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FRESCOES.
N. WALL . SCALE 24
MUSH H A J LA h
Vincflii Brooks Lay ^ Sai\ Lith
THE SURVEY
OF
WESTERN PALESTINE.
MEMOIRS
TOPOGRAPHY, OROGRAPHY, HYDROGRAPHY,
ARCHyEOLOGY.
EY
CAPT. C. R. CONDER, R.E., AND CAPT. H. H. KITCHENER, R.E.
VOLUME III. SHEETS XVII.-XXVI.
JUD.^A.
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
E. H. PALMER, M.A., AND WALTER BESANT, M.A.,
FOR
THE COMMITTEE OF THE PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND, I, ADAM STREET, ADELPHI, LONDON, W.C.
iSS.r
PREFACE
This volume completes the publication of the Memoirs drawn up by Captain Conder and Captain Kitchener for their Survey of Western Palestine. The information concerning Topography, Hydrography, Orography, Archaeology, etc., is so separated as to be easily looked out under the various sections of each Sheet. But to facilitate the work of reference, an index is now being prepared, and will be issued as soon as the whole work is completed.
As regards the illustrations, with a few exceptions they have all been taken from the drawings and plans drawn on the spot.
The Memoirs of this volume have had the advantage of being recorded by Captain Conder on the spot. He has revisited many of the sites with the proofs in his hands.
The name of my lamented colleague. Professor Palmer, still appears upon the title-page ; but his illness in the spring, his departure for Egypt last July, and his tragic death in August, laid the whole work of editing this volume upon myself. If there are errors, therefore, they must not be charged upon him.
W. B.
I, Adam Street, Adelphi, March i, 1883.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
•*-<x-
PAGE
Frescoes ....... Frontispiece.
Bethany ....... To face page 28
'Amwas — Plan of ruined church ; pavejient ; capitals with inscription ;
masons' marks ; tomb of a Santon ; Hebrew-Samaritan and
Greek inscriptions; subterranean vault Anata — Plan . . ■ .
Beit Lahm — Plan of Constantine's Basilica ; graffiti representing crests
OF knights, with mottoes .... BiR Beit Bassa — Plans and sections of loculi
BiREH — Plan of ruined church, capitals of pillars, and masons' marks Pools of Solomon (Lower Pool) .... Tufac
Deir et Tahuneh — Sketches of lintel stones . El Habs — Sketch of Latin stone altar
El JtB — View of the city ; plan of tomb, with elevations of walls El KabO — Plan of ruined church .... Kab^r el Beni IsraIm — Sketches and sections of rude stone monUxMents Khurbet 'Adaseh — Plans and sections of tombs and underground aque
duct ..... Khurbet 'Ain el KenIseh — Plan of ruined chapel Khurbet Beit Skaria — Sketches of pillar capitals Khurbet el BeitOni — Plan of cave . Khurbet el Burj — Plan of tower
Khurbet Ikbala — Plan of ruined convent; masons' marks Khurbet el Mahmeh — Sections of masonry Khurbet Medbes— Plan of great cave Khurbet el Murussus — Plan of ruined monastery Khurbet Samm^nieh — Plan of hill-top, with cisterns and well Rachel's tomb near Bethlehem
El Kubeibeh — Plan of ruined Crusading church ; masons' marks KOlat el GhOleh — Sketch of block of rock .
|
63-71 |
|
82 |
|
84,85 |
|
87 |
|
88,89 |
|
page 89 |
|
92 |
|
93 |
|
95-98 |
|
100 |
105
106 loS 109 1 10 lis
119
120
122 124
To face page 129 131
VI
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Ruined church, Kurvet el 'Enab .... To face page 132 KuRYET EL 'Enab — Plan of ruined church of St. Jeremiah; masons'
MARKS ...... ■ 132- 133
KuRYET SaIDEH — SKETCH OF LINTEL STONE WITH INSCRIPTION . .134
Mugharet BIr el Hasuta — Plan of entrance shaft; masons' marks . 137
Mugharet el Jai — Plan of cave . . . . .138
Mugharet Umm et TOeimIn — Sketches of exterior and interior, and
plan ....... 146-148
Neey SamwIl — Plan of church, with masons' marks; sketch of the tomb
of Samuel; plan of modern village; sketch of Neby Samw!l . 149-152 Neby TurfIni — Sketch of door of limestone, with lions' and bulls'
HEADS
Er Ram — Sketch of lintel stone
Tell el FOl — Plan of monument
TelIlia — Plan of camp inclosure
Ravine of Wady Kelt
'AiN Feshkah (Dead Sea)
Deir el Kelt — Plan of ruined monastery; sketch of door, wit
TiON IN Arabic and Greek Jebel Kuruntul — Plans of chapels . Khan HathrOrah — Plan Kusr Hajlah — Plan of main chapel . Kusr el YehOd — Plan of chapel ; inscription . Aqueducts near Jerico Aqueducts across Wady en Nueiameh Wady Kelt — Plan of aqueduct ASKALAN ..... Interor of church of St. John, Ga2a AsKALAN — Masons' marks
West door of the church of St. John, Gaza .
Deir el Belah — Sketches of stones, with crosses and
Ghuzzeh — Plan ....
Sheikh Rashed — Inscription on tomb .
Tell el 'Ajj(jl — Sketch of great statue
Arak el Kheil — Plan of caverns, and sketches of bas-reliefs
Beit JibrIn — Inscription in great cave ; bas-relief on wall of cave ;
PLAN of fortifications NORTH OF VILLAGE; MASONS' MARKS . 267-27 1
Details of arcade at Beit JibrIn .... To face page 270
El KenIseh — Plan of church of Sandahannah . . .276
KeratIya — Plans of Kulat el Fenish . . . .277
Es SOk — Plan of excavation; sketch of interior . . .289,290
Tell Sandahannah— Plan of caverns . . . .291
153 155 159 160 To face page 167 ,, 171
H INSCRIP-
192-196
201
208 214
217 To face page 222
„ „ 225
228
To face page 237
!) n 240
240
To face page 242
inscriptions
248 249
253 254 265
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE 321
To face page 322
-7 2 3
33°
•334,335
To face page 336
,' " 35-
355
Beit 'Auwa — Plan and section of font
Ramet el KhulIl, Abr.\ham's house near Hebron
Beit el KhulIl — Plan of remains
Deir el ArbaJn — Plan, showing tombs of Jesse and Ruth
Jebel FureidIs — Plan of hill-top, etc.
El Haram (Hebron) — Plan, with section and cornice .
South-east angle and entrance to Haram (Hebron)
Plan of the vicinity of Hebron . . . • „
Khurbet el J6f — Sketch of cornice .....
Khurbet Khoreisa — Plan of ruin, and sketch of lintel stone with
inscription ...... 356
Wady Khureitun ...... To face page 357
Adullam — showing the c.wes . . . • ,, ,1 361
Khurbet Tekua — Plan of font, with sketches of designs on side; plan
of rock-cut stable ....
Khurbet Umm el 'Amed — Plan of ruined convent
El Kurmul — Plan of the castle ....
Kusr IslaIyIn — Plan of remains ....
Mdgharet M.4sa — Plan of cave ....
El Muntar — Plan ......
Es Si.MiA — Plan of rock-cut tomb, with sketch of porch
'AiN JiDY (EnGEDI) ......
'Anab — Plan ......
Edh Dhaheriyeh — View of the vill.vge, and plan of the tower Khurbet ZanOta —Sketch of wall ....
Es SemI^a — 'Plan of building ; sketch of pillars and details of pilaster S6siEH — Plan of the ruin ; lintels, cornices and mouldings Masada — general plan ....
Tyre — Plan of Es StJR
Masada — scale .....
Masada — from the north-west
368,369
370
373 374 375 377 378
38s
393
407
410
413
414.415 To face page 417
424
To face page 419
,, ,, 420
THE
SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
SHEET XVII.— SECTION A.
Orography. — This Sheet contains 3717 square miles of the country round Jerusalem. It is naturally divided into four districts, viz. : (i) the Watershed Hills; (2) the hills west of Wady Beit Hanina; (3) the 'Arkub; (4) the Shephelah.
I. The Watershed Hills. — The main watershed ot the country runs south from Tell 'As^lr (Sheet XIV.), by Beitin to Bireh, where it is about 2,920 feet above the Mediterranean. From this point it runs as a narrow ridge with a shallow parallel valley on the west. The average elevation is about 2,700 to 2,600 feet for 7 miles to the R a s el M e s h a r i f, about a mile from Jerusalem. The city is first visible from near Shafat, 2 miles away, and from the conical Tell el Fill (2,754 feet above the sea), 2f miles away.
In the neighbourhood of the city the watershed is Hat and broad, running west of the sloping spurs on which the modern Jerusalem is built. It is about half a mile wide, and runs in a curve, returning towards the east on the south of the city. The elevation decreases gradually from 2,680, north and west of the city, to 2,440 near Sir Moses Montefiore's almshouses. Jerusalem may be generally described as built on the eastern slope of a plateau, the western slopes of which extend in parallel ridges to Wady Beit Hanina, 4 miles from the city.
South of Jerusalem is the flat plain called el Bukeia, or el M e i d a n, extending nearly two miles north and south, and about a mile
VOL. III. I
2 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
broad, with an average elevation of about 2,500 feet above the sea. The watershed continues from this plain to Bethlehem, the ground to the west being flat and open, whilst spurs with valleys, which deepen rapidly, exist to the east. Bethlehem stands on one of these eastern spurs, and the watershed curves away westwards, being very narrow, with a flat valley (Wady J i r i u s) on the west, running north.
On reaching the rounded hill of Shukfan, above Urtas, the shed drops rapidly to a saddle immediately west of the B u r a k, and has an elevation of a little over 2,600 feet. It then rises again further west into the high and conspicuous ridge, running north and south, called R a s esh Sherifeh (3,258 feet above the sea), the highest point on the Sheet. The western slopes from this ridge are steep, but on the east there is a small flat plot of ground in the neighbourhood of the B u r a k. The eastern spurs are, however, equally rugged with those on the west, and the pass immediately south of the Burak and east of the ridge of Ras esh Sherifeh is very narrow and difficult.
The valleys which break down east of the watershed towards the Dead Sea are all steep and fall rapidly ; the spurs between them are generally flat, with rounded outlines, and precipices below. The tojjs of the hills are of soft chalky limestone, but a hard crystalline formation appears beneath. The most important valleys are Wady Suweinit, and Wady e r R e d e i d y, which are the two heads of W a d y Farah (Sheet XVIII.). A third valley (Wady Ruabeh) running north-east from the Mount of Olives, joins the same great valley (Wady Farah), which thus receives the drainage of all the country east of the watershed from Bethel to Jerusalem.
The sides of these three valleys are precipitous and impassable ; Wady Suweinit is especially rugged, with cliffs 300 to 400 feet high. The hills above are very bare, but there is corn-land in the low ground at the valley heads.
The Mount of Olives is an important spur, running out of the water- shed north of Jerusalem and curving round eastwards. The elevation of the ridge is about equal to that of the watershed (2,600 to 2,680 feet above the sea).
Another important valley, W a d y c n N a r, has its head south of the Ras el M e s h a r i f, and runs east of Jerusalem, separating it from the
[SHEET XVII.] OROGRAPHY. 3
Mount of Olives. Thence it runs south-east for 4 miles, when it bends suddenly east, running towards Mar Saba (Sheet XVIII.). This valley (the ancient brook Kedron) is tlanked by rounded hills, and is open and easily passable.
The valleys south of Jerusalem and east of the watershed run generally towards the south-east ; the ridges between are narrow, with steep slopes ; the whole district is extremely barren, consisting of white chalky lime- stone.
II. Wad y Beit H a n i n a. — One of the principal valleys in the centre of Palestine; has its head near Bireh. It runs south for 6 miles close to the watershed, gradually becoming deeper and narrower. South of Beit H a n i n a it is joined by a second valley of the same character, which runs almost parallel to it on the west, having its head at Ram-Allah. About i-^ miles from the junction, the valley becomes (in the neighbourhood of Lifta) an important natural feature. Thence it runs irregularly westwards to K li 1 6 n i e h, where its bed is i,Soo feet above the sea, the mountains rising some 700 to 800 feet above it. The valley runs from K li 1 6 n i e h in a southerly direction under 'A i n Karim, and is here broad and flat, with steep ridges on either side. Gradually turning west, it becomes yet deeper and narrower, forming a very important natural feature. Near 'A k u r the bed is about 1,400 feet below the northern ridge, and 1,297 feet above the Mediterranean. North of Deir el Hawa the valley is a narrow gorge, with precipices on its northern side. It here emerges from the high hills into the S hep he 1 ah, and becomes a broad corn valley (W a d y e s S li r a r). This valley, divides the 'Ark u b on the south from the hill ranges to the north, and divides also the S h e p h e 1 a h into two districts.
The northern hills west of the watershed extend about 5 miles west- wards, in a series of narrow parallel ridges, the average elevation being from 2,600 feet above the sea on the east, to 2,000 on the west. These spurs have very steep western slopes, a sudden drop occurring, as, for instance, at Beit 'U r, where the fall along the ridge from Beit 'U r el Foka to Beit 'Ur et Tahta is 700 feet in a mile and a half. To the south the spurs are longer. Thus at Bab el W a d, where the sudden descent of 700 feet occurs in about a mile the distance from the
I — 2
4 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
watershed is 1 1 miles, and so also in W a d y e s S li r a r the end of the higher hills occurs 1 1 miles west of the w-atershed.
The ground is open in the neighbourhood of B e i t u n i a, e r Ram and el Jib, where three small plains occur. The first, south of the village, extends some 3 miles, and is about \ mile wide. It runs into the plain, which extends for 2 miles west of e 1 Jib, which village stands on a high hill above it. The third plain, immediately west of the watershed and east of the other two, is sejoarated from them by a ridge running north and south, and extends about a mile either way.
The principal valleys which run to the Mediterranean in this district are W a d y S e 1 m a n and W a d y 'A 1 y, the first rising about a mile west of el Jib, the second west of Saris, and both uniting at K u b a b in the Shephelah. A third important valley has its head in the open ground between S 6 b a and K li r y e t el 'E n a b, and thence runs south-west to join W a d y es Stirar, the junction occurring near 'Art u f.
W a d y S e 1 m a n is a narrow valley with steep sides, some 700 feet deep, and bare and stony. W a d y ' A 1 y is of the same character, but not so long ; in about 3 miles it has a fall of 1,100 feet.
The hills in this district are of hard crystalline limestone, with steep sides. They are clothed with brushwood, and have a less barren appearance than the hills along the watershed ; from the western ends of the ridges good views are obtained over the low hills and maritime plain.
III. The 'Arkub is a long ridge running out of the watershed north of R i s e s h S h e r i f e h ; on the north is Wady es Stirar; on the south Wady M u s i r r. The former valley is joined by Wady A h m e d, which rises near the B u r a k, and runs away east of Beit Jala as an open valley, and thence round to B i 1 1 i r, in which neigh- bourhood it becomes a deep gorge ; thence it runs west to join W a d y e s S u r d r, near 'A k u r. Thus a triangular district is enclosed be- tween W a d y A h m e d and Wady Sura r, and a ridge runs out from the Hat hills west of Jerusalem, and is enclosed between the two valleys, rising 1,000 to 1,200 feet above them.
The ridge of the 'A r k u b runs out some 8 miles from the watershed, and has an elevation of 2,600 feet towards the east, and 1,800 feet on the
[SHEET XVII.] OROGRAPHY. S
west. Smaller spurs run out from it. W a d y M u s i r r, which bounds it on the south, runs into Wady es Sunt. It breaks down rapidly from the high ridge of R a s e s h S h e r i f e h, and becomes almost im- mediately a narrow and deep valley.
The 'A r k u b is bounded on the west by an open valley, Wady en N a j i 1, which runs north, separating off the lower hills from the higher. This peculiar feature is again found further south. (See Sheet XXI., Wady es Sfint.) In general character the 'Arkub resembles the last-mentioned hills in the second district, being of hard crystalline lime- stone with steep slopes, and covered with brushwood, which in parts is very thick.
IV. The Shephela h. — The low hills to the west of those already described form an entirely distinct district, to which in the Talmud the name Shephelah is applied.
The western higher ridges break down suddenly, as above explained, and the lower hills are very flat, with open valleys between. This district measures about 9 miles across, east and west, the elevation being about 1,000 feet on the east and 600 to 500 feet on the west. The hills are of soft chalky limestone, and the valleys are fertile, with good soil.
South of Wady es Siirar these hills are, on an average, somewhat higher, and covered with scrub. The valley is nearly a mile wide, and cultivated with corn. The white hills to the north of it are about 200 feet high, with steep sides ; those immediately to the south are of about equal elevation, but rise into the prominent peak of e 1 K h e i s h u m (1,245 ^^^t above the sea), which is a conspicuous feature. The southern block of the Shephelah hills is connected with the 'Arkub by a narrow ridge near Beit Nettif; but the valley before noticed, Wady en Najil, almost separates them, and forms a marked division between the two districts.
Hydrography. — The water-supply of the Judean hills on this Sheet is inferior to that further north (Sheets XI. and VIII.), and Jerusalem itself is remarkable for its insufficient supply, having only one spring ('A i n U m m e d D e raj). In the watershed hills the supply is princi- pally from deep wells, cisterns, and rock-cut tanks. South of Bethlehem
A.
there are, however, in the neighbourhood of U r t a s, three moderate
6 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
springs ('A i n tj r t a s, 'A i n S a 1 e h, 'A i n 'A t a n), which feed the Jerusalem aqueduct. East of Bethany there is also a good spring in the valley, by the main road to Jericho — 'A in H a u d.
The hills west of the watershed are better supplied, the springs being numerous, though not very large. Between Neby Samwil and Beit H a n i n a a group of six springs occurs — 'A in Abu Z i a d, 'A i n el Emir, ' A i n J a k u k, ' A i n ]\I a 1 a k a h, 'A i n e s h S h a t i r, 'A i n e t T u w a 1 y.
The springs in the neighbourhood of K fi 1 6 n i e h also give a good supply of water, and a stream runs down the valley in the wet season. Between S 6 b a and K li r y e t el 'E n a b there is also a good supply, and the valley becomes swampy in winter.
The 'Arkub is also a district abounding in springs of moderate size. In W a d y el W e r d, south-west of Jerusalem, are the two good springs, 'A in Yalo and 'A i n Hanniyeh; and further down, in the neigh- bourhood of e 1 Welej eh, there is a group of five springs within about \ mile of one another, The remaining springs of this district are noticed with the neighbouring villages.
The Shephelah district is supplied almost entirely by spring-wells, the water running; beneath the surface. In the neighbourhood of K h li r b et Kefr Urieh there are several fine groups of springs, including 'A i n S u w e i d e h, 'A y u n e t T i n e h, 'A y u n Abu M e h a r i b, 'Ay u n el Kharjeh. In the valley north of K h f i r b e t el Yarmuk there is also a succession of springs, which How from excavations called Hiifiyir en Neby Bulus.
The great spring-wells are often of apparently great antiquity, as, for instance, that near Z a k a r i y a, which is very large.
Cultivation. — The watershed hills are cultivated with barley and other crops, but the soil is poor, and the crops inferior to those in the plain and Shephelah. In the neighbourhood of Jerusalem olives and vines are cultivated over an area of 9 square miles. Round Bethlehem the cultiva- tion is similar, the vineyards being to the north and west.
The cultivation in the western hills round the villacfes is of similar character, but the vine-cultivation is less extensive than near Hebron or in the north.
[SHEET XVIL] TOPOGRAPHY. 7
In the Shcphelah the corn-cultivation is more extensive than in the hills, and in W a d y e s S li r a r especially the barley is very fine.
The olives in the hills are grown on terraces which have been built up with stone retaining-walls. These terraces are sometimes found in parts not now cultivated, and there can be no question that the cultivation might be very much extended, especially in the district of the 'A r k u b.
\V a d y el \V e r d, west of Jerusalem, is so named from the fields of roses which extend for over a mile along the bottom of the valley from M a 1 h a h to 'A i n Y a 1 o. They are used for rose-water and sherbet in Jerusalem.
Topography. — There are (including Jerusalem) one hundred inhabited towns and villages on the Sheet belonofinfr to various Government divisions of the country under the M u t a s e r r i f of Jerusalem. These may be enumerated according to the districts.
I. — Beni Haritii el Kieliyeh.
1. 'A i n 'A r i k (L s). — A small stone hamlet in a deep valley with a Greek church, the inhabitants being Greek Christians. There is a good spring to the west with a small stream. The place is surrounded with olives, and there are lemons and other trees round the water in a thick grove. This place is probably Archi, on the boundary of Benjamin, between Bethel and Beth Horon (Joshua xvi. 2). It is also marked as Arecha on the map of Marino Sanuto, 1321 a.d.
2. D e i r I b 2 i a.— (See Sheet XIV.)
3. S tiff a (K s). — A small village standing high on a ridge, with a well to the east and a sacred ^^lace to the south.
II. — Jebel el Kuds.
I. 'A n.a t a (N t). — A village of moderate size, the houses of stone : it stands on a high ridge commanding a fine view to the north and east. The view extends as far as T a i y i b e h ; and e r Ram, J e b a, and H i z m e h are visible. There are a few olives round the village, and a well on the west and another on the south-east. 'A n a t a is the ancient Anathoth of Benjamin (Joshua xxi. 18). It was known to Eusebius as
8 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
about 3 Roman miles north of Jerusalem, and is described by Josephus as 20 stadia (Ant. x. 7, 3) from the city. The distance is 2\ English miles from 'A n a t a to the nearest part of Jerusalem. (Cf. Section B.)
2. Beit H a n i n a (M t). — A village of moderate size, of stone houses, standing on very rocky ground on the ridge between two valleys. It is surrounded with olives, and has springs to the west at some little distance. Vineyards also occur near the village. This place is apparently the ancient Ananiah of Benjamin near Hazor (Neh. xi. 32). Khurbet H a z z {i r is immediately west of the village.
3. Beit Iksa (L s). — A village on a ridge above the deep
Wady Beit Hani n a. It is of moderate size, with stone houses,
and a well on the north, near which is the sacred tree of N e b y
L e i m i^i n. There are a few olives round the village.
