advance; and the sides become lower and less precipitous. The cul- tivation still continues, and even im- proves; probably because the hills and glens are less rugged. In fact, the ride through this district in spring is charming. The terraced hills are so quaint; the winding valleys so pic- turesque; the wild-flowers, anemones, poppies, convolvolus, and hollyhocks, so brilliant and so plentiful; the som- bre foliage of the olive, and deep, deep green of the fig, and bright green of the young corn on the ter- races, all give such exquisite hues to the landscape. Add to this the gray ruins perched on rocky hill-tops; and the peasants in their gay dresses-- red, and green, and white; and the strings of mules, and donkeys, and camels, defiling along the narrow paths, their bells awaking the echoes; and the Arab with his tufted spear or brass-bound musket; and the shep- herd leading his goats along the mountain-side, or grouped with them round a fountain; and the traveller from the far west-the oddest figure among them all-with his red face, and white hat, and jaded hack, and nondescript trappings. In 25 min. we have a half- ruined village on the top of a hill to the 1. A peasant called it Khurbet et-Tell; but it may possibly be the Jibia which some travellers have described as lying in this region. If this be so, its situation and name would answer to the Geba of which Eusebius writes as on the side of the Roman road 5 Rom. m. N. of Gophna. In 25 min. more we emerge from the glen into a narroi green plain which runs away out eastward among dark hills. In the midst of it, 4 m. off, is a little tell, on which stands the village of Tur- mfis 'Aya. Sinjil is on a ridge some 10 m. to our 1. The straight road to Nabulus crosses the ridge to the N. of this plain; but we turn to the rt. to visit the ruins of Seildn. SHILOH, now Seilun.-To visit this interesting site costs I an hour's extra ride. We turn to the rt. below Sinjil, cross the little plain close on the N. side of Turmus 'Aya, ascend the gen- tle rocky acclivity, pass the water- shed, and have the ruins before us, only 25 min. from the mouth of Wady el-Jib. We are disappointed. There is nothing here in either the ruins or the scenery to attract notice. It is utterly featureless - naked rounded hills, paved with rocks and stones. from which the ruins can scarcely be distinguished. Dean Stanley has well said that, "had it not been for the pre- servation of its name, and for the ex- treme precision with which its situa- N. PALESTINE. 311 .Route 21.-Shiloh. tion is described in the book of Judges, the spot could never have been identi- fied; and indeed, from the time of Jerome till the year 1838, its real site was completely forgotten, and its name was transferred to that com- manding height of Gibeon (Neby Samwil), which a later age naturally conceived to be a more congenial spot for the sacred place where for so many centuries was ' the tent which He had pitched among men :'- 'Our living dread, who dwells In Silo, His bright sanctuary.'" A little rounded tell projects north- ward from the ridge, having a deep glen passing at right angles to it on the N., and a shallower one shelving down on each side: over the summit of this tell are scattered the ruins of Shiloh. The surrounding hills and vales are all rocky; and they have a desolate, forbidding aspect, not re- lieved by a single bold feature. Yet they are all terraced; and in spring the green corn streaks the uniform gray of the rocks. Even the ruins are formed into terraces; and the little courts of the houses are here and there converted into miniature corn-fields. Before reaching the site we come to a square building, originally de- signed for a church; but after- wards, when piety yielded to fear, converted into a fortress. The walls are 4 ft. thick, and strengthened on the outside by sloping buttresses of a later date. The lintel of the door has a sculptured amphora between wreaths. The interior does not ex- ceed 20 ft. square, and is encumbered with some broken Corinthian columns. Just at the southern base of the tell is another square building, compara- tively modern. It was once a mosque, and has thus escaped the hands of the destroyer. In front of it is a noble oak-tree. The rest of the ruins are those of a modern village, with here and there a few fragments of columns and large squared stones, pointing to earlier and more prosperous days. The position of Shiloh is described in Scripture with unusual fulness: " On the north side of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah." (Jud. xxi. 19.) That these ruins are on the E. of the main road we have already seen; and we shall soon see that Lubban, the ancient Lebonah, is about 2 m. to the N.W. There cannot be a doubt, therefore, that we are here amid the ruins of Shiloh. On this spot, probably on the sum- mit of the little hill, the Tabernacle of the Lord was first permanently set up in Canaan; and here the Israelites assembled to receive each his allotted portion of the promised land. (Josh. xviii.) The tabernacle and the ark remained here until the close of Eli's life. To this place the infant Samuel was brought from Ramah, and de- dicated to the Lord by a grateful mother. Here old Eli fell down dead on receiving the tidings of the death of his sons in battle, and the capture of the Ark. (1 Sam. i. 24-28; iv. 17- 18.) There was a great annual fes- tival held at Shiloh in honour of the ark, at which the village maidens were wont to dance; they probably assembled iri the valley below. It was on one of these occasions that the remnant of the Benjamites con- cealed themselves among the vine- yards on the hill-sides, and, suddenly rushing upon the unconscious dam- sels, carried off 200 of them. (Jud. xxi.'19-24.) With the capture of the ark the glory of Shiloh departed, and only one other incident in its future history is worth recording. Ahijah the prophet lived here; and the wife of Jeroboam came in dis- guise to consult him about her sick child; but instead of the com- fort she sought she heard from the prophet's lips the fearful judgment of God pronounced on a sinful house. (1 Kings xiv. 1-17.) It appears from the words of Jeremiah that Shiloh was soon afterwards entirely destroyed; and in Jerome's day scarcely a founda- tion remained to mark the place where God's altar once stood. (Jer. vii. 14; xxvi. 6.) "But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I 312 Sect. IV. N PALESTINE. Ro-te 21.-Jerusalem to Nabtulus. set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel." (Jer. vii. 12.) J m. E. of the ruins, in a deep wild glen, is the fountain of Shiloh, with an old reservoir beside it. In the rocky banks around are many ex- cavated tombs, and there is one in an isolated rock. On the top of the ridge beyond the valley, 1 m. or more N. of Seilfin, is the little village of Kuriyfit, the Coree of Josephus, inhabited by a set of sturdy thievish rascals, who often gather round unwary travellers as they get entangled amid the ruins of Shiloh, and then demand bakhshish. They usually make a grand flourish with guns and long knives; and if the least timidity is shown they are sure to gain their object. The best plan to follow is to take no notice whatever of them; but just calmly to look over the ruins, and then calmly ride off. To accomplish this, however, a good guide is neces- sary, so as to save all risk of getting entangled among the rocks or in the glen below. From the ruins of Seilfin we de- scend through terraced corn-fields into the glen on the N.; and then turning to the 1. follow the torrent-bed till it opens on a little fertile plain, and joins the main road about 4 m. N. of the ruined Khan el-Lubbin. The plain is about 1 m. in length, and is deeply imbedded among dark hills. It is drained by a narrow ravine which breaks through the western ridge, conveying a winter tributary to the 'Aujeh on the plain of Sharon. On the hill-side W. of the plain is the hamlet of Lubban; it is still inha- bited, but there is a venerable look about its gray houses, and the se- pulchral caves that dot the sur- rounding cliffs, which reminds us of the city of LEBONAH, that in the days of Israel's judges lay between Shiloh and Shechem. (Jud. xxi. 19.) It gives its name to the ruined khan and to the adjoining plain and wady. Our road - now deserving that name-runs up to the N. end of the [Syria and Palestine.] plain, and then turns to the rt. into another narrower one. In J h. the village of Sawieh is on the 1., perched on the side of a rocky hill; and in 10 min. more there is a ruined khan, or castle, on the rt., with a noble oak-tree near it. Here we descend into a deep wady which crosses our course from E. to W. On reaching the bottom we get a view of a pic- turesque village called Kubalan, si- tuated amid olive-groves on a hill side, a mile or so to the S.E. There is another, called Yetma, opposite it on the N. side of the valley. A long winding path is now before us, lead- ing to the summit of a bleak rocky ridge. On reaching the crest after 2 hr's toilsome clambering, a scene bursts upon our view for which we are wholly unprepared. A single glance repays us for all the labour. We feel inclined to pause, and dis- mount, and sit down on a rock, to take a long look at the landscape. The country has been gradually improv- ing since we left the bleak heights of Benjamin. There has been more cultivation, and more soil to cultivate; there have been more trees and more corn-fields. We have had several of those little fertile plains, too, which are the distinguishing characteristics of the mountain territory of Ephraim. They are unknown in Judah and Benjamin. Every step we advance every new view we obtain, proves to us that Ephraim was indeed blessed with " the chief things of the ancient mountains" - vines, and figs, and olives, and corn, all growing luxuri- antly amid the "lasting hills." It was not in vain the dying patriarch deliberately rested his right hand on the head of Joseph's younger son, say- ing, "In thee shall Israel bless, say- ing,' God make thee as Ephraim.' " (Gen. xlviii. 18-20) But it is on gaining the crest of this ridge we are especially impressed with the richness of this section of Palestine. Before us lies a plain stretching northward about 7 m., and varying from 1 to 2 in breadth. Its surface is unbroken by fence or village; while here and there along P 313 R3oute 21,---Jerusalem to Nabulus. its sides are clumps of olive-trees giv- ing it a park-like beauty. Along its eastern side runs a line of low, dark hills with rocky promontories shootinig out into the plain. On the W. the hills are much higher-their summits overtopping all around them - but they are more rugged and barren. On the highest point overhanging the plain may be seen a white wely; this is the landmark of Gerizim, and stands on the spot where the Samaritan Temple once stood. Beyond it, and partly covered by it, is Ebal-dis- tinctly seen from this point of view only when the shadows are favour- able. Between the two is the opening of the valley of Nabulus, the ancient Shechem. Another hill, scarcely less celebrated than Gerizim, here first comes into view. Far away on the northern horizon the clear eye will distinguish a pale blue cone, tipped and streaked with white - it is HERMON. A rapid descent of Z h. brings us to the southern end of the plain, now called el-Mukhna. Here a wady crosses from E. to W., and in it are situated several villages. After going up the short ascent into the plain we have the village of Hawara close on our 1., on the lower slope of the moun- tain. The road now branches-one branch on the 1., winding along the base of Gerizim, crosses a spur of the mountain and enters the valley of Shechem; the other keeps down near the centre of the plain, passes Jacob's Well, at the mouth of the valley, and joins the former near Nabulus. Both are good, and there is little difference in their length. We are struck as we advance with the fertility of the plain, now an uninterrupted ex- panse of corn-fields extending from end to end and from side to side - with the villages, which, instead of being built in the plain, in the midst of their fields, are perched for security high up on the hills on each side-with the people, a wild daring- looking race, having soniewhat of a Greek cast of countenance, and all the Greek fire and malignity in their eyes. The red cap (Tarbfish) is long, nearly resembling in shape the nightcap of the Naples' lazzaroni, drooping at the side over a circlet of white turban. All are armed. A long gun, and a huge dagger stuck dia- gonally through the front of the gir- dle are the universal equipments. Some add to these pistols, and almost all a knob-headed club. They are active and athletic, and look as if they could use the arms they are so fond of displaying. The western tra- veller will be no little amused-as- tonished perhaps-to meet one after another of these gentry driving home a half-starved donkey with a load of grain or straw that he might almost put in his pocket; himself clothed in rags, and yet armed cap-a-pie. "What is he afraid of ? " "What has he to defend ?" one naturally asks. His life perhaps. A blood feud exists be- tween his family and some other family, or between his village and some other village. One of his remote ancestors 300 or 400 years ago killed a man; and that man's family killed another in revenge; and then another was killed in return: and thus it has run on ever since. Or two villages have disputed about a stray goat; there was first tremendous shouting, especially among the women urging on their husbands and brothers to the fight; then in the excitement weapons were used and blood was shed; and blood calls for blood. Thus every member of the family .to the remotest degree, or every inha- bitant of the village, as the case may be, is kept in constant dread. He stalks about armed at all hours, in all places-with his goats on the moun- tain side, with his donkey on the road, with his plough and yoke of oxen in the field; in seed-time and harvest, summer and winter, cold and heat. Imagination makes the "avenger of blood" follow him like his shadow, ever watchful for an un- guarded moment to fall upon him. Many a family has this blood-revenge (the dim of. the Syrian and thdr of the Bedawy) compelled to flee from house and home, and seek refuge Sect. IV. 314 N. PALESTIN . ; Route 21.-Shechem (NabuZus). among strangers; many a village it has left desolate, for none will live where the sentence of death hangs constantly over them. In the Koran this fearful law is written: " O true believers, the law of retaliation is ordained to you for the slain; the free shall die for the free." Even in the Old Testament it was at least re- cognised; though regulated by some merciful arrangements and rules. This very city of Shechem was one of the places of refuge to which the manslayer was appointed to flee. (Josh. xx.; Deut. xix. 1-10.) We follow the lower road, and 14 h. from Hawara brings us to Jacob's Well, at the entrance of the valley that leads up to Nabulus. Here the Sa- viour rested at noon - day, wearied with the long journey, having come like ourselves from Jerusalem. There is little to be seen at the well; and the traveller may either satisfy his curiosity by a passing look now, or as I would recommend, he may return in the still evening or the quiet morn- ing to read the story of that strange interview between our Lord and the Samaritan woman, and to allow the mind to luxuriate in those holy asso- ciations which the spot calls up. An account of the well and its history I give below. The little white enclo- sure a few hundred yards to the N. is Joseph's Tomb. (See below.) h.'s ride up the glen brings us to Na- bulus. SHECHEMI, NEAPOLIS, NABULUs. So far as natural scenery is con- cerned, the situation of Nabulus is the finest in Palestine-in fact, it is the only really beautiful site from Dan to Beersheba. A verdant valley, sparkling with fountains and streams of water, opens from the plain of Mukhna. It is about 200 yards wide, and is shut in on the N. and S. by the dark rocky sides of Ebal and Gerizim, which rise steeply from its smooth bed. For I m. the vale as- cends gently, and is filled with corn- fields; then it is crossed by a belt of olive-trees, whose gray foliage and black trunks contrast finely with the delicate green of the corn. The olives continue for another I m.; then they are interrupted by the fruit-orchards and white-domed houses of the town. The town lies chiefly on the S. side of the valley, hugging the base of Gerizim, and running up into a pic- turesque nook in its side. At this point the ridges recede a little, and the valley suddenly descends to the W., and continues its course, filled with the richest vegetation and foliage -gardens of vegetables, orchards of fruit-trees, belts of olives; every colour is here, from the deepest green to the softest gray and most delicate russet, all harmoniously blended, and melting in the distance into the purple and azure-tints of the mountain-sides and summits. Nabulus thus occupies the watershed of the vale; and its domes and minarets are seen from both E. and W., shooting up from the dense mass of surrounding foliage. Between the town and the plain Ebal and Gerizim look like twin brothers- wherever there is a nook or projection in the side of the one there is a cor- responding nook or projection in the side of the other. Both are equally barren-looking; but not so barren as they look. Here as elsewhere little terraces have been formed, partly by the natural limestone strata, partly by the hand of man ; and upon some of these are strips of grain, which can only be seen from above' On ascending Gerizim we shall see how every handful of soil has been made productive, and how every stone and cliff has been turned to use to keep the soil in its place. The cliffs in the side of Ebal are here and there dotted with tombs; it seems to have been the necropolis of old Shechem. Nabulus has a population of about 8000; 500 of whom are Christians, 150 Samaritans, and about 100 Jews. The houses are of stone, resem- bling in style and general appearance those of Jerusalem. One or two are r2 315 Route 21.-Shechem. large and fine, superior in extent and finish to any I saw in the Holy City. The streets are narrow, tortuous and filthy as those of other towns. They are on the whole more gloomy and tunnel-like than any in Syria-the houses almost everywhere projecting over and covering them, being sup- ported on arches. Probably security is the secret of it, every one being afraid to venture an inch into the country. There is not much of anti- quity to attract the traveller's atten- tion. It is true there are numbers of broken columns of granite, marble, and limestone; and large old stones ; and sarcophagi used as water-troughs ; but they are scattered about and mixed up with modern masonry. A Saracenic doorway opening into one of the mosques is the only architectural ornament of Nabulus. The elevation of the site above the sea is about 1800 ft., and the summits of Ebal and Gerizim rise 800 more. The Muslem inhabitants have a bad character, and deserve it. They have been long notorious for fanaticism and turbulence. They are almost always in a state of semi-rebellion; obeying when it suits their fancy, and resisting, literally to the knife, when their pas- sions are roused. The strong hand of Ibrahim Pasha crushed them for a time after a severe struggle; but the weak vacillating government of the Turks has enabled the people to regain their old power. The Chris- tians are the especial objects of their tyranny; and both they and the Samaritans only live by sufferance- always scorned, often i-qsulted, and occasionally spoiled and oppressed. A few years ago a Muslem deliberately shot a Jew boy in his shop; and noth- ing was done! Travellers, and espe- cially ladies, in passing through the streets are sometimes exposed to the most wanton insolence. The chief productions of Nabulus are soap, cotton, and oil. The soap- works are large, and the trade is flourishing. The immense heaps of ashes and debris round the town show something of the extent of the opera- tions; and remind one of the similar mounds to the N. of Jerusalem. The oil of Nabulus is considered among the best in Syria. There are no large groves of olives like those of Gaza, Beyrout, and Damascus; but every village and hamlet in the district is embowered in them, and they constitute a main feature in the scenery wherever we turn our eyes. Some think they are not picturesque. Perhaps not, when standing alone on a rocky mountain side or parched plain; but when mixed with other trees they enhance vastly the beauty of the landscape. The soft gray hue of their foliage contrasts finely with the deep green of the walnut and fig; and then they are clothed in mid-winter when other trees are bare. The olive- tree (Arabic Zeitln, like the Hebrew Zeit) is to the Syrian "prima omnium arborum." The trees are slow in their growth, and they are from 10 to 15 years old before they begin to pay the expense of culture. They live long- 1000 years or more-and the old ones have a venerable aspect with their great gnarled and furrowed stems. The berries ripen in November and December, and are beaten off by men with long sticks. (Deut. xxiv. 20). Women and children pick them up, and carry them away in baskets on their heads to the press. The oil is extracted by a rude and clumsy appar- atus. The berries are placed in a cir- cular cavity in a large stone, and another stone, like a dwarf-mill stone, is rolled over them either by men or oxen. The crushed mass is then bound up in mats and placed under the press, which is forced down by a long weighted beam, or a screw. The liquor is afterwards slightly heated, and' the oil as it rises is skimmed off and poured into skins or earthern jars. In addition to the olive, the district of Nabulus abounds in figs and vines. In fact Ephraim received abundantly all the blessings prophetically pro- mised by Jacob and Moses-" The precious fruits brought forth by the sun .... the chief things of the ancient mountains.. . . the precious 316 Sect. IV. RNoute 21.--The Samaritans. things of the lasting hills ..... the precious things of the earth and the fulness thereof." (Gen. xlix. 22-26; Deut. xxxiii. 14-16). The History of Shechem extends over a period of nearly 4000 years. The first spot where Abraham pitched his tent in Canaan was in the "place of Sichem," at "the oaks of Moreh" (" plain" in the Eng. trans.; but the Hebrew Elon signifies "oak," or "tere- binth "). Very probably the site of his camp was at the opening of the glen into the plain of Mukhna. (Gen. xii. 6). Jacob also came to this pas- toral region immediately on his return from Mesopotamia; and pitched his tent "before" (that is east of) the city, near to Shalem. To this day there is a village called Sdlim on the lower slope of the hills, opposite the vale of Shechem, and not more than 2 m. distant. And the patriarch then bought from Hamor, Shechem's father, that "parcel of a field," still marked by his well and the tomb of his favour- ite son. (Gen xxxiii. 18-20). It was here that, not long afterwards, Simeon and Levi treacherously avenged the dishonour of their sister Dinah, by the slaughter of the whole male popu- lation of Shechem. (Gen. xxxiv). Jacob removed to Hebron, but still re- tained possession of his field; and it was to this spot he sent his son Joseph to look after his brethren. They had removed to Dothan (about 12 m. north- ward), "and a certain man found him wandering in the field "-Jacob's field -and directed him to Dothan; thither he went and was sold to the Ishmael- ites. (Gen. xxxvii). The place where the patriarchs first settled in Canaan became, four cen- turies later, the first great gathering- place of their posterity on taking pos- session of the country. On the summit of Ebal an altar was built, and the words of the law inscribed upon it- then six of the tribes took their station on this mountain to pronounce the curse, and the other six across the valley on Gerizim to bless. (Deut. xi. 29, 30; xxvii. 1-13; Josh. viii. 30- 35). Shechem was assigned to the Levites, and made a city of refuge. (Josh. xx. 7; xxi. 20, 21). The next striking incident in Shechem's history was its seizure by Abimelech during the rule of the Judges, and his being proclaimed king "by the oak of the pillar." This gave occasion to the beautiful and characteristic parable of Jotham, pronounced from the top of Gerizim. (Jud. ix.) In this city Rehoboam was proclaimed king over all Israel; and here, too, not many days afterwards, the ten tribes, mad- dened by his folly, revolted and made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, king, es- tablishing in Shechem the seat of the new monarchy. (1 Kings xii.) The dignity of capital, however, it had soon to share with the more favoured Tirzah, and finally to give up to Samaria. THE SAMARITANS. After the Assyrian conquest of Israel, and the removal of its people into captivity, colonies from the E. were placed in their deserted cities. The country having been desolated by war, wild beasts multiplied, and be- came the terror and scourge of the new inhabitants. The barren heights of Hermon and Lebanon, and the de- serted jungles of the Jordan valley, are to this day infested with bears, panthers, wolves, and jackals. The strangers attributed the calamity to the anger of the local Deity, of whose peculiar mode of worship they were ignorant. They therefore petitioned for Jewish priests to instruct them in religious rites; and after they had heard their teachings " they feared the Lord, and served their own gods." (2 Kings xvii. 24-41). Such was the origin of the SAMARITANS. Strangers by blood, they were merely instructed in some of the leading points of the Jewish religion by one, or probably several, Jewish priests; and still re- tained the gods of their own nations. The introduction of the Pentateuch among them is sufficiently accounted for by this partial adoption of the Jew- N. PALUTIsE. 317 3Route 21.-The Samaritans. ish creed. In after times the Jews refused to acknowledge them in any way, and would not permit them to assist in building the second Temple, though their refusal cost them many a trial. (Ezra iv.). Being thus cast off by the Jews, the Samaritans resolved to erect a temple of their own on Gerizim. The imme- diate occasion appears to have been the circumstances related by Nehe- miah, that a son of Joiada, the high- priest, had become son-in-law to San- ballat, and had on this account been expelled from Jerusalem. (Neh. xiii. 28). The date of the temple may thus be fixed at about B.c. 420. Shechem now became the metropolis of the Samaritans as a sect; and an asylum for all apostate and lax Jews. (Joseph. Ant. xi. 8, 6). These things tended to foster enmity between the two nations,- which resulted in the total destruction of the Temple of Gerizim by the Jews under John Hyrcanus. The very name Samaritan became a by-word and a reproach among the Jews, just as the name Yehddy, "Jew," is among the modern Syrians; and some even suppose that the Jews nicknamed the city of Shechem Sychar, " Falsehood," to mark their opinion of the pretended origin of its inhabitants. In our Lord's time the Samaritans retained their worship on Gerizim though the temple was in ruins; and they had some vague expectations of a Messiah. (John iv. 20-25). During the reign of Vespasian Shechem was rebuilt and renamed Neapolis, " New City," an appella- tion which has run into the Arabic Nabulus-one of the very few in- stances in which the Greek has sup- planted the Semitic name. "The Sa- maritan worship," says Dr. Robinson, "would appear to have long continued predominant at Neapolis; for upon the coins of the subsequent centuries we find Mount Gerizim with its temple depicted as the symbol of the city. There is indeed no historical testimony that the former temple was ever re- built; yet there was doubtless an altar, or some kind of structure, where their worship was held. The Samari- tans are not mentioned in connexion with the Jewish war and catastrophe under Adrian; but under Septimius Severus, about A.D. 200, they appear to have made common cause with the Jews against the emperor; and Nea- polis was deprived by him of its rights as a city. In that and the following centuries the Samaritans were spread extensively not only over Egypt and the E., but also in the W. as far as Rome itself, where they had a syna- gogue in the time of Theodoric, after A.D. 493. Their occupation appears to have been chiefly that of merchants and money-changers, much like the Jews." The Samaritans first heard the Gos- pel from the Saviour himself, when he preached to the woman and her friends at Jacob's Well (John iv. 39-42). And after the Crucifixion the Apostles taught in "many villages of the Sa- mari.tans." (Acts viii. 25; ix. 31). Justin, the martyr and philosopher, one of the earliest of the Christian writers, was a native of Neapolis, where he was born about A.D. 89. The city afterwards became the seat of a bishop; and the names of several of its prelates are found among the sub- scriptions to the Councils of Ancyra, Nice, and Jerusalem. In A.D. 487 the Samaritans rose against the Chris- tians, killed many of them, and cruelly maimed the bishop. In consequence of this act they were driven from Mount Gerizim, and a church was built there in honour of the Virgin. This building was frequently attacked by the enraged Samaritans, and the emperor Justinian surrounded it by a strong fortress as a defence against them. On the invasion of Syria by the Muslems Neapolis peaceably surren- dered, and when the Crusaders cap- tured Jerusalem it as peaceably yielded tQ them. Like the other cities of Palestine, however, it suffered severely by the long wars between the Cres- cent and the Cross. It was repeat- edly plundered; its churches and altars were polluted; and its people 318 Sect. IV. N. PALrSTINE. Route 21.-Ancient Copy of the Pentateuch. exposed to the most fearful atrocities. During all this time no mention is made of the Samaritans; and it is only on the visit of the Jew, Benjamin of Tudela, in the 12th centy., that they are again brought under our notice. In Caesarea, on the sea-coast, he found "two hundred Cutheans, commonly called Samaritans ;" and in Nabulus, the ancient Sichem, about one hundred. His account of them as to numbers, habits, and religion might be adopted without much change at present. From that time, until the beginning of the present centy. the Samaritans are only noticed in brief and general terms by a few passing travellers; but we learn more of them from letters they wrote to several inquisitive European scholars. They were published by De Sacy in his Correspondence des Samaritains ; and from them it appears that 2 cen- turies ago they had small communi- ties in Cairo, Gaza, and Damascus. All have long since disappeared ex- cept the few families in Nabulus, who still cling to the mountain consecrated by their history and their faith. The literature of the Samaritans is very limited. It consists of the fol- lowing works: 1. The Pentateuch in the original character, first published in the Paris Polyglott; also in an Arabic version still in manuscript. 2. A Collection of Hymns, published by Gesenius. 3. A Samaritan Manuscript, professing to be the Book of Joshua, but really a worthless chronicle, ex- tending from Moses to the time of Alexander Severus. It has been translated into Arabic, and a copy of the version exists in the Library of the University of Leyden. 4. Several commentaries on the Law; and a his- tory of their nation in Arabic from the Exodus to Mohammed. Their manus- cripts are kept in a recess of their Synagogue, behind a curtain, under the care of the High Priest. The present priest is a liberal, and to some degree enlightened man; and tra- vellers have little difficulty in seeing all their treasury of wisdom. ANCIENT COPY OF THE PENTATEUCH. The celebrated Samaritan Codex is worthy of special notice. It is guarded with very great care by the High Priest. I had an opportunity of in- specting it closely. The priest brought the roll from its recess behind the veil in the sanctuary of the synagogue. It was wrapped in a scarf of crimson satin embroidered with letters of gold in the Damascus style. On the cover being removed I examined the case which is curious and interesting. It has since been inspected with more care by Mr. Grove, who has given a description in Vacation Tourists (1861). "It is," he says, "a beautiful and curious piece of work; a cylinder of about 2 feet 6 inches long and 10 or 12 inches in diameter, opening down the middle. One of the halves is en- graved with a ground plan of the tabernacle, showing every post, tenon, veil, piece of furniture, vessel, &c., with a legend attached to each, all in raised work. The other half is covered with ornaments only, also raised. It is silver, and I think - but the light was very imperfect- parcel-gilt." He adds in a note: " the rubbings (of it) have since been shown to the authorities of the South Ken- sington Museum, and pronounced to be Venetian work of the 14th or 15th century." My attention was directed mainly, indeed I may say solely, to the MS. itself. The roll is 15 inches wide, and must be from 20 to 30 yds. long; but this is only an estimate, as I had no means of measuring the length. It is of coarse parchment, of a yellowish- brown colour, much stained, especially where it is usually exposed to the people on the day of Atonement. It is worn and torn, and patched in many places. It is rolled upon two rods, of brass apparently, one being fastened to each end. The writing is in transverse columns, each column 13 inches long by 7 wide, and contain- ing about 70 lines. I was told that there are 110 columns in all. The characters are of the old Samaritan 319 3Route 21.-Samaritans-R-eligion. type, small, rude, and irregular. In external appearance and accuracy of execution the MS. cannot be com- pared with the Jewish synagogue rolls. Many parts of it bear traces of correction or change, many are obliter- ated-at least they seemed so to me, but the light was bad. In a few places I observed that newer parch- ment had been rudely inserted where the old was torn away, and these places were written in a more modern hand. The roll contains, or contained, the Pentateuch complete. Its age it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to deter- mine. The Samaritans say it was written by Abishuta the son of Phine- has 3500 years ago, but this cannot be credited. However, it is probably as old as, if not older than, any of our Hebrew MSS. I should say, judging from the vellum and the character of the writing, that about the 6th or 7th century of our era is the earliest period to which it can be assigned. FAITH AND WORSHIP OF THE SAMARITANS. The Pentateuch is the Samaritan Bible. It is their divine standard of faith, morals, and worship. They be- lieve in one God, but deny a plurality of persons in the Godhead. They believe in one lawgiver and prophet, Moses, and they reject all others. They believe in the advent of a Mes- siah, according to the divine promise in Deut. xviii. 19. The Messiah, however, is to be a man, like, but in- ferior to Moses. They believe in a future state of rewards and punish- ments, and in the resurrection of the body. They observe all the great Feasts enjoined in the Pentateuch. Of these the Passover and the Feast of Atonement are the chief. They also observe Pentecost by a service of prayer in their synagogue, and by a procession to the summit of Gerizim. At the Feast of Tabernacles they con- struct little booths, or arbours of green branches in their court-yards, or on their house-tops, like the Jews, and live in them for 7 days, making a pil- grimage each day to the top of the holy mountain. It is remarkable also that they celebrate the Feast of Purim. The Jews hold it in commemoration of the deliverance of their nation by the heroic devotion of queen Esther; but the Samaritans say it was instituted in honour of Moses' mission to Egypt to deliver Israel. Their observance of the Sabbath is strict, and in general accordance with the Mosaic commands, so far as regards external form and manual labour. They have not so many tricks for evading the strictness of the Law as the Jews. They will not, for example, employ others to do in their houses what they are forbidden to do themselves. On Friday evening their Sabbath begins at sunset, and they hold private prayers in their houses. On Saturday they have 3 diets of worship in their synagogue- morning, noon, and afternoon. The synagogue is a small oblong building, with recesses on 3 sides. The walls are rough and white- washed; the roof is vaulted, with 2 little domes in the centre. The whole building is modern; their ancient and more splendid synagogue having been taken by the Muslems some centuries ago. The recess on the left hand of the door is the Mizbah, or " altar." It is about 5 feet square, and was covered at the time of my visit with a veil of yellow silk. Within are receptacles for the sacred books. Toward it the faces of the worshippers are turned in prayer; and it is so placed that in looking to it they look toward their chief sanctuary on the top of Gerizim. The service in the synagogue, as I witnessed it, was as follows:-On the arrival of the High Priest, he and the members of his family, put on surplices of white calico. The service then began. The first act was a prostration of the whole assembly towards the Mizbah, accompanied by a low mur- mur. Having touched the ground with lips and forehead, they all rose to a position partly kneeling, partly sit- ting-the knees upon the ground, and the body thrown back so as to rest upon the heels-an attitude of rever- 320 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINI. Route 21.-Mount Geriziml--The Pass88over. 321 ence generally assumed by Orientals in the presence of superiors. The priest now commenced a chant in a monotonous tone, with brief pauses at intervals, followed by a jerk in the voice. The whole assembly joined. At first the chant was slow, and in an undertone; but gradually it became quicker, and grew louder, until it in- creased to a howl; once or twice they all rose to their feet, and on kneeling again they drew both hands down their faces and beards. There was no appearance of devotional feeling. The service was a mere performance; and to a stranger a most disagreeable per- formance. MovUNT GERizI -THE PASSOVER. Few will turn aside from Shechem without making a pilgrimage to the shrine of the Samaritans-Gerizim, the "Mountain of Blessing." A Samaritan guide is the best, but a Jew or a Chris- tian will serve the purpose. The way is steep and so long that a horse or donkey is a comfort. It winds up the beautiful glen on the S. side of the town; and here we get some charming views-rich in many-tinted foliage, picturesquely grouped houses, graceful palm-trees, and rugged cliffs-all alive with the song of birds and the mur- mur of waters. One is reminded of some of the finest glens around Sor- rento. But the trees and waters are soon left behind, and a turn to the 1. shuts them out from view. There is now a stiff climb for 4 of an honr up the mountain side. On gaining the top we have before us a broad plateau, or rather close succession of moun- tain summits, thickly covered with stones, but cultivated in patches and terraces, between which the stones have been heaped together. The pros- pect is wild and dreary. We proceed along the top, due. E., towards a con- spicuous wely on a rocky knoll, and in 15 min. reach the base of the latter. Here we observe a few perches of tolerably level ground where the Sa- maritans encamp at the feast of Pass- over. On its eastern side is a small rectangular area, surrounded by stones, like the foundations of an old building. In its centre is a trough about a foot deep and 4 ft. long, filled with ashes and calcined bones, the remains of the Passover lambs which are burned with fire according to the command in the Law (Ex. xii. 10). Beside the en- closure is a circular pit 3 ft. in diameter and 8 or 10 deep, in which the lambs are roasted-" Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire." A description of the mode in which the Passover is observed on this spot may be interesting. I had an oppor- tunity of witnessing a part of the ordi- nance. On reaching the level area above mentioned I found the tents of the community pitched, facing the top of the mountain. Beside the trough stood two large metal pots full of water, and the pit was filled with dry brushwood. A few of the older men were reciting portions of the Law, but the bulk of the people were reposing in their tents. Near sunset I observed eight or ten men in white surplices standing beside the circular pit re- citing a form of prayer. After several prostrations one of them kindled the brushwood, and another threw on addi- tional fuel. They then went to the trench and lighted a fire there. All the full-grown men, amounting to forty or more, now came out of their tents, and ranging themselves behind the others, joined in the recitations and prostrations. This continued without intermission to near sunset. Then I saw a number of youths-six or seven -retire from the main body and go behind the camp; they soon returned, leading or driving six lambs. The moment the sun set :the priest, raising his voice, repeated very rapidly the words of Exod. xii. 6: " And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the two evenings;" and while the words of the sacred record still hung upon his lips, the lambs were seized and their throats cut. As they lay there struggling, the youths who slaughtered them dipped their fingers in the blood, and going back touched the faces of some women P3 2oute 21.-Mount Gerizim. and children who stood in the tent doors. The youths next spread out the quivering carcases, and taking water from the pots, now boiling on the fire in the trench, they poured it over them and stripped off the fleeces. The right fore-leg and entrails of each lamb were cut off and burned; after- wards each carcase was pierced length- wise by a wooden spit with a cross-bar near the extremity, and then carefully placed on end in the circular pit, which was now heated like an oven. Sticks were placed in order over the mouth of the pit and moist earth heaped upon them so as completely to close it up. There the bodies were to remain till fully roasted, according to the com- mand-" They shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire . . eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire." At this stage I was compelled by intense cold and other reasons to return to Nabulus, and did not witness the concluding part of the ceremony. I take the liberty, however, of completing the description in the graphic language of Dean Stanley, who, during his tour in the East with H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, was present during the whole feast :-" It was now quite dark, and the greater part of the community retired to rest. Five hours or more elapsed in silence, and it was not till after midnight that the announcement was made that the feast was about to begin. The Paschal moon was still bright and high in the heavens. The whole male community was gathered round the mouth of the oven, and with reluctance allowed the intrusion of any stranger to a close inspection. It seemed as if the rigid exclusiveness of the ancient Pascal ordinance here came into play,-' A foreigner shall not eat thereof; no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.' "Suddenly the covering of the hole was torn off, and up rose in the still moonlit sky a vast column of smoke and steam . . . Out of the pit were dragged, successively, the six sheep, on their long spits, black from the oven. The outlines of their heads, their ears, their legs, were still visible -' his head with his legs, and with the inward parts thereof.' They were hoisted aloft and then thrown on large square brown mats, previously prepared for their reception, on which we were carefully prevented from treading, as also from touching even the extremities of the spits. The bodies, thus wrapped in the mats, were hurried down to the trench where the sacrifice had taken place, and laid out upon them in a line between two files of the Samaritans. Those who had before been dressed in white robes still retained them, with the addition now of shoes on their feet and staves in their hands, and ropes round their waists,-' Thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, your staff in your hand.' The recitation of prayers or of the Pentateuch recommenced and continued till it suddenly terminated in their all sitting down on their haunches, after the Arab fashion at meals, and beginning to eat. This, too, is a deviation from the practice of only a few years since, when they retained the Mosaic ritual of standing whilst they'ate. The actual feast was conducted in rapid silence as 'of men in hunger, as no doubt most of them were, and so as soon to consume every portion of the blackened masses, which they tore away piecemeal with their fingers,-' Ye shall eat it in haste.' There was a general merriment, as of a hearty and welcome meal. In ten minutes all was gone but a few rem- nants. To the priests and to the women, who, all but two (probably his two wives), remained in their tents, separate morsels were carried round. The remnants were gathered into the mats and put on a wooden grate or hurdle over the hole where the water had been originally boiled; the fire was again lit, and a huge bonfire was kindled. By its blaze, and by candles lighted for the purpose, the ground was searched in every direction, as for the consecrated particles of sacra- mental elements; and these fragments of the flesh and bone were thrown upon the burning mass. ' Ye shall let nothing remain until the morning; and that which remaineth until the Sect. IV. 322 morning ye shall burn with fire.' .. . The flames blazed up once more, and then gradually sank away. Perhaps in another century the fire on Mount Gerizim will be the only relic left of this most interesting and ancient rite. By the early morning the whole com- munity had descended from the moun- tain and occupied their usual habita- tions in the town. ' Thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.' (Deut. xvi. 7.)" Such are the Samaritans, and such are their rites, their faith, and their customs. How strange to find them re- taining almost unchanged the Mosaic institutions-to find them living in the same city in which they lived when Jesus sat on Jacob's Well-to find them worshipping on the same mountain to which the woman of Samaria pointed when she asked her question ! SITE OF THE TEMPLE. From the place of sacrifice we ascend by an old road to the summit of the rocky knoll, a distance of about 200 yds. Here lie the principal ruins of Gerizim, and in the midst of them is the shrine of the Samaritans. The most important ruin is a large rectan- gular enclosure, facing the cardinal points, and measuring 240 ft. from E. to W. by 255 ft. from N. to S. The walls are of hewn stones, about 6 ft. thick, and in places still as much as 12 ft. high. At the corners are the remains of square towers-that on the N.E. crowning the hill, and command- ing the plain of Mukhna with a wide district around it. This tower is now a Muslem wely, and its white dome seen from afar is the landmark of Gerizim. Near the centre of the en- closure are the foundations of an oc- tagonal building, which the recent excavations of Captain Wilson have shown to be those of the Church of the Virgin. "On the eastern side of the ch. is an apse, on the northern side the main entrance, and on each of the others doors leading to small side chapels. In the interior are the 323 piers of a smaller octagon, apparenitly intended to carry a dome. The ch. and castle werelfound to be built on a rough platform of large stones laid together without mortar, and of this platform-which may be that on which the Samaritan temple stood-the so- called 'twelve stones' form a portiQn." Adjoining the enclosure on the N. is a square building, apparently of the same date, measuring 100 ft. by 150 ft., and divided into three apartments. The massive walls, the flanking towers, the general form of the structure, and the commanding site, all show it to have been a fortress; and the style of the masonry appears to indicate that it was erected during the Roman rule in Palestine. The Samaritans them- selves call it" the Castle." There is every reason to believe that we have here the remains of the fortress erected by the Emperor Justinian for the pro- tection of the Church of the Virgin, as stated above. Along the base of the western wall of the large enclosure runs a line of large slabs; but whether detached blocks laid there by human hands, or portions of the natural rock divided by fissures, it is difficult to say. The Samaritans call them "the ten stones;" and they affirm that beneath them are deposited the identical twelve stones brought up at the command of Joshua out of the bed of the Jordan and originally placed at Gilgal (Josh. iv. 20-24). They also state that upon these stones are inscribed the words of the ten commandments. The tradition is ancient, but it has no foundation in Scripture history. Mr. Mills states that upon excavation he found that these "were really separate blocks of stone, and not one rocky platform . . I examined the blocks as carefully as the circumstances would admit of, but could find no traces of any kind of writing. The stones, however, were not sufficiently uncovered to enable me to satisfy myself that there was no writing on them." A little to the S. of these ruins is a smooth surface of natural rock, of an irregular oval shape, 45 ft. in dia- meter; declining gently towards a N. PALESTINE. Route 21.--Site of the Temple. .Boute 21.-Site of the Temple. rough rock-hewn pit on its W. side. This is the shrine of the Samaritans - their "Holy of Holies " - on ap- proaching which they take off their shoes, and toward which they turn in prayer (Ex. iii. 5). On this rock, ac- cording to the present tradition, Abra- hamr sacrificed the ram instead of his son; on it Jacob had his heavenly vision, and, therefore, named it the "House of God," Bethel; and on it the ark was placed, and the Tabernacle set up. Round the rock are traces of old walls, composed of massive stones, far more ancient-looking than those in the castle; and it is highly probable they may have belonged to the Temple. Farther southward, and indeed all round the knoll, are extensive ruins, apparently of a large ancient village. On the southern slope may be still seen a portion of the old wall. The name Luzah is now given to another group of ruins lying near the spot where the Samaritans keep their Pass- over. Dean Stanley states "that there is every probability that Gerizim, and not Jerusalem, is the scene of two of the most remarkable events in the history of Abraham "-namely; First, the meeting with Melchizedek; and second, the sacrifice of Isaac. But the arguments in favour of the first are far from being conclusive; and the second seems to me to be simply im- possible. Abraham was at Beersheba when he received the command to offer Isaac for a burnt-offering "upon one of the mountains" in the " land of Moriah." (Compare Gen. xxi. 33, and xxii. 1-3, 19.) "He rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went into the place which the Lord had told him." On the third day they came in sight of the place appointed; and though it is said to have been " afar off," we must estimate the distance by the whole incidents of the story. The distance could not have been very great-not certainly more than a mile or two, as Isaac carried the wood on his back, and Abraham the fire in his hand to the spot, after he had said to the servants, "Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and wor- ship, and come again to you." It ap- pears from the narrative that they went to the place, offered the sacrifice, and returned to the men again on that same day. Dean Stanley supposes they travelled up the plain of Philistia, and on the morning of the third day got a view of Gerizim from the plain of Sharon; here the young men remained, and Abraham and his son set out for the far distant mountain. Now this theory would give them a journey of 30 geog. m. a day-as the crow flies- for the first two days; a distance which assuredly no ass could accom- plish; and there would remain nearly 20 m. of mountain road up which Isaac toiled with the wood, and his father with the fire. On the other hand the distance of Jerusalem from Beersheba agrees well with the account of Abra- ham's journey; and the old road, as we have seen, instead of running along the plain of Rephaim, crossed the ridge on the E. of it, commanding a full view of Mount Moriah and the whole site of Jerusalem from a point 1 m. distant. The ruins, as has been stated, oc- cupy a rocky knoll which rises like a crest from the broad summit of Geri- zim. This knoll is on the eastern brow of the mountain, almost over- hanging the plain. The view from it is glorious, deserving to be ranked with those obtained from Neby Sam- wil and Olivet. The rich plain of Mukhna is at our feet; it sends out a broad green arm among the dark hills on the E., opposite the vale of Nhbulus. The arm is called Salim, and takes its name from a little village on the rocky acclivity to the N.-doubtless occupying the site, as it retains the name, of that ancient " SHALEM, a city of Shechem," near which Jacob pitched his tent on his return from Padan-aram (Gen. xxxiii. 18). On the E. the view embraces the great wall of the transjordanic mountains. On the N. the eye wanders over a succes- sion of dark ridges and rounded peaks 324 Sect. IV. Route 21.-Jacob's Well. till it rests on the pale blue and white peak of Hermon. On the W. we get glimpses of the plain of Sharon through openings in the hills, and of the*Medi- terranean stretching out beyond. The mountains of Ephraim are around us -the great stronghold of the powerful house of Joseph. Rich plains and val- leys are seen winding like a green net- work among them-waving with corn, and fat with the olive and the vine. "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by the spring, whose branches run over the wall . The Almighty shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breast and of the womb." The practical wisdom of the shepherd prince who crossed the Jordan with his staff, and came back two great bands, was never more signally dis- played than in securing a possession in this the garden of Canaan; and in afterwards prospectively bestowing it on his favourite son. " The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of thy progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren" (Gen. xlix. 3-26). JAcoB's WELL. A pleasant walk of 2 h. down the valley from Nabulus, brings us to Jacob's Well. We pass on the rt., in a nook of Gerizim, a Muslem wely; then we observe a wady on each side of the vale-one breaking down from Ebal, and the other from Gerizim, and form- ing a vast amphitheatre through which the vale runs. Might not this be the scene of the reading of the Law ? "And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord .... half of them over against mount Geri- zim, and half of them over against mount Ebal.. . And afterwards he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings. . . . There was not a word of all that Moses com- manded which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel" (Josh. viii. 33-35). The description applies admirably to this spot. The ark stood in the centre of the vale; the people were ranged round the recesses in the mountains, 6 tribes on one side and 6 on the other. The law could thus be read in the hearing of all; and after each command the solemn response was given by the appointed tribes. Here in the centre of the valley is a fountain with a reservoir, called 'Ain Defneh, sending forth a little stream. In 10 min. more we come to a wretched hamlet, containing some half-a-dozen hovels. It is called Belat; and about 200 yds. below it is the uell. A low spur projects from the base of Gerizim in a north-eastern di- rection, between the plain and the opening of the valley. On the point of this spur is a little mound of ruins, with several fragments of granite co- lumns. Beside these is the well. Formerly there was a hole opening into a vaulted chamber, about 10 ft. square, in the floor of which was the true mouth of the well. The vaulted chamber appears to have belonged to a ch. of the era of the Crusades, which Edrisi saw in 1154, and which was destroyed in 1187. The original ch. was erected in the 4th centy., and the mouth of the well was then in front of the chancel. "The basilica," says De Vogii, "had the form of a cross, of which the four branches were directed towards the four cardinal points, the well being in the centre, at the point of intersection." "The well is deep" -75 ft. when last measured, and there was probably a considerable accumu- lation of rubbish at the bottom. Some- times it contains a few feet of water, but at others it is quite dry. It is entirely excavated in the rock, per- fectly round, 9 ft. in diameter, with the sides hewn smooth and regular. One's first feeling in looking at this well, and the valley round it, is that of surprise. "What," we ask, "led any man to dig for water at such enor- 325 N. AL sTIN . Sect. IV,. mous cost of time and labour in a region abounding with fountains ? There is the large fountain of Defneh only y m. up the valley, sending forth a stream sufficient to turn a mill, and flowing past within a few yds. of the well itself. Up in the town there are 2 other large springs; there is another still more copious a little west of it; and there is still another, famous for its excellent water, in the glen that comes down from Gerizim-What need was there for a well here ?" The very same question we might ask in every section of the plain of Damascus. No- where in Syria are running waters more abundant, and nowhere in Syria are wells more common. One ac- quainted with the E. understands the mystery in a moment. Water is there the most precious of all commodities. Land is almost useless without it. It may serve for pasture; but the flocks that roam over it must have water. The soil may be fertile; but the fer- tility can only be fully developed by irrigation. Every proprietor, there- fore, wishes to have a fountain or well of his own. A stream may run past, or even through his field, and yet he dare not touch a drop of it. Jacob bought a field here, doubtless a section of the plain at the mouth of the valley; but this gave him no title to the water of the neighbouring fountains. He there- fore dug a well for himself in his own field; and indeed the field may have been bought chiefly with the view to the digging of a well. Every attentive reader of the Bible will observe that the Patriarchs in wandering through Canaan had no difficulty about pas- ture; their herds and flocks were numerous, but the land was wide, the inhabs. few, and the pasture was more than enough for all. But they had often serious difficulties and quarrels about water. The natives would not share their scanty supplies with strangers, and they were thus com- pelled to dig wells for themselves, often at the risk of losing them (Gen. xxi. 25-30; xxvi. 13-15, 18-22, &c.). This is the case still in many parts of Syria. The pastures are free because they are abundant; the wells and foun- tains are jealously guarded because they are few. In the Hauran, for instance, the flocks of the Bedawin are permitted to crop at will the pastures of' Bashan; but the Druzes will not let them near one of their springs or reservoirs. The tradition about Jacob's Well is one in which Jews and Samaritans, Mohammedans and Christians, are all agreed; and it is at least as old as the beginning of the 4th centy., being mentioned by both Eusebius and the Bourdeaux Pilgrim. Jerome, 70 yrs. later, speaks of the ch. built at the foot of Gerizim, over Jacob's Well. The ch. was destroyed during the cru- sades; but its ruins are still extant. There cannot be a doubt, therefore, that this is the well mentioned by the early Christian writers; and its position and appearance unite with tradition in proving it to be that at which Our Lord conversed with the woman of Samaria. He left Judaea to go into Galilee, "and He must needs go through Samaria,"-the di- rect road leading through that pro- vince. He probably followed the same road we have followed from the Holy City. He came up the plain of Mukh- na, and about noon reached the well. Wearied with his journey, and op- pressed with the heat, he sat down "on the well," while his disciples went up the valley to the neighbouring town to buy bread. Down the valley the woman came to draw. "Jesus said unto her, ' Give me to drink;'" and no stronger proof of the bitter enmity between the two sects could be given than the woman's reply. Never yet, during many years' residence in Syria, and many a long day's travel, have I been refused a draught of water by a single individual of any sect or race. The Bedawy in the desert has shared with me the last drop in his water-skin. Yet the .only reply of the woman to the request of the weary traveller was, " How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria? " Around them where they talked was that "parcel of ground which Jacob gave to his son Joseph;" and beside them was .route 21.-Jacob's Well, N. PALZSTINE. Route 21.--Joseph's T'omb-Mount Ebal. Jacob's well-suggesting the woman's question, " Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle ?" Over their heads rose Gerizim; the sanctuary on the summit full in view, as the Mus- lem wely is now. This suggested another question -" Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain: and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship" (John iv. 3-42). Some have objected to the identity of this well, that it is too far from the town, that there are fountains of water much nearer and more accessible, and that the woman would not have taken the unnecessary trouble to come so far to draw from a well so deep. Those who use such arguments know little of the East. The mere fact of the well having been Jacob's would have brought numbers to it had the dis- tance been twice as great. And even independent of its history, some little superiority in the quality of the water, such as we might expect in a deep well, would have attracted the Orien- tals, who are, and have always been, epicures in this element. Some again suppose that the Roman Neapolis was not built upon the site of Shechem, but westward of it'; and they refer in proof to statements of Eusebius and other ancient writers. But a careful examination of the confused statements of these writers leads one to the sus- picion, if not conclusion, that, like modern theories on the same subject, they were invented to get over an imaginary difficulty arising from the distance of the well from the city. That the city was once larger than it is now, and consequently extended some- what farther eastward, can scarcely be doubted; but that Shecheri was situated at the entrance of the valley, we have not a particle of trustworthy evidence to show. Joseph's Tomb.-In the centre of the valley's mouth, a short distance N. of Jacob's well, is a little square area enclosed by a white wall, and having a common Muslem tomb placed diagonally across the floor-this is the traditional tomb of Joseph. There is nothing about it to interest one, or to give evidence of antiquity; yet it is most probably genuine. Joseph on his death-bed "took an oath of the children of Israel," saying, " God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence" (Gen. 1.25). "And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought ui out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem" (Josh. xxiv. 32). Mount Ebal lies on the N. side of the vale of Nabulus, opposite Gerizim, and of nearly equal altitude. Its sides are more rugged, and its general out- line perhaps bolder, than Gerizim. The ascent is not difficult, a goat-path leading up from the town past a little wely called Imdd-ed-Din, "the pillar of Religion," from some old Muslem Saint. The summit of Ebal, like that of Gerizim, is a broad irregular plateau, partially cultivated. Upon it will be noticed a number of circular enclosures encompassed by rude but massive stone walls, or rather dykes, resembling the Danish Forts so frequently met with in Ireland. On the highest point is a square enclosure, measuring 108 ft. on each side. Its walls are mostly built of large stones; but Mr. Mills, who describes it, says, "I could not satisfy myself whether or not tools had been used in its erection." The sum- mit and sides of the mountain are studded with ancient cisterns, wells, and rock-hewn tombs. The side facing the N. and N.E. is well cultivated, and covered with rich corn. fields and vine- yards. Olive-groves are also met with, and the trees equal in luxuriance any in Palestine. At the S.E. corner of the mountain, near the little village of Askar, is a large and curious cavern, partly artifi- cial and partly natural, which will repay a visit. The entrance in the rocky hill side appears to have been ornamented with sculpture, which is now broken away. At the extremity .route 22.-Nabulus to Nazareth. of the cave is a copious fountain from which a large stream flows, and is used in irrigating a portion of the adjoining plain. The view from the summit of Ebal is wide and interesting, resembling that from Gerizim. About 2 m. to the N.E. we see the large village of Tul- lfizah, situated on high ground, and surrounded by extensive olive-groves. This is probably the ancient Tirzoah, which for a time enjoyed conjointly with Shechem the honours of a capital (1 Kings xiv. 17; xv. 21; xvi. 8-24). An interesting excursion may be made from Nabulus to the village of Awertah, which contains the reputed tombs of the son and grandson of Aaron. The distance is about 5 min., and may be ridden in 1 hr. The road is down the vale, past Jacob's Well, and then diagonally across the plain of Mukhna in a S.E. direction. Awertah stands on the side of the ridge which bounds the plain on the E. The tomb of Phinehas is in the village, sur- rounded by a rude wall, and partially covered by the branches of a great vine. Some distance from the village, on a hill, stands the tomb of Eleazar, with a cave beside it, to which the name of Elijah is attached. Like many other welys in Palestine it is over- shadowed by large oak trees. These tombs are held in great veneration by Jews and Samaritans, who make fre- quent pilgrimages to them. The Mo- hammedans also esteem them sacred. They may probably be genuine, and the district around them may be the locality called by the sacred historian the "Hill of Phinehas " (Josh. xxiv. 33). ROUTE 22. NABULUS TO NAZARETH, BY SAMIARIA AND JEZREEL. H. I. Nabulus to Sebustieh, SAMARIA 2 30 Excursion to TIRZAH and THEBEZ, One day. Jeba', Geba ...... . 1 55 Sincr ... ...... .... 0 45 DOTHAN-its site and plain. Kubitiyeh ... .. . ... 1 15 Jenin, Engannim .... .. 1 30 Plain of ESDRAELON. Zera'in, JEZREEL .... .. 2 15 Excursion to BETHSHEAN, or Scythopolis. Ain Jaldd, "Fountain of Jez- reel" . .. .... .. 0 30 581em, Shunem ......... 1 0 Nein, Nain .. ... .. 0 50 Endor, Endor .. .. .. .. 0 45 NAZARETH .... .... .. 2 30 Total .. .. 15 45 The direct road to Jenin and Na- zareth crosses the western shoulder of Ebal immediately on leaving the valley of Nabulus, and proceeds northward over uninteresting uplands to Jeba', where it joins the Samaria road. It saves h.'s detour, but misses the capital of Israel. There is still another road from the plain of Mukhna direct N. through the mountains to Jenin, but, as it leaves both Nabulus and Sebustieh far to the westward, no traveller will think of following it. The road from Nabulus to Sebustieh is good, and it forms an agreeable ride; for we have at every step pleasing and picturesque landscapes before us. It winds down the vale through orchards of fig, apricot, apple, pomegranate, and olive trees, intermixed with gardens of cucumbers and melons; and shut in by terraced hill-sides dotted with villages and covered with olive-groves and 8328 Sect. IV. vineyards. In about 20 min. we come the surrounding valleys. The hill is to a copious fountain covered by a now cultivated in terraces, in the for- Roman arch. It is on the N. side of mation of which the stones of the the vale at the base of the rocky bank. ancient city have been freely used. Following the side of the streamlet Groves of olives almost cover the that flows from it for I h. farther, southern side, and fill the valley be- we reach a spot where an arched mill- low, while single trees and little race carries it over to the centre of the groups dot the rest. A wide circuit glen, and empties it into the heart of of picturesque mountains encompasses an old mill. Here the path leaves the the basin, having only a narrow open- vale and turns up the rocky acclivity ing on the W. through which a winter on the rt. The cuttings and steps torrent finds its way to the plain of show that it is ancient, and, though Sharon. Little villages, with their not very smooth, it is still one of the green corn-fields and gray olive-groves, best mountain roads in Palestine. The stud the mountain-sides or crown country westward gradually opens up their summits, making the landscape as we ascend-a region of hill and one of the richest and most beautiful dale, descending into a gray plain in Palestine. beyond. Numerous villages are in The modern village, of Sebustieh sight; some high, perched on conical may contain about 60 houses, with a peaks, others clinging to rocky slopes; Pop. of 400. It stands upon the broad but few very few, in the rich valleys, terrace midway up the eastern side of Every Tillage is a stronghold, and the hill. The houses are substantially perhaps has been so since the days of built of old materials, and in their Abraham. After ascending about 20 rude walls may be seen many a rem- min. we come to a little wayside spring, nant of ancient taste and splendour. clear as crystal-a favourite spot with The first object we see on entering it the shepherds, who are generally found, is the ch. of St. John, perched on the during the heat of the day, grouped brow of the declivity E. of the village. round it, their goats nestling close It is on the whole one of the most pic- to the rocks to enjoy the shade. 4 turesque ruins in Palestine, and at- m. below it is the hamlet of Deir tracts the traveller's attention long Sheraf. A few minutes more brings before he reaches it. It is now a mosque, us to the top of the ridge, where Sebus- and as the inhabitants of the village tieh suddenly bursts upon our view, are surly and insolent, they are always standing on the side of a broad isolated unwilling to let travellers enter, and hill. A long descent through olive- sometimes prevent them by force. The groves, and a short, sharp climb up a easiest way to avoid an unpleasant path lined with ruins, brings us to the struggle is to take a horseman from site of the ancient capital of Israel. the governor of Nabulus; he will open all doors, and a small bakhshish to the keeper on leaving will do much to calm the grumbling crowd. SAMARIA, SEBASTE, SEBUSTIEH. We enter the building from a narrow sunk court on the W. through a low The situation of this royal city, if door. The roof is gone, but the walls less beautiful, is more commanding remain entire to a considerable height, than that of Shechem. Nearly in the and the eastern end is almost perfect. centre of a basin, about 5 m. in The altar-niche is a segment of a circle, diameter, rises a flattish, oval-shaped occupying the greater part of the eas- hill, 'to the height of some 300 ft. On tern end, and is richly ornamented. the summit is a long plateau, which The windows are round-topped, but breaks down at the sides, 100 ft. or the arches of the chancel, and those more, to an irregular terrace or belt of remaining in the body of the ch., are level land: below this the roots of the pointed. The pillars dividing the hill spread off more gradually into nave and aisles are in bad taste : their NPALE8TI E. Bou a 22.--$amaria, 329 Route 22.-Church of St. John. capitals bear some resemblance to the Corinthian style, reminding one of those in the ch. at Lydda. In a modern wall inside are 2 or 3 white marble tablets with sculptured crosses of the Order of the Knights of St. John, now broken and mutilated. The total length of the interior is 153 ft. and the breadth 75. Captain Wilson, who examined the ch. with much care, and made some excavations, says that "the northern side and N.W. tower are of older date than the crusades; I think early Sara- cenic; in the latter there is a pecu- liarly arched passage. The ch. is on the site of an old city gate, from which 'the street of columns' started and ran round the hill eastward." There can be little doubt, however, that the building as it now stands is of the time of the crusades. "The presence of so many crosses of the Knights of St. John, and the circumstance that the spot was regarded as the sepulchre of their patron saint, go to render it probable," says Dr. Robinson, "that the ch. may have been erected by that order, in connection perhaps with the Latin bishopric." Under a wely in the ch. is the reputed sepulchre of St. John the Baptist, "the tomb of Neby Yahya," as the Arabs call it. It is a grotto to which there is a descent of 22 steps. Capt. Wilson says it is of masonry of a much older date than the ch. There are in it 6 loculi, in two tiers of three each, and small pigeon-holes are left at the ends for visitors to look in. This vault is now affirmed to have been the prison of the Baptist. Yet Josephus relates that John was beheaded in the castle of Macherus, on the E. of the Dead Sea; and Eusebius copies his testimony, thereby showing that no other credible tradition was extant in his day. In the days of Jerome, however, Sebaste was the reputed place of John's sepul- ture; and 3 centuries later it began to be regarded as the place of his im- prisonment and execution. In the village there are no other ruins of importance; and as the whole hill has been long under cultivation, the stones of the temples and palaces of Samaria have been carefully re- moved from the soil, thrown together in heaps, built up in the rude walls of terraces, and rolled down into the valley below. On ascending from the village to the top of the hill, we reach an open area, once surrounded with columns, 15 of which stand with- out their capitals, and 2 are fallen. Some writers of the 12th- and 13th centuries mention a Greek ch. and monastery as then occupying the sum- mit of the hill; and though no traces of foundations can now be seen, these columns were probably connected with them. The view is a noble one-em- bracing the glens and vales round the hill, the circuit of mountains, a section of the plain of Sharon, and the wide expanse of the Mediterranean. No better site for a capital could have been selected in Palestine,-a strong posi- tion, rich environs, a central situation, and an elevation sufficient to catch untainted the cool breezes from the sea. Descending over beautiful terraces towards the S.W., we soon reach the flat belt of level ground above men- tioned, and have before us the great colonnade. It commences on the W. at a large mass of ruins (probably the remains of a triumphal arch like that at Palmyra, or a portal like the E. gate of Damascus) and runs eastward about 1000 ft. in a straight line; then curving to the 1., and following the sweep of the hill, it extends, or rather did extend, as far as the village. In the western section 60 of the columns are standing, all decapitated, and deeply sunk in the soil. Twenty more are counted at irregular intervals east- ward, and many others are lying among the terraces and olive-trees. There were 2 ranges 50 ft. apart, ex- tending, so far as can now be ascer- tained, about 3000 ft. The shafts measure 16 ft. in height, by 2 in diam., tapering slightly to the top. The order was apparently Corinthian. In all my searches on two separate occa- sions I was only able to discover a single capital; it lay half concealed in the wall of a terrace. 330 Sect. IV. N. PALsmTIIE. Boute 22.--History of Samaria. There cannot be a doubt that these colonnades were intended, like those in Palmyra, Damascus, and Gerasa, to ornament the great street of the city. But the street is gone, the city is gone, and the shafts now stand lonely and bare. When we stand on this hill and look on these solitary columns shooting up from clustering vines and green corn, and on the piles of hewn stones in the terraced fields, and on the great heaps among the olive-trees in the valley below, we cannot but recall the striking, the fearful prediction of Micah: "I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foun- dations thereof" (Mic. i. 6). On the north-eastern side of the hill, about I m. from the village, is another remarkable group of columns deserving a visit. The path which strikes offil from the front of the old ch., and de- scends the hill diagonally into the valley on the N., passes close to them, so that they may be visited on the way to Jeba'. They stand in a little nook in the slope of the hill, facing the N.W.; and the space round them appears to have been levelled by art. The columns are arranged in the form of a quadrangle, 196 paces in length from E. to W., by 64 in breadth. They are three paces asunder from centre to centre; and there must thus have been about 170 columns when the structure was complete. Fifteen whole shafts, and one half one, are now in their places, and many others are scattered about half embedded in the soil; but not a capital, nor a fragment of a ruin, is visible. In size and material they resemble those of the great colonnade, and are probably of the same date. We have no means of fixihg the age of any of these colonnades. Herod the Great rebuilt Samaria, and adorned it with magnificent structures when he gave it its new name Sebaste; and it seems natural to ascribe these remains to him. History.-The origin of the city of Samaria is told with great simplicity in the Bible. "In the thirty and first year of Asa, king of Judah, began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years; six years reigned he in Tirzah. And he bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria" (1 Kings xvi. 23, 24). The kingdom of Israel had no fixed capital -no one spot on which the affections of the people would naturally concen- trate. There was no conservative principle in the nation. A love of novelty and change was the chief characteristic of the powerful house of Joseph. This was manifested at an early period in the readiness with which they embraced the wild schemes of Abimelech (Jud. ix). The kingdom, originating in rebellion, was ruled by a succession of adventurers, who built sumptuous palaces, and selected plea- sant residences to gratify their own tastes for luxury and show, without a thought about the public good. She- chem was first chosen by Jeroboam; then the beauty of Tirzah attracted him (Cant. vi. 4; 1 Kings xiv. 17). Then ambition led his successor Baasha to Ramah, but misfortune drove him back again to Tirzah (1 Kings xv. 17- 21); then the beauty of Tirzah was forgotten in the superior advantages- the strength and richness-of the "hill of Samaria;" and even during Sa- maria's term there was an interlude of royal pomp and tyranny at Jezreel (1 Kings xviii. 45). After the death of Omri, Ahab, his son and successor, married the noto- rious Jezebel, daughter of the king of Sidon; and adopting Baal, the chief deity of her country, built for him a temple in Samaria, probably on the summit of the hill (1 Kings xvi. 31, 32). It was during Ahab's reign the city was besieged by Benhadad king of Damascus, at the head of an im- mense army, who, after making the most extravagantboastings,thoroughly Oriental in style, was at last miracu- lously defeated by a handful of Israe- lites (1 Kings xx). Samaria was the scene of many of the strange and 331 .3Route 22.--Samaria. stirring events in the lives of Elijah and Elisha-one of these, in which the latter was the actor, we cannot fail to recall. The king of Damascus, having been often defeated by the Israelites, knew that Elisha was the cause, and consequently resolved to capture him. A large body of troops was sent to Dothan, 6 m. N. of Samaria, where the prophet then lived. They sur- rounded the city in the night; but were smitten with blindness in the morning. "This is not the way, neither is this the city," said Elisha to them; "follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek." They followed him, and he brought them into the midst of Samaria, where their eyes were opened. "My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?" asked the king. The Prophet indig- nantly replied-" Wouldst thou smite those whom thou hast taken with thy sword, and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master" (2 Kings vi. 12-22). Another interest- ing episode may be given. Soon after- wards the Syrians again besieged Samaria, and kept up a strict blockade for the long period of 3 yrs. The sufferings of the inhab. were fearful ; and then occurred that inhuman tragedy when the two mothers agreed to kill and eat their infant sons in suc- cession ! When the famine was raging within the walls to such an extent that mothers boiled their children for food; when the surrounding vale and mountain sides were so thickly covered with the watchful foe, that not a man could pass; when the king in his rage had sworn that Elisha should not live another day-the prophet sat calmly in his house, and prophesied that ere to-morrow's sun had set a measure of fine flour should be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. So it happened. The Syrians, panic struck, fled in the night, leaving all behind them. The four poor lepers who sat "at the entering in of the gate "-just as they do still at Nabulus and Jeru- salem-discovered the fact; and the proud noble who had sneered at Elisha's prophecy was trodden to death in the gate by the hungry crowd that rushed out to seize the prey (2 Kings vi. 24-33; vii). In the year B.C. 720 Samaria was taken by the Assyrians. It appears to have remained for a time the capital of the new colonists, though the more ancient Shechem soon became the chief city of the Samaritans as a religious sect. The next important event in its history was its being given by Augus- tus to Herod the Great, who rebuilt and adorned it with magnificent struc- tures, giving it at the same time the name Sebaste, after his benefactor. In the centre of the buildings, we are told, he left an open space of a stadium and a half in area, and upon it erected a splendid temple in honour of the emperor. It doubtless stood on the summit of the hill, and a nobler site could scarcely be imagined. In Sebaste Philip "preached Christ" and founded a ch. Here too Simon the Sorcerer was converted to Christianity, and afterwards excom- municated (Acts viii. 5-24). Of its subsequent history little is known; it became the seat of a bishop, but fell almost entirely to ruin during the 4th or 5th centy. It revived a little under the crusaders, and was made the seat of a Latin bishopric. Now, though still retaining the proud name given to it in the days of its splendour, none of that splendour remains. The "hill" is almost as bare as when Omri bought it of Shemer. A few heaps of rubbish in the valley, a few piles of stones amid the terraced vineyards, and those lonely columns on the hill-sides and summit, are all that remain of the royal Samaria and the magnificent Sebaste. " Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is as a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! Behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong arm, which, as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand" (Isai. xxviii. 1, 2). "Samaria shall become desolate, for she hath 832 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 22.-Tirzah-Tulluzah. rebelled against her God" (Hos. xiii. 16). Either from Samaria or Nabulus a pleasant day's excursion may be made among the mountains of Ephraim eastward, taking in Tulhlizah and Tibts, and looking down into the Jordan valley towards the celebrated ford of Succoth, where Jacob crossed the river (Gen. xxxiii. 17). TIRZAH, TULLUZAH.-During the reign of Jeroboam this place seems to have been to Shechem what Windsor is to London (1 Kings xii. 25; xiv. 17). That its beauty was proverbial we know from the words of Solomon -" Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah" (Cant. vi. 4); and probably its salubrity was equal to its beauty. During 40 years it continued to be a royal residence, and then Omri built Samaria. It has been suggested by Dr. Robinson, and it seems highly probable, that the village of Tullfizah marks its site. It is about 21 h. E. of Samaria and 2 h. N. of Nabulus, situated on the crest of a ridge which projects from the table-land N. of Mount Ebal. It commands a fine view down the eastern declivities of the mountains of Ephraim into the Jordan valley. The village is large and pros- perous, with corn-fields in the glens and immense olive-groves on the sur- rounding hills. There are no remains of antiquity except a few rock tombs and some cisterns. Tirzah was a place of high antiquity, having been the seat of a Canaanitish king before the conquest of the country by the Israelites (Josh. xii. 24). Tubds, the ancient THEBEZ, is 2 h. N.E. of Tullfizah. It is a large village built on the side of a fertile vale, with olive-groves and fine pastures. It was here Abimelech of Shechem, Gideon's savage son, was killed by a stone thrown down upon him by a woman as he was about to fire the gate of the tower (Jud. ix. 50; 2 Sam. xi. 21). Sh. farther is the hamlet of Teyasir, which may probably be identified with ASHER, a town of Manasseh (Josh. xvii. 7), placed by Eusebius in the 15th m. from Neapolis on the road to Scythopolis (Bethshean). Traces of the Roman road are visible in several places, and near the village is an ancient mile-stone. The road is mentioned in the Jerusalem Itinerary, and also in that of Antonine. From hence it descended into the Jordan valley and passed along it to Beth- shean, about 10 m. N. Within a few hundred yds. of Tey- asir, on the S., is a singular monu- ment. A large sarcophagus with a sculptured lid is hewn out of a rock; and beside it is a small square build- ing 22 ft. on each side, with an orna- mented marble door, and square pro- jecting pilasters at the angles and on the sides. Round the base there is also an ornamental projection. It re- sembles in some degree the old tombs at Kadesh Naphthali and the tomb of Hiram near Tyre. From hence we may descend to the ruins of Sakfst, Succoth, and the ford of the Jordan, and then return direct through the mountains to Nabulus. This excur- sion would require two days. There are 2 routes from Sebustieh to Jeb'a. The 1st 'and easiest strikes N.E. across the valley and up the gentle slope to a village called Beit Imrin, on the main road from Nabu- lus, and thence by that road. The 2nd and most interesting crosses the high ridge on the N.: this we shall take. We descend the hill diagonally by the path which leads past the group of columns into the northern valley. This valley, as well as the whole northern side of the "hill of Samaria,' is without a tree. It is cultivated in terraces, but has a naked, dreary look. We now wind up a rocky ac- clivity, and then ride across a broad terrace, through an avenue of olives to Burka, 40 min. from Sebustieh. It is a lively little village, ensconced in a nook in the hill-side, and looking 333 Route 22.-Jeb'a-Kubdtyeh. out over a wide region of hill and' dale. From Burka the path runs up a bleak ravine, and we have a sharp climb of more than 4 h. to the summit of the ridge, but the glorious pano- rama repays us. Before us, almost at our feet, is another of those green plains that characterize this region. In the middle of it is a rocky tell with a village called Rameh (" Hill "), appropriately named, and doubtless an ancient site; many other villages dot the hill sides and summits round it, while green vales stretch out E. and W. We descend diagonally, first over bleak slopes fragrant with thyme ; then through terraced vineyards and fig-orchards to Fendekimieh, a poor hamlet, clinging to a rocky bank; and finally through groves of venerable olives, where an old road is visible, to Jeb'a (1 h. from Burka). Jeb'a-some ancient, but unknown, Geba or Gibeah-is a large village, picturesquely situated on the lower slope of the hill, overlooking a rich valley. All round it is the gray foliage of the olive, intermixed here and there with the dark green of fig- orchards. On its eastern side is a ravine, down which the road comes from Nabulus. There is a mellow look of age about the place-about the massive tower, and the large old stones in the houses, and the gnarled trunks of the olive trees-that adds to its beauty. The road now winds for I h. through a narrow valley and then enters a beautiful plain 3 or 4 m. in diameter. Low hills covered with dark copse- hawthorn, dwarf oak, and arbutus- rise abruptly from the greensward. The plain forms a basin, and there being no outlet the waters collect during winter and the centre is con- verted into a lake; indeed, even during the summer sufficient moisture remains in the deep soil to give to it a title to the name by which it is known -1-MIerj el Ghuruk, "The Drowning Meadow." On the top of a low coni- cal hill, on its western side, stands the fortress of Sanir, now little more than a heap of ruins, though still inhabited. It formerly belonged, and does so still, I think, to a family of sheikhs of the Abu Ghaush stamp, who, like the old feudal chieftains of England, exercised almost inde- pendent authority over the surround- ing country. Towards the close of last centy. the notorious Jezzar Pasha of 'Akka attempted to take the strong- hold and punish the sheikhs, but after a siege of 2 months he was forced to abandon the enterprise. In the year 1830 the chief of Sanfr re- belled against Abdullah Pasha, who laid siege to the fortress. He sum- moned the Emir Beshir to his assist- ance at the head of his hardy moun- taineers. After a close investment of 4 months the walls were breached by artillery and the castle stormed and laid in ruins. Since that time the scattered members of the family have collected among the ruins, and they are by degrees repairing the old walls. Winding round the western side of the lake or morass, we follow for a mile or so a green vale, and then ascend a rocky slope to the crest of a ridge. Here a wide and glorious view bursts upon us. At our feet the vil- lage of Kubktiyeh nestles on the southern side of a valley, which opens out to the rt. and 1. into fertile plains, embosomed in dark hills, and sprinkled with olive-trees. Beyond these is a low ridge over which we look into the plain of Esdraelon-in spring a vast unbroken surface of emerald green- terminating far away at the base of the mountains of Nazareth. We are now about to cross the northern fron- tier of the central hills of Palestine, which break down into Esdraelon; the frontier, too, of the province of Samaria. A series of long winding ravines open from the mountains into the plain; these were the passes so often defended by "the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh," against the invaders from the N. Manasseh's territory lay along this frontier (Josh. xvii. 7-11), from the Jordan valley to the heights of Carmel. Some of its leading cities 334 Sect. IV. Route 22.