Picturesque Palestine, Sinai and Egypt
Wilson, Charles William, Sir, 1836-1905 | Lane-Poole, Stanley, 1854-1931
1? v.*fc 4 I /6 PICTUEISOUE (L •EM&E aiMPlffiYFTo ^^ :Si>^^"<"^-'- VOL. II. LON OdN . .1.5 VI l; ' !!' AC" LlMlTl.D. PICTURESQUE PALESTINE SINAI AND EGYPT EDITED BY COLONEL SIR CHARLES W. WILSON K.C.M.G., C.B., R.E., D.C.L., F.R.S. Formerly Engineer to the Palestine Exploration Society ASSISTED BY THE MOST EMINENT PALESTINE EXPLORERS ETC. WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL AND WOOD IN FOUR VOLUMES VOL. II. LONDON J. S. VIRTUE AND CO., Limited, 294, CITY ROAD /// CONTENTS. VOL. II. PAOB SAMARIA AND PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. By Miss M. E. ROGERS I Vale of Shechem. — Joseph's Tomb. — Jacob's Well. — Ebal and Gerizim. — NAblus. — Gardens. — The Samaritans. — The Passover. — Sebaste. — Dothan. — Jenin. — Plain of Esdraelon. — Carmel. — Waters of Megiddc. ESDRAELON AND NAZARETH. By the Rev. CANON TRISTRAM, D.D., F.R.S 25 En Gannim. — Jezreel. — Gilboa. — ^The Kishon. — Tabor. — Defeat of Sisera. — Gideon's Victory. — Battlefields. — Shunem. — View from Neby Duhy. — Village of Nain. — Caves of Endor. — Nazareth. GALILEE. By the Rev. Dr. SELAH MERRILL 49 Tiberias. — View from the Castle. — View from Hermon. — View from Tabor. — Cana of Galilee. — The Crusaders. — Mount of Beatitudes. — Volcanoes. — Valley of Pigeons. — Battle of Arbela. — Magdala. — Sea of Tiberias. — Papyrus. — Gennesaret. — Site of Capernaum. — Site of Bethsaida. — Cliifs of Akhbara.— Safed. — Earthquakes. — Synagogues at Meir6n and Kefr Beirim. CSSAREA PHILIPPI AND THE HIGHLANDS OF GALILEE. By the Rev. Dr. SELAH MERRILL . 97 People of Galilee. — Phoenicians. — Ancient Commerce. — Cities of Refuge. — Kedesh Naphtali. — Hunin. — Lake Huleh. — Reed Villages. — The Hasbdny. — Site of Dan. — B4ni4s. — Fountain of the Jordan.— Caesarea Philippi. — Castle of Subeibeh. MOUNT HERMON AND ITS TEMPLES. By the Rev. Dr. SELAH MERRILL 121 The Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon.— The Buki'a.— Oaks of Bashan.— Sacred Trees.— Lake Phiala. — W4dy et Teim. — Pottery of Rasheiyet el Fukh4r. — W4dy Shib'a. — Caverns and Grottoes.— Hasbeiya. — Source of the Jordan.— The Leddan.— Temples of Hermon. — Rukleh. — Deir el 'Ashair.— Gorge of the Barada. DAMASCUS. By the Rev. Dr. PHILIP SCHAFF and Miss M. E. ROGERS 143 Gardens and Rivers of Damascus. — Caf^s. — Mosques. — Ancient Remains. — Tombs of Saladin and Bibars. — The Peasants' Bazaar. — The Citadel. — Discovery of Arrows. — The Tekiyeh. — A Death-cry.— Private Houses. — Silversmiths and Bookbinders. — Horse Market. — Pigeon Fanciers. — Historical Sketch. — Saladin. — The Camel. — Mohammedan Worship. — The Koran.^Present Condition of Damascus.  via Kuryetein. — Temple of the Sun. — The Grand Colonnade. — Triumphal Gateway. — Wall of Justinian. — Turkish Fortification. — Tower Sepulchres. — Palmyrene Inscriptions. — Historical Sketch. THE WADY BARADA." By the Rev. HENRY H. JESSUP, D.D. . .206 'AinFijeh. — S(ik,W4dy Barada. —Abila. — AncientTombsandTablets.— Plain of Zebed^ny.— Source of the Barada. — The Buki'a. — Tombs of Seth, Noah, and Ham. — Arab Shrines. BA'ALBEK. By the Rev. HENRY H. JESSUP, D.D ... 215 The Quarries. — Method of raising Colossal Stones. — Temple Platform. — Tunnels. — Temple of the Sun. — The Six Columns. — Inscriptions in the Portico.— Temple of Venus. — Ruined Mosque. — City Walls. — Historcial Sketch of Ba'albek. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. VOL. II. ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL. Nablus, the ancient Shechem Frontispiece Well at Nazareth , Vignette Mount Tabor to face page 26 The Vale of Nazareth ^ Tiberias -2 The Sea of Galilee, from the Heights of Safed . . . tk C^sarea Philippi . . . _ , _ _ .114 Mount Hermon 122 Rivers of  ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD. I 4 5 7 9 12 13 Moslem Sanctuary at the entrance to the Valley of Shechem Tomb of Eleazar The Approach to Niblus, the ancient Shechem. Entrance to the Great Mosque (Jamia el Kebir), Nablus Mount Ebal, from the gardens S.W.S. of Niblus Nablus and Gerizim from the south-western slopes of Ebal Ancient Copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch The Hill of Samaria 14 Moslem Sanctuary above the reputed Tomb of St. John, Samaria 15 Part of the Colonnade which once encircled Samaria . 17 The southern expanse of the Plain of Esdraelon, from Jenin ....... The Plain of Dothan Jenin, the ancient En-Gannim .... The Mosque of Jenin 22 Mount Tabor from " The Waters of Megiddo " . .23 Khan el Lejjfin (the Roman Legio), the supposed site of Megiddo ........ 24 Taanach from the Waters of Megidao ... 25 Zerin, the ancient Jezreel 26 The Castle of Zerin (Jezreel) 27 'Ain JaMd, the Fountain of Jezreel, known also as Gideon's Fountain ...... 29 The Hills of Samaria from Sulem, the ancient Shunem . 30 20 20 21 PAGE Mount Gilboa from SWem (Shunem) . . . .31 Mount Tabor from Nain 33 Entrance to the Cave of Endor 35 The Fountain of the Virgin, Nazareth ... 36 Mosque at Nazareth 37 The traditional Mount of Precipitation, Nazareth . 40 View from the Summit of the Hill N.W.  46 Mount Carmel from the CasUe at Sefdriyeh, the Sepphoris of Josephus 48 Mount Tabor .49 51 54 55 56 58 Bdb el Hawa (Gate of the Wind) Kefr Kenna, the traditional Cana of Galilee The Well at Kefr Kenna The Shrine of Neby Yunas, at El Meshhad The Horns of Hattin (Kurfln Hattin). Northern end of the Sea of Galilee, from the Castle of Tiberias 59 Mosque of Tiberias (Tubariyeh) . . . . .62 Castle of Tiberias (Tubariyeh) 63 Hot Baths of Tiberias (Hummim Tubariyeh) . . 