fatal to the Christian name and power. The castle of Tiberias surrendered the day after the conflict.1 Benjamin of Tudela had visited the place some twenty years before, and found here only fifty Jews with a Rabbi at their head; he speaks also of a Jewish cemetery, in which, among others, was the tomb of R. Jochanan.2-At a later period, A. D. 1240, Tiberias reverted for a time into the hands of the Christians, in consequence of a treaty with the Sultan of Damascus; but in A. D. 1247, while in the possession of Odo of Montbeliard, it was again subdued by the troops of the Sultan of Egypt, and remained thenceforth under the Muhammedan dominion.3

From that time onwards until the seventeenth century, we know little of Tiberias. Travellers in the fourteenth century speak of it as a small place; and Arabian writers of the same age, who mention it, describe chiefly the warm baths. About the middle of the sixteenth century, Bonifacius relates, evidently on hearsay, that Tiberias was no longer habitable, on account of the multitude of serpents; a report which Zuallardo and Cotovicus repeat near the close of the century; but which Quaresmius takes pains expressly to contradict.5 The latter writer is the first to describe the city correctly; the inhabitants, he says, were Arabs of the worst character; and the ancient

1) See above, pp. 243, 249.

2) Benj. de Tud. par Barat. p. 107. The Jewish Itinerary in Hottinger's Cippi Hebraici mentions here also this tomb, and especially that of R. Akiba with 24,000 of his disciples; p. 54. Ed. 2. Comp. Lightfoot Opp. II. p. 144. Burckhardt heard of this latter tomb; but the number of disciples had dwindled to 14,000; pp.. 328.

3) Hugo Plagon in Martene et Durand Tom. V. pp. 722, 731. (Comp. Marin. Sanut. pp. 215,

218.) Wilken Gesch. der Kr. VI. pp. 600, 652. Comment. de Bell. Cruc. pp. 201, 205.

4) W. de Baldensel in Basnage Thes. IV. p. 355. Sir J. Maundeville 115. Lond. 1839. AbulfeP dae Tab. Syr. p. 84. Ibn el-Wardi ibid. p. 184. Yakût in Schult. Ind. in Vit. Salad. art. Tiberias.

5) Bonif. de perenn. cultu Terr. Sanct. in Quaresmius II. p. 864; comp. p. 465. Zuallardo p. 250. Cotov. Itin. p. 359.

church was then used as a stall for cattle. Other travellers in the same century, and even later, speak of the church in the same manner, and describe the town as in ruins and scarcely inhabited. A rich Jewess, it was said, had built up the walls, in order that the Jews might reside there; but they were very soon driven out again by the Turks.2

About the middle of the eighteenth century, Tiberias made part of the domain of the noted Sheikh Dhaher el-'Amr, whose history is related by Niebuhr and Volney. His family belonged to the Bedawîn on the North of the lake, along the upper Jordan; and seems to have acquired considerable power in the neighbouring region. On the death of his father 'Omar, he succeeded to the possession of Safed; to which he afterwards added Tiberias and Nazareth. Pococke found him, in A. D. 1738, erecting a fort on a hill north of Tiberias, and strengthening the old walls with buttresses inside; he being at that time in strife with the Pasha of Damascus. Hasselquist in A. D. 1751 relates, that he had recently built up walls around the city, and also erected a castle on a hill outside. In A. D. 1749, Sheikh Dhaher by a sudden march got possession of 'Akka, which he fortified; and here maintained himself almost as an independent chief for many years, against all the attacks and intrigues of the surrounding Pashas. In A. D. 1775, at

the age of ninety years, he was still able to mount a fiery horse; but a fleet being sent against him in that year by the Porte, he was entrapped by fraud, and his head sent to Constantinople.'