---Dothan--Jenin. are well known, such as Bethshean, Taanach, and Megiddo. Amongst these hills Gideon, the great hero of Manasseh, was reared up; and down those passes he led his little army against the Midianites who had pitched their tents in the valley of Jezreel. (Judg. vi. 33; vii. 1). DOTHAN.-The little plain to the W. of KubAtiyeh, has already been mentioned, but we invite the traveller to take another look at it from this commanding height, for it possesses a rare Scriptural interest. On its south- ern side, about 2 m. W. of Kubittyeh, is a green tell still bearing the familiar name of Dothan. The sons of Jacob knew the richest pasture-grounds in the country. Having fed their flocks for a time in the plain of Mukhna, near Nabulus, they led them north- wards, probably by Jeb'a and Sanfir, to the vale of Dothan, or Dothain, "the two wells;" and thither Joseph followed them. His brethren saw him "afar off," descending the hill- side; they conspired against him, and threw him into one of the empty cisterns, or pits, which are so common in this region. Having thus in part satisfied their feelings of revenge upon the talebearer (Gen. xxxvii. 2), they sat down to eat bread. A caravan of Ishmaelites was seen passing along the great road, which then as now traversed this plain. Joseph was drawn from the pit and sold to the "merchants" for twenty pieces of silver (Gen. xxxvii.). There is another strange episode in the history of Dothan. When the Syrian army under Ben- hadad invaded Israel and marched against Samaria, Elisha the prophet was living at Dothan, and gave full information to his countrymen of the designs and tactics of the enemy. The Syrian king was aware of this, and resolved to seize the prophet. Accordingly one morning, when the people of Dothan awoke, they found their village completely environed by the chariots and horsemen of their foes. Elisha's servant came running in, crying, "Alas, my master! how shall we do ?" "Fear not," was the reply, "for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." Still the servant doubted and trembled; but the prophet prayed, and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; "and he saw; and, behold, the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." Again he prayed, and the Syrians were smitten with "confusion of sight," and were led away to Samaria (2 Kings vi. 8-23). Those who wish to visit Dothan may either turn westward at this place, or else cross over directly from Jeb'a. From Dothan they can follow the line of the caravan road - the road the Ishmaelites travelled, to Kefr-kfid, the ancient Capercotia, and thence down into the plain of Esdraelon. We now resume our route. A sharp descent down the rocky hill-side brings us to Kubatiyeh (1 h. 15 min. from Snir), a large village in the midst of olive-groves. The inhabi- tants are unworthy of the bounties of nature that surround them, being famous even in this region for their turbulence. It is said, too, they never miss a favourable opportunity of plundering the solitary traveller; and the frequent robberies committed in the neighbouring glens confirm common rumour. The road, after leaving the village, turns nearly N.E., winds along the side of the plain, then ascends to a stony but cultivated plateau, then dives down among olive-groves into a glen with green bed and terraced sides, which it follows to Jenin (1 h. from Kubatiyeh). Jenin, the ancient En-gannim, is beautifully situated where the glen opens into the plain of Esdraelon. It is high enough to overlook the plain, and low enough to have its houses encircled by verdure. The hills rise behind it steeply, but not precipitously; dotted with bushes, and here and there clothed with olives. Rich gardens, hedged with prickly-pear, skirt their base; and a few palm-trees give an N. PAsSrE. 335 Route 22.-Plain of Esdraelon. eastern look to the scene. The popu- lation of the town numbers from 2000 to 3000, including a few families of Christians. The houses are all of stone. "The Fountain," from which the place appears originally to have taken its name, rises in the hills behind the gardens, and the water is brought by a covered aqueduct to a reservoir of stone in the midst of the town. The reservoir was built about 40 yrs. ago by Husein 'Abd-el-Hady, Mudir of 'Akka, and head of one of the first families in the country. En- gannim signifies the "Fountain of Gardens," a name peculiarly appli- cable to this spot; and still retained in the modern Jenin. It was a Leviti- cal city of Issachar (Josh. xix. 21; xxi. 29), and is mentioned by Jose- phus; under the name of Ginwa. THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON, the battle- field of Palestine, on which we have now entered, requires a few words of general description before we visit the places of interest situated upon it. The main body of the plain is an irregular triangle, its base to the E. extending from Jenin to the foot of the mountains below Nazareth, about 15 inm.; one side formed by the hills of Galilee, and measuring about 12 m.; the other - some 18 min. in length- running along the northern foot of the Samaria range. The apex is a narrow pass opening into the plain of 'Akka. This vast expanse is open and undulating-ig spring all green with corn where cultivated, and weeds and grass where neglected; dotted with a few gray tells, and towards the sides with olive groves. It is the ancient "Plain of Megiddo," where Barak triumphed, and king Josiah received his death-wound (Jud. v.; 2 Chron. xxxv.); probably, too, it was before the mind of the Apostle John when he figuratively described the final conflict between the hosts of good and evil, who were gathered to a place "called in the Hebrew tongue Ar- Mageddon," that is, "the city of Megiddo" (Rev. xvi. 16). The river Kishon drains it, and flows off through the pass westward, to the plain of 'Akka and the Mediterranean. But from the base of this triangular plain three branches stretch out eastward, divided by two bleak gray ridges- one Mount Gilboa, where Saul and Jonathan fell; the other called by Franks "Little Hermon," but by natives Jebel ed-Duhy. The northern branch of the plain has Tabor on the one side and Little Hermon on the other; into it the troops of Barak and Deborah defiled from the heights of Tabor (Jud. iv. 6), and on its southern side are Nain and Endor. The south- ern branch lies between Jenin and Gilboa, and terminates in a point among the hills to the eastward. But the central branch is the richest, as well as the most celebrated; it de- scends in green slopes to the banks of the Jordan, having Jezreel and Shu- nem at the western end, and Beth- shean towards the E. This is the "Valley of Jezreel," where Gideon triumphed, and where Saul and Jona- than were overthrown (Jud. vii.; 1 Sam. xxix., xxxi.), Its Greek form Esdraelon has given a name to the whole plain. The modern Syrians have forgotten its name, as they have forgotten its history; and it is now known among them only as "Merj Ibn 'Amer." Two things strike us forcibly in looking over the plain of Esdraelon. First, its wonderful richness. After the gray hills of Judah, and the rocky mountains of Ephraim, the traveller looks with admiration upon this un- broken expanse of verdure. The gigantic thistles, the luxuriant grass, and the exuberance of the crops on the few spots cultivated, prove the fertility of the soil. It was the fron- tier of Zebulun-" Rejoice, O Zebulun, in thy goings out" (Deut. xxxiii. 18). But it was the portion of Issachar- "And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute " (Gen. xlix. 15). Second, its desolation. If we except its eastern branches there is not a single inhabited village on its whole surface, and not more than 336 Sect. IV. .Route 22.-Valley of Jezreel . one-tenth of its soil is cultivated. It is the home of the wandering Bedawy, who can scour its smooth turf on his fleet mare in search of plunder; and when hard pressed can speedily re- move his tents and his flocks beyond the Jordan, and beyond the reach of a weak government.. It has always been insecure. The Canaanite tribes drove victoriously through it with their iron chariots (Jud. iv. 3,7); the Midianites and Amalekites ate up its rich pas- tures (Jud. vi. 3, 4; vii. 1); the Phi- listines long held it, having established a stronghold at Bethshean (1 Sam. xxix. 1; xxxi. 10); and the Syrians on many occasions swept over it with their armies (1 Kings xx. 26; 2 Kings xiii. 17). Three routes are open to us from Jenin to Nazareth. The First leads direct across the plain, not passing a single inhabited village or place of interest, if we except the site of the crusading castle of Ffleh. Shortness is its only recommendation; it can easily be got over in 6 hrs. The second is vid Carmel, and takes 2 long days, and is perhaps worth it when one has time on hand. It is described in Rte. 25. The third and most in- teresting can easily be done in a day, and it we shall now follow. The naked ridge of Gilboa is in view from Jenin, crowned with the village of Wezar, once a fortress. It is strange to see a village perched on such a height, almost inaccessible to man or beast, while the whole plain below is uninhabited; but security is here the grand object. Our road leads over the plain, straight to the western point of Gilboa. Many villages are in sight on the hill-sides to the rt. and 1. Among those on the 1. a good guide will point out Ta'annuk, the ancient Taanach (Josh. xvii. 11) ; and el-Lejfin, the site of Megiddo (Jud. v. 19). 1- h. brings us across this southern branch of the plain; and after another hour's ride along the western end of Gilboa we reach Zer'in. [Syria and Palestine.] JEZREEL, now Zer'in, is situated on the crest of a low spur which projects into the plain from Gilboa. It is only a few ft. higher than the country we have crossed, but immediately on its N. side there is a descent of nearly 100 ft. into the central arm of the plain-the "Valley of Jezreel." The panorama around us is wide and rich: the hills of Samaria on the S., Carmel on the W., the hills of Galilee, which imprison Nazareth, on the N.W.; the bleak ridge of Duhy, crowned by its white wely, on the N., shutting out Tabor; and we look down the green valley eastward, past a conical tell-the acropolis of Bethshean, into the valley of the Jordan, beyond which rise the mountains of Gilead. Zer'in contains about twenty houses, most of which appear as if falling to ruin. The only sightly building is a square tower, now used as a Meddfeh, or "Inn," where travellers are treated to bare walls, and a supper at the public expense. Round the village are heaps of rubbish, and more than 300 cis- terns, or subterraneous granaries for storing corn, and preserving it from plundering Bedawin. There are also several sarcophagi, some with sculp- tured ornaments, on the S. of the houses. Yet this miserable hamlet is the representative of the royal Jezreel, where Ahab built his palace, and three successive monarchs reigned; the scene, too, of some of the bloodiest tragedies in sacred history. As we stand on the crown of the ridge, pel- haps on the very site of Ahab's palace, we open our Bibles at the 21st chap. of 1 Kings, and read the story of Naboth and his vineyard. The vine- yard was below us in the plain (ver. 16); it was the inheritance of his fathers, and he did not choose to give it up even at the command of the king. But Jezebel was crafty as she was cruel. She bribed witnesses, to accuse Naboth of blasphemy; and he was carried forth out of the city, and stoned to death. Then she said to Ahab, " Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money; for Naboth is not alive, but Q :337 N. PALESTINE. S Route 22.-Valley of Jezreel-El Fileh. dead." Turn now to 2 King ix. 11, and another picture is presented to the mind's eye, every incident of which is illustrated by the scene before us. Zer'in occupies a noble site, commanding the broad plain westward, and looking down the valley of Jezreel eastward to the Jordan. It was up this latter valley Jehu came driving furiously, when the kings of Israel and Judah were in Jezreel. The watchman saw Jehu's escort in the distance, and a messenger was sent to demand who came. He did not return: and when Jehu drew nigh Joram himself went out to meet him. The line of the old road by which he went is visible. It runs down the steep declivity, and enters the valley near a fountain. There, probably, the vineyard of Naboth was situated, and there Joram was slain. The king of Judah turned to flee, taking the road to En-gannim; but he, too, was mortally wounded. On this blood-stained site the in- famous Jezebel, having been thrown from a window was devoured by the dogs in the street; and here the whole family of Ahab were murdered by the relentless Jehu. After the fall of the house of Ahab Jezreel seems to have gradually de- clined. In the early centuries of our era it was still a large village; but the name had taken the Greek form Esdraela, which was extended to the whole plain. Under Arab rule the Semitic form revived in Zer'in. battle between the French and Turkish armies in April, 1799. Kleber had left Nazareth with all his troops to attack the Turkish camp; but he was anti- cipated by the enemy, who advanced to meet him with 15,000 cavalry, and as many infantry, as far as the village of Ffleh. Kleber instantly drew up his little army in squares, with the artillery at the angles. The forma- tion was hardly completed when the immense mass came thundering down. threatening to trample the handful of enemies under their horses' hoofs. The steady aim and rolling fire of the French veterans brought down the foremost of the assailants, and soon formed a rampart of dead bodies of men and horses; behind this they bravely maintained the unequal com- bat for 6 hrs., until at length Napo- leon, with the cavalry and fresh divisions, arrived on the heights which overlooked the field of battle, and, amidst the multitudes with which it was covered, distinguished his men by the regular volleys which issued from their ranks. He instantly formed his plan, he attacked the enemy on the flanks and rear, while Kleber assumed the offensive in front. The Turks, thus exposed to a concentric fire, fled in disorder; and hundreds were mowed down by grape-shot as they floundered through the marshy plain. Such was the battle of Mount Tabor, in which 3000 French resisted successfully the attacks of ten times their number, during a period of 6 hrs., in an open plain. .El-Ftileh. - From the heights of Zer'in we see in the plain, about 3 m. The large fountain of 'Ain J1lfid at to the N.W., on the direct road to the northern base of Gilboa, z h. E. of Nazareth, a little mound covered with Zer'in, deserves a visit, for it is a noted ruins called el-Fleh, "The Bean." spot in sacred history, being the scene There are the remains of a strong for- of one of the most memorable victories, tress, surrounded by a moat. About and of one of the most memorable de- 100 yds. below it, in the bottom of a feats in the annals of Israel. "The wady, is a well, with the foundations Midianites, the Amalekites, and the of a massive square tower beside it. children of the east," invaded Pales- This is the castle of Faba (a transla- tine 3000 years ago. They, with their tion of Fileh), celebrated during the flocks and herds, were numerous and wars of the crusades, and garrisoned destructive as locusts (Jud. vi. 2-5). by the Knights Hospitalers and Temp- Their head-quarters - their tents, lars. But it has been rendered still camels, and cattle-were in the "val- more famous in modern times by the ley of Jezreel" (ver. 33); but with 338 Sect. IV. .Route 22.- Valley of 'Jezreel. their horsemen and dromedary-men they swept the whole country. In the spring of 1857, on this same spot, I had an opportunity of witnessing a siiilar gathering, when the great Bedawy chief Akeil Agha assembled his followers and allies after the mas- sacre of the Kurds at Hattin, to divide the spoil. There they "lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multi- tude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seaside for multitude." I almost felt, when I looked on the wild faces and war- like array, and heaps of plunder, as if sacred history was realized. There were the Beni-Sukhr sheikhs from beyond the Jordan, with their beauti- ful horses and tufted spears; there were chiefs from the south, mounted on camels with gay trappings, and ornaments of silver round their necks (Jud. viii. 21); and there was Akeil and two or three others clustered round him, in their scarlet robes, tinted deeper here and there with spots of blood-fit representatives of Oreb and Zeeb, the " Raven" and the "Wolf" (Id. ver. 3, 26). The dress, the trappings, the habits of the Beda- win are just what they were 30 cen- turies ago. But' Akeil Agha has-hitherto at least-fared better than Oreb and Zeeb. The brave son of the Kurdish chief Shemdin fell at Hattin, and no brother avenged him. GIDEON'S brethren - each one like the child of a king - fell, too, not far from the same spot (Jud. viii. 18); and Gideon himself came down with his noble band to avenge his slaughtered brethren and his desolated country. The "well-or ' spring '-of Harod," at which the three hundred lapped, was probably this very fountain of JAflid. It was night, and the host of the Midianites were asleep in their tents. Gideon and his 300 followers drew close round them. In a moment the trumpets were blown, the pitchers were broken, and the torches blazed forth on the eyes of the astonished Arabs, while the wild cry, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon," rent the midnight air. Now all was confusion. Every man's sword was against his fellow-just what one would expect in a panic - stricken Arab encampment-and there was a pell-mell race down the valley to- wards the fords of the Jordan at Beth-barah (Judg. vii. viii.). The next great engagement which took place in the valley of Jezreel was that of Saul and the Philistines. The Philistines were encamped on the other side of the valley, beside Shunem, now called S6lam; while Saul and his army took up a position by the " fountain of Jezreel." The position was badly selected. The ground slopes down gradually from Shunem to the base of Gilboa at the fountain, while the hill-side rises steeply behind. The Philistines had all the advantage of the gentle de- scent in their attack; both front and flanks of the Israelites were exposed to their onset, and the prospect of flight almost completely cut off by the steep hill behind. During the night before the battle Saul went to consult the witch at Endor. The journey was not without danger, for Endor stands on the northern slope of Little Hermon, which rises just be- hind the site of the Philistines' camp. Saul probably kept them on his left, and crossed the eastern shoulder of the ridge; he could thus reach the village in less than two hours (1 Sam. xxviii.). The battle took place early the next morning. (I quote Mr. Stanley's graphic words.) " The Philistines instantly drove the Israelites up the slopes of Gilboa; and however widely the rout may have carried the mass of the fugitives down the valley to the Jordan, the thick of the fight (or rather of the slaughter) must have been on the heights themselves; for it was ' on Mount Gilboa' that the wild Amalekite, wandering like his modern countrymen over the up- land waste, ' chanced' to see the dying king; and 'on Mount Gilboa' the corpses of Saul and his three sons were found by the Philistines the next day. So truly has David caught the peculiarity and position of the Q2 N. PALESTINE. 039 Route 22.-Bethshean. scene which he had himself visited only a few days before the battle- ' The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places : and, Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places,' as though the bitterness of death and defeat were aggravated by being, not in the broad and hostile plain, but on their own familiar and friendly mountains. And with an equally striking touch of truth, as the image of that bare and bleak and jagged ridge rose before him, with its one green strip of table-land-the more bare and bleak from its unusual con- trast with the fertile plain from which it springs-he broke out into the pathetic strain, 'Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no rain upon you, neither dew nor field of of'erings : for there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away-the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil ' (1 Sam. xxxi. ; 2 Sam. i.). BETHSHEAN, SCYTHOPOLIs, now Beisdn.-From the " fountain of Jez- reel" a pleasant excursion may be made to Beisan. The place is in- teresting in itself-especially so in connexion with the battle of Gilboa -and it commands one of the very best views of the upper section of the Jordan valley. A smart ride of 2 h. down the valley, near the banks of the stream- let that flows from the "fountain," brings us to a dark conical tell-the acropolis of Bethshean. The modern village is z m. to the S. of it. We are here on the brow of the Jordan valley, looking down upon it from a height of 300 ft. or more. It is about 3 m. wide, everywhere green, fer- tile, and well watered; dotted and patched with cane-brakes and thickets of tamarisk. The Jordan can be dis- tinguished near the far side by the dark tortuous line of foliage. A guide will point out the ravine of Ydbis, away on the S.E., in which JABESH-GILEAD stood (see Rte. 19); and just opposite us we can our- selves observe a terrace on the moun- tain side, called Tibilkat Fahil-it is the site of the ancient Pella (Id.). The low ridge of Duhy on the N. is bleak and featureless, breaking down in a rounded declivity to the GhSr; but the mountains of Gilboa on the S. are bold and picturesque. Before reaching the plain they sweep round to the S.; and a strip of the plain of Jezreel extends along their eastern base, forming a terrace above the Jordan valley. The ruins of Bethshean cover a space about 3 m. in circuit. No less than 4 streams flow through the site, so that the city must have consisted of several sections, separated by deep ravines and brawling torrents. Be- tween the principal streams is a hill 200 ft. high, in form a truncated cone. From its southern base the ground ascends gradually for about ) m., and on this slope the great body of the ancient city stood. Here also stands the modern village, containing some 50 poor houses, grouped round a massive square tower, the style of whose masonry proclaims its Jewish or Phoenician origin. Scythopolis was a city of temples. It was a chief seat of the Philistine god Dagon. The remains of no less than 4 temples can be traced at the base of the tell, and several others are seen else- where. There are some 30 columns standing among the ruins, most of which appear to have lined a street which ran from the Gadara gate round the acropolis. The most perfect as well as the most interesting ruin of Bethshean is the Theatre, situated in the valley S.W. of the tell. Though the outer walls are shattered and ruinous, the interior doors and passages are almost perfect. It is entirely built of basalt. In form it is semicircular, and its diameter measures nearly 200 feet. Here, we are told, a number of Chris- tians were massacred during the reign of Julian the Apostate. The citadel stood on the summit of the hill, and must have been a place of very great strength. The Hill is a natural fortress, for a deep glen, called Wady-el-Jalftd, sweeps round 340 Sect. IV. Route 22.-Shunem. its northern base, while another glen passes round the southern base, and the two meet on the E., thus almost surrounding it with an impassable moat. Its sides are steep, scarped, and in places almost perpendicular. A massive wall encircled the fiat top, and its principal gateway was on the N.W. In its sides, which are of com- paratively recent structure, may be seen fragments of Corinthian capitals and shafts of limestone. It was doubt- less on the wall of this citadel the Philistines hung up the bodies of Saul and Jonathan (1 Sam. xxxi. 10) ; and one can understand from the position of the city how the daring inhabitants of Jabesh were able to carry off the bodies. They crossed the Jordan during the night, crept up Wady-el-Jalfid to the northern base of the tell, then clambered up its steep side, scaled the wall of the fortress, took down the bodies, and escaped. On the E. and N. of the tell there are extensive ruins, but now so over- grown with thorns, thistles, and rank grass that it is difficult to see them. On the N. bank of the ravine, opposite the citadel, are a number of rock- tombs and sarcophagi. The village is poor but populous, containing a colony of Egyptians brought hither by Ibrahim Pasha. They have a bad name, and deserve it; for they are given to pilfering, and open robbery when they can safely venture upon it. They are themselves frequently plundered by the wandering Bedawin. Bethshean was one of those Canaan- ite strongholds which the Israelites were never able to conquer, or at least to retain (Jud. i. 27). Its inhabitants thus, allies of the Philistines; and were when the corpse of Saul had been stripped and dismembered, the head was sent to the temple of Dagon- perhaps that of Ashdod; the armour was dedicated in the temple of the Canaanite Ashtaroth (compare 1 Sam. xxi. 10; 1 Chron. x. 8-10); the body, with the corpses of his sons, was fastened to the wall of Bethshean. The wall overlooked the valley of the Jordan, beyond which, on the oppo- site mountain side, was Jabesh-Gilead, the town which Saul once saved from a cruel enemy (1 Sam. xi.). Its people now remembered their benefactor, carried off the bodies, and buried them under the terebinth at their own city, where they lay till they were disinterred by David, to be buried at Zelah in Benjamin (1 Sam. xxi. 11-13; 2 Sam. xxi. 12-14). After the captivity Bethshean re- ceived the name Scythopolis " City of the Scythians," perhaps from some colony which settled in it, like that from Egypt in modern times. It was the chief of the "ten cities" which were termed Decapolis; but though its history is long and eventful, it contains no incident worthy of special note. It was the birthplace of the Christian fathers and writers Basilides and Cyril, the latter well known as the biographer of St. Sabas. Before the time of the crusades the Semitic name of the city again revived under the Arabic form Beishn; indeed it was probably never forgotten by the people. Beisan lies in the line of the an- cient road from Damascus and Gilead to Egypt-the same which the Ish- maelites travelled who bought Joseph. The road crossed the ridge of Gilboa, near a little village called Jelbun; then continued to Jenin, and passed through the mountains to the plain of Dothan. It crossed the Jordan at a bridge called Mejdmid, "the meet- ings," 7 m. N.W. of Beisan, and then ascended to Gadara. From Beishn to Tiberias by the Jordan valley is an easy day's journey. SHUNEM.-The road from 'Ain Jalfd to S61emn leads across the "valley of Jezreel," through rich corn-fields. There is a gentle ascent for about 2. mI., when we gain the top of a low swell over which we ride to Solem (1 hr. from the fountain). S8lem is a flourishing village encompassed by gardens with hedges of prickly pear; but there does not appear to be a vestige of antiquity about it. It lies N. PALESTINE. 341 842 Route 22.-- on the lower slope of Jebel ed-Duhy. Slem is the ancient Shunem, a city of Issachar (Josh. xix. 18), and the place where the Philistines encamped before the battle of Gilboa. The ridge behind it, now called Jebel ed- Duhy by the natives, and Little Her- mon by travellers, is dotubtless the " Hill of Moreh," beside which the Midianites were pitched when Gideon attacked them (Jud. vii. 6). But a more romantic interest is attached to Shunem as the scene of one of the strangest episodes in the life of Elisha. The story of the Shunamite and her son will be here read with pleasure, where we have before us the whole scene. Here is the village where the " great woman" built the "little chamber on the wall" for the use of the prophet. Into one of these corn-fields that sur- round the village the " child" of pro- mise-the reward of piety and hos- pitality-" went out to his father to the reapers;" and there he got the coup de soleil that occasioned almost instant death. Across that great plain his mother rode in the afternoon to yonder blue ridge of Carmel, to tell the prophet of her sad bereavement; and across it she returned again with "the Man of God," to receive from him her son, thus doubly the gift of Heaven (2 Kings, iv. 8-37). NAIN.-From Slem we pass round the western base of Little Hermon, getting our first view of Tabor, which looks like the segment of a sphere, dotted with oak-trees to its summit, and standing out almost isolated from a background of wooded hills. We may be disappointed in its elevation, but its graceful outline surpasses our expectations. Over its left shoulder, far away on the horizon, we also see the blue cone of Hermon. One can here see how naturally the poet-king might be led to group those two beau- tiful hills : " The north and the south thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Thy name" (Ps. lxxxix. 12). We ride on to the rt., along the rocky declivity of the hill, and in 50 min. from Sulem reach r ain-Endor. Sect. IV. Nain. Its houses are few and poor, and its situation bleak and unin- teresting, though commanding a wide view over the plain and among the mountains of Galilee. Round the village are heaps of rubbish and old building stones; and above the foun- tain, to the rt. of the road as we ap- proach the place, is one considerable mound with a modern ruin on its summit. A few hundred paces above the houses to the S.E. are many rock- tombs in the hill-side, perhaps the old cemetery. Uninteresting as the place looks, it leaves a deeper impress on the memory thafi many a spot on which nature has lavished her choicest gifts. Fancy pictures the funeral procession issuing from the gate-the men carrying the open bier; the women behind grouped round the bereaved widow, and rending the air with their cries, as they do still. Another procession meets them. HE who heads it directs a glance of more than human compassion on the widow, and says in accents that thrill her very soul, "Weep not." He approaches and touches the bier. The bearers stand still, for there was something in the mein of the stranger that awed them. Jesus spake but a word, and the widow's son was restored to life, and delivered to the embraces of his mother (Luke vii. 11-18). ENDoR.-A ride of 4 h. brings us from Nain to Endor, the scene of another remarkable episode in Scrip- ture history. Endor is a dirty village of some 20 half-ruinous houses, situated on a rocky acclivity a few yards above the green valley. Tabor lies directly opposite it, 3 m. distant; and between them is the northern branchof the plain of Esdraelon. The only remarkable things here are the caverns hewn in the cliffs above the village. They are rude irregular excavations, the object of which it is difficult to determine; but they strike one forcibly as fit habitations for a witch. One of them, apparently natural, has a little spring in it; the supply is small, but is said to be unfailing. The entrance to Route 22.-Nazareth. this cave is narrow, between two rocks, and is partly covered by a fig- tree-at least it was so in 1850. Endor was within the territory of Issachar, though assigned with some other towns to Manasseh (Josh. xvii. 11). It is chiefly remarkable as the scene of Saul's interview with the witch. He came to Endor at night from the camp at the "fountain of Jezreel;" and weary with the jour- ney, weak with fasting, and heart- broken with the conviction that God had deserted him, what wonder if he was imposed on by an accomplished impo)stor, and terrified by a response wolthy of Delphi! (1 Sam. xxviii. 7- 25.) The village of Debfrieh, at the base of Tabor, is 1.h. distant. From Endor we now direct our course straight to Nazareth; crossing the plain diagonally towards a high barren hill that rises more abruptly than others in the ridge-to it the monks have given the name of" The Mount of Precipitation." In about an hour we observe the little village of Iskal on a rocky mound at the foot of the hills; it probably marks the site of Chisloth-Tabor, a town on the borders of Issachar and Zebulun, also called Chesulloth (Josh. xix. 12, 18). Josephus mentions a town called Xaloth in the great plain, and Jerome says it was situated near Tabor. There can be little doubt of its iden- tity with Iksal. The village contains no ancient buildings, but there are around it, and in the neighbouring cliffs, numerous tombs hewn in the rock, such as are usually found near the old cities of Palestine. Half an hour more brings us to the foot of the mountains. After climbing up the hill-side, and winding through a rugged, dreary glen for another hour, we emerge in the vale of Nazareth. NAZARETH. The position of Nazareth is pecu- liar, but it cannot be called either fine or picturesque. High up among the hills that bouind the plain of Es- draelon is a little valley, 1 m. long from E. to W., and 4 m. broad. It is filled with corn-fields, and has a patch of gardens enclosed by hedges of cactus in the centre; and it has olive' trees sprinkled in clumps, and singly here and there, through it. A line of rocky hill-tops encompasses it; and the white limestone of which they are composed is dotted and streaked with the foliage of fig-trees and wild shrubs, and the verdure of little patches of grain. The hill on the N. overtops the others, rising to a height of some 400 ft. Its summit is dark- ened with thyme, and crowned by a white-domed wely. The side of the hill is steep, and its lower part, where it joins the plain, is seamed by 3 or 4 ravines. In these ravines, and on the declivities of the ridges between them, stands the village of Nazareth. This, therefore, is the hill on which "the city was built" (Luke iv. 29). The houses in some places seem to cling to the sides of the precipices, in others they nestle in glens, and in others they stand boldly out overlooking the valley. The most prominent building is the Franciscan convent; and a little above it is a mosque with a tall white minaret. The houses are of stone, and have a clean, neat, and substantial look; but the lanea are narrow and unusually filthy. The population of Nazareth is esti- mated by Dr. Robinson as follows :- Greeks 1040; Greek Catholics 520; Latins 480; Maronites 400; Muslems 680-giving a total of 3120. I think, however, this is too low, and the population may be safely stated at 4000; exclusive of the strangers that flock to it periodically at the feasts. The Christians have a look of sturdy independence. It is plain enough that, if not the "lords of the soil," they are at least at home. They are better dressed, better fed, and better mannered than any we have yet met-not even excepting Jeru- salem. The women are famed, and justly too, for their beauty. Their style of dress and ornament will attract attention-the capacious shin- N. PALESTINM 848 Route 22.-Nazareth. tidn, the close-fitting jacket, and the long, pointed, white veil; then the strings of silver coins round the head and chin, reminding one of the mas- sive chain of a dragoon's helmet. The whole history of Nazareth clus- ters round one remarkable event- the ANNUNCIATION. Before that event its name was unknown-since that event it has become a household word throughout Christendom. From this single event it derives all its tradi- tional glory. Magnificent structures have been built in commemoration of it, and thousands of pilgrimages have been made in honour of it. But, to the simple Christian, Nazareth, the home of the SAVIOUR's boyhood, the scene of His early labours, His prayers, His domestic relations, His whole pri- vate life, possesses a far greater charm, a far more intense interest, than the Annunciation could have ever given it. In this respect it far surpasses Bethlehem. The subsequent history of Nazareth is not worth recording. One thing is remarkable-there was not a Chris- tian inhabitant in it before the time of Constantine, nor a Christian pil- grimage to it till about the 6th centy. In the 7th centy. it contained 2 churches, one built over the foun- tain, where the Greek ch. now stands ; and the other on the site of Mary's house,-now occupied by the Latin convent. Immediately after the cap- ture of Jerusalem by the crusaders, Tancred, to whom the province of Galilee had been given, built a ch. at Nazareth, endowed it, and trans- ferred to it the see of Scythopolis. In A.D. 1263 the ch. was laid in ruins by Sultan Bibars; and thus it con- tinued for nearly 400 years (till A.D. 1620), when the Franciscans obtained permission from the celebrated Fakhr ed-Din to rebuild it, and take posses- sion of the grotto of the Annunciation. It was subsequently enlarged and decorated as we now see it. The Latin Convent.-After an ex- amination of the natural features of the site of Nazareth, this building has the first claim on the traveller's atten- tion. It stands on the spur of the hill, which projects some little dis- tance into the plain. A mass of heavy buildings encompassed by a high dead wall is all that meets the eye from without. Beside the gate are old shafts of red sienite, and within it a large column of the same material lies prostrate. We first enter an open court roughly paved, in which are school-rooms, a pharmacy, the recep- tion rooms of the superior, &c. This leads to a smaller one immediately in front of the ch. On entering the ch. we are struck with its solemn look; and should it be the hour of prayer the chanting of the monks and mellow tones of the organ will carry us away to the far west. The interior is nearly a square of about 70 ft., divided into nave and aisles by 4 massive piers which support the vaulted roof. These piers and the whole of the walls are covered with canvas hangings, painted in imitation of tapestry, with, appro- priate Scripture scenes. In front of the door between the 2 first columns is a broad flight of 15 steps leading down to the shrine. On descending we reach a vestibule, 25 ft. wide by 10 deep; from this a low arched open- ing opposite the stairs admits to the sanctum, about the same dimensions as the vestibule. Before us as we enter is a marble altar, and beneath it a marble slab with a cross in the centre, marking the place where the Virgin stood during the Annunciation. On our 1. is a fragment of a granite column suspended from the roof, and another fragment of a marble one below it: this column, the monks inform us, was hacked through by the infidels in the vain attempt to pull down the -roof, but was miracu- lously sustained in its place without visible support. Behind this column is a curtain covering another column; from a little nook behind the latter the angel is said to have issued at the time of the Annunciation. The sanctum and vestibule are encased in marble, and hung with silver lamps. Over the altar is a good modern painting of the Annunciation-a gift, I 344 Sect. IV. Route 22.-Nazareth. believe, from the Emperor of Austria. To the rt. of the altar a door opens into the back part of the grotto, which has been left in its natural state, rough and irregular. Here is another altar, back to back with the former, with a painting of the "Flight into Egypt." From this a narrow rock- hewn staircase leads up to the " Vir- gin Mary's Kitchen," a low rude cave. Such is the Latin "Holy Grotto" of Nazareth. But the most wonderful part of its wonderful story remains to be told. Most people have heard of Loretto, the "Nazareth of Italy," and its Santa Casa, the "Holy House," in which the Virgin lived, and (as is attested by the same inscription as that at Nazareth) received the angel Gabriel. This house-so says the tradition-once stood over the vesti- bule in front of the grotto. But when evil days came, and infidels triumphed over Christian arms and Christian piety, it was conveyed by angels, first to the heights above Fiume in Dalmatia, then to the plain, and finally to the hill, of Loretto. There it now stands the most fre- quented sanctuary of Christendom, daily thronged with crowds of pil- grims. It is not necessary to show that there is not a shadow of historic testimony for this so-called miracle; indeed we have not the slightest hint in the writings of historian, monk, or pilgrim from the earliest time to the 15th centy. that there ever was a house at all on this spot. In the 15th centy. the story first began to be circulated, and it was definitely re- lated and authenticated in a Bull of Leo X. in the year 1518. The probable origin of this most incredible of eccle- siastical legends is well stated by Dean Stanley. "Nazareth was taken by Sultan Khalil in 1291, when he stormed the last refuge of the Cru- saders in the neighbouring city of Acre. From that time, not Nazareth only, but the whole of Palestine, was closed to the devotions of Europe. The Crusaders were expelled from Asia, and in Europe the spirit of the crusades was extinct. But the natural longing to see the scenes of the events of the Sacred History-the super- stitious craving to win for prayer the favour of consecrated localities-did not expire with the crusades. Can we wonder that, under such circum- stances, there should have arisen the feeling, the desire, the belief that, if Mahomet could not go to the moun- tain, the mountain must come to Mahomet ? The House of Loretto is the petrifaction, so to' speak, of the 'last sigh of the Crusades.'" Over the sacred grotto is the choir where the Latin monks have their daily mass. It is raised 8 or 10 ft. above the floor of the church. From the church the pilgrim will be led through the lanes of the village up to the " workshop of Joseph," now a chapel in the possession of the Latins. It is a modern building, but a fragment of an old wall is shown in the interior. Above the altar is a picture representing Joseph at work, assisted by Jesus. It was presented by a noble lady of Florence, whose name and arms are seen on it. He is next led to the chapel of "The Table of Christ"-a small vaulted chamber with a large table-shaped fragment of solid rock projecting about 3 ft. from the floor. This, according to the tradition, which may be seen on the wall in Latin, Italian, and Arabic, is the table at which our Lord and his disciples frequently ate both before and after His resurrection. Lastly he is taken to the synagogue where Jesus was teaching when He was driven out by the Jews and led to the " brow of the hill " from which they designed to cast him down. It is the property of the Greeks. But the clumsiest tradition of all is that of " The Mount of Precipitation." The monks have located it about 2 m. from the village, overhanging the great plain. How they reconcile this with the words of the sacred narrative it is of course for them to explain. Nazareth, as we have seen, is built on the lower slopes of a hill, partly in ravines, partly in the shelving base. and partly on the sides and tops of Q3 N. PALESTINE. 345 Route 22.-Nazareth. the rugged ledges of rock. This ex- plains the statement of Luke; and the traveller will see more than one cliff that might have served the purpose of the fanatical populace, when they led him unto a brow of the hill on which the city was built, that they might cast Him down. The town was built on the hill, not on the brow; and the cliff from which they attempted to cast Jesus was above, not below the town., , On the eastern side of the village is the "Fountain of the Virgin," and here the Greeks have their "Church of the Annunciation," whose authenti- city is grounded on a tradition of older date than that of the Latins. In the Protevangelion we are told that the first salutation of the angel came to Mary when she was drawing water from the fountain. The fountain is here still, bearing her name; and over it stands the Greek church, a low, plain building. No traveller should miss the view from the top of the hill behind Naza- reth. It is the richest, and perhaps also the most extensive, one gets in all Palestine. It surpasses that from Tabor, for it embraces the picturesque hills and vales on the N. and N.W. A ruinous wely called Neby Isma'il marks the most commanding point. The snowy peak of Hermon, the rounded summit of Tabor, the long dark ridge of Carmel, and the white strand of the Mediterranean beyond the plain of 'Akka, are the limits of the panorama. Spread out before us on the S. is the plain of Esdraelon, which separated the 3 northern tribes from their brethren of the houses of Judah and Joseph on the S., just as the Jordan separated the 21 tribes from them on the E. But what chiefly strikes us is the contrast be- tween the hill scenery of this sec- tion of Palestine and that of any other we have seen. With the excep- tion of a few rocky summits round Nazareth, the hills are wooded, and sink down in graceful slopes to broad, winding valleys of the richest green. The outlines are varied, the colours soft, and the whole landscape is cha- racterized by picturesque luxuriance. The blessings promised by Jacob and Moses to the 3 tribes-Zebulun, Asher, and Napthali-seem to be here in- scribed on the features of nature. Zebulun, nestling amid these hills, "ofifers sacrifices" of the abundant flocks nourished by their pastures; he "rejoices in his goings out" along the fertile plains of Esdraelon; "he sucks of the abundance of the seas," his pos- sessions skirting the bay of Haifa at the base of Carmel; and "he sucks of treasures hid in the sand," probably in allusion to the glass which was first made from the sands of the river Belus (Deut. xxxiii. 18, 19). Asher, dwell- ing amid the hills on the N.W. of Zebulun and on the borders of Phoe- nicia, "dips his foot in oil," the pro- duce of olive-groves, such as still distinguish this region; "his bread," the fruit of the plain of Phoenicia and the fertile upland valleys, "is fat ;" he "yields royal dainties "-oil and wine from his olives and vineyards, and milk and butter from his pastures; and "under his shoes are iron and brass "-the ores which the traveller can still see who explores the southern slopes of Lebanon (Gen. xlix. 20; Deut. xxxiii. 24, 25). To Napthali were allotted the wooded mountains that sink down into the plain of the Hftleh and to the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee, comprising some of the most beautiful scenery, as well as of the most fertile soil, in Palestine. He is "satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord" (Deut. xxxiii. 23). The name Galilee, which was in Roman times applied to this country, appears to have been confined origi- nally to a little "circle" (the word Galil signifies a " circle" or "circuit ") round Kedesh (Josh. xx. 7; 1 Kings ix. 11), in which were the 20 cities given by Solomon to Hiram King of Tyre for his assistance in conveying cedars from Lebanon for the temple. This "circuit" having been colonized by strangers was subsequently called 346 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 23.-Jerusalem to Nazareth, by Isaiah "Galilee of the Gentiles" (Is. ix. 1; Matt. iv. 15). Many interesting sites are visible from this eminence-some of them we have already visited, and others we shall visit hereafter; but the tra- veller will naturally wish to see their relative positions, and thus to impress the outlines of the country on his memory. An intelligent guide from the town will point out to him the following, which I mention in order. Away on the northern slope of Jebel ed-Duhy, on the E. side of the great plain, stand Endor and Nain; a little to the rt. of the hill ed-Duhy is Mount Gilboa; and Zer'in, the ancient Jez- reel, looks like a white speck on its western end. Along the mountains that bound the plain on the S. lie Jenin, Ta'annuk (Taanach), el-Lejjfln (Megiddo), and Tell Kaim6n (Camon). Carmel is seen apparently running far out into the sea; the convent on its western brow, and Haifa at its base. Turning northward the most conspi- cuous village is Sefftriyeh, the Seppho- ris of Josephus, on a low tell about 3 min. off. A little to the rt. of it away in the distance, beyond the green plain of Buttauf, we can distinguish Kana el-Jelil, Cana of Galilee. ROUTE 23. JERUSALEM TO S Jerusalem to Y El Haram . Mukhilid .. Kaisarlyeh, C E Tantfira, Dora Athlit .... Convent of Car Haifa .... 'Akka .... Kana el-Jelil, LILEE .. .. Sefftriyeh, SEPP NAZARETH .. NAZARETH, BY THE EA-COAST. H. M. Afa (Rte. 18) 12 0 .. .... 3 30 .. .. .. 3 45 SAREA .... 3 55 .. .. .. 2 0 .. .. .. 1 40 mel .. .. 2 50 .. .. .. 0 50 .. .. .. 2 30 CANA OF GA- .. .. .. 5 15 HORIS .. .. 1 15 .. .. .. 1 0 Total.. .. 40 30 This route possesses a few objects of interest, but it is not recommended except to such as have travelled southward through central Palestine. Caesarea and Carmel are worth a visit, and 'Akka no Englishman would like to pass by; but the best way of seeing these is by following Rtes. 21 and 24. An escort is generally necessary along the coast from Yafa as far as Carmel, as the plain of Sharon swarms with Bedawin. A couple of horsemen can easily be procured from the governor of Yafa, to serve both as guards and guides-not that they will fight the Arabs in case of attack; but being the police of the district they know the several tribes, and can thus report robbers. The direct road from Jerusalem to Yafa is described in Rte. 18; and that by Bethhoron in Rte. 16. The road from Yafa northward along the coast is bleak and uninte- resting, sweeping over the plain, gene- rally at some distance from the beach. In 1 hr. 45 min. we reach Nahr el- 'Aujeh, a deep sluggish stream. In winter it drains a large section of the mountains of Ephraim; but in summer its whole supply of water comes from a fountain called Ras el-'Ain, near the .Route 23.--Jerusalem to Nazareth. base of the hills about 8 m. E. of our (1h. 40 min.), and the second Nahr road. The road crosses the river by el-Akhdar (1 h. 30 min. more). The an old bridge, and then continues to ruins of Caesarea lie close along the el-Haram, a small village on a sandy winding shore, projecting here and ridge, which takes its name from the there into the sea, and presenting "sanctuary" (Haram) of 'Aly ibn huge masses of masonry, and piles of 'Aleim. 'Aly was a famous Derwish, granite columns, to the restless waves. sheikh of all the Derwishes in the A strong medieval wall encompasses country, who is said to have defended it on the land side, enclosing an oblong the neighbouring town of Arsff for area about 2 m. long by 4 broad. The a long period against Sultan Bibars, wall is streiigthened by small buttress- by catching all the cannon-balls fired like towers, and a moat. The upper by the enemy in his hands-no very part is ruinous-the masonry being difficult task before the age of gun- tumbled over in huge masses like the powder. At last, hearing that the walls of Ascalon. In the interior all Sultan was a good Muslem, and would is ruin; not a building remains entire; guarantee him a splendid tomb, he let confused heaps of stones and rubbish the cannon-balls take their course. So are seen, with here and there a solitary the town was taken, and the grateful column, or a disjointed arch, or a Bibars built this Haram to the Der- fragment of a wall, all overgrown wish. with thistles and brambles. In the southern wall is a gateway still nearly The ruins of Arsif (about 2 h. 15 entire; and on arising ground a little min. farther) possess nothing worthy within it stand four massive but- of notice. They stand on an eminence, tresses, the only remains of the cathe- having a moat on the land side, and dral of Cmasarea. But the most inter- a ruinous wall to the sea. Arsif esting part of the ruins is the old was an important fortress during the port. It is unfortunately not only wars of the crusades. It was then destroyed, but a large portion of its supposed to be identical with Anti- walls has been carried off for the re- patris. Its old name, however, was building of 'Akka. The famous mole Apollonia; and it is mentioned by was a continuation of the southern Josephus, and most of the early geo- wall of the city. The ruins of nearly graphers. 100 yards of it remain above the water. There has evidently been a strong Mukhdlid, or Um Khalid, is 1 h. tower here, intended to guard the farther, and is one of the principal harbour. And one wonders how those villages of the plain of Sharon. It thick walls have been shattered, and is said to derive its name from a how those huge blocks of masonry female saint called Sitteh Saba Um have been moved from their places, Khalid--that is the "Lady Saba and how they cling together now, like mother of Khalid,"- whose tomb fragments of rock, worn by the ele- stands in an enclosure under the ments and beaten by the surf. Then shade of a fig-tree. The heights be- the immense numbers of granite hind the village command one of columns attract attention-here pro- the most interesting views of the jecting in long rows from the side plain of Sharon, and the mountains of the broken wall, and there lying in of Ephraim. heaps, half buried in the sand. There are the remains of another mole about 100 yards N. The foundations of CESAREA, now Kaisariyeh. - A both are composed of very large dreary ride of nearly 4 h. along the stones, reminding one of those in desolate shore brings us to the ruins the substructions of the Temple at of the former capital of Palestine. Jerusalem; but the superstructure On the way we ford two streams; is much more recent, probably not the first called Nahr Abu Zabdra older than the time of the crusades, 348 Sect. IV. Route 23.---Ccesarea. and wholly composed of ancient ma- terials. The city of Herod evidently ex- tended considerably beyond the pre- sent walls, though little of it now remains. A few heaps of hewn stones and debris, half covered with sand, and overgrown with brambles, serve to mark its site. Many columns lie about, anid doubtless many more have been covered up. A little to the E. of the wall, among the bushes, may be seen three shafts, somewhat co- nical in form, and measuring nearly 9 ft. in diameter at the base. There is also a block of red granite 34 ft. long, 5 broad, and 4 deep. Two aqueducts come in from the N., and can be traced for a mile or more along the shore, in some places covered by the mounds of drift sand. A broad low ridge of sand-hills, sprinkled with bushes, runs along the eastern side of the ruins, shutting out all view of the plain of Sharon. The scene is thus singularly lonely and desolate. Soli- tude keeps unbroken Sabbath amid the shattered remains of Caesarea. The sighing of the wind as it sweeps over the broken walls, and the moan of the sea as each wave breaks on the cavernous fragments of the mole, are the only sounds that fall upon the travellers' ears. The Bedawin avoid the site except when attracted by the prospect of plunder; and the weeds and thistles that cover the ruins are untrodden even by the feet of the shepherd. The very birds seem to shun the spot; and a hungry jackal or a shy fox is the only animal one meets with. Caesarea's rise was sudden, its his- tory was brief, and its fall rapid and complete. Strabo, in the reign of Augustus, describes at this part of the inhospitable coast of Palestine a little landing-place near a castle called Strato's Tower. The ancient capitals of Israel were inland- securely seated amid mountain fast- nesses. They were not designed to be centres of commerce, but rather the conservatories of an exclusive people and an exclusive faith. One of the most marked evidences of the decline of Judaism, and the departure of the sceptre from Judah, was the erection of GCesarea by "Herod the king of the Jews," and its being raised to the dignity of metropolis. Herod's object in choosing this site for his new capital was to cultivate a closer acquaintance, both politically and commercially, with western na- tions, and especially with Rome. The city was founded, and supplied with everything that could contribute to amusement, health, magnificence, and commercial success. A theatre and a circus were constructed on the S. of the town; sewers and aqueducts were built; a splendid temple dedicated to Casar crowned an eminence within the walls, and contained statues not inferior, Josephus affirms, to that of Jupiter Olympus. But its great boast was the harbour, equal in extent to the Pirmus. Huge stones were sunk to the depth of 20 fathoms, and an immense breakwater formed, curving round so as to defend the ships fronm the south-western and western gales. Large towers were built upon it; and there were vaulted chambers within for the sailors, and a broad quay to serve both as a promenade and a landing-place for merchandise. Casarea was closely connected with the early history of the Apostolic church. The new faith was designed to be Catholic, and therefore the Apostles, instead of lingering among the ancient sanctuaries of their fathers, hastened to the centres of commerce, to communicate their doctrines to men of all nations. The maritime plain was the chief scene of their labours in Palestine, Philip, after baptising the Ethiopian eunuch oni the way to Gaza, " was found at Ashdod; and passing through he preached in all the cities till he came to Casarea" (Acts viii. 26-40); and there he remained with his 4 daughters, engaged in mission- ary work (id. xxi. 8-10). Peter came down from the mountains "to the saints which dwell at Lydda. And all that dwell in Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord." Thence he went to Joppa, where he saw that vision which explained to NI PALESTINTL 349 R3oute 23.-Antipatris. him the promise of his Divine Master- "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven "-and which led him to open the gates of that kingdom to the Gentiles. He set out from Joppa with the " devout soldier" and 2 servants of Cornelius; and came along the shore to this city, where he baptized the Roman centurion, the first Gentile convert (Acts ix. 32-43; x. 9-48; Matt. xvi. 18, 19). It was to this place Paul was brought a prisoner from Jerusalem; it was in the palace of this city he preached " of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come," and made Felix tremble; it was here the power of his logic forced king Agrippa to exclaim, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian ;" and it was from this har- bour that, after a captivity of some 2 years, he set out on his voyage to Rome (Acts xxiii. 33; xxiv. 25; xxvi. 28; xxvii. 1, 2). Casarea was the scene of another episode in sacred history. Herod, the grandson of its founder, appears to have been as proud as he was cruel. He murdered the Apostle James, and attempted to murder Peter also. Not long afterwards he came down to this city, and upon a festival day put on his gorgeous robes of royalty, and, entering the theatre, took his place upon the throne. The theatre was open above, like all those in the East. It was early in the day, and the sun's rays fell upon the king, so that the eyes of the beholders were dazzled with the brightness of his robes, and the gems that ornamented them. He made an oration to them; and then in the gharacteristic style of Oriental flattery, the vast multitude cried out, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man." " And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost" (Acts xii.). Though built by a Jewish prince, Casarea was in a great measure a Gentile city. Its most conspicuous monument was the temple dedicated to Caesar and to Rome, which probably occupied the site of the later church on the eminence within the southern gate; the theatre and circus were Roman structures; the harbour was called Sebaste, and the city itself Au- gustan Cxsarea. There was a stand- ing quarrel between its Greek and Jewish population, which was never appeased till the great war broke out, the first act of which was the slaugh- ter of 20,000 Jews in the' streets of this city. Here Eusebius, the father of ecclesiastical history, was born; and here he spent nearly his whole life. Here Procopius, the historian, was born in the beginning of the 6th centy. Its subsequent history con- tains nothing of interest. ANTIPATRIS. -The history of Paul connects this ancient city with Casa- rea. The soldiers took Paul from Jerusalem, "and brought him by night to Antipatris ;" and " on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him" to Caesarea (Acts xxiii. 31, 32). Antipatris was built by Herod the Great on the site of a more an- cient town called Caphar-Saba, and named after his father. It was situ- ated in a well wooded and watered plain 16 Rom. m. from Joppa, and 26 from Caesarea, not far from the foot of the mountains. There is a small vil- lage called Kefr Siba, agreeing in every respect as to position and scenery with Josephus' descriptions of Anti- patris, and retaining like many an- other spot the ancient name. On the E. of the plain in which it stands, the mountains of Samaria rise gradu- ally; and on the W. is a low wooded ridge, shutting it out from the sea. The village is a collection of mud houses, without any remains of anti- quity except a deep well. Two military roads connected Anti- patris with Jerusalem-one descend- ing the mountains by the pass of Bethhoron (Rte 10), the other run- ning northward as far as Gophna (Rte. 21), and thence passing down by the village of Tibneh-perhaps the Thdmna mentioned by Josephus in the Jewish wars, and possibly also Tim- nath-Heres or Timnath-Serah, the al- 350 [ Sect. IV Route 23.-Tantira. lotted "portion" (Timnath) of Joshua, and the place of his sepulture (Josh. xix. 49, 50; xxiv. 30; Jud. ii. 8, 9). We have no means of determining by which of these roads Paul was con- ducted. The foot-soldiers accom- panied him so far to guard against surprise amid the mountain passes; but from thence across the Plain of Sharon to Casarea he was escorted by the horsemen alone. This might form an interesting route for such as desire to follow the footsteps of Paul. It would be a 3 days' ride from Jeru- salem to Casarea. On leaving Caesarea we ride along the sandy beach, which is skirted by a low ridge, covered with bushes of oak, hawthorn, and shumac. In 50 min. we ford Nahr Zurka, a deep stream-the Crocodile River of Strabo and Pliny, and still sometimes called by natives Maat Temsdh, " Crocodile water." A tradition lingers about the stream that crocodiles are found here. Just on the S. side of its mouth is a rocky promontory with a few traces of old buildings, which may mark the site of the "Crocodile city" of Strabo (Lib. xvi.). The Plain of Sharon may be said to terminate here, as a low range of wooded hills runs southward from Carmel to the parallel of this stream ; leaving only a narrow strip of level land along the shore, varying from 1 m. to 1 m. in width. From this place the sandy beach runs in a straight line to Tantura, whose minaret-like ruin has been in view since we left Caesarea. In a little over 1 hr. we ford the stream Belka, or Defneh; and a smart ride of 20 rmin. more brings us to the vil- lage of Tantfira. DORA, now Tantfira, is a small vil- lage, situated on the sandy beach, and consisting of some 30 substantial houses, constructed of ancient ma- terials. About 300 yds. N. of it are rocky mounds projecting into the sea, and covered with heaps of rubbish, among which we observe massive foundations, fragments of columns, and portions of the cliff cut away. The most conspicuous ruin is a fragment of an old tower, 30 ft. or more in height, which forms the landmark of Tantfira, and is seen at every point from Carmel to Casarea. The mounds extend nearly 2 m., and everywhere exhibit traces of ancient buildings. I observed several rock-tombs, and one excavation resembling a small theatre. This is the site of the city of Dor or Dora, whose ruler was an ally of the Jabin, king of Hazor. He was conquered by Joshua, but the tribe of Manasseh, to whom the town was allotted, were unable to drive out the inhabitants (Josh. xi. 1, 2; xii. 23; Jud. i. 27). One can here see the meaning of the" borders," " coast," or " region" of Dor (Naphath in He- brew.-Josh. xi. 2; xii. 23; 1 Kings iv. 11). Along the shore runs a nar- row strip of fertile plain, bounded on the E. by the ridge of Carmel-this was the territory of Dor, and is ap- propriately called Naphath, " coast." Dor was the southernmost of that line of seaports which the Phoenicians possessed along the coast of Syria. It had a harbour on the S. side of the promontory opposite the modern vil- lage, partially sheltered by two or three small rocky islands, about 100 yds. from the shore. Opposite Dor begins a low rocky ridge, which runs northward to the promontory of Carmel, parallel to the shore. Between this ridge and the mountains is a fertile plain, averaging a mile in width, and dotted with olive-groves. There are no villages in it, but several are on the declivities above it. Setting out northward, we follow the line of the ancient road close to the western base of the ridge, in which we observe extensive quar- ries, probably used for the construc- tion of Dora and Caesarea. In 2 h. we have the little village of Kefr Naum on the top of the rocks to the rt. Beside it is a square castle-like structure, occupying a strong position. In 4 hr. more we see Surafend, simi- N. PALESTINE. 351 Route 23.-Carmel. larly situated, but encompassed by fig-orchards. To the 1. there is here a fertile strip of land, in which are some groups of palm-trees. Fifty minutes now brings us to Athlit. Athlit, the Castellum Peregrinorum of the crusaders, stands like Dora on a rocky promontory, having a little bay on its southern side. It is a small modern village, rudely built amid the ruins of an old fortress. We can trace the foundations of a strong outer wall, enclosing a space nearly 1 m. in circumference. There is an inner wall round an elevated quadrangular area, apparently a citadel. It had 3 gates, 2 on the E. and 1 on the S., with steps leading up to them. The most striking building in the interior is a fragment of a polygonal church, whose exterior walls are ornamented with Gothic arches, and a sculptured cornice, on which we can trace the heads of men and animals. The citadel is of immense strength, the walls being 15 ft. thick and more than 30 high. It forms one of the most interesting and picturesque ruins along the coast of Palestine. Nothing is known of its origin, but it was evi- dently founded long prior to the cru- sades. The massive substructions of rustic masonry are Roman, if not earlier; yet the first notices we have of it are of the 12th centy., when the crusaders fortified the promontory, and gave to it the name "Pilgrims' Castle," because it was a landing- place for pilgrims on their way to the Holy City. Opposite the ruins a narrow road has been cut through the ridge of rock into the plain; and this may, perhaps, have given to the fortress the name it once bore, Petra Incisa, the "cut rock." The road is about 8 ft. wide, and the deep ruts in the rock remind one of the streets of Pompeii. At the E. end of the cut- ting are the marks of a gate which formerly shut up the pass; and on the cliffs overhead are the foundations of towers. On emerging from this pass we have before us the beautiful plain, verdant as an English park, and bounded on the E. by wooded hills, on which we see the village of Ain Haudh, and one or two others. We observe, too, that the old road, in- stead of running along the level plain, has been excavated in the side of the rocky ridge as far as a fountain called 'Ain ed-Dustrein, I m. N. of the pass. The oleander is here most luxuriant; and in spring its gorgeous flowers form a brilliant border to the pond at the fountain, and the stream that flows from it through a chasm to the sea. 4 h. farther N. is a deep well also called Dustrein, the usual haunt of a few families of gipsies. In an- other hour we pass a built-up foun- tain on the beach, surrounded with stone watering-troughs; and then a smart ride of 40 min. brings us to the base of Carmel. The mountain sends out into the sea a long shelving promontory, round which the road sweeps to Haifa. Along this road we proceed for 2 hr., when the bay of Akka suddenly opens before us, with the wooded heights of Lebanon in the background, and the noble cone of Hermon rising majestically in the distance. We here turn to the rt., and ascend a steep winding path to the Convent; or else ride on 1 hr. more to Haifa. Convent of Carmel.-One of the most agreeable resting-places for the weary traveller in Palestine is the convent of Carmel. Here is a house that would not disgrace royalty; here are good monks whose genial bonhomie a cowl cannot disguise; here is air cool and bracing during the hottest summer day; and here is a noble situation commanding a semicircle of sea with a diameter of indented coast. The convent stands high up on the ridge, looking down upon the pro- montory. It is a large square build- ing, with a handsome cupola. There is a terraced garden in front, with a pyramidal monument, erected to the memory of some French sailors. Several fragments of granite columns lie round the building; but they are the only remnants of antiquity. The 352 Sect. IV. Route 23.-Mount Carmel. church is in the centre of the convent; it is a handsome rotunda, with a recess for the altar at the E. end, over the cave where, it is said, Elijah hid himself from Jezebel. The grotto of Elisha is shown near it. The religious order of the Carmel- ites dates its origin from Elijah. Since his time, say the monks, the the ground on which the convent stands has remained in the hands of the faithful. "Elijah left to Elisha not only his mantle but his grotto; to Elisha succeeded the sons of the prophets, who are the ancestors of St. John. After the death of Christ the monks who inhabited it passed from the written law to the law of grace. 300 years later St. Basil and his suc- cessors gave to these monks particular rules. At the time of the crusades they abandoned the Greek for the Roman ritual; and from St. Louis to 'Napoleon, the convent, built upon the same spot of ground where the prophet set up his altar, was open to travellers of every religion and country." When Napoleon besieged Acre the build- ing became a hospital for French soldiers, and on his retreat it was plundered and left in ruins by the Turks. In 1821 it was blown up by Abdullah Pasha of Acre. 5 years later a lay brother called Jean Bat- tista obtained, through the French ambassador, a firman for rebuilding the convent. He drew plans, esti- mated the cost at 350,000 francs, and without a franc in his treasury re- solved to complete the structure. He begged through Asia, Africa, and Europe; and after 14 years of un- ceasing toil hlie saw his reward in the stateliest convent of Palestine, raised at a cost of more than half a million of francs ! An inscription in the floor of the church records these facts. The brethren of Carmel are ever ready to welcome the stranger to their mountain home, without regard to race or creed. Their accommoda- tions are the best in Palestine-clean beds; neat, airy rooms; a good cuisine; and cheerful conversation for such as desire it. It is, of course, expected that travellers will leave at least enough to remunerate the esta- blishment for the expenses incurred. SIn the sides of the mountain round the convent are many grottos, which were occupied by the anchorites of former ages. The most celebrated is near the base of the hill on the N., and is called the " Cave of the Sons of the Prophets." Here it is said Elijah received the chiefs of the people. It is a plain rock-hewn cham- ber, 20 ft. by 18, with a great number of Greek names and inscriptions - some of them apparently very old-on the walls. Some singular fossils may be seen in the fields and terraced slopes around. MOUNT CARMEL.-This mountain deserves its name Carmel," the Park," or "Fruitful Field." - Its wooded heights, and picturesque dells, de- scending on one side to the plain of 'Akka,' and on the other to the "vale of Dor," presents some of the most pleasing park-like scenery in Palestine. The wood-or copse, for the trees are so small and stunted as scarcely to deserve the name wood- is chiefly the prickly oak, and is thus evergreen, so that, while the " excel- lency of Carmel" (Isa. xxxv. 2) might be regarded as the type of natural beauty, the "withering" of its fbliage (Amos. i. 2; Isa. xxxiii. 9) should be considered as the type of national desolation. The ridge of Carmel is a branch of the mountains of Samaria, running in a north-westerly direction between the plains of Phoenicia and Sharon, projecting into the sea, and forming a bold promontory (Jer. xlvi. 18). Its length is about 18 min., its breadth nearly 5, and its greatest ele- vation 1750 ft. It abounds with game,-partridges, hares, quails, and woodcocks; and is said to be infested with jackals, wolves, wild boars, hyenas, and leopards. THE SCENE OF ELIJAH'S SACRIFICE. -Carmel derives its chief interest from having been the scene of one of the most remarkable incidents in the N. PALESTINE. 353 Route 23.-Elijah's Sacrifice. life of the prophet Elijah-the great sacrifice, and the slaughter of the prophets of Baal. The site of Elijah's sacrifice is pointed out by local tra- dition; and its present name, el- Muhrakah, " The Sacrifice," added to the general features, leaves little doubt as to its identity. A pleasant excursion of a day and a half may be made to this spot from the convent; it may even be done in a day by hard riding. The path leads along the crest of the ridge as far as el-Esfi- yeh (4 hrs.), a little Druze village, perched on one of the highest points. From hence we must take a guide. The path now leads over an undulat- ing plateau, covered with oaks, and a dense underwood of hawthorn, myrtle, and acacia. Thousands of flowers spangle the landscape in spring, and fragrant herbs fill the air with per- fumes. Well might such a scene sug- gest the simile, " Thine head upon thee is like Carmel" (Cant. vii. 5). In about 1 hr. from el-Esfiyeh we descend to a rocky projection over- hanging the plain of Esdraelon, and forming the eastern termination of the ridge, where the wooded heights of Carmel sink into the usual bleak- ness of the hills of Palestine. Here in a thicket of evergreens is a terrace of natural rock, in the midst of which are the ruins of a quadrangular build- ing of large hewn stones. This is the Muhrakah; and upon this spot pro- bably stood the altar of the Lord which Jezebel broke down and Elisha repaired. We may now read the story as related in 1 Kings xviii. 17-46. Close beneath (I follow Stanley's description), on a wide upland sweep, under the shade of ancient olives, and round a copious fountain, vaulted and built up with ancient masonry-which may have supplied the water for the trench round the altar-must have been ranged, on one side the king and people, on the other the Prophet of the Lord. Full before them opened the whole plain of Esdraelon; on the rising ground on its eastern side the city of Jezreel, with Ahab's palace and Jezebel's temple distinctly visible; in the foreground, under the base of the mountain, was clearly seen the winding stream of the Kishon. From morning till noon, and from noon till the time of the evening sacrifice, the priests of Baal cried in vain. When the sun was sinking behind the moun- tain Elijah's sacrifice was accepted by fire from heaven. The last act of the tragedy was performed on the plain below, where Elijah " brought" the 850 defeated prophets down the steep declivity" to the torrent of the Kishon, and slew them there." From the slaughter the prophet and the king again went up to the brow of Carmel-the former to pray for rain ; the latter to join in the feast. Elijah said to his servant," Go up now, look toward the sea." The sea is not visible from the place of sacri- fice, the view being intercepted by a shoulder of the mountain. That shoulder, however, can be ascended in a few minutes, and then a full view is obtained. Seven times did the ser- vant climb the height, and at last saw the " little cloud rising out of the sea," as is still the case at the com- mencement of the autumnal rains. The king now descended and mounted his chariot; the prophet descended too, and girt up his flowing robe, and ran before the chariot across the plain "to the entrance of Jezreel." The memory of Elijah's sacrifice rendered Carmel sacred among the heathen. Pythagoras here passed some time in meditation. It was here Vespasian consulted the oracle- " Oraculum Carmeli Dei "-probably at the spot of Elijah's altar, as we might infer from the words of Tacitus. But another episode of Scripture history will interest us more than heathen oracles. The prophet Elisha was here when the Shunamite's son died. Looking down one afternoon from this commanding height, he saw her " afar off" urging on her ass over the plain. He sent his servant to meet her; but she took little notice of him, and pressed up the hill "to the man of God." Dismounting hastily, she threw herself on the ground before him, and "caught him by his feet "-just as an Arab woman 354 Sect. IV. Route 23.-Haifa-Acre. would do at the present time under similar circumstances. Elisha, on hearing her sad tidings, sent away Gehazi with his staff; but the anxious mother would not thus be satisfied. "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose and followed her" (2 King iv. 25-37). HAIFA, SYCAMINUM.-A path, not unlike a staircase, descends the ridge diagonally from the convent gate, and crosses the narrow plain at the base to Haifa. This is a small town of about 2000 Inhab. built close upon the sandy beach, and surrounded by a shattered wall. The interior has a dreary look, which is not improved by the broken wall, and two or three rusty cannon lying about, half covered by rubbish. The only tolerable houses appear to be those of the Consular agents, who abound here, though one is at a loss to know why. The bay spreads out in front, its sandy beach sweeping gracefully along the plain to the low point on which the battle- ments of Acre are seen in the distance. In Haifa the Christians outnumber the Mahommedans; and there is a small community of Jews. Haifa is supposed to occupy the site of the Sycaminum of Greek and Roman writers,-an ancient town situ- ated on the coast at the foot of Car- mel. Few remains of antiquity are visible except some tombs in the rocks. About 12 m. W. of the town, on a low promontory, is another old site, with excavations in the rock like quarries-probably it was connected with Sycaminum. For the direct road from Haifa to Nazareth see Rte. 24. From Haifa to 'Akka is 10 m., and as the road lies along the smooth beach we can easily get over it in 2; hrs. The first 2 hr. brings us to the mouth of Nahr el-Mukutt'a, the modern repre- sentative of "that ancient river, the river Kishon." Its breadth and depth at this place depend on the season and the recent winds-heavy rains causing a deep ford, and often' an impassable torrent; while heavy western winds, driving the sand on the beach, almost fill up the mouth of the stream. (See Rte. 24.) We have now a long sweep of white sand; then comes the stream- let N'aman-the Belus of old geogra- phers, on whose banks, Pliny tells us, glass was first made by accident; and whose name, Reland conjectures, gave glass its Greek appellation. It is a small streamlet, rising at the base of Tell Kurdiny, in the centre of the plain, through which it flows in a north-westerly direction for some 4 m. to the sea. 4 h. more brings us to the gate of 'Akka. ACCHO, PTOLEMAIS, 'AKKA. This town has been more closely connected with modern European history than any other in Syria. Napoleon called it the key of Pales- tine, and during the last 700 yrs., from Baldwin to Napier, it has been grasped b'y many a rude hand. It has thus a special claim upon the attention of the European traveller. Its situation is peculiar. It is almost a fortress in the sea. It is built on a triangular tongue of land, which pro- jects in a south-westerly direction from the plain, forming the northern limit of the bay of Haifa. From the point of this tongue the ruins of a mole extend eastward, enclosing a litte harbour, now nearly filled up with sand. Massive fortifications de- fend the town towards the sea; while on the land side there is a double rampart, with a fosse and glacis. A short distance E. of the town is a low mound, apparently the Turon of the crusaders, on which Guido king of Jerusalem placed his camp during the siege; and where also Napoleon planted his batteries in 1799. The interior of the town has a balf-ruinous look, notwithstanding the numerous garrison and the evident strength of the place. The shattered fortifications have never been fully repaired; and there are those marks of slovenly N. PALESTINE. 355 Route 23.-Accho. neglect which characterize everything Turkish. The population is estimat- ed at 5000-2300 being Muslems and Druzes, and 700 Christians and Jews. The governor hag the rank of Pasha, with jurisdiction over a region em- bracing Nazareth, Safed, Tiberias, and Haifa; but he is subject to the Pasha of Damascus. The chief exports of the district are grain and cotton. The plain of 'Akka is one of the richest in Palestine-producing the most luxuriant crops and the rankest weeds in the country. It is more moist than any of the other plains; and large sections of it become marshy during winter. It may be called the embouchure of Esdraelon, though only connected with that plain by the narrow pass through which the Ki- shon flows. If we take a radius of 8 m. from 'Akka as centre, and de- scribe a semicircle having the coast for a diameter, we get the form and dimensions of the plain of 'Akka. On the S. is the ridge of Carmel rising from the sea; on the E. are the rounded hills of Galilee; while on the N. the bold promontory of Ras en-Nakirah -Scala Tyriorum-- dips abruptly into the sea. Here the Phoe- nicians flourished; and here the tribe of Asher was content to dwell in inglorious luxury, among natural foes. He "dipped his foot in oil;" his "bread was fat, and he yielded royal dainties" (Deut. xxxiii. 24; Gen. xlix. 20). He could not drive out the in- habitants of Accho, or of Achzib-a maritime town 7 m. further N. The weakness of Asher is the occasion of the only mention of 'Akka in sacred history (Jud. i. 31); and indeed the history of the tribe is summed up in the contemptuous allusion in the song of Deborah-when, in the great gather- ing of Israel against Sisera, "Asher continued on the sea-shore, and abode in his ' creeks ' " (Jud. v. 17. The Phoenician Accho took the Greek name Ptolemais, probably from one of the earlier Ptolemies. It is but once mentioned in the Old Testament, and only once in the New. Paul touched at Ptolemais on his way up to Jerusalem (Acts xxi. 7). It was then a city of importance, and subse- qiiently became the seat of a Christian bishop. But it was during the crusading wars that 'Akka gained its high place in the history of this country. It was besieged by Baldwin I. in 1103, with- out success; but in the following spring he captured it. It soon be- came the gathering place of the cru- saders, and next to Jerusalem the most important post in Syria. The fleets of the Pisans, Genoese, and Venetians brought to its harbour crowds of pilgrims, and cargoes of merchandise and warlike stores. And when misfortunes gathered round the crusading chiefs 'Akka became their place of refuge. After the fatal battle of Hattin (A.D. 1187) it surrendered to Saladin. 4 yrs. later 3 kings- Guido of Jerusalem, Philip of France, and Richard of England-marshalled their armies round its walls, and won it back to Christendom. In 1229 it became the chief seat of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the head-quarters of the Templars, the Teutonic Knights, and the Knights of St. John. The latter took the title of St. John of 'Akka; which in the French ortho- graphy, St. Jean d'Acre, became the current appellation of the city in Europe. The city was now a Babel of tongues, races, and rulers. Gibbon well remarks that "it had many sovereigns, but no government. The kings of Jerusalem and Cyprus, of the house of Lusignan; the princes of Antioch; the counts of Tripoli and Sidon; the great masters of the Hos- pital, the Temple, and the Teutonic orders ; the Republics of Venice, Genoa, and Pisa; the Pope's Legate; the kings of France and England, as- sumed an independent command. 17 tribunals exercised the power of life and death." While in this state of practical anarchy, it was suddenly attacked by Sultan Khalil ibn Kala- wfn, at the head of a vast army. Its fall is thus described by Gibbon :- "Whatever might be the vices of the Franks, their courage was rekindled by enthusiasm and despair; but they 85(6 Sect. IV, Route 23.--Accho. were torn by the discord of 17 chiefs, and overwhelmed on all sides by the powers of the Sultan. After a siege of 33 days the double wall was forced by the Moslems; the principal tower yielded to their engines; the Mame- lukes made a general assault; the city was stormed; and death or slavery was the lot of 60,000 Christians. The convent, or rather fortress, of the Templars, resisted 3 days longer; but the great master was pierced with an arrow; and, of 500 knights, only 10 were left alive, less happy than the victims of the sword, if they lived to suffer on a scaffold in the unjust and cruel proscription of the whole order. The king of Jerusalem, the patriarch, and the great master of the Hospital, effected their retreat to the shore; but the sea was rough, the vessels were insufficient, and great numbers of the fugitives were drowned before they could reach the isle of Cyprus. By the command of the Sultan, the churches and fortifications of the Latin cities were demolished; a motive of avarice or fear still opened the Holy Sepulchre to some devout and defenceless pilgrims; and a mournful and solitary silence prevailed along the coast which had so long resounded with the WORLD'S DEBATE." 500 years of obscurity now pass over 'Akka. Towards the close of the 18th centy. it became the scene of bar- barities perpetrated by a wretch-an exaggerated type of Turkish pashas- who gloried in the name of el-Jezzdr, "the Butcher." His life forms a thrilling episode in the history of this land. In youth he sold himself to a slave-merchant in Constantinople, and, being purchased by 'Aly Bey of Egypt, he rose from the humble sta- tion of a Mamlfik, to be governor of Cairo. In 1773 he was placed by the Emir of the Druzes in command at Beyrout. There his first act was to seize 50,000 piastres, the property of the Emir; and the second to declare that he acknowledged no superior but the Sultan. The Emir, by the aid of a Russian fleet and the ruler of 'Akka, drove Jezzdr from Beyrout; but he was soon after made Pasha of 'Akka and Sidon. Under his vigorous rule the Pashalic speedily extended to Ba'albek on the N. and Jerusalem on the S. The subsequent life of this monster was one long series of crimes and cruelties. He gratified at once his avarice and ferocity by selling the government of the same districts to rival chieftains, often to brothers, sometimes to father and son-and then'secretly urging them to butcher each other. In the provinces, in the city, among his associates, in his household, even in his very harim, his atrocities were unceasing. It was no uncommon thing, when conversing familiarly with his favourites, to catch one of them by the ear, as if in jest, and cut it off with his dagger. His Jew banker was a handsome man. One day Jezzir complimented him on his looks, and then calling a servant ordered him to put out one of the Jew's eyes. Some time afterwards Jezzar observed that the banker so arranged his turban as almost to hide the lost eye; and he then without a moment's hesitation had his nose cut off. The poor Jew finally lost his head. The family of this man are still among the chief bankers in Damascus. But perhaps the most fearful act of Jezzar's life was the wholesale murder of his harim. One year, after his return from the Haj, he saw a Christian give a little bouquet to a black slave at the door of his house; and the same evening he observed it fastened in the cap of one of the most beautiful of his slaves. " Who gave you the bouquet ? " he asked, in a sweet friendly tone. "Oh ! I plucked it in the garden," she answered. " Nay, I know better than that; just tell me who is your favourite, and I shall see what I can do to get you a husband." The poor girl was de- ceived by his tender words, and told him her tale of love. Her sweetheart was the chief of Jezzar's Memlfmks. It is no unusual circumstance for Eastern despots to marry their slaves to favourites. This circumstance, however, roused the suspicions of the tyrant that his whole harim had been unfaithful during his long ab- N. PALESTINE. 357 Route 23.