65 The Valley of Pigeons (Wddy el HamAm) ... 67 The Kdl'at Ibn Ma'dn, on the north-west side of the Valley of Pigeons 69 Magdala (Mejdel) 70 Fishermen on the Sea of Galilee .... 71 The Plain of Gennesaret (El Ghuweir) from Khdn Minyeh 73 VI UST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. The Sea of Galilee from 'Ain et Tin, the Fountain of the Fig-tree, near Khdn Minyeh, the supposed site of Capernaum On the Shore of the Lake, at Et Tibighah, the sup posed site of Bethsaida The Sea of Galilee from Et TAbighah, the site of Bethsaida .... View from Tell HCm, with Fishing-boat The Ruins of Tell Hdm Caverns in the Cliffs of \V4dy Leimon The Cliffs of W4dy Leim6n Safed supposed Castle of Safed Ancient Synagogue, Meir6n Jewish Shrine at Meir6n Remains of a Synagogue at Kefr Beirim Site of Kedesh Naphtali Tomb at Kedes, the ancient Kedesh Naphtali. Sarcophagi among the Ruins of Kedesh Naphtali First Glimpse of the Lebanon Range from the south Lake Hdleh (Waters of Merom) from Hunin The River Hasbany, the northern tributary of the Jordan . . . .. Jhe Site of Laish, afterwards called Dan, the ancient northern limit of the Holy Land. The Jordan at Banifts (Caesarea Philippi) Remains of Roman Aqueduct at Banias (Caesarea Philippi) .... The most easterly Source of the Jordan, Banias (Caesarea Philippi) Sculptured Niches dedicated to Pan, at Caesarea Philippi .... Bowers on the Housetops at Banias (Caesarea Philippi) The Castle of Subeibeh .... The Citadel of the Castle of Subeibeh A Cup of Coffee on the Heights of Subeibeh Moslem Graves under " The Oaks of Bashan " The Nahr Leddan, an affluent of the Jordan Pottery, Rasheiyet el Fukhar The Ruins of the Temple at Hebbiriyeh \V4dy Shib'a, from Hebbiriyeh. The Gateway, HAsbeiya The Palace of Hisbeiya El Kdweh, the natural Bridge over the Litany The Gorge of the Litdny Mount Hermon from Rasheiya. The Castle of RAsheiya Medallion on the Temple at Rukhleh The Temple at Deir el 'Ashiir. The Gorge of the BQrada (Abana), through which the new French road approaches Damascus Entrance to Damascus Roadside Cafe, Damascus . .. A Mueddin chanting the Call to Prayer from Gallery of the Minaret of 'Isa (Jesus). Kubbet el Khazneh (Dome of the Treasures), Damascus The Tomb of Saladin, Damascus The Mosque of Sabuniyeh, Damascus Gold- and Silversmiths' Bazaar, Damascus 75 78 79 82 83 85 87 90 91 92 94 95 96 97 98 99 102 103 105 106 107 III "3 116 ■117 120 121 124 125 128 129 132 133 134 135 137 138 140 141 142 143 145 147 150 151 154 155 The Mohammedan Day School in the Shoemakers' Bazaar The Arch of Triumph, Damascus Bridge in the Shoemakers' Bazaar, Damascus A Narrow By-way in Damascus. The Citadel, Damascus .... Mosque of the Tekiyeh, or Hospice of the Sultan Selim Makbaret Bib es Saghir (Burial-ground of the Little Gate) The Horse Bazaar, Damascus, as it appears on market days ..... The Large Pljine-tree, Damascus Houses on the City Wall, Damascus. Bab Shurky (East Gate), Damascus. " The Street called Straight " Bab Tuma, the Gate of Thomas. A Street Barber's Stall Bedouins buying Spears. Reception Room of a Damascus House A Street Drinking-fountain, Damascus Greek Inscription on an ancient and disused Door way of the Great Mosque A Bedouin of the Haurin. Ruined Tombs, Palmyra Grand Colonnade, Palmyra, from the Triumphal Arch Western Side of the Ruins of the Temple of the Sun Palmyra ..... Ruins of a Mausoleum near the north-western end of the Great Colonnade, Palmyra The Triumphal Arch, Palmyra .... View of Palmyra, from the Grand Colonnade, show ing the Castle in the distance WAdy Barada, from Bessima .... 'Ain Fijeh Wayside Tombs in Widy Barada Gathering Figs on the BaraiJa, near 'Ain Fijeh. Tombs and Aqueduct, Wady Barada. The Cliffs of Suk, Wady Barada Road and Tablets cut in the cliffs of Wady Barada Waterfall of the Upper Barada, near Zebedany. The Tomb of Noah An Arab Shrine, south-west of Ba'albek. Entrance to the Ruins'of Ba'albek The Temple of the Sun, Ba'albek Under the Peristyle, Temple of the Sun, Ba'albek The Fallen Column, Ba'albek .... South Wing of the Portico of the Great Temple Ba'albek Gateway to tha Temple of the Sun, Ba'albek Ruined Mosque, north of Ba'albek The Six Columns of the Great Temple, Ba'albek The South-east Corner of the Temple of the Sun Ba'albek The Temple of Venus, or Circular Temple The Large Stone in the Quarry, Ba'albek A Cedar of Lebanon .... In the Grove of Cedars, Lebanon 156 158 160 161 162 165 166 167 169 172 ^7i 17s 178 179 180 182 183 18s 186 187 189 191 193 196 197 199 202 203 205 207 209 210 211 213 214 215 217 219 222 223 226 227 230 231 234 235 236 237 AND PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. ' I "HERE are few places even -'- in Palestine in which, within MOSLEM SANCTUARY AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE VALLEY OF SHECHEM. The wUd flowers represented are a peculiar kind of scabious, the Scabiosa prolifera, ^° narrOW a COHipaSS, SO many IH- aad a fine salvia, the Eremostachys lacinata. ... , terestinof associations are centred, or where the history of the past is so vividly illustrated, as in the narrow Vale of Shechem, which is formed by the near approach of the two terraced mountain ridges of Ebal and Gerizim ; and certainly