' The men of Beit Iksa told me that their village bears also the name of Umm el Ela ; another of those double names that I have so often pointed out. The present inhabitants belong to the Beni Zeid, and come from the north ; they obtained possession of Umm el Ela, and gave it the new name of Beit Iksa. The ethnical name to which Iksa belongs is Keswani, in the plural Kesawne^B e i t I k s a n or I k s w a n. We must, therefore, in Palestine topography, keep account of the migration of names transported with the population from one place to another.' — C. Clermont Ganneau.
4. Beit Unia (L r). — A good-sized village ot stone, surrounded by olives, standing high on a flat rocky ridge, with a plain to the east. To the east are cisterns, wine-presses, and a pond (el Baliia), which contains water in winter. On the north and east are rock-cut tombs with well-cut entrances, but blocked up.
5. Bir Nebala (L s).— A village of moderate size, standing high, with a valley to the west. There are a few olives round the place.
6. B ireh (M s). — A village standing high on the watershed, to the east of the main road. The village is of good size, and the houses are fairly well built. Towards the south are remains of a K h a n, with a sloping revetement to the outer wall. South-east and north-east of the village are large quarries. Vineyards and olive groves surround the place. One house has an old ornamented lintel over its door, with three rosettes in relief. The most conspicuous building is a tower, partly ancient, on the north. The threshing-floors are on the west.
[SHEET XVII.] TOPOGRAPHY. 9
Outside the village on the south-west is a good spring, with a sacred place built over it and a trough on the east side. Towards the north-east are the ruins of the Crusading Church (Section B). The ground round the place is rocky, with a few olives.
This village is the ancient Beeroth of Benjamin (Joshua ix. 1 7). In the Middle Ages the place was called La Grande INIahomerie (Cart, de S. Sep.). It is mentioned under this name by William of Tyre. The church, with a hospice attached, was completed by the Templars (to whom the place belonged) in 1146 a.d. (Cart, de S. Sep.). (See Du Vogue, ' Eglises de Terre Sainte,' p. 339.)
The population of B i r e h is about 800, including a few Orthodox Greeks.
7. Burkah (j\I s). — A good-sized village standing high on a bare hill-side, with a spring in the valley to the south.
8. Deir Diwan (N s). — A large and well-built stone village, standing on flat ground, with a rugged valley to the north and open ground to the south. There are a few scattered olives round the place. The inhabitants are partly Christian.
9. H i z m e h (N s). — A small stone village, standing high on a prominent hill, the slopes of which are covered with olives. It has a well to the west. This place is the ancient Azmaveth (Neh. vii. 28).
10. J eba (N s). — A village of moderate size standing on a rocky knoll. On the north is a deep valley (W a d y S u w e i n i t) ; on the south the ground falls less abruptly, but is very rocky ; on the west the ridge is Hat; and on the east is a plain extending for about i^- miles, and about ^ mile wide north and south. This plain is open arable land, extending to the brink of the precipitous cliffs on the north. The village has caves beneath, at the foot of the knoll (see Section B), and there are olives on the west, north, and south. There is a central high house like a tower in the village.
The view embraces M li k h m a s and extends as far as the neigh- bourhood of Deir Diwan and Taiyibeh. On the south 'Anat a and H i z m e h are seen. The north end of the Dead Sea is also visible. J e b ^ is the ancient Geba of Benjamin (Joshua xxi. 17).
11. Jedireh (Ms). — A small village on a slope, surrounded by VOL. in. 2
10 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
figs and olives, and with rock-cut tombs to the north. This place is probably Gederah of Benjamin (i Chron. xii. 4).
12. El Jib (M s). — The village stands on the end of a hill, rising 300 feet above the valley. On the south is a narrow plain, and there is an open valley on the east, whilst to the north and west there is also a flat plain. The hill is thus isolated, and a position naturally of great strength. The houses cover the northern part of the hill. The village is of moderate size, the houses of stone, with a central tower, and massive foundations exist among the modern buildinsfs.
On the east, rather lower than the village and a little below the top of the ridge, is the spring, which issues from a cave. Below it are remains of a good-sized reservoir. There are many springs on the south and west, and caves in the southern side of the hill. Olives, figs, pears, apples, and vines are cultivated round the village and in the plain ; there are also extensive corn-fields in the low ground. (See Section B.)
El J i b is the ancient Gibeon (Joshua ix. 3). One of the most curious features of the scenery is the great regularity with which the horizontal strata of rock occur, the hills being stepped with natural terraces, which give them the appearance of being contoured as seen from the summit of N e b y S a m w i 1.
Three ancient roads join at el Jib, coming from the maritime plain. The site seems to have been known in the Middle Ages, and to have been then called Gran David (Benjamin of Tudela).
' The present village is situated on the northern and smaller top of the double hill which, shaped like a figure 8, lies in a kind of basin north of Neby Samwil. This basin is a tract of fertile ground — producing pears, grapes, figs, almonds, etc., in addition to the usual ground- crops and olives — formed by an eccentric watershed, which, beginning at the end of Wady Selaian, in the first instance flows due east; then turning southwards, round Bir Nabala, passes Lifta and 'Ain Karim, and eventually reaches the Mediterranean near Yabneh. The heads of this Wady to the north of el Jib are called Wady Askar and Wady Hammud, which latter comes down from the north-east of Beitunia, divided by a low watershed from an upper valley, a rise in the bed of which forms a barrage. Above this a pool, covering some 6 to 8 acres to a depth of 20 feet, is formed during the winter. It is termed "el Balu'a" ("The Sink")'.— C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake, 'Quarterly Statement,' 1872, p. 174.
13. Kefr 'Akab (M s). — A small hamlet on the slope of a hill- side, with a few olives.
14. Kulundia (M s). — A small village on a swell, surrounded by
{SHEET XVII.]
TOPOGRAPHY.
n
olives, with quarries to the west. Ancient tomlas occur here. This was one of twenty-one villages given by King Godfrey to the Canons of the Holy Sepulchre.*
* The villages (Casales) given as fiefs to the Holy Sepulchre Cathedral by Godfrey were as below (see ' Cartulary of H. Sej).') :
|
Ainquine . |
'Ain Kanieh |
|||
|
Armotieh . |
Arnutieh |
|||
|
Kefreachab |
Kcfr 'Akab |
|||
|
Kcfredil . |
||||
|
Bubil |
||||
|
Hubim . |
Hub in |
|||
|
Aram |
or Ram |
|||
|
Kalandie . |
Kulundia |
|||
|
Bet Digge |
Beit Uukku |
|||
|
Mahomeria Major |
Bireh |
|||
|
Sabaiet , |
Soba |
|||
|
Uniet |
Beitunia |
|||
|
Zenum |
||||
|
Helmule . |
||||
|
Beithelamus |
Beit Lahm |
|||
|
Barithmeta |
||||
|
Beithumen |
Beit Anan |
|||
|
Beitfuteier |
||||
|
Beit Surie (Parva Mahomeria) |
Beit Surik |
|||
|
Aineseins (Valdecurs) |
. 'Ain Sinia |
To these were added by Baldwin I., in the same district, the Castle of .St. Lazarus in Bethany, afterwards exchanged for Tekoa and the villages of
Benehatie Benehabeth Ragabam Roma
which are nearer Nablus than the preceding.
Beni Harith
Rujib
Rumeh
Baldwin V. added other gifts, viz., the villages of
Bethel Odermamel Der Sabeb Corteis Deir Musin Huetdebes
all sold by Hugh of Ybclin to the Canons.
Beitin
Deir Shabib Deir Muheisin
2 — 2
12 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
15. Mukhmas (N s). — A small stone village on the slope of a ridge. The houses are poor and scattered. The water supply is from cisterns. It has a well to the east, and some scattered figs to the west. On the north are rock-cut tombs ; an ancient road leads past the place. There are foundations and remains of former buildings in the village ; on the south a steep slope leads clown to the great valley, W a d y Suweinit. This place is the ancient Michmash, which is placed by the ' Onomasticon ' (s. v. Machmas) 9 Roman miles from Jerusalem. The distance is 71 English or 8 Roman rniles in a line. (See Section B.)
16. Neby Samwil (Ms). — A small hamlet of mud hovels; is perched on the top of the ridge, amid the remains of the Crusading ruins. There is a spring to the north (A in el Belled).
This place is apparently first mentioned by Procopius as St. Samuel (De iEdific. Just, V. 9) ; in the Middle Ages it went by the same name, and was also identified with Shiloh (Benjamin of Tudela), and called Mount Joy (' Citez de Jherusalem '). The church was finished in 1157A.D. (see Du Vogue ' Eglises,' p. 339). The distance from Betenuble (B e i t Nuba, is given in 1187 ('Citez de Jherusalem') as 5 leagues, and 3 leagues from the north gate of Jerusalem. In later times the place was supposed to be Ramathaim Zophim (Ouaresmius, 1620 a.d.), but this latter site was shown as late as the fourteenth century at Ramleh (Marino Sanuto, 1 32 1 A.D.). Benjamin of Tudela speaks of the removal of the bones of Samuel from Ramleh to Neby Samwil at the time of the taking of the former place by the Crusaders. In the twelfth century the place was a fief of the Holy Sepulchre.
' The view from this place, which is usually identified with Mizpeh, is extensive. It includes Mount Gerizim and the promontory of Carmcl to the north ; Jaffa, Ramleh, and a wide stretch of the maritime plain to the west ; Jebel Furaydis (the so-called Frank mountain), the far distant mountains of Jebal, the town of Kcrak, Jebel Shihan (the highest
In the I.ydda district the Church possessed
Capharuth ..... Kefr Rflt
Gith ...... Jett
Porphilia ...... Berfilia
Kefrescilta ..... Kefr Shilta
Bermanaym ..... Bir M'ain
In the Nablus district they also held Kefr Malik and exchanged it for Megina (Umm Jlna) and Mezera (Mezr'ah). They had other towns in Thilistia, Galilee, I'hojnicia, etc., making sixty-four villages in all. — C.R.C.
[SHEET XVJI.] TOPOGRAPHY. 13
point in Moab), are seen to the south and south-east ; the continuation of the trans-Jordanic plateau, with slightly undulating outline, stretches to the east and north-east. This reputed tomb of Samuel has naturally formed an important trigonometrical station, and is one of the few points known to me whence Jaffa and Jerusalem are both visible.' — C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake, 'Quarterly Statement,' 1S72, p. 174.
17. E r Ram (iM s). — A small village in a conspicuous position on the top of a high white hill, with olives. It has a well to the south. This place is the ancient Ramah of Benjamin (Joshua xviii. 25), mentioned by Jerome {' Comm. in Hosea,' v. 8) as near Gabaa (J e b d), and 7 Roman miles from Jerusalem. The true distance is 5 English miles. It is marked on the map of INIarino Sanuto, and was a fief of the Holy Sepulchre Church. The houses are of stone, partly built from old materials, as described in Section B.
18. Ram -All ah (M g). — A large Christian village, of well-built stone houses, standing on a high ridge, with a view on the west extending to the sea. It stands amongst gardens and olive-yards, and has three springs to the south and one on the west ; on the north there are three more, within a mile from the village. On the east there is a well.
There are rock-cut tombs to the north-east with well-cut entrances, but completely blocked with rubbish. In the village is a Greek church, and on the east a Latin convent and a Protestant schoolhouse, all modern buildings. The village lands are IVakuf, or ecclesiastical property, belonging to the Haram of Jerusalem. About a quarter of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics, the rest Orthodox Greeks. This place is one of the possible sites for Ramathaim Zophim.
19. Ra-fat (J t). — A small hamlet on a ridge, with a spring to the west, and many rock-cut tombs. The name is radically connected with that of Irpeel of Benjamin (Joshua xviii. 27). (See Section B.)
20. Shafat (M t). — A small village, standing on a flat spur im- mediately west of the watershed, surrounded with olive-trees. It has wells to the north. There is a sacred chapel of Sultan Ibrahim in the village.
This place is suggested as the site of the ancient Mizpah of Benjamin (Joshua xviii. 26), 'over against Jerusalem' (i Mace. iii. 46), a place possibly identical with Nob. The modern name is derived from the Hebrew Jehoshaphat, but may perhaps be a corruption of the old
14 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
Mizpeh or Sapha. Jerusalem is visible from the neighbourhood of the
village. There are ancient tombs to the south, on the sides of the valley.
' This name contains the radicals of the Hebrew Jehoshaphat, and the natives of the place state it to have been named after a king of Jerusalem. A place of the name Jehoshaphat is noticed near Jerusalem by Marino Sanuto, and Fetellus in his account of the city describes the Church of St. Stephen as between Jerusalem and Jehoshaphat. This church was outside the Damascus gate, and it would seem that Fetellus means S h 'a f a t by Jehoshaphat. The name of this town was perhaps altered by the Crusaders, or slightly modified from the word S h 'a f (in the plural S h 'a f a t), meaning a " mountain top," or any high place, like the Hebrew Nob.' — C. R. C, 'Quarterly Statement,' 1S77, p. 141.
III. — Bexi 'Amir or Beni Humar,
A district under the Governor of Jaffa, who is again under the Muta- serriff of Jerusalem ; contains the following (see also Sheet XIV.) :
1. 'Am was (J s).— A mud village, of moderate size, built against the slope of the hill. On the south side of the village is a spring, 'A i n N i n i ; on the west a well, B i r e t T a a u n. There are ruins to the north, which show the place to have been forrnerly much larger. Rock- cut tombs exist to the south-east. This place is the famous Emmaus Nicopolis; and if the longer distance of 160 furlongs found in the Sinaitic MS. of Luke xxiv. 13 be accepted, it is probably the Emmaus of the Nev/ Testament. This is, however, doubtful, as mentioned later in the present Section under the head Emmaus. (See Section B.)
2. 'A n n a b e h (J s). — A village of moderate size, on high ground, surrounded with olives, with a well to the south. The houses are of mud. It is mentioned by Jerome (' Onomasticon,' s. v., Anob) as 4 Roman miles east of Lydda, and as called Betho Annaba. The distance fits almost exactly.
3. Beit NCiba (K s). — A good-sized village on flat ground, with a well to the north. It is mentioned under the name Beth Annabam (' Onomasticon,' s. v. Anob) as 8 Roman miles from Lydda. The true distance is about 9 English miles. Jerome (Epit. S. Paula-) makes it the site of Nob. Benjamin of Tudela (i 163 a.p.) makes the same statement. In Crusading times the place was commonly called Betenuble (William of Tyre, etc.).
[SBEET XVII.] TOPOGRAPHY. 15
4. B e r f i 1 y a (J s). — A small hamlet on rising ground, some 200 feet above the valley, with a few olives. In the twelfth century it was a fief of the Holy Sepulchre.
5. Bir Main (K s). — A small hamlet on high ground, with a well about half a mile south-cast. It was a fief of the Holy Sepulchre Church in the twelfth century.
6. El Burj (K s). — A small village on a hill-top, with open ground beneath on all sides. There are remains of a Crusading fortress (K u 1 a t e t T a n t u r a h), and the position is a strong one, near the main road to Lydda. It is possible that this is the site of the Castellum Arnoldi, near Nobe (Beit Nub a), ' in primis auspiciis campestrum,' built in 1 131 a.d. by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to protect the approach to that city (William of Tyre).
7. D e i r E y u b (K t). — A very small hamlet on the hill-side. There Is a fine spring-well (Bir E y u b) about half a mile south-west by the main road, lower down the hill. The water comes up In a circular masonry shaft.
8. Khurbetha Ibnes Seba (K s). — A small village on a ridge, with a well to the east.
9. Kubab (J s). — A small mud village on rising ground, by the main road. It Is surrounded with prickly-pear hedges and olives. The ground Is rocky. The water-supply is from the fine spring of 'A I n Yerdeh (Sheet XVI.). This spring is i-^ miles from the village, yet is the only source whence water Is obtained.
10. Latron (J s). — A few mud hovels among the ruins of a mediaeval fortress. This place Is mentioned by Foucher of Chartres (about 1 100 A.D.) under the name Castellum Emmaus, and appears to be the Toron de los Cabaleros of Benjamin of Tudela. The former authority speaks of Modin and GIbeon as being close to it. Ouaresmius (1620 a.d.) speaks of a church dedicated to the Maccabees Immediately north of Latron, which was then called Castellum boni Latronis. Marino Sanuto (132 1 A.D.) also mentions the tombs of the Maccabees apparently near Latron. In the earlier chronicles before the Crusades the place is not noticed. The position Is a strong one, commanding the road, with a
1 6 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
Steep slope on the west. The road descends again on the east. On the south, in the low ground, is a good spring-well surrounded with masonry (Bir el Helu). (See Section B.)
IV.— Beni Malik.
1. El 'A m m u r (L t). — A small hamlet on the slope above a deep valley. There is a fine perennial spring below on the south ('A i n M a h t u s h). There are olives beneath the village.
2. Beit 'A nan (L s). — A small village on the top of a flat ridge; near a main road to the west are remains of a Khan with water, and about a mile to the east is a spring. It was a fief of the Holy Sepulchre in the twelfth century.
3. Beit Dukku (L s). — A village of moderate size, standing high on a ridge, with a spring to the north-west and olives to the north. This was also a fief like the preceding.
4. Beit Izza (L s). — A village of moderate size on a hill with a spring at some distance to the west.
5. Beit L i k i a (K s). — A small village on a main road at the foot of the hills, supplied by cisterns. There are ancient foundations among the houses. The name suggests the identity with E 1 1 e k e h, a border town of Dan (Joshua xix. 44), and the position is suitable, as being near the boundary between that tribe and Benjamin.
6. Beit M ah sir (K t). — A village of moderate size, standing on a hill at the end of the higher spurs overlooking the lower hills on the west. It has olives to the north and a spring to the north-east.
7. Beit Nakuba (L t). — A small village on the slope, north of the main road and of the fine perennial spring of 'A i n D i 1 b c h.
8. Beit Sir a (K s). — A small village on a swell in the low hills. A main road passes through it. The water supply is artificial.
9. Beit Surik (L t). — A small stone village on a hill-top. To the east in a flat valley is a spring with lemon and other trees. The place appears to be ancient, having rock-cut tombs near the spring. It was a fief of the Holy Sepulchre in the twelfth century.
[SHEET XVTI.] TOPOGRAPHY. 17
10. Beit 'Ur el Foka (Ls). — A small village built of stone at the end of a spur on a knoll. The ground falls very steeply to the west. The water supply is artificial, and on the north and south are deep valleys. (See Section B.) The west view is very extensive, including the sea, the plains of Lydda and Ramleh, and part of the valley of Ajalon.
11. Beit 'Ur et Tahta (K s). — A village of moderate size on a low rido-e with wells to the west. In the middle of the villacre is the sacred place of Neby 'Or, with a palm tree in the courtyard: near it is a well in the street. (See Section B for antiquities.) This, with the last, represent the Upper and Lower Beth Horon (Joshua xviii. 13, 14). The distance from Jerusalem is given in the ' Onomasticon ' (s. v. Bethoron) as just {ferine) 12 Roman miles. Josephus makes Beth Horon 50 stadia from Gibeon (el Jib), and 100 stadia (12^ Roman miles) from Jerusalem (B. J. ii. 19, i). The distances are 5 English miles and 10 English miles byroad from the upper village to el Jib and Jerusalem. The two villages are i^ miles apart, with a descent of 700 feet to Beit 'Ur et Tahta. (See Section B.) The name occurs in the twelfth century as a fief of the Holy Sepulchre.
12. Biddu (L s). — A village on a rocky hill, with a well to the north east. It is of moderate size.
13. Katanneh (L t). — A small village in a deep, narrow, rocky valley, surrounded by fine groves of olives and vegetable gardens.
14. El Kubeibeh (L s). — A village of moderate size, standing on a flat ridge with a few olives to the west. It commands a fine view- to the north over the low hills. To the west is a monastery of Latin monks, established in 1862. In the grounds are remains of a Crusading Church. (See Section B.) This place has been the traditional site of the Emmaus of the New Testament from the sixteenth century.
15. Kfilonieh (L t). — A stone village of moderate size, perched on the slope of the hill 300 feet above the valley, in which is a good spring surrounded with orange, lemon, and other trees. By the road is a small restaurant, quite modern. This place is apparently mentioned in the Talmud (Tal. Bab. Succah, 45 a), being close to Motza {perhaps Khiirbet Beit Mizzeh). It is also the Culon of the Septuagint. (Joshua XV. 59, inserted verse.)
VOL. III. 3
i8 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
1 6. Kiiryet el 'Enab (L t). — A large well-built stone village on a flat hill, with low open ground to the north and east. The low ground is cultivated with vines and olives. The most conspicuous object is the fine ruined church of St. Jeremiah, below the village on the north. (See Section B.) A palm grows near it.
This place was supposed in the fourth century to be Kirjath Jearim. The ' Onomasticon ' places it 9 or 10 Roman miles from Jerusalem. The true distance is 7 English miles. A late tradition identifies it with Anathoth. The place is generally called either Abu Ghosh, from the native family of the name who lived there, or el K u r y e h, very rarely Kijryet el 'Enab. The second name suggests the identity of Kirjath of Benjamin (Joshua xviii. 28), and the place is in a suitable position, near Gibeah (J e b a), the next name on the list.
17. K II s t u 1 (L t). — A small stone village in a conspicuous position on a rocky hill-top. There are springs beneath the main-road to the east, about \ mile from the village.
18. Lifta (M t). — A village of moderate size, perched on the side of a steep hill, with a spring to the south, on which side are rock-cut tombs. The spring is large. This place is most probably Eleph of Benjamin (Joshua xviii. 28).
19. Saris (K t). — A stone village of moderate size on a hill above the main road. On the north beneath the village is a spring. There are olive groves on the slopes on this side. This is possibly the Sores of the Septuagint (Joshua xv.), (see Reland's ' Palestine,' p. 644), and possibly the Saris of Josephus (Ant. vi. 12, 4).
20. S 6 b a (L t). — A stone village of moderate size, in a very con- spicuous position on the top of a steep conical hill. It has a high central house. The knoll is surrounded with olive groves and vineyards. There arc rock-cut tombs both on the north and on the south. The hill stands up 700 or 800 feet above the valley on the north. There is a good spring in the valley on this side, and another ('A in S 6 b a) in the valley to the south-west. There are remains of a Crusading fortress, which was de- stroyed by Ibrahim Pasha. The place was at one time a fortress of the Abu Ghosh family. S u b a was considered at one time to be Modin. Brocardus (1283 a.d.) makes Modin 6 leagues east of Beth Shcmesh
[SHEET XVII.] TOPOGRAPHY. 19
('Ain Shems). The village or the district appears to have been called Belmont in the twelfth century ; and Soba was apparendy a fief of the Holy Sepulchre (see Theodoricus 11 72, a.d., and the Cartulary of the Holy Sepulchre). (See Section B.)