-Accho to Nazareth. sence. On the following day he went into the private garden, and sent for the young slave girl. She came full of hope; but a single glance at her master dispelled it. Seizing her by her long black tresses, Jezzar threw her on the ground, and raising his balta-a small battle-axe-he threat- ened to kill her on the spot if she did not confess her crime, and declare her accomplices. In vain she protested her innocence, and appealed for mercy. Throwing aside the balta, he drew his scimitar, and with a single blow sever- ed her head from her body. One after another of the young girls was brought to him, and murdered with his own hand. He grew tired at last; but his revenge was not satiated. He called 3 of the fiercest of his soldiers and the massacre continued. The shrieks of the victims rung through the walls, and the fearful tidings spread through the city. The stoutest hearts. trembled; and the Memlfiks, who heard that they were suspect- ed, took refuge in the treasury. The number of helpless women that perished that day is differently given; but the lowest statement is fifteen ! I feel almost ashamed to connect the name of Jezzar Pasha with one of the most brilliant achievements of British valour. It was during his rule that 'Akka was besieged by Na- poleon in 1799. Sir Sidney Smith, with two English vessels of war, had arrived off the harbour two days be- fore the French. English skill put the fortifications in a state of defence ; English energy directed and inspired the Arab troops; and English bravery helped to drive back the veterans of Napoleon on 8 successive assaults. The result is well known. The siege was abandoned; and all Napoleon's bright visions of a new Eastern Em- pire were dissolved like a day dream. 'Akka was to Napoleon in Asia what Waterloo became in Europe. The next remarkable episode in the history of 'Akka is also connected with our country. Now, however, the scene was changed, and the re- sult was different. England, Austria, and Russia combined to aid the Porte, and drive Ibrahim Pasha out of Syria. On the 3rd of November, 1840, the English fleet, under Admiral Stop- ford and Commodore Napier, took up its position before 'Akka. After a terrible cannonade of 2 hrs. the maga- zine was blown up, and the town left in ruins. After so often suffering the horrors of war, it is not to be wondered at that few remains of antiquity-even of the times of the crusades-now exist. Only three fragments of build- ings can be identified-the Church of St. Andrew, of which only a small chapel remains; the Hotel of the Knights Hospitallers, now the Mili- tary Hospital; and the Church of St. John. Many columns of marble, gray granite, Syenite, and verde antique may be seen built up in the walls of the houses and fortifications, and especially in the beautiful mosque of Jezzfir$ Pasha; but these have been brought from the sites of Caesarea, Tyre, and Ascalon. The direct road from 'Akka to Na- zareth contains nothing of interest as far as Seffirieh ; but 1 h.'s ditour to the 1. leads us past Jotapata and Cana of Galilee. Sending the baggage by the direct route, a smart ride of 7z h. will take us the whole round. During the first 2 h. we are in the. great plain-a marsh during winter, but in spring covered with luxuriant herbage. We then reach Tell Kis6n, from whose summit we obtain a com- manding view over the plain. To- wards the S., 4 m. distant, we observe a large village on a rising ground, with a conspicuous ruin beside it. The village is Shefa 'Omer; and the ruin is a castle built by a son of Sheikh Dhaher el-'Omar, the prede- cessor of Jezzir in the command of 'Akka. On the N.E., about 2 m. off, is the village of Dam6n; 1 m. E. of which, but not visible, is Kabfl, the CABUL of the Bible, a town on the border of Asher (Josh. xix. 27). Some 3 m. to the S.W., in the centre of the plain, is Tell Kurdany, at 358 Sept. IV. Route 23.-Cana of Galilee. whose base is the fountain of the river Belus. From Tell Kison a good guide is re- quired to lead us by the shortest road to Jefat; the way to Nazareth runs up the valley 'Abilin, whose mouth we see to the rt. Our path brings us to Tumrah in 1 h., and then up an acclivity to Kaukab in 1 h. more, situated on a rocky hill, from which the guide can point out wely Neby Sa'id above Nazareth. From Kaukab a ride of 40 min. through a hilly region enriched with olive-groves- the descendants of those in whose oil Asher "dipped his foot "-brings us to Jefat. Jotapata, now Jefdt, is situated on a conical hill, connected by a nar- row neck with the hills on the N. Round its southern side sweeps a deep ravine. The top of the hill is a platform of naked rock, with some old cisterns; the sides are filled with caves of every form and size; on the neck, which connects it with the northern ridge, are ruins of former buildings-these are the only remains of the city of Jotapata. Not a vestige exists of the fortress which Josephus defended so long against the Emperor Vespasian, and where he was finally obliged to surrender. Yet the accurate description given in his writing of the site, and surround- ing country, unquestionably esta- blishes its identity. In the Bible we find a valley, called Jiphthah-el, mentioned as marking the boundary between Zebulun and Asher. There cannot be a doubt that it is the wady which, commencing among the hills near Jefit, runs west- ward into the plain of 'Akka, ahd is called Wady 'Abilin. The border of Asher passed from Carmel till it met Zebulun; then went on to "the valley of Jiphthah-el," from whence it went " out to Cabul," and on to "Great Zidon" (Josh. xix. 26-28). CANA OF GALILEE.-A ride of a little more than z h. down a glen, in an easterly direction, brings us to the village of Kana, called also Khur- bet Kana, and Kdna el-Jelil--situated on the 1. bank of the glen where it enters the plain of Buttauf. The position is fine, commanding a wide and rich view over the plain, and the picturesque hills round Nazareth, and Seffirieh. It is now deserted; though the houses are comparatively modern, and some of them still stand. There are no traces of antiquity. The name of this village answers to the Cana of Galilee-Kdna el-Jelil in Arabic-where our Lord performed his first miracle (John ii. 1-11; iv. 46). This single incident has given to Cana a world-wide celebrity. Geographers are not agreed as to the identity of this site. Some affirm that Kefr Kenna, a small village 2 m. N.E. of Nazareth is the true Cana. Modern ecclesiastical tradition is unquestion- ably in favour of the latter; but its name Kenna is widely different from Cana. The site is not described either in the New Testament, or by early Jewish or Christian writers. The re- spective claims of the rival sites may be thus stated :-1. Kdna el- Jelil.-Cana of Galilee is so rendered in the Arabic version. Saewulf (A.D. 1102) says, "6 m. to the N.E. of Naza- reth, on a hill, is Cana of Galilee." His words pan only refer to Kana. Marinus Sanutus, in the 14th centy., describes Cana as lying N. of Seppho- ris. Adrichomius places it 3 m. N. of Sepphoris, and he quotes from earlier writers in proof of this. De Vogiid gives in his Eglises de la Terre Sainte, two interesting anonymous accounts of Palestine, written in the 12th centy., one in Latin, and the other in French; and both favour Kdna (pp. 427, 441). 2. Kefr Kenna.-In favour of this site the testimony of Willibald (A.D. 722) has been cited; but he gives no indication of its posi- tion. (See Early Travels, p. 16). Phocas (12th centy.) seems to locate it between Sepphoris and Nazareth, and consequently at Kefr Kenna; but his language is indefinite. Quares- mius mentions both places; but favours Kefr Kenna because it is nearer Naza- reth. I certainly favour Kana el- Jelil. The traveller, however, may N. PALESTINE. 359 Route 24.-Ndbulus to Ccesarea, &c. judge for himself. He will find the arguments for, and against each given in the works of De Saulcy and Robinson. About 40 min. W. of Kina is Kefr Menda, a large village on the leading road from Nazareth to 'Akka; once a strongly fortified town. *A few sar- cophagi used as drinking-troughs- one of them beautifully sculptured - are now the only remains of antiquity visible. This may perhaps be the site of the city of Asochis, where Josephus resided for a time; and el- Battauf is undoubtedly the "great plain" called Asochis, which he speaks of in this region. (Vit. 41; B. J. iv. 1.) SEPPHORIS, DIOCESAREA, now Sefu- rieh.-From Kana a pleasant ride of 14 h., across the plain of Battauf, brings us to this large village. It is conspicuously situated on the side of a low hill, crowned by a castle. Round the hill are scattered many fragments of columns, large hewn stones, and sculptured entablatures now built up in garden walls, or half buried in the soil. In the village are the ruins of a Gothic church, of the age of the crusades, supposed to stand on the site of the house once occupied by Joachim and Anna, the reputed parents of the Virgin. The high arch of the middle aisle, and the lower ones of the side aisles, are still stand- ing. In plan and style it appears to have resembled the Church of St. Anne at Jerusalem. A little to the W. of it, in an open space, lies a large double column. The tower on the top of the hill is the most interesting relic of Sepphoris. It is a square building, 50 ft. on each side; the lower part built of large bevelled stones, and evidently of Jewish work- manship, but the upper portions con- siderably later. Sepphoris was in the Roman age the strongest city of Galilee. It is often mentioned by Josephus, and was on one occasion captured by him at the head of some Jewish troops. His soldiers were determined to plun- der and burn it; but the humane historian, who tells his own story, drew them off and saved the town by stratagem (Vita, 67). After the de- struction of Jerusalem the Jewish Sanhedrim is said to have been trans- ferred for a time to this city before its removal to Tiberias. In the time of Antoninus Pius it received the name Diocxsarea. It subsequently became the seat of a bishop; and in the 6th centy. it came to be acknow- ledged as the residence of the Virgin's parents. The cathedral was even said to occupy the spot where the Virgin received the salutation of the angel. We hear no more of Diocesarea until the time of the crusades, when it again comes into notice, called by the Arabic form of its old name, Sefiurich. Its great fountain, a mile distant on the road to Nazareth, was the gather- ing place of the crusaders before the battle of Hattin, and the camping ground of Saladin after it. From Sefurieh to Nazareth is 1 hr. ROUTE 24. NABULUS TO C2ESAREA, CARMEL, AND NAZARETH. H. M. Nabulus to Samaria (Rte. 22) 2 30 'Anebta .. .. .. .... 1 35 Mouth of Wady Sh'air .... 1 25 Bakah .. .. .. .... 1 50 Cesarea .. .. .. .. .. 3 45 Plain of SHARON. Convent of Carmel (Rte. 23) 6 30 Haifa .. .. .. .. .. 0 50 Ford of Nahr el-Mukutt'a (River KISHON) ..... .. 1 30 Nazareth .... ..... . 4 40 Total .. 24 35 360 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 24.-Ndbulus to Cesarea, &c. This route I have already recom- mended to such as can only afford a single journey through Palestine (see SKELETON TOUns). It makes 4 easy days, allowing sufficient time for Sa, maria and Caesarea; and a good rest besides, if needed, at the Convent of Carmel. The road is good-a rare thing in this country--and tolerably safe. The most convenient camping- place for the first night is Bakah, a large village on the borders of the plain of Sharon, to which the baggage may be sent direct; while we go round by Samaria, escorted by a horseman from the governor of Nabulus, which I particularly recommend as a safeguard against the insolence of the people. For the road from Nabulus to Se- bustieh (2 h. 15 m.), and a description of the latter place, see Rte. 22. We leave Samaria by the ruins of the ancient gateway at the end of the colonnade, and proceed westward down the declivity to the plain which sweeps round the side of the hill. It is culti- vated, but not remarkable for fertility. On looking back we see to advantage the noble site Samaria once occupied, now terraced for vineyards and corn- fields. The hills on the N. have a rich look, almost covered with olive- groves. In h. we again enter the valley of Shechem, which here takes the name Wady Sha'ir, " the" Valley of Barley." It has lost much of its beauty, though a little stream still murmurs along it, winding through a sombre olive-grove. Ramin is on the rt., perched on the side of a rocky hill. The path follows the banks of the stream; and we notice traces of the Roman road, which, in more pros- perous ages, connected Neapolis, Se- baste, and Caesarea. Corn-fields, a couple of mills, and a few old olives form the only varieties from the time we enter the glen till we reach'Anebta, 50 min. down it. This village is built among rocks on the rt. bank, and there are numerous caves and excava- tions proving the antiquity of the site. There is another little village called Kefr Lebad, high up on the 1. bank, about 20 min. distant from 'Anebta. The road here branches- [Syria and Palestine.] 1 branch strikes to the rt. over the ridge, across Wady Mussin, and over another ridge to 'Attil, distant about 2 h., and from thence to Bakah is 1 h. more. The road is steep and difficult. The other runs down the valley to the plain, and though somewhat longer it may be got over in as short a time, as it is level and good. After we leave the gardens and groves of 'Anebta Wady Sha'ir be- comes very bleak ;-a few corn-fields among, the thistles in the bed, and on each side stony slopes rising into rounded hills, but not a tree or shrub. The wide plain soon opens in front, and the valley expands towards it. The old road is in places perfect, running along the rt. bank. In 1 h. 25 min. we have the village of Denna- beh 1 m. to the 1., on the top of a tell on the S. side of the wady. Another village, called Tl Keram, is seen about a mile farther W., overlooking the great plain which sweeps along the base of the low hill on which it stands. At this point we leave the valley and the ancient road which follows it down to the plain, and, crossing low spurs, reach Shuweikeh in J h. It is a large prosperous- looking village, near enough to the plain to be enriched by its produce, and yet separated from it by ground so rugged as to be unsafe for Arab cavaliers. Every rising ground now affords on the 1. views of the plain of Sharon-a vast expanse of corn-fields and pasture lands, extending to the sea, some 10 m. distant. Here and there is a rounded tell with a ruin on its sum- mit; or a gray spot dotted with a few trees, marking some old site long since deserted; or a black circlet of Arab tents, now almost the only habitations of the land. Our path runs N., cross- ing alternately the spurs that project into the plain and the narrow arms that extend up among the hills. It is a border land between plain and mountain, between tent and house, and between peaceable villagers and wandering vagabonds. A h. from Shu- weikeh we pass ruins of considerable extent, scattered over a tell on the 1., 861 Route 24.-Nbulus to Cosarea, &e. called Kefr Sib. About 2 m. W. of it, on a tell in the plain, stands Kakon. Crossing the rich vale at the mouth of Wady Mussin, up which we look to the olive-clad hills round 'Attil and Deir el-Ghusfin, about a mile to the E., we ascend a ridge crowned by 2 villages-Zeita on the rt., with olives and fig-orchards; and Zit on the 1. occupying the summit of a hill. The sides of this hill are scarped and regular, and the top has been levelled by art. Around it are hewn stones and a few fragments of columns-the whole appearance indicates the site of an old and strong city. No finer position exists on the borders of the plain of Sharon. A vale, all waving with corn, sweeps along the northern base of the hill, and runs far up among the mountains eastward towards the upland plain of Dothan. The two villages of Bdkah stand on the rising ground along its northern side ;-the eastern a small hamlet, the western large and flourishing, due N. of Zit, and an easy I h. distant. On reaching Bakah we are struck with the richness of the plain and the rudeness of the inhabitants. Noble crops of wheat and barley encroach on the very dunghills of the village, and extend in an unbroken expanse- southward to the foot of the pic- turesque tell on which Zit is perched, and westward as far as the eye can follow them over Sharon. The people strut about with a sturdy independent look, every man armed. They wage an unceasing warfare with the Beda- win, against whose attacks the govern- ment do not even pretend to defend them. In fact, they know nothing whatever of the government except through the medium of the tax- gatherer. On my visit to this place I was amused to find that the soldiers I had brought from Nabulus dare not advance an inch beyond Bakah. So far the road was perfectly safe, and so far the soldiers could, consequently, escort me; but the plain to the W. was infested with Bedawin, among whom the troops would not venture, and so, pocketing their bakhshish, they returned in peace ! From Bakah it is not always possible to obtain a guide to Caesarea. There is a standing blood-feud between its people and the Hawdra Arabs, who are usually found hovering along the coast. But they will readily conduct the traveller to some neutral tribe on the borders of the plain, who will themselves supply a guide, or else hand the traveller over to a stray cava- lier of the Hawara. The Hawara are of Egyptian extraction, and were in- troduced into central Palestine under the rule of Ibrahim Pasha. Their character is now fully described by their name Hawdra, "Destruction." From Biakah the baggage can be sent direct to Tantfira, while we strike more to the westward across the plain to Caesarea. There is no road or beaten track, but a vast undulating plain well stocked with thistles, through which the horses have often difficulty in passing. The course taken will depend on the position of the Bedawin, and not, a little on the whim of the guide. There is nothing to attract special notice, and therefore the shortest and safest road is the best. Caesarea can be reached in 33 h. Desolation reigns over the rich pastures of Sharon; and bloodshed and rapine hover along its borders. Those who till its soil must guard the fruits of their labours with the sword, and even risk their lives to secure their property. And such ap- pears to have been its state from the earliest ages of history, with the ex- ception of one or two brief intervals. The Israelites kept to their mountains, and only occasionally sent down their flocks to pasture in the plain; and the Phoenicians kept to their maritime towns, occupied with their commerce. Sharon has always been pasture land since "Shitrai the Sharonite" kept the herds of king David (1 Chron. xxvii. 29). Isaiah gave it as one of the marks of restored Israel that "Sharon" should "be a fold of flocks" (Isa. lxv. 10). This plain is less fertile than that of Philistia, but it produces more luxuriant herbage; and it is more picturesque, owing to the remnants of the forests which 362 Sect. IV. Route 24.-Te Kishon. once clothed it, and which were noted in Strabo's time. The sandy downs along the coast are thinly covered with shrubbery; and the plain is here and there furrowed by streams having marshy banks covered with thickets of canes--one of these, probably Nahr el-Akhdar, S. of Caesarea, is the "river Kanah" of Scripture, which separated Ephraim and Manasseh (Josh. xvi. 8). Its name Kanah, "reedy," was probably derived from the cane-brakes along its banks. The beauty of Sharon seems to have been proverbial in ancient times. Isaiah speaks of the "ornaments of Carmel' and Sharon" (Isa. xxxv. 2); and Solomon makes the " rose of Sharon" the type of beauty (Cant. ii. 1). It is still the most picturesque plain in the country; its graceful undulations, and groups of evergreen oak, and thickets of shrubs, giving it the ap- pearance of a well-kept park. For a description of Cmsarea, and of the road thence to Carmel, see Rte. 23. The route from Carmel to Nazareth, by 'Akka and Cana of Galilee, has already been given; and we shall now take the direct road. From the Convent we reach Haifa in 50 min. (Rte. 23); and from Haifa our way lies along the base of Carmel, which rises abruptly on our right, sprinkled with oaks, and thickly covered with copse. On the 1. is a marshy plain, watered by a stream called es-Sa'adeh, whose fountain we pass in 40 min. from Haifa. The village of Kefr esh-Sheikh-so called from the tomb of a noted Muslem saint-is on our rt., on a ledge of the mountain, in 20 min. more. In another 4 h. is the small village of Nejjfilr, beside which the road branches-one branch continuing along the base of Carmel, and leading to Jenin; the other turning to the 1., and crossing the plain diagonally. We follow the latter, and in 20 min. reach the ford of Nahr el-Mukutta'. The river KIsnoN, now el-Mukutta', "The Ford."-This river, at the place where we cross it, runs between banks of loamy soil, some 15 ft. high, and only 15 or 20 yds. apart. The bottom is soft mud, which makes the .ford difficult at all seasons. In attempting to cross it in the month of May I almost met the fate of some of the soldiers of Sisera, though there was then very little water flowing. One can easily see how a sudden and heavy storm of rain, such as fell on the day of the battle of Megiddo, would not only render the passage of the Kishon dangerous, but would leave the banks and bed in such a state as absolutely to swallow up horses and chariots. It drains a great extent of country, receiving tributaries from the hills on the N. and S., and is thus speedily flooded. "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon" (Jud. v. 20, 21). The highest sources are round Tabor and Jenin, but no permanent stream flows across the plain of Esdraelon; every tributary and channel dries up during summer; and then the Kishon gets its only supplies from the foun- tains along the roots of Carmel, at the pass which unites the plains of 'Akka and Esdraelon. From hence the river winds, in a deep tortuous bed, wrought by the action of the water in the soft soil, to the Mediterranean. After crossing the ford we observe about 12 m. to the 1. a green tell of a regular shape, covered with ruins. The plain is here extremely rich, yielding luxuriant crops of wheat; and the hills on each side are among the most beautiful in Palestine. Those of Galilee on the 1. sink into the plain in graceful slopes, intersected by winding glens, all thickly wooded with oaks. Carmel on the opposite side is bolder, and more rugged, and also wooded. Our path soon reaches the foot of the hills of Galilee, and then winds through cultivated fields to the hamlet of Artiyeh, built on the edge of the wood. On the opposite side of the plain, about 12 m. distant, is Hursiyeh; and upon the hill top, high over it, stands the village of Esfiyeh..We now ride up a beautiful R2 N. PALESTINE. -363 R.oute 24.-Plain of Esdraelon. glen which leads us among the hills of Galilee. Noble oak-trees shade the path, while dense underwood and huge thistles almost block it up. In 4 h. we cross the projecting ridge, which, shooting southward from the hills of Galilee, forms the division between the plains of Esdraelon and 'Akka. On reaching its eastern brow the vast plain of Esdraelon opens before us. This is perhaps one of the finest points of view. We look along it to Gilboa and Little Hermon, a distance of 12 m. of unbroken ver- dure. The village Sheikh Bureik, with a wely, is close on our rt.; and the conspicuous Tell Kaimon, the site of Camon, is seen about 2 m. to the southward, on the other side of the plain. The desolation of this noble plain strikes us. There is not a village upon it; and we can scarcely observe the trace of one; though villages are numerous on the hills and rough ground along its borders. Black tents, however, are there in abundance, and the flocks and herds of the Arabs cover the plain like locusts, just as those of the Midian- ites and .Amalekites did in the days of Gideon. It is a singular fact that the seasons and courses of the Bedawy raids are precisely the same now as they were then. In early spring the tribes from " beyond the Jordan" cross the river, ascend the valley of Jezreel, and spread over the pasture-lands of Esdraelon; while those from the desert of Tih come from the plains of Philistia and Sharon. These plains are almost com- pletely abandoned to the wandering hordes now as they were then-the best of the land, in fact, is spoiled by them. Compare this with the words of Scripture-" And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east . ... and destroyed the increase of the earth till thou come unto Gaza. They came up with their cattle, and their tents, and they came as locusts for multitude; for both they and their camels were with- out number; and they entered into the land to destroy it ......... Then all the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over (the Jordan), and pitched in the valley of Jezreel" (Jud. vi. 3-5, 33). The.path descends into an arm of the plain, over which it runs, through rich pasture land, intermixed with a few corn-fields, to Jeida, a small village on the top of a low hill. The scenery is here beautiful-the dark wooded hills of Galilee descending in graceful sweeps into the green bed of Esdraelon on the 1.; and then the expanse of uninterrupted verdure ex- tending, like a vast meadow, far away to the blue hills of Samaria on the rt. About 2 m. on the N. we see Beit Lahm in the midst of an oak forest. Though now but a miserable hamlet, it marks the site of Bethlehem of Zebu- lun, an old city of the Canaanites (Josh. xix. 15). Leaving the village of Zebdeh on a rising ground to the 1., we ride on over the plain 35 min. more to the Semfinieh, a half-ruined village encompassed by old founda- tions and venerable fig-trees. A few hundred yards below it is a copi- ous fountain. This is the Simonias, where the Romans made a vain at- tempt to capture Josephus. On a low hill, about l1 m. to the S.E. is Jebitha, another ancient site-the Gabatha of Eusebius and Jerome. The hills now project into the plain in front of us; and in I h. we pass in among them through a green vale, which soon contracts into a glen with rocky banks, covered with brush and oaks. On the top of the hill to the rt. we observe the village of M'altl, with a tall, chimney-like ruin beside it. On riding up the steep slope we find that it is a fragment of an old temple. The back wall remains nearly perfect, and is ornamented with semi- columns; a vault or crypt is also standing, and is used as a ch. by the Christian inhabitants. In the houses of the village are many remnants of antiquity - sculptured stones, and pieces of columns; while in the rocks around it are a few tombs. These show that this is an ancient site, and it may possibly be the Maralah of 264- Sect. IV. Route 25.--Jenin to Carmel. Zebulun (Josh. xix. 11). For I h. more we wind through picturesque glens, their beds green with corn, and their banks dark with the foliage of the dwarf oak, hawthorn, and wild pear. Yafa now appears on the top of a tell, down in a glen on the rt. ; the gardens round it dotted with palms. The Italian monks of Nazareth call it St. Giacomo, believing it to be the native place of Zebedee, and his sons James and John. It has a better title, however, td be identified with Japhia, a town on the border of Zebulun (Josh. xix. 12). The Japhia fortified by Josephus was probably the same. It was afterwards captured by Trajan and Titus; and in the storm and sack of the place 15,000 of the inhabitants were put to the sword, and 2130 taken captive (Joseph. Vit. xxxvii. and xlv.). Another a h. brings us to Nazareth. ROUTE 25. JENIN TO CARMEL. Jenin to Ta'annuk, Taanach .. Lejjfin, Legio, MEGIDDO .... Tell Kaimn, Cammona, JOK- NEAM .. .. .. . .. Junction of Nazareth road .. Convent of Carmel .... .. H. . 2 0 1 15 2 0 1 15 2 5 Total .. .. 8 35 When the object is to see Carmel the preceding route is much preferable to this one, for it unites the "excel- lencies of Sharon and Carmel," besides including a visit to Caesarea, and a view of the coast. In fact, the only attraction of this route is the battle- field of Megiddo. The ride is dreary; but the road is good, and it may be got over in a long day. The way leads along the side of the great plain, close to the base of the mountains of Samaria. Ta'annuk, TAANACH, is the first stage, 2 hrs. from Jenin. It is a small village, standing on the S.E. side of a little tell at the foot of the hills. Ruins of some extent, but possessing nothing of interest, encompass it. Taanach was a royal city of the Canaanites (Josh. xii. 21); it was allotted to Ma- nasseh, and assigned to the Levites (xvii. 11; xxi. 25); and it was after- wards mentioned in the triumphal song of Deborah-" The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo" (Jud. v. 19). Lejjfin is our next stage, and we reach it in 1 h. There is no village; only the remains of a large khan, and 2 or 3 mills in a wady near it. In this wady, by the stream, are some ancient ruins, among which we observe 2 marble columns, and several of gra- nite. Along the N. bank are more extensive remains, with many granite and limestone shafts. Such are the only existing remains of the Legio of Eusebius and Jerome, and the MEGIDDO of the Bible. Megiddo was like Taa- nach a royal city of the Canaanites, and assigned to Manasseh (Josh. xii. 21; xvii. 11). But the place is chiefly celebrated as a battle-field; and as such we may take a glance at the country round it, so as to be able' to study with profit one of the most interesting episodes in Scripture his- tory. Megiddo is situated in a nook of the hills, on the border of the plain. About m. N. of the ruins a large green mound, called Tell el-Mutsellim, " The Governor's Tell," terminates a low projecting ridge. We ride to its summit, and a noble view opens up round us. The whole plain is spread out like a map; to Gilboa, Little Her- mon, and Tabor on the E., and to the wooded hills of Galilee on the N. Y. PALESTINE. 365 Route 25.-Jenin to Carmet. Large corn-fields, large meadow-like tracts of grass, and still larger ex- panses overrun with weeds, vary its surface. The Tell of Taanach is in full view, 3 m. distant, beyond a level branch of the plain; and at our feet, sweeping along the base of the mound, are the "Waters of Megiddo," running northward in a deep glen to join the Kishon. This is the scene of the great battle between Barak and Sisera, which was fought "in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo" (Jud. v. 19). Let us turn to Judges iv. 4-24, and study the details. The minute ac- counts given both in the historic nar- rative, and in the subsequent song of triumph, enable us to fix the several points and circumstances with unusual precision. The oppressor was Jabin king of Hazor, successor and namesake of the chief who had organized the northern confederation against Joshua. The northern regions of Palestine, therefore, in the neighbourhood of his own capital - the northern tribes, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Issachar- were those which he would chiefly harass. On them accordingly the brunt of the battle fell. But they were joined by the adjacent tribes of Central Palestine-Ephraim, Manas- seh, and Benjamin (Jud. v. 14, 15, 18). Those only of the extreme W., S., and E. were wanting : " For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Gilead abode beyond Jor- dan; and why did Dan remain in ships ? Asher continued on the sea- shore, and abode in his creeks" (ver. 16, 17). Both armies descended from the mountains of Naphtali, but they were "drawn" to opposite points in the plain. Barak and Deborah were gathered on the summit of Tabor; the host of Sisera, with its 900 iron chariots, naturally took up a position on the level plain of Megiddo, between this spot and Taanach. The prophetess, on the summit of Tabor, gave the signal of the battle, when Barak was to rush down and attack the enemy in the plain. At this critical moment (so Josephus, Ant. v. 4, informs us, and so we learn indirectly from the songof Deborah) "a tremendous storm of sleet and hail gathered from the E., and burst over the plain of Esdraelon, driving full in the faces of the ad- vancing Canaanites. 'The stars in their courses fought against Sisera;' and as 'the rains descended,' ' the wind blew' and 'the flood came'-the flood of the torrent; and the stream rose in its bed, and 'beat vehemently' against the chariots and horses en- tangled on its miry banks, and the 'torrent' of Kishon swept them away." In that moment of confusion Sisera sprang from his chariot and fled on his feet. He fled into the northern mountains, to a spot which he hoped would be friendly; but even the pro- verbial hospitality of the Bedawin was turned into treachery by the memory of his oppressions, and he fell by the hand of a woman. Six centuries passed, and Megiddo " saw another sight;" and heard, in- stead of a song of triumph, a funeral wail from the Israelitish host (Zech. xii. 11). Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt, advanced along the coast of Palestine, against the king of Assyria. King Josiah attempted to drive him back; he was counselled not to inter- fere.-" What have L to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war; for God commanded me to make haste; forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not." The warning was neglected, and an engagement took place on the scene of Sisera's defeat-" the plain of Me- giddo" (2 Kings xxiii. 29; 2 Chron. xxxv. 20-24). The Egyptian archers -with whose appearance, as figured on the ancient tombs, the Egyptian traveller will be familiar-shot at the Jewish monarch as he rode in his chariot, and "he was sore wounded," and he was carried away to Jerusalem to die. The fate of the king seems to have terminated the battle; and Pha- raoh probably marched on to meet his more powerful foe on the banks of the Euphrates. The caravan road from Egypt to Damascus passes Lejjfan; and here stands one of those large khans which 366 Sect. IV. N. PALITINE. Route 25.-1egiddo-Jokneam. we find at intervals along its whole line. An easy ride of 2 hrs. along the plain brings us to the next important point on the route-Tell Kaimin; a large regular-shaped mound, evidently the site of an old town, though now without an inhabitant. On its western side is Wady el-Milh, the "Salt Val- ley," which falls into the Kishon not far to the N. This wady may be re- garded as the boundary between the ridge of Carmel and the mountains of Samaria-the former wooded, the latter naked; and above it on the brow of the ridge is the scene of Elijah's sacri- fice (Rte. 23). Up Wady el-Milh lies the eastern road from 'Akka to Ram- leh, by which the French army ap- proached the latter place in 1799. Tell KaimSn is the site of the Cam- mona of Eusebius; and probably also of the:" Jokneam of Carmel," one of the Canaanitish cities conquered by Joshua (Josh. xii. 22). The southern border of Zebulun "reached to the river that is before Jokneam" (xix. 11) --evidently the Kishon, which is here not more than a mile to the north. Its position is in some measure defined in 1 Kings iv. 12, where, in describing the bounds of the district of one of Solomon's purveyors, it is said, he had "Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth- shean, from Bethshean to Abel-me- holah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam" - that is, to the western end of the plain of Esdraelon. A short ride now brings us to the deep bed of the Kishon, hollowed out in the rich soil of the plain. It here almost touches the base of Carmel, whose wooded heights rise steeply over it. This is the scene of the slaughter of Baal's prophets by Elijah : -" And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there" (1 Kings xviii. 40. See Rte. 23). The hills of Galilee fall down in graceful slopes close on the rt., covered with oak-trees and thick un- derwood-leaving but a narrow vale along the foot of Carmel, through which the river winds from Esdraelon into the plain of 'Akka. In 1I h. from Tell Kaimon we fall into the Nazareth road, beside the village of Nejjfir; and thence proceed as in Rte. 24, by Haifa to the convent which we reach in 2 h. 5 min. For the roads from the Convent to Nazareth see Rtes. 23 and 24. ROUTE 26. NAZARETH TO BEYROUT, BY TYRE AND SIDON. H. M. Nazareth to 'AKKA (Rte. 23) .. 7 30 Ez-Zib, Achzib .. .. .... 2 20 Ras el-Abyad, Promontorium Album .. .. .. .... 3 40 Ras el-Ain, Old Tyre .... 1 30 Stir, TYRE .... .. .... 1 0 Nahr el-Kasimiyeh, Riv. Leontes .. .. .. .... 1 45 Khan el-Khudr, SAREPTA .. 3 0 Saida, SIDON .. ...... 3 20 Nahr el-Auwaly, Riv. Bostrenus 0 30 Neby Yfnas .. .. .... 2 20 Nahr ed-Dhmuir, Riv. Tamyras 1 25 Khan Khulda ... .... 1 55 Beyrout ., .. ...... 2 50 Total .. .. 33 5 The sacred interest that clusters round every corner of Palestine scarce- ly affects the greater part of this route; but it is succeeded by a historic in- terest so closely connected with the sacred, that we are hardly conscious of the transition from Palestine to Phoenicia. The original promise of the whole country to the Israelites (Josh. xiii. 4-6); their inability-pro- bably their unwillingness also-to ex- 367 8Route 26.-Nazareth to Beyrout. pel the powerful and wealthy traders (Jud. i. 31); the treaties of peace and commerce between David and Solo- mon, and the rulers of Tyre (2 Sam. v. 11; 1 Kings v.); the marriage of Ahab with Jezebel of Sidon (1 Kings xvi. 31); the temporary residence of Elijah at Zarephath (ch. xvii. 9); the excursion of our Lord to "the coasts of Tyre and Sidon," and Paul's visits to their ports (Matt. xv. 21; Acts xxvii. 3);-all unite the two countries by a continuous chain of Bible inci- dents. Our attention is also arrested by the prophecies uttered against the cities of Phoenicia, and literally ful- filled. Tyre and Sidon have thus be- come familiar wherever the Bible is known. The commercial enterprise of the Phoenicians has gained for them as wide a celebrity as their connection with sacred history. They were the Anglo-Saxons of antiquity. Their sailors were almost as well known in the various maritime towns in those days, as English sailors are now. Tyre and Sidon were the Lontlon and Liverpool of the old world. The position of the plain df Phoenicia con- tributed much to the advancement of its commerce-on the W. an uninter- rupted seaboard, with many little rock- girt ports-insignificant indeed as re- spects modern navigation, but suffi- cient for all the wants of ancient com- merce-on the E. a mountain barrier, with only a single practicable pass in a length of 120 m.,-from the " Ladder of Tyre" to the island of Aradus. This gave to the maritime cities un- wonted security; and, as they were mistresses of the sea, made them al- most impregnable. The plain, too, though narrow, is rich; and is abun- dantly watered with "streams from Lebanon "-the Leontes; the Auwaly, perhaps the Bostrenus of antiquity; the Tamyras ; the Lycus, the Nahr el- Kelb (" Dog River") of the Arabs; the Adonis, red "with blood of Tham- muz yearly wounded ;" the sacred Kadisha; and the Eleutherus, now Nahr el-Kebir, "the Great River." The mountain sides and glens yielded oil and wine, and "summer fruits," for which they are still famous; and the gardens on the plain produced the palm-groves, which probably gave to the country its Greek name PHOmENICIA. The palms have almost disappeared; but orchards of oranges and lemons have taken their place. The country of Phoenicia was well known to the Greek historians; some even say it was the parent of their literature; but however this may be, they applied the name of its chief city TYRE, or more properly Sua, to the whole land from Egypt to Asia Minor; and this name, SYRIA, it still retains. Our first stage is 'Akka, the road to which is described in Rte. 23. From 'Akka we follow the coast northward. Besides the rich plain, the only noticeable object is the aque- duct built by Jezzar-a proof that a tyrant may by chance be also a public benefactor. Like everything else in the country, it is falling to ruin. In 20 min. our road passes through one of its arches; and in 4 h. more we reach Semirieh, a small hamlet, around which are gardens, and orchards of figs and oranges, and among them a country house built by the late Ab- dullah Pasha of 'Akka. Another hour brings us opposite ez-Zib, a small hamlet situated on a rising-ground close to the sea. It is the site of AcHzmI, a town allotted to Asher, but never conquered by that tribe (Josh. xix. 29; Jud. i. 31). In later times it got the name Ecdippa, a Greek cor- ruption, and is mentioned by Ptolemy, and in the early Itineraries. The roots of Lebanon now stretch down into the plain close on our rt., covered here and there with the olive- groves, which bring to mind the pro- mised blessing of Asher-" let him dip his foot in oil" (Deut. xxxiii. 24). In front is a bold promontory dipping into the sea, and bounding the plain of 'Akka. We reach its base in 1 h. from ez-Zib, and clamber up it by a zigzag path. We see at a glance how appropriate was its old name Scala Tyriorum, "the Tyrian Ladder." It is the southern pass into Phoenicia proper; and the boundary between it 368 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 26.---Fountains of Tyre. and the Holy Land. In descending on the northern side we pass a Roman bridge which spans a rivulet, and enter a narrow plain. Here on the rt. of the road is the village of N^- kfirah, from which the pass takes its modern name, Ras en-Ndkirah; and 1 h. 10 min. farther (2 h. 10 min. from the pass) are the massive ruins of Iskanderiyeh, the ancient Alexandroschene.-A short time be- fore reaching this site we observe on a rising ground to the rt. of the road some columns standing; and on riding up we find a large building with many Ionic columns scattered among its ruins, and foundations of other build- ings round it. The place has neither name nor story. At Iskanderiyeh are the massive remains of a large fort, almost overhanging the sea; from beneath it, on the western side, gushes a copious spring, forming a tempting spot for a noonday rest. This is the Mutatio Alexandroschene (" Alexan- der's Tent or stage ;" perhaps so called from some tradition that the Mace- donian hero encamped here) of the Jerusalem Itinerary; and it was evi- dently a fortress intended to guard the remarkable pass on its northern side. Ras el-Abyad, the "White Cape" -the Promontorium Album of Pliny -is a white chalky ridge projecting from the mountain side into the sea, to which it presents a perpendicular cliff. Over this we now proceed by a winding path hewn in the rock, with ranges of steps here and there, now much worn. It sometimes ap- proaches the very edge of the preci- pice, against whose base the waves dash below us, while the path is only a few feet wide. Near the summit is an old tower now in ruins; but in ancient times a few men stationed in it might have driven back an army. The Arabs called it Kula'at esh-Shem'a, "the Candle Tower." To clear this remarkable pass takes a full 1 h.; and in J more we reach the rivulet of 'Azziyeh, on whose banks are some old nameless ruins, with a village called el-MansArah above them on the rt. Another hour's ride along a stony plain brings us to Ras el-'Ain, "the Fountain Head." Here are a few wretched huts cluster- ing round some of the most remark- able reservoirs and fountains in Syria. No traveller should pass them with- out a careful examination, for, inde- pendent of their singular character, they have strong claims on the atten- tion of the historian and antiquarian, as marking the site of Palutyrus, " Old Tyre." They stand in a plain m. from the shore, and about 3 m. from the modern town. There are 4 large fountains, close to each other, the water of which gushes up with great force from the bottom of artifi- cial reservoirs. The largest reservoir is on the W. It is of an octagonal form, 66 ft. in diameter, and 25 high. Its sides are of enormous strength, 8 ft. wide on the top, and with such an easy slope that one might ride up them. The stones are joined with a very fine cement; and now encrusted with a thick stratum of lime, forming here and there huge stalactites. The stream from this fountain only drives a single mill. Formerly it was carried by an aqueduct, the ruins of which still re- main, to 2 other cisterns, about 100 yds. eastward. Of these one is 36, and the other 60 ft. square, built up like the former, and supplied by foun- tains beneath. Connected with these is a Roman aqueduct, supported on arches, which runs northward over the plain for about 2 m. to a mound with the ruiiis of a massive old building, where it turns westward in the direc- tion of Tyre. . The 4th cistern is small, and has an aqueduct of its own, of Saracenic architecture, run- ning southward, and evidently in- tended for irrigation. It has long been the popular belief that the water of these fountains is brought from a distance by a sub- terranean canal. An old Arab on the spot once assured me that Alexander the Great had cut a passage for it, by the help of a Jann, all the way from Baghdad! Such fountains, how- ever, are not uncommon, even in R3 369 Route 26.-Tyre. plains. That at Tell el-Kady, in the plain of Hfileh, is far more copious than them all put together. Menander --not the poet-as quoted by Josephus, relates from the Tyrian archives, that, when Shalmaneser retired from the siege of insular Tyre, he left guards behind to cut off the aqueducts which supplied the city with water; so that for 5 years the inhabitants drank from their wells and cisterns. But the first definite notice of them is in the history of "William of Tyre," near the close of the 12th centy., in whose days they seem to have had as venerable a look as they have yet. The abundant waters were then ap- plied to the irrigation of the plain, which was covered with gardens, or- chards, aid plantations of the sugar- cane. There are 2 other reservoirs about a mile to the N., but they are much smaller, and probably of a later date; and there is a 3rd to the W. of the latter, beside a low mound. The old aqueduct decreases in height as it advances northward, the ground rising gradually, and at last on near- ing the low hill of el-M'ashftk it is on a level with the soil. This hill is crowned by a white wely; and round it are, or were, the remains of a village. Here the aqueduct turns westward, but is greatly broken. The ground sinks considerably, and we see the long line of arches running over the bare plain, reminding us of some of those in the Campagna Romagna. TYRE. A ride of 1 h. over the plain brings us to the solitary gate of this ancient city. On approaching it we come first to a low sandy isthmus-the re- mains of Alexander's causeway-- which converts what was once an is- land into a peninsula. The ruins of old walls and towers, formed of still blder materials, are here seen; and near the gate are two deep wells from which the inhabitants obtain their principal supply of water. The island on which the city stood is a ledge of rock parallel to the shore, I m. long, 1 m. broad, and about I m. dis- tant from the coast-line. It was low and flat, not more than from 10 to 15 ft. above the sea; but the accumu- lation of rubbish has rendered it un- even, and has given it in places a greater elevation. The isthmus when first formed was probably narrow; but the action of the winds and waves dashing up the loose sands has gra- dually increased it to the breadth of nearly - m. Being opposite the centre of the island, there are promontories left to the N. and S., like the arms of a cross, which appear from a distance to be still farther lengthened by ranges of low insulated rocks. The harbour, now nearly filled up with sand and rubbish, is on the N. side of the isth- mus, where the ruins of moles are yet visible. The present town is beside the harbour, occupying a small section of the north-western part of the penin- sula. Along its western side is a broad strip of land cut up into little gardens; and the whole southern sec- tion of the peninsula is without a habi- tation. The modern town contains from 3000. to 4000 Inhab., about one-half being Metawileh, and the other Chris- tians. Most of the houses are mere hovels; the streets are narrow, crooked, and filthy; and the walls, and houses of a superior class, are so shattered by repeated shocks of earthquakes, that they look as if about to fall to pieces. The palm and Pride of India trees, scattered among the houses and gar- dens, relieve in some degree the aspect of desolation, and contribute to hide Tyre's fallen glory. The ancient "Mis- tress of the Seas" can at the present day only boast of a few crazy fishing- boats; and her whole trade consists in the yearly export of a few bales of cotton and tobacco,. and a few boat- loadsof millstones and charcoal. There is but one gate; and the numerous breaches in the old wall render others unnecessary. One is reminded at every footstep, and by every glance, of the prophecies uttered against this city: "And they shall make a spoil of thy 87(0 Sect.- IV, N. PALESTINE. Route 26.--Ty're-R ins8 of the Old City. riches, and make a prey of thy mer- chandise; and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy .thy pleasant houses. . . . . They shall lament over thee, saying, 'What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?'" (Ez. xxvi. 12; xxvii. 32.) Ruins of the Old City.-Tyre has been often destroyed. Ruins on the top of ruins cover the peninsula, and are strewn among the waves round it. There was a Phoenician Tyre, and a Roman Tyre, and a mediseval Tyre, each built on the ruins of its predecessor; and now there is a modern Tyre, such as we have described it, standing over them all. This explains the strange and mot- ley. aspect of the remains. Within the modern town the only thing worthy of notice is the old ch., in the south- eastern angle. It was once a large and splendid. edifice, but is now in utter ruin. Fragments of the eastern and western ends are standing; and the intervening area is crowded with the wretched cabins of the modern in- habitants - some of them clinging, like swallows' nests, to the old walls and massive buttresses. 3 beautiful shafts of red granite lie beside it; one of them is double, and measures 26 ft. in length. The dimensions of the building were 216 ft. long by 136 broad. This is most probably the ch. erected by Paulinus, bishop of Tyre, in the beginning of the 4th centy., for which Eusebius wrote a consecration sermon, still :extant in his ' Eccle- siastical History' (x. 4). He describes the ch. as the most splendid of all the temples of Phoenicia. It was probably in this building that the historian of the Crusades; William archbishop of Tyre, presided for 10 years; and here, too, says Stanley, "lie, far away from Hohenstauffen or Salzburg,, the bones of the great Emperor Frederic Barba- rossa, brought thither after the long funeral procession which passed down the whole coast. from Tarsus to Tyre, to lay his remains in this famous spot, beside the dust of a yet greater man -s--Origen.'' :Your celebrated historic names are thus closely connected with this noble ruin. Without the walls on the S. side is the Mohammedan burying - ground, and beside it a garden of fig and mulberry-trees. Recent excavations in this place, undertaken by specu- lators from Beyrout-not in antiqui- ties but in quarries-have brought to light some very interesting remains. Foundations of houses, fragments of columns and statues, and other re- lics of former grandeur, were dis- covered many feet below the present surface. At one place a long section of the eastern city wall was found, deeply covered with sand. Within it is a narrow vaulted and loopholed gallery, 46 paces long. Taking this as a starting-point, we can without much difficulty trace the line of the old eastern wall by the little mounds that rise above the drifting sands. Westward of this line the ground is irregular-heaps here, and pits there, as chance or labour has overthrown the ancient buildings. It is not too much to say that there is many a relic of Phoenician and Roman industry, and art, and splendour, buried beneath these heaps, waiting to repay the la- bours of some enterprising antiquary. Proceeding over the drift sand to the southern side of the isthmus we observe traces of walls and towers near the sea-line. One massive frag- ment is founded upon a range of granite columns; while shafts of the same material are strewn along the beach, and beneath the water, in im- mense numbers. Here too the travel- ler will most probably see for himself that a section at least of ancient Tyre has become "a place to spread nets upon" (Ez. xxvi. 14). Passing round the southern point, we are struck with the aspect of desolation-broken co- lumns half buried in the sand, huge fragments of sea-beaten ruins, and confused heaps of rubbish; with a solitary fisherman spreading his net over them, or a few workmen digging up building - stones. The harbour which formerly existed here, as Strabo tells us, is completely filled with drift sand, and stones and columns that 371 .Route 26.-Tyre. have been " cast into the sea." The western coast is formed of a ledge of ragged rocks, from 10 to 15 ft. high; and the whole of the shore below them, along the edge of the water, and in the water, is strewn with shafts of red and gray granite. On reaching the N.W. point we see 40 or 50 shafts thrown together in one heap beneath the waves. Many of these columns appear to be imbedded in the rock; but a close examination shows us that a process of rock-manufacture, as it may be called, is going on; we find whole layers in which stones, frag- ments of pottery, shells, and even bones, are cemented together in solid masses. They have laid Tyre's "stones and dust in the midst of the water" (Ez. xxvi. 12). On rounding the northern promon- tory the ruins of the ancient mole come in sight. An inner basin, or dock, was formed by a massive wall carried from near the north end of the promontory in a curve to the side of the isthmus. Many fragments of it remain above the water. It is constructed of large hewn stones, resting in places on a foundation of marble columns; and is thus, proba- bly, not older than the time of the Crusades. The smallness of the site of this ancient city strikes one as contrasted with its fame and power. Is it pos- sible, we are inclined to ask, that this little "rock" (such is the meaning of the name Sdr) once ruled the seas, and dotted the shores of Europe and Africa with its colonies? Its popula- tion could never have exceeded 30,000 or 40,000 souls; and one of our ordi- nary ocean steamers would have com- pletely filled its harbour. But we must remember that there was an in- fancy of commerce, just as of man; and we might as well speak of putting man back into his cradle, as of putting the fleets of modern days into the ports of antiquity. Tyre was the cradle of commerce; and now that commerce has grown into such gigantic propor- tions, the cradle is useless, and must for ever remain so. History.-The origin of Tyre is lost in the mists of antiquity. Isaiah, using a well-known eastern figure, calls it a "daughter of Zidon "(xxiii. 12), and says its "antiquity is of ancient days" (ver. 7). Josephus is more explicit, and tells us it was founded 240 years before the building of the Temple-that is B.C. 1251; but this date must be incorrect, for Joshua speaks of it as a " strong city" two centuries earlier (xix. 29). In the time of David, Tyre was already fam- ous for its skill in the arts, and for its navigation; its mariners brought him cedars from Lebanon; and its masons and carpenters built him a palace in Jerusalem (2 Sam. v. 11). The alliance between Hiram and Solo- mon, and the assistance rendered by the former in building the Temple, are the episodes in the history of Tyre most familiar to the student of sacred history. In the letter of Hiram to Solomon, as given by Josephus, the city is represented as occupying the island (Ant. viii. 2, 7). In the year B.c. 720 Shalmaneser king of Assyria besieged the city, which was then double - the part on the mainland, called Palsetyrus, he captured, but he blockaded the island 5 years in vain (Josephus, Ant. ix. 14, 2). It was sub- sequently besieged by Nebuchadnezzar for 13 years, with what success history does not inform us. Next came the siege by Alexander the Great, the most remarkable episode in Tyre's history. Pal.etyrus was soon captured and destroyed; but the island resisted for 7 months. During this time the stones, timber, and rubbish of the "old city" were conveyed by the Greeks to the shore, and formed into a mole stretching from the mainland to the island. Thus the walls were reached, and the stronghold stormed; and thus, too, the words of the Hebrew prophets received a remarkable fulfilment. " Wherefore thus saith the Lord God : Behold I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers; and I will 372 Sect. IV. N. PALJ~TINL Route 26.-Tyre--isto 'y ,7 scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea. . . . And they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water" (Ezek. xxvi. 3-5, 12). At that time terminated the glory of the Phoenician Tyre, whose wealth, luxury, pride, and power, Ezekiel has immortalized. Appropriately he represents this sea-girt city - whose fame, whose very existence, depended on its commerce-as a ship; built of the choicest wood -" fir-trees from Senir," and " cedars from Lebanon;" propelled by the strongest oars-sap- lings from the "oaks of Bashan;" furnished with the costliest benches -" ivory out of the isles of Chittim;" rigged with the finest sails - "fine linen with broidered work from Egypt;" manned by the best sailors "of Zidon and Arvad ;" steered by the most skilful pilots-her own "wise men;" defended by the most valiant soldiers from "Persia and Lud ;" and laden with the richest products of every country under heaven. For graphic power of description, and mi- nute accuracy in detail, the 27th chap. of Ezekiel is probably unequalled in the whole compass of literature. When Tyre was visited by Paul, we learn from Strabo that the city had a flourishing trade, with two ports, one on each side of Alexander's mole. In the 4th centy. it again attained much of its ancient renown; Jerome speaks of it as the most noble city of Phoenicia, trading with all the world. But it is its connexion with the history of the crusades that gives it its chief interest in more modern times. Its strength and splendour at the time of the invasion of Syria by the crusaders are minutely described by its Arch- bishop, William. Towards the sea it had a double wall with towers; on the N. was a walled port with an entrance between castles; on the E., where it was accessible by land, it had a triple wall, with towers close together, and a broad ditch which might be filled from the sea on both sides. On the 11th of Feb. 1124, the Christian host sat down before it, and on the 27th of the following June it. was delivered into their hands. The strength of its defences, the splendour of its houses, and the beauty of its port, excited their wonder and admiration. For more than a centy. and a half it re- mained in their possession and con- tinued to prosper. "The entrance of the port was closed every night by a chain between the towers; and the city was celebrated for the manufac- ture of glass, and the production of sugar." On the evening of the day on which 'Akka fell into the hands of the Muslems, Tyre was abandoned by the Christians; and since that period it has continued to decline under the rule of Islam. It had been for several centuries desolate, when Fakhr ed- Din, a celebrated Druze chief, made some attempt to restore it in the be- ginning of the 17th centy. From that time until its seizure by the Meta- wileh in 1766, it was a poor village of a few houses; but its new occupiers built its present walls, and this occa- sioned a temporary revival. It seems to be now again on the decline; and, as its commerce is irretrievably gone, it may ere long be abandoned. A question remains to be answered, "Where was Palmatyrus ?" Not a ves- tige of it remains; and its very site is a subject of controversy. "The only distinct notice we have of its position," says Dr. Robinson, "is from Strabo, three centuries after its destruction by Alexander. He says it stood 30 stadia S. of the insular city. Both the direc- tion and the distance, therefore, carry it to the vicinity of Ras el-'Ain. It probably lay on the S. of these foun- tains along the coast, and the hill in that quarter may perhaps have been its citadel. That no remains are now visible is amply accounted for by the fact, that Alexander, more than 20 centuries ago, carried off its materials to form his mole; and what he left behind-if indeed he left anything- would naturally be swallowed up in the erections and restorations of the island city during the subsequent cen- turies. Even in the more modern Tyre N. PALEATINE. 373 Route 26.-Tyre to Sidon. of the middle ages, what has become of her double and triple walls, her lofty towers, her large and massive mansions ? Not only have these struc- tures been overthrown, but their very materials have in a great measure dis- appeared." Tyre has been used as a quarry for the repair of the fortifica- tions of 'Akka, and the construction of the modern houses of Beyrout; her co- lumns, whose size and material place them beyond the 'reach of modern architects, have been left where they were cast," in the midst of the water ; the sites once occupied by her palaces have been made bare "as the top of a rock;" the fishermen "spread their nets" upon the ruins of her ramparts, her harbours are filled up by drifting sand, her commerce and her wealth have long deserted her-" What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea ! " (Ezek. xxvi.) THE TOMB OF HIRAM, Kabr Hairdn. -A pleasant excursion of 1 h. may be made from Tyre to this remarkable monument. It is situated on the hill- side nearly E. of the town, on the direct road to Bint Jebeil and Safed, and not far from the little village of Hanaweih. It stands all alone, apart alike from human habitation and an- cient ruin-a solitary, venerable relic of remote antiquity. In fact, it is one of the most singular monuments in the land. It is an immense sarco- phagus of limestone, hewn out of a single block 12 ft. long, 8 wide, and 6 high; covered by a lid, slightly pyramidal, and 5 ft. in thickness :-- the whole resting on a massive pedes- tal, about 10 ft. high, composed of 3 huge layers of masonry, the upper stones projecting a few inches. The monument is perfect, though weather- beaten. The only entrance to it is an aperture broken through the eastern end. A tradition, now received by all classes and sects in the country, makes this the tomb of Hiram, Solomon's friend and ally; and the tradition may have come down unbroken from the days of Tyre's grandeur. We have, at least, no just ground for rejecting it.. It is somewhat strange that no men- tion is made of it in history; and in- deed we find no reference to it in any work previous to the year 1833, when Munro visited and described it. 2 m. E. of Kabr Hairan is the large village of Kdna, the probable site of the Kanah of Joshua-a town on the northern border of Asher (Josh. xix. 28). About a mile E. of Kana, on the S. side of the ravine which de- scends from it, are some rude figures cut on the side of the rock, but now greatly defaced. They are evidently Egyptian in style and physiognomy. Our route from Tyre to Sidon lies along the plain of Phoenicia, on which, in the impressive language of Gib- bon, "a mournful and solitary silence now prevails." While the ,mountain sides and glens above are studded with villages; while every available spot is cultivated in terraces; the fertile plain is almost deserted, and the greater part of its soil lies waste. From Ras el-Abyad, where it com- mences, for 25 m. northward, it does not contain a single village, except we dignify the few hovels at Ras el- 'Ain by that name. As we ride along, the only signs of life are a few Arab tents, an occasional horseman armed to the teeth, and oftener a troop of gazelles. Tlhese facts form the best index to the state of the country and the character of the government- security for life and property is un- known save beneath the walls of cities, or amid the mountain fast- nes es. The plains are deserted, and, the richest soil is allowed in a great measure to run waste. The plain of Phoenicia proper extends from Ras el-Abyad to Nahr el-Au- waly, 1 hr. N. of Sidon-giving a total length of 28 m. Its average Sbreadth is about half a mile; but opposite Tyre and Sidon the moun- tains retreat to a distance of nearly 2 m., while in other places they ap- proach the shore. The surface of the plain is undulating, the soil fertile, water abundant-nothing in fact is wanting that nature can bestow. 374 Sect. IV: NRoute 26.:---Adldn-Sarepta. In J hr. from the gate of Tyre we pass a large fountain, highly prized by the Tyrians, who attribute to it medicinal virtues. Another 14 h. brings us to the banks of Nahr el- Kasimiyeh, beside an old half-ruined khan. This is the third river in Syria, ranking next in size after the Orontes and the Jordan. Its highest source is near the ruins of Ba'albek, and it drains the southern sec- tion of the Buka'a, with the sides of Lebanon and Antilebanon adjoin- ing. It then breaks through the former range in a wild and picturesque glen, and falls into the sea at this spot. The upper part of it is called Nahr el-Litany, and the lower part was formerly called by the same name. Its present appellation, el-Kd- simiyeh, some translate " the Divider," and derive it from the fact that it formerly divided the territories of Sidon and Skfed; but it is more pro- bably taken from the name of some distinguished chieftain-Kasim being a common name among the Syrians. It is most probably the Leontes of ancient geographers, though there are some statements in old authors which seem to cast considerable doubt on this view. Ptolemy, for instance, places the river Leontes between Bey- rout and Sidon; and Strabo mentions a town called Leontopolis, between Sidon and the river Tamyras. From these statements we would be led to identify the Leontes with the present Nahr el-Auwaly. But on the other hand, the name Lanteh or Litany, which Arab geographers have always given to this river, is unquestionably an Arabic form of Leontes. The stream is large and rapid- about one third as large as the Jordan at Jisr Benat Yakdb - and flows in a deep gorge across the plain. It is crossed by a modern bridge, having a single arch with a span of some 20 ft. About 1 hr. from the river we observe on the rt. a circlet of upright stones, to which a curious tradition is attached. Not far off is a hamlet, with a white-domed wely dedicated to Neby Str, a great prophet of some unknown age. On one occa- sion a number of men were passing along and chanced to mock the prophet, who in revenge cursed them, and they were immediately turned into stone, and here they still stand. -h. more brings us to 'Adldn.-Some shapeless ruins along the shore, and a large cemetery in the neighbouring cliffs, mark an ancient site. The tombs are very numerous, and are of the ordinary form so often met with in Lebanon and Antilebanon -square chambers hewn in the rock, with low doors and loculi for bodies in the interior. 'Adlan is most pro- bably the "little town" of Ornithon, which Strabo places between Tyre and Sidon, N. of the river (Leontes). As regards the caves in the hill-sides, Dr. Robinson makes the following suggestion: "Is this, perhaps, the spot spoken of by William of Tyre as the Tyrian cave in the territory of Sidon, occupied by the crusaders as a stronghold ? If so, we might compare it with ' Mearah (cavern) that was beside the Sidonians,' mentioned in the book of Joshua" (xiii. 4). SAREPTA.-1 1 h. from 'Adlan is a solitary wely near the shore, dedi- cated to el-Khudr (the Arab name of St. George), and an old khan beside it. A few hundred yards N. of it are the ruins of a small town; and high up on the side of a projecting hill ( h. to the rt. is the village of Sura- fend. Here on the shore was situated the ancient town of Zarephath, be- longing to Sidon, to which Elijah went from the "brook Cherith," during the great famine. As the weary prophet approached the gate, he saw the "poor widow woman," of whom the Lord had told him, "-gathering sticks" to prepare her meal-just as we may see many a poor Arab woman at the present day. He asked her for water, and she went "to fetch it;" but he called after her to bring him a "morsel of bread." Her reply was sad enough -"As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a X. PALESTIXR. 375 R3oute 26.--Sidon. cruse; and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die" (1 Kings xvii. 8-24). Our Lord in his sermon to the people of Nazareth refers to this story, call- ing this place by its Greek, and more familiar name, Sarepta (Luke iv. 26). Sarepta became afterwards famous for its wine, which is highly praised by both Greek and Latin authors, and was sufficiently exhilarating to inspire some of the early minor minstrels. During the rule of the crusading kings it was honoured by being made the seat of a Latin bishopric; and a little chapel was erected on the site of the widow's house where Elijah lived. In the 13th centy. it was in ruins and almost deserted. Its inha- bitants, escaping from the insecurity of the plain, ascended the mountain side, built new houses, and gave to them their old name in the Arabic form Surafend. The Christian chapel gave way to a Muslem wely; and the name of Elijah was in some way or other changed into el-Khudr. Some, however, will make this wely stand on the spot where our Lord met the Syrophenician woman, during his single visit to the "coasts of Tyre and Sidon" (Matt. xv. 21-28; Mark vii. 24-30). In 4 hr. from el-Khudr we get our first view of Sidon in the dis- tance, encircled by gardens and orchards; and in 10 min. more we reach a copious fountain called 'Ain el-Kanterah, where we may rest for a time beneath the grateful shade of trees-rare luxuries along this dreary plain. 3 hrs. more bring us to Sidon. We pass on our way Nahr ez-Zaherdny, "The Flowery Stream," and the beds of one or two winter torrents -all bright and beautiful with oleander- flowers, if it be our fortune to travel in spring. Sections of the old road attract our attention, with here and there an inscribed milestone. One bears the name of Septimius Severus and his son M. Aurelius Antoninus, bitter known as Caracalla. Its date may be A.D. 198. SIDON. Saida, the modern representative of " Great Zidon," is situated on the north-western slope of a little pro- montory, which projects obliquely into the sea. On the S. side, over- looking the town, stands the citadel, an old shattered tower, said to have been built by Louis IX. in the year 1253. A substantial wall, running across the neck of the promontory, defends the town on the land side. The streets are of the usual Eastern type, narrow, crooked, and dirty; but the houses are spacious, and some of them even elegant-especially those on the eastern wall. Within the town are six great khans,-called by the Arabs wakkdleh. They are quad- rangular structures with courts in the centre, and ranges of small, cell-like chambers all round, to serve as stores for merchandise, and lodgings for merchants. The largest of these formerly belonged to the French fac- tory and consulate; and here D'Ar- vieux spent several years as a mer- chant, employing his leisure hours in collecting the information about the country and its people which has since been published in his Mitoires. The population of Saida is esti- mated at 9000, of whom about 7000 are Muslems, 500 Jews, and the rest Catholics, Maronites, and Protestants. The city that once divided with Tyre the empire of the seas is now almost without a vessel; and its commerce is so insignificant that it would not re- pay even a periodical call of one of the passing steamers. Silk and fruit are its staple products-the latter is not surpassed in variety or quality by any other place in Syria. The harbour was formed by a low ridge of rocks running out from the northern point of the peninsula, parallel to the shore line. On one of these stands an old castle, which is. connected with the town by a bridge of nine arches-forming the picturesque group so well known from engravings. The harbour was counted large in the days of ancient commerce, being sufficient to contain fifty galleys; but the Druze 376 Sect. IV. N. PALsTINE. Route 26.-Andent Sarcophagus. chief Fakhr ed-Din, fearing the Turks, caused it to be filled up with stones and earth, so that now only small boats can enter. Larger vessels, when they come here at all, anchor off to. the northward, sheltered only from the S. and E. winds. The environs of Sidon are famous for their beauty and richness. Gardens and orchards fill the plain to the foot of the mountains, and are abundantly watered by numerous canals brought from Nahr el-Auwaly, and other " streams from Lebanon." Here are oranges, lemons, figs, almonds, plums, apricots, peaches, pomegranates, pears, and bananas - all growing luxuri- antly, and forming a forest of gor- geously tinted foliage. The ancient architectural remains about Sidon are few and insignificant-some marble and granite columns; some fragments of Mosaic pavement; and here and there a piece of a sculptuied frieze. By far the most interesting remains are the tombs in the neighbouring hill-side, and in various parts of the plain. They contain many sarco- phagi. Tomb of Ashmanezer.-In January, 1855, a very remarkable sarcophagus was discovered in a field, about a mile S.E. of the city. It is of hard black ba- salt, about 8 ft. long by 4 broad. The lid is in the form of an Egyptian mummy. The face is bare and colos- sal, and the features have a pleasing expression, though the lips are thick, the nose flat, and the ears large and prominent. Round the head are nu- merous folds as of linen, pendent at the sides behind the ears. On each shoulder is the head of a bird. On the top of the lid is a Phoenician in- scriptions of 22 lines, each line con- taining about 45 letters. The charac- ters are well but not deeply cut, and in perfect preservation. At the upper end of the sarcophagus, be- neath the head, is another inscrip- tion in 6 very long lines. The in- scription contains a solemn adjuration to all posterity not to disturb the remains of the great king which lie within. Then it goes on to say, "I am Ashmanezer, king of the Sidon- ians; son of Tabinth, king of the Sidonians; grandson of Ashmanezer, king of the Sidonians; and my mother, Immiastoreth, priestess of Astarte, our sovereign queen." It afterwards enumerates the temples which he built, in Sidon and other places, to Astarte and Baal; and it mentions the cities of Dor and Joppa, and the corn- lands of Dan, as belonging to Sidon. There is no date upon the monu- ment, and its age has been variously estimated from the 11th to the 4th centy. s.c. This most interesting monument is now in the Museum of the Louvre. A few years previously another im- portant discovery was made among the tombs of Sidon, consisting of a large numben of gold coins, chiefly of the reigns of Alexander and Philip of Macedon. Here, as at Tyre, skilfully conducted excavations would not fail to repay the antiquary. Sidon is not only the most ancient city of Phoenicia, but one of the most ancient cities in the world, being men- tioned in the book of Genesis, along with Gaza, Sodom, and Gomorrah (x. 19). According to Josephus it was founded by Sidon, the oldest son of Canaan, and great-grandson of Noah (Ant. i. 6,7; Gen. x. 15). When the Israelites entered Canaan it had already become famous, for Joshua calls it " Great Zidon" (xix. 28). And that neither the fame of its skill in arts, nor the power of its arms, was confined to Syria, we learn from Homer, who celebrates it in the ' Iliad.' As early as the Trojanwar the Sidon- ian mariners had provoked the enmity of the Trojans, who in revenge car- ried off from Sidon certain gorgeous robes, the work of its daughters; the votive offering of one of which it was thought would propitiate the goddess of war in their favour. One of Sidon's first colonies was Tyre, which Isaiah calls its "daughter;" and these two cities divided for many ages between them the empire of the sea. We learn from ancient authors that their skill in arts, and their attainments in science and literature, were commen- surate with the extent of their com- 377 .Route 26.-Sidon to Beyrout. merce. Their architects were the best in Syria (1 Kings v.); and Strabo celebrates the acquirements of the Sidonians in astronomy, geometry, navigation, and philosophy. The situation of Sidon made it a more easy prey to those who crossed the barrier of the Phoenician plain than its sister Tyre. Shalmaneser conquered it B.C. 720; and when it revolted against the Persians in B.C. 350, it was again captured and de- stroyed by Artaxerxes Ochus. It opened its gates without a struggle to Alexander the Great; and subse- quently submitted to the Seleucidre or the Ptolemies, as each in turn became ascendant. The Apostle Paul touched at its port on his voyage to Rome; but from that time till the age of the Crusades, its history does not afford a single incident worthy of notice. Even then Sidon did not become the scene of those brilliant actions which give life to the histories of Tyre and 'Akka, of C-esarea and Ascalon. From the time when it was captured by king Baldwin in B.C. 1111, till it was finally abandoned by the crusaders in 1291, it was four times taken, plundered, and dismantled. After lying for a time deserted it gradually revived; but it was not until the 17th centy. that it attained the comparative pros- perity which it now possesses. The Emir Fakhr ed-Din, having got pos- session of all the towns along the coast, infused new life into them. He erected at Sidon a spacious palace for himself, and also the large khan afterwards occupied by the French merchants. Though fear or prudence led him to fill up tho port, he encou- raged commerce. "Professing to be himself descended from French an- cestors, he treated the Christians in his dominions with great equity, es- pecially the Franks; granting privi- leges and immunities to the Latin convents, and encouraging the com- merce of the French, which had now extended itself to these shores. At this time, on the establishment of a new house at Marseilles for trading to Saida, one of its partners was ap- pointed consul at the latter place; and D'Arvieux, a relative, also repaired thither. To him we are indebted for a minute account of the city as it then was. (Memoires, i.p. 362, sq.) "At that period the French were the only nation who took part in the commerce of Sidon and the vicinity. Their trade had become so extensive as to bring annually 2000 crowns into the coffers of the Grand Seignor; and was so beneficial to the inhabitants, accord- ing to D'Arvieux, that, had the Franks removed to another place, the city would have been immediately aban- doned and left desert. Saida was the central point, and traded directly with the Druzes; but the merchants esta- blished there had likewise factors in Ramleh, 'Akka, Beyrout, and Tripolis, and sometimes at Tyre, who purchased the products of the country and trans- mitted them to Saida, whence they were shipped to. Marseilles. Saida was at this time regarded as the port of Damascus, but the trade of the latter city as yet went more to Aleppo, and turned westwards, to Beyrout, only at a later period." (Robinson.) Jezzar Pasha in 1791 drove the French out of Saida; and since then its little trade has been chiefly in the hands of natives. At present the tide of com- merce has turned to Beyrout; and the port of Sidon is rarely visited by a foreign vessel. The road from Sidon to Beyrout is bleak, bad, and uninteresting-now plunging through deep drifting sand, and now winding over low promon- tories covered with multitudes of loose stones and sharp rocks. It is one of the most wearying rides in Syria; and those who can spare an extra day would do well to run up amid the glorious scenery of Lebanon, along the banks of the ancient Bostrenus. First we reach the little village of Jmn,' beside which is the old convent where poor Lady Hester Stanhope spent the last days of her strange life, and where her mortal remains still lie; and where, "After life's fitful fever, she sleeps well." The romantic story of her life is thus 378 Sect.' IV. N. PAULSTIN1E. Route 26.---Lady THester Stanhope. graphically summed up by Warburton. "The Pasha of Sidon presented Lady Hester with the deserted convent of Mar Elias on her arrival in his coun- try, and this she soon converted into a fortress, garrisoned by a band of Albanians; her only attendants be- sides were her doctor, her secretary, and some female slaves. Public ru- mour soon busied itself with such a personage, and exaggerated her influ- ence and power. It is even said that she was crowned queen of the East at Palmyra by 50,000 Arabs. She certainly exercised almost despotic power in her neighbourhood on the mountain; and, what was perhaps the most remarkable proof of her talents, she prevailed on some Jews to advance large sums of money to her on her note of hand. She lived for many years beset with difficulties and anxieties, but to the last she held on gallantly; even when confined to her bed and dying, she sought for no companionship or comfort but such as she could find in her own powerful but unmanageable mind. S" Mr. Moore, our consul at Beyrout, hearing that she was ill, rode over the mountains to visit her, accompanied by Mr. Thomson, the American mis- sionary. It was evening when they arrived, and a profound silence was over all the place; no one met them ; they lighted their own lamps in the outer court, and passed unquestioned through court and gallery until they came to where she lay. A corpse was the only inhabitant ofthe palace, and the isolation from her kind which she had sought so long was indeed com- plete. That morning 37 servants had watched every motion of her eye : its spell once darkened by death, every one fled with such plunder as they could secure. A little girl, adopted by her and maintained for years, took her watch and some papers on which she had set peculiar value. Neither the child nor the property were ever seen again. Not a single thing was left in the room where she lay dead except the ornaments upon her person -no one had ventured to touch these ; even in death she seemed able to pro- tect herself. At midnight her coun- tryman and the missionary carried her out by torchlight to a spot in the gar- den that had been formerly her re- sort, and here they buried the self- exiled lady." Next we pass Deir el-Mukhallis, the great Greek convent, where such as wish to gossip about Lady Hester, or the antiquities of the country, may pass an agreeable hour with the worthy superior, M. AntSn Bulad. In this con- vent the Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch is elected. Next comes, in the wild glen of the Bostrenus, el- Mukhtarah, the residence of the great Druze family of Jimblat. Then we pass on to Bteddin and Deir el-Kamr, and down to Beyrout. At Deir el- Kamr we spend the night. (See Rides round Beyrout.) We now return to the direct route. A ride of 2 h. along the sandy beach brings us to the banks of Nahr el-Auwaly, which may be forded close to the sea, or crossed by a bridge near the base of the mountains. It is a large and rapid stream even here, though canals are led off from it higher up to irrigate the plain and supply the town of Sidon. Its high- est source is near the summit of Le- banon, in a wild glen near the village of Barfik, and the water of this fountain is famed as the best in Syria. From thence it flows, a foaming tor- rent, through a ravine of singular grandeur to Mukhtarah, and, continu- ing in a southerly direction for some 5 m. farther, it sweeps round to the W., and breaks through the lower barriers of Lebanon. Its banks, and the mountains and glens round it, form the stronghold of the Druzes. Nahr el-Auwaly is unquestionably that " graceful Bostrenus," near whose banks the old poet Dionysius Perie- getes places "the flowery Sidon." Here terminates the plain of Phce- nicia ; and here the ridge of Lebanon rises in all its massive proportions, shooting down its rocky roots to the Mediterranean. 379 Route 26.-Beyrout. We have now a dreary ride of 2 h. 20 min. to Khan Neby Yfinus, the next spot of any historical or tradi- tional importance. It is situated in a sandy bay, with a rich belt of mulberry-groves behind. Here, ac- cording to Muslem tradition, the whale "vomited out Jonah upon the dry land." A wely has been built in honour of the prophet, and both it and the khan bear his Arab name. Near the khan is the hamlet el-Jiyeh, beside which is a sarcophagus and a granite shaft-these indicate an old site, most probably the town of Por- phyreon, mentioned by Scylax as be- tween Beyrout and Sidon, and placed by the' Jerusalem Itinerary' 8 Rom. m. N. of the latter. It was at one time the seat of a bishopric. In a glen, about 2 m. to the E., not far from the village of Berja, are rock chambers-tombs or dwellin'gs-with sculptured ornaments. N. of Khan Ydnus is a bold pro- montory, over which the old road is carried, here and there hewn deeply in the rock. On this stood in former times the town or fortress of Platane, the scene of a battle between Antio- chus the Great and Ptolemy, about B.c. 218. Josephus tells us that Herod the Great left his 2 sons in "a village of Sidon called Platana, during their mock trial in Beyrout" (Ant. xvi. 11, 2). Nahr ed-Dmfir, the ancient Tamy- ras or Damouras(socalled byPolybius), sweeps the northern base of the pro- montory-a murmuring streamlet in summer, but a foaming torrent in winter, fed by the snows along the crest of Lebanion. One branch of it descends from the palace- crowned heights of Bteddin; and another and greater, called Wady el-Kady, the "Valley of the Judge," drains the mountains immediately to the S. of the Beyrout and Damascus road. Numerous villages and castle-like convents are now seen on the moun- tain side to the rt., embowered in the foliage of the mulberry and the fig. Olive-groves dot the steep slopes and fill the glens, giving variety and colour to the scenery. But even with that "goodly Lebanon" on the rt. and the " Great Sea" on our 1., the ride is dreary enough from the Ta- myras to Khan Khulda, the Mutatio Heldua of the ' Jerusalem Itinerary.' Here a number of sarcophagi on the hill-side to the rt. attract attention. They are from 5 to 7 ft. long, cut out of the rough limestone rocks as they lie on the ground, each having its lid thrown to the one side. All are rifled. Not a bone remains, nor a vestige of their tenants, nor an in- scription to indicate name, or age, or story. Of their high antiquity there can be no doubt. Similar ones are found in great numbers at various points along the western declivities of Lebanon. No inscriptions have ever been discovered upon them, but there can be little doubt that they are of Phoenician origin. Sh. more brings us to the southern end of the sandy promontory of Bey- rout, next to Carmel the longest on the Syrian coast. Its south-western side is composed of loose sand which the wind and the waves have driven up into large mounds that are gra- dually advancing over the fertile land and threaten in time to overwhelm the whole promontory. Across these downs the road leads, and away on the rt. is the great olive-grove, one of the largest in the country. Be- yond it rises the mountain side in steep rocky acclivities, furrowed by glens, and crowded with villages. Wading on through the sand we pass the pine-grove, wind through gardens and orchards, and at last reach the gate of Beyrout. BEYROUT. HOTELS.-Andrea's, one of the best in Syria. It is a new house, beauti- fully situated outside the town on the west. The landlord is very attentive 380 Sect. IV. Route 26.-Beyrout. three times a month (3rd, 13tn, and 23rd) for Alexandria (calling at Jaffa), where they meet the steamers of the direct mail line from Alexandria to Marseilles. They return to Beyrout (calling at Jaffa), arriving on the 10th, 20th, and 30th; and sail northward on the following day along the coast of Syria and Asia Minor to Smyrna, touching at Tripoli, Ladakia, Alexan- dretta, Marsina, and Rhodes. These steamers are large and comfortable. In addition to these there are two other lines, one Austrian, the other Russian, each arriving at anid sailing from Beyrout for Alexandria and Smyrna once a fortnight. English screw-steamers from Liver- pool, via Malta, Alexandria or Smyrna, also call at Beyrout occasionally. The English mails are usually sent by the French steamers. As the times of despatch, and of the sailing of the steamers are liable to be changed, it will be well for the traveller to consult the monthly guides, or to inquire at the bankers. The population of Beyrout is now estimated at nearly 60,000; one-third being Muslems, and the rest Chris- The situation of Beyrout is exceed- ingly beautiful. The promontory on which it stands is triangular, the apex projecting 3 m. into the Medi- terranean, and the base running along the foot of Lebanon. The south- western side is composed of loose drifting sand, and has the aspect of a desert. The north-western side is totally different. The shore-line is formed of a range of irregular, deeply- indented rocks and cliffs. Behind these rocks the ground rises gradually for a mile or more, when it attains the height of about 200 ft. In the middle of the shore-line stands the city - first a dense nucleus of sub- stantial buildings; then a broad mar- gin of picturesque villas, embowered in foliage, running up to the summit of the.heights, and extending far to the rt. and 1. Beyond these are the mulberry groves covering the acclivi- ties; and here and there groups of palms and cypresses. The old town stands on the beach, and often during a northerly gale gets more of the sea water than is agreeable. The little port, now in 381 to travellers. Bassone's, within the 'tians, Jews, and strangers. The town : good, civil landlord. number of the inhabitants has more than trebled within the last 30 yrs.; Bankers.