there is no spot throughout the Holy Land which can rival it in beauty. All travellers, ancient and modern, speak in glowing terms of the peculiar loveliness of this valley, and many are the improvised songs which are sung in its praise, in the present day, in the pleasant gardens of Nablus, by the Moslem successors of the Shechemites, who proudly quote their prophet Muhammed himself as an authority for saying that " it is the place beloved by Allah above all other places," and " His blessing rests upon it'continually," VOL. II. B 2 PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. And Shechem must have been regarded as a specially favoured and hallowed spot in patriarchal times. It was the first halting-place of Abraham after he had passed over the Jordan and entered the land of Canaan, and the first altar erected to Jehovah in the Promised Land was that which Abraham then built at the " place " of Shechem among the oak-trees of Moreh, where it is said " the Lord appeared unto him " (Gen. xii. 6, 7). To this neighbourhood, and probably to the same camping ground, Jacob in after years was attracted. "And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem" (Gen. xxxiii. 18). About three miles to the east of Shechem there is a little village called Salim. It is plentifully supplied with " living water " from two sources, one of which is called 'Ain Kebir, the Great Fountain. Probably Salim is the modern representative of the city near to which John the Baptist found a convenient place for baptizing his disciples, " because there was much water there " (John iii. 23). This village, Sdlim, represented on page 237, vol. i., has also been pointed out as Shalem, the " city of Shechem " to which " Jacob came ; " although the highest autho- rities among Hebrew scholars and annotators of the Bible agree that Shalem does not in this passage indicate the name of a place, but simply means " safe," like the Arabic word salim, and the verse should be read thus : " And Jacob came safe to the city of Shechem and pitched his tent before the city. And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, for a hundred pieces of money." Here he dwelt with Leah and Rachel, and their handmaidens and men-servants and women-servants ; his wealth, like that of a Bedouin chieftain of the present day, con- sisting of " flocks and herds and camels." That the " parcel of ground " acquired by Jacob was situated at the eastern entrance to the Valley of Shechem (see page 237, vol. i.), where it widens and meets the Plain of Mukhnah, there seems to be very little doubt, for here, at the foot of Mount Gerizim, we find the deep and unquestionably ancient well which bears his name (see page 230, vol. i.), and a quarter of a mile to the north of it, exactly opposite Nablus, the ancient Shechem, stands the traditional tomb of Joseph, Israel's beloved son. The illustration on page 231, vol. i., does not show the interior of the irregularly shaped little court which encloses the tomb, so a few words must be added in description of it. The burial of Joseph in Shechem is recorded in Joshua xxiv. 32, and the next verse states that " Eleazar the son of Aaron died ; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim." About three miles and a half due south of Joseph's Tomb stands the picturesque and flourishing little village of 'Awertah, surrounded by extensive olive-groves and fig-orchards. Numerous rock-cut tombs, cisterns, and wine-presses, unused for centuries, prove 'Awertah to be a very ancient place. It is regarded with great veneration by Moslems, Jews, and Samaritans, for here, according to the Samaritan chronicle, are " the tombs of the holy priests Eleazar and Phinehas." 'Awertah was inhabited by the Samaritans until the seventh century of our era. It is now occupied exclusively by Moslems. They, however, not only guard the sacred tombs reverently and keep them in good repair, but willingly and with evident pride point them out to passing travellers. The traditional tomb of Phinehas (Kubr el 'Azeirat) is a rude structure of stone and plaster, about fourteen feet in length and seven and a half in breadth, with a high gabled top (see page 238, vol. i.). The tomb of Eleazar (El 'Azeir) is on a mound on the west side of the village, in a large paved court, in a corner of which there is a mosque dedicated to a Moslem sheikh. This tomb is eighteen feet three inches in length and fifteen feet and a half in breadth. A low stone wall immediately surrounds it, and a grand old terebinth-tree overshadows it. A large jar of coarse pottery is generally kept here, filled with water for the use of pilgrims (see page 4). In nearly every mukam, or shrine, held sacred by the Moslem, this welcome refreshment is provided either by endowment or by the dwellers in the neighbourhood, as a means of propitiating the goodwill of the saint or prophet to whom it is dedicated. On entering one of these sacred enclosures it is customary to say " Destur ya Sheikh ! " or " Destur ya Neby ! " — that is, " Permission, O Sheikh ! " or, " Permission, O Prophet ! " as the case may be. Every village in Palestine has its sacred " place ; " sometimes marked only by a heap of stones or by a venerable tree on which votive offerings are suspended, but more generally by a whitewashed structure of plaster and stone, surmounted by a dome (kubbeh), built over the grave of a famous chieftain or a revered " wely," that