from the northeast. It has no importance except as a landmark.1

The day was warm; the sun poured his beams fiercely upon the broad basin; and notwithstanding the presence of water, we found our resting place sufficiently uncomfortable.

This tract of the Fâri'a, from el-Kŭrâwa in the Ghôr to the rounded hills which separate it from the plain of Sânûr, is justly regarded as one of the most fertile and valuable regions of Palestine. In 1844, my companion had passed up through it from the Ghôr to Sânûr; and found it in April every where full of the most luxuriant pasturage, where not covered with fields of grain. Yet, like the great plain of Esdraelon, it is without villages; and is mostly given up to the nomadic Arabs of the Mas'udy. Further down the valley is a beautiful basin of meadow land, two or three miles in diameter; through which the fine stream meanders between banks covered with a thick growth of oleanders. This spot is called Fersh el-Mûsa. Not far above it the stream again disappears for a time; and below the Fersh the valley is shut in by a spur of the hills on the north, and a projecting rock on the south, forming a narrow gorge or door. This point is more than an hour from the line of the Ghôr; and the general direction of the valley is S. 55° E. The extreme eastern point of the northern hills, forming the bluff in the angle between the Fâri'a and the Ghôr, is called Makhrûd; and appeared to have caves in it. This we afterwards saw from the northeast beyond the Jordan. In the broad plain between this and the ridge of Surtabeh, on the south of the stream and not far from it, is a Tell, with foundations around it, evidently the former site of a town. On the north side of the Tell is the white dome of a saint's tomb, called 'Abd el-Kâdir, which now gives name to the place. This is not improbably the site of the ancient Archelais, built by Archelaus the son of Herod ; which the Peutinger Tables place at twenty-four Roman miles north of Jericho, and therefore north of Phasaëlis; the two being several times mentioned together. Josephus speaks of it as a village in the plain, like Phasaëlis, and surrounded by palm trees. It is also mentioned by Ptolemy and Pliny.'

3

2

1 Mr Wolcott reports having taken on Mount Gerizim the bearing of Burj elFâri'a N. 42° E, and that of Tûbâs N. 41° E. But neither of these places can possibly be visible from Gerizim, on account of intervening mountains. And further, he gives the bearing of Neby Belân (on Jebel Bidân) at N. 534 E. showing that the other two points marked by him lay much farther west than the true position.

2 The above description is taken from the Ms. Journal of the Rev. Dr Smith, April 1844.-E. G. Schultz, in the autumn

of 1847, heard from some western Arabs the name Bassaliyeh applied apparently to this Tell. But he did not visit the spot; and that name would seera to be unknown to the Arabs of the Ghôr. Zeitschr. d. morgenl. Ges. III. p. 47. Ritter XV. i. p. 457.

3 Jos. Antt. 17. 13. 1. ib. 18. 2. 2. See Reland Palæst. p. 576. The identity with Archelais is suggested by Schultz, L. c. Ritter 1. c. p. 457.

13. 9.

Reland Palæst. p. 462. Plin. H. N.

The whole of the Fâri'a is occupied by the Arabs Mas'udy, numbering in 1844 a hundred horsemen and a hundred foot. North of them, in the Ghôr, are the Ghuzâny, mustering three hundred horsemen and as many foot.

Setting off from the mill at 1.45, and passing up on the right of Burj el-Fâri'a, we followed up the dry and chalky side Wady about N. 70° E. with no very steep ascent, until 2.35; when we came out upon the top of the swelling ridge, and to cooler breezes. Here we looked down into the fine basin of Túbâs. Turning now N. 20° E. we came at 2.50 to the large village of Tübâs, on the western slope of the basin, with a beautiful plain in front, and large groves of olive trees; forming one of the prettiest tracts we had seen. It lies of course higher than the plain of the Fâri'a; and is drained (I believe) to the latter; though of this I am not certain. There are here only a few families of Christians; the rest being Muslims; and the whole population was said to be divided into three hostile parties. The village has only rain water in cisterns; and when this fails, they bring water from the stream of the Fâri'a an hour distant. In the southeastern part of the basin, S. 43° E. and less than a mile distant towards Tummôn, is a small Tell with a ruin upon it, called 'Ainûn.' Here is precisely the name Ænon; but unfortunately there is no Salim near, nor a drop of water.