-Beyrout is the best place and the town is at the present time in Syria for negotiating bills, circular the most prosperous in Syria; though notes, &c. The rate of exchange is only ranking third in point of size. generally higher than elsewhere. The It is assuming a European look, with firm of Messrs. Win. and Robert Black its bustling quay, and crowded port, and Co. is too well known to require and large warehouses and shops, any commendation; and there are also and beautiful suburban villas. All the highly respectable houses of Messrs. this prosperity is owing to foreign Henry HealdandCo.,andMessrs.Riddell influence; the European mercantile and Co. A branch of the Iinperial Otto- firms having infused some life into man Bank has been established in the natives. The principal article Beyrout, and in it letters of credit and of export is raw silk, the trade in circular notes are readily cashed. which is rapidly increasing in extent Letters for travellers should be ad- and importance. In fact, Lebanon is dressed to the care of one or other of gradually becoming one vast mulberry the above houses. plantation. Beyrout is every year increasing, and is at this moment, The English Consul-General for as far as foreign commerce is con- Syria resides at Beyrout; and there cerned, the first town in Syria. A is also a Vice-Consul. large proportion of its imports are for the Damascus markets, it being now French mail steamers leave Beyrout the port of that city. N. PALESTINE. Route 26.-Beyrout. a great measure filled up, lies between a projecting cliff and a ruinous insu- lated tower called Burj Fanzar, which bears, like the rest of the fortifica- tions, many a mark of British bullets. The old streets are narrow, gloomy, and badly paved; but some of the new streets are wide, and better adapted for a rapidly advancing commerce. Within the last few years, especially since the new road to Damascus was completed, there has been a great im- provement in the streets of Beyrout. Many of them are passable for carts and carriages. The houses are sub- stantially built of stone; and a few of the villas in the suburbs possess some pretensions to architectural effect. The view commanded by the higher houses is magnificent, embracing the bay of St. George; the indented coast, stretching away northward far as the eye can see; and the ridge of Lebanon, with its wild glens, dark pine-forests, clustering villages, castle-like convents, and snow-capped peaks. The antiquities in and around Bey- rout accessible to the traveller are few, and of little interest. A number of columns of grey granite, scattered here and there through and around the town; some foundations, pieces of tesselated pavement, and excavations in the rock, probably the remains of baths, l m. along the shore to the westward; a group of sarcophagi about the middle of the south-western shore of the promontory; and the ruins of an aqueduct at the base of the mountains on the E., which once brought a supply of pure water from Nahr Beyrout to the city-such is about a complete list of the antiquities. Almost every year shows that there are many others, far more important, buried beneath the soil and rubbish. Old tombs are frequently laid open by excavation, sometimes containing sarcophagi of pottery, with lachrymatories and other articles of glass. The cause of education has received a great stimulus since the establish- ment of the American Mission more than a quarter of a centy. ago. Their schools have created a taste for in- formation and literature; and their admirably conducted press has done much to gratify it, by the issiue not only of religious books but of excellent elementary treatises on the various sciences. The director of that press, the late Dr. Eli Smith, was long known not only as a distinguished Oriental scholar, but as one of the most successful investigators of the geography of Syria. The part he supplied in the 'Researches' of Dr. Robinson would have been sufficient of itself to establish his fame. An- other and still more important work he commenced, but did not live to finish-the translation of the Bible into Arabic. His place is now filled by Dr. Van Dyck, one of the most ac- complished Arabic- scholars in the world. The college recently established by the liberality of English and Ameri- can philanthropists is an admirable institution, and will serve largely to advance the cause of education, not in Beyrout merely, but throughout Syria. It is founded on a large and liberal basis; and proposes to give complete collegiate training in lan- guages, literature, science, and medi- cine. It is at present under the able presidency of the Rev. Dr. Bliss, for- merly an American missionary. Divine service is conducted every Sunday in the Chapel of the American Mission. History.-Beyrout, or, as it is some- times written Beirfit, occupies the site, as it preserves the name, of the Bery- tus of the Greeks and Romans. It was probably founded by the Phoe- nicians, though the first mention of it is in the writings of Strabo, and the first historical notice only dates as far back as the year B.c. 140, when it was destroyed by Tryphon, the usurper of the throne of Syria, during the reign of Demetrius Nicator. After its capture by the Romans it was colonized by veterans of the Fifth 382 Sect. IV. N. PaSriNK. Route 26.-History of Beyrout. Macedonian and Eighth Augustan Legions, and called " Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus." "It was here that Herod the Great procured the flagitious mock trial to be held over his two sons. The elder Agrippa greatly favoured the city, and adorned it with a splendid theatre and amphi- theatre, besides baths and porticos, inaugurating them with games and spectacles of every kind, including shows of gladiators. Here, too, after the destruction of Jerusalem, Titus celebrated the birthday of his father Vespasian by the exhibition of similar spectacles, in which many of the cap- tive Jews perished." But it was chiefly as a seat of learning that Berytus was celebrated. Its fame drew to it students from distant coun- tries. Law, philosophy, and languages were cultivated. The well-known Gregory Thaumaturgus, after passing through Athens and Alexandria, came here to complete his knowledge of civil law; and Appion the martyr spent some time at Berytus engaged in the study of Greek literature. From the 3rd to the 6th centy. was the golden age of Berytus' literary history. In A.D. 551 the town was laid in ruins by an earthquake, and its learned men sought a temporary asylum at Sidon. Ere it had time to revive, the wild fol- lowers of the False Prophet swept over the land, destroying alike litera- ture, commerce, agriculture, and archi- tectural splendour. In the year 1110 Beyrout was captured by the crusaders under Baldwin I.; it remained long in their hands, was made the seat of a Latin bishop, and was celebrated, as it is still, for the richness and beauty of its gardens and orchards. With the exception of a short occupa- tion by Saladin the Christians retained possession of the town till the final overthrow of their power in 1291. From that period till the beginning of the 17th centy. Beyrout scarcely ranked higher than a village; but the Druze prince Fakhr ed-Din, already so often mentioned in connexion with the towns on the coast, rebuilt it, made it the chief seat of his govern- ment, and erected a large palace, a fragment of which still stands near the eastern gate. This prince is also the traditional planter of the pine- grove on the S. side of the city. He may probably have planted some trees there; but we have the evidence of the Arab author Edrisi that a forest of pines existed here as early as the 12th centy. There are only a few of the old trees remaining; but a large num- ber of young ones are springing up, planted by direction of the Turkish authorities. The last episode in the history of Beyrout was its bombardment by the English fleet in September, 1840. The old walls were riddled with shot, and the portions now standing bear the marks of the English cannon; several houses were destroyed; and the main object, the driving out of the troops of Ibrahim Pasha, was soon accomplished. The town speedily re- covered from this disaster, and has since far outstripped in commercial enterprise and activity all the other cities of Syria. It is questionable whether at any period during its long history it was as prosperous as it is now. The making of the great road across the double range of Lebanon to Damascus has contributed very materi- ally to the prosperity of Beyrout. The road was constructed, and is still managed by a French company. It is the only public highway in Syria available for carriages (1868). RIDES ROUND BEYROUT. There are several places in the neighbourhood of Beyrout deserving of a visit, alike from their historic associations and splendid scenery. No correct idea can be formed of the scenery of Lebanon from the plain at its base, or from the sea. The moun- tain sides have a comparatively bleak aspect. The white limestone, of which the great mass of the ridge is composed, crops up in cliffs and pointed rocks; and these, reflecting the Syrian sunlight, originally gained for 883 Route 26.--Nahr el-Kelb. the range the name it still bears, Jebel Libndn (Lebanun in Hebrew), "the White Mountain "-the "Mont Blanc" of Palestine. Another feature of Lebanon still farther tends to increase the aspect of barrenness as seen from below. The sides, where capable of cultivation, are cultivated in terraces. The walls of these terraces consist in some places of the naked sides of hori- zontal limestone strata, and in others of rude walls of rocks and stones. On looking up the steep acclivities, the fronts of these cliffs and walls are before us; while the soil and verdure -often the vines and mulberry-trees- which they sustain are hidden. When, on gaining some commanding crest, we turn and look down the acclivity, we can scarcely repress the thought that the wand of an enchanter has been waved over the mountain. Ter- races of green corn, and long ranges of mulberries, figs, and vines, have taken the place of bare rocks. To such as desire to see this singular transformation, I strongly recom- mend a ride to the heights of Deir el.-Kul'ah, or to the mountain capi- tal of Deir el-Kamr, during early spring. The grandedr, the fertility, and the beauty of Lebanon will then be seen to advantage; and the traveller will then be able fully to understand the Psalmist's metaphor,, "His fruit shall shake like Lebanon" (lxxii. 16). 1. RIDE TO NAHR EL-KELB. - A tolerable "hack," and a guide of suf- ficient intelligence for a day's excur- sion, are easily procured at any of the Beyrout hotels. About a mile from the town we are shown the remains of an old brick building, which has some- how or other been linked to the legend of St. George and the Dragon. Some affirm the Dragon was slain on this spot; others say that the com- bat took place on the neighbouring beach, and the victorious saint came here to wash his hands. The guide will probably relate both versions, with perhaps a few extempore varia- tions of his own; appending the all- but universal axiom, "Allah knows." Nahr Beyrout flows into the sea beside the scene of St. George's en- counter with the Dragon. A stream- let in summer, it swells into a river in winter, and is crossed by a bridge of 7 arches, said to have been built, but more probably only repaired, by Fakhr ed - Din. It is the Magoras of Pliny. From hence to the bold promontory which forms the S. bank of the Nahr el-Kelb is about 5 m., the road following the graceful curve of the sandy beach. INSCRIPTIONS AND SCULPTURES AT NAHR EL-KELB.-The rocky ridge on the S. bank of Nahr el-Kelb projects considerably into the sea, terminating in a cliff about 100 ft. high. On ap- proaching it from Beyrout, we observe to the rt. and 1. numerous excavations in the rock, like quarries. The old road, which still forms the only means of passage, winds up the steep slope, runs along the edge of the cliff, and descends a yet steeper bank on the N. side. It is everywhere hewn in the rock; in some places there is a deep cutting, in others the surface is merely levelled. It is 6 ft. wide, and is paved with large rough stones. On the summit of the pass, overhanging the sea, is a rude pedestal of masonry, perhaps marking the place where a gate once stood to guard the pass. Be- side it is a prostrate column with a Latin inscription not yet deciphered- apparently it is a Roman milestone. Popular tradition, however, trying to account for the name of the river, in- forms us that the image of a "Dog" once stood here, but was hurled over the cliff; and the guide will point it out, its black head just appearing above the waves, far below. Descend- ing on the N. side, we soon see the famous tablets on the cliffs to the rt., which we leave for the present, and pass on towards the modern bridge. Before reaching it a Latin inscription attracts our attention on the face of a low cliff to the rt. It is perfect, with the exception of a portion of a single line purposely erased; and we learn from it the important .fact, that this 384 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 26.- road was made in the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who, it appears, was a special bene- factor of Syria; for, as we shall see, it was also during his reign, about 10 years earlier, that the road was cut through the pass at Abila in Antile- banon. Aurelius died in the year A.D. 180; and the title Germanicus, which we find on this tablet, was given him on the occasion of his vic- tory over the Marcomanni in A.D. 172; so that this road must have been constructed between these 2 dates, probably about the year 173, as the title Parthicus, which we also find here, was dropped during the later years of his life. The inscription is as follows- IMP. CAES. M. AVRELIVS ANTONINVS PIVS FELIX AVGVSTVS PART. MAX. BRIT. MAX. GERM. MAXIMVS PONTIFEX MAXIMVs. MONTIBVS IMMINENTIBVS LYCO FLVMINI CAESIS VIAM DELATAVIT PER . . . . . purposely erased . .... ANTONINIANAM SVAM Another shorter inscription, but of no historical value, may be seen nearer the sea. We now return to still more interest- ing relics of antiquity-the sculptured tablets. The traces of a much more ancient road than the Roman are seen higher up the cliff, quite distinct on the northern side of the promontory, but obliterated on the southern, pro- bably from the falling of some of the rocks. It can now only be ascended on foot. The sculptured tablets are found at intervals on the smooth faces of the rocks, on the upper side of the old road. They are nine in number, of which 3 are regarded as Egyptian, and 6 Assyrian. They are of different sizes and shapes, but all large enough to contain life-size figures. Commencing at the northern base of the pass, the first 3 tablets are close to the present road, which so far runs in the line of the more ancient one. The old road then strikes up to the 1. over steep, rugged rocks, and we must follow it to [Syria and Palestine.] Nahr el-Kelb. 385 visit the remaining sculptures. The following is the order of the tablets:- 1. Egyptian - Square at top, orna- mented by a cavetto cornice. When I saw this tablet in 1858 I could not make out a single trace of inscription or sculpture upon it. It was, so far as I could perceive, a blank. It is not so now. It has been appropriated by the French, and contains an inscription commemorating the occupation of the country by the French army in 1860. 2. Assyrian-About 5 yds. from the former. Square-topped, containing an Assyrian figure with the right hand elevated and the left across the breast : it is so much defaced that the outline alone is discernible. 3. Assyrian-2 yds. from the pre- ceding. Square-topped. An Assyrian figure can be made out upon this, though even more defaced than No. 2. 4. Assyrian-About 20 yds. from No. 3, and 10 yds. above the Roman road. Rounded at the top, and set as if in a frame, with a full-length figure in better preservation. 5. Assyrian-Some 30 yds. farther, on the side of the ancient road. Round- topped like the preceding : the figure is more distinct, with the right arm elevated, and the hand apparently grasping some object. 6. Egyptian-On the same rock as the former, and only 8 in. separated from it. It is square-topped, with a cornice like No. 1. When the light falls obliquely on this tablet we can trace the faint outlines of 2 small figures near the top, the head of Ra, the Sun-God, on the left; and the monarch presenting an offering on the right. There are other marks upon the tablet which may have been in- tended for hieroglyphics. 7. Assyrian-15 yds. higher up. Rounded at the top, and hollowed out to the depth of 3 in., with a border like a frame. It contains an Assyrian S Route 26.-Nahr el-Kelb. figure in tolerable preservation, but no trace of inscriptions. 8. Egyptian-About 30 yds. farther, and near the top of the pass. This tablet resembles Nos. 1 and 6, but is in better preservation. A sharp eye can here detect 2 little figures near the top-that on the left is Ammon. The borders of the tablet are covered with inscriptions, among which, about the centre of the left-hand frame, Egyptian scholars have discovered the well-known cartouche of Rameses II. Doubts have been cast on the existence of these figures by the strong remarks of M. de Saulcy; but those who wish to satisfy their own minds have only to visit them about 10 o'clock on any bright morning, when they will see with considerable distinctness the out- lines of the sculptured figures, and the traces of the cartouches. 9. Assyrian-On the same rock as the preceding, and quite close to it. It is the best preserved and most in- teresting of all. The top is rounded, the figure has the long dress, the large curled and plaited beard, and the conical cap so well known now, from the monuments of Nineveh, to be cha- racteristic of the effigies of Assyrian monarchs. The left hand is bent across the breast and grasps a mace, while the right is raised and has over it several symbolical figures. Nearly the whole dress and background are covered with a cuneiform inscription, considerable portions of which are still legible, though parts are greatly worn and injured. In the corners of the 3 Egyptian tablets are holes. Their object has not been satisfactorily ascertained; some have suggested that the sculp- tures were originally covered with folding doors, and that these holes mark the places of the hinges; others suppose that inscribed tablets of bronze or marble were once fastened on by means of clamps-taking it for granted that the rocks themselves have not, and never had, any sculptures upon them. According to Lepsius the 3 Egyp- tian tablets bear the cartouches of Rameses II., the Sesostris of Herodo- tus; the middle one (5) is dedicated to Ra (Helios), the highest god of the Egyptians; thd southernmost (8) to the Theban, or Upper Egyptian, Am- mon; and the northern one (1) to the Memphite, or Lower Egyptian, Phtha. "On the middle stel," he adds, "the inscription begins under the repre- sentation with the date of the 2nd Choiak of the 4th year of Rameses' reign" (B. c. 1351). The Ammon stele was either of the 2nd or the 10th year of the same monarch; and the 3 appear to refer to different cam- paigns. Herodotus tells us that Sesostris, in his expeditions to Asia Minor, did leave behind him stels and figures as monuments of his exploits, and that he himself had seen some of them in Palestine and Syria. Prob- ably these are the very stels referred to by the historian (Rawlinson's Herodo- tus, ii. p. 173). All the Assyrian tablets are consi- dered by Mr. Layard to be the work of Sennacherib, the monarch whose vast army was miraculously destroyed on the plain of Philistia (Rte. 14), and who is known among Assyrian scholars as founder of the palace of Kouyunjik. Dr. Robinson, however, questions the probability of one mo- narch having cut six distinct tablets on one short pass and during one expedition. We know from Sacred history that no less than five Assyrian monarchs either invaded this country or passed through it on their way to Egypt-Pul (2 Kings xv. 19), Tig- lath-pileser (2 Kings xvi. 7-10), Shal- maneser (2 Kings xvii. 3-6; xviii. 9-11), Sargon, or at least Tartan his general (Isa. xx. 1), and Sennacherib (2 Kings xviii. 13). Why may not each monarch in succession have executed a tablet in celebration of his passage? This wild pass must have presented no ordinary difficulties to an army, and to surmount it was an exploit that any general might have deemed worthy of commemora- tion. "The epoch of Sesostris," says Robinson, "covered the last J of the 886 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 26.-Ride to Deir el-Kul'ah. 14th centy. B.C., and was 3 centuries earlier than the accession of king David. Sennacherib is supposed to have ascended the throne in B.C. 703. Between the tablets of the former conqueror and those of the latter, therefore, there intervened a period of not less than 6 centuries. And, look- ing back from our day, the Assyrian tablets have continued to commemor- ate the progress of the Assyrian hosts for more than 25 centuries; while those of Egypt, if proceeding from Sesostris, have celebrated his prowess for 31 centuries. They reach back to hoary antiquity, even to the earliest days of the Judges. of Israel, before Jerusalem was known." Taken on the whole, therefore, they are among the most interesting and important historical monuments in Syria, and well deserve the attention of every scholar and traveller. The Nahr el-Kelb is the Lycus flu- 9nen of old geographers - the Greek "Wolf" having degenerated into an Arab "Dog." The origin of the name is hid by the mists of tradition. Some tell us that in long past ages a monster of the wolf species was chained by some god or demon at the river's mouth, which, when lashed to fury by the storms, awoke the echoes of far-distant Cyprus with his bark. Others say that the sharp shocks of the waves on the cavernous cliffs gave rise to both the name and the legend. And another story is that the statue of a dog formerly stood on the pedes- tal that crowns the cliff; its mouth being wide open, strange sounds were wont to issue from it when the winds were high; these the Arabs long re- garded as supernatural warnings of impending woe; but at length they mustered courage, assembled in a body, and hurled the monster into the sea. The bright little river dashes along through a glen which opens the very heart of the mountain. Its banks are fringed below with dark shrubs, and crowned above by gray crags, on which is perched a Maronite convent. An old aqueduct partly hewn in the cliff, and partly supported on tall arches, skirts the base of the northern hill-garlanded with creeping plants, that have wound themselves among long stalactites pendent from the arches; it adds another feature to the romantic beauty of this glen. For the sources and scenery of Nahr el-Kelb see Rte. 42. 2. RIDE TO DEIR EL-KUL'AI.-This place is less known, and will require a guide from the mountain. The con- vent that marks the spot is in view from the city, but the path to it is not so easily seen. This path will give the traveller who has just landed in the country a fair idea of the roads of Lebanon. It is steep, rough, and difficult; often running over tracts of naked rock, here smooth and slippery, there rising up in sharp points; some- times it follows a torrent bed, encum- bered with loose fragments of rock; then it winds between parallel walls, filled to the top with loose stones. But the glorious scenery, the bracing air, the aromatic " smell of Lebanon," repay all toil. Here the terrace culti- vation is seen in perfection. What an amount of industry and time have been expended on these terraces! What hope is here held out for the future of Syria! What richness, too, must be in the soil, a few handfuls of which scattered among the rocks produce such vines, and such figs, and such mulberries! The road runs nearly due E. from Beyrout, crosses the river at the base of the mountains, and then ascends rapidly the steep ridge on its northern bank. A smart ride of 2 hrs. brings us to Deir el-Kul'ah. A modern con- vent is here built on the top of a mass of ruins, on the crest of a high narrow ridge. The view is grand. The wild glen of Nahr Beyrout sweeps round the southern base of the ridge, more than 1500 ft. below us. Before us lies the plain of Beyrout, with the town on the shore, sur- rounded by mulberry groves. Away beyond is the boundless sea. To the N. and S. stretch the lower de- clivities of the mountain range, rugged, s2 387 Route 26.--Temple of Baal. but not bare. On the E. we look up the pine-clad valley of the Metn, filled with villages, to the snow-capped summit of Kuneiseh; to the 1. is a still higher peak, Sunnin, which ranks second in the range of Lebanon. The ruins round Deir el-Kul'ah are of considerable extent, covering a large section of the crest of the ridge; but the only remains of any import- ance are those of a large temple 106 ft. long by 54 broad. The front is to- wards the N.W., looking down upon the plain and sea. There was a por- tico 29 ft. deep, consisting of 2 rows of colmns, 4 in each. Portions of 4 columns, and the pedestal of a 5th, are in situ. They measure nearly 6 ft. in diameter. Of the cell only the foundations and a few of the lower courses of masonry remain ; and among these are stones from 12 to 14 ft. long, and from 4 to 52 high. Scattered about among the ruins, and in the walls of the convent, are 8 or 10 fragments of Greek and Latin inscriptions- most of them marking votive offerings, such as tablets and altars consecrated to the god of the temple. The chief point of historical interest brought to light by these in- scriptions is a title of Baal or Jupiter, not found elsewhere. In a Greek in- scription, now in the kitchen of the convent, hlie is addressed as Balmarkos, Sovereign Lord of Sports-the latter words being apparently a translation of the name Balmarkos. In a shorter Latin inscription IOVI BALMA*R- CODI occurs. The Canaanitish god Baal is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. He was the chief object of worship among the Phoeni- cians; and his worship was introduced among the Israelites by the infamous "Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians" (1 Kings xvi. 31). Ethbaal signifies "with Baal," that is, " under the protection of Baal." Such names were common among the Phoe- nicians, and their children the Car- thaginians, as we learn from the well- known Hannibal and Hasdrubal. In Scripture we have this deity entitled Baal-berith, "Lord of the Covenant" (Jud. ix. 4), and Baal-zebub, "Lord of Flies"- so here we have a temple dedicated to Baalmarkos, "Lord of Sports." This was doubtless one of the high-places of Phoenician idolatry, where the relatives and townsmen of Jezebel joined in their lascivious rites. To the labours and researches of the late Dr. Eli Smith the public were first indebted for these interest- ing facts. (See Bibliotheca Sacra, 1843.) In returning to Beyrout we can visit the ruins of the aqueduct which formerly supplied Beyrout with water from Lebanon. It runs along the southern bank of the ravine of Nahr Beyrout, towards the plain. At one point it crosses the gulf in a double tier of arches; and at another it is tunnelled through the cliff. It can be traced some distance across the low eastern section of the plain. 3. RIDE TO DEIR EL-KAMR AND BTEDDIN.-This is a longer ride, and will take 2 days. We can sleep in one of the clean comfortable houses of Deir el-Kamr, or pitch our tent be- neath the crumbling walls of the palace of Bteddin. The distance is 5 hrs., and the road none of the best. The first hour we are in the plain, passing through deep sands beneath the shade of the pine' forest, and then winding among the mulberry gardens that skirt the northern side of the great olive-grove. There are more palms at this place than we have been accustomed to see in Palestine. The base of the mountain is reached, and the ascent begins along a track more like the dry bed of a mountain torrent than the high road to the capital of Lebanon. As we advance the rugged path is forgotten; we leave the careful horses to clamber as they may up the smooth rocks, and pick their steps among sharp stones. We are charmed with the variety and ex- tent of the views. Each hill we crown reveals a nobler panorama than the preceding--the plain to the rt., first green with the mulberry gardens 388 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 26.---Ride to Deir el-Kamr. along the base of the cliffs; then gray with olive-groves; then red with the sands; then white with the foam of the Mediterranean. The path is strangely tortuous - as tortuous in places as erratic mules and donkeys can make it. An hour's hard clam- bering brings us to the picturesque village of 'Ain 'Anfb. On the 1. cottages cling to the side of the cliff overhead, while on the rt. their flat roofs are level with the path, and they look down upon the wooded glen below. Here beside the fountain we see the mountaineer at home. The fearless look, and bold bearing, and calm respectful de- meanour of the mountain freeman, present a striking contrast to the cringing, fawning, yet scowling aspect of the lowland slave. There is a pic- turesque beauty too in the costume of both sexes, which pleases the eye, and seems- somehow to accord with the natural features of their country. All wear the full Turkish trowsers. The peasantry have a small braided jacket, with standing collar, and slashed sleeves. The Druzes may be distin- guished by their neatly folded white turbans and their trim beards. The Christians in general have only the moustache. The hereditary sheikhs are as gay as peacocks, and about as useless. They ride or walk about in gorgeously embroidered jackets; vests of flame-coloured silk; scimitars and pistols half hidden by silver mount- ing. Here, too, the traveller will see, perhaps for the first time, that most singular of all the singularities of Syrian costume, the Tantfur. It is a tube, generally of silver, sometimes of gold-varying from 12 to 18 inches in length; 22 inches in diameter at the bottom, and tapering slightly to the top. To the bottom are attached heavy silver weights, by silken cords 3 ft. long. This curious ornament the women balance on the top of their heads; the weights hanging down behind, and keeping it steady. Over the whole they throw a long white veil of muslin, which they can ar- range at pleasure, either to descend in graceful folds down the back; or to envelop the whole person, leaving visible just one eye and the two feet. Such is the dress of the matrons of Lebanon; Druzes and Christians alike. The Tantur is one of the first requi- sites of the bride. Latterly, how- ever, it has been getting,out of fashion; and probably the time is not far dis- tant when it will be entirely aban- doned. After leaving 'Ain 'Andb we get occasional glimpses of the chimney of the Shumlan silk factory, high above us on the 1. Such as desire to see English enterprise and taste grafted on " that goodly mountain, even Lebanon," should pay it a visit. The geologist will find beds of fossils, comprising specimens of Nerinea, Chenopus, Bippurites, Turri- tella, &c.; and the antiquary may see numbers of sarcophagi lying along the mountain side to the N. of the village. Half an hour from Shumlan we pass a rocky ridge, and then descend into the deep glen of Wady el - Kady, a tributary of the Tamyras. Here, too, as we descend, we observe many sarcophagi in the large rocks to the rt. and 1. Numerous villages are in sight, clinging to the mountain sides, and embowered in mulberry groves. Crossing the torrent by Jisr el-Kady, "Judge's Bridge," we clamber over another lofty ridge, and then descend diagonally to Deir el-Kamr. Deir el-Kamr is a picturesque mountain town of 8000 Inhab., whose houses are built along a steep, rocky declivity. A sublime glen runs be- neath it, and on the opposite side, on a projecting ledge, stands the palace of Bteddin. Both banks, as well as the slopes above them, are covered with terraces, supporting soil on which a well-earned harvest waves in early summer, amid rows of mul- berries, olives, and vines. Indus- try has here triumphed over appa- rent impossibilities. In Palestine we have passed over vast plains of the rich- est soil all waste and desolate--here we 889 Route 26.-Btedd in. see the mountain's rugged side clothed with soil not its own; and watered by a thousand rills led captive fron foun- tains far away. Every spot on which a handful of soil can rest, every cranny to which a vine can cling, every ledge on which a mulberry can stand, is occupied. The people, too, now nearly all Christians, have a thrifty, well-to- do look; and the children, thanks to the energy of the American mis- sionaries, are well taught. The town suffered greatly during the war be- tween the Ohristians and Druzes; many of its houses were burned, and many of the best and bravest of its youth fell in battle. It was the scene of one of the most barbarous of those wholesale massacres perpetrated on the Christians during the war of 1860. About 1200 Christians, after being dis- armed by the Turkish governor, were butchered in cold blood by the Druzes within the walls of the palace. A fouler act of treachery-a more wanton deed of savage ferocity-was never per- petrated by man. BTEDDIN, Palace of the Emir Beshir. -At Deir el-Kamr. there is little to detain us. It is slowly recovering from the effects of the massacre and sack of 1860. We hasten over to the place where the last prince of Le- banon lived and ruled. The path to the bottom of the dark glen is like a ruined staircase; and that up the oppo- site side is worse. The Emir Beshir was the only native road-maker Le- banon has known for centuries. He paved with care the whole road to Beyrout; but time, and neglect, and mountain torrents, have left it almost as bad as ever. The palace stands on a projecting cliff, overhanging the bed of the ravine, and 300 ft. above it. We first enter a spacious court- yard, whose battlemented walls look out on Deir el-Kamr-the mountain- sides below breaking down in terraced slopes to the distant sea. Thence there is an ascent by a broad staircase into another court. Here on the 1. is a light Saracenic portal leading to the Hall of Audience and the private apartments of the late Emir. The apartments are large and lofty- finished in the Damascus style, with tesselated pavements of marble, raised daises, inlaid walls, arabesqued ceil- ings all gold and glitter. But alas! what a wreck they are now! The rare marbles of the floors and walls picked out; the doors torn away ; the ceilings blackened with smoke and rain; and everything dirty as Turkish soldiers alone could make it. The suite of rooms connected with the bath were among the most magnificent in the palace, and these are still-at least they were in 1858-in tolerable repair. The palace gardens of Bteddin were once beautiful, laid out in terraces along the bank of the ravine. The Emir Beshir brought water to irrigate them, and supply the fountains in the courts end saloons, all the way from 'Ain Zahalteh, 5 m. distant. They are now neglected like every- thing else; and the only object" of interest in them is the simple monu- ment over the grave of the Emir's wife. Higher up the hill are two smaller palaces with pretty courts, and grace- ful arcades, and richly adorned salons. They were built by the Emir, the one for his mother, and the other for his eldest son; they are now fast fall- ing to ruin. The Emir Beshir was one of the most extraordinary men who has ap- peared on the stage of Syrian history in modern times. He was a scion of the princely house of Shehdb, which carries back its pedigree to the time of the Arabian Prophet, and to the noble tribe from which he sprung. Born in the year 1764, his father died while he was young, and he was reared up as a son by his uncle the Emir Yfisef, governor of the mountains. At the age of 24 he attracted the attention of Jezzar Pasha, who gave him a thou- sand soldiers, and told him to go and rule Lebanon. He did so, and drove out his uncle at the point of thesword. During 30 years he battled with powerful rivals in the mountains, and Sect. IV. 390 more powerful pashas out of them; but his courage never quailed, the re- sources of his mind were never known to fail, and he at length attained to all but regal power. Some thrilling tales are told of thp mode in which he won his way to power. On one occasion ten of the principal leaders of his opponents had their throats cut in the Council Hall at Bteddin. On another occasion he seized by trea- chery the sons of his uncle and bene- factor Yfitsef, and ordered their eyes to be put out. And he subsequently punished three of his nearest relatives for some act of rebellion, by searing their eyes with a hot iron, and cutting out their tongues. But he adminis- tered the ordinary affairs of the moun- tain with a just and impartial hand. N9 debtor could avoid fulfilling his obligations;; no thief or robber could evade justice; no murderer could escape the punishment due to his crime. Lebanion under his rule en- joyed a security for life and property which it had perhaps never enjoyed before, and which it certainly has not enjoyed since. He ruled with a strong hand, and a stern will; but nothing else will do in Syria. His personal revenue was small- never exceeding 10,0001. a-year-but the rapacious Turkish pashas, to whom he was nominally subject, were con- stantly demanding money. This oc- casioned many extraordinary levies on the peasantry. His revenue was chiefly spent for the public good-in maintaining an efficient police; in re- pairing and constructing roads; and in building bridges. He was fond of architecture; and the palaces of Bteddin are the chefs-d'ouvre of modern Syria. In 1840 the Emir was driven into banishment on account of his connexion with the rebellion of Ibra- him Pasha; and he never returned to his mountain home. His old sub- jects, though they never liked his iron rule, prayed heartily for his return after a short experience of the Turks. It was in vain; the prince died an exile at Constantinople, and now to his once stately palace we may apply the noble words of Byron:- 391 "The steed is vailished from the Stall; No serf is seen in Hassan's hall; The lonely spider's thin gray pall Waves slowly widening o'er the wall: The bat builds in his harem bower, And in the fortress of his power The owl usurps the beacon-tower; The wild dog howls o'er the fountain's brini With baffled thirst, and famine, grim; For the stream has shrunk from its marble bed, Where the weeds and the desolate dust are spread." From Bteddin to Mukhtarah is 2 hrs.; and thence to Sidon 4 more. (See above.) There is also a road from Bteddin over the mountains direct to Damascus, as follows :-- Barfik, in a wild glen-a strong- hold of Druzes ...... Cress the main ridge of Lebanon. Jubb Jenin in the Buk'a- h. E. of riv. Litany .... .. Kamid el-Lauz, with ruins and rock-tombs ........ 'Aithy .. .. .. .. .. Deir el-'Ashayir-I h. to rt.- Ruined temple (Rte. 32) .. Dimas (Rte. 36) ...... Damascus .... .. .. .. Total .. H. M. 3 0 4 15 1 15 1 5 2 40 1 20 5 0 18 35 From Deft el-Kamr, or Barfik, a visit might be made to the recently dis- covered cedar groves. (See below, Rte. 42.) Another.wild road, affording an ex- cellent view of the southern section of the Lebanon range as far as the banks of the Litany, is as follows:- H. M. Mukhtarah-palace of the late Sheikh Sa'id Jimblit .. .. 2 0 Jezzin-a large Christian vil- lage in a rich glen .. .. 3 30 Jisr Burghuz-a bridge over the Litany ........ 4 20 Kul'at esh - Shukif, Belfort (Rte. 39) .. .. about 2 0 Total .. 11 50 The roads from Kul'at esh-Shukif to Tyre on the W., and Hasbeiya on the E. are described in Rte. 39. N. PALESTINE. Route 26.-Bteddin. Route 27.-Nazareth to iberias. ROUTE 27. NAZARETH TO TIBERIAS. First, direct. II. 11T. Nazareth to Reineh .. .... 0 45 Kefr Kenna .. ... . 0 45 Libieh .. .. .. .... 2 0 Base of Kurfn Hattin .. .. 0 30 Tiberias .. .. .. .. .. 1 40 Total .. 5 40 Second, by Tabor. Nazareth to base of Tabor Top of hill.... .. .. Khan et-Tujjr .... .. Kefr Sabt (on rt.) .. Wells of Lfibieh .... Tiberias ...... H. M. 1 45 0 45 1 55 0 35 0 40 20 Total .. 7 40 The direct road from Nazareth to Tiberias has little to attract the atten- tion of the traveller. The road is good, the stage short, and one may get over it in less than 5 hrs. when time presses. Crossing the ridge to the N. of the town, we have the view before us already described. (Rte. 22.) Seffirieh is the most prominent object, its castle crowning a mound; beyond it is the green plain of But- tauf. In 45 min. we reach Reineh, a Christian village on the side of a fertile vale. An old well, with a sculptured sarcophagus beside it, used as a water-trough, are the only curiosi- ties. Crossing another ridge we de- scend a rocky slope to Kefr Kenna, which some identify with Cana of Galilee; but see above, Rte. 23. The stone "water-pots," the house where the marriage was performed, &c., are here exhibited. The village is small and half-ruinous; situated on the side of a narrow valley, filled with fig-trees, pomegranates, and old olives -so old that they might perhaps have been witnesses of our Lord's "first miracle." On the top of a rocky hill, beyond the valley westward from Kefr Kenna, may be seen the little village of Mashhad, with a conspicuous domed wely beside it. The name Mashhad is given to the tomb or shrine of saint or prophet, where people are accus- tomed to assemble for worship. A very old tradition, received alike by Christians and Muslems, declares this to be the tomb of Jonah the prophet; and if so, the village occupies the site of Gath-hepher (2 Kings xiv. 25), which is also called Gittah-hepher (Josh. xix. 13.) The position accords with the topography of Joshua, and with the notice of Jerome, who locates Gath-hepher 2 m. from Sepphoris, on the road to Tiberias. Half an hour's ride among rocks and tangled shrubbery brings us into a well-cultivated plain-one of those which form the distinguishing features of the scenery of Galilee. It is about 1 m. in width; and the hills on each side of it, though low and rocky, have a picturesque look, as they are covered with dark shrubberies chiefly of dwarf oak and hawthorn. The plain opens into el-Buttauf on the W.; and look- ing down it we see the castle of Sep- phoris. On the N. side is a large olive-grove encompassing the village of Tur'an. Signs of life and industry are here on every side-corn-fields, yokes of oxen attached to primitive ploughs, men and women busy at their several tasks, shepherds leading their flocks of goats along the hill sides; and not quite such a display of arms as we have been accustomed to farther S. We follow the plain to Lfibieh (1 h.). The road is excellent in dry 892 Sect. IV. 1route 27.--Battle of .Tatzn, weather. Lfibieh is situated on the top of a low rocky hill, and is sur- rounded by fig-orchards, olive-groves, and hedges of prickly-pear. The road passes a few hundred yards to the N. of the village, at the foot of the hill; and to the rt. of it, in the rocky slope, are excavations, probably tombs or cisterns. After advancing about . m. an extensive tract of undulating coun- try opens up before us; all fertile, but almost all neglected. It has a desolate look. Not an inhabited vil- lage, not a tree, not even a cliff or rocky bank is in sight. Long, bleak slopes fall down from the rt. and 1. into a green valley that winds away some 6 or 7 m. to the S.E. The dis- trict is called Ard el-Hamma; and its rich pastures attract to it in spring crowds of Bedawin. Passing some deep wells on the side of the caravan road from Damascus to Jerusalem and Egypt, which we here cross, we soon come in sight of a saddle-shaped hill, a mile to the 1. The Arabs call it Kurdn Hattin, "The Horns of Hattin," probably from some fancied resemblance in the two pro- jecting nobs on its summit to the horns of a camel's saddle. The ground rises gradually to its base; and the hill forms a crest 50 ft. high, and about m. long. During the time of the Crusades an idea sprung up, pro- bably in the inventive brain of some monk in search of a new "holy place," that this hill was the Mount of Beatitudes, where our Lord deli- vered his beautiful sermon (Matt. v. &c). The tradition has continued ever since in the Latin Church. A Greek tradition of a much earlier date makes this also the spot where the "five thousand" were fed with the "five loaves" (Matt. xiv. 15-21) ; and to this day a cluster of ba- salt stones is shown on the top of the ridge not far to the S.E. of the "horns," one of which the Arabs call Hajar en-Nusrdny, "the Christians' Stone," and the Latins "Mensa Christi; " under the impression that here the multitude dined, and our Lord presided. A glance at the narrative in the Gospel is enough to show that the scene of the miracle must have been E. of the sea of Galilee. But we here stand on a battle-field renowned in the medieval history of Palestine. On this irregular plateau, between the Kurfn and Lfbieh, was fought, on the 5th July, 1187, the battle of Hattin, which sealed the fate of the Crusades. The flower of the Christian army assembled on the one side with the king of Jeru- salem at their head; and the vast hordes of the Mohammedans on the other, led by Saladin. The immediate cause of the conflict was a gross in- fraction of a truce by IRaynald of Chatillon, lord of Kerak, who plun- dered a Damascus caravan, and re- fused to give up either merchants or merchandise on the demand of the Sultan. Saladin was stung to mad- ness alike by the perfidy and insolence of the petty Christian chief; and he swore a solemn oath to put him to death with his own hand should he ever fall into his power. Great pre- parations were made on' both sides. The crusaders' gathering-place was the fountain of Seffirieh. (Rte. 23). The Muslems swept round the north- ern end of the Lake of Tiberias; their horsemen, in the usual Arab style, laying waste the country with fire and sword, Saladin, having seized Tibe- rias, took up his position on the heights above it, with the intention of draw- ing the Christian army from their strong position to a general engage- ment. In this hlie was successful. The weak-minded king marched to the plateau of Hattin; and there, after an exhausting journey, without water, and constantly exposed to the assaults of an active foe, hlie foolishly gave orders to encamp. The night was a dreadful one; and it was followed by a morrow still more dreadful. With the dawn the battle commenced. The Christians were hemmed in on every side. The active Arabs, evading the charge of the heavily-armed knights, galled them from a distance with flights of arrows and javelins. But s3 X. PAU StIN.E. .3Route 27.-Nazareth to Tiberias. heat, thirst, and exhaustion were more fatal than the weapons of the foe. A few knights cut their way through and fled to 'Akka; and the shattered remnant, rallying round the king and the "Holy Cross," withdrew to the summit of Tell Hattin. Again and again they drove their assailants from the heights. It was in vain. The bravest fell fighting; and the few who survived were made prisoners. Among these were the king, the Grand Master of the Templars, and Baynald of Chdtillon. After the conflict the captive princes were brought to the tent of the conqueror. He received them with the respect due to their rank and their misfortunes. On Raynald alone he bent a look of mingled rage and scorn, and ordered him to be put to death. The victory of Hattin was decisive. The crusaders were almost annihilated; and nearly all Palestine, with Jerusalem itself, soon yielded to the Muslem yoke. Riding along the easy slope of the Hattin range amid rank weeds, varied here and there with a patch of corn, we come in 4 h. to the brow of a de- clivity on the 1., shelving into the fertile plain of Hattin, which opens up to the N. It is at least 200 ft. below us, but still high habove the lake. It takes its name from the village of Hattin, lying at the base of the tell. This plain is everywhere cultivated. Along its northern side runs a low ridge, through which the wild gorge of Wady el-Haman cuts into the plain of Magdala on the shore of the lake. Just on the brow of this gorge, about 2 m. distant, we can see the ruins of Irbid, the Arbela of Josephus and Beth-arbel of Hosea. (Rte. 28). In the distance rise the hills of Safed, crowned with the town itself-" a city set on a hill which cannot be hid." The hills are bleak and gray towards the E., but dark and picturesque westward, being clothed with oak forests and shrubbery. Soon afterwards the Lake of Tibe- rias bursts upon the view. It is nearly a thousand ft. below us, with the town nestling on the shore at our feet. There is much that is intensely in- teresting, even deeply affecting, in the associations which this lake calls up. Like Jerusalem, it is enshrined in the Christian's heart. The home of Christ -" His own city," Capernaum, was here; many of His miracles were per- formed around and upon it; He taught the multitudes on the heights over it, along its pebbly beach, and from a boat on its surface; most of the Apostles were fishermen who here gained their daily bread; and one of Christ's last earthly interviews with them, after the crucifixion, was on that occasion when, driven probably by necessity, they had temporarily re- sumed their old occupation, and had toiled a long night without success. (John xxi. 1-24). But with all its sacred and historic associations the view disappoints us. There is no grandeur, no beauty in it. It wants variety, and it wants features-it is bare and monotonous, and therefore dreary; especially so when the sky is cloudless, and the sun high. The golden tints and purple shadows of evening help it; but it looks best during a thunder-storm, such as is frequently witnessed in early spring. The whole lake is visible, with the exception of a little angle at the S. where the Jordan leaves it, and a small section at Mejdel covered by an intervening cliff. It is of an oval form, 13 m. long by 6 wide, though the clearness of the atmosphere makes it appear much smaller. Its most remarkable feature is its depression. Like almost all lakes of volcanic origin, it occupies the bottom of a basin; the sides shelving down with a uniform slope from the surrounding plateaus. On the E. the banks are nearly 2000 ft. high, destitute of verdure and of foliage, furrowed by ravines, but flat along the summit, from which the plain of Bashan extends eastward. On the N. there is a gradual descent from this plain to the valley of the Jordan, and then a gradual rise again to a plateau of nearly equal elevation skirt- 394 Sect. IV. R~oute 27.-Mount Tabor. ing the mountains of Safed. Away on the horizon, over the depression thus formed, is a line of round-topped hills springing from the plain of Bashan, and extending northward to the base of Hermon. The western banks of the lake are less regular, yet they present the same general features-plateaus of different altitudes breaking down abruptly to the shore. The moun- tains of Galilee are picturesque, but they are too far away to affect the scenery of the lake. The descent is long and steep, and we feel as we proceed that we are entering another climate. We are reminded of the approach to Jericho. In summer the heat is intense; and even in early spring the air has an Egyptian balminess, entirely different from the bracing atmosphere of the hills of Galilee: ' The vegetation is different, assuming a tropical charac- ter; the thorny lote-tree among the rocks, indigo in the fields, and palms within the walls. Man, too, is dif- ferent - I allude not to the poor pale-faced Jews, who seem to have shared in the wreck of their sacred city; but to the natives who inhabit the few villages along the shores. They are smaller, darker, and more effeminate-looking than their brethren on the high plains and in the moun- tains. NAZARETH TO TIBERIAS, BY MOUNT TABOR. Such as have adopted the sugges- tions in the "Skeleton Tours," and have followed from Jerusalem the road described in Rtes. 21 and 24, may now advantageously proceed to Tabor by the . following routes. A description of the places is given in Rte. 22. H. M. Nazareth to Zer'in, Jezreel .. 2 45 'Ain Jilid, the fountain of Jezreel .. .. .... .. 0 30 SSlem, Shunem ...... .... 1 0 Neing Nain .. . ..... 0 50 Endor.. .... .. .. .. 0 45 H. M. Debfirieh, Daberath .... .. 1 0 Summit of Tabor .. .... 0 50 Total .. .. .. 7 40 The direct road from Nazareth to the base of Tabor occupies 1 h. 45 min., and the ascent takes 45 min. more. For about 2 h. we are among naked hills; we then enter a forest of oaks, not densely planted, but wide apart, and having generally a jungle, of bushes between the trees. The forest extends to the base of Tabor. Before ascending we may turn aside to glance at the hamlet of Debfirieh, 10 min. to the rt. of our path, on the borders of the plain of Esdraelon. The houses are mere hovels, and the lanes filthy. The walls of an old church are standing, founded on a much more ancient ruin. This is the site of Daberath, a town on the border of Zebulun, but allotted to Issachar, and assigned to the Levites (Josh. xix. 12, xxi. 28; 1 Chron. vi. 72). TABOR as seen from the W. resem- bles a'truncated cone; but as seen from the N. and S. its outline is the segment of a circle. The path to the top ancient, and still practicable for laden animals, so that those who wish to encamp on the summit will have no difficulty in getting their baggage up. It is a delightful spot for a day's rest, alike from the toils of a journey, and the disagreeable intrusiveness of vil- lagers. The spreading oak-trees and open glades, covered in spring with luxuriant grass, the gray ruins on the summit, the noble view-all invite the wayfarer to pause and ponder. Tabor stands out on the south-eastern frontier of the hills of Galilee, its base swept by the plain of Esdraelon. On the summit is an oblong area 2 m. long by 4 wide, surrounded by shattered masses of masonry, as of an old wall; founded on ledges of natural rock. Thickets of thorn bushes and dwarf oak, with a goodly sprinkling of thistles, half cover the ruins, so that in some places explorations are made with difficulty. In the centre of the X. PALESTINE. 395 .Route 27.- -ount Tabor. area, however, is an open space car- peted with grass and strewn with flowers. The hill rises 1400 ft. above the plain, which has itself an eleva- tion at this spot of 500 ft. above the sea. The view from the top is perhaps more extensive, but not so interesting, as that from the hill behind Nazareth (Rte. 22). It may 'be considered as forming a supplement to that view- filling up a glorious panorama, the eastern section of which is here opened out as the western was there. The plain of Esdraelon is the most striking feature. The eye takes it in at a glance, from the base of the hill at our feet to the ridge of Carmel on the W.- one unbroken sea of verdure. "Little Hermon" is before us on the S., with 1ain and Endor on its side, and the top of Gilboa appearing over it. On the E. is a long stretch of the Jordan valley, and a long wall of the mountains of Gilead beyond. The outline of the volcanic basin in which the Sea of Ga- lilee lies is distinctly traced, though only a small section of the lake is visible. Beyond it we can see how the table-land of Bashan runs back from the brow of the high eastern bank. Hermon is still there, a towering cone tipped with snow; and the southern roots of the Lebanon range, around Safed, are there also. The whole country from Tabor to the Sea of Gali- lee appears like an undulating plain. The wooded ridge on which Lfibieh stands bounds it on the W.; and on its northern border is the double- peaked Hattin, the traditional "Mount of Beatitudes." The ruins on the summit are chiefly those of a massive wall which formerly encircled the area. The stones are large and many of them bevelled, so that the masonry must be at least as early as the commencement of our era. Swas strengthened by towers and bastions, and a moat, hewn in the rock. There are large heaps of ruins on the ledge S. of the area-walls, arches, vaults, and foundations, appa- rently of dwelling-houses. One gate- way is still standing with a pointed arch, and is called by the natives Bab el-Rawa, "Gate of the Wind." It was doubtless connected with the for- tifications the crusaders constructed. Near the south - eastern angle i's a small vault with an altar, where the Latin monks from Nazareth celebrate an annual mass in honour of the Transfiguration, which an old tradi- tion has located on this spot. The Greeks also visit the hill during the feast of the Virgin, and crowds of pil- grims spend the day on the summit. There are several rock-hewn cisterns among the ruins, in one or other of which good water may always be found. The summit of Tabor appears to have been occupied by a town as early as the time when the Israelites took possession of the country (Josh. xix. 22). Indeed such a strong posi- tion would scarcely be left unoccupied in those stormy times of Syria's his- tory. Some suppose that at an early period it was both the sanctuary and the gathering-place of the northern tribes-their Mizpeh in fact-to which Moses refers when bestowing the pro- phetic blessing on Issachar and Zebu- lun-" They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness" (Deut. xxxiii. 19). But however this may be, it was the place on which these tribes assembled on several important occa- sions. " Go and draw towards Mount Tabor," said Deborah to Barak, "and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun. And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand "(Jud. iv. 6, 7). Again they had gathered here under the brothers of Gideon when they were defeated by the Midianites. " What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor ?" demanded Gideon of Zebah and Zalmunna. " And they answered, 'As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.'" The answer is in the very best style of Oriental finesse -just what one would hear from a polished and 396 Sect. 1V. .troute 27.-Pisbe asd clever Arab sheikh of the present day. swept away, the walls of the fortress "And he said, ' They were my breth- were levelled with the ground, and ren, even the sons of my mother; as now for more than 6 centuries the the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them place has been left in desert solitude. alive, I would not slay you'" (Jud. viii. 18, 19). The words of Hosea too From the summit of Tabor to Ti- seem to refer to the insidious teachings berias is 5 hrs. ordinary riding; but as of idolatrous priests during these the road is good it can easily be got assemblies : " Hear ye this, O priests over in 4 hrs. when time is an object. . for judgment is toward The only place worthy of notice in you, because ye have been a snare on passing is Khan et-Tujjdr, " The Mer- Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor" chants' Caravansery," about 15 h. (Hos. v. 1). In fact, Tabor is one of from the summit. There are here the the natural strongholds of the land. ruins of 2 large buildings, with loop- Its beauty became proverbial : its holed towers at the angles. They were graceful outline, and wooded slopes, built, as I learn from an Arabic MS., and grassy glades, made it the subject in the year A.H. 990 (A.D. 1587), by of-universal admiration-" As Tabor Senin Pasha of Damascus, for the is among the mountains, and Carmel protection and accommodation of cara- by the sea" (Jer. xlvi. 18). As Her- vans on the great road to Egypt. A mon was the representative of the fair is held here every Monday, and mountains in the N., so was Tabor of is frequented by the people of Naza- those in the S.-" The north and the reth, Tiberias, and the surrounding south Thou hast created them; Tabor villages. From hence 2 paths lead to and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name" Tiberias-the one more direct passing (Ps. lxxxix. 12). the village of Kefr Sabt, the other After the close of Old Testament leading round by the wells of Ltbieh history Tabor continued to be a and the base of Hattin, and thence, as strong fortress. In the year B.c. 218 described above, along the direct road Antiochus the Great got possession from Nazareth. of it by stratagem and strengthened its fortifications. The town existed on the summit in New Testament times, but the defences had fallen into decay, and Josephus caused them TIBERIAS. to be rebuilt (Joseph. B. J. iv. 1, 8). These facts show that this mountain Like Jerusalem, Tiberias is regarded could not have been the scene of the as a "holy place" by both Christian Transfiguration. In the 4th centy. and Jew. To the Christian it has been Tabor began to be regarded as the rendered sacred by the presence of place where our Lord was transfigured; Christ, when he dwelt by the lake and but the context of the narrative shows taught along its shores. To the Jew that the Mount of Transfiguration is it is rendered sacred by the belief that to be sought on the ridge of Her- the Messiah will rise from the waters mon (Matt. xvi. 13; xvii. 1, sq.; of the lake, land in this city, and Mark viii. 27; ix. 2, sq.). The tradi- establish his throne at Safed. The tion, however, which sprung up in the steep hills which hem in the lake herd 4th centy., was universally received; retire a little, leaving a strip of undu- convents and churches were erected in lating ground about 4 m. wide and 2 honour of the event; pilgrimages were m. long. At its northern end, close made to the spot; and the crusaders upon the water, stands the modern crowned the fable by establishing on town, of a rectangular form and sur- Tabor a Benedictine monastery, whose rounded by a wall with towers at in- abbot claimed the jurisdiction of a tervals; both wall and towers are now bishop. After the fall of the cru- in a sad state of dilapidation. In some saders the convents and churches prere places they are prostrate, so that one X. ]?A'LE9,TINE. R3oute 27.-T erias-H.istory, can ride in and out over them; in others there are wide rents reaching from top to bottom, all affording proof of the terrible ravages of the earth- quake of Jan. 1, 1837. No attempts have been made to rebuild; repairs do not come within the province of the modern Turks. The town looks as if it had shrunk away from the tottering walls, and gathered itself up into a compact mass far out of the reach of danger. In fact, if the ramparts were away, Tiberias would only appear what it is-a village of 2000 Inhab. It contains 800 Jews, poor, squalid, and sickly-looking as those in the other "holy cities" of Palestine. They occupy a little quarter of their own in the middle of the town, and have several synagogues and schools, in which some little remnant of their rabbinical learning is kept up. They are divided into 2 sects-the Sephar- dim, chiefly from Northern Africa and Spain, who speakla corrupt Spanish; and the Askenazim, mostly fugitives from Russian despotism. Hard, in- deed, must that despotism be that can drive them to such a place as Tibe- rias. Close on the shore to the N. of the Jews' quarter is a Latin convent and church. Tradition has placed it on the scene of the miraculous draught of fishes (John xxi.). The ruins of the ancient city are scattered along the shore to the southward, extending as far as the hot-baths. They consist of heaps of stones, foundations of the wall close to the water, and a few dozens of granite columns strewn about. Not a build- ing remains. The very foundations of palaces and temples have disappeared; and the greater part of their materials have been carried off to the modern town. History.-The city of Tiberias is only mentioned in the New Testa- ment in connexion with the Lake (John vi. 1, 23; xxi. 1). Josephus tells the story of its origin. It was founded (about A.D. 16) by Herod Antipas, the murderer of John the Baptist, and named in honour of his friend and patron the Emperor Tibe- rius. The Rabbins say that the old city of Rakkath (Josh. xix. 35) stood on the same site; while Jerome affirms that it was previously called Chinner- eth (id.). The new city was endowed with many privileges and immunities, and, consequently, soon became the capital of the province of Galilee. Tiberias bore a conspicuous part in the wars that attended the destruction of Jerusalem; especially while Jose- phus commanded in Galilee. It sub- sequently became the chief residence of the Jews in Palestine; and for 3 centuries continued to be the metro- polls of their race. The Sanhedrim was first removed to Jamnia on the plain of Philistia; then to Sepphoris; and finally, about the middle of the 2nd centy., to Tiberias, when the celebrated Rabbi Judah Hak- kodesh, the compiler of the Mishna, was presiddnt. He died about the close of the centy., and was succeeded by others scarcely less famous as critics and commentators. Among these was Rabbi Jochanan, who is generally, though erroneously, sup- posed to have composed the Gemara. From the scholars of Tiberias also proceeded the Masorah. The remain- ing history of Tiberias has little in- terest. It was captured successively by the Persians under Chosroes (A.D. 614); the Arabs under Omar (A.D. 637); and the crusaders under Tancred, by whom it was honoured with a bishop. In the middle of last centy. it fell into the hands of an Arab sheikh, called Dhhher el-'Omar, who built the pre- sent walls and towers. The tombs of many rabbis are shown on the hill- side behind the town; and round these the modern Israelites cling, deeming it almost as great a blessing to have their dust laid by the side of these holy men as in the valley of Jehoshaphat itself. Among the tombs are those of Rabbis Jochanan, Akiba, and the great Maimonides. THE WARM BATHS are at the south- ern extremity of the strip of level ground on which the ancient city stood, 398 Sect. IV. N. PALEsTINE. Route 28.-Excursion round the Sea of Tberias. 399 close upon the shore. There are 2 buildings, an old and a new; the latter erected by Ibrahim Pasha; but both now falling to ruin. There are 4 springs; one rising under the old building, and three others at intervals of a few paces farther south. The water has a temperature of 144 Fahr.; the taste is extremely salt and bitter, and a strong smell of sulphur is emitted. The baths are considered efficacious in rheumatic complaints, and in cases of debility; and they are visited in summer by people from all parts of the country. They are men- tioned by Pliny; and frequently by Josephus, under the name of Ammaus, "Warm Baths ;" probably a Greek form of the Hebrew Hammath, a town of Naphtali (Josh. xix. 35). The Talmud speaks of these springs as the site of Hammath. The stones round the town, and in the walls and houses, as well as the cliffs behind, are mostly basalt ; and the whole place has a volcanic look. The warm fountains, and the frequent earthquakes, show that the elements of destruction are still at work beneath the surface. It is said that, at the time of the great earth- quake of 1837, and for some days after- wards, the quantity of water issuing from the springs was immensely in- creased and the temperature much higher than ordinarily. ROUTE 28. EXCURSION ROUND THE SEA OF TIBERIAS. Tiberias to Tarichx Khurbet es-Sumrah El-Husn .... Mouth of the Jorda Tell-BETHSAIDA Tell Hfim .. Et-Tabighah .. 'Ain et-Tin .. Mejdel .... . Irbid .... Tiberias .... H. H. a .. .. 1 30 .. .. 1 15 .. .. .. ]1 15 n .. .. 3 30 .. .. .. 0 40 .. .. .. 1 30 . .. .. 0 40 ..0.. .. 20 . .. .. 1 0 .. .. .. 1 0 .. .. .. 1 0 Total .. 13 40 Almost every spot along the shores of the "Sea of Galilee" is " holy ground." A great part of our Lord's public life was spent here. After his townsmen at Nazareth rejected and sought to kill Him, He "came down" (Luke iv. 31) from the hill country of Galilee, and took up his abode on these shores. But the shores were not then silent and desolate as they are now. They were teeming with life. The new capital of Galilee had re- cently been built by Herod Antipas. Many towns, such as Magdala, and Capernaum, and Chorazin, and the two Bethsaidas, and Gamala, and Hippos, and Tarichmaa, stood upon the beach. Other and larger cities, such as Scythopolis, and Gadara, and Pella, with numerous populous vil- lages, studded the surrounding coun- try. In no other part of Palestine could our Lord have found such a sphere for His works and words of mercy. Vast multitudes followed Him 400 ~d 28.-Gamala, Sect. At. wherever Hie went; they crowded the bles intermixed with numerous little streets of Capernaum so densely round shells - some of them almost micro- the house in which He taught, that scopic. After crossing the Jordan the only way the sick man could be at the ford, near the old bridge (id.), brought near Him was by opening a we ride to the hamlet of Semakh hole in the flat roof (Mark ii. 1-12); (about 2 h.), containing some 30 they pressed so close upon Him on the mud hovels, and surrounded by a few shore, that He was forced to enter a fields of wheat and barley. About boat, and speak from it (Matt. xiii. z h. farther, near the place where 1-23). They followed Him in such the shore-line approaches the base numbers to the more remote districts of the eastern ridge, is a ruin called along the eastern side of the lake, Khurbet es-Sumrah, which may pro- that, to keep them from fainting with bably mark the site of Hippos, one hunger, He fed thousands of them of the cities of Decapolis, situated, with a few loaves and fishes (Matt. according to Josephus, on the Lake of xiv. 13 - 21). The villages were Gennesareth, 30 stadia from Tiberias. filled with industrious peasants; the Hippos gave its name to a small towns were crowded with a manu- province, and was in the days of facturing population; and the sea Josephus an important place. swarmed with busy fishermen-to all the Saviour preached " good tidings of peace." By parables and illustrations GAMALA.- Our route now lies along suitable to the circumstances and the base of the high bleak ridge that pleasing to the tastes of each class, bounds the eastern shore, and forms He explained and impressed His doc- the supporting wall of the plateau of trines. To the fishermen He likened Bashan. In about 1i h. we reach the the " kingdom of Heaven" to a " net mouth of Wady Fik, directly opposite that was cast into the sea;" to the Tiberias. It takes its name from a commercial townspeople He likened it large village at its head, about 3 m. " unto a merchantman seeking goodly from the shore. In the centre of pearls;" to the village agriculturists the wady rises a steep hill, isolated He likened it "unto a man which with the exception of a narrow neck sowed good seed in his field" (Matt. which joins it to the ridge on the S. xiii. 24-53). Thus it was that the The summit is covered with ruins words of Isaiah were fulfilled-" The called E1-Husn, and has an elevation land of Zabulon and the land of of about 1100 ft. above the lake. Nepthalim, the region of the sea- The path to it leads up the southern coast, Perama, Galilee of the Gentiles- valley to the neck, from which we the people which sat in darkness saw can easily clamber to the top. We great light; and to them which sat in now observe that the sides on the the region and shadow of death light N., W., and S. have been scarped; is sprung up" (Matt. iv. 15-16, in the while on the E. there is a wall to Greek). complete the line of defence. The This excursion may either be made summit is sprinkled with trees, and on horseback or in a boat-the latter contains ruins which are thus de- is both the easiest and the safest. An scribed by Lord Lindsay, who climbed escort is required for riding along the the western face from the shore:- eastern side; and the Governor of "Passing a ruined wall, and advanc- Tiberias is the best man to consult as ing eastward, we came to the pic- to the persons to be employed. A turesque remains of a gate built of boat may occasionally be obtained at massive stones; granite columns were Tiberias. lying about,-one, at a little distance, The first stage is to the ruins of partly erect,-and quantities of po- Tarichua at the mouth of the Jordan lished stone strewn in every direction. (12 h., Rte. 19). The beach is here Farther on we found a curious cone strewn with black and white peb- of basalt-then a well, and the re- Route 28.--Gamala--Fik. mains of a bath-and another gate on the eastern brow of the hill, by which we descended to the neck of land, and thence into the valley. Many sarcophagi, part of a cornice, and the disunited stones of a water- course, were lying on the isthmus; and in the face of the mountain on the S., overhanging the valley, are many tombs." A tolerably straight street ran through the town from the east to the west gate, a distance of about 500 yds. The summit of the hill formed the nucleus and the citadel of the an- cient city, and was a mile and half in circuit; but the houses extended beyond it. It is a singular fact that no inscriptions have hitherto been found among the ruins. There cannot be a doubt that this is the site of the city of Gamala, which gave its name to a section of Gaulanitis, and became celebrated during the wars of the Jews. Jose- phus says it lay in lower Gaulanitis, over the lake, opposite Tarichma. His' description of the city is so gra- phic that I Here insert it.-" A rugged ridge, stretching from a high moun- tain, rises in a hump midway, and elongates itself from the rise, declin- ing as much before as behind, so as to resemble a camel in form. Hence it derives its name (Gamala), the people of the country not being par- ticular as to the exactness of the de- signation. Both in flank and front are inaccessible ravines; but at the tail it is somewhat easier of ascent; being there joined to the mountains, from which, however, the inhabitants severed it by a trench, and rendered the approach more difficult. Against the precipitous face of the mountain numerous houses had been built, closely crowded one on another ; and the city, apparently suspended in air, seemed to be falling on itself by reason of the steepness of its site." (B. J. iv. 1, 1.) Gamala is first men- tioned as a very strong fortress, cap- tured by Alexander Jannwus. At the commencement of the Jewish re- bellion it for a time maintained its fidelity to the Romans, but it subse- quently revolted, and was garrisoned and fortified by Josephus. The younger Agrippa besieged it in vain for 7 months. It was subsequently taken by Vespasian, in A.D. 69, after a desperate resistance, when the Romans revenged their fallen com- rades by th'indiscriminate slaughter of the garrison. 4000 perished by the sword, and 5000 more threw them- selves from the walls and were dash- ed to pieces in the ravines below. Fik, the ancient Apheca, is about 1 m. E. of el-Hush, at the head of the valley. The houses are ranged in the form of a crescent along the brow of a cliff, below which are 3 fountains. A streamlet flows from them along the N. base of the site of Gamala to the lake. Apheca is men- tioned by Eusebius as a "large castle near Hippos." It must not be con- founded with the Aphek which was near Jezreel. (1 Sam. xxix. 1.) Returning to the lake, we ride northward for about 1 hr. along a narrow strip of level ground which separates the gravelly beach from the base of the hills. We then reach the mouth of Wady es-Semakh, a deep ravine which breaks down from the plateau of Bashan. Some 3 or 4 miles up it are the ruins of Kusr Bardawin, "Baldwin's Castle." But near its mouth are the ruins of an old town of more interest. It was walled, and the remains of the wall can be traced. The houses are all prostrate, and heaps of rubbish and hewn stones encumber the site. Its name, Ker- sa, suggests the Gergesa of Matt. viii. 28-the scene of the healing of the demoniac, and the destruction of the herd of swine. The physical con- formation of the country south of Kersa appears to suit the incidents of the narrative better than any other spot along the eastern shore of the lake. " From the eastern plateau the ground lopes steeply, in a few places almost precipitously, down to the level of the lake, leaving a margin of fertile land from half a mile to a mile broad X. PALEAITINE� 401 Route 28.--Bethsaida. between the base of the hills and the water; but at this particular point, and only at this, a spur runs out to the shore; there is no cliff, but a slope sufficiently steep to fulfil the require- ments of the Bible narrative." The point, however, is not yet set- tled. The reading Gergesa, which is only found in Matt., is doubtful, Ga- dara being in the best MISS. of Mat- thew, as well as in the parallel pas- sages of Mark and Luke. About 3 miles north of Kersa the shore trends westward, while the mountain ridge continues its course northward, leaving a triangular plain between its base, the northern section of the lake, and the river Jordan. The plain is level, and the soil rich. The Ghawirineh Arabs cultivate it, obtaining luxuriant crops of wheat, barley, maize, rice, cucumbers and melons. Following the shore we have a ruined village called Dfikah on a promontory to the 1. in 4 h.; h. farther is another ruin called Mes'adi- yeh; and 15 min. beyond it still another-all consisting of the remains of rude houses, built of unhewn basalt stones. In 5 min. from the last we reach the mouth of the Jordan. The Jordan is here about 70 ft. wide, a lazy, turbid stream, flowing between low alluvial banks. There are several bars not far from its mouth where it can be forded. The plain along the eastern bank, which is called Batihah, is a favourite camping-ground of the Ghawarineh, who are peaceably in- clined, though of thievish habits. Under ordinary circumstances the traveller has nothing to fear from them except pilfering. They are a mongrel race, like their brethren round Jericho-half Bedawin, half fellahin; dwelling in tents, but cul- tivating the soil. The Ghawarineh are dark as Egyptians, and almost as immoral, if common rumour does not belie them. Droves of buffaloes and herds of neat cattle cover the marshy plain, and sport in the waters of the Jordan; while camels, sheep, and goats innumerable, swarm along the higher grounds. SBETHSAIDA,Julias.-Instead of cross- ing the Jordan at the lake, we turn up its eastern bank to visit the ruins of this ancient city. They cover a tell at the northern end of the plain near the side of the river, and about 2 m. from its mouth. Heaps of un- hewn stones, and a few rude houses used as stores by the Arabs, are all that have hitherto been seen on the spot; but it is probable a careful search among the rank weeds and rubbish might bring to light some vestiges of former grandeur. Bethsaida was at first but a village, chiefly in- habited, as the name (" House of Fish") would seem to imply, by fishermen. "Philip, tetrarch of Itu- rea and of the region of Trachonitis " (Luke iii. 1), enlarged and adorned it in the first years of our era, giving it at the same time the name Julias, in honour of Julia, daughter of Augus- tus; and here he died and was buried in a costly tomb. It was "in a desert place" near this Bethsaida-probably on the hill-side at the south-eastern angle of the little plain-that our Lord fed the 5000. (Luke ix. 10-17.) And it was to the other Bethsaida, near Capernaum, He sent away his disci- ples in a boat after the miracle (comp. Mark vi. 32 and 45, with Luke ix. 10, and John vi. 15-17), while He dis- missed the multitude, who could re- turn to their homes by the ford of the Jordan. "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray; and when the evening was come He was there alone"-on some point along that ridge, that rises over lake and plain. A western gale sprung up in the night, and the disciples strove against it in vain, until Jesus appeared on the stormy sea, and the wind ceased; and "immediately the ship was at the land whither they went." Every scene and circumstance. of the miracle is here brought vividly before us-the Saviour and His disciples coasting eastward in a boat; the eager mul- titude keeping pace with Him along the shore, and receiving Him with joyful acclamations as He landed;- during the long day He taught them; 402 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 28.-Tell Hm. in the evening He fed them, and then thus enclosed, and just around, are sent them home. strewed, in utter confusion, nume ius At this eastern Bethsaida another columns of compact limestone, with miracle was performed at a somewhat beautiful Corinthian capitals, sculp- later period, when a blind man was tured entablatures, ornamented friezes, restored to sight. (Mark, viii. 22- and the like. The pedestals of the 26.) columns are often still in their place, though sometimes overturned and From Bethsaida to Jisr Benat Ya- removed. The columns are large, kfib is about 6 m. The Jordan here but of no great length. Here we rushes along, a foaming torrent, found, for the first time, the singu- through a narrow winding ravine, larity of double columns; that is, two shut in by precipitous banks. Above attached shafts, with capitals and base the bridge the current is less rapid cut from the same solid block. The and the banks are lower. The whole shafts are parallel, showing that they distance from the lake Hfileh to the were not intended to form the corner Sea of Tiberias is about 11 m., and of a colonnade. The same singularity the fall of the river about 700 ft. is seen on a much larger scale in some of the immense Syenite columns A little below the site of Bethsaida of the ancient ch. in Tyre. Another is a good ford. Here we cross to the peculiarity here consists in several W. bank, and a ride of 1j h. through blocks of stones, 9 ft. long by half fields of grain and thickets of thistles that width, and of considerable thick- brings us to ness, on one side of which are sculp- tured panels with ornamental work, now defaced. They have much the TELL HfTM.-To explore these in- appearance of a stone door; but have teresting ruins during spring is no no mark of having been suspended, easy task. No trodden path leads to and were more probably employed as them. The Arabs seem to avoid them. pilasters, or perhaps as panels, in the Thickets of thistles so tall and so ornamented wall." dense that no horse can break through The more recent researches of Capt. them, encompass and cover the site. Wilson, R.E., have brought to light The ruins lie close upon the shore, additional details of this interesting and are here and there washed by the building. "We have found out," he waves. They cover a level tract says, "the plan of the white building, about 1 m. long by 4 broad; and -four rows of seven columns each, the consist chiefly of the foundations and favourite Jewish number, surrounded prostrate walls of ancient houses. by a blank wall ornamented outside Among them is a small tower-like with pilasters, and apparently a heavy structure, whose walls, still 8 or 10 ft. cornice of late date; the longest side high, are composed of old materials- is north and south, but what puzzles fragments of columns, capitals, and me is that the entrance was on the friezes, mingled with hewn stones of south side, which does not seem to be different sizes. To the E. of it are usual in synagogues. The synagogue the remains of another edifice, which was surrounded by another building for extent and richness of workman- of later date, also well-built and or- ship is scarcely exceeded by any in namented." Palestine. It is thus described by This great synagogue resembles in Dr. Robinson :- style and plan others which we shall "The extent of the foundations of see at Irbid, Meiron, and Kefr Bir'im; this structure is no longer definitely but it appears to have been larger and to be made out. We measured 105 ft. more magnificent in its decorations. along the northern wall, and 80 ft. It has already been stated that along the western; perhaps this was after the destruction of Jerusalem the their whole length. Within the space Jewish Sanhedrim found a resting- 403 0Route 28.-Bethsaida. plape at Tiberias, which continued to be 'the capital of their nation for 3 centuries. The Jews gradually ga- thered round it, and constituted a large proportion of the population of Galilee from the 2nd to the 6th centy., and even later. They were rich, influential, and powerful; and they have left monuments of their taste and skill in architecture in many of the towns. Some geographers identify Tell Hfim with Chorazin, others with Capernaum. Both views are ably advocated; and while I incline to the former, I cannot but admit that the arguments by which the latter view is supported are such as require me to obtain still further light ere I finally decide. I shall state in a few words my- reasons for preferring the former view. Chorazin is only mentioned in Scrip- ture as one of the three cities in which most of Christ's mighty works had been done, and upon which woes were pronounced (Matt. xi. 21; Luke x. 13). No indication is given of its situation farther than that it seems to have been near Bethsaida. Jerome states that Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin all stood on the shore of the sea of Galilee; and that Chorazin was two miles from Capernaum. Willibald, who visited Palestine in the beginning of the 8th centy., says, describing his journey northward, that he went from Tiberias by Magdalum (now Mejdel) to Capernaum; thence to Beth- saida; thence to Chorazin, where was a Christian ch.; and thence to the fountains of the Jordan. Taking these authors as correct, we infer that the three towns stood on the shore between Mejdel and the Jordan; and that Capernaum was next Mejdel, Bethsaida in the middle, and Cho- razin nearest the Jordan. Between Tell Him and the Jordan there is no trace of any ancient city, and the distance is not more than 2 miles. An objection to this identification may be based on a recent discovery. About 2 miles north of Tell Hfim, on the 1. bank of a little wady, upon a natural terrace beside a fountain, lie the remains of an old town. They cover a larger area than Tell Ham. "Many of the private houses," writes Capt. Wilson, "are almost perfect with the exception of the roofs, the openings for doors and windows re- maining in some cases. They are nearly all of the same style-a wall of rubble masonry, with two or more pillars in the interior to take the rafters of the roof .... . A curious tongue or projection runs out into the wady, and on this, which commands a beautiful view of the lake, are the remains of a synagogue or church, per- haps both. Unfortunately, though some of the mouldings, &c., are in a good state, the building has suffered more than any of the others, and its plan cannot be distinctly made out. All the buildings, including the syna- gogue, are of basalt, and it is not till one is right in amongst them that one sees clearly what they are; 50 or 100 yards off they look nothing more than the rough heaps of basaltic stones so common in this country. Portions of the old streets, with their pavements, can be traced, and there is a great deal of broken pottery lying about." The name of these ruins, Kerdseh, certainly suggests identity with Cho- razin. But there are two objections:- 1. Jerome states distinctly that Cho- razin stood on the shore of the lake; Keraseh is upwards of 2 m. from it. 2. The buildings of KerAseh appear to be comparatively modern-much more so than those of Tell Hfim. May it not be, that after the destruc- tion of Chorazin, some of the inhabi- tants retired to this more secure spot, built a new town, and gave it the old name. A parallel to this is found in the case of Sarepta, near Sidon. The old town stood upon the shore; the modern village is built on a neigh- bouring hill. A more complete ex- ploration of the ruins, and of the sur- rounding country, will probably one day determine the true sites of Cho- razin and Capernaum. Et-Tdbighah (BETHSAIDA ?)-A ride of 40 min. from Tell Him brings us to this singular spot. From the mouth of the Jordan to Tell Him the ground 404 Sect. IV. Route 28.- Capernaum. rises from the lake northward for about I m. with a slope so gentle as scarcely to be perceptible; then the ascent becomes steeper and the surface more rugged, covered here and there with black stones and projecting crowns of rock. But after passing Tell Him the heights approach nearer the shore, exposing at intervals a rough bank, with a tangled thicket of the thorny nubk. Still the greater part of the acclivity is cultivated, and the black tents of its cultivators may be seen in spring dotting the sides of the wadys ; while troops of naked children sport among the bushes, and paddle in the waters. Along the shore runs a wide fringe of oleanders. Et-Tabighah is situated in a nook or bay, close upon the shore. Our attention is first attracted by the abundance of water,-streams, aque- ducts, pools, and fountains, are all round us. Mills, too, are here, built by that Bedawy benefactor and rebel DhTher el-'Omer. All the sources are brackish except one, close to the shore, enclosed by a circular stone wall, and bearing the name 'Ain Eyab, "Job's Fountain." The large fountains burst out from the base of the hill a few hundred yards to the north; and here, round the principal one, is an ancient octagonal reservoir, like those near Tyre-constructed to raise the water, so that it might be carried to the plain of el - Ghuweir westward, for irriga- tion. If Tell Him mark the site of Chora- zin, Tabighah must be identified with Bethsaida. The words of Scripture indicate that it stood on the shore of the lake, between Capernaum and Chorazin (Matt. xi. 21-23; Jo. vi. 17). It was also near the plain of Genne- saret (Mark vi. 45-53). Eusebius says it stood on the lake; and Willibald, as shown above, places it between Caper- naum and Chorazin. It would there- fore seem that in this quiet bay once stood Bethsaida, "The House of Fish ;" the home of the fishermen Peter, Andrew, Philip, James, and John. No site along the shore is so well adapted for a fishing town. Here is a bay sheltered by hills behind, and projecting bluffs on each side; and here is a smooth sandy beach, such as fishermen delight in. The strand forms a pleasant promenade, and so far answers to the description in Matt. iv. 18-22. The locality also suits the narrative of Luke v. 1-11. That this Bethsaida was distinct from the other, E. of the Jordan, we have already seen; that it was on the shore near Caper- naum, and N. of it, we have also seen; and we shall soon see that 'Ain et-Tin, the site of Capernaum, is only about I m. distant from et-Tabighah. The identification of these sites throws new and clear light upon the several circumstances connected with that miracle to which I have already referred. After our Lord had fed the multitudes near Bethsaida (Julias- see above), "He constrained His dis- ciples to enter their boat," in order to cross over, as Mark says, "unto Beth- saida; " or as John says, "toward Capernaum." Both places were in the same direction; and it was probably their design to go first to Bethsaida, and thence to Capernaum. The storm drove the boat out of its course, and so they landed on the plain of Genne- saret, a little to the south of the latter city. (Comp. Matt. xiv. 31; Mark vi. 45-53; John vi. 17-25). Beth- saida was associated with Chorazin in the "woe" pronounced by Christ; and now, not only in the desolation of their sites, but in the very dispute about their identity, we see that it has indeed been more "tolerable for Tyre and Sidon" in the day of their earthly judgment than for those cities- the names of Tyre and Sidon are pre- served, their sites are unquestioned; but here the names are gone, and the sites problematical. (Matt. xi. 21-22). Khan Minyeh (CAPERNAUM ?) - Crossing the pebbly strand of Beth- saida, we ascend a rocky promontory which shuts it in on the S.W., and soon find ourselves on the edge of a cliff along which the road is cut in the rock. Here we pause, for we have before us one of the most interesting regions on earth. The cliff on which N. PALESTINE. 