The French had possession of Tiberias for a short time, during the invasion of Syria by Napoleon in A. D. 1799.2

Wednesday, June 20th. It had been our plan to proceed from Tiberias along the lake northwards, and so by the Jordan and the shore of el-Hûleh to Bâniâs. Here we proposed to search out all the sources of the Jordan, and then take the route up Wady et-Teim by Hâsbeiya and Râsheiya to Damascus. From this city we hoped to cross Anti-Lebanon to Ba'albek, and so by way of the cedars over Lebanon to Beirût. For all this we still had a sufficient number of days at our command. But the time had now come, when the disturbances in the North of Palestine were to affect our plans, and compel us to change our intended course. As we yesterday visited the warm springs, we found there a special messenger with a letter from our friend Abu Nâsir of Nazareth, whom we had left only on Monday morning; informing us, that soon after our departure news had come, that the rebel Druzes from the Lejah had made an inroad upon beiya, seized the place by surprise, and killed the governor and all the Turkish and Christian inhabitants. In consequence, not only this road, but also that by the bridge and Kuneitirah, had become unsafe; inasmuch as the rebels were on the look-out for

1) Volney 1. c. p. 87. Niebuhr I. c. p. 76.

Hâs

2) See Clarke's Travels etc. p. 479. 4to. etc. etc.

caravans and travellers, whom they were said not only to rob, but also to murder.

We did not doubt but that this intelligence was very greatly exaggerated; yet as, on inquiry in Tiberias, we learned that similar accounts had been also received from the eastern side of the lake, we thought it more prudent to obtain further information, before we ventured to proceed directly towards Damascus. It was evident, that Abu Nâsir had considered the source of his intelligence as trustworthy; for his solicitude led him to despatch a special messenger on our account; a kindness which another native would hardly have rendered to us. We concluded therefore to remain this day encamped at Tiberias; hire the little sail-boat, and visit all the places along the western shore as far north as to the entrance of the Jordan; and the next day proceed directly to Safed, where we might hope to obtain later and more authentic information.

Such was, and such is, this land of wars and rumours of wars! Reports fly current from mouth to mouth, of which no one can learn, whether they are true or false; suspense, agitation, and anxiety prevail continually; without the possibility of ascertaining whether or not there actually exists the slightest cause of inquietude. In the present instance, the hopes and wishes of the Christian inhabitants of Palestine, were strongly on the side of the Egyptian troops. "May God give victory to our Effendi," was the concluding prayer of Abu Nâsir's letter to us; and this wish was not unnatural, although the war itself was totally unjust and conducted with horrible atrocity. The Christians were anxious for the success of Ibrahim, because this was connected with the maintenance of the Egyptian government, in opposition to the Turkish; under which, for the first time, they were

treated as on an equal footing with the Muhammedans, and enjoyed rights and a security in person and property, which they had never known before.

We rose early this morning, in the hope of a pleasant excursion upon the lake, so often honoured by the presence of our Saviour. But a strong S. W. wind had been blowing all night and still continued; so that the boat had not returned, nor could it be expected. Under these circumstances, we determined to set off at once, and proceed to-day along the shore of the lake to the entrance of the Jordan; and thence to-morrow to Safed. We started accordingly, following along the western wall, which presented a melancholy spectacle of ruin; and leaving the gate at 8h 20'. The hill we had descended yesterday, comes quite down to the shore on the North of the town; and the path leads along its steep side, at some distance above the water. At about forty minutes from Tiberias, a small Wady breaks down through to the lake, the upper entrance of which we had yesterday passed in coming from Hattîn.' Down this Wady comes the main Damascus road from Mount Tabor; and then follows the shore as far as to Khân Minyeh.

Here, at the mouth of the little Wady, is a small space of arable plain along the shore, on which were a few patches of vegetables, with a miserable hut or two for the keepers. On the lower part, just by the beach, are five or six fountains near each other, one of which is very large and copious; the water rushing forth with violence. The water is clear, and slightly brackish; the temperature was about the same as that of the air, not far from 80° F. The place bears the name of 'Ain el-Bârideh, "Cold Spring;" in distinction from the hot sources on the South of Tiberias.

1) See above, p. 208.