is, a Moslem saint — in which case the building itself is familiarly called a " wely." Similar structures are erected on spots connected with traditions relating to heroes and prophets and saints of old, including Pagans, Hebrews, Samaritans, and Christians. A building of this kind is called in Arabic a "mukam; " that is, a station, literally a " place," like the corresponding Hebrew word " makom." Local traditions thus preserved, have In many instances assisted explorers In the recovery of Biblical sites. The entrance to these sacred enclosures is rarely provided with a door, and yet peasants often deposit their ploughs and other Implements and tools within a mukam, or VOL. II. c 4 PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. wely, or even outside it, close to the walls, and leave them with perfect confidence under the protection of the invisible guardian of the place, after perhaps lighting a little lamp to propitiate his or her goodwill. These localised saints and prophets are feared as fully as they are TOMB OF ELEAZAR, Under aa ancient terebinth-tree, on an eminence to the west of the village of 'Awertah (Gibeah Phinehas). Water-carriers filling a water-jar for the use of visitors to the shrine. trusted, for it is very generally believed that they have power to punish as well as to protect, consequently a promise made by a peasant in the name of the enshrined guardian or patron- saint of his village is a surer guarantee than any other. There are many such sanctuaries in JACOB'S WELL. 5 the Vale of Shechem, to which we will now return, pausing for a few moments on our way by Jacob's Well. When Maundrell visited this well in March, 1697, it must already have been partly choked by the debris of fallen buildings, but he states that it was then one hundred and five feet in depth, and had fifteen feet of water in it. Dr. Robinson states that Messrs, Hebard and Homes, in May, 1838, found the well dry, but their measurement of its depth corresponded THE APPROACH TO NABLUS, THE ANCIENT SHECHEM. Through the olive-groves on the eastern side of the city ; the gate is shown beneath the minaret. exactly with that of Maundrell, namely, one hundred and five feet. In April, 1839, the Rev. S. Calhoun found ten or twelve feet of water in the well. In April, 1843, Dr. John Wilson induced Jacob esh Shellaby, then a boy of fourteen years of age, to go down to the bottom of the well to search for a Bible, which had been accidentally dropped into it three years previously by the Rev. Andrew Bonar of Callace, who states that in the act of descending into the vault built over the mouth of the well the Bible escaped from his coat-pocket, " and was c 2 6 PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. soon heard plunging into the water far below." Jacob esh Shellaby was let down into the well by means of ropes supplemented by two long shawls, which formed the turbans of two Samaritans who were present. The well was fortunately dry, and after some searching among the stones (which are constantly being thrown into it by travellers), the Bible was found and conveyed safely to Dr. Wilson, to his very great satisfaction. It was currently believed in Nablus that it was a book of necromancy for the recovery of which so much trouble had been taken. The well was at that time, 1843, found to be "exactly seventy-five feet deep," consequently if the measurements made in 1838 were accurate, debris to the amount of thirty feet had collected in the well in the short space of five years ! In the month of May, 1866, Captain Anderson, R.E., in order to thoroughly examine the well, caused himself to be lowered into it by means of a knotted rope. He states that the mouth of the well has a narrow opening "just wide enough to allow the body of a man to pass through with arms uplifted ; this narrow neck, which is about four feet long, resembling the neck of a bottle, opens out into the well itself, which is cylindrical, and about seven feet six inches in diameter. The mouth and upper part of the well are built of masonry, and the well appears to have been sunk through a mixture of alluvial soil and limestone fragments, till a compact bed of limestone was reached, having horizontal strata which could be easily worked, and the interior of the well presents the appearance of being lined with rough masonry." The depth was the same as it was in 1843, namely, seventy-five feet, and when Lieutenant Conder measured it in 1877 he found no alteration. Probably this represents not much more than half the original depth of the well, for it was " undoubtedly sunk for the purpose of securing, even in exceptionally dry seasons, a supply of water, which at great depths would always be filtering through the sides of the well, and would collect at the bottom." Captain Anderson's descent into the well was rather a perilous one, for he fainted during the process of lowering. Suddenly he heard the people shouting to him from above, and when he began to move he found himself lying on his back at the bottom of the well, from whence " the opening at the mouth looked like a star." Fortunately his ascent was accomplished in safety. From Jacob's Well the road, evidently an ancient one, takes a north-westerly direction, skirting the base of Gerizim. On the right is the ancient pasture-land of Jacob and his descendants, now well cultivated, and yielding abundant harvests of wheat and barley, and