English miles. This would apply, I think, very accurately, during our present excursion, to the distance passed over between Beitîn and el-Jîb. But on the other hand, between 'Anâta and Taiyibeh, where we had to cross several very deep and rugged vallies, and found the whole road rough, a considerable allowance must be made from this average. On the plains again, where the roads were level and smooth, the rate of travel naturally rose somewhat above the average.

This excursion was to us deeply interesting, and we returned from it highly gratified. It had led us through scenes associated with the names and historic incidents and deeds of Abraham and Jacob, of Samuel and Saul, of Jonathan and David and Solomon; and we had been able to trace out the places where they had lived and acted, and to tread almost in their very footsteps. True, in Jerusalem itself the associations of this kind are still more numerous and sacred; but they are there so blended together, as to become in a measure indistinct and less impressive; while here in the country, they stand forth before the soul in all their original freshness and individuality. It was like communing with these holy men themselves, to visit the places where their feet had trod, and where many of them had held converse with the Most High. I hope that in this respect the visit was not without its proper influence upon our own minds; at any rate, it served to give us a deeper impression of the reality and vividness of the Bible-history, and to confirm our confidence in the truth and power of the sacred volume.

The region through which we passed on the first day, as I have already remarked, was that described

1) The Roman mile is usually reckoned at 75 to the degree.

See more in Note VII, at the end of Vol. I.

by the prophet Isaiah as the scene of Sennecharib's approach to Jerusalem. This approach is portrayed in the most vivid colours; indeed the whole description is the highly-wrought poetic expression of a prophetic vision. Every thing lives and moves; the various towns upon the conqueror's route, tremble and cry aloud and flee away in terror. All this is probably to be viewed in the light of a divine threat or prophetic warning; for although Sennecharib at a later period actually invaded Judea, yet he himself did not come against Jerusalem; but sent Rabshakeh thither from Lachish with an army. The route too which the prophet describes, can never have been a common way of approach to Jerusalem. It presupposes, that the monarch and his army, instead of keeping along the great feasible northern road to the city, turned off at or near Bethel towards Ai, situated doubtless in the vicinity of the present Deir Dîwân; from which point to Jerusalem by Michmash and Anathoth, they would have to cross not less than three very deep and difficult vallies.

However this may be, the route itself is very distinctly traced, and we were able in a great measure to follow it out. Of the probable sites of Ai and Geba I have already spoken; and we ourselves visited Michmash, Gibeah of Saul, Ramah, and Anathoth. Of the other places mentioned, no further trace remains. Migron must have been situated somewhere between Deir Dîwân and Michmash; and Gallim and Laish, Madmenah and Gebim, were probably further South and nearer to Anathoth.3 Arrived at Nob, the Assy

1) Isa. x. 28-32.

2) Isa. xxxvi, xxxvii. 2 Kings xviii, xix.

3) All these places obviously lay within this tract, and almost within sight of each other. It is contrary to all the circumstances

of the case, to connect this Laish with that on the northern border of Palestine; Judges xviii. 7, 29. It more probably had some relation to the person of that name, a native of Gallim; 1 Sam. xxv. 44.

rian makes a halt; and "shakes his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion." This language implies that the Holy City was in sight from Nob; which therefore must have been situated somewhere upon the ridge of the Mount of Olives, northeast of the city.1 We sought now and afterwards all along this ridge, from the Damascus road to the summit opposite the city, for some traces of an ancient site which might be regarded as the place of Nob; but without the slightest success. This was probably the city of the priests destroyed by Saul; for although there appears to have been another Nob near the plain towards Lydda, yet the ark of God after its return from the Philistines in the days of Samuel, seems never again to have departed from the mountains.2