405 Route 28.-Capernaum. we stand dips its eastern end into the sea, and its western into a green meadow on the shore. From its base, not far from the water-line, springs a large fig- tree, which spreads its branches over a fountain, and is hence called 'Ain et-Tin, "The Fountain of the Fig." Beside it are a few old foundations; and about 300 yards southward is a low mound of ruins, almost hid by thorn - bushes and thistles. A green, crescent - shaped plain extends along the shore for 3 m., its greatest breadth being about 1. The plain is called by the Arabs el- Ghuweir, "The Little GhOr;" but to the traveller its Scripture name, "the land of Gennesaret" (Matt. xiv. 34; Mark vi. 53), sounds more familiar. The eye follows its wavy coast-line -here a tangled thicket of nubk and oleander, and there revealing a stretch of white sand-until at the southern end it rests on a little hamlet, still re- taining in an Arabic form its ancient name Magdala. Behind the village rises a steep round-backed hill, break- ing down precipitously to the shore on the E. and to a wild ravine on the W. On the side of this ravine are the ruins of Irbid, the ancient Beth-Arbel (Hosea x. 14); and through its vista we see the double top of Hattin. The hills on the W. of the plain are low, bleak, and rocky; while those on the N. rise behind us, in steep acclivi- ties, to their culminating point at Safed. On descending to the fountain, we come in sight of a ruined khan, lying under the western brow of the cliff, 300 yards from Ain et - Tin. It has been known as Khan Minyeh for 300 years or more, and was built like those near Tabor, Lejjfin, and Ram- leh, for the accommodation of caravans on the great road from Damascus to Egypt. Some geographers locate Capernaum at Khan Minyeh. The site of Caper- naum, however, is one of the most keenly disputed points of sacred to- pography. There are no fewer than 3 claimants for it--1. Khan Minyeh, advocated with great ability and learning by Dr. Robinson; 2. 'Ain Mudawerah, near the western side of Ghuweir, advocated recently by Tris- tram; and 3. Tell Hum, among whose supporters are Wilson, Ritter, and Grove. The question is one of consi- derable interest, and I shall therefore state very briefly the evidences upon which alone the site of this city can be satisfactorily determined: 1. Though the sacred writers do not direetly describe the position of Capernaum, yet from their incidental notices it is evident the town must have stood on the shore of the lake, and in "the land of Gennesaret" (cf. Jo. vi. 17-21; Matt. xiv. 22-34; Mark vi. 45-53). Gennesaret was identical with the modern Ghuweir, and did not, therefore, extend farther north than Ain et-Tin (Joseph. B. J. iii. 10, 8). 2. The plain of Gennesaret was watered, as Josephus informs us, by a "most fertilizing fountain called Capharnaum." The position of the fountain is not described. Josephus does not say that it was in the plain, only that the plain was watered by it; and he further states that it pro- duced a fish like the coracinus, found in the lake near Alexandria (id.). These are the only ancient Jewish authorities. Later writers agree with them. Eusebius and Jerome expli- citly state that Capernaum stood on the shore of the lake. Of Willibald (A.D. 722) it is said that from Tiberias he went round the sea, "by Magda- lum to the village of Capernaum , . . thence to Bethsaida . . . and next morning to Chorazin." Capernaum, therefore, could not have been far from Magdala, and must have been on the shore. The notices of more modern writers have no value as authorities. I would conclude from the fore- going-1. That Tell Hfim cannot be the site of Capernaum, because it is at least 2 miles from "the land of Gennesaret;" and there is no foun- tain at or near it. 2. That 'Ain Mu- dawerah cannot be the site, because it is not on the shore of the lake. It is, however, interesting to note that this 406 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 28.-Site of Capernaurm. large fountain did water a section of the low mound on the plain to the the plain; and also that Tristram re- S.W. of it, there are many vestiges cently discovered in it the coracinus, of ruins between the latter and the which, according to Josephus, was shore; but it requires a careful found in the fountain of Capharnaum. scrutiny to find them. In fact, traces 3. That Khan Minyeh may be the site of the debris of buildings-dim and of Capernaum, since it is in the plain, indistinct it is true-can be seen over on the shore, and not far from Mag- a space several acres in extent; part dala. Yet I cannot believe that 'Ain of it is now cultivated, but the greater et-Tin is the fountain of which part is overrun by the rank luxuriance Josephus speaks. It lies much too of nature. The hill behind Ain et- low to irrigate the plain. It is almost Tin rises to a height of about 300 ft. on the level of the lake. But may Its sides are terraced, and its top not 'Ain Tabighah be the fountain of flat; and though now under culti- Capharnaum ? True, it is half a mile vation, it has the appearance of hay- or more from Khan Minyeh, and it is ing been once occupied by buildings. separated from Gennesaret by a rocky In looking over this site-at the utter headland; yet round the brow of the ruin, we might say annihilation, of cliff is an ancient aqueduct, hewn in the ancient city-the fearful doom the rock. Of this Capt. Wilson says: pronounced by our Lord is ever pre- " Yesterday, when coming from Tell sent to our minds-" And thou, Ca- Hfim, it struck me as contrary to the pernaum, which art exalted unto usual good engineering of the Romans heaven, shalt be brought down to to cut a road through the solid rock hell" (Matt. xi. 23). without any visible reason, and to-day Is it not strange that, while every I have discovered that the broad cut- important fact of Gospel history has ting in the rock above 'Ain et-Tin is a obtained in one place or other of portion of a large aqueduct which for- Palestine "a local habitation and a merly conveyed the whole of the name," the home of Christ during Tabighah fountain into the plain of three years of his life has been over- Gennesaret for irrigation; the aque- looked ? No other spot - not even duct still stands in small portions at Jerusalem-witnessed so many of His several points, and can be easily mighty works. No other place-not traced the whole way by the number even Olivet - witnessed so many of of stones with cement adhering to His discourses, His parables, and His them lying on the surface of the prayers. To no other region in the ploughed fields. It immediately struck whole country could His disciples have me that this must be the fountain returned with such fond and familiar mentioned by Josephus; the great- recollections as that where they had ness of the scheme-raising the water first seen Him, and heard His words, in a tank, and thus carrying it round and wondered at his miracles. the contour of the Tabighah valley to After our Lord had been rejected the plain-would explain his allusion by his townsmen at Nazareth, "He to it." This is a most important dis- came and dwelt at Capernaum" covery, and in my opinion goes far to (Matt. iv. 13), which was thence called determine the site of Capernaum. The "His own city" (Matt. ix. 1). Here city probably stood at Khan Minyeh, he healed the demoniac in the sy- and the aqueduct from Tabighah hay- nagogue (Mark i. 21-28), cured Peter's ing passed through it may have taken mother - in - law (Luke iv. 38-41), its name. restored the paralytic (Matt. ix. 2-8), The site of Capernaum is only called Matthew (id. ver. 9), cured marked by shapeless heaps of stones the centurion's servant (Luke vii. 1- and rubbish, scarcely distinguishable 10), raised Jairus' daughter from the amid thickets of thorn-bushes and dead (Mark. v. 32-43), and miracu- gigantic thistles. Besides the few lously obtained the "tribute money" foundations at the fountain, and from the mouth of a fish (Matt. xvii. 407 Route 28.-Magdala. 24-27). Near Capernaum He chose His Twelve Apostles (Mark iii. 13-19), delivered the "Sermon on the Mount" (Matt. v.), spoke the parables of the "Sower," the " Tares," the " Treasure hid in a field," the "Mer- chant seeking goodly pearls," and the "Net cast into the sea" (Matt. xiii.). In Capernaum He gave a lecture on "Fasting " at " Levi's Feast" (Matt. ix. 10-17), on "Formality" to the hy- pocritical Pharisees (Matt. xv 1-20), on "Faith" to the people in the syna- gogue (John vi. 22-71), and on "Hu- mility," " Forbearance," and "Bro- therly love" to His disciples (Mark ix. 33-50). Mejdel, Magdala.-1 h.'s ride along the shore brings us to this wretched hamlet, now the only inhabited spot in the plain of Gennesaret. In riding along, the wonderful richness of the soil strikes us. Nowhere else have we encountered such thistles, such grass, and such weeds-and such grain on the few spots cultivated. Josephus described Gennesaret 18 centuries ago as an earthly paradise, where the choicest fruits grew luxu- riantly, and eternal spring reigned. His words were not much exag- gerated; for now, though more a wilderness than a paradise, none can fail to remark its fertility. The shore is lined with a wide border of olean- der; behind this come tangled thickets of the lote-tree; and here and there are little groups of dwarf palm. The voice of the turtle is heard on every side, and quails spring up from our feet at almost every step. Mejdel contains about 20 huts, and the ruins of a tower of modern date. Between the village and the shore are foundations and heaps of rubbish. Yet the name of this hamlet has been incorporated into every language of Christendom. It was the birthplace of MARY MAGDALENE, out of whom Jesus "had cast seven devils," and tc whom He "appeared" immediately after His resurrection (Mark xvi. 9) The name and sight of the villagE will call up that solemn scene related in John xx. 11-18. From Mejdel to Tiberias by the coast is 1 h.; but in order to complete our survey of the borders of the lake we shall make a slight ditour to the ruins of Irbid., 'Ain el - Mudawarah - 4 h.'s ride westward from Mejdel brings us to the entrance of Wady el - Hamam, "the Valley of the Pigeons "-a wild glen leading up out of the plain of Gennesaret to the plateau of Hattin. 'Ain el-Mudawarah, "the Round Fountain," supposed by De Saulcy and Tristram to be the fountain of Capernaum mentioned by Josephus, and the site of that city, is a little more than a mile from the entrance of Wady Hamim, in a northerly direction. It rises at the base of the western hills, and is enclosed by a wall of masonry. The water is carried off by a canal for the irriga- tion of the plain. It is surrounded by a dense jungle of oleander, nubk, and other shrubs. There are no traces of ruins near it; and, as stated above, it is too far distant from the lake to be the site of Capernaum. A fine stream from Wady Rubu- diyeh is carried by a canal along the side of the hill above the fountain to water the higher parts of the plain. Kul'at lbn Ma'dn. - Returning to Wady Hamam, and continuing up the valley for 20 min. we come to a place where the sides are formed of cliffs 600 ft. in height. On the 1., about half-way up, are extensive ex- cavations. Some of them are placed over each other, forming different stories; and some are walled up in front, leaving doors and windows. The path to them is steep and diffi- cult. After visiting them we pass along a narrow ledge to other and Smore extensive caverns, to which the Arabs give the name Kul'at Ibn Ma'an. It appears that there were here originally natural caves, which were enlarged, and united by rock- . hewn doors. Walls have also been built across the openings; and wher- Sever the nature of the cliff per- mitted, small bastions have been 408 Sect. IV: Route 28.---Beth-Arbel. erected, so that the place was ren- dered almost impregnable. In the midst of the caves are several cisterns, to which the rain - water was con- ducted by little channels in the rock. The place would contain about 600 men. These are the "fortified caverns" mentioned by Josephus in connexion with the city of Arbela, whose ruins cover the height above the cliff. Bac- chides, the general of Demetrius III., king of Syria, when he invaded Pales- tine, first encamped at Arbela, and subdued those who had taken refuge in the Caves. The same event is nar- rated in 1 Mac. ix. 2, where the Caves are called Messaloth, " Stories." But their principal celebrity is connected with the history of Herod the Great. When he took Sepphoris these caves were filled with bandits who were the scourges of the surrounding coun- try. Herod marched with his army against them, and after a sharp action drove the greater part across the Jor- dan. The rest took refuge in their stronghold, to which the king laid siege. Every attempt to scale the cliffs was defeated by the difficulty of the ascent and the desperation of the occupants. At last Herod let down soldiers in large boxes, by iron chains, from the heights above, who attacked the robbers with fire and sword at the entrance of their stronghold, killing some, and drag- ging others out with long hooks, and then dashing them down the precipice (Joseph. B. J. i. 16, 2-4). The same caverns were subsequently fortified by Josephus himself, when acting against the Romans in Galilde (Vita, 37). On regaining the rivulet we follow it up the sublime chasm for nearly a mile, and then turn up the 1. bank to the ruins of Irbid, Arbela, or BETH-ARBEL.- These ruins are on the brow of the wady, and on the northern side of the plateau of Hattin. The only building of any interest among them is a Jewish synagogue, resembling that we have already seen at Tell Hum. Capt. [Syria and Palestine.] Wilson says he made detail plans and drawings of it; "but it has suffered a good deal by having been at one time converted into a mosque." A portal with sculptured ornaments still stands, also 2 columns in the in- terior, one of them double. Other co- lumns, with a fine Corinthian capital, lie amid confused heaps of ,hewn stones. This is the Arbela above referred to in connexion with the ca- verns; and also Beth-Arbel, "House of Arbel,"-" Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth - Arbel in the day of battle" (Hos. x. 14). We thus see that from a very early period it was noted as a stronghold. From hence to Tiberias we can ride in 1 h. Fisheries.-According to the Tal- mud the Sea of Galilee was famous for its fisheries; and to this day the traveller who visits Tiberias will find his table amply supplied with fresh fish. 2 villages on its shores-the 2 Bethsaidas - took their names from their fish-markets; while every town and village adjoining it seems to have swarmed with fishermen. 4, at least, of our Saviour's Apostles were fisher- men of this lake-Simon and Andrew, James and John; and probably also Philip, who was of "the city of An- drew and Peter" (Matt. iv. 18-22; John i. 44). The lake is full of fish; but the fishery, like the soil of the surrounding country, is neglected. One little boat is the sole representa- tive of the fleets that covered it in New Testament times. And even with it there is no deep-water fishing. 2 modes are employed to' catch the fish-- both sufficiently primitive, and quite worthy of the Arabs. One is a hand net, with which a man-usually naked -steals along the shore, stalking like a heron, so as not to frighten the fish; watching his opportunity, he throws his net into the water with a jerk, and occa- sionally succeeds in entrapping a fish. The other mode is more curious. Bread-crumbs are mixed with corro- sive sublimate (bi-c.ehlorid of mercury), and sown on the surface of the water T 409 N. PALESTINE. Route 29.-Tiberias to Baniasd. as far out as a man can throw them. The fish swallow the poison, and die. They then float on the water, are picked up and taken to the market of Tiberias for sale ! ROUTE 29. TIBERIAS TO BANIAS DIRECT. x. M. Tiberias to Mejdel, Magdala .. 1 0 Khan Minyeh, CAPERNAUM .. 1 0 Khan Jubb Yfisef *..... 1 30 Nahr Hendaj ... .... 3 20 'Ain Mellhah. .... .. 0 50 Tell el-Kady, DAN .. .. 4 0 Bdnihs, CESAREA PHILIPPI .. 1 15 Total .. .. 12 55 This is a dreary uninteresting route, offering nothing, after we pass the shores of the lake, deserving of the notice either of the antiquarian or the lover of natural scenery. Its only attraction is that it is the shortest practicable way between Tiberias and Binias. Those who travel either for pleasure or profit should follow Rte: 30. Still another route may be taken by the lovers of novelty, or by the geologist or naturalist who would wish to survey the banks of the Jordan. Go first to the dibouchure of the Jordan, reversing the latter part of Rte. 28 (4 h.) then wind up the ravine along the river to Jisr Benat Yakib (3 h.) and lake Hileh (1 h.). There is a practicable road along the E. side of the lake and the marshy ground N. of it, which leads to Tell el-Kady in about 6 h. We might here fall in with the ruins of the city of Seleu- cia, which Josephus tells us (B. J. iv. 1) was situated in Gaulanitis, on the Lake Samochonitis. On the direct road we first proceed along the shore to Mejdel and Khan Minyehll (see Rte. 28). We then ascend the long acclivity in the line of the old caravan road between Damascus and Egypt. It is as steep, and rugged, and difficult as the ground will admit of. The engineers seem to have made it a point to select the roughest banks and the steepest gra- dients; if they ever attempted to level the surface all traces of their labours have disappeared. The whole ac- clivity is thickly strewn with rounded stones of basalt; and every here and there is a ridge or bank of rocks. The soil, however, is rich, and the vegeta- tion in early spring wonderful. Thistles that rival those of the plain of Genne- saret; grass that reaches to the horses' bridles; and grain of proportional luxuriance on the few patches culti- vated. Not a village, nor a house, nor a sign of human habitation, is within the range of vision, save the few huts of Mejdel, and the crumbling towers of Tiberias; yet the eye takes in the whole basin of the lake and a large section of the western slopes of Gau- lanitis. A mournful and solitary silence reigns over the country. Na- ture has lavished on it some of her choicest gifts; but man has deserted it. In the valley of the Jordan, from lake Hfleh to the sea of Galilee, there is not a single settled inhabitant. Along the eastern bank of the river and the lakes, from the base of Hermon to the ravine of the Hieromax- a region of great fertility, 30 m. long by 7 or 8 wide-there are only three in- habited villages! The western bank is almost as desolate. Ruins are numer- ois enongh. Every mile or two is an old site of town or village, now well nigh hid beneath a jungle of thorns and thistles. The words of Scripture here recur to us with peculiar force- " I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries into desolation. And I will bring the land into desola- tion; and your enemies which dwell Sect. IV. 410 N. PALESTINE. Route 29.- Water of Merom.4 therein shall be astonished at it" (Lev. xxvi. 31). After an hour and a half's ascent we reach the top, and have before us Khan Jubb Yisef, "the Khan of Jo- seph's Well; " so called from the tradi- tion that here Joseph was thrown into a well by his brethren and afterwards sold to the Ishmaelites. The building is comparatively modern, and in toler- able repair. Being now used as a goat and cow house, the interior is almost choked up with heaps of filth. The caravan road to 'Akka here strikes off westward through a valley; and a rugged path runs up the moun- tains to Safed, about a mile farther N. The distance to Safed from the khan is about 2 hrs. Our route now becomes drearier than ever; running along an undu- lating plateau called Ard el-Khait, with the Safed mountains on the 1., and the Jordan valley on the rt. The basin of the Hfileh gradually opens in front, with Hermon beyond it. The road by Jisr Benit Yakfib to Da- mascus soon strikes off to the rt., while our road keeps close to the foot of the mountains. 4 small villages are seen half-way up the heights to the 1., at intervals of about a mile. Ja'fineh, the first of them, is more than an hour from the Khan. In 3 h. 20 min. from Khan Jubb Yfsef we reach Nahr Hendaj, which flows down a wild ravine from the mountains of Naphtali to the Hfleh. It is a lively stream, reminding one of the trout-streams of Scotland. On its right bank, high up among the hills, 2 h. from the road, is a ruined town called Kasyumi, containing the remains of a small temple, or perhaps Jewish synagogue, lying upon a platform of massive masonry. It had a portico of 4 columns; the bases of 3 still occupy their places. One shaft lies prostrate, and fragments of a sculptured cornice are scattered about. The building faces the N., and in front of it is an open reservoir with sloping sides. On the W. side is a similar, but larger reservoir. S. of the building is an upright stone, altar-shaped, 3 ft. by 11 broad. Upon it is a tablet with a laurel wreath in relievo, and a frag- ment of a Greek inscription. Ruins of other buildings cover the brow of the ravine for some distance; but the whole site is so thickly overgrown with rank weeds that it is almost impossible to explore it. Lake Hdleh is a sheet of water nearly triangular in form, the apex pointing southward to the Jordan. Its length is about 42 m. and its greatest breadth 32. It occupies the southern end of a plain, or basin, 15 m. long by 5 wide. Round the lake is a broad margin of marsh, extending some miles to the north, and covered with thickets of canes. Beyond this is a wider border of fertile ground, reach- ing to the foot of the hills on each side, and embracing more than a half of the basin towards the N. It is now cultivated, partly by Bedawin who pitch their tents upon it, and partly by some sheikhs of Lebanon, and some merchants of Damascus, who, attracted by the unusual richness of the soil, employ labourers to till it, allowing them a certain part of the produce. These are the modern representatives of the merchant princes of Phoenicia, who planted their agricultural.colonies at Laish (Jud. xviii. 7-10). The whole basin in which the lake is situated is called Ard el-Hleh, "The district of Hleh; " most probably an Arabic form of the Oulatha (Obd0a) of Josephus, which, with Paneas, had belonged to Zenodorus, and was given by Augustus to Herod (Ant. xv. 10, 3). Lake Hfleh is mentioned in the Old Testament as the Waters of Merom," beside which Joshua smote Jabin king of Hazor. The field of battle was most probably on the south-western border of the lake, near the banks of the Heildaj. After pursuing the fugi- tive Canaanites E. and W. until he left none of them remaining," Joshua returned, "and took Hazor, and smhote the king thereof with the sword; for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms" (Josh. xi. 6-10). Josephus calls this lake Samochonitis, T2 411 Rloute 29.-Fountain of the Jordan. or, as it is sometimes written, Seme- chonitis. Resuming our march northward, we reach, in less than 1 h. from Nahr Hen- ddj, a large fountain called 'Ain Mel- lahah, which springs up in a natural reservoir, at the foot of the mountains, and sends down a stream to the N.W. angle of the lake. Beside the fountain is an old mill, which forms the usual resting-place of travellers between Tiberias and Banias. The place is famous for malaria and wild swine; both of which find a congenial home in the neighbouring marshes. Tell Khureibeh, Dr. Robinson's Hazor, is about 2 m. W. of the fountain, among the mountains, and Kadesh is about 3 m. to the N.W. The road to them though difficult is practicable; but it ought not to be attempted without a guide. An h. N. of 'Ain Mellahah is an- other large fountain, called 'Ain Belat, with some foundations and ruins, apparently very ancient. The marshy ground is now close on our rt.; and we can see droves of buffalos wading through it, under the guidance of Arabs, with faces as sinister in ex- pression as the beasts they tend. Pass- ing another fountain, we sweep round to the eastward, over undulating ground. The towers of Hunin, a claimant for Hazor, are seen crowning the brow of the ridge partly behind us on the 1. We soon cross the deep glen through which Nahr Hasbany flows, carrying its mite to the Jordan. The sides of the ravine are steep and rugged, bristling with basalt rocks; while the banks of the stream below are lined with ole- ander. A ride of 40 min. more over the stony and marshy plain brings us to Tell el-Kddy, "The Hill of the Judge," the DAN of Scripture. Two things are here worthy of special notice-the Fountain of the Jordan, and the site of the ancient city. A cup-shaped tell, sprinkled with trees, and covered with a jungle of bushes and rank weeds, stands in the midst of the plain. The southern rim of the tell has an elevation of 80 ft. above the plain; and the diameter of the cup may be about J m. At the western base the waters of the great fountain burst out, first forming a miniature lake, and then rushing off, a rapid river, southward. It is pro- bably the largest fountain in Syria; but for grandeur and picturesque beauty it cannot be compared to the fountain of the Abana at Fijeb. Another smaller fountain springs up within the tell, and flows off through a break in the rim on the S.W. Just at this break stands a noble oak-tree, beneath which the traveller will enjoy an hour's siesta after the long and dreary ride--perhaps, too, he may be lulled to sleep by the murmur of waters, and the voice of the turtle. Some Muslem saint has unfortunately found a last resting-place under the shadow of the tree; and his tomb is garlanded with as many old rags as would deck a dozen derwishes. The waters of the two fountains soon unite, and wind down the rich plain-both fountain and stream bearing the name el-Ledddn, possibly some Arab corrup- tion of Dan. At a little more than a mile below Tell el-Kady the L4ddin passes a mound with ruins called Difneh, doubtless the Daphneh men- tioned by Josephus as near the source of the lesser Jordan, and the temple of the golden calf (B. J. iv. 1, 1); at 3 m. farther it is joined by the stream from Banias, near a wely called Sheikh Hazaib; and at 1 m. farther Nahr Hasbany falls in from the rt., and the united waters flow on through the plain to the lake some 6 m. distant. Such is the principal fountain, and such is the gradual formation, of the river JORDAN. Tell el-Kady is cup-shaped, resem- bling an extinct crater; and the plain round it is dotted with blocks of basalt. The rim may be partly made up of the walls of the ancient city. Few ruins are now visible; but many are probably concealed by the jungle, which it is, in places, impossible to penetrate. Near the oak-tree are a few remains of houses; and on the 412 Sect. IV. Route 29,--Dan. southern declivity are other ruins more ancient and massive. About 4 m. N. of the tell are heaps of stones that look as if they had once belonged to build- ings. There cannot be a doubt as to the identity of this site. Josephus places Dan at the fountain of the Jordan, "in the great plain of Sidon, a day's jour- ney from that city" (B. J. v. 3, 1); Eusebius locates it at the fourth mile from Paneas on the way to Tyre, where the Jordan rises (Onom. s. v. Dan, Laisa); and the Jerusalem Tar- gum calls it Dan of Caesarea. The modern name adds to the evidence. Kddy and Dan have the same signifi- cation, both meaning "Judge." The story of Dan is soon told. Ori- ginally an agricultural colony of the Phoenicians called Lesem or Laish, it was captured and named Dan by 600 Danites from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol. The old colonists lived quiet, luxurious lives, revelling in the rich- ness of this plain, and far removed alike from the control and protection of their parent city Sidon. They thus became an easy prey to the warlike Israelites. The country was described by the Danite spies as it would be described by any visitor at the present day- "We have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good . . . . a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth" (Jud. xviii. 2, 7-10, 27-29). The Danites who settled here were, like their predecessors, far removed from their brethren and from their sanctuaries. Not over-scrupulous either about things civil or sacred, they stole teraphim and a graven image from Micah of Mount Ephraim, set them up in their new city, and established an irregular priesthood (id. 14-21, 30, 31). But long before this period the plain of Dan had become celebrated in Scrip- ture history. When Sodom was pil- laged, and Lot captured by the Arab princes of Mesopotamia, Abraham pur- sued the spoilers "unto Dan," fell upon them at night, and recovered the booty (Gen. xiv. 14, 15). On the shrine of the Danites Jeroboam erected a temple, and set up in it one of his golden calves for the benefit of those 413 to whom a pilgrimage to Jerusalem would not have been politic, and a pilgrimage to Bethel might have been irksome (1 Kings xii. 28-33). But Dan is best known as the northern border city of Palestine. The expres- sion "from Dan to Beersheba" is as familiar in modern as it was in ancient times (Jud. xx. 1; 1 Sam. iii. 20; 2 Sam. iii. 10, xvii. 11). The capture of Laish and the establishment of the Danites in the N. was the fulfilment of Moses' prophetic blessing to the tribe: "Dan is a lion's whelp; he shall leap from Bashan" (Deut. xxxiii. 22). The neighbouring mountain- range, which rises on the E. side of the plain of Hfleh, was within the ancient kingdom of Bashan; and the oaks for which that kingdom was famed still cover the mountains, and extend in scattered clusters and single trees as far down as the site of this city (Is. ii. 13; Ezek. xxvii, 6; Zech. xi. 2). From Tell el-Kidy our road winds across the plain eastward through the glades of an oak-forest, intermixed with hawthorn, myrtle, and oleander, and carpeted with green turf. Before us rises the southern ridge of Hermon, its lower peaks covered with foliage; the towers of the Phoenician castle crowning an isolated summit; and little villages and ruins clinging to the steep acclivities;-in fact, the scenery is not surpassed, if equalled, in Syria. We soon reach the base of the moun- tains, and then scramble up the rug- ged slope, shaded by the "oaks of Bashan," to a broad terrace on which the village of Banias stands amid the ruins of Cesarea-Philippi. We shall return to this beautiful spot after describing the route from Tiberias by Safed and Kedesh. N. PALSTINE. 1Route 30.-Tiberias to Bdnids. ROUTE 30. TIBERIAS TO BANIAS, BY SAFED AND KEDESH. a. M. Tiberias to Capernanm (Rte. 28). .. .. .. .. .. 2 0 Safed .. .. .. .... 3 0 Wady Hendaj .... .. .. 2 30 Tell Khuraibeh, HAZOR ? .. 0 45 Kedes, KEDESH ...... 0 50 Meis el-Jebel .. .. .. .. 1 20 Hunin .. .. .. .. .. 1 30 Nahr Hasbhny ...... 1 45 Tell el-Kady, DAN .. .. .. 0 40 Bhnias, CZESAREA-PHILIPPI .. 1 15 Total .. .. 15 35 This is 3 days' journey, and if noble scenery, or interesting sites, or pic- turesque ruins, have aught of attraction for the tourist, he will rank these 3 days among the pleasantest he has spent in Palestine. The view from Safed is in some respects unrivalled; the mountains of Naphtali are rich in forest scenery; the ruins of Kedesh and Bnids are among the most inter- esting in the N.; and the sites of Magdala, Capernaum, Kedesh, Dan, and Caesarea-Philippi-all of which fall in our course-form a group not easily equalled. And should the season happen to be far advanced, the bracing air of the mountains will form a pleasing interlude between the suffocating atmosphere of Tiberias and the pestilential swamps of the Hfleh. The best arrangement is to spend the first night at Safed, and the second at Meis el-Jebel. The road along the coast to 'Ain et-Tin is described in Rte. 28. From hence 2 hrs. will suffice to canter over to Tell Hum and back again, thus visiting the 3 cities on which our Lord pronounced " woe " - Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin (see Rte. 28). From Tel Htm the traveller may make his way, by the help of a good guide, past the recently discovered ruins of Keraseh, and up the mountain to Khan Jubb Yfisef (1 h. 15 min.) and Safed (2 hrs. 15 min). From 'Ain et-Tin to Safed is a con- tinuous ascent of 3 hrs. Shelving slopes of rich soil, here covered with corn and there with thistles; rocky banks sprinkled with thorn-bushes and oak-trees; and deep ravines with green beds, shut in by gray cliffs, form the chief features of the landscapes. 4 hr's. ride brings us to the brow of Wady LeimOn, a sublime gorge reminding us of Wady Hamam (Rte. 28). In the sides of the cliffs are a number of caverns, the homes of robbers or anchorites in bygone ages. SAFED is situated on an isolated peak, which crowns the southern brow of the mountain-range. A deep glen sweeps round its northern and western sides, and a shallower one, after skirt- ing the eastern side, falls into the former a few miles to the S. Beyond these, on the N.E., N., and W. are higher hills, but on the S. the view is open. The old castle crowns the peak; the Jewish quarter of the town clings to the western side considerably below the summit, the rows of houses arranged like stairs. There are besides 2 Mus- lem quarters ; one occupying the ridge to the S., and the other nestling in the valley to the E. The Pop. may be estimated at about 4000, of whom one- third are Jews and a very few families Christians. The only attraction of Safed is the splendid view it commands. The first race of the traveller will therefore be to the summit of the castle. It is surrounded by a deep, dry ditch, within which was a wall. All is now a mass of ruins. Only a shattered fragment of one of the great round towers has survived the earthquake of 414 . Sect. IV. 1837. Before that catastrophe it was not in the best repair, still it afforded accommodation to the governor and his train; but then, in a few minutes, it was utterly ruined and many of its inmates buried beneath the fallen towers. That 1st of Jan. 1837, was indeed a day of horror and woe to Safed. Tremendous shocks made the whole hill tremble; more than three- fourths of the houses were prostrated, and nearly five thousand of the inhabit- ants killed! The Jews suffered most. Their houses, huddled together and clinging to the steep declivity, were dashed down by the first shock-those above falling on those below, and thus heaping ruin upon ruin. It was esti- mated that 4000 of them perished. Many were killed instantaneously by the falling houses; others were en- gulfed and died a miserable death before they could be dug out; some were extricated after 5 or 6 days, covered with wounds and bruises, fainting with hunger and thirst, and only able to take a last look at the little remnant of their brethren ere they died. Here and there rents are still shown in the earth made by the earthquake. But we turn to the glorious pano- rama; and we do not wonder as we look that imaginative interpreters should have made this the "city set upon an hill which cannot be hid" (Matt. v. 14). The whole land is before us, from the Hauran mountains on the eastern horizon to the ridge of Samaria on the south-western. The most strik- ing features of the scene are, first, the plateau of the Jaulan and Hauran, stretching from the high eastern bank of the Jordan valley far into the Ara- bian desert. This is the ancient king- dom of Bashan. Beyond it is a blue mountain-ridge, with one conspicuous peak near its centre, called by the Arabs el-Kuleib, "the Little Heart; " and just at the southern end of the ridge we can easily make out with a glass a conical hill surmounted by a castle-it is Salcah, and it marks the eastern boundary of Bashan (Josh. xiii. 11). Second, the deep basin of the Sea of Tiberias, lying nearly 2500 ft. 415 below us; and third, the rounded top of Tabor. Safed is a modern city, at least we have no proof of its antiquity. The first mention of it is in the Vulgate version of the book of Tobit. Tradi- tion has made it the site of Bethulia of the book of Judith, but without evidence. The castle seems to have been founded by the crusaders to guard their territory against the in- roads of the Saracens. It was garri- soned by the Knights Templars. Its defences, both natural and artificial, were so strong that Saladin besieged it for 5 weeks ere he was able to cap- ture it. After lying in ruins for many years it was rebuilt by Benedict bishop of Marseilles, in the year 1240. But it only remained 20 years in the hands of the Christians, for, being hard pressed by Sultan Bibars, the garrison capitulated and were murdered to a man, the chief being flayed alive by the barbarous Mohammedans. From that period till the past centy. it con- tinued to be one of the bulwarks of Palestine. We know not when the Jews first settled in Safed, or at what period they raised the town to the rank of a "holy city." There were no Jews in the place in the middle of the 12th centy., when Benjamin of Tudela vi- sited the country; and it was not, in fact, until 4 centuries later that the schools of Safed became celebrated. Then a printing-press was set up, synagogues were built, and the Rabbis of Safed were acknowledged to be among the chief ornaments of Hebrew literature. The 16th centy. was their golden age. In the 17th both learn- ing and funds began to decline; and the earthquake of 1837 gave a death- blow to the Jewish cause. Printing- press, synagogues, schools, houses, and people, were all involved in one common ruin. MEIRON.-This village is situated on a rocky acclivity 2 hrs. N.W. of Safed. Such as take an interest in the Jews, their theology, and their traditions ought to make a pilgrimage N. PALESTINE. Route 30.-S afed---eiron. 1Route 30.-Safed to Tyre. to it; for the sacredness of its tombs was doubtless the occasion of Safed's being constituted a Jewish colony and "Holy City." Here are the sepulchres of the celebrated Jewish saints and doctors, Hillel ,and Shammai, who are said to have been the principals of colleges before, and at the commence- ment of, the Christian era. Here too is the tomb of Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai, the reputed author of the Kab- balistic book Zohar. MeirSn is now the most famous and venerated shrine in Palestine. Thousands of Jews make an annual pilgrimage to it in the month of May, when they are said to burn over the sepulchre the most costly articles in their possession, in- cluding silk robes and Cashmere shawls. The principal tombs of Meir~n are in a well-kept square enclosure, and each is surmounted by a whitewashed cupola. There is no look of antiquity about them. Much more interesting, in an antiquarian point of view, are the remains of the ancient synagogue. They are situated on the top of an overhanging cliff, which has been artificially levelled. Only the south- ern front is standing. Here is a large gate with sides and lintel richly sculp- tured. The date of the structure is not known; but it may be safely ascribed to the third centy. Meiron is probably the Merath which Jose- phus caused to be fortified with Seph and Jamnith. Kefr Bir'im, another village with remarkable Jewish remains, stands on the top of a peak, 2 hrs. N.W. of Meir~n. It is large and prosperous, that there was a colonnade in the in- terior. Another similar ruin may be seen in the fields 4 m. to the N.E. All is prostrate except the main doorway, over which is a Hebrew inscription, now illegible, with the exception of the introductory aYj , " peace." These remnants of former grandeur are par- ticularly interesting. They were con- structed by the Jews in the early centuries of our era; and they give evidence of wealth, influence, and taste. Kefr Bir'im was for many centuries a place of Jewish pilgrimage. It was said in the 12th centy. to contain the tombs of Barak the conqueror of Sisera, and Obadiah the prophet; to these was added that of Queen Esther in the 16th cernty. Round these shrines the Jews of Safed were wont to assem- ble each year on the feast of Purim, to " eat, drink, and rejoice." A few individuals still make a passing visit to the spot. SAFED TO TYRE. Some may wish to take this route, though it has little of interest. The first place of note is Birket el-JDish (1 h. 40 min.), an oval basin in a plain, about 300 ft. in diameter, and 40 deep. It will attract the attention of the geologist, for it is manifestly an old crater, and probably the centre of that fearful internal fire which has so often spread death and ruin over the surrounding country. The sides are of lava and basalt, steep and ragged; and all round it are heaps of volcanic stones. inhabited entirely by Maronites. To- wards the north-eastern part of ' the El-Jish, Giscala, is 4 h. farther, on village are the ruins of a synagogue. the top of a hill. It was destroyed by The front wall is standing, and before the earthquake of 1837; not a single it are two rows of limestone columns house was left standing. The Chris- belonging to a portico. The capitals tians were at prayers in the church of the columns are formed of a series when the first shock came; the build- of rings, gradually increasing in size ing fell on them and killed more than towards the top. The doors have 130 persons. A list of 235 names of sculptured jambs and lintels. The those who were killed in the village body of the building is gone, but two was handed in to the Government. or three columns still standing show Giscala was one of the cities fortified 416 Sect. IV' N. PALsSTINE. Route 30.-Bint Jebeil-Tibnin. by Josephus; and it was the last place in Galilee that held out against the Romans (Joseph. B. J. ii. 20, 6; iv. 1, 1; 2, 1-5). Both here, and, at S'as'a, a village on a hill 2 m. to the W., were formerly the tombs of famous Jewish Rabbis. Bint Jebeil is the next stage; and we reach it after a ride of 3 hrs. through a wild region of mountain and glen. The hills are wooded; the glens between them filled with verdure; and here and there are green plains covered with corn-fields. We are passing through the land in which "Naphtali was satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord" (Deut. xxxiii. 23). The moun- tains of Galilee are a continuation of Lebanon, and not of Antilebanon as some have represented. The valley of the upper Jordan, the basin of the Hfileh, and Wady et-Teim, form a broad and continuous line of separa- tion between the Antilebanon range on the E. and the Lebanon range on the W.; and farther N. Wady et-Teim joins the Buka'a. Bint Jebeil is a Methwileh village, and the surrounding district, called Belnd Besharah, is one of the strong- holds of this sect. They are hardy, brave mountaineers; but have the character of being cruel and treacher- ous. We here see the costume of the mountains-the braided jacket with slashed sleeves, and the wide sherwdl. The turban is not quite so large as in the plains. Tibnin, the capital of Belid Besha- rah, is 2 h. from Bint Jebeil. Its large castle forms the chief feature in the landscape as we ride along. Our road passes 1 m. or more to the 1. of it; but the place is worth a visit. The castle stands on an isolated peak in the centre of an undulating, culti- vated region; and round its base is clustered the large village. A dis- tinguished Metawileh family, called the "House of 'Aly es-Sughir," now occupy the stronghold. The fortress was founded on the ruins of a more ancient one, in A.D. 1107, by Hugh of St. Omer, a crusading knight, then lord of Tiberias; and was named Toron. It continued for 80 yrs. in the hands of the family, and was then captured by Saladin after a siege of 6 days. 10 years afterwards it was assaulted by the Christians under the Duke of Brabant; but after a 4 weeks' investment, when it was just on the point of surrendering, dissensions among the besiegers compelled them to abandon it. The castle commands a splendid view over the surrounding hills; Kul at esh-Shukif and Hermon form the most striking features. From Tibnin we descend to Haris, perched on the western brow of the mountain ridge, overlooking a wide district of hills gradually breaking down to the plain of Phoenicia. Tyre is below us on its promontory, and the boundless sea beyond. Nearly a score of villages are in sight. The path now dives down into a deep, narrow, winding glen, called Wady 'Ashfir. The sides are clothed with trees and shrubbery, among which we can count the prickly oak, maple, arbu- tus, hawthorn, and sumac. It is one of the most picturesque ravines in Syria. After 24 hrs. ride from Tibnin, we observe high up on the rt. bank the village of Mezra'ah. Beside it is a cave, on whose rocky wall are figures in relief. They ought to be carefully examined. I have not myself visited the spot; but it may be the same which the Hon. Roden Noel examined in 1860. He says, "I found it (the rock tablet) to be Egyptian. It is much defaced. But the Agathode- mon over the whole group is unmis- takable; there is Disk, Urmus, and wings. The king (or god) is seated on an Egyptian throne, and figures are presenting offerings; but they are nearly erased. Their slender Egyp- tian type and their head-dresses leave no doubt of their race" (Vacation Tourists, 1860). Soon after passing l Mezra'ah the wady turns to the rt. on its way to the Litany, while our path strikes over the ridge westward, and in 1 h. brings us to K&na. From hence to Tyre is about 3 hrs. The objects of interest, T3 417 Route 30.-.Hazor. including some rock sculptures and the tomb of Hiram, are described in Rte. 26. The whole distance from Safed to Tyre is about 14 hrs. We now resume our route. In go- ing to Kedesh from Safed we can either cross the deep glen on the N. of the latter, or strike up round the head of it to the rt., and then, after skirting the eastern side of a high peak, join the former road about 2 m. from the town. The latter road is much to be preferred, on account of the noble view it gives us of the plain el-Haleh, and mount Hermon. The ridge of Lebanon, too, is seen to the 1. of the latter, in the distance. The snow-topped Sunnin is the most con- spicuous point. In 14 h. the little village of Delta is 2 m. on the rt.; and in I h. more we reach 'Alma, situated on the side of a cultivated plateau. Z h. N. of 'Alma the road dives down into Wady Hendfj, a wild deep ravine with a fine stream mur- muring along its rocky bed, fringed by oleander, and here and there shaded by venerable olive-trees. A .solitary mill stands in this lovely spot. Our path winds diagonally up the steep northern bank, taking advantage of a bend in the wady; and after passing a few huts with peaked roofs it comes out on an undulating table- land. Peaked roofs are rare enough in Syria to be remarkable. These have been constructed by a colony of peasants from Algeria, who came here a few years ago to escape French civilization. The rocky hill called Khuraibeh, on which Dr. Robinson would locate Hazor, now appears on the rt. a mile from the road, rising up on the north bank of the Hendaj. The theory will scarcely satisfy the traveller; but he had better visit the spot and judge for himself. The sides of the tell are rocky and rugged, and bear no traces of former buildings; the top is covered with heaps of rough stones-the ruins of a moderate sized village. There are no marks of high antiquity, with the exception of a rock- tomb near the northern base; there is no water, and there are no cisterns.- On the whole, I consider the identity very questionable. Capt. Wilson made an important discovery in this region which is deserving of record. He says, " A little more than 2 m. south-east of Kedes, on an isolated hill called Tell Harah, we found the re- mains of a large city of very ancient date; on the top of the hill were the walls of the citadel, and, below, a por- tion of the city wall could be traced. All the buildings are of the same character-rough courses of undressed stones, with the interstices packed with small stones. On the eastern slopes we found the remains of a building with mouldings of a plain, simple character; the surface was covered with broken glass and pot- tery. I cannot regard this as any other less than the long-sought-for Hazor. Every argument which Ro- binson adduces in favour of Tell Ku- reibeh applies with much greater force to these ruins. The position is one of great strength, and overhangs the lake: there are numbers of large cisterns on the hill; and it seems to have escaped the ravages of the cru- sading period." I still question the identity, chiefly on the ground that such a site was impracticable for chariots, in which the chief strength of Hazor consisted. HAZOR.-The site of Hazor, how- ever, could not have been very far distant. Josephus says it "lay over the lake Samochonitis;" and two pas- sages of Scripture seem to imply that it lay southward of Kedesh (Josh. xix. 35-37; 2 Kings xv. 29. Ant. v. 1). It was long the chief city in this region; and its princes appear to have been the acknowledged heads of a large section of the Canaanites. Jabin king of Hazor was the planner of the systematic attempt to check the invading Israelites. He collected the various skeikhs from the plains and mountains; and drew them up in battle array by the "waters of Merom." 418 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. loute 30.--Ked Chariots formed the main strength of Jabin's army. After defeating this powerful enemy, and pursuing them to a distance, Joshua returned and burned Hazor (Josh. xi. 1-11). At a later period (Rte. 25) another Jabin king of Hazor oppressed Israel; and the main strength of his army too, as marshalled under Sisera, consisted in chariots (Jud. iv. 7). These chariots could only have been of use in a plain; and there is, therefore, a strong probability that the city of Hazor lay either in the plain, or at least so close to its border as to be easily accessible for chariots from it. Tell Khuraibeh is scarcely such a site as would suit chariots. Hazor, I think, must be sought for on the lower slopes of the mountains, along the western or south-western border of the Hfileh. (Comp. Josh. xix. 35-37, and 2 Kings xv. 29.) KEDESH - NAPHTALI, now Kedes. - This ancient royal city is beautifully situated. A little green vale is em- bosomed in wooded hills. On its western side is a projecting ridge, every part of which bears the marks of ancient buildings. One large column stands in the village which occupies the crown of the ridge, and two others lie beside it. Below the houses on the E. is a cu- rious double sarcophagus, and heaps of hewn stones are scattered about among tobacco gardens. Several frag- ments of columns may also be seen along the sides of the ridge, almost covered with soil and weeds. On the plain at the northern base is a fountain surrounded with sarcophagi, now used as water-troughs. Beyond these are the most remarkable ruins of Kedesh. The first building we come to is square without, 25 ft. on each side. A large ornamented portal faces the S. The interior is cruci- form, consisting of two vaulted cham- bers, crossing each other at right angles, and leaving in the angles of the building square blocks of solid masonry. The style is simple, mas- sive, and tasteful, and is either Ro- Sesh-Naphtali. 419 man or of the Roman age. I would have been inclined to regard it as a Jewish tomb, had I not seen other structures precisely similar in style and design in the villages of Saidnaya and YabrXd, N. of Damascus, where we have no evidence that there was ever a Jewish settlement. A few yards to the eastward we come upon a group of very remark- able sarcophagi. They stand on a massive platform of masonry about 6 ft. high. On the western side is a double sarcophagus; that is, two tombs hewn side by side in the same block, and covered by one lid. An- other similar one stands on the E. side; then there is a single one, and a vacant spot once occupied by a fourth. The outsides of all were richly sculptured with figures and wreaths, now, unfortunately, much worn. Capt. Wilson "dug up one buried in the ground, and the decora- tion on it was found in better repair than those exposed to the air : it con- sisted of a wreath held up at the sides in two folds by nude male figures, and at the corners by four female figures with wings and flowing dra- pery; the figures have been purposely defaced, but the arms and feet still remain, and the whole is finely sculp- tured; after seeing this better pre- served one, similar designs can be traced on the others, one of which has a sword and shield cut on it." These cannot be Jewish tombs. They are Roman, and appear to be of the same date as the temple to the eastward. About 100 yards farther E. is an- other and much larger structure. The eastern front and a portion of the walls are standing. The masonry is fine, and the stones large and hewn smooth. The central doorway, and a very small portal on each side, still remain per- fect. The sides and lintel are en- riched by sculptured ornaments, con- sisting of wreaths of fruit and flowers. The lintel of the main door was dug up by Capt. Wilson, who thus de- scribes it :-" On its under side is a large figure of the sun (I think), and over the architrave is a small cornice Route 30.-Hunin. beautifully worked: it consists of a scroll of vine-leaves, with bunches of grapes; in the centre is a bust, and facing it on either side is the figure of a stag. On either side of the main entrance is a small niche with a hole communicating to larger niches within the building, like a sort of confes- sional : on one of the niches is part of a figure clothed in a robe, with a spear in the left hand; over one side of the doorway is the figure of an eagle; close to the temple, and evidently belonging to it, an altar with a Greek inscription was found, which I cannot make out." Kedesh-Naphtali, " The holy place of Naphtali," originally a royal, and probably a sacred city of the Canaan- ites (Josh. xii. 22), was conquered by Joshua, and made a " city of refuge" for the northern tribes (Josh. xx. 7). The chief historical interest of Kedesh is its connexion with the life of Barak. It was his birthplace; he was here when Deborah called him to fight the battle of his country; to this place the prophetess came with him; to this place were gathered all the war- riors of Zebulun and Naphtali; and from hence he marched with 10,000 men to Tabor. And as Kadesh was the scene of the first act in that great historic drama, so also its upland plain was the scene of the last act. "Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites (who were settled in the S. of Palestine, Jud. i. 16), and pitched his tent at the terebinths of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh." There was peace between the Kenites and the people of Hazor. Sisera fled on foot when his chariot was engulfed in the marshes of the Kishon, direct- ing his course through the mountains to his native city. Hotly pursued, he took refuge in the tent of the Bedawy. The result is well known. Jael lifted up the curtain of the tent, and showed Barak his enemy with the tent-pin through his temples (Jud. iv. 6, 9-12, 17-22). The black tents of the Turk- man and Kurds-strangers like the Kenites-may still be seen pitched among the oaks and tekebinths that encompass the little plain of Kedesh ; proving that after the lapse of 3000 years the state of society in the coun& try is little changed. Benjamin of Tudela, who visited Kedesh in the 12th centy., states that he found there the tomb of Barak and several Jewish saints. This shows that down to a comparatively late period the Jews regarded the city as a sanctuary. Kedesh is now a small and miserable village; but the situation is beautiful, and the air pure and bracing. A ride of 1 h. 20 min. from Kedes brings us to Meis el-Jebel, a large village situated on the side of one of those green upland plains which distinguish the mountains of Gali- lee. The inhabitants are Methwileh; and like most mountaineers are in- clined to treat the traveller with respect, and even kindness. After leaving this place we enter a wooded region. The path winds through forest glades and picturesque glens, bordered by the arbutus and haw- thorn. As we ascend we get occa- sional glimpses westward over a magnificent country-hill and dale, green valley, and spreading plain; all variegated with the dark foliage of the oak, and dotted with villages. Tibnin is seen in the distance, its castle crowning a conspicuous peak. We soon after surmount the ridge, and find ourselves on its eastern brow, where the plain of the Hfjleh, with Hermon beyond, bursts upon the view. It is a noble landscape, such as we rarely meet with in this parched land. Hunin.--Before reaching this vil- lage we have a sharp descent of J h., in the track of an old road. Hunin consists of 40 or 50 houses clustering round the sides of a fortress of unknown origin, situated in a notch in the mountain side. The fortress is a mass of ruins, exhibiting specimens of the architecture of every race, from the Phcenicians to the modern Metawileh sheikhs the Phcenician bevel, the Roman arch, the Saracenic portal, the 420 Sect. IV. Arab cobble, and the goat-pen wall of yesterday. A deep rock-hewn moat encompasses a portion of it-perhaps once a citadel. Hunin has no history, though it was one of the strongest fortresses in the country. Dr. Robin- fon suggests that it may be the site of Beth-Rehob-" And there was no de- liverer, because it (Laish or Dan) was far from Zidon; and it was in the val- ley that lieth by Beth Behob" (Jud. xviii. 28). The same Rehob is pro- bably meant, when it is said of the spies sent from Kadesh-barnea, that " they went up, and searched the land, from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath" (Num. xiii. 21). The natural road from the S. to Hamath lies up the plain of Hfileh and Wady et-Teim to the Bukh'a. The position of Hunin corresponds to these descriptions. Beth - Rehob is likewise mentioned in connexion with Zoba, Maacah, and Ish-tob (2 Sam. x. 6-8). The path from Hunin to the plain of Hfleh is steep and difficult. It first zigzags down the declivity, among jagged rocks, and through thickets of copse and dwarf oak; then it descends diagonally the lower slope of the mountain. On gaining the plain we observe the Christian village of Abil on the the top of a tell, a mile or more to the 1. The tell rises from the crest of the ridge which separates the Hileh from the plain called Merj 'Ayfin, the ljon of Scripture (1 Kings xv. 20; 2 Kings xv. 29). Abel is the modern representative of Abel or Abel-Beth- Maachah or Abel-Maim, a city taken, with Dan and Ijon, by Benhadad king of Damascus, from the Israelites, at the suggestion of Asa king of Judah (1 Kings xv. 16-20; comp. 2 Chron. xvi. 4). At a subsequent period, when Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria in- vaded the land, these cities became a prey to the conqueror (2 Kings xv. 27-29). Our path is now across the stony undulating ground that forms the northern section of the Hfleh. Pass- ing the little stream that winds down from the Merj 'Ayfin, a ruined village near it, and then the deep bed of 41 Nahr Hasbany, we reach Tell el-Kady, and Banis, as described in last Rpute. CESAREA-PHLIPPI, Bdnids. - This ancient city occupies one of the most picturesque sites in Syria. A broad terrace on the mountain side looks out over the plain of Hfleh to the castel- lated heights of Hunin. Behind it rises in rugged peaks the southern ridge of Hermon, wooded to the sum- mit. Two sublime ravines cut deeply into the ridge, having between them an isolated cone more than 1000 ft. in height, crowned by the ruins of the castle of Subeibeh. On the terrace at the base of this cone lie the ruins of Caesarea-Philippi. The terrace itself is covered with oaks and olive-trees, having green glades and clumps of hawthorn and myrtle here and there- all alive with streams of water and cascades. The main attraction of Bnias is the great fountain, the upper source of the Jordan. A cliff of ruddy limestone, nearly 100 ft. high, rises on the N. side of the ruins. At its base is a cave, its mouth encumbered by a heap of ddbris, partly composed of broken fragments of rock, and partly of an- cient buildings. From the side of this heap burst forth the waters of the fountain. The spring itself has not so striking an appearance as its sister at Tell el-Kady; but the waters soon collect into a rapid torrent which foams down a rocky bed, scattering its spray over thickets of oleander, and farther on dashing among fallen co- lumns and ruins, and at length plung- ing over a precipice into a dark ravine. This fountain was the parent of the city, as the cave above it was of the sanctuary that gave the city its name, Paneas. In Greece the worship of Pan was always associated with caves and grottos: and the Grecian settlers in Syria saw the suitableness of this spot for a sanctuary of their favourite deity. Greek inscriptions in the face of the cliff still tell the story of the grotto. The Romans succeeded the Greek as well in their superstitions as in their possessions; and the splen- X. PALOSTINE. Route 80.-Csarea-Philipp b 2Route 80.-Cesarea-Philippti. did temple built by Herod the Great in honour of Augustus stood on this spot. A remnant of the old sanctity clings to the place still in a little wely perched on a ledge of rock, dedi- cated to el-Khudr, the Muslem St. George, and kept by a santon of vener- able aspect. The ruins of the city extend from the base of the cliff on the N., to the banks of a picturesque ravine 300 or 400 yds. southward. The stream from the great fountain bounds the site on the N.W. and W., and then falls into this ravine, so that the city stood within the angle formed by the junction of two ravines. The most conspicuous ruin is the citadel- a quadrangle some 4 acres in extent, surrounded by a massive wall, with towers at the angles and along the sides. On the E., S., and W. the walls are still from 10 to 20 ft. high, though broken and shattered. The northern and western walls are washed by the stream from the fountain; along the eastern wall is a deep moat; while the southern is carried along the brow of the chasm called Wady Za'areh. This chasm is spanned by a bridge, from which a gateway opens into the citadel. The substructions of the bridge, the gateway, and the round corner-towers of the citadel are of high antiquity, being constructed of large bevelled stones. They have been repaired, however, as we learn from an Arabic inscription over the gate, in comparatively recent times. The most striking view of the site and surrounding scenery is obtained from the S. bank of Wady Za'areh, a few paces below the bridge. The chasm is at our feet, with the streamlet dashing through it amid rocks and clumps of oleanders; then we have the old bridge garlanded with creepers and long trails of ferns; then the shattered walls and towers of the citadel; then the wooded slopes around, with the castle of Subeibeh towering high over all. The ruins of the town cover the S. bank of Wady Za'Areh, with a portion of the level ground to the W. and N.W. of the citadel. Great numbers of granite and limestone shafts lie amid heaps of hewn stones. The modern village consists of some 40 houses huddled together in a corner of the citadel- that of the sheikh crowning a massive tower at the north-eastern angle. Each house has got on its flat roof a little arbour formed of branches of trees; in these the inhabitants sleep during the summer, to escape the multitudes of scorpions, fleas, and other creatures that swarm in every dwelling. Of the origin of Paneas we learn nothing from history.. Such a site would scarcely be overlooked when Laish, Kadesh, Abel, and Ijon were built; and we may safely conclude that some ancient city then stood beside this fountain, and probably some Phoenician or Canaanitish sanc- tuary preceded the Panium df the Greeks in this rock grotto. Dr. Robinson suggests that it may be that "Baal-gad, in the valley of Lebanon, under Mount Hermon," which formed the northern limit of Joshua's conquests (Josh. xi. 17); and which appears to have been in that remote age what Dan subsequently became, the border-city of Palestine. "From Baal-Gad to mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir," was the original equivalent to "from Dan to Beersheba" (id. xii. 7). A com- parison of Jud. iii. 3, 1 Chron. v. 23, and Josh. xiii. 5, shows that Baal- gad could not have been very far from this place; and until some further light is thrown upon the subject, we may, at least, suppose that by this noble fountain, in the midst of this splendid Alpine scenery, the old Syrians established the worship of one of their Baals. It was under the rule of Herod the Great that the city became historic. Then, as Josephus relates, "Herod, having accompanied Caesar (Augus- tus) to the sea, and returned home, erected to him a beautiful temple of white marble near the place called Panium. This is a fine cave in a mountain, under which there is a great cavity in the earth, abrupt, deep, and full of water. Over it hangs a vast 422 Sect. IV. 1 .. PALLtSTIXE. Route 30.y--Cesarea-Pilippi mountain; and under the cavern rise the springs of the river Jordan. Herod adorned this place, which was already a very remarkable one, still farther by the erection of this temple, which he dedicated to Caesar" (Ant. xv. 10, 3). The ruins of the temple are probably buried in the cavern; and the sculp- tured niches in the face of the cliff, with their Greek inscriptions, are the only memorials of the sanctuary. The longest of these inscriptions tells us that the niche over it, with perhaps a temple beside it, was consecrated by a "priest of Pan." At a later period this city was included in the territory of Philip "tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis" (Luke iii. 1), who rebuilt or enlarged it, and gave it the name " Caesarea," in honour of Tiberias Caesar, adding " Philippi" to distinguish it from Cmsarea on the coast (Joseph. Ant. xviii. 2, 1; B. J. ii. 9,1). Thus, as the favourite Greek deity Pan had superseded the older Syrian Baal, so now the Roman hero- god supplanted them both. But the name Paneas had become too deeply impressed on the people of the land to be abolished by the will of a prince ; it still clings to the place under the Arabic form Bdnids, while the Roman name has been long forgotten. But there is one episode in the history of Camsarea-Philippi which has served to impress it more deeply on the memory and heart of the Christian than all the pomp id circumstances of Syrian, Greek, and Roman idolatry. Our Lord, after healing the blind man at Bethsaida on the N.E. corner of the Sea of Galilee, "came into the coasts of Caesarea-Philippi." He probably travelled up the E. bank of the Jor- dan and lake of Merom. On reach- ing the " coasts," perhaps on arriving at the city itself, He asked His dis- ciples the question "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ?" And then followed it by another still more important, "Whom say ye that I am?" Peter immediately responded, confess- ing His Divinity. The confession was followed by a declaration which has given rise to keen controversy-" Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The form of ex- pression may possibly have been sug- gested, as Stanley observes, by the great cliff that impends over the foun- tain of the Jordan. Six days after- wards, while still in the same region, Christ took 3 of his disciples, and led them up " into an high mountain," and was "transfigured before them" (Matt. xvi. 13-20; xvii. 1-13). Stand- ing amid the ruins of Caesarea we do not need to ask where that " high mountain" is. The ridge of Hermon rises over us; and on one or other of its wooded peaks the Transfiguration took place. Caesarea-Philippi was the northern limit of the Saviour's wan- derings. His work of teaching was well nigh accomplished; and He set His face for the last time " to go up to Jerusalem" (Luke ix. 51). The next important incident in the history of this city was the exhibition of games and public spectacles by Titus after the capture of Jerusalem. The captive Jews were compelled to fight with each other, and with wild beasts. A curious tradition became current in the days of Eusebius, that this was the place where Christ healed the woman " with an issue of blood" (Matt. ix. 20). He says that, as a monument of that miracle, there was a brazen statue of a man in a robe, with a woman kneeling before him as a suppliant. The statue was probably erected in honour of some prince; and the attitude suggested the story to the lively imagination of the wonder-lov- ing Christians of that age. The Gospel narrative shows that the miracle was performed in Capernaum. The sub- sequent history of Bnids, so far at least as is generally interesting, is more closely connected with the castle to which we now go. Kul'at es-Subeibeh, "Castle of Sub- eibeh," generally known as the Castle of Bfinias.-This is one of the finest ruins in Syria; and one of the most perfect and imposing specimens of the military architecture of the Phoeni- cians, or possibly of the Syro-Grecians, .route 30.-Kulat es-odubeibek. extant. No traveller should fail to visit it. It is an hour's ride from Banias. Its elevation is at least 1000 ft. above the town; and as view- ed from the W. it seems to crdwn a conical peak. But on reaching the summit we find that this peak resolves itself into a narrow ridge connected with the mountain chain behind; but having a wild chasm on the N., called Wady Khushabeh, 800 ft. deep; and another on the S., wider, but of equal depth. The castle thus occupies a rocky crest, which forms the cul- minating point of the ridge. The only practicable approach to it is on the E. ; and there a narrow zigzag path leads up the steep bank among huge frag- ments of rock; and then winds along the foot of the ramparts to a small portal in a round'tower near the south- western angle. The building occupies an area about 1000 ft. long by 200 in greatest breadth, shaped something like the figure 8, narrow in the centre and bulging out at each end. The interior is uneven. The natural rock rises in places higher than the walls ; and immense cisterns are hewn in it, which contain an abundant supply of water. The western end stands on the brow of the hill, overlooking the ruins of Banias, the plain of Hfileh, and the mountain ridge beyond, on one of whose peaks we can see the Castle of Shukif. The masonry of the ramparts here is deserving of at- tention. Many of the stones are 8, 10, and 12 ft. long, carefully dressed, and bevelled. The round towers and ram- parts on the S. side also present some fine specimens of mural architecture- the sloping substructions and bevelled stones reminding one of the Tower of Hippicus at Jerusalem. It is worthy of note, though I do not agree with him, that Capt. Wilson says of this castle, "it has no signs of the extreme antiquity which has been ascribed to it, and I should not place it earlier than the 8th or 9th century A.D. The eastern end of the site is much higher than the western; and advan- tage has been taken of this to form a citadel capable of separate defence. The approach to it even now is a work of no little toil. A moat, hewn in the rock, and a high rampart, separate it from the rest of the castle. Without, the walls are founded on scarped cliffs; and there is no mode of en- trance except from the lower fortress. This is the best preserved part of the castle, and the walls and towers are still in places nearly perfect. But few additions were made to the build- ings either in medieval or modern times; and all that have been made are easily seen. Yet the Arab princes have, as usual, adorned it with inscrip- tions, claiming the credit of its con- struction, because they set up a few stones on some tower. These inscrip- tions seem to be all of the 13th centy. The high antiquity of this noble castle cannot be questioned. The massive masonry and bevelled stones are at least as old as the age of the Herods, and probably older. It may have been intended to serve the double object of guarding the city and shrine of Paneas, and defending the Phoeni- cian possessions in the plain of Hlleh against incursions of the Damascenes. The main road from Damascus to Banias passes down the valley on the S. side of the castle hill. Yet we have no notice of the fortress in history earlier than the time of the Crusades. About the year 1130 it fell into the hands of the Christians along with the neighbouring town. It subse- quently passed through the usual varied fortunes of Syrian fortresses- now taken by the Christians and now by the Muslems; each repairing or destroying as seemed to suit their im- mediate objects. At length in 1165 Nureddin of Damascus took it by storm; and the crescent continued thenceforth to wave over its battle- ments, until it was finally abandoned in the 17th centy. 4M Sect lV N. FALESTINE. Route 31.-3Banids to Damaseus. ROUTE 31. BANIAS TO DAMASCUS DIRECT. H. M. Banias to the Castle of Subeibeh 1 0 Mejdel esh-Shems .. .. .. 1 15 Beit Jenn .. .. .. .... 2 15 Kefr Hauwar .... .. .. 1 45 Artfiz .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 5 Daraya .. .... .... 1 30 Damascus .... .. .. .. 1 10 Total .... .. 12 0 The only recommendation I can give of this route is, that it is the shortest between the 2 points. The next route is much to be preferred, both because it affords a better view of the country, and because it takes us past some objects of interest. The Castle of Subeibeh is the first point, and has already been described. It might be worth the trouble to make an hour's ditour from the castle to visit Birket er-Ram, the Lake Phiala of Josephus, long supposed to be the highest source of the Jordan. Its name Phiala is derived from its bowl-like form. It is manifestly an old crater, and the shores and surrounding accli- vities are covered with small volcanic stones. The circumference of the water is about a mile. It is stagnant and slimy. It is situated in the centre of a high plain, bounded on the S. and E. by low wooded hills; but stretching northward up nearly to the base of the main ridge of Hermon. Its distance from Kul'at es-Subeibeh is about 1J h. On leaving it we strike up the green plain called Merj Yaffiry from a wely of the same name near its southern end. 4 h. brings us to Mejdel, a village nestling at the foot of the southern offshoot of Hermon. Its Druze in- habitants are industrious and inde- pendent, but turbulent. We now cross a succession of high ridges, which strike off from the central chain of Hermon. This chain is close on our 1., rising in broken precipices and acclivities 4000 ft. or more. The country is bleak and desolate, but thickly populated. Traversing a green upland plain, called Merj Hather from a Druze village on its eastern border, we cross another ridge, and then dive down from a dreary region of black basalt to a romantic glen of white limestone. In about I h. another ravine falls in from the N.W., con- taining a fine stream. At the point of junction stands Beit Jenn, "the House of Paradise." It deserves the name as contrasted with the wild wilderness of rocks and mountains around; for here are grass-plats and murmuring waters, shaded by the walnut and poplar. The houses of the village cling to the sides of the cliffs. Numerous rock-tombs are seen above and around them, bearing testi- mony to the antiquity of the site; but I find no reference to it previous to the time of the Crusades. The stream which flows down the glen takes the name of the village. It rises about 2 m. westward at the base of Hermon; and forms one of the two main tribu- taries of Nahr el-'Awaj, the ancient PHARPAR. Our path leads down the glen from Beit Jenn, along the 1. bank of the stream. In ' h. we emerge on the great plain which stretches to Damas- cus on the 1., and to Jaulan on the rt. It is dotted with tells-some of them conical; other truncated; others cup-shaped; but all of volcanic origin. The mountain range on the south- eastern horizon is Jebel Hauran; and that nearer on the E. is called Mani'a. Nahr el-Jennany, along which we have ridden from Beit Jenn, winds across the plain in an easterly direction to a village we can just see on the side of a low tell, called S'as'a, some 6 m. distant. A little to the E. of S'as'a it is joined by another stream 425 2Route 31.-River Pharpar. called Sabirany, to which we shall come presently; and these two make up the Pharpar. Our path turns to the 1., and sweeps along the base of the mountains - now passing over rocky spurs, and now across smooth green plains, till in 14 h. we reach Kefr Hauwar, a large prosperous village surrounded by gardens, or- chards, and fruitful fields; and inha- bited partly by Druzes, and partly by Muslems. Tradition has placed here one of the numerous tombs of Nimrod; but the spot is now un- honoured, if not altogether unknown. In the S.E. corner of the village is a fragment of some ancient structure- but whether temple, tomb, or palace, it is impossible to tell. So far as it can be made out, for it is partially covered with modern houses, it re- sembles the pedestal of a great monu- ment. The walls on two sides are still about 10 ft. high, built of large blocks of limestone, ornamented with deep mouldings. I have seen ruins somewhat resembling it in several villages round Damascus. The second branch of, or tributary to, the river 'Awaj descends from the base of the central peak of Hermon, through a wild ravine; then issues from the mountains and sweeps across the undulating plain, passing a few hundred yards to the N. of Kefr Hauwar, and joins the Jennany, as has been stated, near S'as'a. It is a rapid torrent, larger than the Jennany ; but it is in most places fordable. From its source at the base of Hermon to the plain this stream is called Nahr 'Amrny, from a village situated near the highest fountain; but the lower section of it gets the name of Sabirany, from the hamlet of Beit Sibir, which stands on its banks between Kefr Hauwar and S'as'a. A short distance N. of Wady'Arny, separated from it by a high ridge, is another wady through which a small tributary flows into the Awaj. The name of this wady, Barbar, is the Arabic form of the Hebrew Pharpar. Two roads lead from Kefr Hauwar to Damascus. The first keeps to the 1. near the base of the mountains, passing the 'village of Katana at 2 hrs., and Mu'addamiyeh at 14 h. more. The second strikes into the plain to the rt. There is little difference in the length; and both are equally good. The latter has a little more variety than the former, and we shall therefore follow it. After fording the river 'Amrny and ascending the N. bank, we find our- selves in a dreary desert, covered with tufts of brown weeds, and grayish thorny shrubs. Over this we ride for 3 hours without seeing a living crea- ture, except chance throws in our way a solitary shepherd, or a marauding party of Bedawin. At length we begin to get glimpses of a sea of ver- dure, dotted with white villages like islands. We reach the border of this paradise. A canal like a rivulet crosses our path, carrying a noble con- tribution from the second "river of Damascus" towards the fertilization of the great plain. On our rt. is a bleak tell, crowned with a half-ruined village called Jfneh. Behind it runs the Roman road from Egypt and Pales- tine to Damascus. And just at this point tradition has fixed the scene of Paul's conversion. (See Rte. 33.) On our 1. is the hamlet of Artfiz, whose gardens and fields form the outposts of the celebrated plain of Damascus. All behind is desert; all in front is verdure and fertility. Immense ex- panses of waving corn; olive groves, orchards, and villages becoming closer and closer, and growing larger and larger, as we advance; until at length they close round the walls of the city. Canals and ducts are met with every few hundred yards, covering the plain like a network, and carrying life and luxuriance in their bosom. They are all the offspring of the Abana and Pharpar; and after our extended sur- vey of the dry beds of the streams of Palestine, and the now useless waters of the Jordan itself, we feel ready at every step to re-echo the words of Naaman-" Are not Abana and Phar- Sect. ,IV., 426 N. PALESTINE. Route 32.-Bdnids to Damascus. par, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel ?" (2 Kings v. 12). Passing in succession the villages of Judeideh, Dareiya (which deserves the name of town), and Kadam, we enter by Buwdbet Ullah, "The Gate of God," the oldest city in the world. ROUTE 32. BANIAS TO DAMASCUS, BY HASBEIYA and HERMON. H. 1. Banias to Hasbeiya .... .. 6 0 Summit of Jebel-esh-Sheikh, HERMON .. .. .... .. 6 0 Rasheiya .. .. .. .. .. 3 0 Rukhleh .. .. .. .. .. 2 30 Deir el-'Ashayir ...... 1 45 Dimas . . .. .. .. 1 50 Damascus .. .. .. .... 4 30 Total .. 25 35 This Route will take four days, and there is interest enough in it to repay the extra time. The sides and off- shoots of Hermon are singularly rich in ruined temples. Some eight or ten of them cluster round it, and one crowns its summit. Then the scenery is glorious; and from the top of the " Sheikh" of Syrian mountains we command a panorama such as the eye is seldom privileged to gaze on. All we need is a good guide and a strong horse. On leaving Baniats we skirt the south-western base of the Hermon range, and enter Wady et-Teim, the natural continuation of the valley of the Jordan. In about 81 h. we reach a wayside fountain called 'Ain Khur- wa'eh, not far from an Arab village. From this place it may be interesting to clamber up the mountain to a re- markable ruin called Kula't Bustra, perched like the castle of Subeibeh on a projecting peak 1000 ft. above us. The ascent will occupy 4 h. On reaching the top we find a group of temples, simple in form and rude in style-now unfortunately almost en- tirely overthrown. Each temple was from 30 to 50 ft. long, with rows of rude columns in the interior, and doorways ornamented with mould- ings. Four separate buildings can be distinguished, and there were pro- bably several others. " The ruins," says Dr. Robinson, " may be of high antiquity; as the stone (limestone) is so compact and so impregnated with metal that time scarcely produces any change upon it. This may perhaps have been one of the 'high places' consecrated by the Syrians or Phoeni- cians to the worship of their Baalim." The road now traverses a picturesque country, crossing ridges sprinkled with oaks, and glens dotted with olives- the bleak side of Jebel esh-Sheikh towering on the rt., and the deep glen of the Hasbany lying at some distance on the 1. In 2 h. we reach a basin- shaped valley called Wady Khureibeh from a village which we observe on a ridge to the 1. The main road to Hasbeiya, after crossing a low ridge, strikes 'the bank of Nahr Hasbany, and follows it up to the place where the ravine of Hasbeiya falls into Wady et-Teim from the E. A few yds. above the point of junction is the fountain of the Hasbany, the highest perennial source of the Jordan. The water rises in the midst of a pool, partly formed by a dam. There is nothing about the place worthy of special notice. From hence up the ravine to Hasbeiya is h. As there is nothing of interest on the main road, I recommend a detour up the mountain side to the rt., from Wady Khureibeh, to visit the beau- tiful temple of Hibbariyeh. We first ascend to the village of Rasheiyet el- Fukhar, celebrated, as its name indi- cates, for its " pottery" manufactures. 427 Route 32.---tasbeya. We reach it in - h. We thence ride through a wild upland district for about 1 m., and then descend to the village of Hibbariyeh, 1 h. from Rasheiyet el-Fukhar. It is situated in an open basin, at the mouth of a sublime ravine called Wady Shib'a, which opens the side of Hermon. "The only point of interest in the village, apart from its remarkable position, is the beautiful ruin of an ancient temple, now standing in a field. It fronts directly on the great chasm, looking up the mighty gorge, as if to catch the first beams of the morning sun rising over Hermon. The walls are standing, except on the N. side. The whole length of the edifice is 58 ft. from E. to W., and its breadth 31. At the corners are sq. pilasters with Ionic capitals. Between these, in the eastern front, were two round columns forming the portico. The walls are 6 ft. thick. The stones are many of them large; 1 measures 15 ft. long by about 2 ft. 9 in. square. Some of them are par- tially bevelled ; though not in so finished a manner as at Jerusalem, or in the castle of Banias. Along the wall, near the foundation, is an orna- mented ledge; and above, at the eaves, a double cornice with a line of rounded stones between. At each end is a noble pediment. Inside the portico are ornamental niches. This is one of the best preserved and most beautiful specimens of the many ancient temples with which Lebanon, Antilebanon, and the valleys between are thronged" (Robinson). In its plan it exactly resembles a small temple situated away on the eastern border of the plain of Damascus, in a village called Makstira. It also somewhat resembles the little temple of Mejdel 'Anjar, though the style of the latter is still more chaste and massive. A ride of 1 h. 25 min. brings us to Hasbeiya. HASBEIYA is situated on both sides of a deep glen which falls down from a side ridge of Hermon, westward into Wady et-Teim. The head of the ravine is only a little E. of the town, and is in the form of an amphitheatre, enclosed on 3 sides by high hills, regularly terraced and covered to their summits with vineyards, fig- trees, and olive-groves. From the southern bank of the ravine a low ridge projects almost to the torrent bed; on this stands the palace of the late Emir S'aad ed-Din; and the prin- cipal part of the town clusters round it. The situation is striking and beautiful; but being shut in by hills, and encompassed by luxuriant vegeta- tion, it is somewhat unhealthy. The population of Hasbeiya was, before the massacre of 1860, estimated at 5000, 4000 of whom were Christians, and the greater part of the remainder Druzes. About 20 years ago a Pro- testant mission was established here, and a number of families left the Greek church for a purer faith. They suffered much persecution, both from their old co-religionists and the Turk- ish Governors; the latter, I must in justice admit, were stimulated by Rus- sian agents and Greek prelates. Hasbeiya was the scene of one of the most terrible of the massacres of 1860. "On the 3rd of June (I quote frdm a paper of my own in the North British Review) the town was attacked by the Druzes. A garrison of 200 troops occupied the palace--a place of suffi- cient strength to resist any attack of Druzes. The garrison was under the command of Colonel Osman Bey. The Christians defended themselves for a time. On the 4th they were over- powered by numbers, and fled to the palace, begging the protection of the garrison. The colonel offered them a written guarantee, pledging the faith of the Sultan for their personal.safety, on condition they delivered up their arms. This they did; and immediately their arms were handed over to the Druzes. They were now kept for seven days in the palace, and suffered severely from hunger and thirst. On the 11th an officer of Sheikh Said Jemblat arrived with 300 Druzes; and at the same time another Druze chief, called Kinj, who was also an employd of the Government. The latter was accompanied by an aide-de-camp of the commander-in-chief at Damascus. 428 Sect. IV. .Route 32.-Ascent of Hermon. These had an interview with Osman Bey, immediately after which the gate of the palace was thrown open, the Druzes rushed in and murdered the people within, the soldiers preventing any from escaping or concealing them- selves, pushing them forward to be massacred. The number of victims was about 1000!" The old Emir was murdered at the same time. It is satisfactory to know that the wretch Osman Bey met the punishment he so justly deserved. By orders of the British Commissioner, Lord Dufferin, he was tried, condemned, and shot in Damascus. There are a few objects of interest round the Hasbeiya which may repay the time and trouble of a visit. On the highest point of the ridge on the S. of the glen is a group of Druze chapels, called Khulwdt el-Biydd, the most celebrated of the sanctuaries be- longing to this sect. It is a curious circumstance that these places of worship are always placed in lonely spots--on the tops of hills, or on the brink of a precipice, or in a remote forest glade; and from this they get their name Khulweh (plur. Khulwdt) " Solitude." They have nothing re- markable in their architecture except their strength, and the height and smallness of the windows. The Druzes seem to aim at absolute privacy in their worship; they tolerate no spec- tators, they admit of no intrusion. The Khulwat el-Biyad were plundered in 1838 by the troops of Ibrahim Pasha, after the defeat of the Druzes at Shib'a; the secret adytum was rifled, and the sacred books contained in several chests were scattered through the country and the world; seven of the most important of them finally came into the possession of the writer. The fountain of the Hasbany, the principal tributary to the upper Jor- dan, is another object of interest. Its site and features have been already described. About 1 m. from the foun- tain, on the slope of the western hill, are Bitumen Pits, in which the geolo- gist may feel some interest. There are nearly 30 of them, some of them 50 ft. deep. The strata of bitumen lie horizontal. The mineral is hard, and is said to be of the finest quality. From Hasbeiya a pleasant excursion may be made to Jisr Burghuz, the sublime gorge of the Litany below it, and Kula't esh-Shukif. These places are described in Rte. 39. Such as do not wish to climb the snowy heights of Hermon may pass on to Rasheiya, making a detour west- ward to the natural bridge which spans the chasm of the Litainy. (See Rte. 39.) This would occupy about 8 h. The direct road from Hasbeiya to Rasheiya can be ridden in 6 h. ASCENT OF JEBEL ESH-SHEIKH, HERMON. A couple of good guides should be secured for this interesting but toil- some journey. There is no road, and the route followed will depend wholly on the guide. Those who are not afraid of the cold ought to encamp on the summit, to which baggage-mules can be taken without very much diffi- culty. But whatever arrangement may be made in this respect, a liberal supply of provender should be laid in. It is possible to reach the summit and descend again to Rasheiya the same day; but such a hurried visit neces- sarily detracts greatly from the plea- sure of the excursion, besides entail- ing more fatigue than most men can stand. The summit of the mountain may be reached in 6 h. hard climbing from Hasbeiya. First we cross a side range, sprinkled with oak-trees and covered with rocks. Behind this is a long deep wady separating it from the great central peak. Here the real labour may be said to begin. The mountain side is composed of lime- stone, and has a steep acclivity, gene- rally covered with loose fragments of the rock, with a tuft of grass or a thorny shrub at intervals. This is occasionally varied by high banks of naked rock. Trees are few and far between, and all living creatures still 429 N. PALESTINE. Route 32.