There is little room for question, but that Tûbâs is the modern representative of the Thebez of Scripture; where Abimelech of Shechem, during a siege, was killed by a stone thrown down upon him by a woman. Eusebius and Jerome place Thebez at thirteen Roman miles from Neapolis on the way to Scythopolis, now Beisân. Allowing for our circuit to Tullûzah, it took us four hours to pass over the intervening distance; and this at a more rapid rate than usual, having sent our luggage ahead. This gives a very exact coincidence as to the distance; and we shall see evidence further on, going to show that a Roman road between Nâbulus and Beisân passed this way.—Berggren, in 1821, travelling by an unusual route from Nazareth to Nâbulus, spent the night at Tûbâs; but its relation to Thebez does not appear to have occurred to him.3 The first suggestion of the identity of the two, was made (I believe) in the Biblical Researches. Since then the place had apparently been visited by no traveller.

4

The Sheikh who met us and did the honours, was at once

1 Gr. Alvey for the Aram. plur. 1, fountains, John 3, 23.

This appendix of routes is not given in the German translation. The writer's specification of valleys on this route, I am not able to follow; it seems to me confused and incorrect.

Vol. II. p. 317. [iii. 158.]

ready to furnish us with a guide to Teyâsîr, the next village. The road led across the basin, and over the low ridge beyond, at a depressed point. Leaving Tûbâs at 3.10, we reached this point in twenty minutes; from which Tûbâs bore S. 75° W. and 'Ainûn S. 15° E. We immediately began to descend along a shallow open Wady about N. 5° E. At 3.50 there was close upon our right a sarcophagus hewn in a large rock, with a sculptured lid; and just by it a small edifice, apparently of quite ancient construction. It was a square building of hewn stones, each side measuring about twenty-two feet; with an ornamented marble portal towards the north, and square projecting pilasters at the corners and sides. Around the base also is an ornamental projection. The stones are not bevelled. The style of architecture and ornament reminded us of the Jewish works at Kefr Bir'im and Meirôn; and I have since been struck with its general resemblance to the sepulchres of Jewish saints, as rudely depicted in some of the Jewish itineraries. The interior seems to show, that it was erected as a sepulchral vault, probably in memory of some Jewish saint, whose name has perished, and whose last resting place is now in ruins. I have not been able to identify the spot with any historical notice.

In five minutes more, at 3.55, we reached the little village of Teyâsîr, of which we had never before heard. It stands close on the east side of the Wady, which here sweeps round northeast and then southeast towards the Ghôr. This was said to be the head and longest branch of Wady Mâlih (Salt), so called from the warm salt springs found in it below; and having near it a castle called Kusr el-Mâlih. As the Wady sweeps around the village, it leaves on the east of the latter a fine and fertile plain of some extent. The hills around are rocky, but not high. The village is wholly dependent on rain water, and has no other resource nearer than Wady Fâri'a.

Here the Kul'at er-Rubŭd, beyond the Jordan, which we had before seen so often, came again into view, nearly east. It is also called Kŭl'at Ibn Fureih. Northwesterly from the village is a naked hill, with a ruin, called Selhab."

Before reaching Tubâs we had fallen in with a trace of an ancient Roman paved road; and likewise met with another on our way to Teyâsîr. Just east of the latter village there lies also an ancient milestone. All this shows, that a Roman road passed this way from Neapolis to Scythopolis. The present road from Teyâsîr descends northeast gradually through Wady Khushneh to the Ghôr, and then lies along the rich plain to

So in the tract "Jichus ha-Abot," Carmoly p. 433 sq.

Bearings at Teyâstr: Kül'at er-Rubŭd 97. Selhab N. 35° W. 3 m.

Beisân. This course is perhaps as short as any between Nâbulus and Beisân; and has no steep ascents nor difficult places.

As Teyâsîr was the last village on our route towards the Ghôr, and there was no good camping place beyond, we pitched our tent here, thus early, for the night.

Friday, May 14th.-We found ourselves in trouble this morning in respect to a guide. We had learned, that there were two roads by which we could reach the Ghôr; one direct through Wady Khushneh, and so to Beisân; the other, following down Wady Mâlih by the castle and salt springs, led also to Sâkût (Succoth), but was circuitous. We chose the latter; but the Sheikh of the village succeeded in persuading us, that it was very long and very bad; and then extorted from us a high sum for a guide by the direct way, and to the Ghôr only. The guide came, and proved to be a mere boy, the Sheikh's own son. Just at the last moment a Sheikh from Tubâs came along, named Ibrahim 'Amâd, well mounted, and on his way to the Ghôr, where the people of his village were now harvesting. He was ready at once to take us down through Wady Mâlih to Sâkût, and thence to the harvest encampment of his people. We therefore sent off our muleteers with the boy guide through Wady Khushneh, to await us at the fountain where the people of Tubâs had their head-quarters.