21. T ireh (L s). — A small hamlet on a ridge, with a large sacred tree to the north-east (Sheikh Hasan), and a spring ('Ain Jufna) in the valley to the south-west.
22. Yalo (K s). — A small village on the slope of a low spur, with an open valley or small plain to the north. There is a spring to the east, where a branch valley runs down north, and on the east side of this valley are caves. The village stands 250 feet above the northern basin. Yalo is the ancient Aijalon of Dan (Joshua xix. 42).
The open basin to the north — part of a valley which comes down from Beth Horon — is the valley of Aijalon (Joshua x. 12). In the 'Onomasticon' the place is mentioned as 2 Roman miles from Nicopolis ('Am was), on the way to Jerusalem. The true distance is 3^ English miles, but Jerome is speaking only from report. The identity of the place with Aijalon was not then recognised, though known to the Jews. (See Aijalon, Sheet XIV., Section A.)
V. — Beni Hasan.
I. 'Ain Karim (L t). — A flourishing village of about 600 in- habitants, 100 being Latin Christians. It stands on a sort of natural terrace projecting from the higher hills on the east of it, with a broad ilat valley below on the west. On the south below the village is a fine spring ('Ain S i 1 1 i M i r i a m), with a vaulted place for prayer over it. The water issues from a spout into a trough.
To the east of the village is the Franciscan Church of the Magnificat, in a convent. It has a domed roof, which is a conspicuous object, and the church has a grotto beneath, where St. John the Baptist is supposed to have been born. There is also on the west of the village an establishment of the Sisters of Sion, with cypress trees in the garden. To the south- west, opposite the village, and separated by a ravine, is the chapel, built in 1862 on older ruins, supposed to mark the site of the country-house of Zacharias, and the scene of the Visitation. (See Section B.)
20 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
The Church of St. John or of the Magnificat is mentioned in 1 1 13 A.D. ; it was rebuilt in 1621. The Franciscans have established a school for boys, and the Sisters of Sion a school and orphanage for girls. The place has a flourishing appearance. A new Russian hospice was being built in 1882, just west of the country house of Zacharias, above mentioned.
'Ain Karim is the ancient Karem (Septuagint, Joshua xv. 59), and possibly the Biblical Beth Car (i Samuel vii. 11). It seems probable that 'Ain Karim is also the true site of Beth-haccerem (' house of the vine- yard'), Neh. iii. 14, Jer. vi. i, although Jerome, in commenting on the latter passages, places the site near Tekoa. It is frequently mentioned in the mediaeval chronicles as the birth-place of St. John. John of Witzburg makes it 4 miles south of Jerusalem, and Fetellus 5 miles, these being the earliest notices.
2. Beit Jala (M u). — A large and flourishing village of white well-built stone houses, on the slope of a steep hill. The water supply is artificial, with a well in the valley below. The population is said by Pere Lievin to amount to 3,000, of whom 420 are Catholics, and the rest Orthodox Greeks. There is a Greek and a Latin church in the villaoe.
o
There are remarkably fine groves of olives round and beneath the village, and the hill above is covered with vineyards which belong to the place. Beit Jala is the Galemor Gallim of the Septuagint (Joshua xv. 59, possibly also in i Samuel xxv. 44, Isaiah x. 30).
3. Beit S li f a f a (M u). — A small village in flat open ground, with a well to the north.
4. B i 1 1 i r (L u). — A village of moderate size on the precipitous slope of a deep valley, which bends sharply, the hill on which the place stands projecting at the bend of the valley. The houses stand upon rock terraces, and there is a rocky scarp below ; thus from the north the place is very strong, whilst on the south a narrow neck between two ravine heads connects the hill with the main ridge. The valleys east and west are steep and deep. The spring above the village is large and good ; the water is conducted down from it west of the houses in a cement-lined channel, and runs into a large reservoir, the aqueduct ending suddenly at a broken arch, of modern masonry and pointed form, the pier being over
[SHEET XVII.] TOPOGRAPHY. 21
the east wall of the reservoir, so that the water pours down from it in a cascade. From the reservoir the water finds its way to neat vegetable gardens in the valley beneath ; these occupy all the space under the rocky scarps at the junction of the main northern valley with the steep ravine (west of the village) in which the reservoir is built. Near the spring are caves and niches, with an effaced Greek inscription.
The village is badly built of stone, and contains two Mukams. There are rock-cut tombs about a mile to the east.
This place is probably the famous Bether of the Talmud where Bar Cocheba was slain, and the Bether (or Thether) of the Septuagint (Joshua XV. 59). (See Reland's ' Palestine,' p. 639.)
5. Deir Yes in (M t). — A small stone village on a flat ridge, commanding a fine view to the west over the deep valley. Its houses are badly built of stone, and there is a well to the north, and two springs on the north and south -^ and f mile respectively from the village. The ground is bare, and very rocky in the neighbourhood of the village. This place was a fief of the Holy Sepulchre Church in the twelfth century.
6. E 1 J u r a h (L t). — A small hamlet on the slope of the ridge, with olives below it, and a spring in the valley, about f mile to the north.
7. Khiirbet el Loz (L t). — A village of moderate size on the slope of a high ridge near the summit. It has a sort of terrace below it, and stands some 800 feet above the southern valley. There are rock-cut tombs at the place.
8. M a 1 h a h (L t). — A stone village of moderate size, standing high on a flat ridge. The water supply is from the fine spring of 'A i n Y a 1 o, to the south, in the valley. The immediate neighbourhood of the village is bare, but there are vineyards to the east, and on the south olives and roses are cultivated.
Malhah is the Manocho of the Septuagint (Joshuaxv. 59, inserted verse), and probably the Biblical Manahath, which was in IdumaL'a, according to the Chaldee Targum (i Chron. viii. 6). There are rock-cut tombs east of the village, which indicate its antiquity. (See Section B.)
22 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
9. S e t a f (L t). — A village of moderate size, of stone houses, perched on the steep side of a valley. It has a spring lower down, on the north.
10. Sherafat (M u). — A village of moderate size, on a low hill. The houses are of stone. The water-supply is from 'A i n Y a 1 o, 300 feet beneath, in the valley to the west.
11. El Welejeh (L u). — A good-sized village on the slope of the hill, in a sort of recess formed by a steep ravine running down immedi- ately north of the houses. There are vegetable-gardens in this ravine below the village, and vineyards and olives in the neighbourhood, which has a good water-supply, five groups of sjDrings occurring round the village. It is known to the Latins as St. Philip's, in connection with the tradition that the neighbouring 'A i n H a n n i y e h is the fountain where St. Philip baptised the Eunuch (see Bethzur, Sheet XXL), a tradition apparently not older than the fourteenth century.
VI.— El 'Arkub.
1. 'A k u r (K t). — A small village on a ledge of the ridge, surrounded by very rugged ground. There is a good spring on the north-east, about a mile from the village, on the same ridge.
2. 'Artuf (J t). — A small village on a low hill, with an open valley to the west. There is a pool (H u f i r e t 'Art u f) in the valley, whence the village obtains its water. Olive trees occur round the place.
3. Beit 'A tab (K t). — A small village, standing on a remarkable knoll of rock which rises some 60 to 100 feet above the surrounding hilly ridge. The knoll is extremely bare and rugged. There are cisterns among the houses, but the main water-supply is from ' A i n H a u d, near which, north-east of the village, the Survey camp was fixed. There are here a few olives on a terrace above a deep valley which runs north of the village. A little further west is another small spring ('A in el Khanzireh), by which is a rock-cut tomb. A third small spring ('A in Beit 'A t a b) exists south-east of the village, coming out of a rock. A remarkable cavern (Miigharet Bir el Has Utah) runs beneath the houses. (See Section B.) The place is built of stone, witli a central high house, and one or two others of two stories. It was at one time the scat of a native family called Beit L c h h a m.
{SHEET AT//] TOPOGRAPHY. 23
The position of the place, and the existence of a cave or ' cleft,' suggest the identity of Beit 'A tab with the 'Rock Etam ' (Judges xv.). In the twelfth century Beit 'Atab was a fief of the Holy Sepulchre.
In preparing the nomenclature of this Sheet, I was led to search for the meaning of the name Bir el Has Utah, which is given to this curious cave at Beit 'Atab. It has not, as far as I can find, any meaning in Arabic, but it corresponds with the Hebrew word, rninn, Hasutah, which is translated ' a place of refuge.' Thus the name seems to indicate that this place has been used from a very early time as a lurking or hiding place, as we gather it to have been in the time of Samson.
Beit 'Atab is a modern village, though there are traces of antiquity about it, including a rock-cut tomb. It seems probable that in the time of Samson no town existed here, as it would in such a case most probably have been mentioned with the fourteen Shephelah towns in its neighbour- hood. Etam has been confounded with the Etam of Solomon, which was situate farther east, probably near the so-called pools of Solomon. This name has been recovered in the modern 'A i n 'A t a n, to the east of the pools.
Beit 'Atab stands, as has been previously explained, on a rocky knoll, answerino: well to the meanino; of the Hebrew word translated ' rock,' quite bare of trees and consisting almost entirely of hard, barren lime- stone. This peculiar summit stands up from a plateau on the cast, where is a good olive grove and a spring, by which we encamped. On the west the ground falls rapidly, and thus, though not really at a great elevation as compared with the surrounding hills, Beit 'Atab is very conspicuous on all sides.
The cavern is in all some 250 feet long, running in a south-south-west direction. Its average height is about 5 to 8 feet, and its width about 18 feet. The west end of the tunnel is supposed to be about the centre of the modern village, but is now closed, as is another entrance about half- way along. The east end leads to a vertical shaft 6 feet by 5 feet and 10 feet deep, in the sides of which are niches, as if for lamps. It is from this shaft that the cavern has been called B i r, or ' well' The shaft is about sixty yards from the spring which supplies the village with water, and which is called 'A i n H a u d. The whole cave is rudely hewn in the rock. (See Section B.)
24 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
The site so chosen is close to Zorah and Eshtaol, and on the border of the mountain country of Judah. The site of Ramoth Lehi is to be sought in the same district.
4. Beit el Jemal (J u). — A small village on a low flat ridge. There is a spring three quarters of a mile to the east. To the south are caves, in one of which is a mill owned by a Christian, and lately established. Cn revisiting the place, in 1S81, a Latin convent was found in process of construction.
This place is perhaps the ancient Caphar Gamala, 20 miles from Jerusalem, where, according to the early Christian tradition, St. Stephen was buried. (See Reland's 'Palestine,' p. 688.) The place is about 16 English miles from Jerusalem. About half a mile south of it is a Mukam, named after St. Paul, which may be connected with this tradition.
5. Beit Nettif{J u). — A village of fair size, standing high on a flat-topped ridge between two broad valleys. On the south, about 400 feet below, is a spring ('A in el K e z b e h), and on the north a rock-cut tomb was found. There are fine olive-groves round the place, and the open valleys are very fertile in corn.
The ' valley' of Beth Netopha (Mishnah Sheviith ix. 5), famous for its oil, may probably have been the open ground (as expressed by the Hebrew word nppD, translated 'valley,' but more properly 'plain') beneath the village, which is still famous for its olive-groves. Possibly also this place may be the Biblical Netophah (Ezra ii. 22, Nehemiah vii. 26), but see below under that head.
6. Deir 'A ban (K u). — A large village on the lower slope ot a high ridge, with a well to the north, and olives on the east, west, and north. This place no doubt represents the fourth century site of Ebenezer (i Samuel iv. i), which is mentioned in the ' Onomasticon' (s. v. Ebenezer) as near Beth Shemesh. The village is 2 miles east of 'A i n She m s.
7. Deir el H a w a (K t). — A village standing high, on a knoll rising from a high ridge, with a deep valley to the north. It has several high houses in it. On the west is a good spring. The ground is covered with brushwood all round the place.
8. Deir csh Sheikh (K t). — A small village on the slope of a rugged valley, with a spring to the west. It was found deserted in 1881.
{SHEET XF//.] TOPOGRAPHY. 25
On the east is a small mosque, with a large dome, and a second smaller, it is named after Sultan Bedr ; a large palm grows in the courtyard. On the south-west of the villao-e is a rock-cut tomb and a rock-hewn well.
g. 'Ellar (K t). — A small village on the slope of a ridge, with a well to the south. On the north are rock-cut tombs.
10. Eshua (J t). — A small village near the foot of the hill, with a well to the west, and olives beneath. The proximity to S li r a h or Zorah suggests its identity with Eshtaol (Joshua xv. ^i'^. In the ' Onomasticon,' Esthaul of Dan is placed 10 Roman miles north of Eleutheropolis. The place is 3 English miles north of Beit Jibrin (or Eleutheropolis), but the distance given by Eusebius is only approximate. (Compare Siarih, below.)
11. Hausan (L u). — A small stone village on a flat ridge, with a steep valley to the north ; on the south is a well. There is a large and conspicuous oak south-west of the village.
12. Jeba (K u). — A small village standing upon a high, narrow ridge, with a steep valley to the north. The houses are of stone. To the east are caves in the face of the rock.
This place is possibly Gibeah of Judah (Joshua xv. 57), mentioned with Timnah, which is perhaps the ruin of Tibna, 2 miles north-west. In the ' Onomasticon,' Gabatha is mentioned 12 Roman miles from Eleuthero- polis, and containing the tomb of Habakkuk. The village is about 12 English miles from Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin). A ruin called H a b e i k exists near it on the west.
13. J erash (K u). — A small village on a spur, with olives below.
14. El Kabu (L u). — A village of moderate size, on a high hill. The houses are of stone. There are two springs in the valley to the west, and a ruined church on the hill-side, south-west of the place.
15. K e f r S 6 m (L u). — A small stone village on a hill ; to the east in a small valley is a good spring, with a rock-cut tomb beside it.
16. Kesla (K t). — A small stone village in a conspicuous position on the top of a rugged ridge, with a deep valley to the north. There is a spring to the east, and two more in a valley to the south. This is the
VOL. III. 4
2 6 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
site of Chesalon, on the boundary of Judah (Joshua xv. lo). The thickets which cover the ridge fully correspond with the old title of Jearim.
17. El K h li d r (L u). — A village of moderate size on a hill-saddle, with open ground to the north and a steep ridge to the south. Rock-cut tombs exist to the north ; vineyards and olives surround the place. The ground in the neighbourhood is very rocky. The inhabitants are Moslems and Greek Orthodox Christians. There is a Greek church and convent in the village. This place is mentioned by the name of St. George in 1422 by John Poloner as on a hill near Bethlehem. The tradition that St. George was here imprisoned is not, however, found earlier than the fifteenth century.
18. Nehhalin (L u). — A village of moderate size, on a kind of natural terrace on the side of a ridge, with a great valley to the north. To the east is a Mukam, with two large oak-trees, sacred to Haj 'Aleiyan. (See Section C.) To the north is a spring in the valley ; there is also a second spring to the south.
19. Ras (Abu 'A m m a r) (L u). — A large stone village on a spur, with a fine spring in the valley to the north-west. The hill has only a little scrub on it, but the valley, which is open and rather ilat, has olives in it.
20. Es Sifleh (K u). — A small village on a narrow ridge, which falls rapidly from Beit 'A t a b. On the south-east is a fine spring ('A in Sitti Hasna) coming out of a cleft in the rocks.
21. Surah (J t). — A village of moderate size on a low hill. The hill is bare and white, but there are olives lower down the slopes to the north and east. On the north in a tributary valley is a well. On the south side of the village is a small Mukam, with a dome, standing in a conspicuous position above the broad Hat valley (W a d y e s S u r a r). It is dedicated to Neby Sam at. There are rock-cut tombs to the north-east and south of the village. The village obtains its water supply from a spring called 'Ain el Mardum, half a mile to the south, at the foot of the hill. Surah is the ancient Zorah (Joshua xv. ^i), the home of Samson. Traditions connect Neby Samat with Samson (see Section C), and the tomb seems to be that shown to Isaac Chelo as Samson's in 1334 A.D. Zorah is placed by the ' Onomasticon' (s.v. Saara) about
[SHEET XVII.] TOPOGRAPHY. 27
10 Roman miles north of Eleutheropolis. Surah is about 12 EngHsh miles from Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis).
22. Urtas (M u). — A small village perched against a hill-side. It is badly built of stone, with a good spring beneath it, whence an aqueduct formerly led to J e b e 1 F u r e i d i s. (Sheet XXI.) There are gardens of oranges and other trees in the valley below to the south, where are remains of a reservoir (H li m m a m Suleiman). There are vineyards to the north on the hill, and on the west is a rock-cut tomb.
23. Wad Fukin (L u). — A small stone village on the side of a hill, with a good spring in the valley below on the south-west. There are gardens of oranges and lemons near the spring. To the west of the village there are rock-cut tombs. To the east is a second spring, 'A i n el K e n i s e h.
24. Zakariya (J u). — A small village with a palm-tree growing in it, standing on the slope above the flat broad valley (Wady es S u n t), south of it. A large ancient masonry spring well exists at the foot of the hill ; to the east of this is a fine oak tree. The place is surrounded with extensive olive groves, and the ground is fertile in the valley. This place appears to be the Caphar Zachariah, mentioned by Sozomen (Hist. ix. 17), where the body of the father of St. John the Baptist was said to have been found. The place is stated to have been in the district of Eleutheropolis. There is a Mukam in the present village sacred to Neby Zakariya.
VII. — El Keradiyeh.
r. Abu Dis (N t). — A village of moderate size in a conspicuous position on a bare flat ridge, with deep valleys round it. The water- supply is from cisterns. Rock-cut tombs exist to the west.
2. El 'Aisawiyeh (M t). — A small village on the eastern slope of the chain of Olivet, with a spring to the south and a few olives round it.
3. El 'Aziriyeh (N t). — The modern name of Bethany, a village on the side of a hill, with a ravine running down on the east side of it. The houses are ill-built of stone. The village is dominated by the
4—2
28 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
remains of a Crusading building with a square tower. This appears to have been part of the convent here, founded by Queen MeHsende in 1 138 A.D. (See Du Vogtie, ' Eglises de Terre Sainte,' p. 337.) The building is now called the Castle of Lazarus, and is so called by Maun- drell, 1697 A.D. At a place now shown as the house of Lazarus remains of a building with Gothic fraraients exist north of the tower. The tomb of Lazarus has been shown in Bethany since the fourth century, when a church stood over it. It is now shown north-east of the castle, in a vault of rock and masonry, reached by 26 steps. The chamber has a small antechamber in front of it. The antechamber is about 1 5 paces square, with three very small apses on the east. The chamber is 10 feet square with a tunnel vault, and is two steps below the antechamber and north of it. Evidently the present site is that of a small subterranean chapel of early date. This vault is sacred to Christians and Moslems alike. A mosque with a white dome is built over it. Mass is sometimes celebrated in it. East of Bethany there are rock-cut tombs by the main road, now blocked. The ground is rocky, but carefully terraced all round the village, and cultivated with figs, olives, and other trees. There is a second small mosque, dedicated to Sheikh Ahmed, just south of the village by the main road. (See Lieutenant Kitchener's Photograph, No. 10.)
4. Beit Lahm — BETHLEHEM (M u).— A well-built stone town, standing on a narrow ridge, which runs east and west. The western part is highest, and a sort of saddle joins this swell to a second on the east. The valleys on the north and south are deep, the sides carefully terraced, vines, and olives, figs, and other trees are grown along the slopes. The soil is a very white chalk, and the houses also, when new, are very white. Towards the east is the open market-place, and beyond this the convent, in which is the fourth century Church of St. Mary, including the Grotto of the Nativity beneath the main apse. The open square, with pillar bases, is all that remains of the Atrium, which originally stood before the narthex of the basilica.
Bethlehem has no natural water supply. North-west of the town are three ancient and extensive cisterns on a flat rock-terrace which are called B i r D i {l d, traditionally the well by the gate of Bethlehem (2 Samuel xxiii. 14-16). There is still water here at times. About 5 mile east of the convent there is also a small spring, but the main supply is from a
[SHEET XVIL] TOPOGRAPHY. 29
well-mouth over the tunnel of the Jerusalem aqueduct on the south side of the hill. There are also cisterns in the town, and a large well in the monastery. The population is about 5,000 souls, which are thus enumerated by two authorities.
|
Prof. Socin. |
PfiRE LlEVIN |
|
|
Latins |
) |
2,500 |
|
Greeks |
> 4.650 |
1,700 |
|
Armenians |
) |
700 |
|
Protestants |
50 |
15 |
|
Moslems . |
300 |
85 |
|
5,000 |
5,000 |
There are 15 Franciscan monks in the monastery. The Armenian and Greek monasteries are joined to the Latin, so that the three form one large building. The Franciscans have a boys' school and the Sisters of St. Joseph a girls' school. There is also a German Protestant school in the town. The number of new houses and institutions is constantly increasing.
The inhabitants are rich and industrious. They have numerous flocks and herds, and the wine of the extensive vineyards is considered some of the best in the country. The principal industry is the manufacture of fancy articles of mother-of-pearl, and of the black ' stink stone ' from Neby Musa.
5. Beit Sahiir (M u). — This village is a sort of suburb of Beth- lehem, situate on the same ridge, with a broad plateau east of it known as the Shepherd's Plain, in which stands the small Greek Church of the Grotto of the Shepherds (K e n i s e t e r R i w a t), a subterranean chapel reached by 20 steps, containing pictures and mosaic. Above the vault are ruins with a Latin altar. (See Section B.) Beit Sahur contains a well-built modern house belonging to the Latin cure, and is surrounded with olives and vines.
6. Beit T'amir (M u). — A small village on a hill with wells and a few olives. The name is that of an Arab tribe which was originally
30 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
settled in the place. The village contains a small mosque named after the Khalif Omar.
7. S ilwan (M t). — A village perched on a precipice and badly built
of stone. The water is brought from 'A i n Umm ed Deraj. There
are numerous caves among and behind the houses, which are used as
stables by the inhabitants.
