One of these is near Deir el dries away or sinks into the earth. This plain is elevated three thousand five hundred English feet above the sea, as determined by the Rev. Mr Porter; the elevation being a hundred feet less than that of the plain of Zebedâny.' It is pretty; but did not seem particularly fertile. We came at 11.20 to the southeastern orifice, whence the water is said to issue. It was a round cavity, some fifteen feet in diameter, and eight or ten feet deep, with no appearance of water at the bottom. We reached the large village of Kefr Kük, situated on two hills, at 11.45; nearly an hour from 'Aiha. We passed through the village on the northern hill, where we noticed several columns in different parts, and a mutilated Greek inscription on a door post, which Mr Thomson afterwards copied. We also heard of two or three others. These remains prove the antiquity of the place. We kept on by the public fountain and large reservoir, which also exhibits traces of antiquity; and stopped for lunch under some large walnut trees beyond.-Râsheiya is here seen lying high among the mountain ridges overlooking the plain, and on the eastern end or bluff of the ridge next but one to the base of Jebel esh-Sheikh. The snows of the summit were here visible, seen over that last ridge, and appearing near, but not particularly elevated.2 From Kefr Kûk two roads lead to Damascus, both of them by way of Dîmâs. One crosses the mountain towards the northeast, and joins the road leading by Bekka and Yunta. The other lies more to the south, ascending the steep ridge east of the village, and then proceeding by way of Deir el-'Ashayir to Dîmâs. We chose the latter road, and took a guide from the village. Setting off at 2 o'clock, we began after ten minutes to climb the steep ascent, on a general course E. N. E. We reached the top at 2.35, and continued the same course across the high broken plateau, full of low rocky hills and ridges. The last ridge between us and Hermon was still on our right; and we were tending obliquely towards it. The road by 'Aiha had already crossed it, and passes along on its southeastern side. Here we met a Druze horseman, who informed us, that twenty Druzes had stationed themselves on the road below Rukhleh, and were plundering all who passed that way; they had wounded a man yesterday, and robbed three to day. As all this did not interfere with our plans, we kept on, after a stop of ten minutes; and heard no more of robbers. Biblioth. Sac. 1854, p. 44. W. dist. 2 m. Râsheiya S. 60° W. 3 m. 2 Bearings at Kefr Kûk: 'Aiha S. 20° Northern Damascus road N. 45° E. Here At 3.10 we struck the foot of the ridge on our right. was a depression, the ground sinking so as to form a little basin, with no outlet, except perhaps a fissure in the ground. It appeared as if often covered with water. At 3.20 there was a very marked water-shed, almost like a wall built across the head of a valley; and east of it all the waters go to the plain of Damascus, where they are absorbed. From this point the descent about E. N. E. was very rapid; and the Wady soon widens to a narrow desert plain. In this plain were traces of a Roman road for a considerable distance; showing this to have been anciently a pass between Damascus and Wady etTeim. We kept on down the valley till 3.45, when it turned northeast and we sent on our muleteers along it directly to Deir el'Ashâyir, an hour distant, there to await our arrival. We now struck up over the ridge on our right steeply and sharply; again descended and followed up a shallow Wady about S. S. E. to its head; and then went down another in the same direction till 4.15, when we struck at right angles the Damascus road coming from 'Aiha and Râsheiya. Turning up this road W. S. W. for five minutes, we came to Rukhleh and its ruined temple, after passing two sarcophagi by the way side. The place is situated in the bosom of the mountains; and one looks up the vast gorge southwesterly into the very recesses of Jebel esh-Sheikh. Towards the east all prospect is cut off by a lower ridge thrown off northeast from the eastern point of the high mountain. A deep and winding gorge passes down southeast through this ridge; but it does not afford even a glimpse of the great eastern plain. A fountain at Rŭkhleh gives fertility and verdure to this wild recess. The temple is on the eastern quarter. It was larger, more massive, and yet simpler, than any I had yet seen, indicating perhaps a higher antiquity. Its massive walls and noble columns have been wholly overthrown; and the huge blocks of stone lie scattered around in utter confusion. The front was westwards, towards the snows of Hermon. Here was a middle portal, with smaller side doors. At the eastern end was a semicircular projection, like that in Greek churches. From this, on the inside, a double row of columns with Ionic capitals extended through the body of the temple to the entrance. The stones were large, and well wrought; and everything, though simple, had the appearance of careful finish. The two stones spoken of by Burckhardt, lying near the gate, and having upon them the figure of a bird with expanded wings, we did not notice. The following are the dimensions as measured by us : This temple has one peculiarity, which has not as yet been brought to notice in any other. On the outside of the southern wall, near the southeast corner, and just above the ground, is a large block of stone six feet square, having sculptured upon it an ornament like a huge medallion. It consists of an external circle or ornamented border in relief, five feet in diameter; an inner circle or border in higher relief is four feet in diameter. Within these is a finely carved front view of a human countenance, in still bolder relief. The length of the face from the chin to the top of the hair is three feet four inches; the width two feet four inches. The features have been purposely disfigured, but are still distinct and pleasing. At the first glance it seemed as if intended for the sun; but the border does not represent rays. It may have been a Baal worshipped in the temple. On a knoll northeast of these ruins was another very small temple, now wholly overthrown and prostrate.' Although Rukhleh thus lies upon the great road between Râsheiya and Damascus, few travellers have noticed its antiquities. Seetzen passed this way and mentions the ruins; but evidently did not examine them. Burckhardt visited them on an excursion from Damascus. Richardson was here; but his account is quite imperfect.' 