a good supply of beans, lentils, sesamum, cotton, and tobacco, and a wealth of wild flowers on every uncultivated patch of ground, especially mallows and anemones of many colours and ranunculi (page 230, vol. i.). A spur of Gerizim runs northward as if to meet a corresponding but less developed spur advancing southward from Ebal, the twin mountain opposite ; the point of their nearest approach is the true entrance to the Valley of Shechem. As we follow the path, which takes a westerly direction round the northern extremity of Gerizim, the whole length of the valley comes suddenly into sight, with its terraced hillsides, its running streams, NABLUS. ENTRANCE TO THE GREAT MOSQUE (JAMIA EL KEBIR), NABLUS, At the east end of the city; it was originally a church dedicated to St. John. 8 PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. and olive-groves and orchards, above which the mosques and minarets and white house-tops of Niblus appear, rather more than half a mile distant. We pass the spring of Defneh (Daphne) and then the new barracks, to build which many of the stones of the ruins around Jacob's Well were carried away. A distant view of this long white building is shown in the illustration on page 237, vol. i. Here the valley seems to widen again, for the steep slope of Gerizim is broken by a deep wady which forms a vast natural amphitheatre. Immediately opposite there is a corresponding ravine reaching almost to the summit of Ebal. It has been conjectured by several writers that it was here that Joshua, after having taken possession of the Promised Land, assembled the tribes of Israel, and having erected an altar on Mount Ebal and offered sacrifices thereon, he read the blessings and the curses, and all that is written in the book of the law, before all the congregation of Israel. It would be difficult to find a more appropriate spot for the celebration of the solemn ceremonies described in Deut. xxvii. and Joshua viii. 30 — 35. We may imagine the Ark of the Covenant placed in the centre of the valley where the four ways meet, guarded by the priests, " the sons of Levi." And all the tribes of Israel, their elders, officers, and judges, on this side and that side of the ark, half of them ranged on the slopes of the picturesque reft of Gerizim responding joyously to the promised blessings, the other half standing on the rock ledges and mounds of the grand gorge of Ebal re-echoing the threatened curses, while loud " Amens," uttered simultaneously by the whole congrega- tion at regular intervals, resounded from hill to hill. But the scene changes. The Ark of the Covenant is lost and the children of Israel are scattered. Instead of the ark, we see in the middle of the valley a few Bedouin tents and laden camels, and groups of Arab labourers at work in fields and orchards ; instead of the tribes of Israel, we see little detachments of Turkish soldiers hurrying towards the new barracks at the entrance to the gorge of Gerizim, the lower part of which is well cultivated and planted with trees, for, unlike the opposite wady of Ebal, it is well provided with water. Here in an enclosed garden is the little Moslem shrine already referred to, called Jamia el 'Amud, the Mosque of the Pillar, where forty Jewish prophets are said to be buried. Black goats, seemingly innumerable, are leisurely climbing up the gorge of Ebal, steadily following their leader and browsing on the scanty and prickly pasture that springs up among the rocks and stones. It is only at this point, however, that there is any marked difference with regard to fertility between the " Mountain of Blessing " and the " Mountain of Cursing." Many experiments have been made here to ascertain at what distance the human voice can be heard singly and in chorus ; the results have often created surprise. Peasants, and especially shepherds and goatherds, often call to each other from hill to hill, and even contrive to carry on a conversation where favourable positions have been discovered. We hasten onwards, with Gerizim on our left and Ebal a little farther off on our right, but they are gradually approaching each other. We cross and recross winding streams and artificial water-courses in gardens and cultivated fields, then pass through picturesque NABLUS. olive-groves where the waysides are in many places brightened with wild flowers and patches of self-sown barley. In a few minutes we enter the eastern gate of Nablus (see page 5). Niblus is a contraction and corruption of " Flavia Neapolis," as the city was called when it was almost rebuilt by Titus Flavins Vespasian. This is one of the very few instances in which the ancient Semitic name. has been superseded by one of Roman origin. The Arabs cannot pronounce the letter "p," so of Neapolis they made Nablus or Nabalus. MOUNT EBAL, FROM .THE GARDENS S.W.S. OF NABLUS. Showing the square tower of the Mosque El Khadra, and part of an aqueduct on the slope of Gerizim. lo ' PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. The town, which is about three-quarters of a mile long, is built on the water-shed in the narrowest part of the valley, where it is eighteen hundred and seventy-seven feet above the level of the sea, and only one hundred yards wide. It is said that there are no less than eighty springs of water in and about Ndblus, each having its special name. The water is conveyed from these springs to the mosques and other public buildings