Starting at 6.20 we passed through the plain on the east of the village, covered with wheat, and having many olive trees, on a course S. 50° E. The wheat here was yet green, and not ready for the harvest. On the north and south were low mountains not far distant. The bed of Wady Mâlih was at some distance on our left. At 7.05 we were among low rolling hills beyond the plain; here the Kusr came in view. At 7.15 we came down to the large channel of Wady Mâlih, which we crossed obliquely ; and at 7.25 were under the western side of Kusr el-Mâlih. Turning short to the left we rode with difficulty up the steep acclivity, and reached the ruins at 7.35.

The castle is situated on the sharp point of a thin ridge running from northwest to southeast, just where it breaks down suddenly to a deep notch or saddle, from which then a lower ridge runs on southeast for two or three miles. The channel of Wady Mâlih lies along under its western side for perhaps a mile or more, and then breaks through the ridge at a right angle. Beyond, in the south, a Wady is seen coming down as if to meet Wady Mâlih; but it turns east and probably joins the latter lower down. The fortress was only of moderate size; and is now wholly in ruins. It was built of stones imperfectly squared

1 Bearings at 7.5: Kŭsr el-Mâlih 91° Kŭl'at er-Rubŭd 95° Yerzah, a ruin marked by a tree, 170°, 14 m.

and not large. A few bevelled stones testify to the antiquity of its substructions. There are also a few round arches; but these seem to belong rather to the later dwellings, which had been erected within the walls. No cisterns were anywhere visible. The southern wall of the fortress (a later one) is built along the brow of the perpendicular rock. The spot affords a wide and fine view of the Ghôr and the adjacent region, including the southeastern part of the lake of Tiberias; but not many definite places were to be seen.1

The position of the castle is directly west of the Kŭl'at erRubŭd; the two being in full view of each other on opposite sides of the Jordan. There is a ford of the Jordan directly between them, near Sâkût. Had they ever, perhaps, a connection or relation with each other? I have not been able to find any historical notice of either; except that Abulfeda merely mentions the latter as the castle of 'Ajlûn, then recently built.'

We led our horses down the steep descent to the same point in the road, where we had turned off; and set off again at 8.15. The road, instead of following the channel of the Wady, crosses over through the notch; and strikes the channel again further down. Five minutes brought us to the notch, and in ten more, we were at the bottom of the descent; our course being about E. S. E. Here was an open tract, with a small brackish fountain ; near which were a few booths of the people of Teyâsîr, who were now here harvesting. At 8.35 the chasm by which Wady Mâlih breaks through the ridge was on our right, a quarter of a mile distant. We soon struck the channel, and came at 8.45 to the rather copious salt springs which give name to the valley. The water is warm, about blood-heat (98°); and so salt, that our horses, though thirsty, would not drink it. The Arabs told us, that animals do sometimes drink of it, and that the water is used for irrigation; which, however, we did not see. A fetid odour is perceptible around the springs. Just by the springs, on the northern slope of the valley, are the ruins of a former town of considerable extent. They seem to be the remains of ordinary dwellings, except some large hewn stones in the eastern part. The site is called Khirbet Mâlih, but I have met with no historical notice connected with it.3

Bearings from Kusr el-Malih: el Hendekûk 106. Kul'at er-Rubŭd 904. Kefr Abil? 66'. Yerzah 226°. Selhab 294°. Jebel esh-Sheikh 21°.

2

Comp. Vol. I. p. 445. [ii. 121.]-See Tab. Syr. ed. Köhler, p. 92. Schultens Excerpt. p. 63; et Ind. geogr. art. Esjlounum. -Irby and Mangles visited the Kul'at er-Rubŭd, and examined it fully. They describe it as entirely of Turkish [Saracenic]

architecture, with an Arabic inscription; which according to Burckhardt records Saladin as the builder of the castle. It commands a most extensive view of the plain of the Jordan, the Dead Sea, and lake of Tiberias, and a vast tract of conntry in every direction. Travels p. 306. [93.] See also Burckhardt p. 267.

Had this site and the adjacent Kust el-Mâlih any connection perhaps with the