' The constant communications which I have with the Silwan people have brought to my knowledge a curious fact. Among the inhabitants of the village there are a hundred or so, domiciled for the most part in the lower quarter, and forming a group apart from the rest, called Dhihbiye, i.e., men of Dhiban. It appears that at some remote period a colony from the capital of King Mesha crossed the Jordan, and fixed itself at the gates of Jerusalem at Silwan. The memory of this migration is still preserved, and I am assured by the people themselves that many of their number are installed in other villages round Jerusalem.' — C. Clermont Ganneau, ' Quarterly Statement,' 1S74, p. 141.
8. S 1^1 r Bahir (M u). — A stone village of moderate size, on a bare hill. On the north is a well in the valley, and there are rock-cut tombs above it to the west. The name is sometimes pronounced S u r B a h 1 1.
9. E t Tor (M t). — A small straggling village on the top of Olivet. The houses are built of stone, but low and mean. The church of the Ascen- sion, now a mosque, stands towards the west at the brow of the hill.
In addition to the above-mentioned places various ruins have been identified as below.
Biblical Sites.
Adasa. — Thirty stadia from Beth Horon (Ant. xli. 10, 5), men- tioned in the ' Onomastlcon' as near Gufna (Jufna), appears to be the present ruin of 'Ad as eh, 6.^ English miles from the UjDioer Beth Horon on the road to Jerusalem.
A i. — East of Bethel (Joshua xii. 9), by Bethaven (Joshua vii. 2), also called Hal (Gen. xii. S), and by Josephus AIna. It had a valley on the north and another on the west, with a plain on the east. This descrip- tion points to the neighbourhood of the modern Deir Diwan, and immediately south of this village is a ruin called H a i y a n. (See Section B.) The names H ai and Haiyeh further south resemble that
[SHEET XVIL] BIBLICAL SITES. 31
of Hai, but these ruins do not so well fit the description of the peculiar position of Ai.
On the site of Ai a great deal lias been written. The following was written in 1S69 by Captain Wilson, R.E. :
'In the spring of 1S66 several days were spent by Lieutenant Anderson and myself in examining the mountain district east of Beitin (Bethel), with the view of fixing, if possible, the site of Ai, and the position of the mountain on which Abraham pitched his tent and built his second altar to Jehovah after entering the Promised Land. The examination consisted in personally visiting every hill-top and almost every acre of ground for several miles, east, north, and south of Bethel, and the result was most satisfactory, for we were able with great certainty to identify Ai with et Tell, and the mountain of the altar with a prominent hill between et Tell and Beitin. Several previous travellers appear to have identified Ai with the quasi-isolated hill of et Tell, but their descriptions of it are vague and unsatisfactory, its position is , constantly changing on their maps, and it appears as Tell el Hajar, " the Heap of Stones," Tell er Rijmeh, " the Heap of Ruins," names which were probably given by the Arabs in answer to the question, " What Tell ?" when the traveller was not satisfied with the first simple answer that he received — that it was et Tell, " the Heap." After close questioning we could never obtain any other name than that of et Tell, and it was with great pleasure that, after our return to England, I learnt from the Rev. G. Williams that in the original text of Joshua viii. 28, Joshua is said to have " burnt Ai and made it a Tell for ever," and that the word " Tell " only occurs in four other passages of the Bible, among which are Deut. xiii. 16, and Joshua xi. 13. Mr. Williams's identification of Ai with et Tell, which I was not aware of at the time, was described by him in a paper read before the Church Congress at Dublin in 1868.
'The topography of Ai is as minutely described as that of any other place in the Bible ; it lay to the east of Bethel, it had a valley on the north, and another on the west, in which the five thousand men were placed in ambush ; it also had a plain in front of, or on the east side of it, over which the Israelites were pursued by the men of Ai. (See Joshua vii. 2, and viii. 11 — 14.) These features are all found in connection with et Tell, and with no other place in the neighbourhood of Bethel. The ground, which at first breaks down rapidly from the great ridge that forms the backbone of Palestine, swells out into a small plain -J of a mile broad before commencing its abrupt descent to the Jordan valley, and at the head or western end of this plain, on a projecting spur which has almost the appearance of an isolated hill, are the ruins known as et Tell. A short distance west of the mound, and entirely con- cealed from it by rising ground, is a small ravine well suited for an ambush, one of the branches of the main valley which runs close to et Tell and protects its northern face, the same into which the army of the Israelites descended the night before the capture of the city. On the hills to the north beyond the valley, Joshua encamped before making his final arrangements for the attack (viii. ir, 12), and it seems probable that he took his stand at some point on the same hill-side whilst the battle was raging, for there is a most com- manding view over the whole scene, not only up the lateral valley in which the ambush was placed, but also down the way of the wilderness. He would thus be able at the same time to control the feigned flight of the IsraeUtes, and signal the ambush to rise up quickly and seize the city. The site of Ai is now covered from head to foot with heaps of stones and ruins ; there are a large number of rock-hewn cisterns and the remains of ancient terraces.
32 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
some of which are cultivated by the fellahin of the neighbouring villages. On the top of the hill is a small circular space with a few olive trees, which are blown on one side by the westerly gales like the well-known "Judas tree" at Jerusalem, and form a prominent object in the landscape for miles round, as the towers of Ai may have done before Joshua made them a Tell for ever. It may be mentioned here that there is no practicable road up the beds of the Wadies from Jericho to Bethel. The present track crosses the plain mentioned above as lying below et Tell ; and the old road, the ascent by which Elisha " went up " to Bethel, must have followed the same course. Ai lying thus between the ravine on the north and the gorge on which Michmash stands (the "passage" of Isaiah x. 29) on the south, would lie directly in the way of an army advancing from the Jordan valley to the interior of Palestine.' — 'Quarterly Statement,' 1869, p. 123.
Of the same site Lieutenant Conder wrote the following description :
' Near to Deir Diwan is the extremely interesting site of et Tell, which has been identified by Major Wilson with Ai. My first inquiries, put in every variety of form to various inhabi- tants on and around the spot, were directed to determining whether the name was simply et Tell, or whether some descriptive adjunct, such as Tell el Hajar, was added. The replies of more than a dozen separate witnesses fully corroborated Major Wilson's former conclusion that the name is et Tell, " the Heap," which is used in that passage of the Bible (and in only three others) where Joshua is said to have made Ai " a heap for ever."
' The present condition of the site is interesting ; conspicuous from a distance, the long mound, dipping in the same direction with the strata towards the east, stands out in contrast of grey stone from the rich brown soil of the fields. A few ancient olive trees stand on its summit, surrounded by huge mounds of broken stone and shingle 10 feet high. On the east a steep slope of 15 or 20 feet is covered with the same debris in that part where the fort of the town would seem to exist. The town must literally have been pounded small, and the fury of its destruction is still evidenced by its completeness. The interest which will, to my mind, attach to other sites, where the similar appearance of broken masonry is observable, will be very great a.% possible marks of Jewish invasion ; these, though not numerous, are very remarkable, and they have been noted in each case on the Survey.
' The north side of the town is protected by the deep valley (Wady el 'Asas) which runs straight down to the Jordan valley. On the west, however, there is a curious conformation. A steep knoll of rocky masses, called Burjmus, rises to a narrow summit, and is divided from ct Tell by the head of a valley down which the ancient road from Bethel passes. The result is that on this side the view is entirely cut off. Another feature noticeable is that the valleys here run nearly due south for many miles, to meet Wady Suweinit. The deduction from these facts is evident. The party for the ambush, following the ancient causeway from Bethel to Jordan (which we have recovered throughout its entire length) as far as Michmash, would then easily ascend the great Wady west of Ai, and arrive within about a quarter of a mile of the city, without having ever come in sight of it. Here, hidden by the knoll of Burjmus and the high ground near it, a force of almost any magnitude might lie in wait unsuspected. The main body, in the meanwhile, without diverging from the road, would ascend up the gently sloping valley and appear before the town on the open battle-field which stretches away to its cast and south. From the knoll the figure of Joshua would be plainly visible to either l)arty, with his spear stretched against the sky. It is interesting to remark that the name Wady el Medineh, a name we have never met before, " Valley of the City," is appHed to this great valley, forming the natural approach to Ai. There arc no other ruins of sufficient
[SHEET X I'll] BIBLICAL SITES. 33
magnitude to which such a name could be appHed, and the natural conclusion is that et Tell was the city so commemorated. In the Wady, about A a mile from the town, are ancient rock-cut tombs, seemingly as old as any I have yet seen, and extensive quarries. Farther up, three great rock-cut reservoirs, 36, 15, and 46 paces long respectively, and, I am informed, of great depth (they were then full of water), are grouped together. They are known as el Jahran. Numerous other cisterns exist near the ruins, and mill-stones of unusual size.
' The view from this point eastwards was extremely striking. The rocky desert of the Judaean hills, grey-furrowed ledges of hard and water-roughened limestone, with red patches of the rich but stone-cumbered soil, stretched away to the white chalky peaks of the low hills near Jericho. The plain beyond, green with grass, stretched to the brown feet of the trans-Jordanic chain. Heavy cloud-wreaths hung over these, but their slopes gleamed yellow and pink in that wonderful beauty with which they are ever clothed by the sinking sun. The calm water of the " salt sea," with a light mist brooding above, added to the charm of the view. Well might Lot, who from nearly this very spot looked down on this green valley, contrast it favourably with the steep passes and stormy hills which he relinquished to Abraham. Half the breadth of sea and plain was visible ; the western half is hidden by the hills. The cities of the plain, placed, as we conclude, at a distance from the "mountain" to which Lot could not fly, and in the vale of .Siddim, "which is the salt sea" (Genesis xiv. 3), were therefore in all probability visible in gleaming contrast with their green palm groves, now, alas! extinct, but still standing in the times of Arculphus (a.d. 700), thus resembling Damascus in its oasis of trees.' — 'Quarterly Statement,' 1S74, pp, 62 — 64.
In 1877 Lieutenant Kitchener suggested a newly-found site, the Khiirbet Haiy, for Ai. On this subject the following communication was received from the Rev. W. F. Birch :
' Lieutenant Kitchener's suggested identification of Aiwith Khiirbet Haiy, i mile east of Miikhmas, has much to recommend it.
' I. Ai was on the east of Bethel (Joshua vii. 2) and of Abraham's tent (Genesis xli. 8). As the Orientals call every wind an east wind which blows from any point between east and north and east and south (Jahn, "Antiq.," p. 17), "this extensive meaning of east favours equally any position for Ai in any degree east of Bethel.
' 2. "The Israelites pitched on the north side of Ai ; now there was a valley (Hebr. gai) between them and Ai. . . . (13) Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley (Hebr. ^W(?,(') " (Joshua \;iii. 11-13).
'With Ai placed at et Tell or Khiirbet Haiydn, Lieutenant Kitchener well observes on the peculiarity of a force after approaching the city from the east crossing an almost impracti- cable valley, to be recrossed the next day. The valley north of et Tell might suitably be described as the gai, but we have also to find another wider valley answering to emek ; for the two different words cannot here well mean exactly the same valley. The ^^ plain to the north of Khiirbet Haiy " would, however, just suit the expression emek ; and possibly the gai may be a ravine interposed between the liers-in-wait and Ai, unless the gai was the bed of a water-course in the emek (see i Samuel xvii. 2, 3, 40).
' 3. As all the men of Bethel assisted Ai, it is strange that the former city was not taken at the same time, for the Israelites would be close to it, if Ai = et Tell or Khiirbet Haiyan. That the two cities were not taken together seems clear from Joshua xii. 9, 16.
' 4. But putting Ai at Khurbet Haiy, where it commanded the road into the interior, its capture becomes essential to further progress.
VOL. Ill, 5
34 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALES TIiXE.
'5. From the order of the names, Michmash, Ai, Bethel, in Neh. xi. 31, it is natural to look for Ai between the other two, but in Neh. vii. 31, 32 they are classed differently. "The men of Michmash, 122. The men of Bethel and Ai, 123." Clearly there is no geo- graphical order here. Probably, however, the places are grouped in Neh. vii. according to other considerations. In verse 29 the three Gibeonite cities, Kirjathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth are joined together; Gibeon (25th verse) being, as it seems likely, not the town of that name in Benjamin, but some Gibeah in Judea. So likewise the political connection first seen existing between Bethel and Ai (in Joshua viii.) may have led to these two places being always named together (Joshua xviii. 22, 23 ; and Neh. vii., xii. above). In Esdras v. 21, the two places are curiously \Yelded into one — viz., B^iro/./w, though Michmash was afterwards built between them, a possible origin of the apocryphal (BsruXoua) Bethulia.
' 6. If Sennacherib invaded Juda;a from the east, as did Joshua, then he would naturally come to Ai (Khiirbet Haiy), and we escape the difficulty of having to account for his diverging from the central north road, so as to get to et Tell or Khiirbet Haiyan.
' 7. The theory that all the places in Isaiah x. 28 — 32 (except Jerusalem) are visible from Jeb'a is unaffected by Khiirbet Haiy being Ai. I may rather say it receives a finishing touch from the identification. Lieutenant Kitchener ascertained, on the revision of the Survey, that not only et Tell was visible from Jeb'a, but also Khurbet Haiy. Taking Migron {i.e., the precipice) in Isaiah x. 28 to be the hill forming the north cliff" of the passage to Michmash, the proper order of the names with Ai at et Tell or Khurbet Haiyan ought to be Aiath, Michmash, Migron ; but with Ai at Khurbet Haiy the order as seen by a spectator from Jeb'a would be exactly as in Isaiah : Aiath, Migron, Michmash. Supposing Jeb'a to be the centre or axle of a wheel, and straight lines drawn from it to the various places named (Isaiah x. 28 — 31) to be the different spokes, all the places will be found to be named exactly in geographical order, without one exception. This is the perfect result given by the new map. I may add, on the same authority, that Anathoth is visible from Jeb'a, and so also must be Laish, since the relative heights are Jeb'a, 2,220 feet; Anathoth, 2,225 feet; and a mile farther south, Laish, 2,390 feet. As to the other places I have no further information.
' It seems to me highly desirable for Khurbet Haiy to be visible from the site of Abraham's encampment on the east of Bethel, and I should think it certainly is.'— ' Quarterly Statement,' 1878, p. 132.
And Rummon has been suggested by the Rev. T. H. Guest. lie thus sums up the chief points in favour of his suggestion :
' I. It is due east from Beitin, and thus corresponds exactly to the dcscriiition in Genesis xii. 8, Joshua vii. 2, as well as Joshua viii. 9, to be referred to by-and-by.
' 2. In Joshua xii. 9, Ai is described as beside Bethel. " The idea is that of near distance, of being just off from, Xhz firope abesse ah . . . aliijua re." (Gesenius,Gram. p. 220.)
' 3. In Joshua vii. 2 it is beside Bethaven. This indication is of little value until we know where Bethaven was. But, taking it as identified with Dcir Diwan, the description is suffi- ciently near. But the passage should probably be rendered thus : " And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which, together 7vith Bethaven, is on the east side of Bethel." The Vatican Sepluagint omits the clause, " beside Bethaven," altogether.
' 4. The identification of Ai with Runnnon renders the narrative of the capture of the l)lace very clear and intelligible. The Israelites are encamped in the " plain " of the Jordan, the "^;;|; of viii. 14, and close by Jericho, vii. 2.
[SHEET XVIL] BIBLICAL SITES.
35
'An army about to attack Rumnion would probably make its way along the road which runs from Ain I)uk to et Taiyibeh, and so make its appearance on the north of the threatened place. Now we find (viii. ii) that Joshua did lead his main army to a camp on "the north side of x\i, with a valley between them and Ai. The Septuagint reads, " and as they were going they came opposite the city on the east," a clause which is strikingly in harmony with the supposed route. The ravine may be identified with the upper part of Wady Rubeiych, the encampment being about south south-east of et Taiyibeh.
'During the night Joshua had prepared his ambush, which (v. 9) "abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai." Exactly so situated we find a Wady above the "Wady es Sik, and in continuation of it, under the names of Wady el Muteh and AVady el 'Ain. Here they were bidden, while scattering themselves as far as necessary for concealment, not to go far from the city (v. 4).
' For this ambush must do the work of destruction. The main army came forth only to show themselves, and then by a feigned retreat to challenge the people of Ai to a second pursuit.
' As soon, then, as the latter perceived that the Israelites were gone by the way they came, into the midst of the valley (Heb. pw, v. 13), the wide lower land over which they had passed, they started in pursuit. There was a feint of battle "before the plain" (Heb. J^^^yn <ja':), in immediate sight of the open expanse of the low lands by the Jordan. The Israelites made as if they were again beaten, and fled by the way of the "wilderness." The sequel is well known, and further details have little to bear upon our present question. Ai was made " an heap (Heb. ipn) for ever, even a desolation unto this day." And if Rummon be the spot, its veiy name is gone.' — ' Quarterly Statement,' 1S78, p. 195.
Alemeth (i Chron. vi. 60) or Almon (Joshua xxi. 18). — A city of Benjamin, is the present laiin of 'A 1 m i t. The Targum of Jonathan identifies the place with Bahurim. The position seems suitable, being near an old road to Jericho.
A t a r o t h A d d a r (Joshua xviii. 1 3), near the hill on the south side of the nether Beth Horon. This is the jDOsition of the present ruin, K h 11 r b e t D a r i e h. The place may also perhaps be the Addara of the ' Onomasticon,' east of Lydda.
Beth P e o r (Septuagint, Joshua xv. 59, inserted verse), is the present ruin, K h u r b e t F a g h u r.
Beth Shemesh (Joshua xv. 10), near Timnah (Tib neh, Sheet XVI). In the lower hills is the present ruin of 'A in S h e m s.
Beth Zacharias (i Mace. vi. 32). — Seventy stadia from Bethzur (Ant. xii. 9, 4), on the way to Jerusalem, is the present ruin of Beit S k a r i a, the position of which agrees well with Josephus's account. The place is mentioned also by Willibald (724 a.d.), who distinguishes it from the home of the father of John Baptist (at 'Ain K a r i m), and places it
5—2
36 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
between St. Matthew (Beit Urn mar, Sheet XXI.) and Jerusalem. (See Section B.)
B e z e k (Judges i. 5), may perhaps be the present ruin of B e z k a h.
Char a shim (Valley) (Neh. xi. 35), was apparently near Lydda. The name K h u r b e t H i r s h a applied to a ruin east of Y a 1 o may perhaps retain a trace of the title.
C h e p h i r a h, a town of Benjamin (Joshua xviii. 26), is the present ruin of K e f i r e h.
A c h z i b (or C h e z i b). — A town of Judah in the Shephelah (Joshua XV. 44), is probably the Chazbi of the ' Onomasticon ': 'a deserted place near Adullam, in the district of Eleutheropolis.' At Beit Nettif, about 2\ miles from Adullam, is a spring called 'A i n K e z b e h, which may probably retain the name of Chazbi, and is in a probable position for Chezib.
E leas a (i Mace. ix. 5), or according to another reading Adasa. A ruin called K h li r b e t I 1 a s a exists near Beit 'Ur.
Emmaus (Luke xxiv. 13, 'Wars' vii. 7, 6). — This place was apparently 60 stadia from Jerusalem, or 7^ Roman miles. In the ' Onomasticon ' it is identified with Emmaus Nicopolis ('A m w a s), but the latter is 160 stadia from Jerusalem (which agrees with the reading of the Sinaitic MS.). A possible site is Khurbet el Khamasa, 8 English miles from Jerusalem.
Emmaus is apparently a later corruption of the ancient Hebrew form Hammath, derived from the existence of a thermal spring. Thus Hammath of Naphtali was called later Emmaus, and the connection between the two names is noticed by Josephus. ' Now Emmaus, if it be interpreted, may be rendered "a warm bath," useful for healing' (B. J. iv. I, 3, and Ant. xviii. 2, 3). And again, Emmaus Nicopolis, the modern 'Amwas, was celebrated for its healing spring in early Christian times, and the memory of this is probably preserved in the name B i r c t T a i il n, or ' W' ell of the Plague,' still applying to a well in the village.
Thus in modern Arabic the name Hammath, or Ammaus, might occur under various forms, according as it preserved the original Hebrew
[SHEET XVIL] BIBLICAL SITES. 37
guttural represented by the Arabic H e or K h c, or transformed it to the 'A i n, and according as it preserved the Hebrew terminal or reproduced the later final letter. The forms thus obtained would be H a m m a t a, or even H a m m a m (' a hot bath' in Arabic), K h a m a t a, Hamasa, K ham as a, 'Amata, or 'Am was, of which it will be seen the form K h a m a s a is not the most corrupt, as compared with the original.
So much, then, as regards the name ; it remains to inquire whether other requisites arc also fulfilled.
The only indications of position furnished us are as regards distance from Jerusalem. Thus we read (Luke xxiv. 13), 'And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.' The more general account in St. Mark's gospel giving only, ' as they walked and went into the country' (Mark xvi. 12).
Josephus appears clearly to intend the same place in his account of the sale of Judaea (B. J. vii. 6, 6) by the orders of Vespasian.
' However, he assigned a place for 800 men only, whom he dismissed from his army, which he gave them for their habitation ; it is called Emmaus, and is distant from Jerusalem threescore furlongs.'
The distance of the ruin of Khamasa from Jerusalem is about S miles, which is sufficiently close to the ;i miles which are represented by the 60 stadia to satisfy the expression 'about threescore furlongs.' It is close beside one of the ancient Roman roads leading from the capital to the plain near Beit Jibrin.
There is, further, no doubt that the site is ancient. The ruin exists close to the modern village of W a d y F u k i n, and on the ledges imme- diately west of the houses there are still to be found the remains of Jewish rock-cut sepulchres, whilst on the east, beside the spring, is the ruin of a little church called K h li r b e t 'A i n el K e n i s e h, ' ruin of the fountain of the church.' The meaning of the name seems to be lost, and, as far as I am able to discover, the word has no known signification. It was, indeed, in endeavouring to discover whether the name had a Hebrew origin that I found the connection which probably existed with the forms Emmaus and Hammath, and thus was naturally led to inquire whether the distance agreed with that of the New Testament Emmaus.
38 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
The notes taken on the spot descriptive of the site were made in ignorance of its identity, and are similar to those which are collected of every ruined site irrespective of its historical imj^ortance.