and to private houses, and then irrigates the gardens in and around the city. Many of the streets have little channels of clear water running through them. After being thus utilised, the streams on the western side of the city are allowed to unite and form a stream which turns several mills and flows towards the Mediterranean; those on the eastern side irrigate the gardens east of the town, and then, with a rather abrupt fall, flow towards the river Jordan. There are no very ancient buildings in Nablus, and scarcely anything remains to remind us of the " New City " of Flavins but the mutilated vestige of its name. The Crusaders, however, have left several memorials of their influence here. We at once recognise their work in the facade of the principal mosque, which was originally a church dedicated to St John. It is at the eastern end of the city, and is called Jamia el Kebtr (the Great Mosque). The chief entrance consists of a deeply recessed pointed arch resting on short columns, five on each side, with foliated and varied capitals (see page 7). In the central court there are several ancient columns of Egyptian granite. From this point we enter the bazaars, which are better built and kept in better order than those of Jerusalem. Those, however, in which vegetables and prepared food are sold are rather difficult to traverse during certain hours of the day. Turkish soldiers hurry by, some of them carrying large metal dishes containing a mcHange of chopped vegetables, or deep earthenware plates filled with stiff cold pottage made of peas or beans and garnished with slices of lemon floating in oil ; others push their way through the crowd with bowls of steaming soup held at arm's length before them, which very effectually clears the way. There are small arcades especially devoted to the sale of tobacco, others which are filled with the refreshing odour of green lemons, oranges, citrons, and shaddocks. The long narrow bazaar, where dried fruits, olives, rice, cheese, and butter are sold, leads to another Christian church of the twelfth century, now converted into a mosque called Jamia cl Nisr, the Mosque of the Eagle. Here also are some ancient granite columns. Making a dcHour through a street almost blocked up with camels, we pass into the principal bazaar, the finest arcade in Palestine. Here European goods are displayed, such as Manchester cottons, printed calicoes, Sheffield cutlery, Bohemian glasses for narghilehs, and crockery and trinkets of all kinds from Marseilles. But the brightest shops are those in which Damascus and Aleppo silks, embroidered jackets, and crimson tarbushes appear, with stores of Turkish pipes, and amber rosaries from Stamboul, and glass bracelets from Hebron. An opening in this arcade leads into the old khan on the north side of the city, the Khan of the Merchants (Khan Tujjar). It consists of an extensive square space enclosed by a two-storied range of buildings. A stone stairway leads to the terraced roof, from whence there is an interesting view in every direction. NABLUS. . II The chief trade of Niblus is in wool, cotton, olive oil, and soap of excellent quality. There are no less than twenty soap factories in the city. A native of Ndblus will sometimes offer a present of soap to a friend living in a less favoured district, saying, " I bring you soap made of the purest olive oil that your face may shine upon me ; " or, " I bring you some soap that your heart may be clean towards me." At Nablus goat-skins in great numbers are converted into khirbehs for carrying water. Sometimes the floor of this khan may be seen half covered with the inflated skins laid out for seasoning. Returning to the arcade, we pursue our way westward through narrow bazaars, where smiths, carpenters, weavers, tailors, and shoemakers may be seen at work ; then, turning southward, we traverse tortuous lanes and gloomy streets, arched at intervals and built over in many places, till we reach a passage which leads us out of the town just opposite to the terraced gardens on the slopes of Gerizim, where flourish all "the precious fruits brought forth by the sun" (see Deut. xxxiii. 14). Oranges, lemons, figs, apricots, pomegranates, mulberries, walnuts, grapes, and almonds follow each other in due season, and hedges of cactus afford the cooling fruit commonly called prickly pear. On one of these garden terraces Jotham, perhaps, stood when he cried, " Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem," and spoke his parable of the fruit-trees and the bramble, with olive, fig-trees, and vines around him, and thorns and brambles overgrowing the garden landmarks (Judges ix. 7 — 21). From a certain point in these gardens, looking towards the north-east, an excellent general view is obtained of the city, a faithful representation of which is given on page 12. From nearly the same standpoint, turning towards the north-west, we see the outline of the western heights of Ebal, and in the foreground the tall square tower (remarkably like the White Tower of Ramleh) which adjoins the Mosque El Khadra, the Green Mosque, another appropriated church of the Crusaders (see page 9). In the front of this tower a slab is fixed, on which there is a Samaritan inscription. The Samaritans state that they once had a synagogue on this spot, which is popularly known as the Mukdm Hizn Yakub, that is, " The Place of the Mourning of Jacob," for, according to local tradition, it