3 We would gladly have proceeded to Burkush, an hour or more southwest of Rukhleh, high on the side of Hermon; where are the remains of another similar temple, and the ruins of a castle on a high point of the mountain. They have been described only by Burckhardt. The day, however, was closing; and we had to turn our steps towards Deir el-'Ashayir. Leaving Rukhleh at 4.45, we went back upon the Damascus road for eight or ten minutes, and then turned on a general course nearly north. Here for a time we were in a wild and desolate tract; on our right was a very rocky ridge, shutting 1 Burckhardt speaks of another edifice, with many small broken columns, a few hundred paces to the south; p. 49. guide also spoke of another temple some ways down the valley. Our Reisen I. 316. Travels in Syria, p. 49. out all view towards the east; and on our left were the broken ridges and hills, among which we had been travelling. At 5.15 we began to descend rapidly along a narrow valley running north, full of pretty purple flowers. It was a wild mountain path, known to our guide, but very rarely traversed. In this part we thought we saw some traces of an ancient road passing down the valley. Below the steep descent the narrow valley opened out into a pretty plain extending from south to north, and shut in by mountains on each side. Here, being still high, we had at 5.30 a view towards the north over the whole plateau and plain of Zebedâny; towards which we were now descending. On the left, in the distance, was Jebel Zebedâny so called; and on the right the mountains of Blûdân, the highest part of Anti-Lebanon; with the beautiful recess or plain running up between. Nearer at hand the plateau was rolling and broken; it slopes gently eastward with low ridges in it, and is crossed by deep valleys. It was still green and beautiful, retaining in part the verdure of spring. We kept on north along the plain, between the high rocky ridges on each side. At 6 o'clock we turned northeast, around the shoulder of the eastern ridge, which here bends off for a time, and then turns north again, enclosing a wider and more rolling tract. We came at 6.30 to Deir el-'Ashâyir, situated on the eastern slope of a higher part of the open tract; having a lower plain towards the east, and a small lake with no outlet just at the foot of the eastern mountain. The position is a fine one, surrounded by fertility; but not another village is any where in sight. We encamped near a fountain, on grass still green. The few inhabitants are Druzes and Christians; and have rather a bad character. They did not, however, molest us. Here again are the ruins of a large and once splendid temple, fronting towards the east, and differing in some respects from any we had yet seen. It stands upon an elevated platform of masonry, extending from the building twenty-four feet and a half in front, about twelve feet on the other three sides, and varying in height according to the ground. The platform itself is ornamented with a cornice around its upper part, and a similar one inverted lower down. The stones of the temple are not bevelled. At the corners were pilasters with Ionic capitals. There would seem to have been no columns in front of the portico; at least none are now found. The walls are mostly standing, though some portions are broken down; so that some of the pilasters at the corners now stand out alone. The colour of the stone is darker than elsewhere, and the work less sharp and delicate than in the other temples. There was an entrance under the platform at the east end, where it is nearly twenty feet high; VOL. III.-37* over which lies a large stone as a lintel. Our measurements were as follows: Just southeast of the temple, and on the same general slope or terrace of ground, are other extensive ruins of apparently similar character and age. They are however so thoroughly thrown down, and scattered, and built upon by the houses of the village, that it is very difficult to make them out. Several short columns are here seen in different parts. The idea suggests itself, that possibly this may have been an extensive court connected with the temple above; or perhaps here stood another larger temple. The former supposition seems to me the more probable. The stones in this part are large, well cut, and laid up without cement. 1 I have said above, that "the whole of Hermon was girded with temples." We had now visited the Panium at Bâniâs ; the rude fragments at Kul'at Bustra; the stately remains at Hibbârîyeh, Neby Sufa, 'Aiha, Rŭkhleh, and Deir el-'Ashâyir; and there have likewise been mentioned the ruins at Bekka and Burkush. Mr Thomson had heard of like remains at 'Ain 'Ata, 'Ain Hershy, and several other places. These all lie directly upon and around Hermon. The Bŭkâ'a and its borders are full of like edifices; to say nothing of the crowning glory of the temples at Ba'albek. Who were the founders of all these costly and magnificent structures? Wednesday, June 2nd.-This morning Mr Thomson left me to proceed with John Wortabet to Damascus, while he returned with his servant by the direct road to Hâsbeiya; a long day's ride, which he accomplished in ten hours. In the wildest part of the mountain he was met by two marauders of the Beit elKantar. Ascertaining who he was, they let him pass, and even offered to turn back and guard him through the mountains. They were armed to the teeth; and were returning from an attack upon Kür'ün in the southern part of the Bukâ'a. Mr Thomson was happy to dispense with their company, and reached 1 See above, p. 432. |