The extreme prominence of the situation of the Maccabean town Emmaus Nicopolis caused it immediately to be assumed, in the fourth century, as identical with the New Testament site, without reference to its distance from Jerusalem, which is about 20 miles, or 160 stadia. Some of the later MSS. of the New Testament do indeed read 160 instead of 60 furlongs, and on the strength of these readings Dr. Robinson has endeavoured to support the early Christian view ; but the best authorities, excepting the Sinaitic MSS., read 60, and Mr. Grove has clearly pointed out that the narrative of the events renders it highly improbable that the longer distance should be correct, as the disciples, leaving Emmaus after sunset, arrived in Jerusalem to find the eleven still gathered together. The time required for a distance of 8 miles would be about three hours, but the distance from Jerusalem to Emmaus Nicopolis and back would be considerably over the ordinary day's journey of a modern native of Palestine, requiring at least sixteen hours.
In the fourteenth century the site of Emmaus was changed, and fixed at the village of Kubeibeh, 7 miles from Jerusalem towards the north-west. The origin of this late tradition is unknown, but a fine church of twelfth or thirteenth century architecture has lately been uncovered in the grounds, where a new monastery and hospice for travellers are being erected.
It remains to give some description of the site now proposed as representing the Scriptural Emmaus, which is so hidden away in a corner that nothing short of systematic survey would have ensured its recovery.
Descending towards the great plain by the fine Roman road which passes by Solomon's Pool and runs along a narrow ridge south of Beit 'Atab, before arriving at the ruined village of Hubin, the traveller obtains a peep at a narrow valley well watered and filled with shady gardens of orange and lemon. On the west slope stands the village of Wad r' i\ k i n, and the hill rises behind it bare and rocky, pierced by ancient sepulchres now used as storehouses. A low spur extends between this valley and a small tributary on the east ; upon this slope lie the ruins of
[SHEET XVIL] BIBLICAL SITES. 39
Khamasa. In the tributary valley is a low precipice of rock, and under this a spring of clear water and a little pool. Just below the spring are the remains of a little church standing close to the rocky ledge. This is called K h u r b e t 'A i n el K e n i s e h, ' ruin of the fountain of the church.' A little lower down the valley are other ruins called K h u r b e t K u d e i s, probably meaning ' ruin of the sacred place,' or ' sanctuary ' (in the diminutive form).
The church or chapel measures t,T) feet in length by i8 feet in breadth (interior), having an apse at the east end 12 feet diameter. It is not well oriented, bearing 66° mag. in the diameter of its length. The walls are standing to the height of some 6 or 8 feet, but no arches remain. The masonry throughout is very rough, and somewhat resembles that of another small church a few miles farther north, at a place called e I K a b u, where the arches are pointed. The ashlar is only rudely squared, and averages about ij to 2 feet in length of the stones. Upon one stone a rude boss was observed. There were no masons' marks visible, and indeed in this style they do not appear ever to occur. The interior of the apse, which was domed, was covered with a hard cement. These indications seem to point to the chapel having been built in the twelfth or thirteenth century, as it resembles in general character the church of St. Jeremiah at Abu Ghosh. Two rude caves exist some 50 yards west of the chapel, in the side of the precipice. The ruins of Khamasa consist of scattered stones and of the remains of a rectangular building measuring 24 feet by 34 feet. The masonry in this is similar to that of the church.
The existence of these medi?eval ruins is interesting. The site evidently has been regarded as sacred in Christian times, but, as far as our present information goes, it cannot have been ever the traditional Emmaus, for down to the fourteenth century all geographers placed the Scriptural site at 'Am was (Emmaus Nicopolis), and since that period tradition has pointed to Kubeibeh, 7 miles from Jerusalem, where the remains of a splendid Crusading church still exist. It is possible that some tradition might be obtained on the spot, but of this we heard nothing at the time, and as the identification did not then present itself to my mind, I contented myself with sketching and planning the ruins.
The proximity to the main Roman road, and the choice character of
40 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
the immediately surrounding territory, render this a very probable site for the home of the disbanded Roman soldiery. The name and distance agree, as shown, with the requirements of the case, and as no other site has been found by us bearing any title approaching to that of Emmaus, the identification Is evidently the most satisfactory yet proposed for this interesting place.
Kulonieh was proposed by Canon Williams for the site of Emmaus. Another suggestion has been made by the Rev. W. F. Birth. He says :
' Now among the sites of Benjamin, Joshua (xviii. 26) speaks of Musah, as we read it, but in Hebrew ni'-jn Hammosah, ' The Mosah.' Fiirst gives Musah the meaning ' place of reeds,' but it seems more probable that it is equivalent to k-^id^ a spring. Be this as it may, the Talmud says that this Musah, or Mauza, is the place whence willows were brought to adorn the Altar at the Feast of Tabernacles, and this suggests a valley ; and elsewhere again the Talmud says that it was made a colony. (See Caspari § 242.)
' But Josephus tells us in the well-known passage, that his Ammaus was colonized by the assignment of the place by Titus to Soo discharged veterans.
'We have thus side by side these statements from totally dififerent sources : first, that a place called by Joshua Hammusah became a Roman colony ; secondly, that ."Vmmaus became a Roman colony. Hammusah is therefore in all probability identical with Ammaus.
' We now turn to the map. We find a well-known place on the main road from Jerusalem to the west, called Kiilonich, manifestly from Colonia, and about i mile to the north of this> looking down on a valley which trends at that point south and west toward Kulonieh, a ruin called Beit Mizza.
' Here we have another linking of these two, Hammusah, the fountain, and a Roman colony, and we must be near the place we are looking for.
' But now let us pass up from Kidonieh along the valley, under Beit Mizza, and pursue our way along the whole length of the valley (Wady Buwai) up to its head. We are then some 3 miles from Kiilonieh, and about i mile further, on the hill, in Kubeibeh, which it is said the Crusaders were informed was the site of Emmaus.
' Now the head of this valley is as near as may be 60 stadia from Jerusalem. And it would seem probable that the original Emmaus, or the principal part of its population, originally laid around the head of the valley, giving its name, however, more or less exactly, to the whole : that this valley, and especially its upper part, was originally the Colonia of the discharged soldiers of Titus, but that as time went on the chief part of the population gravitated down to the Roman road, not at the nearest point to Jerusalem, but at the junction of the valley with that road.
' Travellers from Jerusalem to the upper valley of Emmaus would not pass through Kulonieh, but would leave the main road about 2 miles from that place, and descend into the Wady Buwai just where the roads from Kulonieh on the left, and fiom I.ifta on the right, converge upon it. At such a point as this we may well imagine that the two disciples encountered their veiled and risen I.ord, and as they went along that upland path towards what was then the chief part at least of Emmaus, the fountains of a new life were opened out to them.
'Joshua and the Talmud, St. Luke and Josephus, the traditions heard by the Crusaders,
[SHEET X I'//.] BIBLICAL SITES. 41
and the stern requirements of a modern survej-, fixing distances beyond possibility of mistake, seem all harmonized by the identification thus proposed.'
Robinson thus presents the question of Emmaus :
' For thirteen centuries did the interpretation current in the whole Church regard the Emmaus of the New Testament as identical with Nicopolis. This was not the voice of mere tradition, but the well-considered judgment of men of learning and critical skill, resident in the country, acquainted with the places in question, and occupied in investigating and describing the Scriptural topography of the Holy Land. The objections which lie against this view have been well presented by Reland and others, and are the four following :
' I St. The express statement of Luke, that Emmaus was distant from Jerusalem 60 stadia. Such is indeed the present reading, as found in all the editions and in most of the manuscripts of the New Testament that have come down to us. But it is no less true, that several manuscripts, and some of them of high authority, read here cne hundred and sixty, and thus point to Nicopolis. This may then have been the current reading in the days of Eusebius and Jerome. There seems, indeed, to be a strong probability that it actually was so ; since otherwise those fathers, in searching for the Emmaus of Luke, had only to seek at the distance of 60 stadia from Jerusalem in order to find it. A\'e therefore may draw at least this definite conclusion, viz., that in their day such an Emmaus was unknown, and, also, that probably their copies read 160 stadia. It may have been that the word or numeral letter signifying a hundred had early begun to be dropped from the text by a lapse of transcribers, and that this was increased as copies were multiplied in other lands, by cojiyists who knew nothing of Palestine ; until at length by degrees the omission became current in the manuscripts. Indeed, i^tw', if any, of the manuscripts now extant were written in Palestine. There exist likewise in the New Testament other examples of erroneous readings, which have doubtless, in like manner, crept in through the error of transcribers.
' and. Josephus relates that Vespasian (or Titus) assigned in Palestine a place of habita- tion for 800 men, whom he had dismissed from his army ; it was called Emmaus, and was distant from Jerusalem 60 stadia. This, it is said, confirms the present reading of the New Testament. But since, as is well known, the works of Josephus were copied in a later age almost exclusively by Christian transcribers, this passage would very naturally be conformed to the current reading in Luke ; while it is also true that several manuscripts of Josephus still read here tJiirty stadia. This at least shows the reading to be variable, and therefore doubtful ; so that it can have no weight in determining the text of the New Testament. Indeed, the original of it may just as well have been 160.
' 3rd. The Emmaus of Luke and Josephus, it is said, is called a village ; while Nicopolis was a city. But the word employed by Luke signifies strictly a town without walls, a country- town, as distinguished from a fortified city; and that used by Josephus denotes a place, and is also put for a fortified post or town. Emmaus had been laid in ashes by Varus shortly after the death of Herod, and would seem not to have been fully rebuilt until the third century, when it received the name of Nicopolis. AVhen Luke wrote, therefore, it was probably still a place partially in ruins and without walls ; a fitting post for a colony of disbanded soldiers. ' 4th. The distance of Nicopolis from Jerusalem is too great, it is said, to admit of the return of the two disciples the same evening, so as to meet the assembled Apostles. This, however, would depend, not so much upon the distance, as upon the time when they set off. They "rose up the same hour," and naturally returned in haste to make known their glad tidings; VOL. III. 6
42 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
although, with all their haste, they could not well have traversed the distance in less than five hours. It was not yet evening when they arrived at Emmaus ; and if they set off to return even as late as six o'clock, which at that season would be about sunset, they might reach the city by eleven o'clock. The Apostles were assembled and the doors were shut " for fear of the Jews ;" they had indeed partaken of an evening meal, but this had already been long ended ; for Jesus afterwards inquires if they have there any food. It was evidently late. There is therefore nothing impossible or improbable in the supposition that the t\vo had hastened back a long distance, late at night, perhaps with much bodily effort, to declare to their brethren the wonderful things of which they had been witnesses. A like amount of travel, on an extraordinary occasion, would be nothing strange even at the present day.
' The case, then, may be thus presented. On the one hand, the reading of good manu- scripts gives the distance of Emmaus from Jerusalem at 1 60 stadia; at which point there was a place called Emmaus, which still exists as the village 'Amwas ; and all this is further supported by the critical judgment of learned men residing in the country near the time ; as also by the unbroken tradition of the first thirteen centuries. On the other hand, there is the current reading of 60 stadia in most of the present manuscripts, written out of Palestine ; supported only by a doubtful reading of Josephus ; but with no place existing, either now or at the end of the third century, to which this specification can be referred. So far as it regards the New Testament, it is a question between two various readings ; one, now the current one in manuscripts and editions, but with no other valid support ; the other sup- ported in like manner by manuscripts, as also by facts, by the judgment of early scholars, and by early and unbroken tradition. After long and repeated consideration, I am disposed to acquiesce in the judgment of Eusebius and Jerome.'
En G a n n i m (Joshua xv. 34). — A town of Judah in the Shephelah, near Zanoah and Tappuah. This appears to be the present ruin of U m m J i n a, 3 miles north-west of Z a n u a.
En She mesh (Joshua xv. 7). — A spring near the Mount of OHves, and En Rogel ('A in Umm ed Deraj). This appears to be the present 'A i n Hand. About i^ miles north-east is a cliff called 'Arak esh Shems, which may preserve the name.
'Now remain en Shemesh and en Rogel. Of the former name no trace remains, unless it be in Mugharet esh Shems ("Cave of the Sun") ; but this lies north of Wady Kelt, and on the other side of the watershed. I should not have mentioned it, but for a rather curious expression used by an Arab with regard to it. I asked him, while talking of the cave, whether there was no 'Ain esh Shems ("Spring of the Sun"), to which he replied, " This is 'Ain esh Shems;" and on my making him explain himself, he said they sometimes called the cave the "P"yc of the Sun" ('(//« being a spring or an eye), because the rising sun shone directly into it — that it looked directly in the eye of the sun. En Shemesh is, however, more probably 'Ain Haud, east of el Azariyeh, beside the high road, or else the neighbouring well of Bir cl 'Add, which contains a never-failing spring. The much-disputed en Rogel I am in favour of putting at the so-called Virgin's Fount, and if this be the case, the boundary-line from the edge of the Ghor would just correspond with the present high road from Jerusalem to Eriha.' — C. E. Tyrwhitt Drake, 'Quarterly Statement,' 1S74, p. 70.
[SHEET XVn\ BIBLICAL SITES. 43
E t a m. — The town of Judah, so named, mentioned as near Bethlehem (Septuagint, Joshua xv. 59, inserted verse), and the site of Solomon's Gardens (Ant. viii. 7, 3), was 50 stadia from Jerusalem, and was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chron. xi. 6). The aqueduct to the Temple came from it, and it was thought to be the highest place in Palestine (Tal. Bab. Zebachim, 54 d). These indications point to the neighbourhood of Urtas, where the name is retained in that of 'A i n 'A tan. Accord- ing to the Talmud (Tal. Bab. Yoma, 31 a), this place is the Biblical Nephtoah (Joshua xv. 9), which would reconcile the boundary of Benjamin with the account in i Sam. x. 2.
Gederah is the Shephelah (Joshua xv. 36), mentioned with Socoh. It is probably the Gedrus of the ' Onomasticon' (s.v. Gahedur), 10 miles from Diospolis (Liidd) on the road to Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin). This agrees with the position of the ruin of Jed ir eh, 9 English miles south of L i^i d d.
Gibeah, a town of Benjamin, distinct from the more famous place of the name, mentioned with Kirjath (probably Kuryet el 'Enab) (Joshua xviii. 28), is probably the ruin of J i b i a or J u b e i a h, 3 miles north of K li rye t el 'Enab.
H azor, a town of Benjamin (Neh. xi. 2)2,)' apparently north of Jeru- salem, is probably the present ruined site of Hazzur, in the direction indicated by the other names noticed in the same passage.
Jethlah, a town of Dan (Joshua xix. 42), mentioned with Aijalon (Y a 1 o), is probably the present ruin of Beit T u 1, 3 miles south-east of the latter town.
Kirjath J e a r i m. — The site which appears to me best to suit this important town is Khurbet 'Erma.
Kirjath Jearim is first mentioned in the Book of Joshua as identical with Kirjath Baal, a town of Judah (Joshua xv. 60). It was on the boun- dary between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (verse 9), and from the peculiar expressions used in the descriptions of the border line (Joshua xviii. 15, XV. 10), it appears that the town must have stood at an angle, from which the line ran in two directions, one being eastwards towards Nephtoah, the other northwards towards Kesla, which is Chesalon, on the north side.
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44 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
The next appearance of the city is in the Book of Judges, when the men of Dan, who had no inheritance (Judges xviii. i), went up to the Mahaneh Dan, which was ' behind ' (or more correctly, west of) Kirjath Jearim. Of the position of this Mahaneh Dan, or ' Camp of Dan,' we have a further indication in the history of Samson, in which it is mentioned as 'between Zorah (Surah) and Eshtaol ' (Eshua) (Judges xiii. 25). The term Mahaneh is identical with M u k h n a h, ' camp,' a title now applied to the plain east of Shechem, and it seems to be properly indi- cative of a plain fit for camping ground. We can therefore have little hesitation in placing the Mahaneh Dan in the broad Wady Surar, near the recognised sites of Zorah and Eshtaol ; and the site of Kirjath Jearim should thus apparently be sought east of this natural camping ground.
Kirjath Jearim is again mentioned as the place where the Ark remained for twenty years after the destruction of the men of Beth Shemesh (i Samuel vi. 19, vii. i). From this passage it appears that Kirjath Jearim was in the mountains above Beth Shemesh ; yet Josephus, who may be supposed to have known the real site, states that the two cities were near one another (Ant. vi. i, 4).
At a late period David went down to Baalah (or Kirjath Jearim) to bring up the Ark to Jerusalem. It was found in the house of Abinadab ' in Gibeah ' (the hill or knoll), but this place would appear to have been in or part of the city of Baalah. This is the last mention of the city except its enumeration in the lists of Ezra, where the name appears under the abbreviated form, Kirjath Arim (Ezra ii. 25).
From these various notices we may sum up the apparent requisites which should be satisfied in any site proposed as identical with this important town.
1. The name Arim or Jearim ('thickets') should be recovered, and the site should present such thickets.
2. It must be east of the Mahaneh Dan, which lay between Zorah and Eshtaol.
3. It must be south of Chesalon, identified with the modern Kesla.
4. It must be near Beth Shemesh (now 'Ain Shems), which agrees with the second indication.
5. It must be in the mountains above the last-mentioned site.
6. It must be at the south-west angle of the border line of Benjamin.
{SHEET XVII.] BIBLICAL SITES. 45
7. Its position must agree with that of Nephtoah and Rachel's tomb (cf. Joshua XV. 9, and i Samuel x. 2), so as to allow of an intelligible line being drawn for the south border of Benjamin.
8. The name Baalah indicates either that a high place of Baal existed at the city, or else that the position was elevated (taking Baal in a wider geographical sense, as some authorities are inclined to do).
9. A rounded hillock or humped knoll of some kind seems indicated by the term Gibeah occurring in connection with the site of the city.
The usual site shown as representing Kirjath Jearim is the village of Kuryet el 'Enab (' Town of Grapes '), better known as Abu Ghosh, on the road from Jaffa to Jerusalem. This town is called simply el Kiiryeh by the fellahin, and appears to be the ancient Kirjath of Benjamin (Joshua xviii. 28), a place apparently distinct from Kirjath Jearim, and situated in the Lot of Benjamin, whereas the latter belonged to Judah. There is no doubt that in the fifth century Abu Ghosh was believed to be Kirjath Jearim, and the only argument which Dr. Robinson has adduced in favour of this identification appears to be founded on the early Christian tradition, which he too often quotes in favour of his own views, even against his own canon of criticism condemning such traditions as of no value. The site thus commonly pointed out to travellers does not, however, fulfil the requisites enumerated. The name of Arim is not found at Abu Ghosh, the site of which lies 9 miles north-west of 'Ain Shems, and 3^ miles north-west of Chesalon. The border line of Benjamin cannot be drawn through Abu Ghosh and also through Rachel's tomb, without being so twisted as to be practically improbable, while no special features occur which would serve to explain the names Gibeah and Baalah, connected with that of Kirjath Jearim.
These objections have been so far recognised by various writers as to induce some archaeologists to prefer the conspicuous village of Soba, as proposed by Dr. Chaplin, a site answering better to the requirements of the name Baalah or Gibeah. Soba is the Bel-Mont of the Crusaders, and is undoubtedly an ancient Jewish site. In the Septuagint of Joshua xv. (verse inserted after 60) it seems to be mentioned, according to some MSS., under the form Thobes. It lies, however, 4 miles east of Chesalon, and is separated by 10 miles of rugged inountains from Beth Shemesh, No trace of the name Kirjath Jearim has been found in its vicinity, and
46 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTEVE.
the difficulties witli regard to the boundary of Judah and Benjamin are not removed by the choice of this site.
The ruin discovered by the Survey party in 1873 seems in every respect to answer better than any previously proposed to the nine require- ments enumerated above.
1. The three principal letters (nip) of the name Jearim, or of the later abbreviated form Arim, occur in the proper order in the modern Arabic 'Erma (spelt with the guttural Ain) ; the site is moreover surrounded and concealed by the thickets of lentisk, oak, hawthorn, and other shrubs, which properly represent the Hebrew word 'garim ' (nir) from a root signifying to be ' tangled ' or confused.
2. The ruin is due east of the open plain formed by the junction ol Wady Ismain with Wadyel Mutluk, extending from Beth Shemesh on the south-west to Eshtaol on the north-east, and to the hill of Zorah on the north-west, representing the ancient Mahaneh Dan.
3. It is 2^ miles south of Chesalon or Kesla.
4. It is only 4 miles from Beth Shemesh, and an ancient road descends north of the ruin into Wady Ismiin, and thus leads to Beth Shemesh direct along the valley banks.
5. The site of 'Erma is nevertheless in the mountain proper, and about 1,000 feet higher than that of Beth Shemesh.
6. The identification of the sites of Ataroth Adar (ed Darieh), Gibeah (Jibia), and Kirjath (Kuryet el 'Enab), belonging to Benjamin ; of Jethlah (Beit Tul) and Eltekeh (Beit Likia) belonging to Dan, as proposed by the Survey party, all agree with the supposition that the west border of Ben- jamin ran south, from near the Nether Beth-horon, along the crests of the spurs which sink so suddenly from the level of the mountain proper (Har) to the distinct region of the Shephelah. This natural boundary, excluding on the west the Vale of Ajalon, which belonged to Dan, cannot be recon- ciled with the proposed identifications of Kirjath Jearim at Abu Ghosh or at Soba, but agrees perfectly with the wording of the Biblical description : ' The border was drawn hence, and compassed the western side southwards, and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath Baal, which is Kirjath Jearim, a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter. And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjath Jearim {i.e., the end of the spur on which the city stood), and the border went out on
[SHEET XVII.] BIBLICAL SITES. 47
the west {i.e., west side), and went out (eastwards) to the Springs of Nephtoah ' (Joshua xviii. 14, 15).
Again, it agrees also with the other description : ' And the border compassed from Baalah on the west (or looking west) unto Mount Seir, and passed along unto the shoulder of Mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down unto Beth Shemesh ' (Joshua xv. 10).
If this argument has been followed by help of the map it will be seen what line is indicated. 'Erma is on the south or Judah side of the great valley, with a spur (perhaps ' the end of Kirjath Jearim ') running out northwards. Here, on the north side, are the precipices of a remarkably rocky hill burrowed with hermits' caves, to which the word Seir (' rough ') might very well apply.
On the same northern ridge, moreover, the name S a g h i r, which is radically the same as Seir, may be found marked rather further east. The line running due north along Mount Jearim (which appears from the text to have been on the opposite side of the valley to Kirjath Jearim, as the expression iDr, rendered ' passed along,' means strictly ' crossed over,' a river or valley) arrives at Kesla or Chesalon, and thence follows the important valley called Wady Ghurab, which joins Wady Ismain and flows past Beth Shemesh. The position of 'Erma is thus naturally placed at the south-west angle of the border of Benjamin.