was here that Jacob stood when the coat of his beloved son Joseph was brought to him, and where, believing him to be dead, " he mourned for him many days." A very old mulberry-tree stands in the court of the mosque, the representative of one which is said to have withered when the death of Joseph was reported, and became green again when he was found to be living. Not far from the summit of the mountain peak which appears in the illustration behind the tower, there stands a Moslem mukim called 'Amad ed Din (the Pillar of Faith), which gives its name to this part of the mountain range. It has been suggested that this may mark the site of the altar erected by Joshua on Mount Ebal ; it is, however, locally regarded as the resting- place of a Moslem saint so named, said to have lived about four hundred years ago. On the slope of the nearer hill, there is a greatly revered shrine of a Moslem female saint named Sitti Eslamiyeh, the Lady of Eslam ; from her Mount Ebal derives its present name, Jebel Eslamiyeh. The highest point of the mountain, which is three thousand and thirty-two feet above the level of the sea, is more easterly, and not shown in the illustration. Turning away VOL. 11. D 12 PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. NABLUS. •3 from this scene, we climb to the head of the glen above the gardens, where there is a fountain of deliciously cool clear water called Ras el 'Ain, the "head of the spring." Here we find a few women washing their tattered garments in a stone reservoir, and a group of men repairing the stone walls of the water-course with rather clumsy-looking tools. We follow the course of the duct, which conveys water from the fountain to the terraced gardens below, running eastward all along the hillside, where it forms a kind of coping to the tree- shaded pathway. The stones of this aqueduct are moss-grown, and from between them spring up bright leaves of the most vivid green. At short intervals there are square apertures, through which we can see the running limpid water in a framework of maidenhair and other ferns and white and lilac blossoms. A branch from this aqueduct, carried on arches, is shown in the illustration on page 9. ■ Presently we come to a large square pool or reservoir well filled and in good repair. It is nearly opposite to the handsomest house in the city, which is worthy of notice as a good example of modern Oriental architec- ture uninfluenced by European taste. This house was erected in the year 1855 by Mahmoud Bek Abd ul Hady, of Arrabeh, who was then Governor of Nablus. Its spa- cious courts, surrounded by arched corridors and lofty reception rooms, are paved with marble. The white walls of the principal rooms are relieved by arabesque borders of ofood design in two shades of blue, some being painted in fresco, others simply sten- cilled. Many important buildings have been erected within the last twenty years, including. a new khan, a military arsenal, a Latin monastery, increased accommodation for the Protestant mission, and several large new dwelling-houses, showing signs of local prosperity and progress. But the chief interest of Nablus is centred in a little group of irregularly built houses, clustered closely together in the south-west quarter, the most crowded part of the city. Here we find the last remnant of the once powerful Samaritan community. In 1874 they numbered one hundred and thirty-five individuals, of whom twenty-eight were married couples, ten were widows advanced in years, forty-nine were unmarried men and young boys, and twenty were young girls, many of whom were already promised in marriage. Since this date the numbers have decreased. Several marriages have, however, taken place. According D 2 ANCIENT COPY OF THE SAMARITAN PENTATEUCH. In a silver-gilt case ; it is protected by a red satin cover embroidereJ with inscriptions in gold thread. H PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. & <; s O S Oi iJ « g i3 NABLUS. 15 to their records, the Samaritans once possessed territory in every district of Palestine with the exception of Judsea, and they had colonies in Cairo, Damascus, and Baalbec. But wherever they wandered it was towards Gerizim that they turned in prayer, and Nablus continued to be their head-quarters and the residence of their chief priest. Their only synagogue now is a small unadorned building, the approach to which is a crooked uncovered steep stone stairway leading to an open court, where a lemon-tree grows near to an arched doorway, through which no one is allowed to enter until he has " put off his shoes." The nave is MOSLEM SANCTUARY ABOVE THE REPUTED TOMB OF ST. JOHN, SAMARIA. Within the ruined walls of a church dedicated to St. John, now used as a mosque. i6 PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. lighted by a circular aperture in the vaulted roof, as is also the north-east transept through which we enter. On the south-east side, which is in the direction of the " Holy Place " on Gerizim, there is a veiled recess to which the priests alone have access. The veil which is commonly used consists of a large square curtain of white damask linen, ornamented very skilfully with appliqud work, apparently of the sixteenth century, though the Samaritans regard it as much older ; pieces of red, purple, and green linen cut into various forms are sewn on to it so as to form a complete and harmonious design. Within the veil are