As one result of this excursion, as well as of our subsequent researches, the remark presents itself, that while very many of the ancient Hebrew names have in this way perished, there exists at the present day a class of names, which, although not occurring in the Scriptures, are nevertheless probably of Hebrew origin, and have come down from the earliest times. Thus, I apprehend that all (or nearly all) those appellations in which the Arabic word Beit appears as a component part, are only the successors of ancient Hebrew names with Beth (house), whether found in the Scriptures or not. Many of these indeed do thus occur, as Bethlehem, Bethel, Beth-horon, and the like; but a still larger number exist at the present day, of which the Bible makes no mention. Such are Beit

1) So Jerome professedly from Hebrew tradition: "Stans in oppidulo Nob et procul urbem conspiciens Jerusalem;" Comm. in Esa. x. 32. Nob is also mentioned as one of the cities of Benjamin near to Anathoth, Neh. xi. 32.

2) 1 Sam. c. vi. xxi. 1-9. xxii. 9-19. Jerome mentions a Nobe not far from Lydda; probably the Beit Nûba of the crusaders and of the present day; see under June 9th. Hieron. Ep. 86, ad Eustoch. Epitaph. Paulae, p. 673.

Hanîna, Beit Iksa, Beit Ûnia,' Beit Jâla, which have been already noticed, and very many others. The same is true of names like el-Hizmeh, Tell 'Asûr, 'Atâra, and others similar; which although apparently of Hebrew origin, are not distinctly found in connection with the district in which they now exist.2

That such should be the general fact, is not surprising; although so far as I know, it has never been distinctly brought into notice. The Bible does not claim to be a geographical work, nor to enumerate all the towns and villages of the Promised Land. Indeed, in most of the recorded lists of Hebrew cities, we find the express addition of " their villages," and sometimes of " their towns and villages," of which no names are given. Among these unknown names, were doubtless many of those which have survived to our time.

Another trait of the ancient Hebrew topography is the repeated occurrence of the same name. Thus there were several Ramahs and Gibeahs, two Carmels, two Mizpehs, two Aroers, two Socohs, and many similar instances. The same trait appears also in respect to the Arabic names of the present day. We found not less than three Jeba's, three or four Taiyibehs, two el-Bîrehs, two 'Atâras, two Shuweikehs (Socoh), two Râfâts, and many other like examples.

1) This name might be supposed to correspond to the Hebrew Bethulia; but the Bible mentions no such place in this region. See Reland Pal. pp. 658, 639.

2) Does Tell'Asûr perhaps correspond to the Azor of Benjamin, which is mentioned with Ramah and Anathoth? Neh. xi. 33. If so the Hebrew has passed over into the Arabic 'Ain, as in Beit

'Ur for Beth-horon. We saw Tell 'Asûr from el-'Alya, el-Bîreh and Jifna.-'Atâra is the Heb. Ataroth, but seems hardly to correspond to the place so called on the border of Ephraim, Josh. xvi. 5, 7. See more under May 15, and June 13.

3) So Josh. xv. 32, 36, 41, 47, etc. xviii. 24, 28. xix. 7, 8, 16, 23, etc. 1 Chron. viii. 12. Neh. xi. 25-31.

SECTION X.

EXCURSION TO 'AIN JIDY, THE DEAD SEA, JORDAN, ETC.

WE remained in Jerusalem after our return, only so long as was necessary to make preparations for another journey. Our former excursion had led us along the eastern slope of the mountains on the North of the Holy City; and we now proposed to explore the continuation of the same tract on the South, comprising the district lying between the Hebron-road and the Dead Sea, as far South at least as to the place called 'Ain Jidy; and then along the western shore of that sea to the Jordan. A prominent object in my own mind, was to find (if possible) somewhere upon or near the coast two high points, from which we might obtain a view of the whole extent of the Dead Sea, and make observations in order to determine its length and breadth. In this however we were only partially successful; the nature of the country and the basin of the sea turning out to be very different from what I expected.

The districts we were now about to visit, are usually regarded as among the most insecure in Palestine. The desert along the sea is inhabited, if at all, only by a few Bedawîn, of whom we heard the worst reports as thieves and robbers. The tract was said now also to be full of deserters and outlaws, who lay here concealed and subsisted by thieving and robbery; as was