7. The common boundary of Judah and Benjamin may be drawn from the new site of Kirjath Jearim in a direction which agrees with various other indications. It would follow the crest of a long spur to the water- shed at 'Ain 'Atan (near Solomon's jdooIs), the en Etam which, according to the Talmudlsts, was the same as Nephtoah (Tal. Bab. Yoma, 31, a). Thence it would pass along a watershed northwards by Rachel's tomb (i Samuel x. 2) to the Emek Rephaim, which, according to Josephus, extended from Jerusalem towards Bethlehem (7 Ant. xii. 4).
Lifta is thus left to be identified with Eleph of Benjamin (Joshua xviii. 2S) rather than with Nephtoah. The identification of Lifta and Nephtoah has always seemed unsatisfactory, not only on account of the difficulties. which result in drawing the boundary line, but also because no great spring or group of springs such as seems to be implied by the expression I'l'o, M ' a i n, occurs at this spot. The modern Arabic name is, moreover, deficient in the guttural of the Hebrew.
48 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
8. The expression Baalah would refer very properly to the situation of 'Erma, overlooking- the great valley, while, as will be explained imme- diately, the traces of what may have been an ancient ' high place ' (Bamah) still remain.
9. A central knoll, such as would account for the name Gibeah, occurs at the ruin of 'Erma.
Although the indications of identity thus appear very strong, they could not be considered as conclusive if the site proved to be insignificant, with modern ruins in an inconspicuous situation. I was therefore anxious to revisit the spot, and was much pleased to find that an evidently ancient and important ruin exists still in this position. Riding down the great gorge which, under various names, runs down from near Gibeon to Beth Shemesh, we gradually ascended the southern slopes in the vicinity of the little ruined village of Deir esh Sheikh. Before us was the notable peaked knoll of Khtirbet Sammunieh, a conspicuous feature of the view up the valley from Surih, and leaving this on the right we followed an ancient road along the slope of the mountain. Here and there remains ot side walls are visible, and there can be little doubt that this is a branch of the Roman road from the vicinity of Bethlehem leading to Beth Shemesh.
In front of us, far beneath, we saw the white bed of the torrent twistino- in bold bends between the steep slopes, which rise fully 1,000 feet to the hill-tops. Both slopes were rocky and rugged, both, but especially that to the south, were clothed with a dense brushwood of lentisk, arbutus, oak, hawthorn, cornel, khariib, and other shrubs, while in the open glades the thyme, sage, citizus and bclhin carpeted the ledges with a thick fragrant undergrowth.
A bold spur running northwards from the southern ridge was characterized by a small natural turret or platform of rock, rising from a knoll which stood covered with fallen masonry above a group of olives, beneath which again the thickets clothed the mountain. This knoll represented the ruin of 'Erma, which on closer inspection proved to be a site undoubtedly ancient, and presenting the aspect of an old ruined town. Some; of the walls, rudely built in mortar, may belong to the Arab period, but the rude blocks built up against scarps, natural or artificial, which occur in various directions, resemble the old masonry of the vine- yard towers, which date back to a very early period.
[SHEET XriL] BIBLICAL SITES. 49
On the east is a fine rock-cut wine-press ; on the soutli a great cistern covered by a huge hollowed stone, which forms the well-mouth, and which, from its size and its weather-beaten appearance, must evidently be very ancient.
Rude caves also occur, and the ground is strewn with fragments of ancient pottery. But the most curious feature of the site is the platform of rock, which has all the appearance of an ancient high-place or central shrine. The area is about 50 feet north and south by 30 feet east and west, the surface, which appears to be artificially levelled, being some 10 feet above the ground outside. The scarping of the sides seems mainly natural, but a foundation has been sunk on three sides, in which rudely squared blocks of stone have been fitted as the base of a wall. On the east this wall consisted of rock to a height of 3^^ feet, with a thickness of 7 feet. There is an outer platform, about 10 feet wide, traceable on the south and south-cast, and a flight of steps 3 feet wide, each step being i foot high and i foot broad, leads up to this lower level at the south-east angles. There is a small cave under the platform, and the ruined houses extend along the spur principally north and south of this remarkable rocky tower.
The view from the ruin on the west is also worthy ol notice. The valley is seen winding 600 or 700 feet beneath, and the cliffs and caves of the northern ridge form unusually accentuated features. Beyond these the broad corn-vale of Sorek (the Mahaneh Dan) is seen extending beneath the rounded hill on which gleams the white dome of Neby Samit, close to Zoreah. The actual site of Beth Shemesh is hidden by the southern ridge, but the valley-bed north of the ruin is visible.
On the hill to the south stand the houses of Deir el Hawa, and to the east the peak of Sammunieh hides the further course of the valley.
Standing on the rocky tower we saw clearly how well the Mahaneh Dan might be described as 'west' of Kirjath Jearim — how naturally the Ark might have been sent from the lowlands of Beth Shemesh to this neighbouring city, so strongly posted in the rude hills of Judah.
In the central platform we might perhaps recognise the high-place of Baal, whence the city took its name, or the Gibeah where the Ark was kept ; for Kirjath Jearim is not the only sacred city of Palestine in which the altars of Jehovah and of Baal once stood side by side. The instances
VOL. III. 7
so THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
of Carmel and of Bethel will recur to the reader's mhid, with other indi- cations of a similar kind.
Here, then, at 'Erma, we seem to find in a remarkable manner the numerous requisites of the site of Kirjath Jearim fulfilled. The name, the position, the character of the ruin, the view thence, the surrounding thickets which half cover the site, the situation close to the edge of the higher hills and to the mouth of the great gorge, the proximity to Beth Shemesh, and the relative positions of Chesalon and the Mahaneh Dan, all seem to agree in fixing 'E r m a as the true site of the important boundary town where the Ark was kept for twenty years.
Having studied the question carefully on the spot, and having ascer- tained the importance and antiquity of the site, I cannot but look upon this identification as one of the most valuable which has yet resulted from the Survey of Western Palestine.
' The exact position of Kirjath Jearim is of great importance for the right understanding of several Biblical narratives. Fortunately we have several statements as to its position rela- tively to known places. Thus Judges xviii. 12 tells that it lay ra^/ of Beth Shemesh ; and from I Samuel vi. 21, vii. i, we learn that in relation to that same place it lay " up," and was on, or by, a hill (Gibea). These indications lead us to look for it at the head of the great valley of Siirar, in which Beth Shemesh lies.
' Chesalon (Kesla) lies up eastward from Beth Shemesh, and we know from Joshua xv. 10 that Kirjath Jearim must be sought still farther east, or .w///'/^east.
' Again, Psalm cxxxii. 6, though obscure, manifestly implies that the Ark while at Kirjath Jearim, or when on its way thence to Sion (2 Samuel vi.), was near Bethlehem Ephratah.
'Further, the description in Joshua xv. S-io of the boundary of Judah tells us that it ran up from the ravine of Hinnom to the top of the mountain lying west of that ravine and at the north end of the valley of Rephaim ; that thence it reached along from the top of the ridge to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron, and reached to Kirjath Jearim, whence the border curved westward to Mount Seir, and passed over to the north shoulder of Har Jearim, which is Chesalon.
' Of this boundary line the extremities, Hinnom and Kesla, are known.
'A curious feature of it appears in Joshua xviii. 15, where the southern boundary of Benjamin (and northern of Judah), while traced from the west eastwards, is said to go from Kirjath Jearim westward. The cities of Mount Ephron, or the last of the group, must there- fore have lain to the south or south-east of Kirjath Jearim. The line could not have gone to the north-west, or it would have formed the western, not the southern, boundary of Benjamin, and the borders of Judah and Benjamin would have touched to the west of Kirjath Jearim, contrary to Joshua xviii. 14.
'Just such a line would be described if we trace the boundary of Judah from the valley of Hinnom, due westward, and not u]) by the north-west side of Jerusalem, sweeping around the valley of Reiihaim so as to enclose it, coming thus near Rachel's Sepulchre ( i Samuel .x. 2),
[SHEET XVJL] BIBLICAL SITES. 51
and thence westward a little, then stretching back in a north-easterly direction towards 'Ain Karim, and so out westward by Kesla.
' Or it might be drawn, I think, so as to exclude the valley of Rephaim, giving that to Benjamin. The boundary would then run by the A\'ady el Werd, and Rachel's Tomb would be literally on the border of Benjamin.
' The identification of Lifta with Nephtoah is no doubt conclusive against such a proposal, if it could be relied on. But does not Lifta rather represent Eleph of Joshua xviii. 28? And though the proposal to identify Nephtoah and Netophah has been condemned, there is not a little to be said for it. Nephtoah is only named in Joshua xv. 9, xviii. 15, while Neto- phah does not occur earlier than 2 Samuel xxiii. 28, 29. We read only of " the shining of the water of Nephtoah," not of a town of that name. There was a Wady Beth Netophah, and presumably "a water" in the Wady of the same name. Netophah was applied to a considerable district : there were "villages of the Netophathites" (i Chron. i.x. 16, Neh. xii. 28). It lay not far from Bethlehem (i Chron. ii. 54, Neh. vii. 26, Esdras v. 17, 18); and the form of the name Anetophah has been recognised in Autubeh, to the nortli of Bethlehem, while Beth Netophah has been identified with Beit Nettif some miles to the west. Notably the name of Netophah is found in the Greek both as Nsrsojta and Ksfwra, illustrating the very transposition of consonants required ; while the change of Tcth for Tan in the Hebrew cannot be accounted of much moment, considering the age of the record in Joshua, and that the " / " — sometimes " fli " — disappears altogether in " Nehopas," yet another form of Netophah.
' As to the valley of Rephaim, it is not certain where precisely it lay, whether to the north or south of the boundary line, though probably to the south. From 2 Samuel xxiii. 13 we gather that at least its southern extremity lay west of Bethlehem, and so interposed between it and Adullam. The statement of i Samuel x. 2 may perhaps thus be explained ; it is certainly precise as to the sepulchre of Rachel being on the border of Benjamin, while the description in Genesis xxxv. seems to fix it pretty conclusively. It would scarce be counted strange if the boundary here made even some detour to enclose the birthplace of Benjamin in the inheritance of his children.
' May not 'Ain K a r i m preserve the sound if not the site of Kirjath Jearim ? It Is written in Ezra ii. 25 'Ar i m {possibly that is the correct reading in Joshua xviii. 28, whereas in I Samuel vii. i, we find it Hnked with a G i b e a). When the " city of the woods " became a ruin, the " well " would remain ; and as the neighbouring Beth Shemesh became 'Ain S h e m s, Kirjath 'Arim would become 'Ain Karim. That the Ain should take this Ca/t/i sound is nothing unusual. The proposed identification of 'Ain Karim with Rekem is a possible one, no doubt ; but, if accepted, it would surely throw the boundary of Benjamin too far south to admit of locating Kirjath Jearim at Kuryet el 'Enab. And as the proper name of that place is simply K ar i e t (" Quarterly Statement," 1876, p. 80), it is more pro- bably Kirjath of Joshua xviii. 28. 'Ain Karim has been identified also with Kerem of the Septuagint, Joshua xv. 59, and with Bethcar, so that it seems yet undetermined.
' Since the probability of 'Ain Karim being the site of Kirjath Jearim had occurred to me,
1 have met with the interesting announcement in the January number of the " Statement," p. 19, of the discovery of K h u r b e t 'E r m a, "a ruin on the brink of the great valley
2 miles south of Kesla or Chesalon." Here may be the true sight of Kirjath Jearim ; and the boundary may not have " reached along" so far north as 'Ain Karim. This is a matter to be j udged of only on the spot, or by one intimately acquainted with the contour of the ground ;
52 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE
but I venture to suggest that the boundary Hne should go thus, much farther south than is usually drawn, by the AVady Bittir down into the Wady Surar.
' Such a line would fit the Biblical narratives. The men of Beth-Shemesh would send the Ark up the valley eastward, as its easiest road back to Shiloh. There is no trace of any road ever having led over to Kiiryet el 'Enab. When, after its resting there, it was removed to Sion, it would pass not far from Ephratah (Psalm cxxxii. 6), and of it, as there, David must have known as a boy at Bethlehem, and so would naturally describe one going out to seek the lost Ark coming on its track, so to say, " hearing of it " there. Again, it is more than probable that the gathering of Israel to M i z peh (i Samuel vii.) was to the neighbour- hood of the Ark ; that this was the place where Samuel judged Israel, and where Saul found him in the land of Zunh, whence he returned by Rachel's sepulchre (i Samuel ix. ii, 25 ; x. 2). Might not this be recognised in Soba ? Placing Mizpeh here, we could better understand the story of Israel's victory when they drove the Israelites to below Beth Car. Beth Car (or Beth Chor) seems to be identified in the narrative with "Shen" (i Samuel vii. 11, 12); for which we should rather read Ha-shen, probably for Ashan. The Septuagint reads Yasan, and the Peshito, Syriac, and Arabic versions render both words (Smith's "Dictionary") by Beth Jasan. That they were two names for one place, or the names of places so close as to be practically one, is also rendered more than probable by their conjunction inChorashan, i Samuel xxx. 30, as a district not far from Ziglag, somewhere south of Beit Jibrin and east of Gaza. If Ha-slien is the Ashan of Joshua xv. 38, this must have been its locality. If the defeated Philistines were chased down the valley past Gath, Ebenezer, which was set up between Mizpeh and Beth Car, might be sought for in that neighbourhood ; and the locality of the earlier battle, when " the Ark of God was taken," would be fixed thereabouts, for the Israelites pitched in Ebenezer (i Samuel iv.) and the Philistines in Aphek.
' This suggested removal southward of all those scenes in Samuel's life — which follows the abandonment of Neby Samwil for Soba as the Mizpeh of i Samuel (not the Maspha of later times) — seems to accord better, not only with these narratives, but also with vii. 16, as the places of judging are more equally distributed ; with xv. 12, which implies that Samuel's house was not very far from Carmel ; with viii. 2, as his sons at Beersheba were not so removed from him as otherwise might seem ; and we would thus understand why David clung so tenaciously to a neighbourhood hostile and treacherous to him (as Keilah), because of Samuel's frequent presence there.' — Archibald Henderson, ' Quarterly Statement,' 1878, pp. 196—199.
N e p h t o a h (see above, Etam).
N e t o p h a h (Nch. vii. 26) appears to be tlie ruin of U m m Tub a, or possibly Beit Ncttif.
Scchu. — A place between Gibeah of Saul and Ramathaim Zophim ( I Samuel xix. 20), with a well at it. The name Khi^irbet Suweikeh occurs between Jebi and Ram-Allah.
Shaalabbin (Joshua xix. 42). — A town of Dan, mentioned next to Aijalon. It appears to be the Selebi of Jerome (' Commentary on
{SHEET XVII.] BIBLICAL SITES. S3
Ezekiel,' xlviii. 22) mentioned with Allon and Emmaus. This points to the identity of the ruin of S e 1 b i t, 2 miles north of 'A ni w a s.
Socoh (Joshua XV. 35) was known in the fourth century as 8 org Roman miles from Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin), on the road to Jerusalem. This agrees with the position of K h u r b e t S h u w c i k e h.
Sorek (Valley) (Judges xvi. 4). — A town called Caphar Sorech is mentioned in the ' Onomasticon ' as near Saraa (Surah), evidendy the present ruin of Khurbet Surik. This would point to Wady es S u r a r as the Valley of Sorek ; and this valley is still inhabited by Bedawin, much as the Philistines probably lived in it amongst the settled Jewish population.
Timnah. — A town of Judah (Joshua xv. 5;), mentioned with Gibeah. There is a ruin called Tibna near Jeba, in the higher hills of the 'Arkub, distinct from Tibneh (Sheet XVI.), which represents the Timnah of Joshua xv. 10.
Zoheleth (Stone) (i Kings i. 9) was by en Rogel ('A i n Umm ed Deraj). This points to Zahweileh, the cliff on which the village of S i 1 w a n stands, the names being almost identical in meaning and form.
' Nearly in the centre of the hne along which stretches the village of Siloam, there exists a rocky plateau surrounded by Arab buildings, which mask its true form and extent : the western face, cut perpendicularly, slightly overhangs the valley. Steps rudely cut in the rock enable one to climb it, not without difficulty, and so to penetrate directly from the valley to the midst of the village. By this road, troublesome, and even dangerous, pass habitually the women of Siloam, who come to fill their vessels at the so-called " Virgin's Fount " ('Ain Sitti Miriam, Immed-deraj). Now, this passage and the ledge of rock in which it is cut are called by the fellahin " Ez Zeh\vh;le." It is impossible not to be struck with the absolute identity which this name offers with that of the s/one of Zodcth, which the Bible ( I Kings i. 9) places near (S:iX) en Rogel. The vocal type itself is exactly reproduced, putting aside an insignificant inversion of the sound C, which in Hebrew precedes, and in Arabic follows, the consonant n- A homogeneous transcript will present us with this identity in still clearer manner : Hebrew, Zohdct ; Arabic, Zehohelet.
' I believe, then, that we can consider the situation of the stones of Zoheleth definitely determined. This point fixed with certainty can serve to determine the position of many others of the highest interest. At present I can only indicate a few, proposing to return to the question at length at some future time. For example, it becomes extremely probable that we must put en Rogel at the Virgin's Fountain, and not at Bir Eyub. In fact, Bir Eyub is 700 metres distant from Zehwfel^, and the Pool of Siloam is 400 metres ; while the Virgin's Fountain, situated exactly opposite Zehwele, is only separated from it by the breadth
54 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
of the valley, about 60 metres. I call attention to the importance of this result in tracing the line separating the territories of Benjamin and Judah, which passed by en Rogel, and the support which it affords to Captain Warren's ingenious theory of the direction of this line.
' I must advance another fact which appears to me intimately connected with this remark, and to confirm it in a certain measure. We know the multiplicity of denominations under which the great western valley of Jerusalem, so commonly called the Kcdron, is known. The fellahin of Siloam divide it into three sections, which are, proceeding from north to south, ist, AVady Sitti Miriam ; 2nd, Wady Fer'aun ; 3rd, Wady Eyub. The name of the intermediate part, which extends from the south-east angle of the Haram to the confluence at the north of Bir Eyub, is remarkable : Wady Fer'aun, that is, Pharaoh's Valley. Now, it is well known that to the Arabs, the name of Pharaoh simply indicates the idea of something or other of ancient times, and it is found with this vague meaning in a crowd of places which have nothing to do with Egypt, very much as in France, where all Roman camps are, for the vulgar, Cxsar's camps. Wady Fer'aun signifies, then, the valley of the king, and the region to which this name is applied is precisely that which the King's Gardens of the Bible used to occupy.' — C. Clermont Ganneau, 'Quarterly Statement,' 1869, p. 252.
NoN-BiLLicAL Sites.
A rath is mentioned in the ' Onomasticon ' as west of Jerusalem — possibly the present Khurbet Haras h, near K u 1 6 n i e h.
Ceperaria. — A place shown in the Peutinger Tables (393 a.d.), 12 Roman miles from Eleutheropolis, 24 from Jerusalem. The distances point to the large ruin of K e f r U r i e h.
S i o r, between Jerusalem and Eleutheropolis ('Onomasticon'), would seem to be the present ruin of S a i r e h, beside one of the Roman roads.
St. Cyprian is mentioned as early as 1422 by John Poloner, south of Jerusalem. The name H a u d K i b r i y a n (' Cyprian's Trough ') perhaps indicates the neighbourhood of this monastery, which may have stood at the ruin of K e b a r, on the hill above.
St. Elias (the present Mar Elia.s) is mentioned as early as 11 87 a.d. (' Citez de Jherusalem'). The modern traditions connected with the place, as well as that of the field of pease immediately south, also date back to the Middle Ages. (See Section C.)
Tomb of Rachel. — This site has been shown from the fourth century to the present time in the same place. In 700 a.d. it is men- tioned as surmounted by a pyramid. In i too a.d. the same description is given. In 1422 a Moslem building is noticed as standing over the
[SHEET Xl'IL] NON-BIBLICAL SITES. 55
place. The surrounding; ground is called Cabra by Origcn (see Reland's ' Palestine,' p. 704), and the same title (founded on a mistranslation) often occurs in later writings — as, for instance, in iioo a.d., when John of Wirtzburg calls the place Chabratha. (See Section B.)
Tower of Eder Is said by Jerome to have been a mile from Bethlehem (' Onomasticon,' s. v. Bethlehem), probably near the ruined monastery of Sir el Ghanem, the two titles having a similar mean- ing— ' Tower of the Flock' and ' Fold of the Flock.'
Roads. — There are nine main lines of communication on this Sheet, eight of which are ancient :
I. The Watershed Road. — Coming from Bethel, the road descends gradually after passing Bireh, following an open valley for 4 miles. It then ascends again some 200 feet per mile to the plateau near Shafat. A Roman milestone fallen beside the road (as marked on the map) is inscribed as below :
IbAOTIBT IMPANTONINI IMPHADRIANI IMPTRAIANPARTHOR
IMPNERYAE
The list being that of the names of the Antonine Emperors.
The road descends from the plateau towards Jerusalem, entering by the north gate.
Leaving the capital by the west gate, and crossing the valley, the road ascends somewhat steeply to the B u k e i a plateau, and follows the shed, with only one large bend to avoid the head ofWady ed Dashish.
Leaving Bethlehem on the east, the road runs south-west to the low ground round the Burak. It then ascends sharply through a narrow pass, having the ridge of Ras esh Sherifeh on the west, and the gorge of Wad y el Biar on the east. Its further course is noticed on Sheet XXI. The pass is described by Josephus (Ant. xii. 9, 4).
2. Jerusalem to Jaffa. — The main road at present in use ascends gradually to Kubab. It then descends into a shallow valley,
S6 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
and crosses the bed by a modern bridge. The course is flat from this point for if miles to the foot of the hill of L a t r 6 n. The ascent is here made between low side-banks of rock, and the road again falls gradually- east of the ruins, and follows the course of Wady 'Aly for 2\ miles to the Bab el Wad, where it enters a narrow pass between high hills. It then ascends the valley, having a rise of 1,400 feet in 3-2- miles. Here, from a point just east of Saris, the last view is obtained of the plain through a gap. The course is tolerably flat for i^ miles to K u r y e t el 'Enab, whence there is a descent of about 380 feet in a mile to the spring of 'A i n D i 1 b e h. The road then rises again 250 feet to the ridge just beneath Kustul, and again descends 630 feet in a mile to the bridge over the valley at K u 1 6 n i e h. The road then ascends again by a steep and winding course to the plateau west of Jerusalem, reaching an elevation of 2,685 feet above the sea, or 850 feet above the K li 1 6 n i e h bridge, at a point 2\ miles from it. Here the view over the great valley just passed, as far as Kustul on the west, is fine. The road descends 180 feet in the last i\ miles to the Jaffa Gate.