-Hermon. fewer. Chance may throw in our way a few eagles or a straggling bear. Panthers also exist, but they are very rarely seen. Up this bleak slope we toil, the country expanding beneath us, and the mountain becoming more and more desolate above us. The snowy crest is at last gained, and the eye sweeps round the vast panorama, almost bewildered with its extent, and the new aspect which the country assumes. It is like a great embossed map. On the N. are Le- banon and Antilebanon, running away to the horizon, enclosing between them the vale of Buka'a, the ancient Coele- syria. The several ridges which com- pose Antilebanon are seen opening out like a fan. Then comes the plain of Arabia stretching to the eastern hori- zon, diversified with several groups and ridges of hills. Then away on the S. is the Sea of Galilee in its deep bed, and the chasm of the Jordan running southward farther than the eye can follow it-the mountains of Gilead on the one side, and those of Samaria on the other. Carmel is there, extending far out into the Medi- terranean; and the eye sweeps along the coast-line till it rests on the pro- montory of Tyre. Lebanon now comes in the way, and shuts in the view farther northward. The nearer hills, and vales, and plains are all spread out before us. Hermon has 3 summits. The loftiest is on the N., and commands the Bukh'a and the ranges of Lebanon and Antilebanon. The second is only 300 yds. S.: it overlooks the great eastern plain; and beneath it, 5000 ft. or more below the summit, is a large basin-like glen, in which are situated the highest sources of the Pharpar, near 'Arny. The third summit is about 4 m. W. of the latter, and is somewhat lower than either of the others. On the second of these summits are curious and interesting ruins. Round a rock which forms the crest of the peak are the foundations of a circular wall, composed of large stones, and within the circle, on the S. side, are heaps of hewn stones, some of them bevelled, and others with a plain moulding round the edge. The form of a small temple can be made out; and some distance northward I saw a fragment of a column which probably belonged to it. It stands on the brow of the mountain, overhanging a steep declivity, so that the other columns and probably many of the ruins have fallen over and rolled down into the gulf below. The remains of this temple seem to be of more recent'origin than the stones composing the ring. But who were the founders of struc- tures so strangely situated, so difficult of access, so far from human habita- tion, and, for so many months each year, so deeply imbedded in snow? What was the object for which they were erected, and to what age are they to be assigned ? Some light may be thrown on this subject by a considera- tion of other circumstances. On 3 other lofty peaks of the Antilebanon range are ruins of great antiquity. Some of the hill-sanctuaries of Pales- tine we have already visited-such as Mizpeh and Olivet, Gerizim and Tabor. In the early ages the summits of mountains were almost universally selected for the performance of sacred rites and the worship of the gods: Especially does this seem to have been the case in Syria; and the Israelites on entering the land were commanded " utterly to destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods upon the high mountains and upon the hills" (Deut. xii. 2). And at a later period they were threatened with punishment be- cause "they set themselves up images and groves in every high hill; and there they burnt incense in all the high places as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them" (2 Kings xvii. 10, 11). What wonder then that the lofty peak of Hermon should be selected for the erection of an altar and the burning of a sacred fire ! The glorious view here obtained of the sun's course, from his rising in the eastern desert to his setting in the western sea, would naturally mark it as a fit locality for his worship. Nor are we destitute of historic evidence in 430, Sect. IV. Route 32.-Baal-Hermon. favour of this view. In 2 passages of Scripture the name Baal-Hermon is applied to the mountain, and the only reason that can be assigned for the name is that Baal was there wor- shipped (Jud. iii. 3; 1 Chron. v. 23). And Jerome says, "It is stated that there is upon its summit a remarkable temple, in which the heathen from the region of Paneas and Lebanon meet for worship." His reference must be to the building whose ruins I have just described. The name Hermon was doubtless suggested by the form of this moun- tain, "a lofty conical peak," conspi- cuous from every direction; just as Lebanon was suggested by the "white" colour of its limestone strata. Other names were likewise given to Hermon, also descriptive of some striking fea- ture. The Sidonians called it Sirion, and the Amorites Shenir, both signi- fying "Breastplate," and suggested by its rounded glittering top when the stn's rays were reflected by the snow that covers it (Deut. iii. 9); Cant. iv. 8; .Ezek. xxvii. 5). It was also named Sion, the "Elevated," towering over all its compeers (Deut. iv. 48; Ps. cxxxiii. 3). So now it is called Jebel esh-Sheikh, " The Chief Mountain "-a name it well deserves; and Jebel eth- Thelj, " Snowy Mountain." When all the country is parched and blasted with the summer sun, white lines of snow streak the head of Hermon. This mountain was the landmark of the Israelites. It was associated with their ideas of the northern border almost as intimately as the sea was with the W. They conquered all the land E. of the Jordan, "from the river Arnon unto Mount Hermon" (Deut. iii. 8, iv. 41; Josh xi. 17). Baal-Gad, the ancient border-city be- fore Dan became historic, is described as "under Mount Hermon" (Josh. xiii. 5; xi. 17); and the north-western boundary of Bashan was Hermon (1 Chron. v. 23). In one passage it would almost seem to be used as a synonyme for " north," as the word Jam (" sea ") was for "west," and the word Kibleh (the "shrine" at Mekkah) is now for "south "-" The north and the south Thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Thy name" (Ps. 1xxxix. 12). The reason of this is obvious. From whatever part of Palestine the Israelite turned his eyes northward, Hermon was there terminating the view. From the plain of the coast, from the mountains of Samaria, from the Jordan valley, from the heights of Moab and Gilead, and from the plateau of Bashan-that pale- blue, snow-capped cone forms the one feature on the northern horizon. The "dew of Hermon" is once referred to in a passage which has been long con- sidered a geographical puzzle-" As the dew of Hermon, the dew that de- scended on the mountains of Zion" (Ps. cxxxiii. 3). Zion is probably used for Sion, one of the old names of Hermon (Deut. iv. 48). The snow on the summit of this mountain condenses the vapours that float during summer in the higher regions of the atmo- sphere, causing light clouds to hover around it, and abundant dew to de- scend on it, while the whole country elsewhere is parched, and the whole heaven elsewhere cloudless. Hermon is the second mountain in Syria, ranking next to the highest peak of Lebanon behind the cedars, and probably not more than 300 or 400 ft. lower than it. The elevation of Hermon may be estimated at about 10,000 ft. The whole body of the mountain is limestone, similar to that which composes the main ridge of Lebanon. The central peak rises up an obtuse truncated cone, from 2000 to 3000 ft. above the ridges that radiate from it, thus giving it a more commanding aspect than any other mountain in Syria. This cone is entirely naked, destitute alike of trees and vegetation. Here and there gray, thorny, cushion-shaped shrubs dot the ground; but they can scarcely be said to give variety to the scene-they are as dry-looking as the stones amid which they spring up. The snow never disappears from its summit. In spring and early summer it is entirely covered, looking from some points of view like a great white dome. As summer advances the snow gradually N. PALESTINE. 431 Route 32.--Rasheiya--Rukheh. melts on the tops of the ridges, but remains in long streaks in the ravines that radiate from the centre, looking in the distance like the white locks that scantily cover the head of old age. Late in autumn only a few white, faint lines are left, round which the clouds cling until early in November, when the winter raiment is renewed. . There is a practicable path from the summit of Hermon to a little village, with a ruin, at its eastern base, called Kul'at Jendal, distant about 4 hlirs., and situated in Wady Barbar; and from this Damascus can easily be reached in one day. We however de- scend on the N. side to Rasheiya, which we may gain in 3 hrs. Rasheiya is a village of 3000 In- hab., occupying a commanding and beautiful site on the side of a hill. Vineyards, orchards, and olive-groves clothe the surrounding acclivities; and the castellated palace of the old hereditary Emirs crowns the summit. Rasheiya suffered severely during the massacres of 1860. When attacked by the Druze army after the tragedy at Hasbeiya, 800 men of the Christian population took refuge in the palace, under the protection of the Turkish commander and soldiers. They were all murdered. We are now prepared for resuming our route to Damascus. The more direct and usual road is by Katana, and can be ridden in 9 hrs. We shall follow another for two reasons-first, in order to visit the interesting ruins of Rukhleh and Deir el-'Ashayir; and second, that we may approach Damas- cus from the W., and thus obtain the justly celebrated view from Kubbet es- Seiydr. On leaving Rasheiya we wind through luxuriant vineyards for - h. to 'Aiha, a hamlet beautifully situated on the side of a ridge looking down into a, green plain. This plain is oval, some 2 m. in diameter, embosomed in picturesque hills, and carpeted with corn-fields. It takes its name from the village of Kefr Kftk, which we see perched on a double tell near its eastern side. In 'Aiha are re- mains of another of those temples that cluster so thickly round Hermon. Little of it is left except the stones; and many of them are used in the walls of the modern hovels. Kefr Kfik contains some ruins and columns, with one or two fragments of Greek inscriptions; but they are not worth a visit. We therefore proceed direct to Rukhleh. A guide is needed, for the road is wild, and the country desolate. It ascendA a northern spur of Hermon up a rocky ravine, and then descends to the nook in which Rukhleh stands, 2 hrs. from 'Aiha. Rukhleh.--The wild seclusion of this spot is very striking. A few trees, some green turf moistened by the waters of a little fountain, and 2 or 3 miniature corn-fields, fill up the bottom of the ravine. Over these on the E. and W. rise steep banks, rugged and bare. Looking up the opening of the gorge to the S.W., the eye rests on the great cone of Hermon. The village consists of a few miserable houses in- habited by Druzes. The ruins of the temple lie to 'the N.E., and face Hermon. The massive walls and columns are almost entirely over- thrown. In front was a central door- way with a smaller one on each side. The architrave of the former lies among the fallen stones, and contains a finely-sculptured eagle with ex- panded wings, reminding one of those at Ba'albec and Palmyra. At the eastern end is a semicircular apse; from each side of which a row of Ionic columns extended through the body of the temple to the entrance. The dimensions of the building are- length 102 ft.; breadth 57; depth of apse (included in length) 22 ft.; height of columns 21 ft.; diameter 3 ft. This temple has a peculiarity which has not yet been observed on any other except the small temple at Kunawat in the Haur-n. "On the outside of the southern wall," says Robinson, "near the S.E. corner, and just above the ground, is a large block 432 SetI. Iv; N. PALESTINE. Route 32.---Burkush----Deir el-'Ashdyir. of stone 6 ft. square, having sculptured upon it an ornament like a huge medallion. It consists of an external circle or ornamented border in high relief, 5 ft. in diameter; an inner circle or border in higher relief, 4 ft. in diameter. Within these is a finely carved front view of a human coun- tenance, in still bolder relief. The length of the face from the chin to the top of the hair is 3 ft. 4 in. The features have been purposely dis- figured, but are still distinct and pleasing. At the first glance it seemed as if intended for the sun; but the border does not represent rays. It may have been a Baal worshipped in the temple." Another peculiarity of this building is that it faces Hermon. It is a curious fact that the temple at Hibbariyeh also .faces the mountain, though on the opposite side. Can it be that the mountain was regarded as holy- a kibleh to which the wor- shippers in the surrounding country turned in prayer? May this be the real origin of the name Baal-Hermon, that its summit was the great sanc- tuary of Baal; and that it was to the Syrians what Jerusalem was to the Jews, and what Mekkah is to the Muslems ? On a mound to the N.E. of the ruins at Rukhleh are the remains of another small temple. And a few hundred yds. up the ravine to the S. are the foundations of another edi- fice with heaps of hewn stones, and fragments of broken columns. In the neighbouring cliff also are some re- markable excavated tombs, with large tablets for inscriptions, and 2 small pyramidal monuments. No inscrip- tions have as yet been discovered. Burkush.-From Rukhleb an excur- sion may be made to this remote vil- lage. It is situated on the summit of a shoulder of Hermon, about 3 m. S.E. of Rukhleh, and commands a most extensive view over the eastern plain. Here are the ruins of a castle, standing on a rocky platform levelled by art. Some of the stones in the outer walls measure 8 ft. by 5; and a portion of one wall is formed by the [Syria and Palestine.] solid rock, hewn into shape. In the interior are chambers more like dun- geons than human habitations. The whole building has the aspect of hoary antiquity. To the E. of the castle are the re- mains of a temple, which appears in the massive simplicity of its style to have resembled that at Rukhleh. The sides of the door are ornamented with Corinthian pilasters. This village is also inhabited by a few families of Druzes, from whom every English traveller will receive a hospitable welcome. From Burkush we can ride to Katana in 22 h. Returning to Rukhleh we set out northward for Deir el-'Ashayir. The road leads over a wild rocky ridge. In 3 h. we gain the top, and commence the descent through a narrow glen. Away before us is the beautiful green plain of Zebedany in the very heart of the mountain chain-a rugged ridge on its 1.; and a higher, but less rugged one, on the rt. The village of Zebedany is at the upper end of the plain, and above it on the hill-side to the rt. is Bludin, over which rises the highest peak of Antilebanon. 4 h. more brings us to Deir el-'Ashayir.-This is a small village inhabited by a few families of Druzes and Christians; the former, like their neighbours of Halwy and Yuntah, have a bad character and deserve it. They are the hereditary pests of the Damascus and Beyrout road; never missing a favourable op- portunity of shooting a postman, or plundering a caravan. Franks how- ever have little to fear from them. Indeed they look upon the English as their friends and protectors. On one occasion, some years ago, a Yuntah chief committed a most cold-blooded murder by night in a house in Silk Wady Barada; but having learned the next day that the English consul of Damascus had been sleeping in an adjoining room, he sent him a polite apology for having unconsciously dis- turbed his repose; and assured him that had he known the Consul was u 483 R4oute 82.-Bdniacs to Damascus. there he would have postponed his work to a more suitable season. Deir el-'Ashayir is situated on the side of a plateau in the centre of the moun- tains. The ground slopes gently down from it eastward to a little basin, which becomes a lake in winter, and having no outlet remains a marsh during most of the year, and forms the home of numerous water-fowl. Here also are the ruins of a large and splendid temple. It stands on a plat- form of massive masonry 126 ft. long by 69 wide, and about 20 high in front, towards the E. The sides of the platform are ornamented with a deep moulding. The temple is a quadrangle 90 ft. by 36 within, and has Ionic pilasters at the angles. Round this building are other remains now shattered and broken; heaps of building - stones, and fragments of columns. They may have belonged to a large court like those at Ba'albek and Palmyra. Our road now leads down a plea- sant green vale, and in 1 hr. falls into the new French road from Beyrout to Damascus, near a fountain and ruined khan called Meithelfin. We wind through a ravine of the same name between beetling cliffs round whose summits the eagles sweep. The ravine is succeeded by a region of bleak gray hills, with vineyards along their sides, and corn-fields in the vales between. The village of Dimas is seen on the 1., perched on a bare white slope, without a tree, or shrub, or tuft of grass. It is one of the prin- cipal stations on this road, and as such is much frequented by travellers and muleteers. But we pass on, leaving it on the 1., and soon emerge from the hilly ground on the desert plateau of Sahra. Nowhere in Syria is there a more desolate region than that now before us. It only wants the sand to make it a match for its namesake in Africa. One can here understand the full force of Moses' threat, " And the earth that is under thee shall be iron."-The hard, flinty, blasted soil bears a strong resemblance to a field of iron; and should it be the summer season one may realise, too, the other part of the curse, "Thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass" (Deut. xtviii. 23). Not a village, nor a tree, nor a patch of verdure appears within the range of vision, though the eye sweeps a district containing nearly 100 square m. A range of white naked hills bound the plain on the S.E; lofty, naked, gray moun- tains rise in long steep slopes to the rt. and 1. behind us. The only pleas- ing feature in this vast panorama is Hermon, which towers up a beautiful snow-capped cone at the south-western end of the.plain. We follow the road across the desert plain, at the eastern end of which it suddenly dives down into a beautiful glen, filled with foliage, and sparkling with fountains and streams of water. Through the midst of it, fringed by tall poplars, and shaded with walnuts, winds the " golden-flowing" river ABANA. Its magic power we see already. It has converted a ravine in a wilderness into a paradise. Conical hills, white almost as the snow of Hermon, rise from the very brink of the waters, and add by their contrast to the enchanting beauty of the scene. Little villages are there, peeping out of their bowers, on the rt. and 1. We follow the new road to a village called Dummar. From this place the road continues through the glen, which contracts into a narrow chasm, shut in by rugged white cliffs. The tra- veller will observe in passing along how rude dams have been formed across the river, and large canals filled by its abundant waters, and then carried along the steep banks, in some places tunnelled through the cliffs, so as to convey water to the higher sections of the plain of Damascus. The road at length emerges from the ravine, and follows the N. bank of the river to the Mosque and Hospital of Selim. There it crosses the river by a wooden bridge and enters Da- mascus. At the village of Dummar, in the glen, the old road turns to the 1., and crosses the shoulder of the high, bleak hill. As it is from the brow of 434 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 32.--First View of Damascus. this hill, on the old road, that the justly celebrated view of the city and its magnificent plain is obtained, some travellers may probably still venture to leave the comfort of the French high- way, and encounter the rugged moun- tain path. As we zigzag up the rugged ascent the desert plain of Sahra once more opens behind us; but the green vale through which we have passed is in view also, and gives a new feature to it. The glen be- comes much narrower as it passes through the ridge of hills. The mad river foams between cliffs; and though the gorge is close on our rt., it is so narrow and deep that both the stream and its fringe of foliage are hid from view. Half an hour from the bridge brings us to the place where the road is hewn through a rocky crest on the eastern brow of the ridge. A little domed wely stands over it on the rt. Ascend- ing to its side Damascus and its plain burst at once upon our view. The change is so sudden, so unexpected, that it seems like some glorious vision. The gorge of the Abana is at our feet, and we see that the river is the source of all that richness and beauty. That ravine is a real cornucopia, pouring out a perennial flood of flowers and fruit upon the broad plain. We are here about 500 ft. above the city, and 1 m. distant from it. This distance lends enchantment to the view. The peculiar forms of Eastern architecture do not bear close inspec- tion, but they look like an Arabian poet's dream when seen from afar. Tapering minarets and swelling domes, tipped with golden crescents, rise up in every direction from the confused mass of white terraced roofs; while in some places their glittering tops appear above the deep green foliage, like diamonds in the midst of eme- ralds. In the centre of the city stands the Great Mosque; and near it are the towers of the Castle. Away on the S. the eye follows the long narrow suburb of the Meiddn. Below us is the Merj, the Ager Damascenus of the early travellers-a long green meadow stretching from near the mouth of the gorge to the western side of the city. The Barada winds through it; and at its eastern end is one of the most beautiful of the mosques, with a large hospital adjoining. The gar- dens and orchards, which have been so long and so justly celebrated, en- compass the whole, sweeping along the base of the hills, and extending on both sides of the river more than 10 m. eastward. They cover an area nearly 30 m. in circuit-not uniformly dense, but with open glades here and there, and villages among. Beyond this circuit are clumps of trees dotting the plain as far as the eye can see. The varied tints of the foliage greatly enhance the beauty of the picture. The sombre hue of the olive and the deep green of the walnut are relieved by the lighter shade of the apricot, the silvery sheen of the poplar, and the purple tint of the pomegranate; while lofty cone-like cypresses appear at intervals, and a few, a very few, palms raise their graceful heads. And in early spring the blossoms of the fruit- trees give another charm to the scene -lying like foam upon a verdant sea. The gorgeously coloured foliage thus surrounding the bright city; the smooth plain beyond, now bounded by bare hills, and now mingling with the sky on the far distant horizon; and the wavy atmosphere quivering under a shower of sunbeams, that make forest, plain, and mountain tremble - give a softness, an airial beauty, to the picture that enchants the beholder. Who will not exclaim as he stands on this hill, and looks on that glorious panorama - "Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?" (2 Kings v. 12). The ridge on which we stand is terminated on the rt. by the snowy peak of Hermon; while on the 1. it stretches away, hill upon hill, till lost in the distance. The plain along the base of the ridge extends to the horizon at each end. On its eastern side is a group of graceful conical hills, called Tellfil, nearly 50 m. v2 435 Route 33.-Tiberias to Damascus. distant. To the rt. of these the plain again touches the horizon. Farther to the rt. still is a ridge of pale blue mountains-now called Jebel Hauran, but anciently Alsadamus Mons, and more anciently" The Hills of Bashan." After these, but much nearer us, come two parallel ranges-Jebel el-Aswad bounding the plain some 7 m. off, and the ridge of Mani'a rising over it. Between these flow Nahr el-Awaj, the ancient PHARPAR. Descending again to the road, we pass through the excavation, and then wind down the steep hill-side. Many tombs are now seen near the road, and among the gardens to the rt., of that light graceful Saracenic architecture which accords so well with eastern scenery; but all are in a sa.d state of dilapidation. We soon enter the large suburb of Salahiyeh, containing a few good villas which command a noble view of the city and plain. A quarter of an hour's ride along a broad paved road brings us to the gate of Da- mascus. ROUTE 33. TIBERIAS TO DAMASCUS, BY JISR BENAT YAKUB. Tiberias to Khan Minyeh (Rte. 28) .... .... .. Khan Jubb Yusef .. .. Jisr Benat Ya'kfib .. .. .. Nawaran-ruined village .. Tell el-Khanzir, on rt .... Kuneiterah-a ruin ...... Sa'sa' .. .. .. .. .. .. Khan esh-Shih ........ Kaukab ...... . . Damascus (Rte. 31) .... .. Total .. .. .. H. M. 2 0 1 40 3 0 1 40 2 30 1 40 6 0 2 20 1 15 2 45 24 50 This route is neither safe nor inte- resting. It is but little travelled, and there is nothing along it to tempt one to run any risks. Its only recommen- dation is the rich pastoral scenery of the Jaulan. The greater part of the country through which it runs is without settled habitation - wholly gifen up to the Arabs of the desert, who pitch their tents by its fountains, and pasture their flocks upon its luxuriant herbage. From the point where we leave the shores of the Sea of Galilee till we reach the plait of Damascus, we pass but one inhabited village. Our path lies along the solitary shores of the lake, past the few mise- rable hovels of Mejdel, to the deserted site of Capernaum (Rte. 28). We then climb the hill to Khan Jubb Ynsef (Rte. 29); and ride along the table- land between the hills of Safed and the ravine of the Jordan for nearly 2 hrs., and aft last make a rapid descent to the bank of the sacred river. Strange enough that a modern bridge over it retains the name of the patriarch who crossed the river, but not at this spot, a young adventurer, with his staff in his hand (Gen. xxxii. 10). Why the word " daughters" should be added is a mystery-yet so it is : Jisr Bendt Yakdb, the " Bridge of Jacob's daughters," is at present the only one that spans the upper Jordan. It has 3 pointed arches, that in the centre being larger than the others; and it is in excellent repair-a remarkable fact in this land of ruins. The roadway is well paved, but there are no parapet walls. It is evidently of comparatively modern construction. On the E. bank, about 100 yds. above the bridge, is a large ruined khan, like those we have seen near Tabor. The interior is over- grown with rank weeds, and a few thorn-bushes. In the centre of the court is a well-built fountain, or tank, with a fragment of a column at each angle. Some of the vaulted chambers are still used as a temporary asylum by a passing traveller. A paved road leads from the bridge to the door of the khan; and another runs up the hill diagonally past the southern side 436 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 83.--" 3ridge of Jacob's8 Daughters." 437 of the building. They may be of the same age as the khan itself. At the western end of the bridge is a small round tower of very recent date, loop- holed for musketry. Beside it are two or three wretched sheds, occupied by toll-men and custom-house officers, when the country is peaceable and passengers inclined to pay. The Jordan is here a rapid stream, about 25 yds. wide. Above the bridge it flows smoothly between alluvial banks, fringed with thickets of reeds and rank grass; and the depth is 8 or 10 ft. But after passing through the bridge it rushes in sheets of foam over shelving rocks and among loose frag- ments. The valley is narrow. The western bank rises abruptly from the water, and is covered with rank weeds and bushes. On the opposite side is a level tract, 40 to 50 yds. wide, car- peted with verdure, and here and there swampy with springs. This tract gradually increases in breadth northward, toward Lake Hfileh; and a short distance above the bridge the W. bank sinks down into the plain which sweeps round the lake, and ex- tends to the site of Dan. We have now a steep winding ascent up the bank on the eastern side of the river. In I h. we reach the brow of the glen. The steepest part is past, but we have still before us a long tedious acclivity; more gentle it is true, and broken here and there with broad terraces of level ground. Some patches of this region are cul- tivated by the Turkman Arabs, who are agriculturists, though they live in tents. The richness of the soil and the luxuriance of the vege- tation attract attention. Even the choicest spots on the plain of Sharon do not equal it. We are in BASHAN, whose pastures attracted the half-tribe of Manasseh-they saw it was a land for cattle, and they had large flocks (Num. xxxii). The wisdom of their choice, and that of their brethren of Reuben and Gad, none will question who are privileged to examine and compare the countries on the E. and W. of the Jordan. Bashan became famous in after years for its "fatlings," its "kine," and its "strong bulls" (Ezek. xxxix. 18; Amos. iv. 1; Ps. xxii. 12). And the traveller may see along these slopes the flocks of black cattle belonging to the Turkmans, bearing unmistakable evidence even now to the excellence of the pas- tures. In 1 h. 40 min. from the bridge we pass the ruins of Nawaran, on the 1. of the road. It is a small town, built of hewn stones, and bears marks of antiqu ty. Fragments of shattered walls and many foundations remain; but all thickly covered with thistles and rank weeds. A few large fig- trees stand on and around the site, and a little fountain sends forth a tiny stream that trickles down the bank through trailing weeds. After passing this place the scenery becomes still richer and more picturesque; groups of oak-trees, and clumps of shrubbery, and green meadows spangled with myriads of flowers, varied here and there with rough bushy banks. The remains of stone fences are also seen encompassing the fields. In fact, the country so resembles a neglected pas- ture-farm, that one expects every open- ing will bring into view some vener- able manor-house. But all is desolate. The best of the pasture is lost-the tender grass of early spring. The flocks of the Turkminans and Arabs el- Fudhl, the only tribes that remain permanently in this region, are not sufficient to consume it; and the 'Anazeh, those "Children of the East," who spread over the land like locusts, and whose " camels are without num- ber, as the sand by the sea-side for multitude" (Jud. vii. 12), only arrive about the beginning of May. At that season the whole country from the Jordan to the plain of Damascus is covered with them-their black tents pitched in circles near the fountains, and their flocks and herds roaming over hill and dale. The traveller who has enterprise and courage enough to pass this way at this season will enjoy a favourable opportunity of see- ing those true sons of the desert, and 4.Route 33.-The 'Anazek. true descendants of him of whom it was prophesied that he would be "a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him: and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren" (Gen. xvi. 12). These words are still fully applicable to the Bedawin, who are the scourges of eastern Syria. Their hand is against every unprotected traveller, every unguarded caravan. The hand of every settled inhabitant is against them, both for defence and reprisal. Yet, though fearing and feared, they dwell in the presence of all their brethren,-they return to their wonted haunts as regularly as birds of pas- sage. The 'Anazeh constitute one of the most powerful and one of the most numerous sections of the Bedawin. They are divided into several large tribes; and these again are subdivided into about 40 smaller ones, each hav- ing a sheikh of its own, and a distin- guishing name. They acknowledge no one ruler; but there are several princely families who are the nominal chiefs of the larger tribes. The divi- sion or tribe which comes annually to this region is called the Walid 'Aly ; and their chief, Mohammed ed-Dhfthy, better known as lbn Isruair, is among the most powerful of the 'Anazeh sheikhs, though inferior to some of them in rank. His principal influence is derived from his connexion with the Pasha of Damascus, to whom he fur- nishes a large number of camels annu- ally for the pilgrim caravan. It is thought, however, that his intercourse with the government does not improve his morals. He enters the Hauran about the beginning of April, and moves gradually westward to the Jor- dan, which he reaches towards the middle of May. His people never cross the river, except to plunder; but this they do often enough. When their flocks have either eaten up or trampled down the pastures of the Jaulan, the sheikh mounts his mare, waves his spear, and his " children" follow him to the lakes of Damascus, round which they encamp for the rest of the summer. The tribe has long been at war with the stationary Beda- win of Jebel Hauran, and their breth- ren of the Safah. As we ascend, the scenery increases in beauty. The landscape, however, can only be seen to perfection by turn- ing round and looking down the slope. When we look up, the rocky banks, the rough stone fences, and the walls of the old terraces, are the most pro- minent features, and hide the green fields and meadows. When we turn our eyes downward the scene is com- pletely changed; beautiful undulations of the richest herbage, varied by long belts and groups of evergreen oak, and single trees here and there-all taste- fully disposed as in an English park. Shrubberies of hawthorn and ilex, with a myrtle at intervals, fringe the forest glades. The multitudes of bright flowers excite our admiration. Here is a meadow covered with butter- cups; beside it are long banks of daisies; then come whole fields glow- ing with tulips and anemones; while cowslips, convolvulus, marigolds, and many others are scattered profusely among the long grass. The trees are generally prickly oak-the "oaks of Bashan." Many of them are noble trees; but a great number are muti- lated. The Bedawin lop off the branches for fuel and to make char- coal, leaving the stems in their places. At 21 h. from Nawaran we reach the base of a picturesque conical hill with a double top, called Tell el- Khanzir, "The Hog's Tell," probably from the number of wild swine that find a retreat in the dense forests round it. It is S. of the road. It is the first of a broad line of conical hills which extend southwards from the base of Hermon. They are all more or less densely wooded; and between them are winding vales, and green glades, and solitary glens that seem as if human foot had never entered them. The scenery is charming-fresh and soft and delicately tinted. The road winds among the hills, still ascending. Occasionally we meet with patches of lioman pavement, and tanks that have a look of antiquity; but there is no 438 Sect. IV. s S. I a a p s h t b f t f, t c e ign of habitation either ancient or Jaulin. As seen from the W. a modern. A few black tents are visible mountain-range appears to run from t long intervals in sheltered nooks; Hermon to the hills of Gilead; but nd bands of Arab cavaliers may be here we see that the mountain-range erceived winding along by-paths, or is merely the supporting wall of a couring the open meadow, their spear- great terrace. We also see that, even eads glittering in the sunlight, at this place, there is no connected ridge-only a series of isolated, and In about 1 h. from Tell el-Khanzir partially isolated, tells, which termi- he road sweeps along the southern nate some 8 or 10 m. to the S. ase of another conical hill, some 500 The plateau of Jaulan is before us; t. high. It is appropriately called but owing to the undulations of the Abu Nedy, "The Father of Dew," for ground in the neighbourhood of this he clouds seem to cling with peculiar line of tells, our view is limited. It is ondness round its wooded top, and a fertile region, well watered by he wely of Sheikh Abu Nedy which streams from Hermon and numerous crowns it. Perhaps the genial influ- fountains. Its pastures are reckoned ence of the snowy peak of Hermon may the richest in Syria, and the greater extend even as far S. as this place, and part of its soil is fertile. Yet it is Abu Nedy may be among those "hills now almost entirely desolate. There of Zion" on which " Hermon's dew" are only eleven inhabited villages in descends. (Ps. cxxxiii. 3.) On passing the province. That it was densely this tell we emerge from the oak forest populated in former times is proved on a verdant plain, level as a bowling- by the fact that I possess a list of one green, stretching far northward be- hundred and twenty-seven towns and tween wooded hills; but only about villages, all of which are deserted m. wide. On its eastern side lie the with the exception of the eleven. The ruins of Kuneitirah. province is bounded on the W. by the Jordan, on the S. by the river Hiero- Kuneitirah is a ruined village of max, on the E. by the Haj road. The about 80 or 100 houses, built on a low northern boundary is not so well de- mound. Beside it is a large khan, fined; but a line drawn from BAnias now ruinous. It was a strong building in a south-eastern direction to the Haj intended both for defence and accom- road may be regarded as a close ap- modation; and the country required proximation. Its greatest length is it. It contains tanks, stables, vaulted about 35 m., and its breadth 25. chambers, and a mosque. Christians The name Jauldn is identical with might occasionally learn a useful lesson the Greek Gaulanitis, and, it is the from Mohammedans. With the latter Arabic form of the Hebrew GOLAN, a no public building is considered com- city of Bashan, which was given out plete without its mosque, or at least of the half-tribe of Manasseh to the its 1lace of prayer. The religious Levites, and was appointed one of the exercises of the followers of the False three cities of refuge beyond the Jordan Prophet may be formal, and only (Josh. xx. 8, xxi. 27; Deut. iv. 43). formal. But form is better than Its site is unknown; but the province nothing. There is something noble of which it was the first capital still in this universal acknowledgment of retains its name. Gaulanitis is not a God, and in this universal recogni- mentioned in Scripture, though it is tion of the first duty of all God's crea- included in that "region of Tracho- tures-worship. nitis," over which Philip the tetrarch ruled (Luke iii. 1). Josephus often mentions it, and gives us sufficient GAULANITIS, Jauldn. - At Kunei- data to fix its boundaries. Much con- tirah we are on the summit of the fusion has arisen from geographers long ascent from the Jordan, and we overlooking the fact that both Gamala stand on the side of the plateau of and Hippos were cities of Gaulanitis, X. PALESTINE. .route 33,-Gaulanitis. 439 R4oute 38.-Iturea. and the districts called by their name were sections of the latter province (Joseph. B. J. iii. 3, 1; iv. 1, 1). Beside Kuneitirah are some traces, of a road, of Roman origin, but evi- dently repaired at a later period, pro- bably when the khan was built. We follow it down a very gentle descent, along the banks of a winter torrent for about 1i m., to another and much larger stream, which comes from the N.W. Here is a deep and difficult ford beside the ruins of an old, perhaps Roman, bridge. The stream flows with a lazy current, the water is deep in spring, and the bottom rough and stony. 100 yards farther is another ford, also beside an old bridge. The grassy banks of these streams, and the beautiful plain of Kuneitirah, form the favourite camping-ground of the Arabs el-Fudhl, who, though dwellers in tents, are to some extent cultivators of the soil, and never leave the neighbourhood of Jebel el-Heish. Their chief sheikh has the title of Emir, and the governor of the districts of Jaulan and Kuneitirah usually resides either in his tents or in those of the Turkman. The path now runs through a deso- late region, so abundantly watered by fountains and streams as to be in early spring almost a morass. About 3 m. to the 1. is the low ridge of Jebel el-Heish, and on the rt. is a rising ground bounding the view eastward. The soil is fertile, and covered with luxuriant grass, though in places very stony. The traces of fields and fences, and other marks of former cultivation, are everywhere visible; but the land is "without an inhabitant." In 2 h. an ancient paved road crosses our path, running from E. to W.; and in another z h. we pass close to a large ruined khan called Keraneh (the Kereymbe of Burckhardt). It is 4 m. to the W. of the road. Beside it are the ruins of a village. Here also we can see the white minaret and dome of the village of Jeba, over the southern shoulder of a tell of the same name, 14 m. to the rt. Passing the western slope of the tell through a thin shrubbery of hawthorn and dwarf oak, we descend a rocky slope to a wady through which winds a little stream. Here are long sections of a finely paved road quite perfect, and two bridges, - still passable, across the double chan- - nel of the rivulet. The road now sweeps along the western slope of Tell esh-Shahm, and here we get our first view of the lower range of Anti- lebanon which bounds the plain of Damascus. The rounded summit of Jebel Tiniyeh stands out prominently on the distant horizon, marking the direction of the old city, which is in a line with it. Jeddr, ITUREA. - We are now in the province of Jedfir. The village of Jeba is on the northern border of Jaulan, and Jedfir adjoins it. Imme- diately after passing Tell esh-Shahm we enter a wild rocky plain called Nukkir S'as'a. The surface of the ground is covered with jagged rocks; here heaped up in great piles, and there sunk into deep pits: at one place smooth and naked, and regular as closely-jointed pavement; at another seamed with deep fissures, in whose chinks spring up rank grass and weeds. The rock is basalt, and the formation similar to that of the Lejah. The molten lava seems to have issued from the earth through innumerable pores, to have spread over the plain, and then to have been rent and shattered in the act of cooling. The Roman road runs through the centre of it, and is still in places almost perfect; the pavement being close and smooth. In 14 h. from Tell esh-Shahm we emerge from the wilderness of rocks beside the large khan of S'as'a. The province of Iturmea, with which Jedfr is identical, is only once men- tioned in Scripture-Philip was "Te- trarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis" (Luke iii. 1). But the country became historic long before the rule of the Herodian family, or even the advent of the Greeks. Jetur was a son of Ishmael, and he gave his name, like the rest of his brethren, to the province he colonized (Gen. xxv. 15, 16). In after years, when the Israelites settled in Canaan, a war 440 Sect.- IV, Route 33.-S'a sprang up between the half-tribe of Manasseh and the "Hagarites (or Ishmaelites), Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab." The latter were conquered, and "the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land, and they increased from Bashan unto Baal- Hermon, and Senir, and unto Mount Hermon." They already possessed the plateau of Jaulan, and the whole of the Hauran on the E. of it; and now they conquered and colonized the province of Jedur (the Arabic form of the Hebrew Jetur), which lay between their other possessions and Mount Hermon. (1 Chron. v. 19-23.) Subsequent history shows that the hardy Ishmaelites were neither annihi- lated nor entirely dispossessed, for, in the second century before our era, Aristobulus king of the Jews conquered the province and gave the people their choice of Judaism or banishment (Jos. Ant. xiii. 11, 3). The physical geo- graphy of the country here as else- where, serves to illustrate history. The Iturmans retired for a time, before a more powerful enemy, to the recesses of this rocky plain, and to the heights of Hermon-just as the Arabs el-Fudhl do now on the approach of the'Anazeh. The Iturmans seem to have been a brave people, attached to their country, fond of liberty, and with a hereditary tendency to pillage. Strabo briefly describes them as "a race of vaga- bonds," and probably most of their neighbours agreed with him. They have not yet lost their character. The modern province of Jedfr coincides in extent with the ancient Iturma. It extends from the northern border of Jaulan to the banks of the river Jen- nany, and from the eastern base of Hermon to the Haj road. It contains thirty-eight towns and villages, 10 of which are deserted, and the rest con- tain only a few families of peasants, living in wretched hovels, amid heaps of ruins. S'as'a is a small village built within 2 large khans. It stands on the side of a cup-shaped tell, which was an ancient site, and a more ancient crater. The river Jennany sweeps past its N. PALE8TINE. as'a.-The .Pharpar. 441 northern base in a broad shallow bed, and is crossed by a stone bridge. One of the khans stands on the northern declivity of the tell. The exterior walls are rude, composed of small black stones. Within it is the princi- pal part of the village. The other khan is a fine building. The work- manship is not only substantial but elegant. The walls are of white lime- stone, and it contrasts singularly with its dark neighbour. At the angles are octagonal towers, and along the sides heavy buttresses. The gateway has a beautiful pointed arch. In the in- terior are a mosque and tank in the centre of an open court; with great numbers of vaulted chambers and buildings of different kinds round its sides. Now the mosque is roofless, the tank dry, and the chambers in ruins. A few families still find a shelter within it. The khan was built nearly 300 years ago by Senan Pasha of Damas- cus, at the same time with those near Tabor, and probably also with those at Jisr Benat Yakfb, and Kuneitirah. Our road crosses the old bridge; then traverses for 4 h. a cultivated plain-an oasis in the desert; then fords the stream of the Sabirany, beside another ruinous bridge; and then enters a desolate waste. About z m. E. of the ford the 2 streams unite and form the river 'Awaj, the ancient Pharpar. It sweeps along in a deep narrow bed, "tortuous" as the name implies-confined on the one side by a rugged wall of volcanic rock, and on the other by cliffs of limestone. The former affolbrds some specimens of columnar basalt. The country away to the rt., almost as far as the eye can see, is a plain covered with jagged rocks, and dotted with conical tells. On the 1. is a bleak undulating waste, scantily clothed with a brownish thorny shrub, that gives it all the dreary aspect of a Scotch moor. The only variety along this desolate track is a little glen crossing the path at rt. angles, in which are a number of heaps of small stones, and thorn-bushes garnished with hundreds of rags. It used to be, and occasionally is still, a favourite haunt of Druze a d Arab robbers. U3 4Route 33.-Scene of Paul's Conversion. The stone-heaps mark the graves of them: the snow-capped peak of Hermon murdered travellers; and the shreds on the 1.; the long bare ridge of Anti- and patches are the offerings of more lebanon running eastward, with the fortunate voyagers to the manes of the rounded top of Jebel Tiniyeh rising in dead. The glen falls into the 'Awaj the midst of it; the broad plain with its on the rt., near the spot where a large various-tinted foliage and deep green canal leads off from the river a supply corn-fields, here spreading out to the of water for the plain of Damascus. horizon, and there bounded by groups As we advance traces of the old road of graceful hills; the villages em- appear here and there. It is broad bowered in orchards to the rt. and 1.; and well paved; running along in the and the bright buildings of the city true Roman style, straight as an itself just appearing above the foliage; arrow. We soon pass Khan esh-Shih, the same cloudless sky, and the same an old caravansary with high walls fierce sun pouring down a flood of light and low door. It is occupied by a few from the midst of heaven (it was "noon- families of peasants and shepherds. day") on city, plain, and mountain. The canal is close on our rt., and the The same figures too gave life to the river about 1 m. distant; between the landscape: strings of camels bearing two is a rich cultivated plain, in the wheat of Auranitis; Bedawy cava- which, near the banks of the'Awaj, are liers from the eastern deserts, armed several small villages. From the khan with long lances; and peasants driving we can look down the valley as far as their yokes of oxen with sharp goads- Kesweh, where the river enters the goads which forcibly illustrated, if they glen between the parallel ridges of did not suggest, Jesus' words to Paul: Jebel el-Aswad and Jebel Mani'a. " It is hard for thee to kick against the The district watered by the 'Awaj is goads" (Acts xxvi. 14). "At mid- called Wady el-'Ajam, the "valley of day," as the company approached the the Persians," but when or why it city, "suddenly" a "great light" shone got the name is unknown. The road from heaven, and the greatness of that crosses the canal, traverses an un- light he can comprehend who has seen dulating plain, and passes between 2 a Syrian sun shining in his strength, low hills at the western end of Jebel and who reads that the light which el-Aswad. On the summit of that to shone about Paul and his companions the 1. is the village of Jineh, and on was "above the brightness of the sun" that to the rt. Kaukab-both black, (Acts xxii. 6; xxvi. 13). The closing bleak, and ruinous. Here we get our scene of the drama and its results are first view of the plain of Damascus, well known. and of the minarets and domes of the Another remarkable incident oc- city itself, rising out of a sea of ver- curred, probably on this road, perhaps dure; and here a tradition, as old at on the same spot, nearly 1000 years least as the time of the Crusades, fixes earlier. The prophet Elisha went from the scene of Pauls conversion. There Palestine to Damascus. Benhadad the is nothing in the Scripture narrative king, his old enemy (2 Kings vi. 11-13), to enable us to identify the spot: heard the news and sent one of his " And as he journeyed, he came near principal servants with a costly present Damascus; and suddenly there shined and an humble inquiry : "Thy son round about him a light from heaven" Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me (Acts ix. 3). Somewhere near the city to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this -near it in comparison with the long disease ?" (viii. 9.) The messenger distance he had travelled-the event was Hazael, whom Elijah had been occurred. The exact locality is un- commissioned some time previously to known; but as it was on the great anoint king over Syria (1 Kings xix. road to Jerusalem, a mile or two back- 15). Crafty though Hazael was, Elisha wards or forwards makes no difference read his wicked designs; and his on the leading features of the landscape. searching glance brought a blush to We see them to-day just as Paul saw the traitor's face. The whole circum- 442 Sect. IV. Route 33.-8Damascus stances of this tragic episode in Scrip- ture history are thoroughly Oriental: the "forty camels' burden" of "every good thing of Damascus;" the accom- plished duplicity and cruelty of the confidential servant; the ease with which the murderer mounted the throne of his victim; and the subsequent barbarity of the usurper. I could pick out a score of Hazaels from among the local rulers of Syria during the last century. DAMASCUS. Hotel.-The only hotel in the city is that kept by Dimitri, and called by his name. It is a new house, clean, well- ordered, and comfortable. The land- lord is honest, attentive, and intelligent. It is situated near the British Con- sulate, and the terminus of the new road to Beyrout. The terms are 11 francs a day for board and lodging, including service and vin ordinaire of home manufacture. Consul, Post.-The British Consul, E. T. Rogers, Esq., has his residence and offices in the Muslem quarter, near the terminus of the new road, and the office of the Road Company. All letters for travellers should be addressed to his care, and called for. Letters for England may be forwarded by the Consular post, which leaves in time to meet the French steamer from Beyrout to Alexandria. There is an English dromedary-mail to Baghdad on the arrival of the post from Beyrout. Money. - There are no English banking or Mercantile houses in Da- mascus. Bills on London can be negotiated in the offices of several native and foreign merchants; but at a loss of 3 or 4 per cent. The best way of obtaining money is to advise the banker in Beyrout, and draw upon him in Turkish liras, or other known gold or silver coin, for what may be needful. English Service is conducted every Sunday at 11 o'clock in the new church of the Irish Presbyterian Mis- sion. Population. - The population of Damascus is estimated at about 150,000. Of these about 18,000 are Christians, 6000 Jews, and the rest Mohammedans. From recent very careful statistics collected by the Rev. S. Robson, it appears that before the massacre of 1860 the Christian population num- bered nearly 32,000. At present it is under 20,000. The Christian quarter of the city, which lay near the East Gate, on both sides of " the street called Straight," was plundered and burnt to ashes. Not a single house was left. The following careful statement, which was kindly furnished to me by Mr. Robson, will be read with interest. I may state that Mr. Robson was in the city during the massacre:- "After the massacre in Damascus the clergy and chief people of each sect made out a list of the persons belonging to their community who were killed, as far as it was possible to ascertain their names. These lists contained the names of about 1200 known inhabitants of the city. It is certain, therefore, that that number at least, of persons permanently resi- dent in Damascus, perished during the three days of the massacre. "But besides these there was in the city at the time of the massacre a considerable number of strangers, who were brought by some business, and were in lodgings in various parts of the city-in the Mohammedan as well as in the Christian quarter. Of these some were from the towns and villages of Syria, some from Mesopotamia, some from Egypt, and many were Armen- ians.. It is impossible to ascertain how many of this class were killed. "Another class of strangers in Da- mascus at the time consisted of the Christian inhabitants of the surround- ing villages, who, had taken refuge in the city. These refugees amounted to several thousands. They were lodged in churches, schools, and con- N. PALESTINE. 443 .4Route 33.-Massacre of 1860. vents. Being crowded tdgether, and mostly in public places, a very large number of them was killed. The best estimates of the number vary from 1300 to 1500. "I am sure, therefore, that I am rather below than above the truth in saying that on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of July, 1860, there were murdered in Damascus at least 2500 adult male Christians." But no estimate of the numbers actually murdered can give an ade- quate idea of the terrible results of those massacres. Thousands who es- caped the sword of the assassin died of fright, of wounds, of famine, or of subsequent privations. Those mur- dered were men mostly in the prime of life, the only support of wives and children. Their houses were burned; their property was swept away; all means of support were taken from them. The survivors were driven forth homeless, penniless, and in many cases naked and wounded. Many of the women and girls were seized by the inhuman murderers, and condemned to the worst of all forms of slavery. About a third of the Christian houses still (1868) lie in ruins. Two- thirds are partially rebuilt; but some of them are mere shells; and the magnificence of former days is all gone. The churches are nearly all completed. The feeling of distrust, fear, and hatred still remains deeply rooted in the hearts of the Christians toward the Mohammedans; and it can never be allayed so long as the trea- cherous government of Turkey rules over Syria. The Bazaars of Damascus have long been celebrated; and they are among the best in the East. Long ranges of open stalls, on each side of narrow covered lanes, with a bearded, turbaned, robed figure squatting in the corner of each as composedly as if he had been placed there for show, like the piles of silk that rise up on each side of him. Each trade has its own quarter or section in the immense network of bazaars, and thus we run in succession through the Mercers' Bazaar, the Tailors' Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, the Tobacco Bazaar, the Shoe Bazaar, the Silversmiths' Bazaar, the Clog Bazaar, the Book Bazaar, the Sad- dlers' Bazaar, and the "Old Clo'" Ba- zaar. All the costumes of Asia are here pushing along the crowded thorough- fares, struggling with panniered don- keys and strings of mules and camels. The bazaars are well stocked: In- dian muslins, Manchester prints, Per- sian carpets, Lyons silks, Damascus swords, Birmingham knives, amber mouthpieces, antique china - ware, Cashmere shawls, French ribbons, Mocha coffee, Dutch sugar- all mingled together. Those who have a taste for curiosities, such as old arms, porcelain, &c., ought to visit the Sk el-Arwdm, " Greek Bazaar," near the gate of the palace. Be it remembered that 5 or 6 times the value of each article is usually asked. The situation of Damascus, and the general features of the surrounding country, have already been described. (See above, Rte. 32.) The city stands in the plain, 1I m. from the base of the lowest ridge of Antilebanon. The plain has an elevation of about 2200 ft. above the sea, and is covered with vegetation and foliage. The ridge consists of barren chalk hills, almost white as snow in summer, and in winter of a dull grey colour-run- ning from the base of Hermon in a direction N.E. by E. The average elevation above the plain is about 600 ft.; but opposite the city a round- backed hill rises to a height of 1500 ft., and is crowned by a little ruin called Kubbet en-Nasr, "the Dome of Victory." Along the base of this hill lies the large straggling village of Salahiyeh, usually reckoned a suburb of Damascus; and a little to the W. of it the Barada issues from the mountains by a sublime gorge, and flows due E. through the plain, dividing the city into two unequal parts. Damascus occupies one of those sites which nature seems to have intended for a perennial city: its beauty stands unrivalled, its richness has passed into a proverb, and its 444 Sect, IV. REFERENCES L.L 1. Armenian Convent. 11. Custom-house. I 2. Greek Catholic Church. 12. Tomb of Sidy Bill.- 8. Syrian Church. 13. Tomb of St. George. 4. House of Ananias. 14. Bab Kian, where Paul 5. Lazarist Convent. was let down from - GARDZ.S 6. Latin Convent. the wall? -R-,o,.se 7. Greek Church. 15. Scene of Paul's Conver- 8. KhMn Assad Pasha. sion? 40 T moumrs 9. House of Judas? 16. Leper Hospital. House 10. British Consulate. of Naaman? SL OF A S.US PLAN OF DAMASCUS. .4Route 33.-Damascus--History. supply of water is unlimited, making fountains sparkle in every dwelling. The Old City - the nucleus of Damascus-is on the S. bank of the river. It is of an oval form, encom- passed by a ricketty wall, and having the castle projecting at its N.W. cor- ner. Its greatest diameter is marked by the " Street called Straight," which runs from W. to E., and is an English mile in length. In this part are the principal buildings, including the Castle, the Great Mosque, Khan As'ad Pasha, the Christian churches, &c. Here, too, the Christians reside, clustering round the E. gate. The Jews adjoin them on the S. On the N. bank of the river, adjoining the castle, is a large suburb, extending up the gentle slope towards Salahiyeh. This may be called the Turkish quarter, as a large number of the best houses are occupied by officers of the government, civil and military. At the W. end of the old city is another large suburb, including the long range of barracks, the beautiful mosque and hospital of Sultan Selim, the courts of justice, the principal consulates, and the offices of the New Road Company. Adjoining this, and extending south- ward in a straight line for nearly 2 m., is the Meidan, the largest suburb of all. Through the Meidan runs a wide street, terminating at Buwdbet Ullah, " The Gate of God," through which the pilgrim caravan annually passes on its way to Mecca. The principal manufactures of the city are silks, which are exported to Egypt,. Baghdad, and Persia; coarse woollen cloth for the abbas, or cloaks, almost universally worn by the peasants of Syria and the Bedawin; cotton cloths; gold and silver orna- ments; arms, &c. In addition to sup- plying the wants of the whole popula- tion between the southern part of the Hauran and Hums, the city carries on an extensive trade with the Bedawin of the eastern desert. The bazaars are always crowded with people and merchandize; and on Friday, the great market-day, it is almost impos- sible to pass through them. On the arrival of the pilgrim caravan going to and returning from Mekka, the city presents a gay and animated appear- ance. The vast numbers of Hajys in their picturesque and quaint costumes -Persians, Kurds, Circassians, Ana- tolians, Turks-all grouped together, and shouting in their different lan- guages; the strange wares they have imported for sale, for each Hajy is a merchant for the time being; and perhaps more than all the influx of wild Bedawin who have been brought to the city to escort the caravan on its long desert journey-these form a picture which the world could not match. Damascus is now the political capi- tal of Syria. The official title of its Pasha is Wdly, and he is ruler of the whole country from the borders of Egypt to the parallel of Maarret en- N'amin, north of Hamath. Under him are three provincial pashalics- Beyrout, Akka, and Jerusalem. According to the arrangement of the great powers after the massacre of 1860, Lebanon is an independent pashalic, governed by a Christian. The first pasha appointed was Ddud, an Armenian from Constantinople, who was to hold office for three years. He has given general satisfaction, and has been reappointed. Damascus is the head-quarters of the army of Syria, and the Pasha is commander-in-chief. The Pasha also ranks with the first officers of the Turkish empire, because he is, in virtue of his office, Emir el-Haj, "Prince of the Pilgrimage." It being part of his duty to accompany, when possible, the annual caravan to Mecca, this, however, he generally does by deputy. The History of Damascus reaches back into the misty regions of anti- quity. Josephus affirms that the city was founded by Uz the son of Aram. We have no reason to doubt the fact. The family of Aram colo- nized north-eastern Syria, and gave it the name by which*it is universally called in Scripture, ARAM (rendered in the English translation SYRIA : 446 Sect. IV. Route 33.-Da see Jud. x. 6; 2 Sam. viii. 6, xv. 8; 1 Kings x. 29; Isa. vii. 2; Ezek. xvi. 57, &c.). The distinguishing appella- tion also of this section of country in Old Testament history is Aram- Damesk, "Aram of Damascus" (2 Sam. viii. 6; 1 Chron. xviii. 6); hence the words of Isaiah, "the head of Syria (Aram) is Damascus" (vii. 8). The natural highway from southern Meso- potamia, the cradle of the human race, across the desert to Syria, is by the fountains of Palmyra and Kuryetein. The earliest wanderers westward after the dispersion of Babel would thus be brought to the banks of the Abana. Such a site would at once be occupied, and when occupied would never be deserted. However this may be, Damascus was already a noted place in the days of Abraham. The steward of his house was "Eliezer of Damascus." (Gen. xv. 2; see also xiv. 15.) Long afterwards, under the sovereignty of the Hadads, it became the rival of Israel. (1 Kings xv. 17-21, xx., xxii.) One interesting episode occurred dur- ing this stormy period. In one of the warlike expeditions of the Damas- cenes into Palestine a little Jewish maid was taken captive. She was placed in the Harim of Naaman, the Syrian general, and " waited on Naaman's wife." (2 Kings v. 1, 2.) Naaman was a leper; and the captive said, with all a woman's tenderness, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy." Naaman was told of the remark. Obtaining a letter from his sovereign to the king of Israel, he set out for Samaria. The result is well known. The king of Israel thought his old enemy sought an occasion of war; but on receiving a message from Elisha, he sent Naaman to the prophet, who told him to wash in the Jordan. Then the proud Syrian, enraged alike at the want of respect in the prophet, and the apparent slight cast on his country, uttered the words-" Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damas- cus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them and N. PALESTINE. ma8scus-History. 447 be clean ?" However, the advice of his servants prevailed; and he washed and was healed. (2 Kings v. 12-14.) Outside the E. gate of the city is a Leper Hospital, which is supposed by the inhabitants to occupy the site of Naaman's house. A change of dynasty was brought about by an incident of a far less pleasing kind, in which the prophet Elisha was also an actor. It has already been alluded to in connexion with the approach to the city. Ben- hadad was murdered, and the mur- derer, assuming the government, raised the kingdom to a higher pitch of pros- perity than it had ever yet attained (2 Kings viii. 7-15, 28, 29; x. 32-36; xii. 17, 18). But its prosperity was of short duration. Its incursions into the territories of Judah became so galling, that Ahaz was forced to seek the aid of Tiglath-pileser king of As- syria. The latter marched across the desert, laid waste the country, cap- tured the city, killed its monarch, and led its people captive to the banks of the Kir. The high position Damascus had held for more than three centuries, as the capital of a powerful kingdom, was now lost; and the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, "Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap ;" or, as the words seem to be explained in the context, "The kingdom shall cease from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria" (Isa. xvii. 1, 3). Then also the words of Amos became like a historic record : "I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabit- ant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the Lord" (Amos i. 4, 5). Colo- nies from Assyria were planted in the city, and it became a dependency of a more powerful empire. For a thousand years or more it cannot be said to have a separate history, but it still continued to flourish as a com- mercial capital (Ezek. xxvii. 18). 4.Route 33.-)-Damascus-History. About a century before the Christian era, Damascus enjoyed once more for a few years a semblance of royalty, when the kingdom of the Seleucide was divided between the brothers Grypus and Cyzicenus, and the latter fixed his residence in the city. The next event of importance in the history of Damascus was its sub- mission to the Romans under Pompey in B.c. 64. The proconsul occasionally resided here (Joseph. Ant. xiv. 9, 2; 4, 5), though Antioch was then the capital of Syria. Paul's statement in the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians (xi. 32), that " the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison," has given rise to difficulty. No early writer alludes to the fact; and it has been questioned whether a petty prince could have wrested even temporarily a city of such importance from the powerful grasp of Rome. But a few well-ascertained facts throw a clear light upon the subject. On the death of "Philip, tetrarch of Iturma and Tra- chonitis" (Luke iii. 1), these states were annexed to the Roman province of Syria, which then bordered on the do- minions of Herod Agrippa, and on the kingdom of Aretas. Herod was Are- tas' son-in-law; but in consequence of his guilty passion for his brother Philip's wife he had, in the days of John the Baptist, divorced the daugh- ter of Aretas (Matt. xiv. 3). This act led to a war in which Herod was worsted by the Arabian king. The emperor Tiberius, on hearing of the defeat of his friend Herod, ordered Vitellius the proconsul to march against Aretas, and send him to Rome either alive or dead. Vitellius made preparations to obey, but, when about to set out, news reached him of the emperor's death. Aretas was pre- pared to defend his kingdom and his life; and, finding that the procurator had withdrawn, he became himself the aggressor. Marching across the plain of Gaulanitis, he seized Damas- cus. Tiberius died in the spring of A.D. 37, and during two years Syria was in a great measure neglected. Then it was '"the governor under Aretas kept the city;" and then also Paul visited it and was consecrated to his great work. Christianity advanced rapidly in Damascus. Its metropolitan was pre- sent at the council of Nice with seven of his suffragans. About 70 years afterwards the great Temple was con- verted into a Christian church, and dedicated to St. John the Baptist. For nearly 3 centuries Christianity was predominant. Then came an- other faith and another race. In the year A.D. 634 Damascus fell into the hands of the Muslems. The con- querors guaranteed the inhabitants security for life and property, and the free exercise of their faith. Seven churches were assigned to them in ad- dition to the half of the Cathedral of St. John. The latter, however, was soon wholly appropriated by the Mus- lemrs. Twenty-seven years after the capture of the city, Moawyah, the first khalif of the Omeiyades (A.D. 661), made Damascus the seat of his government, and the capital .of the Mohammedan empire. The armies of this warlike dynasty soon spread to the E. and W. They marched along the north- ern shores of Africa to the Atlantic. The continent of Europe lay invit- ingly before them; and they were in- troduced to Spain by the traitor act of one of her own sons. That kingdom soon fell a prey to the invaders; and had not the "hammer" of Charles Martel crushed their power on the plains of Languedoc, France and Eu- rope might ere long have been at their feet. In the East their con- quests were no less brilliant, and they have proved more enduring. The Indus was crossed, and Hindustan over- run. The mountains of Bokhara were penetrated, and settlements effected amid its rich glens and uplands. Thus did our old city become the capital of an empire reaching from the Hima- layas to the Atlantic, and embracing some of the fairest and most fertile re- gions of the world. The Omeiyades adorned the city with many splendid buildings, but that on whose gorgeousness Arab Sect. IV, 448 N. PALESTINE. Route 83.-Damascus--History. historians most delighted to expatiate was the Great Mosque, formerly the cathedral. The Khalif Walid refitted and decorated it at vast expense. Un- fortunately, while the Muslems erected palaces and mosques they took their materials from structures of a purer taste. Roman colonnades and porticos were destroyed, and a few fragments only left here and there. to mark the spot where they once stood. But the genius of Islam was never fitted for furthering national prosperity in times of peace. The profligacy and licentiousness which it sanctions must ever be productive of both moral and physical degeneracy, when the hu- man passions have no other channels through which to flow. While Arab soldiers and their leaders were stimu- lated by the excitement of the battle- field, and the love of plunder, their martial spirit and energy were retained. Conquests, however, must stop some- where; plunder cannot last for ever; and when the Muslem is forced back from these outlets, his unrestrained passions drive him to vices which soon result in a debilitated body and an en- feebled mind. Thus it has ever been. Islam has always prospered in the camp and in the field; but when the excitement of war has passed, its life and vigour have disappeared. It has run a regular course among all the peoples, of whatever race or country, that have embraced it; and among all the dynasties that have in succession swayed the sceptre of the "false pro- phet." A stormy period of four centuries now passes over the city without leav- ing an incident worthy of note. An attack of the crusaders, under Baldwin, Conrad, and Louis VII., might have claimed a place here, had it not been so disgraceful to the Christian arms. It is enough to say that the Cross never displaced the Crescent. The reigns of Nureddin, and his more dis- tinguished successor Saladin, form bright epochs in the city's history; a school founded by the former still exists. Two centuries later came Tamerlane. Arab writers call him el-Wahsh, "the wild beast," and he has earned the name. After the city had surrendered, and every male in- habitant had paid the redemption money laid on by Tamerlane him- self, his cruelty was -still unsatisfied. By an exciting speech he urged his soldiers to an indiscriminate massacre. On the first of the month Shaban (A.H. 803) they commenced a scene of out- rage and slaughter such ,as it is im- possible to describe. Houses were pillaged, women dishonoured and mur- dered, old men hewn to pieces, chil- dren flung into the flames! The mas- sacre of 1860 was a repetition, though under different circumstances, of that of 1401. Never had Damascus during its long history so fearfully experienced the horrors of conquest. Its wealth was dissipated in a day. Its stores of antiquities and rich fabrics were seized by those who had not the taste to appreciate their beauty or their worth. Its palaces, with their marble halls, inlaid fountains, ara- besqued walls and ceilings, and silk divans embroidered with gold and sparkling with gems, were pillaged and left in ashes. Its libraries, filled with the literature patronized by the later khalifs, and with the writings of the fathers of the Eastern Church, were destroyed. Tradition records that of the large Christian population bnly a single family escaped. Their de- scendants still exist, and I have heard from their lips the fearful story of the Wahsh, which had been handed down, through well nigh five centuries, from sire to son. But the city soon rose from its ashes. A century later it fell into the hands of the Turks under Sultan Selim; and has ever since, nominally at least, acknowledged their supremacy. The only incident worthy of record in this sketch, subsequent to the occupation of the city by the Turks, is its capture by Ibrahim Pasha; and this is deserving of notice only on account of the effects it produced. Damascus was then opened for the first time to the representatives of Christian powers. The British consul entered it in full costume, protected by Egyptian soldiers and a band of 449 5 Route 33.-Damascus-Walks about the City. Sect. IV. Janissaries. The fanatical citizens distribution of books, and the preaching muttered curses deep and terrible, but of the Gospel, the missionaries have fear kept them from any open demon- not only succeeded in gaining a number stration of their rage. of converts, but they have contributed No city in the world can lay claim greatly to advance the cause of educa- to such high antiquity; and few can tion and a taste for reading among a vie with it in the importance of the large section of the community. Mus- events enacted within its walls. Twice lems, Jews, and Christians of all de- has it been the capital of great empires. nominations, have attended their At one time its monarch ruled from schools, and have bought and read the shores of the Atlantic to the banks their books. The mission church and of the Indus. Six different races have schools were burned; one of the mis- possessed it, and its history may thus sionaries, the Rev. William Graham, be divided into six periods. During of Belfast, was murdered, and the the first period of 1450 years it was little Protestant community dispersed, independent. The Babylonian and during the massacre of 1860. The Persian monarchlis held it for a second church and schools have since been period of 417 years. It was under rebuilt, chiefly through the munifi- Grecian rule a third period of 248 cence of an English lady, Miss Eliza years. The Romans possessed it a Bromfield, of Ryde. The Protestant fourth period of 699 years. The Sara- community is larger than it was before cens occupied it a fifth period of 441 the massacre, and the schools are pro- years. Lastly it fell into the hands of gressing not only in the city, but in the Turks, who still retain it. But some of the leading villages round it, their power is rapidly declining, and to the entire satisfaction of the mis- the sixth period of Damascus's history sionaries. Public worship is conducted is fast drawing to a close, in Arabic twice every Sunday. One Perhaps the most remarkable fact of the converts, Dr. Meshdkah, a man connected with the history of this city of good family and great influence, has is, that it has flourished under every become widely known in connexion change of dynasty, and under every with the Protestant movement in form of government. It may be called Syria. He wields a ready and power- the perennial city. Its station among ful pen, and his writings are preparing the capitals of the world has been the way for the spread of Gospel wonderfully uniform. The presence of truth. He would be an ornament to royalty never seems to have greatly the Christian Church in any land. advanced its internal welfare, nor did The mission staff at present consists of its removal cause decay. It has never the Rev,. Messrs. Robson and Wright, rivalled in its population, or in the of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, splendour of its structures, Nineveh, and the Rev. Mr. Crawford of the Babylon, or Thebes; but neither has United States. English service is con- it resembled them in the greatness of ducted in the church by one of the its fall. It has existed and prospered missionaries on each Sunday, at 11 alike under Persian despotism, Grecian o'clock. anarchy, and Roman patronage; and it exists and prospers still, despite Turkish oppression and misrule. WALKS ABOUT THE CITY. The Protestant Mission was esta- The antiquities of Damascus will be blished in Damascus, in 1843, by two seen to the best advantage in the fol- missionaries, one from the Presbyterian lowing walks. Damascus has been too Church of Ireland, and the other from prosperous a city to have any very the Church of Scotlnd. The latter striking ruin, standing out, like the soon withdrew, and the Presbyterian temples of Ba'albek and Palmyra, in Church of the United States took her naked but picturesque desolation. Few place. By their schools, the sale and cities of Syria have more remains of 450 N. PALESTIN. Route 33.-Damascus- Walk round the Wall18. 451 ancient grandeur, yet they are so encompassed by modern mansions and bazaars, that one can only see a frag- ment of them peeping out here and there. The richly-wrought capital is often overshadowed by the Saracenic cupola, while its shaft is hid behind piles of Manchester prints in the stalls below. The polished granite is coated with plaster and whitewash in the streets; and columns of marble, por- phyry, and verd-antique, are shut up in mosques and palaces. It requires time and trouble to explore the anti- quities of Damascus. FIRST WALK-Round the walls. We shall commence our circuit from the East Gate (Bab Shurky), recommending the traveller to engage a native guide. Here are the remains of a Roman portal, consisting of a central and two side arches. The former is 20 ft. 6 in. wide by 38 ft. high, and the latter half these dimensions. The central arch is broken at the top, and, with the southern side-arch, has been walled up for more than 800 years. The northern side-arch now forms the city gate. Round it are the remains of a tower, built in the early days of Mus- lem rule to defend the entrance. The present appearance of the gateway and its adjuncts is picturesque, though dilapidated. The crumbling Sara- cenic battlements, surmounted by a rickety minaret, contrast strangely with the massive grandeur of the Roman architecture. The little area in front of the gate, and the rude cafd beside it, generally present an animated scene for the foreground of a picture. One of the most interesting views of the city is obtained from the top of the minaret. On reaching the top we are struck with the strange aspect of the city-the blackened ruins of the Chris- tian quarter, burned in 1860, in the foreground; beyond it an undulating plain of flat roofs, broken here and there by a white cupola and a tall minaret. The large dome and peaked roofs of the Great Mosque form the most conspicuous object. The heavy battlements of the castle are seen be- hind it. At our feet commences a narrow lane, which runs away west- ward as far as the eye can follow it among the confused labyrinth of build- ings. This is the " street called Straight" (Acts ix. 11). It is not quite straight now, nor is its architecture peculiarly imposing, yet there cannot be a doubt of its identity. In the Roman age and down to the time of the Mohammedan conquest, a noble street extended in a straight line from this gate westward through the city. It was divided by Corinthian colonnades into three avenues, opposite and cor- responding to the three portals. I have traced the remains of these colon- nades. Wherever excavations are made in the line, bases of columns are found in situ, and fragments of shafts lying under accumulated rubbish. This street was like those still seen in Pal- myra and Jerash. Its length was an English mile, and its breadth about 100 ft. Outside Bab Shurky is a large mound of rubbish which for centuries has formed the deposit for the debris of old houses. Recent excavations have shown that at one time this was the site of furnaces for the manufacture of those finely-glazed and richly-coloured tiles and vessels of pottery for which Damascus was celebrated. It is said that the beautiful coating of Kubbet es-Sukrah at Jerusalem was made here. An extensive view of the city and surrounding plain is obtained from the top of the mound, but it is not equal to that from the minaret. History tells us that when the Muslems invested Damascus, and while Abu Obeidah was arranging the terms of surrender on the opposite side of the city, a traitor priest opened the east gate to Khaled. He rushed in, followed by his wild troops, shout- ing their war-cry, Ullahu Akbar. The neighbouring streets were soon de- luged in blood; but, fortunately for the inhabitants, Abu Obeidah appeared and stayed the massacre. Turning southward, we" soon reach an angle of the wall where are the foundations of an old tower, composed of roughly-bevelled stones, showing 452 Route 33.---Damascus--Walk round the Walls. Sect. IV. probably an ante-Roman origin. Up to the time of Ibrahim Pasha's rule it was almost perfect. It was then remarkable for having the fleur-de-lis and two lions sculptured in relief over the entrance doorway. We have now before us a long sec- tion of the city wall, exhibiting speci- mens of the masonry of every age. The Roman foundations are here: there cannot be a doubt about them- two or three ranges of hewn stones, often disjointed and displaced, Out sometimes in situ. The foundations of square towers at intervals are of the same date, but the circular super- structures are Turkish. About 4 m. from the angle we reach a projecting tower of early Saracenic masonry, and beside it a walled-up gate, called Bab Kisan, after a cele- brated ruler-who erected it during the reign of the Khalif Moawyeh, in the 7th century. It has been shut for more than 700 years. Here tradition has located the scene of Paul's escape from the city :-" And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped" (2 Cor. xi. 33). The window was shown until a few years ago ! In front of the gate, shaded by walnut-trees, is a small cupola, covering a tomb said to be that of George, the porter who aided St. Paul in his escape, and became a martyr to his benevolence. His memory and his sepulchre are still venerated by the Christians. m. eastward in an open area, are the Christian cemeteries. Here the Latin monks have recently located the scene of Paul's conversion. A little to the south of the reputed site is the English cemetery. In it may be seen a plain monument over the tomb of an accomplished scholar and kind-hearted Christian, Dr. Wil- liam Arnold Bromfield. In it, too, lie the remains of the wayward but accom- plished historian, H. T. Buckle. After passing Bab Kisan we observe the foundations of the ancient outer wall, running parallel to the present wall. The old moat is visible too. The outer wall was removed by Ibra- him Pasha, and the moat in a great mea- sure filled up. On the 1., in a field, is a tottering minaret; and about 100 yds. from it, in an open area, is a white-domed tomb, in which lie the mortal remains of Sidy BilMl, a saint of wondrous sanctity who lived in the early ages of Islam. He is generally confounded with Bilal el-Habashy, Mohammed's first convert; but the latter was buried in another cemetery, to which we shall soon come. Proceeding along the wall, past ridges of rubbish, we reach a dilapidated gate and enter a large suburb-much larger than the city itself; it extends westward more than a mile, and southward about two. Like the city, it is divided into quar- ters, and the largest of them is called the Meiddan (" racecourse "). The street along which we walk is broader than usual, but the houses are in a sad state of decay. It must be ad- mitted, however, that, like all the Damascus houses, they appear much worse than they are. Marble courts, inlaid chambers, and arabesqued ceil- ings are often found within mud walls. The city-wall is now hid, but here and there we get a peep at it through an opening in the houses on the rt. After advancing about I m. a narrow covered lane strikes off on the right to Bab es-Saghir, the "Little Gate," a Roman portal, patched by the Saracens. Both the ancient walls remain at this place, and there are consequently two gates, one within the other. A broader street turns to the 1. into the cemetery of Bab es-Saghir. A forest of tombstones covers the open undulating ground, interspersed with fantastic wooden structures and cu- polas. The graves are neat,-little oblong, roof-shaped mounds of brick or mud, whitewashed; an upright in- scribed stone at the head, and beside it a cavity for water, with a green branch of myrtle stuck in it. Muslem women visit the tombs on Friday to pray, weep, and gossip, and each takes with her a branch of myrtle and a vessel of water, as a fresh offering to the shade of the departed. Here lie some of the greatest warriors and statesmen of Muslem history. Here N. PALESTINE. Route 33.-Damascus- Walk round the Walls. 453 rests in peace the impetuous Moawyeh, the founder of the dynasty of the Omeiyades. Here are the tombs of three of Mohammed's wives, and of Fitimeh, his granddaughter, the un- fortunate child of Aly; and here lies Ibn'Asaker, the historian of Damascus, to whose voluminous work we are so largely indebted for our knowledge of the ancient topography of the city. In the midst of the cemetery is a mound of rubbish, commanding one of the most picturesque views of the city. The vast number of minarets of all shapes and sizes attract atten- tion; some graceful domes are also in sight. The Salahiyeh hills make a good background to the picture; the wild cleft through which the Barada enters the plain, and the snowy peak of Hermon away in the distance, form striking features. Early morning is the best time for seeing this view to perfection. We now ride up a wide street, spanned by arches, to one of the most beautiful mosques in the city. It is distinguished by a minaret, coated with green glazed tiles. The exterior of the mosque is unfortunately so hemmed in by wretched stalls and houses that it is impossible to see it. In the interior are some antique columns of marble and porphyry. The mosque was built by Senan Pasha, governor of Damascus, in the year A.D. 1581, and still bears his name, Jdmi'a es-Sunanityeh. Adjoining the mosque is the ancient west gate of the city, now called Bab el-Jabyah, from a village which once stood without it. It formerly re- sembled the east gate, but the central and northern arches have been built up for nearly a thousand years, and only the southern side-arch can be seen. The upper part of the portal is modern, and an inscription on the large stone forming the lintel shows that it was repaired by Nur ed-Din. This was the western termination of the " street called Straight." The city wall is hid by modern houses. We walk on down a wide street-wide for Damascus-parallel to it. On the 1. are some beautiful but dilapidated mosques, and here also is the neglected mausoleum of Abu Obeidah, who commanded the Muslems at the capture of the city. Some quaint stalls of armourers and pipemakers may be noticed on each side; crowds of pale-faced citizens lounge beneath the shade of plane- trees, while groups of Bedawin or burly peasants are here and there collected round an armourer's stall, discussing the merits of an old gun newly bound with brass clasps. We soon come to a little square, with a gaily-painted gateway on the 1., sol- diers guarding it, officers smoking and drinking coffee on low stools, and gorgeously-caparisoned horses moving about led by dark-faced grooms. This is the Serai or palace, now occupied as both barrack and prison; in it also are the offices of the commander-in- chief. It consists of a spacious open court, surrounded by plain white- washed buildings. In a line with it, extending westward, are the large barracks built by Ibrahim Pasha. Directly opposite the Serai is a narrow lane, always crowded, leading to Bab el-Hadid, " the Iron Gate." The wall is here double, and there are two portals; the foundations of both are ancient. THE CASTLE.