preserved with jealous care, among other literary treasures, three very ancient copies of the Samaritan Pentateuch, one of which is said to have been written by Abishua, the great-grandson of Aaron. This celebrated Roll of the Law, which is probably of the third century of our era, is preserved in a cylindrical silver-gilt case, opening as a triptych does on two sets of hinges. The outside of the case is embossed, and in some parts engraved. On one of the divisions there is a representation of the Tabernacle of the Wilderness with the Ark of the Covenant, altars, candlesticks, trumpets, and various sacri- ficial implements, with explanatory inscriptions. The two other divisions of the cylinder are ornamented with conventional designs in repouss6 work. This case is said by experts to be Venetian work of the fourteenth or fifteenth century. The Samaritans regard it as much older. The roll itself is composed of prepared goat-skins twenty-five inches high and about fifteen feet wide ; they are neatly joined together, but in many places have been torn and rather clumsily repaired with parchment of various qualities. This much-prized volume is exhibited to the congregation once a year by the chief priest and his assistant the ministering priest. The ceremony takes place on their only fast day, the Day of Atonement, and then the people, young and old, are permitted to kiss that part of the roll on which the Aaronic blessings are inscribed ; the consequence is that the blessings are by degrees disappearing. A crimson satin cover, on which Samaritan inscriptions are embroidered in gold thread, envelopes the treasure (see page 1 3). The Torah (Pentateuch) is the only portion of the Bible which the Samaritans hold sacred. It is their sole guide and rule of life. Their version differs In many points from the Hebrew version. The other historic portions of the Hebrew Scriptures they regard as spurious, and especially resent the account given therein of their origin. They describe themselves as " Children of Israel," but trace their origin chiefly to the two sons of Joseph. They date their separation from the Jews from the time of Eli the priest, whom they regard as a usurper, he not having been of the priestly family of Eleazar, but a descendant of Thamar, Aaron's fourth son. According to the Samaritan Chronicle their high priests were true descendants of the sacredly appointed branch of the family until a.d. 1624, when the last male representative of the line died. Then, as it Is recorded, " the consecration of Levites commenced ; " sacrifices ceased to be offered up, and the ministrations were limited to such services as may legally be performed by them. Selameh al Kohen, the correspondent of Baron de Sacy, was the chief priest of the NABLUS. 17 Samaritans when we visited Nablus in 1856. He was then a fine old man of seventy-three years of age. He was learned in Samaritan lore and had gained great influence not only over his own community, but over the credulous of other creeds, on account of his widely spread reputation for skill in occult sciences. Amran, his nephew and adopted son, next to him in age, and therefore his successor, was the ministering priest. He was forty-seven PART OF THE COLONNADE WHICH ONCE ENCIRCLED SAMARIA. On the south- side, near to the west end, a great number of columns are still standing. years of age, married, but with no surviving children. '^iPfee next in order of age and succes- sion was his cousin Yakub, then an unmarried youth of fourteen years of age; and Amran greatly feared that the family might become extinct, in which case the people would be left without a priest. He asked us confidentially if we thought that the English people would be displeased and withdraw their protection from the Samaritans, if he, their priest, were to i8 PICTURESQUE PALESTINE. take a second wife. He explained that the Samaritan law permitted him to do so under the circumstances. He soon afterwards married, with the consent and approval of his first wife, and there was great rejoicing in the house of Amran and throughout the community when a son was born ; and they gave him the name of Isaac. Selameh, the chief priest, died in the year 1857. Amran, who had been the ministering priest, became the chief priest, and died in 1875. He was succeeded by his handsome young cousin Yakub, above referred to. Since the death of Selameh and Amran the difficulties of governing and guiding the little community have continually increased, especially with regard to the distribution of property and the arrangements of marriages, the marriageable men being more numerous than the marriageable girls. Although the Samaritans always intermarry among themselves, they are as a rule intelligent, tall, strong, and handsome, and bodily defects are very rare among them. During the feast of unleavened bread, from the 14th to the 21st of the first month (Nisan), the Samaritans, when it is possible for them to do so, close their houses in the city and live in tents pitched in the form of a half-circle on a sheltered plateau at some distance below the summit of Mount Gerizim (Jebel et Tur). Sometimes they go there a few days earlier, but more frequently they only remain on the mountain for two days, to celebrate the sacrifice of the Passover, and to partake of it during the intervening night. The scene of the sacrifice is on a terrace a little way above the place of encampment. 