This line was once carefully made, but the drainage being imperfect, it was destroyed by the winter rains, and is now often impassable by wheeled vehicles.
The road does not appear to have been an ancient main line, but an old Roman road from Y a 1 o runs south nearly to B a b el Wad, then, turning east, ascends 1,400 feet in 4 miles, and joins the modern road west of Kiiryet el 'Enab. A milestone lies beside the path on the ascent. The road descends the hill at Kiiryet el 'Enab, and then again diverges from the modern main line, running north-east to B i d d u, with an ascent of some 500 feet. It joins No. 3.
3. Jerusalem to Lydd a. — This road descends past the so-called ' Tombs of the Judges,' and crosses Wady Beit H a n i n a, climbing up again by a steep ascent to Beit I k s a. It then runs along a ridge for about 6 miles in a north-east direction, with a fall of 900 feet. East of K u b e i b e h an ancient milestone lies fallen by the side of the way. The course gradually changes to due west near K h u r b e t el J e d e i r, and the road descends 900 feet in 2 miles, crossing Wady S e 1 m a n, and entering the district of the low undulating hills, across which it runs north- west, with a total fall of 300 feet in about 5 miles.
[SHEET XVII.] ROADS. 57
A cross communication with No. 4 branches off from No. 3, and runs up the course of Wady Selman, rising 1,440 feet in about 8 miles along the line, and reaching the open plain of c 1 Jib, the steepest gradient being some 200 feet in the last quarter of a mile.
4. Jerusalem to Lydda (Northern Route). — This road leaves No. I half a mile north of T e 1 1 el F u 1, and runs north-west, descend- ing in f mile 150 feet, and crossing Wady ed Dumm. It then rises again 200 feet in a mile, and crossing the swell, descends 150 feet to cross the second open valley. Leaving el Jib to the left, it rises 200 feet in the next 2 miles, and then follows a ridge to Beit 'Or el F 6 k a, the ridge falling 500 feet in less than 4 miles. The road now descends sharply, and shows evident signs of antiquity. In half a mile the fall is 500 feet. The course runs westwards, gradually descending 150 feet in the next 4 miles. The rest of the course (Sheets XIII., XIV.) has a gradual descent to the plain, joining No. 3 west of J i m z u. At Beit'Ur etTahta another ancient line runs from No. 4 west to Beit S i r a, and then, turning due south, follows Wady el M i k t e 1 y, de- scending gradually, and running across the low hills to Beit Nuba and Y a 1 o, with a branch over the open plain to A m w a s.
5. Bethel to Jerich o. — The old line running down from B e i t i n follows the ridge south-east of that place, gradually descending to the open plateau of D e i r D i w a n, passing on the south slope of the great mound of e t Tell. From D e i r D i w d n the old line ran to M li k h m a s, falling gradually 600 feet in 2 J miles ; thence it runs east to the ridge of Ras et Tawil. (See further, Sheet XVIII.)
6. Jerusalem to Jerich o. — There are two lines which both join in the open valley west of T a 1 'd t ed Dumm (Sheet XVIII.). The one to the north ascends the Mount of Olives, rising 350 feet in about ■^ mile. Thence it runs north-east for about 4 miles, with a gradual descent along the 'side of the ridge, and then descends into the valley, running east to join the second line.
The southern line passes south of the summit of Olivet, ascending only 100 feet, and running round the contour of the hill to Bethany. East of that village a sharp descent of 500 feet leads down into the valley at
VOL. III. 8
58 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
'A i n H a u d. The line then runs north-east, descending gradually along the valley, falling 500 feet in 2\ miles.
7. Jerusalem to Mar Sab a. — The road runs down W a d y en N a r, and crossing a low saddle, avoids the great bend of that valley, and runs south-east, descending 850 feet in about 5 miles ; numerous ancient wells occur along the course, and this road seems to be that which led to Zuk. (See Roman road, Sheet XVIII.)
8. Jerusalem to Enged i. — An ancient line leaves No. i on the plain south of Jerusalem, and runs along a ridge south- east for 5 miles in a line, reaching the high hill of Umm et Tala, east of Bethlehem, where an old cross-road from Bethlehem to Mar Saba passes across it. It then has a descent of about 800 feet in half a mile to the K a b r G h a n n a m, from which point the fall is more gradual.
9. Jerusalem to Jamnia. — The mainline leaves No. i at the B u r a k, and runs north-west to el K h li d r ; by a gradual ascent it reaches the saddle north of the sfreat ridge of Ras esh Sherifeh, and there are here numerous Mesha-hed, or piles of stones erected by pilgrims. Thence, with a gradual descent, the road runs west along the ridge to H u b i n. About a mile east of that ruin a milestone lies beside it. It here bifurcates, the southern branch having a milestone 2 Roman miles from the last mentioned, and descending due west into the open valley below Beit Nettif, where the main line from Hebron (Sheet XXL, No. 5) down Wady es Sunt joins it. An old line runs due north from the hill of Beit Nettif, along the ridge, to join the northern branch about to be described. The line along Wady e s Sunt, westwards, is probably also a main ancient line of communication.
The northern branch from H u b i n runs along the ridge to Beit 'A t a b, and then descends sharply, having a fall of 800 feet in 2\ miles. It reaches the broad open valley of Wady es Surar, which it follows (Sheet XVI.).
There arc traces of the pavement and side walls along the greater part of the length of this ancient line, which forms the easiest ascent to Jerusalem from the plain.
SHEET XVII.— SECTION B.
ARCHEOLOGY.
Abu el 'A i n e i n (L s). — A modern ruined Kubbeh with a fir- tree. To the east are traces of ruins.
'A i n H a u d (K u). — The spring has a building over It with a trough, which appears modern. Near it is a ruined Khan, apparently not very old.
'A i n Hanniyeh (L t). — A modern tradiiion makes this the fountain where Philip baptized the eunuch. The spring flows out in the wall of a little platform, with a kind of apse facing southwards. The floor of the platform is 8 feet above the level of the road. The apse is 7^ feet diameter, and 5 feet to the back. It is flanked by two pilasters, i foot 2 inches wide, having Corinthian capitals. The apse has a niche in it at the back, 2 feet 9 inches above the floor. The niche is 3 feet high, i foot 6 inches wide, i foot 3 inches deep. The total height of the apse is 9 feet 6 inches above the floor to the tops of the pillar capitals. The wall in which the apse is formed has a length of about 20 feet, and faces north. The water of the spring is now caught in a stone trough. A fig- tree grows over the wall. The niche was probably intended for a figure of the genius of the spring.
In the road just in front of this structure — which seems, in part at least, to be a reconstruction, since the base of a pillar is built into the floor of the platform — is a great cylindrical stone 4 feet 3 inches high, and 4 feet in diameter. It has a hole in one end 10 inches deep, i foot 2 inches in diameter ; and in the side two grooves 2 feet 9 inches long, 5 inches deep, and widening from 6 inches at the end to 12 inches near the middle of the stone. The use of this stone is not clear.
This interesting place was photographed by Captain Warren (No. 343 of the Society's Series). The building is considered by Sepp and Guerin to be earlier than the Crusading
8—2
6o THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
period. The tradition cannot be traced farther back, but it has been accepted by the Greeks and Armenians.
'A in Maktush (L t). — The spring comes out of a building some lo feet high and lO yards long, of large unhewn blocks. This wall has a very ancient appearance. The water is cool and abundant ; a large terebinth grows in front. (3rd June, 1875.)
'A i n S h e m s (J t). — Heaps of stones and ruined walls of modern appearance, the remains of a former village on a low Tell. There is no spring at the place, but in the valleys to the south there are several ; to the east are olives ; in the ruins is a Mukam of Neby Meizer. There is a low swell west of the village site, on which are ruins apparently more ancient — foundations and walls of good masonry. On the north are rock-cut tombs, half buried. A large 'Ozbeh, or summer settlement of drystone huts, with roofs of boughs, was found here in 1881, inhabited during harvest time.
'A in el Wahash (L u). — By this spring is a single rock-cut tomb just above the road ; a chamber about 7 feet wide, with a stone bench running round the back and side walls on the interior, but without any loculi. (iSth October, 1873.)
'A i n K a r i m (L t). — South of the modern village near the wall of the convent of the Sisters of Sion are three rock-cut tombs.
No. I, furthest east, contains two kokim at the back, and one each side of a square chamber.
No. 2 is choked.
No. 3 has a square ante-chamber, and an Inner chamber i^ feet lower, with a bench round three sides and a koka at the back.
On the southern hill west of the spring ('Ain Sitti Miriam), and close to the new Russian hospice, ruins were discovered by the Latins, in 1861, in building the new Chapel of the Summer-House of Zacharias. The grounds were excavated to a depth of 15 to 20 feet, and the lower story of the old church (mentioned by John Poloner (1422) as having a sub- terranean and an upper chapel) was found.
All that can now be seen is the recent reconstruction, except a small cave, or vault, south of the altar, which is at the east end. A piece of stone is here shown which melted like wax, and hid John the Baptist, as an infant, from Herod's soldiers. Outside this chapel on the south are
{SHEET XVII.] ARCHEOLOGY. 6i
arches and vaults in ruins, remains of a former monastery. The masonry is of good size and finish, some stones drafted. A courtyard is entered from the west, and a stone rib, with low point, rises from a massive pier ; these are remains of a vault of which the rag-work has disappeared. There is diagonal dressincr on the stones, but no masons' marks occur. A narrow staircase leads up from the cloister north of the court to a chapel above that before noticed. Only the foundations of its walls remain ; the apse and part of a stone altar are traceable ; the interior was once covered with plaster and painted in fresco. There are many graffiti on the plaster, and on one stone a rude cutting representing the high- priest's breastplate — no doubt due to the tradition which erroneously supposes Zacharias to have been a high-priest. On the south side of the apse is the piscina. South of this chapel are remains of cells and steps, the rock being scarped. These ruins are partly hid by the soil of an orchard, which once covered the entire site, and in which the chapels and other buildings were found buried.
'Ain Karim was given to the Franciscans through the influence of the Marquis de Nointal, Ambassador of Louis XIV. to the Sultan of Turkey. The church and monastery probably date back only to this time, as the absence of masons' marks seems to indicate that the masonry is not of the twelfth century, nor does the finish of the work resemble that of Crusading buildings. There are two good springs within the limits of the property.
The Church of the Baptist, in the village itself, is of Crusading origin ; but the interior has been covered with encaustic tiles, and none of the older work is recognisable. The dome rises from four heavy piers ; the grotto north of the high altar (at the east end of the church), is reached by seven steps ; it is said to be the birthplace of St. John.
A bad copy of a Murillo is hung on the north side of the church, and much prized by the monks, who are chiefly Spaniards.
Revisited 20th July, 18S1.
'Ain Y a 1 o (!\I u).— A small monastery seems once to have existed here. On the north side of the hill, south of the spring, are three tombs one having three loculi, the second, five kokiin, and the third, two kokiiii.
Guerin found the name of Deir el Roum (' Convent of Christians') attached to this place. He speaks of a rectangular building 15 feet long by 13 feet broad, the lower courses of which
62 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
were, on the occasion of his visit, still m silii. Eeside the spring he saw three shafts lying on the ground.
'Alaly el Bena t — This group of caves in Wady Siirar probably represents an old hermitage. There is a broad ledge, with a precipice above, containing one row of caves, while others occur beneath.
The eastern group of upper caves includes No. i, a rude cave 28 feet to the back, 12 feet broad.
Nos. 2 and 3, just west of it, are pigeon-holes in the rock, the latter being 9 feet long, 3 feet wide, 4 feet high, perhaps a sleeping-place.
No. 4 is a large excavation — a sort of open court with a cave at ground-level at each end, and two good-sized cisterns, while 10 or 12 feet higher a gallery is hollowed in the face of the cliff looking south-east ; steps are seen leading thence to a cave on the left, and there is another cave on the right, and higher up on the left another inaccessible cave in the cliff, with a small out-look excavated in the face of the precipice.
Near this group are three other inaccessible caves in the cliff.
The western group of caves on the same level is some 130 yards distant.
No. I is a cave 12 feet square.
No. 2 a large group rather higher, with a steep ascent of about 10 feet in the face of the rock. The cave is open in front, 66 feet long by about 50 to the back. On the right a rude chamber 18 feet by 16 feet, with a sort of window in the precipice ; at the back on the right is a chamber 22 feet wide, 40 feet to the back ; and to the right another excavation 40 feet wide, 7 feet to the back.
In the precipice below these caves are some half dozen small caves, like Nos. 2 and 3 of the west group above noted. There are thus about 20 caves in all.
Visited i8th July, 1881.
'Allar es Siflt;h (K u). — Apparently an ancient site with rock- cut tombs. K h li r b e t N 11 h forms part of the site with its two springs and gardens of orange trees. There is a ruined building here, which appears to have been an ancient church. The building has a bearing 107" east along its length, with a window to the east and two to the north. On the south was the door. The measurements outside were 88 feet east and west by 46 feet north and south. The walls arc 10 feet
[SHEET Xril.']
ARCHEOLOGY.
63
thick, and standing in parts 20 feet high. A cornice runs round the interior ; two brackets remain on the north wall between the windows, which probably once supported the arches of the roof. The windows are very narrow, with round arches above. The masonry is of small stones, rudely squared, but the faces not dressed smooth. The mortar is hard and mixed with charcoal. The core of the walls is of rubble. The interior of the church is cemented. All these details point to the building being of 1 2th century date. (Compare K h li r b e t I k b a 1 a.)
Among the ruins are vaults cemented inside, with small masonry and pointed arches. One corner of a building had drafted stones, the face rustic, and projecting 2^ inches, the draft 4 inches wide. Near this is an old ruined tank. The ruins are probably to be attributed to Crusading times.
Visited October 22, 1873.
'Am was (J s). — The village has rock-tombs near it, some of which are of the kind known as ' rock-sunk,' apparently of Christian origin. To the south is the ruined church. (See Palestine Exploration Fund Photo No. 158.) The three eastern apses are still traceable ; the masonry, standing for two or three courses above the surface, is of moderate size, one stone 10 feet long, 2 feet high, 3 feet thick. Some of the stones are drafted, the draft 2j to 4 inches broad ; the core of the walls is of rubble. The north wall of the church is 90 feet long, outside the west wall 84 feet long. The cen- tral apse is 2>2) f^^t diameter, the side apses 1 2 feet. The church had a west door, and an east window in the nave apse. The style of the whole building is Byzantine.
Excavations have recently been conducted at 'Amwas by Captain Guillemot, of the French corps of Engineers, and a full account is to be published by this officer. The foundations of the church have been partly
'?. 4 9 'p
Scale of Peel
^1 3P ip Sfi ef
21 'S
64 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
excavated; and the account is jiublished in ' Les Missions Cathollques,' No. 665, 3rd March, 1882. It was found that a more recent building had been constructed on the ruins of the old Byzantine church, apparently in the twelfth century. The church as then restored measured 95 feet along the north wall, and 55 feet along the west wall externally, and appears to have consisted of five bays, indicated by the foundations of external
Scale
buttresses. It had a west door and two side doors, one north and the other south, in the eastern bay. The wall, not including the buttress, is 4 feet thick.
In the south apse a tomb was found, about a yard beneath the present surface : it appears to be a Moslem grave of a Derwish. Several rock- cut tombs exist close by, and a great number of small glass bottles, about 6 inches long, like the tear bottles usually found in tombs ; about 20 were preserved unbroken. A limekiln was also found close by. Pottery, mosaic, bases and capitals of pillars, were discovered in digging round the church walls. One of these capitals, which probably belonged to the Byzantine church, was found just outside the east end of the north wall of the Crusading church. It is a rude Ionic capital, like those used in the fifth century ; between the volutes is a Hebrew inscription on a tablet on one side, and between the volutes on the other side a Greek inscription. The Hebrew characters are :
dSiI''? IOC "1113
which is read :
' Blessed be His name for ever.'
The Greek reads :
EIC GEOC.
'One God.'
This ejaculation is not uncommon in Byzantine Greek inscriptions, and is found on a tomb at Bel a, dating probably from the fourth century.
[SHEET XV [I.]
ARCILEOLOGY.
65
(See Sheet XL, Section B, Vol. II.) The formula also occurs in an inscription in Greek which has recently been found on a tomb at Arsuf, and has been transported to Jaffa. The Hebrew inscription is probably a copy from an older original.
The capital is marked S on the under side, probably for Sex, showing the position which it was intended to occupy in the church.
The Crusaders destroyed the side walls of the older church, and re-used the masonry ; they appear to have built a smaller apse within the old north apse. (Compare the restoration of the church at Beit Jibrin, Sheet XX.)
In the Crusading walls several masons' marks were noted.
^n N
The mediceval masonry is in courses about 2 feet 3 inches high, with stones 6 feet to 13 feet long, having the diagonal dressing.
The Byzantine masonry of the apses is dressed with a point ; the stones are of equal size with the Crusading work.
The roof of the south apse is in situ. It is a flat half dome, with large stones built round a central key. The sill of an east window, 5 feet broad, remains in the centre apse ; the voussoirs of the dome of the north apse lie on the floor. The foundations of a parallel wall, north of the north apse, have also been laid bare, perhaps indicating a courtyard round the church, 19 feet from the north wall.
The stones are for the most part rough and small, the base course, however, is of stones, 3 feet high and 4^ feet long. A fragment of a window cornice, with holes for three bars, was found near.
East of the church human bones were dug out in great quantities, and a cross, with a hole in it, intended to be worn round the neck, was VOL. III. 9
66 THE SUR VE V OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
found. Probably a cemetery existed here in Christian times. A rough bench-tomb or cave, 3 paces square, with a bench, 2^ feet wide, round three sides, occurs south of the church, and there are remains of a pave- ment of stones, 3I by 2f square and i foot 4 inches thick. A well-cut white marble shaft, 20 inches in diameter, and 3.V feet long, was found near. The pavement outside the church is 2\ feet lower than the floor inside, and the buttresses stand on a plinth, or basement. A single step occurs at the north and west doors.
In the village itself excavations have also been conducted, and many foundations of fairly good masonry are found a foot or two below the surface. Some rude Ionic capitals have also been found, and two or three rough shafts, also a stone, 8 feet long, 3 feet 3 inches high, and 9 inches thick, having a simple beading on the two longer sides, 9 inches in all, with a total projection of |- of an inch. Visited 20th April, 1882.
' Another interview with the fellah Ibraham Almud gave me new traditions on the ancient Nicopolis which are not without their value. It is always the famous pestilence of which I have already spoken in my previous reports which fills the principal part in these vague souvenirs of the past.
' On the first appearance of the pestilence at Emmaus, the inhabitants, who were all Jews, mostly fled. Nearly all who remained died. The scourge passed, the fugitives came back to the town. But the following year the epidemic appeared again, and the people all perished without having the time to escape by flight. At this moment arrived Neby Ozeir (Esdras), who found all dead — men, women, and children. The prophet having asked of God why he had so rudely chastised the country, supplicated the Almighty to resuscitate the victims. It was done, and since that time the Jews have been named oulad el m'ltee (the children of the putlitig to deatli).
' It is to this epidemic that the city of 'Amwas owes its name, according to our fellahin. They say, in fact, of the pestilence, amm-ou-asa {it was extended ge>ierally, and was an afflic- tion). (I have not been able to determine precisely the meaning of the second verb, which I omitted in my notes.) Of course, I put no faith in the truth of this etymology, which is evidently artificial, like many of the same kind met with in the Bible as well as in the mouths of the people, and on which I have many times in these reports found occasion to insist.
' It will be curious to give, side by side with this rustic etymology, a philologic explanation of the same kind given us by St. Jerome precisely apropos of Emmaus. The learned Fulton translates the word Emmaus as populiis abjectus, alias abjicientes, which proves that he decomposed Emmaus into Atn, people, and Mans, refuse. St. Jerome appears to allude to various Biblical passages where this word is ajiplied by Christian exegesis to the Jewish people, and to have had notably present in his mind the verse of Lamentations iii., " Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people."
' It is clear from this etymology, more ingenious than probable, but to which we ought to have paid a little attention, that in the time of St. Jerome the Semitic name of Nicopolis was
[SHEET XV/I.] ARCHEOLOGY. 67
pronounced 'Emmaus, 'Ammaus, with the aiit, and that consequently the Arabic form is much nearer the original than the Talmudic Amaous with the aleph.
' This interpretation of St. Jerome is, besides, an additional proof that, for him, the Emmaus of the Gospels was Nicopolis, and consequently the 'Amwas of our time ; it also shows that the word " Emmaus " was nothing at all to do with Hamath, which is written with a /.-/iff, and which some authors want to identify with it.' — C. Clermont Ganneau, 'Quarterly Statement,' 1S74, p. 162.
'Amoas est h. mi-chemin de Jerusalem a Jaffa. J'ai fait souvent, h, cheval, sans me presser, le trajet de Je'rusalem h Amoas en quatre heures et de ce lieu h. Jaffa dans le meme espace de temps. Si on tirait une ligne droite de Jerusalem a Jaffa, elle passerait assez pres d' Amoas.
' L'eglise d' Amoas n'est pas orientee ; la fa(;ade regarde le Nord-quart-Ouest, par conse- quent les absides sont tournees vers le Sud-quart-Est.
TOMBEAU D UN S.\NTON A AMOAS.
' Avant les fouilles, celte construction ^tait tellement ensevelie qu'il ^tait impossible d'en bien saisir le plan : Quelques belles assises de I'abside centrale et une partie de voute appa- reillee de I'abside laterale gauche (cote de I'^pitre) ^talent seules visibles.
' C'est vers cette derniere partie que les fouilles furent commencees.
'A la profondeur d'un metre environ, I'abside etait entourfe de tombes Musulmanes d'un aspect ancien et, dans I'axe de cette meme abside, se trouvait une niche visiblement creusce aprh coup. C'est en ce lieu que j'ai trouve le tombeau d'un Santon, bien reconnaissable au /ff;-i^(?«r//6'-derviche traditionnel.