-Adjoining Bab el- Hadid the ramparts of the castle rise over the roofs of the houses. It is a large quadrangular building, 280 yds. long by 200 broad, occupying the whole of the north-western angle of the city. It is encompassed by a deep moat, which can be filled from the river. The exterior walls are in good repair, and look formidable from their great height and massive flanking- towers. It is not easy to determine their date, or to say whether Romans, Byzantines, or Saracens contributed most to them. The foundations are certainly not later, and may be earlier, than the Roman age, and most of the stones are ancient. Though the exterior looks so formi- dable, the interior is a heap of rubbish. 454 Route 33.-Damascus- Walk round the Walls. Sect. IV. The castle is, in fact, a mere shell. A few large vaults beneath the exterior ramparts are kept in repair as the city magazine, and contain some fragments of old armour, bows, arrows, and other weapons. The interior can only be seen by order of the commander-in- chief, or in company of a superior officer. Continuing along the street from Bab el-Hadid, through heaps of old iron, old arms, old pots, old clothes, and a thousand nameless old things, surrounded by tattered Bedawin ind soldiers, we soon pass the western portal of the castle and enter the saddlers' bazaar, where gay housings and quaint headstalls covered with cowries line the little stalls, and busy workmen ply their trade. On leaving this bazaar we observe a huge plane- tree, one of the sights of Damascus. It is nearly 40 ft. in circumference, and its great gnarled branches bear the marks of hoary antiquity. We follow an open street eastward for some 300 yds., having the walls of the castle towering over the ragged stalls on the right, and then we turn suddenly southward into a narrow dark bazaar, chiefly occupied by shoe- makers. Here is a large cafd deserving of a visit. It has platforms and rude terraces overhanging the river, which command a view of the ramparts of the castle and the north-eastern angle, where the city wall joins it. Night is the time to see a cafd in its glory. Then a hundred miniature lamps, of every form and colour, glimmer among the branches of trees, above fountains, and along balustrades, reflected in the river below. Turbaned heads and venerable beards loom dimly through clouds of smoke; and here, probably on some elevated bench, a storyteller is perched, reciting, as an Oriental only can recite, one of the tales of Antar, or the 'Arabian Nights,' to a crowd of eager listeners. A few yards from the door of the cafe, and about 50 from the corner of the castle, is a gate called Bab el-Faraj, said to have been opened by Nur ed-Din. The river here washes the walls, but is arched over. A street branches to the rt., leading to the eastern and principal front of the castle, which we can best visit in the next walk; and another turns to the 1.; this we follow, between ranges of good houses. The upper stories project far over the street, so that in many places opposite neighbours could shake hands from their lattices. A few hundred paces brings us to a narrow gloomy bazaar, crossing at right angles. Here, close on the rt., is Bab el-Faradis, "the Gate of the Gardens," a Roman archway in a thick wall, built of massive, hewn stones. About 20 yds. in front of it is another gate in the outer wall, of Saracenic workmanship, and 10 or 12 yds. within it is still another square gateway, with a deep moulding round the lintel and jambs. A street called Bein es-Surein, " Between the Walls," extends from hence to Bab es-Saldms, the "Gate of Peace." The latter is a Saracenic structure on old foundations, erected probably in the days of Nur ed-Din. It received its name from the fact that during the investment of the city by the Muslems no attack was ever made at it, nor did any sortie ever issue from it. On passing out we see the Barada close on the 1., struggling through numerous breaks and dams, and then, when free, diving in among thickets of poplars and weep- ing willows. A large cafe occupies its banks-a collection of straggling, rickety platforms, perched over the waters, and shaded by old mats and half-withered branches. In daylight it has a wretched look, but at night it is like a scene from the Arabian Nights. The northern suburb terminates at Bab es-Salhim, and from hence round the eastern side of the city the old wall is exposed to view. Our path leads along the outside of the wall, close to a canal. The river meanders through delightful gardens and orchards a few yards to the 1. During spring and summer these gar- dens form the favourite retreat of the citizens. In, the calm evenings hun- dreds may be seen squatting along the banks of the river, lazily inhaling the R.oute 33.-Damascus--the City. smoke of perfumed nargilies, and silently gazing on the waters. This is Eastern keif. Music and dancing sometimes enliven the scene, but the thorough Oriental is too listless to derive much pleasure from them. Bab Tma " Thomas's Gate," is a good specimen of Saracenic architec- ture. Over it is an inscription with the name of Sultan Kilawfin, and the date A.H. 634. It is said to have derived its name from a celebrated Christian warrior, who fought with great bravery against the Muslems. A short distance within it is the new church of the Protestant Mission. The road leading from it crosses the Barada by an old bridge at the distance of some 40 yds., and then runs in a north - eastern direction across the plain, forming the caravan route to' Aleppo and Palmyra. Continuing our walk round the walls, still keeping the outside, we soon come to a collection of tombs clustered together in a white-domed building. Here lie the remains of Sheikh Arslian, a poet of the time of Nur ed-Din; and not far off is a ruin, with a Cufic inscription, marking the spot where Khiled, the " Sword of God," had his head-quarters. Be- tween this place and Bab Tfma the city wall is in tolerable preservation. Houses are built along the top of it-a custom as old as the days of Rahab, who dwelt "upon the town wall" of Jericho. We can see how easily she could let down the spies "by a cord through the window." A few of the windows project over the wall, and from some such window Paul was let down in a basket (Josh. ii. 15; 2 Cor. xi. 33; see also 2 Kings iv. 10). Passing through a cemetery and ap- proaching the east gate, we have on the left a large, deserted-looking building, which has long been used as a leper hospital. It is said to occupy the site of Naaman's house (2 Kings v.). Beside it is a ruined mosque. Here we finish our First Walk, having completed the circuit of the old walls. SECOND WALK- Through the City and Bazaars.-To save time, we shall commence where we left off, and enter the city by Bab Shurky. A few paces from the gate a door- way on the 1. opens into the Arme- nian convent. Farther along, on the same side, but some distance from the street, are the Syrian Church and Convent, and the Greek Catholic Church. These buildings were all burned during the massacre of 1860, and have only recently been restored. Some of them are not yet completed (1868). 200 yds. to the rt. of the street, up a narrow lane, is the " House of Ananias." It is a cave, and has been fitted up as a chapel. Beside it are the ruins of the old "Church of the Cross." Continuing along the "Straight" street for 500 yds. more, we have on our rt. the Greek Cathedral of St. Mary, a modern building erected on an old site, and rebuilt since the massacre. It was on this spot the two Muslem leaders, Khaled and Abu Obeidah, met when they had obtained access to the city, the former by treachery, the latter by treaty; and here, after a stormy scene, during which the lives of the citizens trembled in the balance, pacific counsels prevailed, and the city was spared. The residence of the Patriarch of Antioch adjoins the ch., and attached to it are large schools. This church was the scene of fright- ful acts of atrocity during the three days' massacre of 1860. Hundreds of Christians had taken refuge in it. They were all murdered, and the church burned. Still advancing west- ward, and remembering that, notwith- standing the windings, the street is "Straight," we come to a low Roman arch leading into a cavernous-looking bazaar. The sides of the arch have long since been buried beneath masses of rubbish, over which houses have sprung up, while its massive bow spans the street. We stand on the borders of the business part of the city. Long lines of bazaars are before us, intersecting each other like a net- work, filled with the riches of the N. PALESTINE. 455 Route 33.-Damascus-the Bazaars. East. Spacious khans open out of them, in which the silks of India and the cottons of Manchester are piled up on carpets of Persia. The whole north-western quarter of the ancient city, from this point to Bab el-Jabyah on the W. and to Bab el-Faradis on the N., is thus occupied, intermixed here and there with mosques and private houses. We enter the gloomy bazaar --the " Straight street" still-and advance through files of tin-smiths and fruit- box manufacturers. The reputed house of Judas, where Paul lodged, is in a lane off the bazaar, but has nothing of interest except an old tomb covered with rags, respected by the Muslems, and said to be that of Ananias. It is as well to remember that the holy places of Damascus undergo a change every few years. Geramb, for instance, the Trappist monk, makes the house of Ananias the house of Judas; Bab Shurky the gate of Paul; the old tower near it the scene of Paul's descent in a basket; and the spot at the Christian cemetery a temporary hiding-place of the apostle! I have endeavoured to give the present traditions, and I have noted some past migrations ; but there is no saying what changes in arrange- ment a few years more may effect. We turn to the right out of the Straight Street into the Bizuriyeh, "Seed Bazaar." Spices, preserved fruits, and confections are tastefully arranged in open stalls on each side. In the centre of each stall is a little dark niche, where the bearded mer- chant sits on his heels, stately and motionless as the statue of an ancient deity in its temple shrine. With true Oriental resignation he waits till Pro- vidence sends a purchaser. On reach- ing the middle of the bazaar we find ourselves in front of a noble gateway, which, as a specimen of Saracenic architecture, is unrivalled. Its deeply recessed sides are closely set with slender marble columns, while the arch overhead is ornamented with those finely-carved stalactites and pendants which give such richness and beauty to Moorish gateways. Round the whole is a broad border of fretwork, with stones of different colours curiously interlaced. An Arabic inscription gives praise to Allah, and records the name of the founder, Asad Pasha, and the date of its erection (A.. 1166). The interior is spacious, lighted by nine lofty domes, supported on massive piers. Here, in gloomy apartments, are the counting-houses of some of the principal merchants of the city. SOn reaching the end of this bazaar we have on our rt. one of the largest and most magnificent houses in Damascus, belonging to the family of the founder of the Great Khan. It has 7 courts, and salons without number, gorgeously decorated with tesselated pavements, marble foun- tains, mosaic walls, and arabesqued ceilings. On the 1., up a narrow street, is the school established by Nur ed-Din. It is a fine building, but is hidden by wretched mud-houses. The tomb of its founder is on the W. side of it, in the Suk el-Kheiyatn, "Tailors' Bazaar." We pass through an archway into the Tobacco Bazaar. At the far end are 2 low doors. We take that to the 1. and enter the Shoemakers' Bazaar. Here are ranges of men and boys stitching and ornamenting neat, soft, yellow slippers, and quaint, gondola-shaped, red over-shoes. Looking up we are astonished to see the volutes of Corin- thian capitals projecting from thick coats of plaster and whitewash, and a close examination reveals their shafts behind piles of shoes. I shall again refer to them. Meantime we turn to the rt. into the Silk-thread Bazaar; and then, passing through a low doorway, find ourselves in one of the most curious places in Damascus -the Silversmiths' Bazaar. It is a large, gloomy, covered area, whose shattered roof, dimly seen through clouds of smoke, is supported, here by a rude pier, and there by-an ancient column. The din of hammers is almost deafening; and swarthy, dark- turbaned figures are seen on every side squatting on dirty hobs and round miniature furnaces. Heaps of 456 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 33.-Damascus-the Bazaars. the precious metals, ornaments of quaint shape and endless variety, are by their side; diamonds, emeralds, and rubies glitter in their hands. A bakhshish of half a dollar will open a door to the roof of the bazaar, where we gain a view of the southern side of the great mosque. The mas- sive character of the masonry, and the round-topped windows, show the building to be ante-Islamic. Ap- proaching nearer, we observe frag- ments of a still earlier date, under the beautiful minaret at the S. E. angle, and especially at the end of the tran- sept. At the latter place the top of a richly ornamented triple gateway appears above the terrace of the bazaar. The sculptured scrolls and foliage are not inferior in execution to those on the doorway of the Temple of the Sun at Baalbek. The round top of the eastern side-arch is visible; but its fellow on the W. may be seen entire by looking down through i hole in the terrace. This magnificent portal is not in the centre of the building, and could not have been intended for a structure similar in design or extent to that now existing. Over the central arch is a cross, and the followihg inscription; but both are evidently on a place never intended to receive them :- H BACIAIA COY X6 BACIAIA IIAN- TON ToN AIWNwN KAI H Ae C- IIOTIA COY EN ITACH rENE A' KAI rENEA'. "Thy kingdom, 0 Christ, is an ever- lasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations." Strange inscription this to have re- mained for 1200 years on one of the holiest shrines of Islamism ! Is it in- tended to serve as a rebuke, or as an encouragement, to Christians ? Leaving the silversmiths, we pass through a low door in a thick wall, and enter another bazaar, noisy as its neighbour. Long files of carpenters are engaged in the manufacture of those ornamental pattens worn by the Damascus belles. See how they work, [Syria and Palestine.] all squatting. One is planing a board holding it with his toe! Another is carving pieces of walnut, and inlaying them with silver and mother-of-pearl; and while the hands ply mallet and chisel, the .toes do duty as a vice! Look, too, at the rows of tall pattens on the shelves overhead, and the huge carved walnut chests on the stalls- these form necessary parts of an eastern bride's trousseau. The chests are for holding the wedding robes and jewels-" Can a maid forget her orna- ments, or a bride her attire ?" (Jer. ii. 32). Turning a corner and descending a few rude steps, we stand in front of the eastern gate of the court of the Great Mosque. The gate is called Bab Jeirfin. It is generally open, and the stranger can get a good view of the interior. Entrance to the Mosque may now be obtained on making formal application to the English consul, and paying a pretty large bakhshish. A description is given below. Observe the splendid Corinthian columns of polished granite just within the gate. The volutes of the capitals are as sharp as if finished yesterday. The folding doors deserve notice. They are covered with brass, richly em- bossed. The sacramental cup is con- spicuous, and shows their Christian origin. Some Arabic inscriptions have been added at a later period. In front of this gate formerly stood an ancient portico of 6 columns; but it fell during a great snow-storm in 1858. A broad flight of steps leads down to a paved area with a jet d'eau; the area is used as a caf6. Passing through a narrow archway, and along a lane beyond it for some 120 yds., we observe a fragment of a column upwards of 5 ft. in diameter partly built in the wall. Several others stand near it, but are now hidden by the houses. The fall of an oven 12 years ago revealed one of them quite perfect with its capital. These as we shall see were originally connected with a magnificent arch. Turning to the 1. along a narrow lane, a range of columns is seen on the 1., built up in the walls of the houses. One of them x 457 Route 33.-Damascus-Great Mosque. bears a fragment of a Greek inscrip- tion. They extend in a straight line northward for more than 100 yds., and then turn westward at a right angle. We can trace them at intervals along the side of a street for about 350 yds., to where they turn again at right angles southward, but only 2 of them occupy their places. From 30 to 40 of these columns remain in their posi- tions, though many of the shafts are broken. Two fine old buildings are now before us, one on each side of the street we have entered. The deeply recessed doorways, and arches with stalactite ornaments, and interlaced masonry, and Arabic inscriptions, are all in the best style of Saracenic art. That on the 1. is the Mausoleum of Melek ed-Dhaher Bibars; and was built, as the inscription informs us, by his son Melek es-Said, in the-year A. H. 676 (A. D. 1277). A peep at the interior may be obtained through the windows. The floor is of marble, having the tomb in the centre, covered with a velvet pall, and decked with numerous offerings. The walls are covered with mosaics, and the domed ceiling was until recently ornamented with arabesques. The mosque, school, and mausoleum on the opposite side were erected by Melek es-Said. A little farther on, down a long entry on the 1., is the tomb of Saladin, who was first buried in the castle, where he died, but his body was subsequently removed to this place. Walking on through a close and crowded bazaar, we arrive opposite the western door of the Great Mosque. A flight of steps on the 1. descends to the Book Bazaar, which leads to the gate. At the head of these steps are 4 massive columns in a line, at each end of which is a square pier of masonry with a semi-column on the inner side. The shafts alone are visible from the bazaar as the capitals rise over the domed roof. A bakhshish admits us to a neighbouring house from the terrace of which the capitals and superstructure may be examined. The columns support an arch of sin- gular richness and beauty. A large fragment of it remains, forming one of the finest pieces of ancient . art in Syria. The length of the structure was about 80 ft.. and the height about 70. From this arch a double colon- nade of a much lower order runs to the western gate of the mosque. Some of the pillars remain entire, thickly coated with plaster and whitewash. Many are gone, and many more are covered by modern walls. Descending to the Book Bazaar, we get another look at the interior of the mosque from the western door. The granite columns again attract attention. Here we pause to inquire something more about this noble building. THE GREAT MOSQUE. Access to the Mosque can be ob- tained on making application to the consul. A charge is made of a Napo- leon for each party, whether large or small. In addition to this, a present of from 10 to 20 piastres is usually given to the attendants of the Mosque, who take charge of the shoes which must be taken off on entering. Visitors should provide themselves with slip- pers. The structure occupies a quad- rangle 163 yds. long by 108 wide. On its northern side is the court, sur- rounded by cloisters, with arches in front resting on pillars of granite, limestone, and marble; many of the pillars have, within the last century, been enclosed in piers of masonry. On the S. side of the court is the Mosque or Hdrem, whose interior di- mensions are 431 ft. by 125. The side- wall towards the court is supported on columns, most of them being now enclosed in piers, and the intervals built up. The interior is divide4 into three aisles by two ranges of Corin- thian pillars supporting round arches. The height of the order is 22 ft. Across the middle is a transept, with a dome in its centre 50 ft. in diameter anjd 120 ft. high, resting on 4 piers. The floor is of tesselated marble, covered with carpets. The lower parts of the walls and piers of the transept 458 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 33.-Damascus-Great Mosque. are encrusted with coloured marbles taste, and emblems of Muslem do- in patterns; higher up are portions of minion. Arab writers have furnished the mosaic that once covered the details of its history, antiquities, and whole interior, representing palm-trees transmutations; and they take special and houses. E. of the transept is a delight in describing its splendour small carved and gilt Kubbeh--the alike under Heathen, Christian, and sanctum of the building. Underneath Muslem sway. is said to be a cave in which the head Early Mohammedan historians in- of John the Baptist is preserved in a form us that on the eastern and western casket of gold. Historians tell us sides of the ancient temple were mag- that Khaled visited the cathedral after nificent arches, supported on columns, the capture of the city, and insisted on and connected by double colonnades obtaining admission to the sacred cave. with the great gates, Bab Jeirtn and On descending he found a small vault Bab el-Berid. The arch on the W. in with an altar on which was laid the front of the latter gate is, as we have casket. Upon it was an inscription in seen, almost entire. Of the opposite Greek to the following effect : "This one only a few of the columns remain. casket contains the head of John the One writer affirms that " on the eastern Baptist, son of Zachariah." It is side of the temple stood a palace called probable that there is here an entrance Jeirfin, built upon columns by one of to the crypt, which, it is said, extends the genii under the command of Solo- beneath the whole building. mon. Some say, however, that it was founded by Ad, the son of Uz, the son The mosque has 3 minarets. Mddinet of Aram, the son of Shem (Comp. Gen. el-Ares, "The Minaret of the Bride," x. 22, 23 : and Joseph. Ant., i. 6, 4). stands near the centre of the northern Ad had two sons, Jeirfin and Berid, side of the court. It is the most and for these he erected the two castles ancient, having been erected by the which still bear their names. He was Khalif Walid. Mddinet Isa, "The the first who enlarged Damascus and Minaret of Jesus," is at the south- set up its 7 gates." The imagination eastern angle. It is 250 ft. high. A of the Arab has adorned the old simple Muslem tradition affirms that Jesus tradition. In the history of Ibn Kethir when He comes to judge the world, we read that "the great Roman pedi- will first descend on this minaret; and ment which stood in front of Bab then, entering the mosque, will call Jeirtin was removed by order of Shekar, before him men of every sect. El- vizier of Malek el-'Aadel, A. H. 601." Mddinet el-Ghurbiyeh, "The Western Ibn 'Ashker tells us that the principal Minaret," is the most beautiful. An entrance to the temple itself was from older one occupied its place, but was the S. side by a triple gateway, in burned in A. H. 803. front of which was an area surrounded The style and workmanship of 3 by a double row of pillars. distinct periods are distinguishable in From these notices and the existing several parts of this mosque and the remains we can form some definite adjoining ruins. We have first the idea of the general plan and extent of massive fragments of the arches on the the ancient structure. First there was E. and W., the section of the wall at the temple in the centre facing the S., the south-western angle, and the beau- with an area in front surrounded by a tiful gate on the southern side, as types double colonnade. There was pro- of Grecian or Roman architecture. bably a similar area on the N. Then We have next, portions of the exterior round the whole was a court, encom- walls, the round-topped windows, and passed by ranges of columns, like that the Greek inscription, as remnants of of the Temple of the Sun at Palmyra, Christian art. And we have lastly and like the Temple of Jerusalem. the dome, the minarets, the arcades, Its dimensions are about the same as the tesselated pavement, and the mar- these temples, being, as near as can be ble fountains - vestiges of Muslem estimated, 1100 ft. long from E. to W. x2 459 Route 33.-Damascus-Plan of Mosque. n of Mosque t Drnscus.-From Fergusson's 'Architectur.' Flan of MIosque at Damwscus.--From Fergusson's 'Architecture.' 460 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 33. -)Danascus-Great .i'osque. by 800 ft. broad. That at Jerusalem measured 1050 by 926 ft.; and that at Palmyra 740 ft. square. None of the existing remains in and around the Great Mosque are probably of an earlier date than the time of the Roman dominion, and certainly none of them are antecedent to the era of the Selucide; but it is highly pro- bable that the site has been occu- pied, from the earliest ages, by the chief shrine of the Damascenes. The Greeks and Romans always rever- enced the sacred buildings of con- quered nations, and with an easy liberality either adopted their gods, or decided that they were merely foreign names for their own deities. Baal became Helios or Jupiter, and Ashto- reth Juno or Venus, as fancy or favour dictated. So we may infer that Rim- mon, the Syrian god, would be appro- priated in succession by Greek and Roman, and the site of his temple held in reverence. There is something interesting in the thought that prob- ably on this spot Naaman deposited the" 2 mules' burden of earth "brought from Palestine; and that in reference to this shrine he uttered the singular prayer - "In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon; when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing" (2 Kings v. 18). Probably it was here King Ahaz saw the altar the beauty of which pleased him so much that he had a similar one constructed in Jerusalem (2 Kings xvi. 10-16.) But however this may be, there can be no doubt that on this spot once stood a heathen temple of great extent and beauty, which was afterwards appropriated by the Christians. About 40 years ago a Greek inscription was found on a large stone at Bab Jeirn, to the following effect : " This church of the blessed John the Baptist was restored by Arcadius, the son of Theo- dosius." Arcadius ascended the throne in A.D. 395, 70 years after the establish- ment of Christianity by Constantine. His father is well known to have exerted all his power to extirpate heathen worship in the empire. During his reign the temple at Damascus may have been pillaged and partly ruined. His son restored it, dedicated it to the worship of God, and caused that noble inscription already given to be placed above the principal door. It continued to be the cathedral church for about 3 centuries. On the capture of the city by the Saracens it was equally divided between Christians and Muslems. On the accession of Walid, the 6th Khalif of the Omeiyades (A.D. 705), the whole church was demanded by the Muslems. The Christians refused, and showed that, by the terms of the original treaty, their rights were guaranteed to them. Bit Muslem policy, then as crooked as it is still, found an easy mode of evading incon- venient treaties; and the Christians were compelled to submit. The Khalif immediately entered the church with guards, and ordered them to remove or destroy every vestige of Christian worship. We now resume our walk. We had reached the arch opposite Bab el-Berid. Turning westward aloig a broad bazaar occupied chiefly by silk mer- chants, we wind onward to the eastern front of the castle. Here we get the best view of its massive towers, and by going down to the north-eastern angle we see where the city wall joins it. Turning to the 1., we pass for a hun- dred yds. or so between files of nargily- makers, hammering at the little brass bowls in which they enclose the cocoa- nut shells-the old type of the nargily, now in a great measure supplanted by the glass shishah, with its long flexible tube. Then we turn to the rt. into Sik el-Arwdm, "the Bazaar of the Greeks," one of the most interesting in the city, especially towards the western end. No traveller should miss it. In addition to the variety of picturesque costumes continually passing and re- passing, the stalls are filled with an- tique armour, Damascus swords and 461 Route 33.-Damascus-the Suburbs. daggers, old porcelain, quaint weapons, inlaid with gold, silver, and precious stones; embroidered robes, Persian carpets, shawls of Cashmere, and a thousand other articles. Venerable merchants squat in the midst of their wares with the dignity of hereditary princes. Let strangers beware of these gentry. Five times the value of each article is not an unusual demand; and if the traveller succeed in obtaining it for three times its real worth, the owner will give it up with a reluctant and resigned air, swearing that he is a loser by the bargain. THIRD WALK-The Suburbs.-Ladies may ride, and gentlemen too if they prefer it. There is little to be seen except quaint houses and half-ruinous b)ut still beautiful mosques and Oriental life. We first wind through the city to Bab es-Salam, "the Gate of Peace," then cross the river by the bridge at the cafi, and, ascending a little, turn into the first bazaar on the 1. It is wider than usual, and rougher too. It is the manufactory of agricultural im- plements. Here are ploughs such as Elisha had "before him" when Elijah "cast his mantle upon him" (1 Kings xix. 19); and here are goads such as Shamgar wielded so effectively against the Philistines (Jud. iii. 31); and here are yokes for oxen, spades of most primitive type, and " new sharp thresh- ing instruments having teeth" (Isa. xli. 15). After proceeding a few hundred paces we reach a covered bazaar where haldwy (" sweets ") are made in great variety. Observe the beauti- fully-engraved copper vessels hung up in the shops-plates and pans and pots -all covered with arabesque orna- ments and interlaced inscriptions. Many of them are from 700 to 800 years old, and bear the names of famous princes. Farther on we pass a large mosque on the 1., a fine speci- men of Saracenic architecture, but fast falling to ruin; then comes the box, makers' bazaar, at the end of which is the plane-tree mentioned above. Afterwards we traverse the open ground where the horse-market is held every Friday. A mosque stands on the west side of it within a spacious court. To the north and west of this mosque are some of the finest houses in the city, chiefly inhabited by Turk- ish officials. Those on the outskirts are built in the Constantinople style, with well-kept gardens in front. After winding through some narrow streets we turn to the 1., and cross the Barada by a bridge, at the place where it enters the city. The new minaret attached to the military school is before us, amid a dense mass of houses. We turn up along the bank of the river, and gradually the green Merj, celebrated in the Arabian Nights, opens in front, with the Abana wind- ing through its centre, the clustering domes of the Tekiyeh on the 1., and several picturesque mosques or mauso- leums embowered in foliage on the rt. The new road is here seen, and the low wooden bridge by which it crosses the river. The road terminus is be- hind us on the left. The Tekiyeh (Anglich "hospital," or "almshouse ") merits a passing look. The western gateway is gene- rally open; it admits to a court en- compassed by cloisters, and having on its southern side one of the most beau- tiful mosques of the city. The portico is formed of a double range of antique columns, some marble, some granite, and some porphyry, with bronze bases and capitals. The small columns of the cloisters are also ancient. A large dome, flanked by two slender minarets, is conspicuous from afar. This build- ing was founded by Sultan Selim I., about A.D. 1516, for the accommoda- tion of poor pilgrims on their way to Mecca. The pilgrims receive food and clothing,, and, in rare cases, assistance in money. At the south-western angle of the Teklyeh is, or was a few years ago, a huge old plane-tree, with a custom- house inside it ! Passing this we ascend through a deserted burying- ground, and strike a road leading to 469 Seat. iV. N. PALESTINE. Boute 33.-Damascus-Private Houses. the 1. into the city. Immediately on entering the gate we observe an ancient aqueduct running along the side of the street; the round arches, now almost buried, and the massive ma- sonry, cannot be later than Roman times. A modern watercourse has been constructed along the top of it. On reaching the Jami'a es-Sunaniyeh distinguished by its green minaret, we may turn down to the rt. towards the Meidfin. The street is at first winding, but it is wide, and several.ruinous mosques of elegant architecture, give it more variety than is usual in Da- mascus thoroughfares. The street at length becomes nearly straight, and is in places more than 100 ft. wide. Down this the HIaj proceeds in state every year on the 15th of Shawdl. It forms one of the great sights of Da- mascus. The sacred Mahmil is carried on the back of a dromedary, which is said ever after to be freed from labour. It is a tent-like canopy of green silk, embroidered with gold and supported on silver posts. It contains the new covering and other gifts sent by the Sultan for the K'abah at Mecca. The Pasha of Damascus, as Emir el-Haj (or his substitute), follows it, accom- panied by all the Turkish dignitaries in the city, gorgeously dressed and mounted on richly-caparisoned horses. The ' Ulema, in green robes and white turbans, are also present. The Pasha's state palanquin and led horses de- serve notice. Several small brass field- pieces, a regiment of infantry, some troops of irregular cavalry, and a squadron of Bedawin on dromedaries -the wildest-looking of all-form the guard of honour. Numbers of Hajys follow, some on dromedaries, some in palanquins, and a few on horses and mules. Thousands of the inhabitants line the streets; the house-tops, the windows, the walls, and all available standing or sitting-room, are crowded with women robed in their white izdrs, peeping from behind dark veils at the procession. Travellers who wish to see it properly ought to hire a room, which they can easily do thirough the agency of a janissary of the consulate. The Mahmil generally leaves the palace about 10 o'clock in the morning, and proceeds slowly past Jami'a es - Su- naniyeh, and then down the long street of the Meidin, to Buwabet Ullah, where it leaves the city. The Emir remains the first night at Kubbet el- Haj, beside the village of Kadam, 4 hr. beyond the city gate. From Damascus to Medinah is 27 days' march, but 10 or 12 days extra are spent en route. From thence to Mecca is 11 days' march; from 18 to 20 days are spent at Mecca and Arafat. The pilgrimage occupies about four months. The Haj is yearly decreasing in importance and numbers. Not more than 700 or 800 pilgrims now go from Damascus, yet the servants, attendants, and guards swell the caravan to several thousands. The private houses of Damascus share with the beautiful plain the admira- tion of every visitor. No contrast could be greater than that between the exterior and the interior; the rough mud walls and rickety-looking projecting upper chambers give but poor promise of splendour within. The entrance is by a mean doorway and through a narrow winding passage, or sometimes a stable-yard. Passing this, we reach the outer court. Here the master of the house has his saldm-aleik, "reception-room," to which alone male visitors are admitted. Another winding passage leads to the harim ; it is made winding to prevent all possibility of strangers or men-servants seeing into that region of poetry and romance. The harim is the principal and always the most highly-ornamented part of the house. The plan of all is the same, though there is, of course, in- finite variety of detail: an open court with a tesselated pavement, a large marble basin in the centre, and two or three little jets d'eau around. Orange, lemon, and citron trees, flowering shrubs, and jessamine trained over trellis-work, afford agreeable shade and fill the air with perfume. The apartments all open into this court; intercommunication between room and room is almost unknown. On the south side is an open alcove called lewdn, with a marble floor and a raised 463 Route 33.-Rides round Damascus. dais, covered with cushions round three sides. An ornamented arch supports the front wall. The decora- tions of some of the salons are gorge- ous-a little too gaudy, perhaps, for our subdued English tastes. Here again there is great uniformity in style. The salons consist of 2 parts: one low, paved with marble, and having a marble fountain in the centre; the ceiling of this part, which is called the 'Atabeh, is often upwards of 40 ft. high. The other is raised about a foot, carpeted, and surrounded on three sides by a low couch, often covered with embroidered satin, and having numerous little cushions ar- ranged in piles. Here visitors squat, having first taken off their shoes on the 'atabeh. The walls of the older houses are wainscoted, carved, and gilt, and the ceilings covered with arabesque ornaments, having pendules and stalac- tites hanging from the centre and angles, reminding one of the florid Gothic of some of our churches. In the new houses painting and marble fretwork are taking the place of ara- besque and wainscoting. Real harims are, of course, only found among the Muslems, and access to them is ob- tained with very great difficulty. Men cannot get admission, but ladies may be occasionally introduced by the kind- ness of some resident English lady. A few of the Jewish houses have been decorated at enormous expense, but they are wanting in taste. Those of LisbSny and Farkhy are among the best. They are always open to strangers; but if possible they should be visited on Saturday. That being the Jewish Sabbath, they will be found clean, and their fair inmates will be seen all blazing with gold and jewels. Before 1860 the houses of the rich Christian merchants were among the most beautiful in the city; but they were all burned during the massacre. RIDES ROUND DAMASCUS. FIRST RIDE- To Jdbar.-There is little in Jobar itself to interest us, but the ride is charming. Indeed, all the rides round the city are beautiful, and after the general bleakness of Pales- tine the traveller is prepared to appre- ciate them. The narrow roads wind among orchards and corn-fields, pass and repass canals and rivulets, and dive into thickets of pomegranates and fig-trees and walnuts, all interlaced by the long branches of the vine. The green grass plats, the sluggish streams, the bright daisy beds, and the venerable trees have an English look about them, but the rank luxu- riance of the East is grafted on it. Occasionally we come out on an ele- vated terrace, from which we get a view of the city, its dark domes and minarets relieved against the snows of Hermon. Jobar is a Muslem village, but con- tains a large synagogue, which, time out of mind, has been a place of pil- grimage for the Jews of Damascus. It is dedicated to Elijah and built over a cave-a little narrow grot which tradition makes the hiding-place of the prophet in times of persecution. On the floor of the synagogue is shown a space railed in, where, it is said, Elijah anointed Hazael. There is some Scripture basis for the tradition: for when the prophet was at Horeb, "the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damas- cus; and when thou comest anoint Hazael to be king over Syria" (1 Kings xix. 15). Other traditions are attached to it, and among them is one that this is the Hobah, " on the left hand of Damascus," to which Abraham pur- sued the kings of the East (Gent xiv. 15). SECOND RIDE-To Salahiyeh and the Gorge of the Barada.-This ride gives some of the finest views of the city and plain, and can be accomplished in about 3 hrs. Passing out of the Sala- hiyeh gate, we ride up the straight paved road to the village, having on our right the beautiful house of the Reyis Pasha. We now turn to the h., keeping along the border between the barren hill-side and the gardens. No- thing can surpass the view from this place; it seems like a beautiful vision. 464 Sect. IV. X. PALEStiNE. Route 83.-Rides round 1rmasdus. In the evening, when the sun is low, the lights ruddy, and the shadows purple, the beholder will agree with the Muslem that Damascus holds the first place among terrestrial paradises. Diving down again among luxuriant orchards, we gallop on till beetling cliffs oppose further progress, and the mad river bounds from the restraining grasp of the mountain. We now see a specimen of the engineering skill of the old Damascenes. Over our heads on one bank are two canals, at dif- ferent elevations, here cut through the rock, there supported by masonry; and on the opposite bank are three others': these carry off more than three-fourths of the water of the Abana to scatter it over the plain. It is this that makes the river " better than all the waters of Israel" (2 Kings v. 12). A Cufic inscription, high up on the side of a rock, near where an ancient road was excavated, and the French road now passes, tells of the acts of one of the khalifs. We may return to the city by the new road, which brings us close to the hotel. THIumn RIDE.-To Saidndya and Hel- bon.-This will take two days. The night can be spent comfortably in the convent of Saidnaya. The objects of attraction are the wild scenery of Anti- lebanon, the convent, the rock-hewn tombs or temples of Menin, and the site of Helbon, in whose wine the mer- chants of Damascus once traded in the marts of Tyre. We leave the city by Bab Tima, and an hour's ride northward, through orchards and across an open plain, brings us to the village of Burzeh, situated at the mouth of a glen. The plain is here slightly elevated, and the view over the Ghitah splendid. At- tached to Burzeh is one of the oldest traditions in Syria. Behind it, at the foot of a cliff, is a Muslem wely called Makdm lbrahim, the " Sanc- tuary of Abraham." It is held in high repute as a place of pilgrimage, and thousands of devotees visit it annually on a festival day. Miracles are said to be performed at it by sheikhs of extraordinary sanctity, who ride on horseback, Juggernaut style, over the prostrate bodies of the faith- ful, without injury or accident ! Jose- phus gives the following quotation from Nicolaus of Damascus : " Abra- ham reigned at Damascus, being a foreigner, who came with an army out of the land above Babylon, called the land of the Chaldeans. But after a long time he got up and removed from that country also with his people, and went into the land then called the land of Canaan, but now the land of Judmae. . . . Now the name of Abra- ham is even still famous in the country of Damascus; and there is shown a village named from him the Habitation of Abraham." This tradition we can trace down through a long line of Arab authors to the present day. Burzeh is the village, and the Muslems, with whom Ibrahim is a saint and prophet, venerate it in honour of the patriarch. In a cleft behind the wely he is said to have prayed on his return from the pursuit of the Mesopotamian kings who pillaged Sodom. Other traditions are attached to it by the credulous villagers; but they are not worth re- cording. May not Burzeh be the true site of Hobah, "which is on the left hand (north) of Damascus " ? (Gen. xiv. 15). Our path lies through the ravine which intersects the lowest ridge of Antilebanon. The sides have at first an easy slope; but they soon assume f wilder aspect. The grey limestone cliffs seem as if they had been shaken to pieces, and the ruins in places approach so close to each other as to leave only a tortuous bed, a few feet wide, through which a torrent foams. The rocks are naked, and the grass tufts and shrubs that grow between them are not visible from below. Half an hour takes us through the ravine into a bleak region of white chalk hills, intersected by two glens: one on the left, running up among the moun- tains to Helbon; the other on the right, extending to Menin. Each has a streamlet, a torrent in winter, and the united waters flow through the ravine to Burzeh. On a white cliff x3 465 Route 33.-Saidndya. at the point of junction is perched the village of M'araba. We strike up the glen towards Menin. It is a delicious ride in this land of unclouded sunshine : out and in among groves of walnuts and pop- lars, apricots and figs; with the carol of birds, and the murmur of waters, the sweetest music in the parched East, constantly in our ears. The village of Tell, so called from its situation on a low rocky hill, is half an hour from M'araba. Rock tombs, some fragments of columns, and large hewn stones, show an ancient site, whose name and history are lost. As we ascend the glen becomes deeper and more pic- turesque and at last contracts into a narrow gorge, with a single line of pop- lars, their roots washed by the rivulet, and their branches touching the cliffs. A winding path has been cut through it now almost blocked up by a mill which is built across the torrent-bed. The defile leads us into an amphi- theatre about half a mile in diameter. Vine-clad glens and ravines radiate from it between precipitous white hills. In the centre is a low tell, begirt with foliage: on this stands the village of Menin. Here, too, built up in the modern walls, are some traces of anti- quity-a fragment of a column forming an angle, or a sculptured stone turned upside down for a lintel. The fountain on the N.W. side of the tell forms an agreeable halting-place; trees for shade, groups of village girls in their gay costumes, and shepherds leading their flocks "beside the still waters." Observe the ornaments of some of the females; silver caps, like bowls, on their heads, almost concealed by long white veils; and strings of large silver coins for girdles. The short red spencers of the men, inwoven with silver threads about the collar and shoulders, are peculiar to Antilebanon and the plain of Damascus. At the top of the cliff to the N. is a group of small excavated temples de- serving of a visit. As we ascend, numbers of massive hewn stones and pieces of columns lie on each side of the path. One of them is 12 ft. long, and has a plain moulding on one side, as if ntended for a doorway. On reaching the top we find its fellow in situ, hewn out of the rock to which it is attached below. Behind this, facing the W., is a chamber 24 ft. long, 17 ft. wide, and 22 ft. high, wholly excavated in the rock. At the eastern end is a rude recess, about 4 ft. deep, similar to those found in the Deir and Khuznqh at Petra. The door is much broken, but the remains of a portico can be traced, with the bases of the columns, steps, and, balustrades, all hewn out of the rock. On the N. side of this is another excavated chamber on the same plan, but somewhat smaller. The doorway is nearly perfect. Round it is a border 2 ft. wide, ornamented with sculptured wreaths and flowers. It is both tastefully designed and skil- fully executed. In front of these cham- bers, at the distance of about 50 ft., stood a large building, facing the S. The foundations only remain. These are in part hewn in the rock, and the walls thus formed are chiselled in imitation of masonry. In front was a portico of four columns, 3 ft. 5 in. in diameter, and a broad flight of stairs, with balustrades, all hewn out of the rock. Several other buildings seem to have stood on the sides of this hill; but they are now only masses of ruin. On the summit is a fine old circular cis- tern. The object of these expensive and singular monuments has never been discovered. They bear no resemblance to the tombs found in such numbers among the neighbouring mountains. They are larger and loftier, and with- out loculi. We have probably here one of the old sanctuaries of the ancient Syrians; round which a group of tem- ples has grown, partly excavated and partly built. Saidndya.--14 hr.'s ride, first up a glen and then across a bleak stony plateau, brings us to Saidnaya. The village is built in a rugged valley, 4 m. above the plateau, and consists of about 60 houses. Over it rises a steep rock, on the summit of which is perched the old convent. High walls encircle the top of the scarped cliff; and the Sect, IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 33.- only access is by a winding staircase up the rock, leading to a small iron- plated door. In the interior is a church; and behind it a Lady Chapel, adorned with tesselated pavement and silver lamps. It contains, or is said to contain, a remarkable image-picture of the Virgin, painted by Luke the Evan- gelist. The attendant priest will as- sure the stranger that one -half of it is stone and the other half flesh ! Thou- sands of Greeks annually make pil- grimages to the shrine. The sick and afflicted flock to it from every part of the country. Beside the church is the nunnery. There are 40 nuns and a superior: the latter receives her ap- pointment from the Patriarch of Antioch. She cannot be distinguished by her dress or appearance from the sisters; and she is as illiterate and as ignorant as any of them. Their dress is a robe of coarse blue calico, and a large black veil which can be so arranged as to cover the whole person. The convent of Saidnaya is of high antiquity. Local tradition ascribes its erection to the Emperor Justinian. When visited by Maundeville, in the beginning of the 14th centy., it pre- sented the same appearance as it does to-day; and was then as famous as now for the wonder-working image of the Virgin. Maundrell, who visited it in 1697, repeats the tradition of its erection, and the strange legend, still current, about the incarnate picture. It is worth recording as a sample of the superstitions of the people. "It happened that a certain sacrilegious rogue took an opportunity to steal away this miraculous picture; but he had not kept it long in his custody when he found it metamorphosed into a real body of flesh. Being struck with wonder and remorse at so prodigious an event, he carried back the prize to its true owners, confessing and implor- ing forgiveness for his crime. The monks, having recovered so great a jewel, and being willing to prevent such another disaster for the future, thought fit to deposit it in a small chest of stone, and, placing it in a little cavity in the wall behind the high altar, fixed an iron gate before it, --Saidndya. 467 in order to secure it from any fraud- ulent attempts for the future. Under the same chest in which the incarnate picture was deposited they always place a small silver basin, in order to pre- serve the distillation of a holy oil which they pretend issues out from the enclosed image, and deos wonder- ful cures in many distempers." In the sides of the cliff on which the convent stands are many excavated tombs. One of them contains 3 short Greek epitaphs recording the names of those buried. The surrounding glens and rocks are also filled with tombs. Oratories, too, are almost in- numerable. A more interesting relic stands near the convent. It is a cubical structure of fine masonry, measuring 29 ft. on each side. The interior is vaulted. The building stands on a pedestal composed of 3 layers of large stones forming steps all round. It has also a projecting mould- ed cornice. Its plan and masonry re- mind us of a ruin at Kedesh-Naphtali. Behind the convent rises a rugged mountain, crowned by a ruined chapel. From the terraced roof of the con- vent we enjoy a commanding view over the mountain ranges and wide plains eastward. The plain of Said- naya is at our feet, perfectly flat and all cultivated. On its far side is Ma'arra; and to the 1., in a quiet nook of the white hills, the eye detects the trees of Bedda. The round top of Jebel Tiniyeh rises beyond it. A large section of the plain of Damascus is visible. The beautiful cone of Hermon terminates the view on the S.W. Ecclesiastical writers of the Greek church identify Saidnaya with the ancient Danaba, mentioned by Pto- lemy, and recorded as the seat of a bishop in the Notitime Ecclesiastica. It is still a see in the Greek Church. We ride back to Menin, and passing through it continue westward among vineyards and fig-orchards an hour more and then descend into Wady Helbon. The valley here opens out into a little amphitheatre, encompassed by cliffs and vine-clad slopes. The 4Route 33.--1elbon. bed is covered with vineyards, and the streamlet winds through it beneath a thicket of willows, fig-trees, pome- granates, and poplars. On our rt., as we descend, is a wall of rock, several hundred feet high, stretching across the valley. In the centre it is divided by a chasm or pass, not more than 12 ft. wide, with perpendicular sides. It is a wild and romantic spot. A torrent from the upper valley rushes through the pass, and a narrow bridle-path has been hewn in the side of the rock a few feet above it. A millstream is carried over the torrent-bed by a rude aqueduct; and the mill itself is below, embowered in foliage. High overhead, near the summit of the cliff, are 2 ex- cavated tombs, with niches above them, containing the remnants of statues. A Greek inscription on the side of one records the name of" Lysi- machus the son of Adrus," who has "hewed him out a sepulchre on high, and graved an habitation for himself in a rock" (Isa. xxii. 16.) About 100 yds. W. is another similar monument; and some distance beyond it is a tomb with a Doric facade, consisting of 2 semicolumns supporting a pediment with a bust in the centre. HELBON.--Following the excavated bridle-path through the pass, we enter the upper valley of Helbon. It is a winding glen with a gravelly torrent- bed shut in by mountains that rise in steep white acclivities 1000 ft. or more, here and there crowned by cliffs that look like Gothic castles. The banks of the winter torrent are lined with vineyards, fig-trees, pomegranates, and a few walnuts. : hr.'s ride brings us to the village, beautifully situated in a nook where a side wady falls in from the E. The whole glen, here - m. wide, is a dense mass of foliage, varie- gated in spring by apricot blossoms, and in early summer by the rich fruit; and the terraced vineyards run far up the mountain sides, clinging to spots where one would think no human foot could rest. The village consists of some 50 substantial houses cluster- ing round an old mosque, from beneath which a fountain bursts forth. A rude portico resting on antique columns shades it; and a hollowed stone, with a Greek inscription bearing the name of the "Great King Markos," receives the water. Large hewn stones, frag- ments of columns, pieces of sculptured friezes, and Greek inscriptions half obliterated, are met with in the walls of the houses and terraced gardens. Below the village are the massive foundations of a temple. Buildings of great antiquity once occupied the site. The name suggests that passage in Ezekiel where the prophet, describing the glories and luxuries of Tyre, and of the nations and cities that traded in her marts, says-" Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches, in the wine of HELBON and white wool" (Ezek. xxvii. 18). The force of the description consists in this, that in the markets of Tyre every nation found ample demand for its own products. Damascus has long been famed for its rich brocades, its orna- ments of gold and silver, and its arms: it was thus the merchant of Tyre in " the multitude of wares" and of "all riches." Its trade with the shepherd Bedawin made, and still makes, it a wool depot, and this article also it sup'- plied in markets of Tyre. The "wine of Helbon" was another of its exports. Here is that wine-producing Helbon. The Koran forbids the manufacture, but the grapes are as famous as ever, and the Christians of Damascus still make their best wine from them. Ptolemy mentions a Chalybon among the cities of Syria, and Strabo says the luxurious kings of Persia drank "Chalybonian wine of Syria." May it not be the same Helbon ? From Helbon to Bludan is 3 hrs., the road leading over the central ridge of Antilebanon. A smart ride of 3) hrs. down the glen by 'Ain es-Stheb and M'araba brings us back to Da- mascus. Many pleasant rides may be made through the plain of Damascus; but there is nothing to be seen of either antiquarian or historical interest ex- 468 Sect. IV. '. PALESTINE. -route 38.--Plain of )amascis. cept an artificial mound called Tell es-Salahiyeh, on the N. bank of the Barada, 3 hrs. E. of the city. It is a round-topped tell, built of sun-dried bricks. On visiting this place some years ago I found a slab of lime- stone about 5 ft. long by 3 wide con- tainink a rude bas-relief of an Assyrian figure, probably a priest. It has since been brought to England, and is now in the British Museum. The mound itself is doubtless Assyrian, and is an interesting monument of that nation's rule in Damascus. The plain of Damascus is of a trian- gular shape. The north-western side is formed by the long line of Anti- lebanon; the southern by the river Pharpar; and the eastern by a line drawn through the lakes. It is divided into 2 sections-the Ghutah, lying round to the city and the Merj to the eastward. It also includes a portion of another district, called Wady el- 'Ajam, which embraces the region watered by the 'Awaj. There are about 100 villages in the plain, with a population of upwards of 40,000. The river Barada, the Abana of Scrip- ture, flows through it from W. to E. The greater part of its water is led off by canals for irrigation, and the sur- plus falls into 2 lakes at the distance of about 20 m. from the place where the river leaves the mountains. The lakes are surrounded by thickets of reeds, almost entirely hiding the water. They have no outlet, but the evapora- tion is so great that during summer they are mere marshes, with here and there a patch of clear water. Wild swine and wild fowl, ducks, geese, herons, storks, teal, snipes, and a score of other kinds, find in them a suitable home. Eastward of the lakes all is waste and desolate. A group of conical hills, called the Tellfil, "Tells," is seen in the distance. About half-way to them are 3 large ruined buildings- 2 of them convents, and the third an old fortress. They have been deserted for centuries. On the western border of the S. lake (Bahret el-Kiblyeh) is a village called Hlarrdn el-Awamid, "Harrn of the Columns." It gets its name from 3 Ionic pillars which stand in the midst of the mudhouses. They stand on pedestals 6 ft. high, and the height to the top of the capital is 40 ft. The stone is a hard black basalt. In the streets and lanes of the village are also some broken shafts and old hewn stones. According to Dr. Beke this is Haran, where Laban dwelt, and Jacob got his two wives. Dr. Beke appears to be the sole supporter of this singular theory. At the north-eastern extremity of the plain stands the village of Maksft- ra, sometimes called Dumeir, contain- ing an ancient temple in a good state of preservation. The plan is curious. At each end is a pediment supported on semicolumns, in the centre of which is a large portal with pilasters and deep mouldings. A cornice is carried round the exterior, and the walls are orna- mented by pilasters. Within is a small vestibule at each end, opening by an arched doorway into the cell. Here again are pilasters round the walls supporting a plain entablature. A Greek inscription on the eastern end informs us that the temple was erected in the year 557 (A.D. 246), during the reign of the 2 Philips. About 2 m. E. of Maksfira are the ruins of a small town and a fortress. They present nothing of interest, and they have apparently been deserted for centuries. Both these places stand close to the foot of the lowest range of Anti- lebanon, here called Jebel el-Kaus. The desert of Arabia stretches out to the E. and S.E. A stream, called Nahr el-Mukubrit, breaks down through the hills from the plain of Jerfid; and several copious fountains in the neighbourhood yield an abun- dant supply of water. Maksfira, or the ruin E. of it, is probably the Thelsea of the ' Antonine Tables.' Its distance from Geroda, now Jerfid, is given at 16 Rom. m., and from Damas- cus 24. These distances agree well with the positions of the 3 places. 469 4oute 84.-Tour in the 1aurdn. A mode of obtaining water for irri- gation extensively employed over the plain of Damascus is deserving of no- tice. A well is first sunk till water is found; then, following the slope of the plain, another is sunk at the dis- tance of 50 or 60 yards, and the two are connected by a subterranean chan- nel, with just enough of fall for the water to flow. A long line of wells is thus made and connected, and the stream of water obtained is at length on a level with the surface, and ready for use. The plain is filled with these singular aqueducts, some of which run 2 or 3 m. under-ground. Where the water of one is diffusing life and ver- dure over the surface, another beneath is collecting a new supply, deriving it too, in some measure, from the surplus of the former which percolates through the soil. Many of them are now choked with rubbish, and no longer serviceable. ROUTE 34. TOUR IN THE HAURAN. H. r. Damascus to river 'Awaj, Phar- par .. .. .. ...... 2 20 Burak .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 0 Musmeih, Phano .. .... 2 0 Sh'adrah .. .. .. .. .. 1 30 Dama .. .. .. .. .... 6 0 'Ahiry .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 0 Extent and history of the Lejah, Trachonitis, Aryob. Um ez-Zeitfin ........ 1 30 JHit .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 0 Bathanyeh, Batanma ... .. 1 0 Shukah, Sace a .... .. .. 1 15 Shuhba ........ .. 1 45 Suleim, Neapolis...... Kunawat, Canatha, Kenath 'A til .. .. . .. ... Suweideh .. .. .. Hebrin .. .. .. .. .. Kufr .. .. .. .. .. Kuleib .. .. .. .. ... Sehwet el-Khudr .. .. Sileh .. .. .. .. ... Route to Safdh and Harrah. 'Orman, Philippopolis .. . Sulkhad, Salcah .... .. Kureiyeh, Kerioth .. .. Busrah, BOSRAH .. .. ... 'Ary. . . . . Der'a, Adra .. .. .. Mezarib � .. .. Edhr'a, EDREI . ... . Sunamein, Are .... .. Kesweh ... .. .. Damascus .. .. ... Total .. . .. 1 30 .. 1 15 . 0 45 . 1 0 .. 220 . 1 0 .2 0 . 3 0 .2 0 . 3 30 .10 . 2 0 .2 0 . 20 2 15 6 0 2 0 .4 0 5 0 .4 45 . 2 30 .76 10 The Hauran is one of the most inte- resting sections of Palestine. For the number, extent, and beauty of its ruins it surpasses all the rest. Unfortunately it is not always accessible; and even when the traveller does obtain access, he is exposed to some sudden outbreak of Muslem fanaticism on the one hand, and to Bedawy raids on the other. A Druze escort is the best safeguard against both the one and the other. The Druzes are the dominant party in Hauran. Their chiefs exercise an authority all but absolute over the most interesting portion of it. Without a safe-conduct from them it would be folly to enter the country. This, how- ever, may be easily obtained through the British consul at Damascus. A couple of their sturdy retainers-well mounted as they always are, and well armed-form the best guards and guides. Some of them can usually be found in Damascus, and if not the tra- veller may attach himself to a caravan, and, provided with letters to the sheikhs, reach their territory. Be- tween the territory of Damascus and the Druze district in Hauran there is a desolate plain infested by Bedawin from the eastern desert, and by robbers 470 Sect. IV. from the rocky recesses of the Lejah. To pass this plain is our first difficulty, which may either be overcome by join- ing a caravan, or under the escort of the sheikh of Deir 'Aly, a strong border chieftain. Once within the Druze district we have no difficulty, in times of peace, in securing as large an escort as may be desired. It may be well to remember that the Druze sheikhs form a hereditary nobility, preserving with great tenacity all the pride and state of their order. They receive and entertain travellers with profuse hospitality, and no com- pensation in money can be offered them. A bakhshish, however, in the shape of a few flasks of English gun- powder and a few boxes of percus- sion caps, or a telescope, or, better still, a good rifle-gun, is always accept- able. The servants and retainers are not so particular. They take without scruple whatever is offered. The mem- bers of the escort, whether few or many, expect regular pay. They will be found obliging, communicative, and faithful, and they are brave to a fault. Of the great chiefs I shall have more to say below. The manners, costume, arms, and warfare of the people are worthy of special note, as illustrating patriarchal times. The Haurdan is a generic name for a large district of plain and mountain, bounded on the W. by the Haj road, where it borders on Jaulan and Jedfir ; on the N. by Wady el-'Ajam; and on the E. and S. by the Desert, or the uninhabited plain of Arabia. It is now, as it was in Roman times, di- vided into 3 provinces, the Lejah, the Nukrah, and the Jebel. The Lejah is a rocky plain of singular wildness, lying on the N.W. of the Hauran. It is difficult of access, owing partly to the nature of the country, and partly to the character of the people. It is inhabited by a few tribes of Bedawin, lawless vagabonds and hereditary rob- bers. Their ancestors, in Josephus' days, were the pests of the country. Time has neither changed nor im- proved them; but they have been taught by many a bloody lesson to 471 tremble before their Druze neighbours. Escorted by an influential Druze sheikh, the traveller may, under ordi- nary circumstances, visit their wildest haunts. Though the region is filled with deserted towns and villages, the houses in many of which are perfect as when finished, the Arabs prefer their tents. Their principal tribes are as follows; Es-Solfit, el-Medlej, es-Sel- man, ed - Dhohery, and es - Siyaleh. They generally acknowledge the autho- rity of the Pasha of Damascus; but their allegiance sits very lightly upon them. Round the borders of the Lejah are a few villages inhabited by Chris- tians, Druzes, and Muslems. The largest of them is Edhr'a, the Edrei of Scripture. A narrow strip of the plain extending round the Lejah is called el-Luhf, the " coverings; " and the country embraced in these two corres- ponds to the Greek province of Tra- chonitis, the "Stony," a name suffi- ciently descriptive of its physical as- pect. The old Hebrew name was Argob, which signifies a "heap of stones." In Argob, the Bible student will remember, were "three score great cities, with walls and brazen bars" (1 Kings iv. 13); and many of these we shall see in the course of our tour. The greatest of them is Edrei, where the giant Og reigned (Deut. i. 4). En-Nukrah, "the Plain," is the Hauran proper, the Greek Auranitis, and the Hebrew Hauran (Ezek. xlvii. 16). It lies to the S. of the Lejah, and is one unbroken plain of the richest soil. It is the granary of Da- mascus, and the most fertile region in Syria. Now it is sadly neglected, being periodically overrun by the hordes of the 'Anazeh, who cover the country like locusts. It is filled with deserted towns and villages, among which may be mentioned Busrah, the Bozrah of the plain of Moab (Jer. xlviii. 24) : Um el-Jemal, the ancient Beth-gamul (xlviii. 23); and Der'a, the Adraha of the 'Itineraries.' The villages of the Nukrah are principally inhabited by Muslems, who in dress, manners, and accent resemble the N.1 PALEsTINE. Route 34.--The Haurdn. Ioue 34.-The taurdri. Bedawin. A few Christians live among them; and the Druzes are also creeping over the plain from their home in the mountains. Z1-Jebel, " the Mountain," called also Jebel ed-Druze, is the mountain district between the plain of Hauran and the eastern desert. Among the natives it still retains its ancient name, Ard el-Bathanyeh, the "Land of Bata- nah." The soil on the mountain- sides is exceedingly fertile, though stony. To the artist and the anti- quary this is the most interesting part of the country. The scenery is in some places beautiful, and we meet with ruined towns every mile or two. The ruins of Salcah, Kerioth, and Kenath are here; and here too are Suweideh, Suleim, 'Ary, Hebrin, and Shuhba-- all containing remains of ancient wealth and grandeur. E1-Jebel is occupied almost exclusively by Druzes. There are, however, some small tribes of Bedawin who encamp amid the forests, and make themselves useful as shepherds to their settled neighbours. The principal tribes are el-Hasan, esh- Shenabileh, el-Hediyeh, esh-Shurafkt, and Beni 'Adam. The Bedawin of the Jebel are connected with the two tribes which frequent es-Safah. There has long been a blood feud between all these trihes and the 'Anazeh. In the Hauran are two noble Arab tribes which exercise a kind of au- thority over all the others, and claim black-mail-in Arabic Khiweh-from the villages of the Nukrah. Their supremacy is to some extent recognised by the Pasha of Damascus, who employs them to collect the taxes. These are el-Fuhaily, usually styled "Emirs of the Arabs of the Lejah; " and es-Serdiyeh, called " Sheilhs of the Arabs of Hauran." The former are said to be able to bring 200 horse- men into the field, and the latter about 150; but these numbers are very doubtful. Having procured letters of recom- mendation, and a Druze escort, we are now ready to set out. We shall follow the eastern route, which is not only the most direct, but that usually taken by caravans of Druzes and Christians going to el-Jebel. On leaving the city we proceed across the plain to the vil- lage of Kabr es-Sit, 1 h. distant. It receives its name from the tomb of Zeinab, the grand-daughter of Moham- med, and wife of Omar ibn el-Khattab, the second Caliph. Zeinab died in the plain of Damascus and was buried in this village, which was formerly called Radlyeh, but subsequently Kabr es-Sit, the " Tomb of the Lady." A mosque with a white cupola and minaret stands over the grave, and is a fa- vourite place of pilgrimage, especially for Persian Hajys. Beyond this place the plain is bare, and only partially cultivated; but the old canals show that such was not the case in former ages. Another h. brings us to the eastern base of Jebel el-Aswad, sweep- ing round which we descend gently to Nejha, situated in a fertile vale near the bank of the 'Awaj, or Pharpar. It is the last inhabited village in this direction. A dozen or two of half- ruinous stone houses, built on the top of a low rocky mound, show clearly enough that we have left behind us the peaceable and prosperous Ghutah. We can here look up the green vale of the Pharpar westward, shut in by the parallel ranges of Jebel el-Aswad and Jebel Mani'a. The villages of Adillyeh and Hurjilleh are in view. The 'Awaj is a deep rapid stream, flowing through the alluvial vale. Two canals are led off from it a little lower down to irri- gate a section of the plain of Damascus. Ten miles farther eastward the river empties itself into a lake called Bahret Heijaneh, which becomes a marsh during summer. On our 1., partly be- hind us, is a tell crowned by the wely of Abu Zid, a Muslem place of pilgrim- age. Descending from Nejha, and crossing the 'Awaj by a substantial stone bridge, we enter the desert-not a sandy desert, nor a stony desert, nor a sterile desert, but an uninhabited desert, a desert made so by man. The soil is rich, but it is desolated by the Bedawin. We march over a dreary, treeless waste; now crossing a stony spur that shoots 47- Sect. IV. out eastward from Jebel Mani'a, and now a broad belt of green meadow. An isolated hill is seen away on the rt., called Abu Shejar, "Father of a tree," from the remarkable fact that a solitary tree grows upon it. On our 1. the plain stretches to the horizon in bleak undulations, with green grass, and green weeds, and a rich soil, but with no habitation save the Arab tent, and no occupant except the wandering Bedawy. Black masses of ruin stand here and there on tells, showing that desolation did not always reign here. On our rt. rise the bare slopes of Jebel Mani'a, and to the S. of them Jebel Khiyarah. A dark line is now seen running across the plain to the southward, like the shadow of a cloud. As we advance it resolves itself into ridges of rugged rock, studded with stunted trees, and large towns and villages of the same uniform black colour. This is the Lejah. 5 hs.' march from Nejha brings us to the town of Burak, on the north- eastern corner of the Lejah. It is situated just within the wilderness of rocks, and may have contained 5000 or 6000 Inhab.; but it is now, and has been for centuries, entirely deserted. This seems the more remarkable as some of the houses are perfect. We may go into one of them, stable our horses in one apartment, make a kitchen of another, a dining-room of a third, a bed-room of a fourth, shut the doors and pass the night in peace. A glance at the architecture explains the mystery of their preservation in spite of time, and neglect, and the desolations of war. The walls are built of large squared blocks of basalt, almost hard as iron; the flat roof is composed of long slabs of the same material, neatly hewn and closely fitted; the doors are also stone, from 6 inches to a foot in thickness, and hung upon pivots projecting above and below, and working in sockets in the lintel and threshold. It would take too much labour to overthrow such buildings. Such is the style of the domestic architecture of Burak, and indeed of all the towns and villages in 473 the Hauran. Some of the houses are larger, some smaller, but the plan is the same in all- stone roofs, stone doors, some even have stone window- shutters, and in a few, where the chambers are large, a semicircular arch supports the roof. Thousands of them remain uninjured, but tens of thou- sands are heaps of ruins. Their date it is impossible to fix. They may be of any age from Ham to Mohammed. One thing is evident, they were built during a period of prosperity, and therefore before the Mohammedan conquest. On 2 or 3 of the houses of Burak are Greek inscriptions of a very early period. One of them bears the date "10th of Peritius, in the year 8," and another "7th of Apelloeus, in the year 5." The era is most probably that of the Selucidae, as the months are Macedonian; and thus these dates are respectively B.C. 304 and 307. Burak has no fountains. It depended wholly on its cisterns for a supply of water; hence its name, Burdk, "Cis- terns." These are large and ancient. An aqueduct, partly hewn in the rock, and partly supported on arches, con- nects them with the winter stream in Wady Liwa, a m. distant. This stream has its source near the northern ex- tremity of Jebel Hauran; it winds along the eastern side of the Lejah, and striking across the plain from Burik falls into the lake Heijaneh. An old road, Roman, if not earlier, is cut and levelled through the rocks from the town to the wady, and cross- ing the latter it runs along its eastern bank to the foot of the mountains, being in some places straight as an arrow for 3 or 4 m. This is the usual caravan route from Damascus to Jebel Hauran, and along it I travelled in 1853. More than 20 small towns and villages lie to the rt. and 1. of it, chiefly among the rocks of the Lejah, but they contain little to interest the traveller, being similar in style and character to Burak, and all deserted. The plain to the eastward is flat, and its soil fertile. At intervals are tells, mostly covered with ruins. Here and there the fences of old fields are quite distinct, and everywhere are traces of N. PALESTINE. Route 34.-Burdk. Route 34.-Musmeih. former cultivation. Now there is not a solitary inhabitant; and even the rich vegetation of Wady Liwa is often left untouched, being border land be- tween the Bedawin of the desert and the Bedawin of the Lejah-hereditary enemies. Instead of following this dreary road we turn S.W. along the Luhf, to visit the ruins of el-Musmeih, which are among the most interesting and beau- tiful in Hauran. The distance is about 2 hrs., and between them lie the remains of Um es-Safid. We have here a good opportunity of examining the remarkable physical features of the Lejah. Its border is as clearly defined as a coast-line, which indeed it greatly resembles with its inlets, bays, and promontories. The general sur- face is elevated from 20 to 30 ft. above the plain. It is composed of black basalt which appears to have issued from pores in the earth, and to have flowed out on every side until the plain was almost covered. Before cooling it seems to have been tossed like a tem- pestuous sea, and subsequently shat- tered and rent by internal convulsions. The crater-like cavities from which the liquid mass exuded are still visible, and also the wavy surface a thick liquid assumes in flowing. Deep fissures and yawning chasms, with ragged broken sides, intersect the whole like a network; while here and there are mounds of rock, evidently forced upwards by some mighty agency and then rent and shattered to their centres. The rocks are filled with pits and protuberances like air-bubbles. They are as hard as flint, and give a sharp metallic sound when struck. The aspect of the whole is wild and savage. The lava fields round the base of Vesuvius give a faint idea of it. Every rock seems as if it had been scathed and shatterred by a lightning- stroke. There is not one pleasing feature for the eye to rest on. The very trees that grow among the rocks in the distance have a blasted look. Strange as it may seem, however, this forbidding region is studded with towns and villages, whose black houses and towers rise on every side out of the wilderness of rocks. Such as take the western road from Damascus to the Hauran may reach Musmeih as follows; Kesweh 22 hrs.; Deir 'Aly 13 h.; Merjan, a village in the plain, sometimes inhabited, 1 h. 4 h. S. by E. of Merjan is an iso- lated column with several fallen ones round it. Musmeih 14 h. Musmeih, Phano. - This old city, like Burak, is situated just within the border of the Lejah; and the approach to it from the plain is through a laby- rinth of rocks. The rocks form an admirable defence, and thus the ex- pense of walls and battlements was saved. Musmeih has been rarely visited, and much still remains in it to be investigated by the enterprising explorer. It is generally deserted, though occasionally a few families seek an asylum or a temporary home amid its palaces. The ruins are about 3 m. in circumference, being thus equal to the old walled section of Damascus, and somewhat larger than the modern city of Jerusalem. Most of the private houses are heaps of ruins; but some of the public buildings are in tolerable preservation. Among the latter is a beautiful temple. The approach to it is over a paved area, once surrounded by a colonnade. A flight of 6 steps, the whole length of the fagade, leads to the portico, which consists of 6 Doric columns, 3 of them standing. The entrance to the cell is by a large plain door, with a small one on each side; they are now walled up. The interior is a square of 43 ft., with a semicircular niche opposite the en- trance, terminated above by a chastely sculptured shell-ornament. The roof, now fallen, was supported by 4 Corin- thian columns, about 30 ft. high, rest- ing on wreathed pedestals; and along the side and end walls are pilasters corresponding. The style of the archi- tecture is chaste, and the ornaments well executed, though florid. On the side of the entrance door is a long Greek inscription, from which we learn that the ancient name of the city was Pheno, and that it was the capital 474 Sect. IV. of Trachonitis :-" Julius Saturninus in the rocks. It is usually occupied by to the people of Pheno, capital of a few families, though sometimes it is Trachon, greeting." This is one of deserted. In fact, the peasants of the the most interesting inscriptions in Hauran are half nomads. The land is the country, solving an important geo- wide, houses are abundant, and in- graphical problem - the identity of habitants few. Therefore when a few the Lejah with Trachonitis, the pro- families quarrel with their neighbours vince over which " Philip the tetrarch" or feel uncomfortable, or are oppressed ruled (Luke iii. 1). The date of the by tax-gatherers or local sheikhs, in building is not given; but from an- one village, they pack up their move- other inscription over the door we ables, march off, and establish a new learn that it was erected during the colony. The houses are ready; they reign of the Emperors M. Aurelius have only to go in and take possession. Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Verus The soil is rich, and with very little (A. D. 161-169), by a commander of labour they obtain an abundant har- the 3rd Gallic Legion, then stationed vest. in the city. Little is known of the Sh'aarah is built on two sides of a history of Phuno in addition to the wady, and contains several large struc- few facts recorded in its inscriptions. tures in ruins. Among them is a It was an episcopal city during the square tower. In the upper town is early centuries of our era, and was also an old temple, now converted into represented in the councils of Chal- a mosque, which we learn from an in- cedon and Ephesus. One of the routes scription over the door was erected by laid down on the Peutinger Tables is as 4 soldiers during the reign of M. Aure- follows: Damascus to Aenos 27 M. P.; lius and L. Verus; it is thus coeval Chanata 37; Bhose 20. We have now with the temple at Musmeih. Tihe a key to solve this seeming enigma. streets are here and there cut through For Aenos read Phanos-the initial the rock; and the tracks of wheels are Greek letter having been accidentally everywhere apparent. The houses re- omitted. Chanata is known; it is the semble those at Buritk. modern Kunawit. Then for Rhose read Bostra-and the route is intel- S.W. of Sh'aarah, along the side of ligible and accurate. The remains of the Lejah, is a long line of large vil- the Roman road are still visible in lages, now mostly deserted. Among many places, both between Damascus them is Khubab, 4 hrs. distant, in- and Musmeih, and southward towards habited by a colony of Christians, who Bostra. It runs through the centre of cultivate a section of theadjoining plain. the Lejah, almost in a straight line to From Khubab to Edhr'a, the ancient Kunawat, but it has never yet been Edrei, is 4 hrs. fully explored. Instead of following this circuitous There are several other public build- route we strike southward through the ings in Musmeih; but they are not Lejah, if our escort be sufficiently remarkable either for size or archi- strong or sufficiently influential to tecture. The number and fulness of conduct us in safety. We run some the Greek inscriptions, here and in risk; but the singular wildness of the almost all the towns and villages of scenery repays us. By merely skirting Hauran, are worthy of special notice. its border we can form no adequate They form the most interesting, and idea of this remarkable region. Near almost the only, historical records of the borders there are mounds, and the country. It would be a work of ridges, and fields of jagged rocks; but great labour, but also of great import- there are also intervening patches of ance, to copy them. soil. For some 3 m. from the plain these features continue. On proceed- From Musmeih we continue west- ing inwards, however, the surface be- ward along the Luhf 1 h. to Sh'adrah, comes more uneven, the patches of soil a small town situated nearly 1 m. with- less frequent, the rocks higher and M PALESTINE. Route 34.--Sh'ad rah. 475 R4oute 84.-The Lejah-Ddma. more rugged, and the road more tor- tuous and difficult. As we approach Dama, so rugged is the country, so lofty are the impending cliffs, so deep the gullies and ravines, that the whole forms a wild labyrinth which none but the Arabs can penetrate. Burek- hardt, one of the very few who came here, says, "In the interior parts of the Lejah the rocks are in many places cleft asunder, so that the whole hill appears shivered, and in the act of falling down; the layers are generally horizontal, from 6 to 8 ft. or more in thickness, sometimes covering the hills, and inclining to their curve, as appears from the fissures which often traverse the rock from top to bottom." The description of Josephus written 18 centuries ago is as graphic as that of Burckhardt (See Ant. xv. 10, 1). But no description can approach the reality. One cannot repress a shudder when he finds himself in such a den, sur- rounded by armed hordes on whose faces the country seems to have stamped its own savage features. Ibrahim Pasha, flushed with victory, and maddened by the obstinacy of a handful of Druzes, attempted to follow them into this stronghold; but scarcely a soldier who entered returned. Every rock concealed an enemy. From inac- cessible nooks death was dealt out; and thousands of the bravest of the Egyptian troops left their bones amid the defiles of the Lejah. The Turks tried to penetrate the Lejah in 1852, but they were driven back by the Druzes with the loss of 2 guns and several hundred men. The Lejah has for ages been a sanctuary for outlaws, and not unfrequently a refuge for the oppressed. The road from Sh'aarah to Dama leads past several deserted villages with houses like those at Burik, and square towers, the object of which it is not easy to determine. They resem- ble belfries, but the buildings with which they are connected have no ecclesiastical look. Kul'at Semah, Kureim, and another near it called Kustul Kureim, are passed in succes- sion; and at the end of 6 h. fatiguing ride, through the wildest region our feet have ever trodden, we arrive in Dama. Ddma is the capital of the Lejah, and situated in the centre of the rocky wilderness. Strange, indeed, must have been the taste of a people, and strong their love of liberty, who built a town in such a spot. There is no arable ground, no wood, no vegetation, except a tuft of grass, or a half-dried weed her6 and there in a cranny of the rocks. Burckhardt estimated the num- ber of the houses at 300, and most of them are still in good preservation, though without inhabitants. They seem to be of very great antiquity. The Bedawin of the Medlej tribe pitch their tents near them. Every house has its cistern, for there are no foun- tains or streams; and beside the town are immense excavations in the rock, like caves, the roofs supported on natural columns. These may have been partly intended for cisterns, and partly for stores and habitations. To these Josephus seems to refer in his graphic account of Trachonitis. The inhabitants, he says, "dwelt in caves which served as a refuge both for them- selves and their flocks. They had cisterns of water and well-stored gra- naries, and were thus able to remain long in obscurity and to defy their enemies. The doors of their caves were so narrow that but one man at a time could enter them, while within they were incredibly spacious. The ground above is almost a plain, but it is covered with rugged rocks, and is difficult of access, except when a guide points out the paths. These paths have many turns and windings" (Ant. xv. 10, 1). There is only one building in Dama of any interest in an archi- tectural point of view. It is large and substantial, and in tolerable preserva- tion. The gate is richly ornamented with vine-leaves and bunches of grapes. The traveller who penetrates the Lejah must be careful not to excite the suspicions of the Bedawin by scanning too closely the buildings or the scenery of the defiles, or by asking questions in reference to them. Above all things avoid sketching, copying in- Sect. IV. 476 N. PALESTINE. Route 34.-The Lejah--Ddma. scriptions, or even taking notes, except with the express permission of the Druze escort. Pencils and magic are universally associated in the minds of these ignorant and lawless people; and a suspected magician would get little mercy from them. From Dama we proceed to 'Ahiry, 2 hrs. distant, passing at 2 h. the small village of Deir Dama. The scenery is as wild as ever, and the path as tortuous and rugged. It is with a feeling of relief we emerge on the comparatively open ground that surrounds 'Ahiry. Here is a fountain, the only one in the Lejah, and some patches of grain are observed on clear spots amid the rocks. A number of Druze and a few Christian families occupy the old houses, and cultivate the ground. It is strange to see in- dustry struggling with nature in such a wilderness, while thousands of acres of the richest ground in Syria are lying waste only a few miles distant. Such scenes form the bitterest com- mentaries on the character of the Turkish government. 