' Tous ces d(^tails m'ont fait penser que ce cote de l'eglise avait ete transforme en mosquee.
' Je passe rapidement sur la decouverte de plusieurs tombeau.x Juifs creuses dans le roc, pour m'arreter un instant pres d'une construction bizarre, faite k la hate, avec des pierres de dimension et d'origine differentes et contenant, parmi un amas d'ossements humains, plus de cent ampoules dont une vingtaine ont ete' retirees encore entieres.
' Je n'ai trouve la trace de I'outil des croisds sur aucune de ces pierres; elles me parurent d'ailleurs d'une ^poque anterieure. Ce n'etait certainement ni Juif, ni Musulman, et il n'y avait pourtant pas une seule croix.
9—2
68
THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
' A quelques pas de ce curieux ossuaire, un ancieii four m'a revele comment ont disparu les beaux marbres blancs, provenant des statues et des monuments anciens : tout autour de ce four gisaient de nombreux debris taillfe et sculpt^s, dont plusieurs dtaient a moiti^ calcines : on les employait ^ faire de la chaux.
' Les fouilles continuaient ainsi tout autour de I'l^glise, qui se de'gageait lentement de son linceul de terre et de debris.
' De nombreux fragments de base, de chapiteaux, dc colonnes et d'entablements, des poteries antiques, des cubes de mosaiques de toutes couleurs, enfin tout ce qu'on trouve, en Palestine surtout, dans les anciens monuments, mais jusque Ik, pas une seule inscription.
' Nous fumes plus heureux vers I'abside laterale droite (cote de I'^vangile), ou des signes indicateurs nous firent redoubler d'attention.
INSCRIPTION HEEREO-S.\JIARITAINE, TROUVEE A AMOAS.
' C'est Ik que fut trouve le curieux chapiteau ionique portant les deux inscriptions dejk publides par Monsieur I'Abb^ Barges, k qui j'en avais fait parvenir un dessin et un estampage, par les soins de Monsieur le Camus.
' Monsieur Clermont-Ganneau en avait dgalement regu un dessin, et, bien que les carac- teres fussent tres imparfaits, il les dechiffra sans ht^sitation.
' La plus remarquable de ces inscriptions est Hebr^o-Samaritaine, elle occupe deux lignes sur une tablette divisde, dans sa longueur, par une rainure. Cette tablette fixfe avec inten- tion, entre les deux volutes, par deux queues d'arondes simul^es, prouve que I'inscription dtait pr^vue dans I'arrangement du chapiteau.
' Pour faciliter la traduction, je place les caractbres Samaritains sur une seule ligne, avec les caracteres Latins correspondants au-dessous, mais h rebours ; les ^critures S^mitiques se lisant de droite k gauche.
t I I I I
[SHEET XVn.\ ARCHAEOLOGY. 69
' En retournant les lettres Romaines dans leur sens, dc gauche a droite, on a BRWK CHMW LHWLM. Chaque lettre S^mitique non suivie d'un alef, d'un ia ou d'un van, ayant la force d'une consonne jointe h. une voyelle muctte, on doit lire ainsi :
'BaROUK CHeMO LHeOLaM.
' qu^il soil bhii son nom cl jamais
'On remarquera que, sur la tablette, h la fin de la premiere ligne, la place manquant pour finir le mot CHMO, on a dii reporter la lettre finale ^ la deuxieme ligne et placer un point immt^diatement aprfes cette lettre, pour I'isoler du mot suivant.
' Trois lettres Samaritaines ne correspondent pas entierement ^i celles de I'alphabet Romain :
' 1°. Le vau qui se prononce OV oX 0, je I'ai traduit par le double F IF.
' 2". Le chin qui a la valeur du CH.
'EI2 0EO2 UN SEUL DIEU.
' Voici le sens complet de I'inscription Hebrdo-Samaritaine :
' Un seal Dieu, que son nom soil ban a jamais !
' 3°. Le hain, que les Arabes prononcent fortement du gosier ; ce dernier n'ayant aucun caractere correspondant, je I'ai representi^ par H.
' Maintenant, .\ qui attribuer le desir exprime ? car dvidemment la phrase n'est pas com- plete : qui son nom soil bhii d, jamais !
' Nous allons trouver ce complement en retournant le chapiteau qui possede une autre inscription sur sa face opposde.
' La surprise est extreme pour un archeologue : h. la place de la tablette, nous avons ici, entre les volutes, une sorte de coquille sur le pourtour de laquelle on lit une inscription Grecque du bas Empire.
' Nous sommes done en presence d'une sentence exprimant une seule pensee, a I'aide de deux differentes langues, avec les caracteres propres de chacune d'elles.
' L'inscription est de basse epoque ; cela est certain. ]\L Clermont-Ganneau possede les preuves de I'emploi de cette forme, du III""' au VI°" siecle.
■JO THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
' Sans cette preuve archeologique incontestable, j'avoue que je serais fort embarrass^ pour la date du chapiteau : son dessin original d^passe tout ce qu'il y a de plus ose, dans les sp&imens de ce genre. Mais dans ces contrees, oii tant de grands peuples ont impose leur mode d'architecture, sans cependant pouvoir exclure completement I'influence locale de certains details, il n'est pas possible detablir une date absolue sur un simple fragment.
'En ce qui concerne ma spdcialitd, depuis dix ans que je creuse le sol en Palestine, j"ai acquis la conviction que la decadence de I'art y a precede I'occupation Romaine. Dans les plus anciennes ruines, je n'ai trouve, jusqu'a ce jour, qu'un seul chapiteau corinthien i peu prfes pur ; mais j'ai rencontr^ des chapiteaux composites anciens, d'une libcrtc de dessin et de proportion que les sculpteurs Romains n'ont pas depasse.
' Que penseraient les archeologues d'Europe de I'emploi de I'ogive dans un pont Romain ? et cependant cela est. Sa patine et la forme de I'appareil Romain ont un caractere trop accentue, pour qu'on puisse admettre la possibility' d'un raccord invisible.
' Par opposition, on trouve des diStails de sculpture et d'architecture, du ix.™' au xii™ siecle, d'une facture ^trang^re k leur epoque.
' L'importance archeologique de la decouverte d'Amoas est surtout dans la date, presque certaine, que Finscription Grecque donne \ la Samaritaine.
' Qui aurait pu croire k I'emploi des caracteres Machabeens sous la domination Romaine, et cela simultanement avec la langue Grecque ? II devait ccrtainement y avoir la une inten- tion sp&iale.
' Le chapiteau d'Amoas est en marbre gris-clair ; le ciseau qui I'a taille n'etait pas tres habile et, malgre sa forme basse et allongde et ses deux volutes, il est d'une parente assez cloignee du chapiteau classique de I'ordre.
' Sous le lit de jonction avec le fut il porte, comme signe d'appareil, la lettrc S, laquelle, L-n chiffre, e'quivaut au nombre VI.
' On peut supposer, de Ik, que ce couronnement peut etre le sixieme de sa colonnade. ' Mais il se pourrait aussi, d'apres la tradition de I'appareil monumental, que I'ensemble de I'ordre ait ete numerote ainsi : La base n° i ; le fut n° 2 ; le chapiteau n" 3. — Pour la deuxifeme colonne — La base n° 4 ; le fut n° 5 et le chapiteau n° 6.
' Les deux hypotheses pourraient admettre un monument commdmoratif, dont les chapiteaux, ornes de pieuses sentences, auraient supporte un entablement, avec I'inscription principale dans la frise.
' Peut-etre encore n'est-ce qu'un simple abaque isol^ reposant sur une courte colonne et devant scrvir h. quelque pieuse ceremonie.
' Cela expliquerait parfaitement I'inscription.
' Mais toutes ces suppositions sont vaines ; il faut attendre la fin des fouilles, pour savoir s'il existe d'autres documents arche'ologiques relativement h, la mystcrieuse pierre d'Amoas.
' Puisque j'ai dit mystcrieuse, je dois n&essairenient presenter les raisons qui me portent \ penser ainsi. Pour cela, il est indispensable de faire une rapide description des anciennes constructions.
' L'^glise Romaine, bien reconnaissable h, son superbe appareil, dont les blocs mesurent trois metres en longueur, 8.90 en hauteur et 0.60 en largeur, n'a conscrv(§ que ses trois absides. Toutes trois ont une forme circulaire k I'interieurj mais, h, I'exte'rieur, les absides late-rales sont carr<-es et I'abside centrale mi-octogone.
' L'enscmblc du monument couvtc un cspace de vingt et un mhres de large et trente-sept de long, c'est-c\-dire sept cent soi.xante-di.\-scpt metres de surface.
[SHEET XFJI.]
ARCHEOLOGY.
7'
' Les Croises, en reprenant cette construction, n'en ont pas suivi le plan primitif ; ils n'ont utilisd que I'abside centrale, en lui accolant una nef unique, divisee en quatre trave'es, avec contreforts extdrieurs, aux points de la poussi5e des voutes. Cette nef se termine par un porche, qui abrite la porte principale.
' Les murs latcraux de I'dglise Romaine ont ^t^ ds^niolis, pour servir aux basses oeuvres des Croises. Mais les deux absides latt5rales ont i\.i conserv^es, soit pour servir de contreforts c\ I'abside centrale, soit par respect pour un pieux souvenir.
ABSIDE SOUTERRAINE DECOUVERTE A AMOAS.
' L'ceuvre des croises, reliee a la construction Romaine, se reconnait facilement aux stries diagonales laissees sur les pierres par I'outil de I'ouvrier. Cette importante de'couverte de la manifere des Crois& appartient h, M. Clermont Ganneau.
' D'apres cet aper^u, on comprend que les constructeurs, ayant abandonnd les absides latt^rales, n'ont pas cherch^ ce qu'elles pouvaient contenir en sous-sol. C'est precisement prfes d'une de ces absides, celle du cote de I'evangile, que le chapiteau a ete decouvert.
' Ce qui rend inexplicable la jonction des deux eglises, c'est la naissance d'une seconde abside, qui, si elle avait ete continuee, se serait enclavee dans I'abside Romaine et I'aurait masqude. Cette intention, qui n'a pas meme i\.€ essay& du cote de I'epitre, parait avoir trouve des obstacles des son origine.
72 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
' Cette pr.rtie de I'edifice avait ete la plus maltraitee, plus encore par la main brutale dcs d(^molisseurs que par le temps.
' L'abside avail ete fermee avec soin par un mur d'u^ aspect presque aussi ancien que le travail des croisds, mais d'un appareil de moindre dimension.
' A deux metres du sol, une base Attique, en marbre rose fonce, etait encastre'e dans ce mur, moitie prise dans la construction et moitie en saillie. Une rainure, pratique'e sur les flancs de cette base, attestait sa destination \ ce scellement.
' En Palestine, un grand nombre de pieux souvenirs n'ont pas d'autre indication : un fragment de colonne, une base ou un chapiteau enchasse dans un mur. C'est sous ce signe, dans I'axe de l'abside, que reposait la pierre ^ double inscription.
' A, jonction de I'e'glise des croisds. B, appareil Remain. C, mur fermant l'abside. D, base enclav&. E, chapiteau avec inscription.
' Pensant que ce fond de nef laterale ferme' avec tant de soin par un mur portant un signal, pouvait receler quelques bonnes indications, j'en pris un croquis cotd et, apres avoir fait constater, par temoins, la disposition de I'ensemble, je fis enlever le tout. Je n'y ai trouv^ que de la terre, des debris de construction et des ossements humains.
' Quant au chapiteau, on ne voyait que sa face sup^rieure faisant simplement I'office d'un pave'.
' Le reste du pavement qui I'entourait etait formd de de'bris de pierres et de marbres, quelques-uns moulinfe et sculptes ; les interstices ^taient remplis par des cubes de mosaique.
' Un coup de pioche avail dechausse un large pave, voisin du chapiteau, un surveillant le prit pour I'examiner et vit que le marbre, qui restait scelle, etait tres ^pais et qu'il portail des ornements et des caractferes sur sa face laterale.
' Je fus appel(5 immediatemenl el je pus, 'b. mon tour, considerer ces dtranges caracteres.
' Je remarquai ensuite que ce marbre occupait I'axe de l'abside, qu'il se trouvait sous la base indicatrice, et je pensais que tout cela ne pouvait pas etre le seul fait du hasard.
' D'ailleurs, soil sous le pavement, sois dans la continuation des fouilles, on pouvait de'couvrir une explication de cette double precaution, ayant pour but d'arrcter I'attention sur cette partie de I'dglise, or comment replacer ces objets, si on les avail enleve's sans precau- tion ? Aussi il m'a paru utile de consigner, dans un proces-verbal, la place exacte du pave- ment et de la double inscription.
' On ne peut pas pe'cher par exc^s de prudence dans des recherches aussi s&ieuses et, sur ce sujet, les personnes qui sont inleresst^es dans la question doivent surtout dviter I'ironie, parce qu'elle est un indice certain de la passion.
' Les portions les ]j1us importantes de I'^glise d'Amoas n'ont pas encore ^t^ fouilldes. Ce sont : le tour postcrieur des trois absides, rintericur de la nef des croisds ct I'intcrieur de l'abside Romaine.' — Les Missions Cat/io/iqiies, le 3 Mars, 1882, 'Rapport par le Capitaine Guillemot sur Emmaus.'
Captain Guillemot is directing the work with much zeal and intelligence, and several ecclesiastics had come from Jerusalem to ^iew a discovery which they sujipose will supply a perfect proof of the truth of a religious tradition to which I shall refer later on. In default of ])hotograijhs I must give a short description of it. Unluckily the photograjjhs I took willi the gelatine bromide process proved very imperfect when I developed them at home. Doubtless the plates were injured by the over-
[SHEET X I'll.] ARCHAEOLOGY. 73
turning of the carriage. But I shall be able to replace them directly I go to Jerusalem, as the monument has now been transported to Bethlehem. It consists of a capital of white marble in false carved Ionic style, coarsely and irregularly sculptured. On one side bet\v:en the two traditional volutes is a cartouche in form of a titidus, having to the right and t'le left the two little side pieces which it is supposed to be fixed by. On the cartouche is an inscription written in two lines, separated by a horizontal stroke and engraved in Arch lic
Hebrew (that is to say Phoenician) characters. It can easily be deciphered -^^^ " Bless. d
be His Name for ever !" It is exactly the reading which I had suggested from the imperfect copy of the inscription sent to me on its first discovery, but from that I could only give my intuitive conclusion, and I felt a certain doubt as to its accuracy. On the other side, dis- posed in a circle, is the inscription € SC 6(rOC-=T? ^£sj — "There is one God." Finally I discovered a large mason's sign, on the part intended to be placed downwards on the top of the shaft of the column. It is a sort of q and I suspect it is more likely to prove a numerical letter. To complete the description ot the capital, I soon found on one side an eight-pointed star contained in a circle ; and on the other side a sort of " fasces " tied with a band.
' The capital was found in the pavement of the left hand side amongst other miscellaneous remains, used in like manner for paving this part of the building at some epoch which it would be well to know.
' The formula sT; kl;, though it may be equally well applied as a general dogma of any one of the three great monotheistic religions, is in this form essentially Christian. It occurs very frequently in the stone inscriptions of Syria, where it was apparently very popular. Probably it was from there that it passed into the creed of Islam. A glance at M. Wadding- ton's Greek and Latin inscriptions in Syria, shows us how frequently it occurs either laconically, as in the present instance, or else accompanied by words which more precisely define its scope-
' As examples I may cite the following : —
On the lintel of a door at Oum el Jemal (Nabat) — Elg -I- kli with the cross.
On another lintel at Diina (Antioch) —
Eis hhi -/.ai [0] Xwffroj u.-jroii xa! to ayiov 'Ssi'ijiia,, 8or;6^Tii — (of the year 4S3).
On a lintel at Kokanaya (Antioch) — eT; Sd; xal Xj/ffro; (of the year 318).
On a lintel at Katoura (Antioch) —
'I'/;so!i X^ier's, ^or,hi, it; hog //.ovog (of the year 331).
On the doors at Dellouza (Carriotide and Apamena) — -I- EI; i)s6; i/Tjs, etc.
On a lintel at Deir Seta (Antioch) —
ET; ho; jSori 6m naeiv (of the year 411).
At Domeir (Damascus) — eI; ho; 0 [iS\osi On\y]. VOL. III. 10
74 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
At Dama (Trachonite) —
EI; kli h jSori To 0iir,.
At Salmeustha (Batan) — Els ^£05 0 ^or,ilo[;].
At Oum-er-rumman (Nabathoean) —
ETs 6[io;].
At Deir el Meyas (Nabathrean) — [Ell] hoi 0 /3o[j)]^ [wv].
At Bastra (Nabathgean) — E(5 koi Kavog [ ] 'A/irjii.
' It would be easy to multiply examples of this formula. I will conclude by citing Sinaic inscriptions, one of Jezzin (region Sidon), another of Cyprus (Golos) — an amulet belonging to M. P(^retie, with eT; id; o vi-kuiv xaxd — and especially an inscription at Arzouf-Apollonia
' The Christian character of this formula is clearly demonstrated by these examples. It is probably of Jewish origin, and must have sprung from the well-known verse (the fourth) in the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy, which contains the word iriNnin^, Jehovah, rendered in the Septuagint by xug;o? ilg, and which precedes the dissertation on the Commandments. It is worthy of remark that this formula is generally found inscribed above the entrance-doors, as ordained in the ninth verse (with regard to the Commandments, of which it is, so to say, the preamble), " and t/iou sJialt -d'ritethem on the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."
'This Jewish connection agrees well with the double inscription on our capital, in which the Hebrew and Greek are so closely associated, and of the former of which I will endeavour to give some details. The sense seems to me quite clear, though I foresee that attempts may be made to give other readings in order to justify certain preconceived opinions. But I think that my reading of it will be accepted by all those who have had any real cxjjerience of Semitic epigraphs : " Blessed be His Name for ever " — in reference, naturally, to the Name of God. The phrase seems to have been taken literally (with the omission of only one word) from Psalm Ixxii. verse 19, "And blessed be His [glorious] Name for ever." It is exactly the anthem of the Roman Liturgy, " Sit Nomen Domini benedictum in secula." There is a similar form which frequently prefaces the inscriptions of religious offerings at Palmyra, N'oSpV noii' TiaV, "To Him Whose Name is blessed for ever." Making allowance for phonetic and grammatical variations between Hebrew and the Aramaic dialect in use at Palmyra, it is word for word the same as the formula which we are considering. Very often the dedicatory word \ " to" is omitted, and the formula appears in the shape of a simjile exclamatory invocation, NoSj'V nof ins, " His Name is blessed," or " Blessed be His Name for ever !"
' That we find this ancient Hebrew inscription on this particular capital is certainly very extraordinary, more especially from a palseographical point of view. For, in the first instance, if we adhere to the now well-known law which governed the development and changes in Hebrew writing, we should have to place the date of this inscription (written as it is in Phoenician characters) at a period long anterior to the Christian era, whilst, on the other hand, the style of the capital, and the presence of the Greek inscription (which from its
[SHEET XVII.] ARCHEOLOGY. 75
appearance we should attribute to the fifth or sixth centuries after Christ) " on its opposite side," quite contradict this conclusion.
' We cannot possibly suppose that the two inscriptions belong to different periods. Plastically the one is the pendant of the other, and the longer sentence seems equally a grammatical sequence of the other, as though we had to deal with a mixed phrase, half Greek, half Hebrew : " There is only one God, may His Name be blessed for ever !" Also it must be acknowledged that in the Hebrew part of it the word God is understood. This ellipsis certainly is not opposed to Semitic ideas, as we can see by referring to the formulas at Palmyra, which have just been cited.
' Whatever they may be, these two phrases seem inseparably joined one to the other, both with regard to their position and their age. This leads us to ask why they should have used, several centuries after Christ, a Hebrew alphabet which, according to all historical and archaeological researches, had fallen into complete disuse, having been replaced by the square characters. There is but one possible reply to this question, namely, that it was an artificial archaism, similar to those which have been found on Jewish coins. On them we also find inscriptions in the ancient Phcenician characters. Though we ought to' make some exceptions with regard to the earliest coins, the evidence with regard to the later utterances is convincing, those, for instance, which took place under Bar- chochebas in 135 .4.D. These epigraphic anachronisms have their parallels in other countries and periods, and are easily accounted for by the national or religious prejudices, which caused the Jews then in certain cases to make use of the ancient Hebrew alphabet. This factitious revival, however, must not put us on the wrong scent. Upon carefully examining the paleography of the inscription on this capital, one feels at once convinced that it belongs to about the same period as the above-mentioned coins. It is not impossible that it was either from them, or from documents of the same character, that the graver of the inscription took his models for the letters. I have not the necessary materials by me to enable me to make a careful comparison, or to determine the exact issue of coinage which it might have been, as for that purpose it would be necessary to have the actual specimens before one's eyes in order to examine them. I must content myself with pointing out the curious form of the van, which occurs three times, and which is almost identical with that generally adopted on the copper coins, which are supposed to belong to the earliest period, and which form but seldom appears in the subsequent utterances. I would call attention also to the little hook which forms the lower part of this letter ^. This peculiarity is quite in accordance with the tendency in the Hebrew alphabet to curve (towards the left) the tails of the lower part of the letters //. The word 'Cli' is separated from xh-^'h by a visible point ^^'e know that the separation of words by means of a dot is found in the oldest form of Semitic epigraphy.
' Before endeavouring to fathom the motive with which so curious an inscription came to be made, it is necessary first to inquire why it was graved upon a column, and also for what purpose this column can have been used.
' There are examples of inscriptions having been placed on capitals, for instance, in Cilicia, at Cyinda, at Tarsus, and Mopsuesta ; but keeping within the limits of Palestine, I may mention one which I discovered at Nablus, on the capital of one of the columns of the large mosque, and which, if I remember rightly, runs thus AOYKIOY lAKKOY, "Lucius lacchus." This epigraph is really very different to the one we are considering — it evidently
10 2
76 THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.
has reference to the name of the giver of the column, and is therefore similar in appearance rather than in reality.
' I have already mentioned that the lower side of our capital possesses a mason's sign. We know that not only in the early mediaeval, but also in the early classical and Byzantine periods, these signs were very often the actual initials of the masons — the marks of the builders. But I doubt whether this is the case in the present instance, on account of the nature of the sign, which I am more inclined to consider a numerical letter ; the episona Fav.