6000 soldiers or more are kept at Damascus; their lazy officers smoking and drinking; while Bedawin are permitted to plun- der the peasants of the Haurin, and to waste their fields and villages. A Druze chief once said to me-" We know nothing of the government ex- cept through the tax-gatherer who eats up the fruits of our toil. Is it strange then that we should occa- sionally send a bullet through him, just as we do through a Bedawy plunderer ?" Beside 'Ahiry is a high tell called 'Amarah, with a wely on its summit. From this point we obtain one of the most commanding views of the Lejah. The whole region is in view; and a. wilder panorama human eye never looked on. It is a favourable place for glancing at its extent, and for sum- ming up what is known of its history. The Lejah is of an oval shape, about 22 m. long by 14 wide. Its eastern side is a segment of a circle; having the ruins of Burak on its northern extremity, and those of Bu- reiky near the southern. The south- ern border is a waving line, running from Bureiky nearly due W. 5 m. to Nejran, and thence sweeping round to the N.W. 9 m. more to Edhr'a, which stands on the S.W. angle. Be- tween Edhr'a and Bur* there are many indentations and projections; but the general line of the border forms the segment of a circle. The whole circumference may be esti- mated at about 58 m. On the south- eastern side, between Tell Shihan, which is so conspicuous with its white wely to the eastward, and Nejran, whose towers rise up among the rocks on the S.W., the border of the Lejah is not so clearly defined, as the stony ground extends to the base of the mountains as far S. as Suleim and Suweideh. The Lejah, with a nar- row strip of the surrounding plain, constituted, as has been stated, the Greek province of Trachonitis, of which Phmno was capital, and Kenath or Canatha an important city. The Hebrew name was Argob, and it formed a part of the kingdom of Bashan, which fell to the lot of the half-tribe of Manasseh. The words of Moses will be remembered-" And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan; which was called the land of giants. Jair, the son of Manasseh, took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maacathi, and called them after his own. name, Bashan- havoth-Jair ('the towns of Jair in Bashan'), unto this day." (Deut. iii. 13, 14.) And in another place it is stated that Jair took " Geshur and Aram, with the towns of Jair, with Kenath and the towns thereof, even three score cities." (1 Chron. ii. 23.) Looking round us from the summit of Tell 'Amarah over this province, not less than thirty of these three score cities can be counted, their black houses and shattered towers rising out of what at a first glance would seem to be an un- inhabitable wilderness. The Lejah was probably the retreat of the Geshurites, who retired from the adjoining plain on the advance of 477 Route 34.-The Lejah. the Israelites, and submitted to the foreigner, but were permitted to in- habit these strongholds:-" Neverthe- less the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maacath- ites; but the Geshurites and the Maa- cathites dwell among the Israelites until this day"-the former in the recesses of Argob, the latter amid the defiles of Hermon. (Josh. xiii. 13.) The Geshurites appear again in con- nexion with an interesting episode in Israelitish history. Absalom's mother was " Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur" (2 Sam. iii. 3); and the wild acts of his life were doubtless to some extent the result of maternal training. They were at least charac- teristic of the stock from which he sprung. After murdering his brother Amnon he fled to his uncle in " Ge- shur of Aram" (2 Sam. xiii. 37; xv. 8), and dwelt amid these rocky fast- nesses till Joab came to take him back to his father. (Id. xiv.) The old houses of Lejah-so massive, so simple, so unique in style-are most probably the work of the Geshurites, the Re- phaim, and other aborigines of Bashan. Josephus tells a story about this country which is worthy of record if it were only to show how unchange- able are Eastern manners, Eastern character, and Eastern governments. A certain chief called Zenodorus had obtained possession of the province of Abilene. Not satisfied with his re- venues, he became a partner with the robber hordes of Trachonitis, who pil- laged the country round Damascus. Zenodorus' influence shielded them from the consequences of their crimes. At length they became intolerable, and the surrounding country carried a complaint to Varro the Proconsul, entreating him to represent Zenodorus' acts to the Emperor. He did so, and Caesar gave orders for the nest of robbers to be destroyed, and their land given to Herod. This, however, writes Josephus, "was no easy task, since robbery had long been their profession, and they had no other means of living. They possessed neither cities nor fields, but lived in dens and caves, where, until starved out, they bade defiance to their enemies." Turning eastward from 'Ahiry' a track not quite so bad as that from DAma brings us, in about 1" h., to Um ez-Zeitfin, "the Mother of Olives "- a village situated on the eastern border of the Lejah, near Wady Liwa. It is so large that we might give it the title of town, though now it is only occupied by some 30 or 40 Druze fami- lies. The number of Greek inscrip- tions strikes us. They are everywhere -on old buildings, in modern walls, on loose stones in the streets, and on tombs in the burying-ground. The names they contain are almost all Syriac. One beside the gate of a small temple begins with Aya6~? TvXf? " Good Fortune," the tutelary deity of Bostra, which heads great num- bers of the inscriptions found in Hauran. The northern section of Jebel Hauran now lies before us. A long acclivity of fine land, sprinkled with black rocks and stones, leads up to rugged, round - topped hills, which form the crest of the ridge. Dark villages, looking in the distance like immense castles, are scattered thickly along the acclivity; and are seen perched on the mountain summits in the distance. Though the soil is rich, the scenery is bleak; the absence of trees, and the rough black stones, give it an aspect of desolation. It is all carefully cultivated, however, and these northern acclivities are famed for producing the finest wheat in Syria. An easy ascent of 2 h. brings us to Hit, one of the principal villages in Jebel Hauran, and the residence of a powerful Druze sheikh, Asad 'Amer. A visit to this fine specimen of the old nobility of the country will be the traveller's first duty. A neglect of this duty would not only be regarded as uncourteous, but as an insult to the chief. We must remember that we are here out of the beaten track of tourists, where a man can pitch his tent, picket his horses, cook his pro- visions, pack up again and march- Sect. IV. 478 Route 34.--Hit.-Bathanyeh. caring for nobody, and nobody caring for him. Here it is different. We are among a people of patriarchal manners and patriarchal hospitality. Every tourist is a guest. Strangers cannot pass without being constrained to accept proffered hospitality. "Will not my lord descend while his servants prepare a little food? "-is the urgent language of every village sheikh, uttered, too, without a thought of bakhshish. The coffee is always on the fire; a kid or lamb-the repre- sentative of the "fatted calf"-is at hand, and can be "got ready" with all the despatch of ancient days; food for the attendants, " provender" for the horses, accommodation for all, are given as matters of course. One fan- cies himself carried back to the days of Abraham, when the good patriarch sat in his tent-door ready to welcome every visitor, and hail every passer- by. (Gen. xviii. 1-8.) And with the hospitality we have here the simplicity of ancient days- no splendour in the house, furniture, or dress; no French finery in cuisine or service; but hosts of attendants, and a profusion of substantial fare. Coffee is first presented. The coffee is roasted, pounded, boiled, and served, in the presence of the visitor. The process is a curious one. A handful of the beans is thrown into an iron ladle, and placed over the fire. They are stirred with a spoon until they become a rich brown colour. They are then transferred to a quaintly carved oak mortar. A squatting figure places the mortar between his knees, and commences the work of pounding. He wields the pestle, which is about the size of a policeman's baton, with all the grace and skill of a practised drummer; keeping lively time, pecu- liarly grateful to Arab ears. The guest is first served; then the cup passes round all present, no matter how great their number; and what with the attraction of the stranger and the coffee, the room is usually full. Hit was once a town of fully 10,000 Inhab., but now it scarcely contains as many hundreds. The greater part of the site is covered with heaps of ruins, and the houses still occupied are ancient. The stone doors and roofs are here as at Burhk, but some of the former are ornamented with panels and mouldings. Greek inscriptions are numerous. One records the dedica- tion of a building to Jupiter; another the erection of a fountain by a gover- nor called ZElius Mazimos; another has the date 14, probably of the Bos- trian era (A.D. 120). They all seem to be of an earlier date than the 3rd century. We may now send the baggage southward to Shuhba, while we make a ddtour to visit the ruins of Batha- nyeh and Shika. Bathanyeh, Batana, is a small town 3 m. N.E. from Hit. It is situated on the northern declivity of Jebel Hauran, and commands a wide view over the plain to the N. and N.W. as far as the lakes of Damascus and the base of Anti- lebanon. 2 h. to the N.W. are 2 little conical hills, beside which stand the deserted villages of T'ala and Ta'alla; and beyond them, to the rt., rises Tell Khalediyeh, crowned with ruins, one of the most conspicu- ous sites in the country,'and deserving of a visit should the traveller have time. 3 other deserted villages lie at a distance in the plain. The soil round Bathanyeh is fertile though stony, and the plain below it lacks nothing but inhabitants and industry. The little town itself seems to have been deserted for centuries, yet many of the houses are still habitable-tlhe stone doors in their places, the stone roofs water-tight, and even in one or two places the large stone gates of the court-yards in perfect repair. The pavement of the streets is far superior to that of any modern town in Syria. Some of the houses are constructed on the plan of the modern dwellings of Damascus-an open, flagged court, with the apartments opening into it. One court has massive folding doors of stone, and a square tower, some 40 ft. high, beside it. On another similar tower, near the S. end of the town, is N. PALESTINE. 479 a Greek inscription beginning with in a good state of preservation, yet a Ay14 Trgx, which shows that it was few hundred Druzes and Christians built at least previous to the esta- find homes in the old houses. Their blishment of Christianity in the em- habitations are so encompassed with pire. Near it is a curious building. heaps of tangled ruins that they look From the street we enter a court-yard. like dens of wild beasts. The streets In front of one of the chambers open- are all distinctly marked, though en- ing into the yard is a small porch cumbered with the debris of fallen supported by 2 columns, having houses. They are narrow, though several crosses carved upon them. On straighter and more regular than those the opposite side is a. large apartment of the towns we have yet visited. with a stable attached to it; the stalls There are here 4 of those singular are formed of stone and in perfect square towers which so much remind preservation. In the interior is a one of the belfry of an English parish Greek inscription in raised characters, church. and there are many others in different On the N. side of the town, a few parts of the town. The supply of hundred yds. distant, is a tomb similar water seems to have been obtained in character to those at Palmyra. It both here and at Hit from subterra- is a square building, 20 ft. on each nean canals similar to those seen in side, and 30 high. The door is on the the plain of Damascus. E. side, and over it is a small window. Bathanyeh is the Arabic form of On a tablet above the door is a long the Greek Batanmea or Batanis, an epis- Greek inscription, in small but well- copal city under Bostra (S. Paul, formed characters; and on each side Georg. Sac.). Josephus frequently of it is another with inscriptions mentions the province of Batanma in equally long. From one of these it connexion with Gaulanitis and Tra- appears that the mausoleum was chonitis (B. J. ii. 6, 3; iii. 3, 5); and erected by a certain Bassos, for him- at the present day the proper name of self, his wife, and his children, in Jebel Hauran is Ard el Bathanyeh, "the year of the city (Bostra) 70"- "the country of Bathanyeh." This A.D. 176. The other important struc- province includes the whole mountain- tures of Shaka are-the ruins of a range, with the exception of a narrow church, 72 ft. long by 52 ft. wide; it strip along the western base, in which is divided into nave and aisles by are the important towns of Suweideh, ranges of short clumsy piers, support- Kunawat, and Shuhba. Bathanyeh ing round arches; the door is in the is spoken of by early Arab authors E. end. Two buildings, apparently both as a province and a city, and so temples. Of one of them only the we find it still. Eusebius seems to front wall is standing ; but the other, have confounded the province of Ba- close to it, is in tolerable preservation. tanma with the kingdom of Bashan, Round the interior are niches and in- or Basan, and this error occasioned tervening brackets for statues; and much confusion and misapprehension the front wall is highly ornamented. in the works of subsequent geogra- Near it lies a large stone containing a phers. fragment of a Greek inscription, to the effect that a " church was erected by Shiika, the ancient Sacema, is 4 m. Bishop Tiberinos in the year 263 S. of Bathanyeh. The path ascends (A.D. 369), and dedicated to the saints gently through well-cultivated fields, and martyrs George and Sergius." among which we perceive traces of a Another inscription on a stone in the paved road. Shaka stands on the wall of an adjoining house records the side of a plateau which crowns the dedication of a church to St. Thee- acclivities of Hit and Bathanyeh, and dorus, in the year 310 (A.D. 416). extends eastward 3 or 4 m. The ruins Ptolemy mentions Saccea as a city are about 2 m. in circuit. Few of the in the province of Batanma, near buildings, either public or private, are Mount Alsadamus; and there cannot 480. Route 34.-Shuka. Sect. IV. be a doubt that this is the city. It are about 25 ft. wide; the old pave- probably bore another name-Con- ment is smooth and perfect as when stantina perhaps-during the ages of laid down; and the Rom. gateways, Christian supremacy. Like many of at which they terminate on the S. the other deserted towns in Jebel and E., are almost entire. At the Hauran, Shtika does not contain a point of crossing are 3 pedestals of trace of Mohammedan possession; and solid masonry, each 17 ft. square and it was, in all probability, deserted soon 10 high; the foundations of a fourth after the conquest. Several deserted can be traced. The principal build- and half-deserted towns are in view: ings of the city lie towards the W. Juneineh, on the eastern border of side; but in the south-eastern section the plateau, 3 m. distant; el-Ma'az, are the ruins of a great bath. Frag- on the top of a tell about as far beyond ments of an aqueduct may be seen it'; and others to the S. and S.W. stretching away from it towards the upper part of Wady Nimreh. Ascend- Shuhba.-A pleasant ride of 13 h. ing the main street westward from the along fertile undulating table-land, central square, we come to 5 beautiful brings us to this dilapidated city. Our Corinthian columns, standing on a course is S.W.; on the 1. is a low ridge, raised platform to the rt. They behind which is Wady Nimreh, and formed part of the portico of a temple. beyond it rise the highest peaks of They have on their shafts pedestals Jebel Hauran. One summit called for statues like those of the great Abu Tumeis surmounts all the rest. colonnade at Palmyra. On the oppo- Towns and villages are seen in the site side of the street are vestiges of distance, clinging to the hill-sides, another temple, apparently similar in and perched on their tops. On the rt. design; but now almost hidden be- the ground declines to the borders of neath ruins and modern walls. The the Lejah. Before us is Shuhba, interior was in later days fitted up as standing conspicuously on the crest of a church, and has a dome resting on a rocky ridge. We cross Wady Nim- heavy pillars. Higher up, on the rt. reh, and, clambering up its southern side of the street, about 50 yds. dis- bank, enter the city. A Roman gate- tant, we enter a low ancient courtyard, way, in tolerable preservation, is be- and see over a door a beautiful Greek side us, but heaps of ruins fotbid inscription, recording the erection of approach to it, and so we scramble a monument in honour of a magistrate over the prostrate wall at the risk of called Martius, by the commander of our horses' legs and our own necks. the 16th Legion, during the reign of Imagination could not conceive a M. Aurelius, and his son Lucius A. more terrible overthrow than that Verus (A.D. 161-169). Near itis an which has fallen upon the greater part old mosque in ruins; one of the very of Shuhba. In the eastern and north- few traces of Mohammedan architec- ern sections of the city not a building, ture in Jebel Hauran. Higher up or fragment of wall, remains standing. still the street is hewn through the The houses seem to have been shaken rock, and arched over. This was done till every stone was hurled from its to obtain an easier ascent for chariots. place, and the whole left in shapeless What a contrast does such a work i1 heaps. The lines of the streets are a remote town afford to the streets in like furrows in a ploughed field. The the capital of modern Syria! To the city is almost a square, its sides, each 1. of this is a singular building. There about L m. long, facing the cardinal is a semicircular apse, niches on each points. On the W. there is a slight side for statues, and a large open irregularity owing to a deep ravine, space in front. It may have formed The plan of the interior is simple and part of a circus or hippodrome. On regular. Two main streets cross each the southern side of the open area are other at right angles, dividing the the ruins of a small temple, with a city into 4 equal quarters. The streets perfect crypt beneath it : on the out- [Syria and Palestine.] Y N. PALESTINE. Route 34.--Shuhba. 481 Route 34.-Suleim. side are brackets for statues, with illegible Greek inscriptions. But the most interesting and best preserved monument of Shuhba is a theatre situated on the slope of the ridge, about 100 yds. from the last building. The exterior walls are nearly perfect, ,and so also are the in- terior passages, the stage, and many of the benches. The orchestra is 17 yds. in diameter, and there are 13 rows of benches, divided into 2 tiers by a broad passage running round the building, and opening by doors on a concentric corridor. Many other re- mains of ancient grandeur lie scat- tered about the different quarters of the city; but they are in a state of utter ruin. Greek inscriptions are met with on every side. One has the name of the two Philips, who reigned AD. 246-249; the others hitherto co- pied are of little historical value. The city appears to have been of Roman origin, to have been built in a day, and to have been suddenly destroyed ere a trace of age had been left upon it. It has no ancient name and no history. Unlike the sites of Palestine, where scarce a stone remains, and yet round which the most thrilling events of history cluster, here is a great city, and here are temples, without either name or story. Its ancient name might have still remained to us but for a circumstance which has attached some interest to it, at least in Arab estimation. A noble family, deriving its origin from the tribe of Koreish, and thus claiming kindred with the Prophet, left southern Arabia about the 7th centy. and found a home here. Their name was Shehdb and the town was thenceforth called Shuhba. For 5 centuries they dwelt here. But during the wars of Nur ed-Din and Saladin they were exposed to continual attacks, and they resolved to seek an asylum amid the fastnesses of Lebanon. Packing up their goods, assembling their flocks, and marshalling their retainers with all the hereditary apt- ness of Bedawin, they marched west- ward. In passing up Wady et-Teimn they were attacked by the crusading garrison of Hasbeiya, and, having de- feated them, stormed the castle and have ever since retained it. The late Emir Saad ed-Din, of Hasbeiya, was the head of the house; the Emir Effendi, of Rasheiya, was another scion of it; and the celebrated Emir Beshir, so long the governor of Lebanon, was a junior member of the same family. Shuhba is now the residence of one of the most powerful Druze sheikhs in the Hauran, Fares 'Amer, elder bro- ther of the Sheikh of Hit. His hospi- tality is only equalled by his bravery. He bore a distinguished part in the rebellion of 1852, and had a famous mare shot under him while attempting to carry off a gun captured from the Turks. The traveller must of course pay him a visit., It has been conjectured that Shuhba is identical with the ancient ecclesias- tical city Dionysia; but we have no good grounds for the supposition. Suleim forms our next stage, and is 1- h. S. of Shuhba. The road to it leads along the lower declivity of Jebel Hauran. The slopes are all ter- raced as if for the vine; but the vines are gone, the terraces neglected, and the black rocks that project above the soil give a savage aspect to the coun- try. At 40 min. we,observe in a valley on the 1. the half-ruinous village of Murduk; and a couple of miles to the rt., in the rocky plain, Rimeh. Near the latter is Deir el-Leben, where are the ruins of a large convent whence the name "Convent of Milk." Over the door of one of the cells is a Greek inscription recording the erection of a Temple of the Sun by 2 men-one a native of Rimea, and the other of Mardocho. Rimeh and Murduk have, therefore, retained their ancient names. Suleim stands on a low rounded tell at the foot of the mountains. The ruins of the old town are about 12 m. in circumference, and some 40 or 50 Druze families find a shelter among them. The remains of a bath, and the foundations of a temple standing on a platform of masonry, will attract attention; but the most important building is a temple a short distance N. of the town. It had a portico of 2 482 Sect. IV. Route 34.-Kenath. columns between ants, supporting a pediment, now completely overthrown. The walls of the cell are nearly per- fect; but the interior is filled with large blocks beautifully ornamented with fruit, flowers, and garlands of vine-leaves, in high relief. On a stone in front, which appears to have formed part of the architrave, is a long in- scription in Greek hexameters. The last line is important, as it contains both the name of the founder and of the city: "Eneas the Neapolitan erected (this structure) fortunately." This then is the old ecclesiastical city of Neapolis, which is always found in the ancient lists in connexion with Canatha, Dionysia, &c. The Bishop of Neapolis was present in the Councils of Chalcedon and Constantinople. This Neapolis must not be confounded with that in Western Palestine, well known as the Shechem of the Bible. Kunawdt, the Canatha of the Greeks, and Kenath of the Bible.-From Su- leim we turn up eastward into the mountains, following the line of a Roman road. The scenery becomes picturesque as we ascend. The moun- tains have bolder features, the glens and hill-sides are covered with forests of evergreen oak; and old towers, and gray masses of ruins, and groups of co- lumns here and there shoot up over the foliage. The road crosses Wady Kunawat, a rocky glen with a little stream, and then ascends to the town. But before reaching it we turn to the 1. to visit a large ruin called the Deir, "Convent." It is a quadrangle en- circled by a high wall, having cloisters within, supported on small columns. In the centre are heaps of stones be- longing probably to a temple, of which not even the foundations remain. On the N. side of the court is a projection containing the remains of a church, apparently of a later date than the rest of the building. The door of the court on the E. is ornamented with a border of beautifully sculptured wreaths, intermixed with bunches of grapes. A stone beside it half-buried in the ground contains a Greek in- scription. From the Deir to the city is about a mile. A broad paved road once con- nected them, but it is now overgrown with tangled shrubbery. The present path runs near it, winding among the trees. It brings us to the side of a rocky glen, on the southern bank of which the city is built; and "crossing a modern bridge we ride up a well- paved road, and pass over the ruins of the old city gate. The ruins of Kunawat cover a space about 1 m. long by i m. wide. They lie along the 1. bank of a ravine, the ground having a steep descent in the direction of its course. The city wall can be traced. It follows the brow of the glen, turns westward along the crest of a ridge, and then bending N.W. zigzags down the de- clivity, and sweeps round to the glen again. In a single walk we may visit all the places of interest; though days may be spent in sketching, exploring, and copying inscriptions. We first walk up the glen to a little Theatre hewn partly out of the side of the cliff on the northern bank. It is nearly perfect, with the exception of the front wall. The orchestra is 21 yds. in dia- meter, with a fountain in its centre; there are 9 tiers of benches. A Greek inscription in very large characters, round the lower bench, informs us that a magistrate called Marcus Oulpius Lusias erected the building at his own expense, as an Odium for his fellow- citizens. The frequenters of this theatre, while enjoying the music of the orchestra, had the wild scenery of the glen before them, with the prin- cipal mansions of the city crowning its opposite bank, and the snowy peak of Hermon away in the distant back- ground. A short way above the theatre is a little Temple, built over a fountain with a jet d'eau in its centre. From hence a long flight of steps hewn in the rock winds up the bank to the ruins of a massive tower of rustic masonry, apparently ante-Roman. Within it are several stone doors ornamented with panels, and fretted mouldings, and wreaths of fruit and flowers. They are among the finest specimens of orna- mented stone doors in the Hauran. A Y2 N: PALESTINE. 483 4Route 34.-Ruins of Kenath. few yds. eastward are the remains of a circular tower 28 ft. in diameter, of high antiquity. In the distance may be seen several others, apparently simi- lar, occupying commanding positions. They may be ancient watch-towers. The view from this spot is splendid, especially as seen in the early morn- ing. Few landscapes in Syria can be compared with it. There is more wild grandeur in Lebanon; there are more extensive ruins at Palmyra; there are prouder monuments at Ba'albek; there is greater richness at Damascus; but nowhere else have nature and art combined to form such a perfect pic- ture. We retrace our steps down the glen nearly to the bridge, and then clamber up the rocky bank on the 1. At the top is a street, the Roman pavement in excellent preservation. It runs up- ward along the brow of the precipice. The houses that line it appear to have been spacious and elegant. The stone doors especially attract attention, some of them being panelled, and orna- mented with fruit and flowers. On reaching the summit of the ridge we turn to the right into a flagged area. Here are the principal buildings of Kunawat. But before examining them we may look down through broken places in the pavement, and observe that the whole area beneath our feet is vaulted. On the S. side of the area is a remarkable group of buildings, whose original object it is difficult to tell. The natives call it Deir Eyib, "the Convent of Job." Three large structures are still in tolerable pre- servation; but the heaps of ruins round them show that at one time there were others. The first is 98 ft. long by 69 wide, with a portico of eight Corinthian columns, having brackets for statues. The front door is walled up, and the interior has been refitted for a ch., with an entrance at the side, profusely ornamented with wreaths and fruit. Side by side with this building is another, whose Corinthian portico of six columns recedes a few feet from the line of the former. The pediment has fallen, so that we can closely exa- mine the sculptures of the friezes. They are boldly executed in high re- lief; and consist of satyrs with gro- tesque features encircled by wreaths of flowers, vine-leaves, and bunches of grapes. The front wall is destroyed. The interior is 81 ft. long by 69 wide, and is encircled by a colonnade at the distance of 11 ft. from the wall. All the columns have square plain capitals, with the exception of the two central ones at each end, which are Corinthian. On each side of the chamber is a small gallery, in the thickness of the wall, with a triple arch over it. Oppo- site the entrance is a doorway, richly sculptured, leading into another hall 84 ft. long. At its eastern end is a semicircular apse; and down each side apparently ran a double colon- nade. Most of the columns have fallen, and the sculptured entablatures lie around in confused heaps, almost covered with brambles and dwarf oaks. This building, like the first, was probably used in later times as a ch.; on the soffit of the door is a Greek cross. No inscription has as yet been discovered. That inscriptions exist there cannot be a doubt. A short distance W. of this group are the ruins of a small but beautiful temple, with a portico of 4 columns. The style is Corinthian; and the building is a fine specimen of the Roman prostyle, with its pronaos and cella. In the open space in front are several fragments of sculptured figures. Among others is a lioness; and not far from it a colossal face of Ashtoreth in high relief. The appearance of the latter is very striking, though unfortu- nately greatly mutilated. The eyes are soft and well formed, the forehead low, and the brows prominent and con- tracted; over the forehead is a crescent with rays shooting upwards; and the face is encircled with thick tresses. Ashtoreth was the goddess of the Phoenicians (1 Kings xi. 5, 33), the Philistines (1 Sam. xxxi. 10), and in- deed the whole inhabitants of Syria. Her worship was introduced among the Israelites, during the rule of the Judges (Jud. ii. 13; 1 Sam. vii. 4), was prac- tised by Solomon (1 Kings xi. 5), and 484 Sect. IV. Route 34.-H was finally abolished by Josiah (2 Kings xxiii. 13). She was the repre- sentative of the Moon; hence the cres- cent and the rays always seen upon figures of her on early Phoenician and Roman coins, and on this piece of sculpture; hence, too, Jeremiah's re- ference to her as "queen of heaven" (Jer. vii. 18: comp. 2 Kings xxiii. 4). In classic authors she is called Astarte, Aphrodite, and, par excellence, Syria Dea (Lucian De Syria Dea; Paus. i. 14). In the country E. of the Jordan, and especially in Bashan, Ashtoreth was worshipped from a very early age. One of its principal cities was called Ashteroth Karnaim, "Ashteroth of the two horns" or "crescent" (Gen. xiv. 5). And this city was the capital of Ba- shan when the Israelites conquered the country (Deut. i. 4; Josh. xii. 4). A short distance W. of the temple, among heaps of hewn stones and mas- sive walls, is a level area, probably an old Hippodrome. Numbers of broken sculptures lie about this spot. One figure has the body of a lion, the bust of a woman, and the head and wings of a bird; near it is a fragment of an equestrian statue; and beside this are the trunk and thighs of a man clothed in scale armour. Crossing the western wall of the city, we have before us a number of tombs scattered among a thicket of oak- trees. They resemble those of Pal- myra, and on one of them may be seen a Palmyrene inscription. Most of them are heaps of ruin. The city wall is here in tolerable preservation, and has heavy towers at short intervals. En- tering again at a ruined gateway about half-way down the declivity, we find a paved street. On the 1. is a large private house, with a handsome court-yard, and galleries supported on columns. Far- ther down on the rt. is a church, con- structed of older materials. Other ruins of public buildings may be seen in the centre of the town, and many Greek inscriptions, but few of them legible. About 4 m. to the W. of the town stands one of the most beautiful build- ings of Kunawat-a Peripteral Temple. It is built on a platform about 12 ft. N. PALESTINE. istory of Kenath. 485 high, having vaults below. The cell measures 45 ft. by 30; and the ex- terior walls were ornamented with pilasters. The portico faced the E., and consisted of a double row of co- lumns, 6 in each. These columns, as well as those round the cell, are Corin- thian, and stand on pedestals 6 ft. high. The architecture is not of the best age, yet the structure as a whole must have been imposing. Every pillar appears to have had a short Greek inscription; but all are now so broken and muti- lated as to be illegible. The situation is charming. The ground rises in graceful wooded slopes to the walls of the city ; and over these rise the mountain summits cldthed with oak forests. Westward there is an easy declivity to the plain; and here we can see, overtopping the foliage, the grey ruins of 'Atil. Such are the ruins of Kunawdt, the Canatha of the early geographers, and the KENATH of the Bible. We know little of its history; and yet the little we know leads us back 3000 years. Kenath was one of the "threescore cities" of Argob; and being captured by Nobah, of the tribe of Manasseh, it was called Nobah (Num. xxxii. 42). The new name it retained for at least 200 years, for, when Gideon passed " by the way of them that dwell in tents" in pursuit of the kings of Midian, he went E. of Nobah (Jud. yiii. 11). Eusebius and Pliny give the Greek form of the Syriac name, Canatha; and thus it appears also in the early Itineraries, and as an ecclesiastical city. Eusebius' notice of it is import- ant : "Canath, a town of Arabia, now called Canatha, which when Naboth captured he called it by his own name, and it belonged to the tribe of Manas- seh. It is now situated in the province of Trachonitis, near to Bostra." This establishes two facts in ancient geo- graphy-First, the identity of Kenath and Canatha; and second, the identity of Argob and Trachonitis, this city being described in the Bible as in the former (1 Chron. ii. 23), and here as in the latter. There is no trace of Mohammedan rule in the city-neither 8oute 34.-'Atil.-Suweideh. mosque nor inscription. It is at pre- sent occupied by a few families of Druzes, headed by the religious chief of the sect. His house is distinguished from those of other Druzes by a little extra neatness, and a small library of Arabic MSS. His reason for residing in this remote spot is probably addi- tional security both for his person and for his mystic books and rites. I visited him in 1853. He was then about 50 years of age. There was no- thing remarkable either in his appear- ance or manner. A characteristic story of Druze law was told me in Kunawat. I have stated above that one of the seven fun- damental principles of the I)ruze re- ligion is "mutual protection and aid;" when this is violated no mercy can be expected. A few years ago two Druzes were on their way to Damascus, one of whom carried a large sum of money. His companion, forgetting the ties of brotherhood, attempted to rob him; he resisted, and was stabbed to the heart. When intelligence of the crime reached Kunawat a band set out in pursuit of the murderer. After months of search they found him in a wild glen of Le- banon. He was dragged back to his native village; there hlie was laid upon a flat rock, a heap of wood was piled over him, a torch applied, and he was burnt to ashes in the presence of his brethren! This is an illustration, not of the way in which Druzes will punish crime, simply as such; but of the ven- geance they are sure to take on the man who dares to break the ties of brotherhood. 'Atil is 2 m. W. of Kunawat, and from the beauty of its ruins deserves a visit. It is a small town occupied by a few Druze families. On its N. side is a temple almost completely prostrate, but towards the S. is an- other in better preservation, and one of the most beautiful in the country. The portico consists of two Corinthian columns between anta. There are brackets for statues like those at Kuna- w&t. The portal is richly sculptured, and on each side are niches with shell tops. On one of the anta is an in- scription which states that the build- ing was erected in the time of Anto- ninus Pius (A.D. 138-161). Suweideh is 1 h.'s ride S. of 'Atil. The ruins of this ancient city are, with the exception of Busrah, the most extensive in Haurn ; and though now dwindled down to a village, it is still the capital of Jebel Hauran. It stands on the summit and southern slope of a ridge which runs out west- ward from the mountains. Close along its northern side is a deep glen called Wady Suweideh. As we approach from the N. the ruins have a striking appearance - columns and shattered walls extending in a serried line along the top of the ridge. On the northern bank of the ravine is a singular monu- ment which we may first visit. It is a solid structure of fine masonry, measur- ing about 36 ft. square by 30 high. On each side are 6 Doric semi-columns, supporting a plain frieze and cornice; between the columns are coats of mail, shields, and helmets in relief. On the northern side is an inscription in Greek to the following effect: "Odainathos, son of Anuelos, built this monument to Chamrate his wife." On the E. side is an inscription in the Palmyrene character, which, with the name Odainathds, shows that the builder was probably from Palmyra. Descending into the wady, we cross the torrent-bed by a Roman bridge of a single arch, and ride up the old paved road to the city. The ruins cover a space not less than 4 m. in cir- cuit; but the destroyer has accom- plished his work more effectually than in any other place in Hauran. Temples, palaces, and houses have become heaps. Not a building remains entire, and with two or three exceptions we cannot even trace their foundations. The broad paved streets are almost covered with fallen stones. The modern habitations are the lower stories of the ancient houses; and the whole surface is so deeply strewn with the fallen structures that the people seem to be residing in caves. The most conspicu- ous and best preserved buildingjis on 486 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 34.-Suweideh.-1ebrdn the eastern side of the town, beside the sheikh's house. It is a peristyle of clumsy Corinthian columns, of different dimensions and workmanship, support- ing a patched entablature. On the inside of the cornice are the words Xaspe KvpLE. Ten columns still stand, but the cell is a mass of ruins. The structure appears to have been com- posed of older materials. On the N.W. commences the main street-the via recta of Suweideh-at a ruined gate- way. A short distance along it is a crescent-shaped building, ornamented with niches and Corinthian pilasters. It contains an inscription recording its erection during the reign of Trajan, in the year A.D. 103. The ancient pave- ment of the street is everywhere visible where the rubbish and stones of the fallen houses have not covered it. Farther along on the lower de- clivity of the ridge is a patch-work building, probably intended for a mosque. The short columns that supported the roof, and the stones in the walls, have been rifled from other buildings. In the interior are two Greek inscriptions, curious as contain- ing the names of two of those mer- chant companies which appear to have flourished in this city in ancient times, and to have been possessed of so much wealth as to have enabled them to erect temples. One is called the "Company of Bitaiena "-perhaps a corruption of Batanza ; the other is the "Alexandrian Firm." The temple or monument erected by the "Alex- andrian Firm" is of the age of the Emperor Julian (A.D. 361-363); the "Company of Bitaiena" flourished under the proconsulate of Julius Sa- turninus, in the 11th year of Aurelius (A.D. 171). A short distance E. of the mosque is a low, partly subterranean building, with a long inscription, recording the erection of a temple to Minerva during the Consulate of Domitius Dexter (A.D. 196). At the lower end of the main street is a square tower 30 ft. high, and near it passes the Roman road from Damascus to Bostra. A branch strikes off at Suleim and runs up the mountain to Kunawat ; but the main line continues direct from Su- leim to Suweideh, and hence in nearly a straight course to Bostra. On the southern side of the town are the walls of a large ch., the in- terior of which is now used as a bury- ing-ground. From its size and deco- rations we may conclude that it was intended to adorn an episcopal city; but the sanctuary is desolate, and the rank grass waves over the neglected tombs of those who sleep within its crumbling walls; and even these walls have been built out of the debris of still earlier structures. On the S.E. side of the city are several ruinous mauso- leums, reminding one of Palmyra. Near them on the face of a large rock is a sculptured figure in relief, but so mutilated that not a feature is visible. Below it is a long Greek inscription recording the virtues of a lady called Flavia, who died in the year 29 (A.D. 135). It is strange that nothing is known of the ancient history of Suweideh, and that even its name is lost. From the inscriptions on its monu- ments we learn that it was a flourish- ing mercantile town previous to the conquest of this province by the Roman general Cornelius Palma, in A.D. 105. Since then it seems to have been ruined and built, and re-ruined and rebuilt. Under heathen, Christian, and Mohammedan rule, it has been an important place; yet until the days of Abulfeda its name does not appear in history. At present it has a popula- tion of about 500 Druzes and a few families of Christians, who live together on good terms. The Sheikh of Su- weideh, Waked el-Hamdin, holds the first rank among the chiefs of the Hauran, but his influence has been gradually declining of late. The wealth of Fares 'Amer, and the personal prowess of Ismail el-Atrash, are at present carrying all before them. Hebrdan forms our next stage. It is 2 hrs. 20 min. from Suweideh, and the ride to it is beautiful. The road as- cends the mountains diagonally in a S.E. direction. Wooded hills rise up 487 Rloute 34.-El-Kufr.--Sehwet el-Khudr. on the 1., overtopped by the cone of Kuleib, "the Little Heart," the highest peak in Jebel Haurdn. As we ascend, the whole plain opens out on our rt., studded with towns and villages. In 40 min. we pass Raha, a small black village on the side of a glen; in 50 min. more is Sehweh, perched on the top of a hill to the rt. Hebran stands on the point of a ridge which projects southward from Kuleib. The town is about 1 m. in circumference. Many of the old houses are habitable, and a few are inhabited by Druzes. On a prominent cliff, a little S. of the town, is the most im- portant ruin. It was first a temple, then a church, and it is now a goat- pen. The portico is prostrate, and a low stone door, rifled from some other ruin, admits to the interior. A large stone, probably the architrave of the original door, lies across the roof; upon it is one of the best preserved Greek inscriptions in the Haurdn. It records the erection and dedication of a temple "for the safety of the Lord Caesar Tit. Ael. Adrian. Antoninus," in the 18th year of his reign (A.D. 155). The view from this spot is splendid. The south- western section of Jebel Haurdn lies before us like an open map, with the vast plain spreading out from it to the horizon on the S. and W. Three Scripture sites are in view: Bozrah of Moab, on the plain to the S.W.; Keri- oth, now Kureiyeh, down in the stony valley to the S; and Salcah, perched on a conical hill to the S.E. More than 30 other towns and villages can be counted from this commanding spot. The words of Scripture recur to our memories in which Moses de- scribed this country more than 3000 years ago: "So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan. And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we took not from them; threescore cities, all the region of Ar- gob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many" (Deut. iii. 3-6). Excursion to the Eastern Declivities of Jebel Haurdn.-At Hebran arrange- ments must be made for visiting the eastern part of the mountains, where there are many deserted towns and villages. It is almost new ground. More than 40 years ago Burckhardt went as far as Saleh; and until the last few months he was the only tra- veller who could boast of such an ex- ploit. Another adventurous explorer has recently far exceeded him, having not only traversed the eastern declivi- ties of Jebel Haurin, but reached the Safhh and the still more remarkable district called el-Harrah. To his route and important discoveries I shall refer presently. An escort of Druzes can usually conduct the traveller to Shleh, and indeed through the whole moun- tain range, both E. and W. I shall indicate such places of interest as are known. El-Kufr is 1 h. from Hebran to- wards Kuleib. It is a town about 2 m. in circumference, built on a de- clivity. Most of the houses are entire, though deserted; and they are all of that simple massive style of architec- ture peculiar to this region. The walls, roofs, and doors are of stone; and even the gates of the town, about 10 ft. high, are of a single slab! There is one large building, with a tower like a belfry, which in later times has been used as a mosque. Nothing is known either of the old name or the history of el-Kufr. A paved road runs from it almost direct to Busrah. El-Kuleib, " the Little Heart," the highest peak of Jebel Haurdn, may be ascended from Kufr. An hour's walk brings us to its base, and another hour might suffice for the ascent. It is a graceful cone-shaped hill, rising from the crest of the ridge. Its eastern side is naked, and of a dull red colour, as if covered with a stratum of ashes; the other sides are thinly clothed with oak forests. It is of volcanic origin. Sehwet el-Khudr is a small ruined town about 2 hrs. from Kufr, and nearly 3 hrs. S. by E. of Kuleib. It 488 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 34.-S41leh--The Safdh. is built in a glen, and below it in the bottom of the valley is an old ch., dedicated, as a Greek inscription re- cords, to St. George; hence the name of the town el-Khudr,-the Muslem appellation of the saint. On the arch of the vestibule is a short inscription in Palmyrene. Within the ch. is another inscription on a sepulchral monument, with the date 200 (A.D. 306). Upon elevated ground on the W. side of the valley stands a small de- serted town called Sehweh, and near it is an old fortress on the summit of a hill. Scileh is about 2 hrs. N.E. of Sehwet el-Khudr. The ruins are 1 m. in circumference, situated in the plain at the eastern base of Jebel Hauran, near the mouth of a wady. Beside it are copious springs and luxuriant pastures, which make it a favourite camping- ground of the 'Anazeh in spring. Even in this remote spot we find Greek in- scriptions and ruined churches; but the place has been abandoned, and now a peaceful peasant would risk his wardrobe, if not his life, were he even to approach it. From Shleh several deserted towns and villages are in view, tempting the traveller to extend his wanderings into the plain; and from the most elevated point we as- cend, on whatever side we turn our eyes, dark masses of ruins are seen dotting the plain to the horizon. About 12 h. E. of Saleh is Tell Sh'af, with a ruined village on its summit. Some 4 h. E. by S. in the open plain lies Malh, a large ruined town, and near it on a tell is Deir en-Nusrany. From the latter a straight ancient road runs through the desert of Harrah to a ruined city called Sais, about 4 days' journey N.E. Its farther course is unknown; but it probably extended to Palmyra and Mesopotamia. An interesting excursion may be made from Sileh to Nimreh on the N.E. border of Jebel Hauran about 8 hrs. distant. We pass en route the importait town of Busin, containing some very ancient houses in perfect preservation; also el- Mushennaf, a large town with a beautiful temple and many Greek inscriptions. From Nimreh to Shuhba is about 4 hrs. Near Nimreh is the usual camping- ground of the Arabs el-Jebel, who frequent the Safdh during winter, and can conduct the traveller to that wild but singularly interesting region. The journey was made during the autumn of 1857, by my friend C. C. Graham, Esq., to whose kindness I am indebted for the following particulars. The journey was one of great fatigue and danger, for the Bedawin of the Jebel are the hereditary enemies of the 'Anazeh. The route lies E. by N. across a desert plain, covered with black volcanic stones-hence its name el-Harrah, which signifies "a region covered with burning stones." It de- serves its name, for the sun's rays constantly beating on the black stones make the country like a furnace. It extends towards the E. and S.E. several days' journey. Here and there are patches of clear ground where the tamarisk flourishes; and there are ruins which look as if they had been destroyed by fire. The southern ex- tremity of the Safhh is gained in about 27 h. from Jebel Hauran. Before reaching it we pass a remarkable hill of ashes. The Safah resembles an island, rising up out of the fiat plain, and the rock of which its whole surface is formed looks like molten metal. Huge fissures and seams run through it, rendering access to the interior almost impossible. A line of conical tells extends through the centre from N. to S. The western side is swept by the Harrah, and is uninhabitable we therefore skirt the eastern side, and in about an hour come upon traces of an ancient road, with stones at regular intervals inscribed with un- known characters resembling the Sina- itic. These continue until we reach the ruins of a town, built of white stones, and thus contrasting strangely with the black rocks of the Safah and the adjoining plain. The only name by which the Arabs know it is Khurbet el-Beida, "the White Ruin." The Y3 489 9Route 34.-The Safdh-Nimdreh. style of architecture resembles that of the ancient cities in the Hauran : stone roofs, stone doors, and massive stone walls. No inscriptions have been found, but there are fragments of rude sculp- tures apparently of a very early age. The city seems to have been partially rebuilt within the Muslem period. One large castle remains, constructed of old materials. The ruins lie close on the border of the Safhh; and within a march of 4 hrs. northwardl 4 other smaller towns are met with, but en- tirely destroyed. These are said to be the only ruins in the Safah. The reason why they cluster along this section of its border is evident-a large tract of fertile land here skirts the rocks, while on every other side the Safah is encompassed by the Harrah. There are no springs either here or in any part,of this region; but there are great numbers of ancient wells, now filled up. The Arabs can only occupy it during the winter and early spring, when the rain-water accumulates in pools and cisterns. The Safih seems to be about 40 m. long from N. to S., and a line of conical hills extends through it called Tellil es - Safah. The geological features are the same throughout; a continuous mass of basalt, hard and black like that of the Lejah, with deep ravines. Some few trees spring up here and there in the chinks of the rocks. N. of the Safah, about a day's journey, is a detached tell with a ruined city at its base called Siis; it is said to be of red stone, and very large. From the Safah Mr. Graham struck out E. by S. towards a group of 4 hills, the highest of which is called Um el-Jerid. In a few hrs. he reached a spot in the desolate plain of Harrah, where the stones were covered with inscriptions in a character resembling the Sinaitic. They are accompanied, as in the Sinai peninsula, with rude figures of camels, deer, asses, tigers, and horsemen. "There were hun- dreds," he states, " in this one spot, but a little way off in every direc- tion they again ceased. I copied a great number of them both here and in many places afterwards, but the signs are the same. It appears that all over the Harrah there are places like these, where hosts of stones are written upon, and frequently when no traces of ruins remain." He also discovered an an- cient broad road running through the centre of this stony wilderness in a straight line S. by W. After follow- ing it for a long way he came to a wady, in the centre of which is a ruined city called Nimdreh, "Pan- thers." In the midst of the city is a tell crowned by a curious building with a large stone door, and an inscrip- tion over it too much effaced to be read. The Arabs have a tradition that this house was in some past age inha- bited by a lady rejoicing in the name of Namireh Bint en-Numcr, "The She Panther, Daughter of the Panthers !" There is an Arab tribe called Namer, "Panther," and it is probable that the tradition and name of this city are in some way connected with it. Here are hundreds of these extraordinary inscriptions, and some of them, both here and elsewhere, seem to be in a different language. The wady de- scends from Jebel Hauran at Shleh, and is a favourite spring camping- ground of the Rfiala Bedawin. The ancient road continues southward to a ruin called Deir en-Nusrdny, "The Christian Convent," nearly a day's journey E. of Sulkhad. From Nimreh Mr. Graham reached the northern part of Jebel Hauran in 19 hrs. There is much here to tempt the adventurous explorer. The following extracts from an im- portant paper communicated by Mr. Graham to the Royal Asiatic Society will be read with interest :- " The first characters that I copied were not unlike Egyptian numerals, and although I was forced afterwards to give up the idea of any Egyptian origin in these inscriptions, I still think that these stones marked the distance between the two cities. ..... I went more to the east, and came upon a place in the desert where every stone was covered with inscriptions. I found subsequently several such places, 490 Sect. IV. N. PALESTINE. Route 4.- Philippopolis.--Saleak. where every stone within a given space bore the mark of some beast or other figure, with an accompanying inscrip- tion. "On many of the stones I found cer- tainly two kinds of writing; one in which the characters were double, and the other in which the characters were more slanting and differently formed. I at first thought that there were really two distinct characters, and that each inscription might be in two lan- guages, but on carefully comparing them, the double character seemed to be the same as the other .. "The moment I compared my in- scriptions with the specimens we have of the Himyaritic, and with the alpha- bets afforded us by the MSS. in the Royal Library a.t Berlin, I was struck with the exact resemblance that some of the characters in mine bear to the others, and on examining more minutely I could not help feeling con- vinced that the resemblance was not merely accidental. Now, I think, if this be once admitted, we cannot but suppose that in these inscriptions east of the Hauran we have specimens of a writing which, though not purely Him- yaritic, is nevertheless very much allied to it. Hitherto, it is true, the Himya- rites have been supposed to be a nation of southern Arabia; but was Arabia their original country? May not these characters be the more ancient form, out of which the Himyaritic itself sprung ? And may we not be guided by this to the fact that the Himyarites originally came from much farther north or north-east,-perhaps from the Euphrates or Mesopotamia, and then gradually worked their way downihto central and southern Arabia? Indeed it is only the coast country of Arabia that we may be said to know anything of. How many inscriptions may there not be in the Nejd ? From some reports which have been brought by the Arabs all about Jebel Shammar there are innumerable rock inscriptions, and there are ancient towns in the desert between Hauran and the Eu- phrates where curious writings have been found, copies of which have un- fortunately never reached us. "This convinces me of the truth of what I said, that one great race for- merly overran all these parts, and eventually settled in southern Arabia, and formed the dynasties of the kings of whom we have more especially heard, under the name of the Him- yari." 'Ormdn, Philippopolis. - Turning southwards from Sdleh, we skirt the eastern base of Jebel Hauran, and in about 32 h. reach this old city. It is situated in an open stony plain, once carefully cultivated and divided into fields, the fences of which can still be traced. The ruins are about 2 m. in circumference; but though a number of the houses are habitable, and a copious spring adds to their attrac- tions, they have for time out of mind been without inhabitant. There is no public building of any importance, and the houses have not such an an- cient look as most of the others in the Hauran. Many of them were rebuilt out of older materials; and in the interior of one are 6 tablets with Greek inscriptions, rifled from other struc- tures. One of these records the erection of a monument by a certain Gautos, a Senator of Philippopolis, in the year 253 (A.D. 359). This illustrates a statement in ancient history. When Philip the Arabian was chosen emperor by the Roman army in the year 244, he was still in the East, and ere his return to Rome he founded a city called Philippopolis. There can scarcely be a doubt that this is its site. The ancient name was probably 'Orman; when royalty smiled upon it it became " the city of Philip," but when the smile passed away the new name was forgotten. Sulkhad, Salcah.-A smart ride of an hour brings us from 'Orman to Salcah. The country is stony and undulating; but the soil is rich, and traces of former cultivation are every- where visible. The fields and fences are as distinct as in many an English farm. Sulkhad is situated on the side of a conical hill, at the southern ex- tremity of Jebel Hauran. On the 491 Route 34.-Salcal. summit of the hill is the castle, forming a detached citadel. The cir- cumference of the whole cannot be much less than 3 m. In the town there is no building of size or archi- tectural beauty remaining. A number of square towers and a few mosques are the only public structures. One of the latter, a large straggling build- ing with 4 ranges of square piers supporting arches in the interior, was built in the year A.H. 620 (A.D. 1224). In front of it stands an isolated minaret erected about 250 years ago. The materials of both are ancient. A large number of the private houses are perfect, with their massive stone walls, stone roofs, and stone doors. From 300 to 400 families might settle here at any moment, and find ample accom- modation without laying a stone. There is no fountain in or near the city, nor is there any stream or even winter torrent, but on the eastern slope of the hill are large reservoirs. The Castle occupies the summit of the hill, which rises about 300 ft. above the city. The form of the hill renders the position strong and com- manding, and of great importance for the defence of the country against the Bedawin. Were the Turkish govern- ment alive to their own interests, or did they feel the least concern about the prosperity of the Hauran, they would occupy it by a strong garrison. The hill is conical; the sides steep, smooth, and regular as if scarped. Round the base, just above the build- ings of the city, are the traces of a deep moat, and another still deeper encircles the walls of the fortress. The cone was at one time the crater of a volcano-one of the centres of action in a wide volcanic district. The sides are covered with light cinders and blocks of lava. The base of rock on which the castle stands is much higher than the esplanade, and is faced with hewn stones sloping upwards like the foundations of the Tower of Hippicus in Jerusalem. The walls rise perpen- dicularly over this, and are constructed of large blocks roughly bevelled, as in the Castle of Damascus. In several places on the exterior walls are lions sculptured in relief. On the W. side are two of colossal proportions facing each other, and two others have a palm-tree between them. These sculp- tures occur at various elevations, and most of them appear to occupy their original places. High up on the wall is a beautiful Arabic inscription run- ning round the whole building. The entrance is on the E., where a bridge formerly spanned the moat : it is now a ruin, and the gateway is difficult of access. On a stone in the right jamb of the gate is a Greek inscription re- cording the erection of some building -whether the castle, the gate, or other structure it is impossible to tell -in the year 140 (A.D. 246). Over an inner arch is an eagle with expanded wings, and near it are two capitals with busts in relief. The whole in- terior is a mass of ruins. Not a single chamber appears to have escaped the destroyer. Several Greek inscriptions may be seen. One is over a door, and contains the names of certain governors. Two others are in a chamber which seems to have been used as a place of sepulture, and are simple tablets in memoriam; one bears the date 264 (A.D. 370). These inscriptions are important, as they prove that the building was at least founded long before the time of Arab dominion. In- deed there is every reason to believe that a fortress stood on this spot long prior even to Roman rule, and pro- bably as early as the days of Og, who reigned over "all Bashan unto Salcah," (Josh. xiii. 11, 12). The view from the top of the castle is extensive and interesting. The "plain of Moab" is spread out before us (Jer. xlviii. 20, 21); and wher- ever we turn our eyes deserted towns and villages are seen. Bozrah is on the W. 12 m. distant-an old road running towards it straight as an arrow. The towers of Beth-gamul (now Um el-Jemal) are faintly visible far away on the S.W. In the plain immediately to the S. of Sulkhad are several deserted villages. S. by W., about 3 min. off, is the tell Abd el-Ma'az, with a deserted town on its eastern Sect. IV. 492 Route 34.-P declivity. To the S.E. an ancient road runs straight across the plain to the horizon. About 2 h. along it, on the summit of a tell, is a deserted town called Malah. On the segment of the plain, extending from the S. to the E., I counted 14 towns or large villages, none of them more than 12 m. distant, and most of them, so far as I could see by the aid of a telescope, still habit- able like Sulkhad, but entirely deserted. Not less than 30 deserted sites can be counted from this commanding spot. Well may we exclaim with the prophet, as we look over this mournful scene of desolation, "Moab is confounded; for it is broken down : howl and cry ; tell ye it in Arnon that Moab is spoiled, and judgment is come upon the plain country . . . . upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon, and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab far and near" (Jer. xlviii. 20-24). Another remarkable feature of the landscape strikes us with equal force. Not only is the whole country check- ered with the outlines of old fields and fences; but groves of flyg-trees are here and there seen, and terraced vine- yards clothe the sides of some of the, tells and a few sections of the plain. These are neglected but not fruitless. 'The figs and grapes produced are every year rifled by bands of Bedawin, who also extend their ravages to the grain crops of the few inhabitants of Busrah and Burd. By these facts we are reminded of the words of Jere- miah :-" The spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage ; joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused the wine to fail from the winepresses; none shall tread with shouting" (Jer. xlviii. 32, 33). That Sulkhad is identical with Sal- cah scarcely admits of a, doubt. The names are nearly the same, and the position agrees exactly with the de- scriptions given in the Bible. The phrase "All Bashan unto Salcah" occurs in several places (Deut. iii. 10; Josh. xiii. 11; 1 Chron. v. 11), and N. PALESTINE. lan of Moab. 49 shows that the town was situated in the extreme border of Bashan. And the narrative in 1 Chron. v. proves that it was on the S.E. border. It was one of the principal cities in the country, as its commanding situation would lead us to expect (Josh. xii. 5). After it fell into the hands of the Israelites it is never referred to in Bible history. The inscriptions found on its tombs and monuments are its next most ancient records. These are all of the age of Roman dominion. The situation of the fortress doubtless attracted the attention of the military governors of Bostra; and to them we may probably ascribe the construction of the road that joins these two places, and that which runs S.E. across the plain. Jerome mentions the name of Salcah, but appears to have been igno- rant of its position. During the crusading wars it was one of the strongest places E. of the Jordan; and though several expeditions were made against it and Bostra, the Franks never succeeded in capturing either. It is often mentioned by Arab his- torians and geographers: and in Abul- feda's days (A.D. 1330) it was one of the chief towns of Hauran. Its vine- yards were then celebrated. Until the beginning of the present centy. there were still a few families in Sulkhad and 'Orman; but as each returning year the Bedawy "spoilers" fell "upon their summer fruits and upon their vintage," they were obliged at length to seek a home elsewhere. Every year is now narrowing the borders of the settled inhabitants; and unless a new system of government is adopted, the whole country E. of the Jordan must ere long be abandoned by those who cultivate the soil. Kureiyeh, KERIOTH.-In journeying from Sulkhad to this ancient city we follow for 1 h. the road to Busrah. Time has not much improved it, but in a few places the the old pavement remains. We turn to the rt. to visit a village called Muneidhirah, where there is a square tower surrounded by many houses having their stone doors and stone roofs all ready for inhabit- 4Route 34.-Kerioth. ants. Beside it is a little fountain, the stream from which flows S. across the road. From hence to Kureiyeh is another hour through a region rival- ling the Lejah in wildness. Vast heaps of loose black stones cover the ground. Here and there are little patches of soil which the hand of industry in past ages cleared for cultivation. After cross- ing a streamlet winding through Wady Abu Hamaka we strike a paved road, which probably connected Sulkhad and Kureiyeh, passing through the town of 'Ayfin. Another and more interesting route may be followed from Sulkhad to Ku- reiyeh, but is 1 h. longer. It leads to 'Ayfin (40 min.), a town of some 500 houses, many of them perfect as when built, but all deserted. " On its W. side (writes Burckhardt) are 2 walled- in springs, from whence the name is derived 'Aydn, 'fountains'). I saw in the town 4 public edifices, with arches in their interior; one of them is distinguished by the height and fine curve of the arches, as well as by the complete state of the whole building. Its stone roof has lost its original black colour, and now presents a variety of hues which on my first entering sur- prised me much, as I at first supposed it to be painted. The door is orna- mented with grapes and vine-leaves. There is another large building, in which are 3 doors only 3 ft. high; over one of them is a short Greek inscription, and on an arch in the interior is a longer one." From 'Ayfin the road sweeps round by Kuweiris, and thence past a foun- tain surrounded with ruins to Ku- reiyeh. Kureiyeh was formerly one of the largest cities in the Hauran, but it has dwindled down to a mere village. The houses have the same general appear- ance as those in the other towns; but the walls, roofs, and stone doors seem to be even more massive. Some of them have a look of high antiquity; and one can scarcely resist the conclu- sion that this cyclopsean style of archi- tecture, especially those ponderous doors 18 in. in thickness, are the work of the giant Rephaim, who possessed this country in Abraham's time (Gen. xiv. 5). If so we have here some of the most ancient structures in the world; and in viewing them the mind is led back to the period when the kings of the East warred with "the Rephaim in Ashteroth-Karnaim, and the Emim in the plain of Kiriathaim." (Id.) There is no building of any extent or architectural beauty remaining, but in the streets and lanes are many fragments of columns. There are se- veral ancient square towers; and on one of them is a Greek inscription in very old characters, but so much de- faced as to be illegible. In the centre of the town is a tank, beside which is a curious structure supported on 3 ranges of columns. It is in bad taste, and appears to have been constructed at a comparatively recent period out of old materials. On a stone in it is a Greek inscription recording the build- ing of the tank at the expense of the town in the year 190 (A.D. 296). Upon a large building E. of the town, called el-Kiniseh, "the Church," is an inscrip- tion with the date 34 (A.D. 140). Of the history of Kureiyeh scarcely anything is known. In the enumera- tion of the cities in "the plain of Moab," upon which judgment is pro- nounced by the prophet Jeremiah, we find one which in name and situation appears to agree with this ancient site. "Judgment is come upon the plain country .......... upon Beth- gamul, and upon Beth -meon, and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab far or near" (Jer. xlviii. 21-24). Here we have Kureiyeh, a name radi- cally the same as the Hebrew Kerioth, situated on the side of the plain of Moab, and only 5 m. distant from Bozrah. It is probably the same city of which Amos writes, "I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth" (Amos ii. 2). Its name does not again appear in history until the partition of the coun- try into bishoprics in the 4th centy. of our era. In the province of Arabia, 494 Sect. IV. Route 34.---Bozrah. under Bostra, we find among 33 others " the village of Koreath." There can scarcely be a doubt that this is the place. Gesenius would identify Ko- reath with 'Ain Kiratah, a ruined place on the southern border of the Lejah; but the latter is more probably the "village of Khera," of the ' Notitiae.' Kerioth is now one of the Druze strong- holds. Its situation amid a wilderness of rocks makes it impregnable, at least in Arab warfare. Its present chief is the son of Sheikh Ismail el-Atrash, perhaps the most powerful of all the Druze princes. A ride of 2 hrs. brings us from Kureiyeh to Busrah. The path runs for 3 m. down the stony valley, through which the winter stream of the Zeidy winds in a deep gorge. It unites with Wady Hamaka, passes Jemurrin, and runs across the plain of Hauran till it joins the Sheriat el-Mandhir. BOZRAH of Moab, the Bostra of the Romans, and Busrah of the Arabs.- This ancient city stands in the midst of a fertile plain. From a distance it has an imposing appearance. The great castle, the mosques, and minarets, the large masses of buildings, and the old ramparts lead one to expect a teeming population; but a nearer approach dispels the delusion. The surrounding plain is desolate, the walls are broken and ruinous, the mosques roofless, the houses shattered to their foundations; and we have to ride far in through piles of ruins, and over mounds of rubbish, ere we can find the half-dozen families who call Bozrah their home. In form the walled city was almost a rectangle; but beyond the walls, on the E., N., and W., were suburbs. On the N.W., at some little distance from the city, are the ruins of a mosque, called el-Mabrak, from the cir- cumstances under which it was erected. The khalif Othman, when marching to Busrah at the head of his army, com- manded that a mosque should be built on the spot where his camel should first kneel. This is the spot, and here is the mosque, bearing the appropriate name el-Mabrak, "the place of kneel- ing." The city walls are in some places entirely destroyed; but in others nearly perfect. A straight street in- tersects the city lengthwise, running from E. to W.; and another crosses it at right angles, at a point E. of the centre. The most important build- ings appear to have been grouped round the point of intersection. The lines of many other streets can be traced, from which it appears that the Roman city was built with great regu- larity. The ruins worthy of particular note are as follows, and they can all be visited in a single day; yet the artist and the antiquary may find employ- ment for a week in sketching, and copy- ing inscriptions, and inspecting frag- ments of ancient splendour. We com- mence our examination in the centre of the city. 1. A Temple, on one of the angles formed by the intersection of the two main streets. Only a fragment of the front wall of the cell remains; it is ornamented with three ranges of niches. The two exterior columns of the portico stand. They are about 3 ft. in dia- meter, though their height is mor9 than 40 ft. They have high pedestals of white marble. The capitals are Corinthian, but in bad taste. In front of this building, on the opposite side of the street, are four beautiful Corinthian columns. The capitals are quite per- fect, but the architrave is gone, and there is not now visible a trace of the structure with which they were con- nected. 2. A Triumphal Arch.-In walking along the main street westward from the ruined temple we pass a large building with massive walls and vaulted chambers: it was probably a bath. A little beyond it, on the same side of the street, is the Triumphal Arch. It is almost perfect, and mea- sures 40 ft. in length by 20 in breadth, and about 40 in height. It has three arches, a large central and two side ones. The angles are ornamented with pilasters, and between the arches are niches. A Latin inscription states that it was erected in honour of Julius N. F PALESTINE. 495 ifloute U4.-Pozali. Julianus, prefect of the 1st Parthian Philippine Legion. There is no date, but there is little doubt that it is of the age of the Emperor Philip (A.D. 244-249). 3. Beit el - Yehudy, "the Jew's House." - Returning again to the ruined temple, we follow the straight street northward, between ranges of open stalls like a modern Damascus bazaar. That they are of compara- tively recent date is shown by the fragments of columns and capitals built up in their walls. As we pro- ceed we observe an ornamented door- way leading into a ruinous house- this is Beit el-Yebfidy; the tradition attached to which was thus related to me on the spot, accompanied, however, I must acknowledge, in justice to the Muslem narrator, by an imprecation upon the Jew's father. The Governor of Busrah, in the early days of Islam, was desirous of showing his piety by founding a mosque; and, adding pru- dence to piety, he selected for the site the house of a Jew. The governor de- manded the property. The Jew re- fused, and was of course immediately driven out, the house pulled down, and the mosque built. The Jew went to Medinah and requested an audience of the khalif. He was directed to a cemetery without the walls, and there he found Omer. He told the story of his wrongs. The khalif made no re- ply, but simply asked him for ink and paper. His inkhorn was drawn from his girdle, and, no paper being forth- coming, Omer took up the bleached jawbone of an ass, and wrote upon it these words,-" Pull down the mosque and rebuild the Jew's house." Seizing the jawbone, the Jew returned to Busrah in triumph, and presented it to the astonished governor. The khalif was obeyed, and here are still the ruins of the house. 4. The Great Mosque stands to the N. of Beit el-Yehfidy, and is one of the most interesting buildings in Busrah. It was erected in the earliest ages of Islam, and the tradition is probably correct which ascribes it to the Khalif Omer. The entrance is now by a small door beside the minaret. The interior is nearly square. Along the eastern side are two ranges of columns, and along each of the other sides one range. Seventeen of these are monoliths of white marble. Two of them are Ionic, and the rest Corinthian. The columns stand in pairs-a marble and basalt side by side; the former of per- fect mould and finish, the latter rough and clumsy. The building is a patch- work made up of the plunder of more tasteful structures. Two of the marble columns contain Greek inscriptions- the first commencing with the words, " In the name of Christ the Saviour;" and the other bearing the date 383 (A.D. 489). They probably belonged to the cathedral of Busrah. On the opposite side of the street from the mosque is a large bath in ruins. 5. The Great Church is situated about 300 yds. S.E. of the mosque, and is called by the present inhabitants "the Church of the monk Boheira." It is square without, but circular within, having a large dome in the centre. The chancel is supported by short Corinthian columns, and in the walls are some finely sculptured stones rifled from other structures of higher antiquity and purer taste. Traces of frescoes remain. Over the en trance door is a long Greek inscrip- Cathedral at Bozrah.-From Fergusson's 'Architecture.' (Scale 100 feet to 1 inch.) tion recording the erection of the church by Julianus Archbishop of 496 Sect. IV. Route 34.--Bozrah. Bostra in the year 407 (A.D. 513), in honour of the blessed martyrs Sergius, Bacchus, and Leontius. Beside the church is a mosque, near which lies a slab of basalt containing a very beautiful Cufic inscription. A little to the N. is another church called Deir er-Rdheb-" the Monk's Convent." On the side of the door is a Latin in- scription to the effect that a monument was erected by the 3rd Cyrenian Legion to their chief, ZElius Aurel. Theon. Farther N. is a small chapel or oratory, containing an altar with a cross in relief. Tradition makes this the pri- vate chapel attached to the house of the same monk Boheira. Over the door is a Greek inscription with the words xapa oo.-rpa. The monk Boheira, whose name is connected with three of the buildings of Busrah, was a Nestorian, and played an important part in the early days of Islam. Some historians relate that, when Mohammed was a young man in the service of Khadijah, he was return- ing from Damascus, and, in passing through Busrah, Boheira met him, re- cognised the prophetic mark, and pre- dicted his future greatness. It is now well established that Boheira accom- panied Mohammed to Mecca, was sent for by Khadijah when the first fit of inspiration seized the Prophet, and was his counsellor and instructor while writing the Koran. This accounts alike for the great number of stories the Koran contains taken from the Bible, the Talmud, and the early Christian legends; and for the state- ments of Mohammed's townsmen, that he had been assisted in composing it. 6. Some distance S. of Boheira's church is a Roman Arch spanning the main street, and beside it are the ruins of a large palace now called " the house of the Yellow King "-a Bedawy name for the Czar. Numbers of broken shafts, capitals, and fragments of cornices are scattered about the courts. Several other large buildings stood to the eastward of this place; but they are completely overthrown. 7. Continuing southward, we come to an immense tank on the outskirts of the city-a range of houses, now ruin- ous, extending along its northern side. It is 130 yds. long by 100 broad, and 20 ft. deep. The interior is lined with heavy rustic masonry. Burckhardt states that it is a work of the Saracens made for watering the Haj caravan, which, until about a centy. ago, fol- lowed the ancient road from Damascus to this place by Musmeih and Su- weideh. I think, however, the style of the masonry and general appearance of the tank denote a much higher antiquity. 8. The Castle of Busrah is one of the largest and strongest in Syria. The outer walls are nearly perfect, and the plan and masonry closely re- semble the castle of Damascus. It is surrounded by a moat which can be filled with water from the adjoining tank. It stands a short distance be- yond the walls on the S. side of the city; but there are some traces of a more ancient wall which appears to have included it. It is an oblong building, with massive corner and flanking towers. The entrance is at the E. end, in an angle of a deep re- cess, and the approach to it is now by a paved road over the fosse. The gate is in its place, studded with nails and covered with iron plates. The interior is a labyrinth of half-ruinous courts, halls, corridors, staircases, and vaults; with Greek inscriptions here and there on loose stones and on Tablets in the walls. The south-western tower, the loftiest in the building, commands a noble view over the surrounding plain. Sulkhad is seen on the E. crowning its conical hill, a road running to it straight as an arrow; and on the W. is Ghttsam, to which another Roman road runs. On the S. W., in the open plain, a guide will point out the ruins ot Um el-Jemal, the Beth-gamul of Scripture. But the most interesting object in the Castle of Busrah is the great Theatre, which stands in the centre of the building. It is in a tolerable state of preservation, though the stage and N. PALESTINE. 497 R4oute 34.- Bozrah. sides are encumbered by walls and chambers of Saracenic origin. The upper tier of 6 benches is still perfect, as are also the arched vomitories under- neath. Round the top bench ran a Doric colonnade supporting a covered walk. The columns are 13 in. in diameter and 10 ft. high, and they stand at intervals of 5 ft. ; more than 20 of them occupy their places. On each side of the stage is a large cham- ber, the exterior ornamented with Doric pilasters corresponding to the colonnade. A question naturally arises -Was the theatre built within the castle, or was the castle erected round the theatre? I am inclined to think they may be coeval, though of course the walls of the fortress have been more than once patched up in Saracenic times. Bostra was the capital of an important province, and it was a large frontier city, exposed to the attacks of the desert hordes. A strong garrison would thus be constantly required in it: and to afford appropriate amuse- ment to the soldiers and their com- manders within the walls, would naturally suggest itself to the play- loving and luxurious Romans. The Castle of Busrah occupies a most important position for the defence of the country against the Bedawin. Formerly a strong force of irregular cavalry was kept here by the Pasha of Damascus; but for many years it has been deserted, and the garden of Syria left a prey to the spoiler. A few hun- dred pounds would put this castle in repair. A couple of hundred infantry, a troop of horse, and two or three light field-pieces, would defend it against all the tribes of the desert; and similar garrisons in Mezarib and Sulkhad would protect the whole Hauran. A large revenue would thus be secured; and the resources of the country would be developed. The Castle of Busrah is now in- habited by a few families of peasants. Often, when the entire country is over- run by the Wulid 'Aly Arabs, the inhabitants of the town retire within the castle walls, shut the gate and bid defiance to the Bedawin. It is a place of great strength; and in Arab war- fare is impregnable. On one occasion, Burckhardt.tells us, a garrision of seven Muggrebins defended it against the whole forces of the Wahabees. 9. The Western Gate.-From the castle we may follow the wall round to the Western Gate, or, as the natives call it, Bab el-Hdwd, "the Gate of the Wind." It is a Roman arch, nearly perfect, ornamented with pilasters and niches. It terminates the main street, and from it a paved road runs straight across the plain to the deserted village of Ghusam, and from thence to Der'a, the ancient Adraha. This road is laid down in the Peutinger Tables. To the N.W. of the gate is a green meadow, with several springs; and eastward within the city is a similar one. Near the wall between them is a solitary altar with a Latin inscrip- tion recording its dedication to "An- tonia Fortunata, the devoted wife of Antonius Casar." Busrah is an old city, though it was only under Roman rule it obtained the rank of capital, and a name in Syrian history. Two Bozrahs are mentioned in Scripture :-One in Edom, referred to in the well-known passage: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah ?" (Isa. lxiii. 1. See Rte. 4.) The other in Moab, and is enumerated by Jeremiah among the cities of the plain country upon which judgment was pronounced. The "plain of Moab" embraced a large section of the plateau extending eastward from the Dead Sea and Jordan valley. A short time before the Israelites entered Palestine, the Amorites conquered the northern part of the plain of Moab, and from them it was taken by the tribes of Reuben and Gad. (Comp. Deut. ii. 9-11: 20- 23; Num. xxi. 26.) It is doubtful, however, whether the Moabites were ever completely expelled. They pro- bably retired for a time to the eastern desert; and when Israel's power began to decline they returned to their ancient possessions. The predictions of Jeremiah were uttered against cities that had been once in the possession of the Israelites; and yet in his time 498 Sect. IV. Route 34.-History of Bozrah. they belonged to Moab-" Judgment is come upon the plain country .... upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth- gamul, and upon Beth-meon, and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near." (Jer. xlviii. 21-25.) This Bozrah is the modern Busrah. The next reference to it in history is in the Book of Maccabees, where we are informed that it was taken by Judas, along with Carnaim and several other towns (1 Mac. v. 26-28). In the year of Rome 858 the emperor Trajan marched to the East at the head of a great army. His general, Cornelius Palma, was detached from the main body, and sent to Bashan. He con- quered the country E. of the Jordan as far S. as the defiles of Edom. Bozrah was selected as the capital of the new province, was adorned with splendid buildings, and called Nova Trajana Bostra. At this time commenced the Bostrian era (A.D. 106), found on so many of the inscriptions in Syria. During the reign of Alexander Severus (A.D. 222-235) the city received new honours, being raised to the rank of colony. The incursions of the Persians and the rebellion of the Palmyrenes having rendered unsafe the old com- mercial route between eastern and western Asia, a new line was opened through Bostra; and then, doubtless, were constructed those highways which we still see radiating from the ruins. One of them, as has been seen, runs to Sulkhad, and from thence crosses the Arabian plain, as ancient authors tell us, and modern research seems to show, to the Persian Gulf. In A.D. 245 Philip, a native of Bostra, was raised to the throne of the Caesars, and his own city was then constituted a metropolis. On some of the coins of this period are legends which illustrate many of the inscriptions found here and in other towns and villages of the Hauran. It appears from them that the tutelary deity of Bostra was AyaOt? TvXO, " Good Fortune," and she is represented as a woman seated, with a mural crown upon her head, and the cornucopia in her hand, with the legend TvX?1 Boorpcov. Numbers of the Greek inscriptions in the province begin with AyaOo TvXy; in acknow- ledgment doubtless of Bostra's supre- macy. The dates on all such inscrip- tions are of the Bostrian era. On other coins are figured implements of hus- bandry, emblematic of the richness of the soil; on others are the symbols of cattle-rearing and pastoral life, show- ing that in Roman times the pastoral resources of the country were as well known as when the two tribes and a half petitioned Moses to grant them the kingdoms of Gilead and Bashan, because "they had a very great mul- titude of cattle," and " the place was a place for cattle" (Num. xxxii. 1, 33). The Psalmist also celebrates the " strong bulls of Bashan" (Ps. xxii. 12). Other coins have a wine-press or a bunch of grapes upon them, with the name Dousaria, a deity who patron- ized the cultivation of the vine. The vines of Moab are often mentioned by the sacred writers, and appear to have been the staple products of the coun- try (Jer. xlviii. 32, 33; Isai. xvi. 8, 9, 10). Now the cities of Moab are deserted, the fields of Moab are waste, the vines of Moab are gone. The striking language of Isaiah is fulfilled, "And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage-shouting to cease. Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-haresh" (Isa. xvi. 10, 11). When Christianity was established in the Roman empire, Bostra became the capital of a large ecclesiastical province. Thirty-three bishops were at one time subject to its primate (Reland, Pal., pp. 217, 218). But evil days came. The Muslems invaded the land like locusts, wasting it with fire and sword. Bostra, as a frontier city, was the first place assaulted, and soon fell into their hands. From that moment it began to decline; and now the Bozrah of Moab, the Roman colony and metropolis, contains only a few N. PALESTINE. 499 Route 34.-Beth-gamul-Der'a. families living in misery amid the ruins of the once proud capital. Beth-gamul.-From the castle walls of Busrah the towers of an old city are dimly seen, far away on the plain to the S.W., called by the Arabs Um el- Jemal. It is about 5 h. distant, and would repay a visit. The only Euro- pean who ever succeeded in reaching it is Cyril C. Graham, Esq. He re- presents it as about the size of Buzrah ; parts of the old walls and many of the buildings being in excellent preserva- tion. He found one Latin inscription, and one Greek; and on a house the name Odeinatos. There cannot be a doubt that this is the Beth-gamul of the plain of Moab, mentioned by Jere- miah along with Bozrah and Kerioth (ch. xlviii. 23, 24). What the Hebrews called the "House of the Camel," Arabs call the " Mother of the Camel." It is now, and has been for centuries, deserted. Turning northward from Buzrah along the Roman road, we soon reach Jemurrin, a large village situated on a rising ground on the S. bank of Wady Zeidy. It contains the remains of some ancient structures. On leav- ing it we cross the wady by a Roman bridge of three arches; beside it is a square high tower, reminding one of the tombs of Palmyra. A stone upon it bears a long Arabic inscription, with the Greek word