circumstances taken together, leave little room for doubt as to the identity of the two places.' Gibeon is celebrated in the Old Testament; but is not mentioned in the New. It was "a great city, as one of the royal cities;" and to its jurisdiction belonged originally the towns of Beeroth, Chephirah, and Kirjath-Jearim. The city is first mentioned in connection with the deceit practised by its inhabitants upon Joshua; by which, although Canaanites (Hivites), they induced the Jewish leader not only to make a league with them and spare their lives and cities; but also in their defence to make war upon the five kings by whom they were besieged. It was in this great battle that "the sun stood still on Gibeon."3 The place afterwards fell to the lot of Benjamin, and became a Levitical city; where the tabernacle was set up for many years under David and Solomon.5 Here the latter youthful monarch offered a thousand burntofferings; and in a dream by night communed with God, and asked for himself a wise and understanding heart instead of riches and honour. Here too it was, that Abner's challenge to Joab terminated in the defeat and flight of the former, and the death of Asahel; and here also at a later period Amasa was treacherously slain by Joab.'-The notices of Gibeon by Josephus, and by Eusebius and Jerome, have already been 1) Pococke saw el-Jib from Neby Samwil, and also held it to be Gibeon. Descr. of the East, II. p. 49, fol. So too Von Troilo in 1666; Reisebeschr. p. 290. 2) Josh. x. 2. ix. 17. 3) Josh. c. ix. x. 1-14. 4) Josh. xviii. 25. xxi. 17. In these passages the three towns Gibeon, Geba, and Gibeah (Gibeath), are distinctly_enumerated; comp. xviii. 24, 28. These names, however, were sometimes confounded; e. g. Gibeon for Geba, 1 Chron. xiv. 16. Comp. 2 Sam. v. 25. 5) 1 Chron. xvi. 39. xxi. 29. 2 Chron. i. 3.—The ark at this time was at Jerusalem; 2 Chron. i. 4. 6) 1 K. iii. 4-15. 2 Chr. i. 3-13. 7) 2 Sam. ii. 12-32. xx. 8-12. The Pool of Gibeon,' mentioned in the story of Abner, may well be the waters of the fountain described in the text; and these are also probably the great (or many) waters in Gibeon,' spoken of in Jer. xli. 12. 6 referred to in the preceding paragraph. The name Gabaon is mentioned by writers of the times of the crusades, as existing in the present spot; and among the Arabs it already bore the name el-Jîb.' It seems afterwards to have been overlooked by most travellers; until in the last century the attention of Pococke was again directed to it. We left el-Jîb at 2h 25′, descending on the southern quarter through orchards of pears, apples, figs, and olives, and also vineyards, into the narrow strip of plain which skirts the hill upon this side. We now had before us the elevated ridge of Neby Samwîl; which, beginning at no great distance on the left, rises rapidly towards the S. W. into the highest point of land in the whole region; and then sinks off gradually in the same direction into lower and less marked hills and ridges. Its general course is thus from N. E. to S. W. The elevation cannot be less than some 500 feet above the plain; and is apparently greater than that of the Mount of Olives. The waters of the plain are drained off eastward by a valley around its northern end; and here passes also a road to Jerusalem which we took at a later period.2 Our way now led us directly to the summit, up the steep but not difficult ascent of the northwestern side. The top is crowned by a small miserable village and a neglected mosk. This point we reached at 2h 55', in half an hour from el-Jîb; and found ourselves upon the most sightly spot in all the country. The mosk is here the principal object; and is regarded by Jews, Christians, and Muhammedans, as covering the tomb of the prophet Samuel. It is now in a state of great decay. We were admitted without 1) Will Tyr. VIII. 1. Benj. de Tud. par Barat. I. 85. Brocard. c. IX. p. 184. Marin. Sanut. p. 249. Breydenbach copies Brocardus. Bohaeddin mentions el-Jib; Vita 2) See under June 9th. ceremony to every part of it; ascended to its flat roof and minaret; and examined, so far as we chose, the pretended tomb in a more private apartment. This is only a box of boards. The building was evidently once a Latin church, built up on older foundations in the form of a Latin cross; and probably dates from the time of the crusades. There are few houses now inhabited; but many traces of former dwellings. In some parts, the rock, which is soft, has been hewn away for several feet in height, so as to form the walls of houses; in one place it is thus cut down apparently for the foundation of a large building. Two or three reservoirs are also in like manner hewn in the rock. These cuttings and levellings extend over a considerable space. The view from the roof of the mosk is very commanding in every direction. Below in the S. E. is the deep Wady Beît Hanîna stretching off towards the S. W. and further in the former direction are seen. Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, the Frank Mountain, and a large portion of the eastern slope, with the mountains beyond the Jordan and Dead Sea. In the N. W. the fertile plain of el-Jîb lies immediately below; and further on, the eye embraces a large extent of the great lower plain along the coast, as well as of the Mediterranean itself. In a clear day Yâfa may be distinctly seen; a slight haze now intercepted it from our view. A large number of villages were visible on every side. The most important bearings which we got here, were the following: Mount of Olives S. 40° E. Jerusalem S. 35° E. Frank Mountain S. 10° E. el-Kustůl S. 50° W. Sôba S. 54° W. Ramleh N. 66° W. el-Jîb N. 21° E. el-Bîreh N. 30° E. Taiyibeh N. 50° E.1 1) Other bearings of minor places were: Beit Hanîna across the valley below, S. 72° E. Sha'fât S. 60° E. Lifta, in the great The tradition that here is the tomb of the prophet Samuel, necessarily includes the supposition that this spot is the Ramah or Ramathaim-Zophim of the Old Testament, the birth-place, residence, and burial-place of that prophet.' That this was a different city from the Ramah near Gibeah of Saul (now er-Râm) on the east of the Nâbulus road, is obvious; for the latter is only half an hour from Gibeah, Saul's residence; and its situation does not at all accord with the circumstances of his first visit to Samuel when in search of his father's asses, nor with David's subsequent flight to Samuel for refuge.2-But the same difficulties lie with almost equal force against the supposition, that the present Neby Samwîl can be the Ramah of the prophet. As such, it could not well have been unknown to Saul; since as being the highest point in the country and not more than an hour and a half or two hours distant from his native place, it must have been before his eyes, if not in Gibeah itself, yet whenever he went out into the adjacent fields. But there are still greater difficulties. There can be little doubt, that the visit of Saul to Samuel, above alluded to, took place in Ramah, where the prophet entertained him in his own house. At his departure in order to return to Gibeah, the prophet anoints him as king, and describes his way home as leading him "by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin."3 This circumstance is decisive against the identity of Neby Samwil with Ramah. We have already seen that the site of Rachel's tomb cannot well be called valley, S. 12° E. Mar Elyas, S. of Jerusalem, S. 7° E. Bethlehem S. 1° E Beit Iksa, below us on the hills, S. 4° W. 'Ain Kârim with the convent of St. John, S. 20° W. Deir Yesîn S. 57° W. Beit Dukkah N. 77° W. Biddu N. 48° W. Beit Ûnia N. 4° W. Râm-Allah N. 18° E. Jedireh 1) 1 Sam. i. 1, 19. ii. 11. viii. 4. xix. 18. xxv. 1. xxviii. 3. 2) 1 Sam. c. ix. xix. 18. in question; and therefore the Ramah of the prophet must have been so situated, that a person going from it to Gibeah would naturally, or at least without difficulty, pass near to the present sepulchre N. W. of Bethlehem. But from Neby Samwil, Gibeah lies about E. N. E. and not more than two hours distant; while the tomb of Rachel bears directly South at the distance of nearly three hours. Hence, every step taken from Neby Samwil towards the sepulchre of Rachel, only carries a person away from Gibeah.—I shall have occasion hereafter to speak of the probable site of the Ramah of the prophet; my sole object here is to show, that it could not have been the present Neby Samwil. The true site of the Ramah of Samuel seems to have been early forgotten; since both Eusebius and Jerome place it, with still less probability, in the plain near Diospolis or Lydda.2 Yet the present tradition as to the prophet's tomb must have sprung up not long after their day; for apparently Procopius alludes to this spot, when he relates that Justinian caused a well and a wall to be constructed for (the monastery of) St. Samuel in Palestine. At the close of the seventh century Adamnanus describes the ground north of Jerusalem as rocky and rough, as far as to the city of Samuel or Ramah. The crusaders found here the name of St. Samuel; and with little regard to consistency, held the place to be also the Shiloh of Scripture; or as Brocardus expresses it, "Mount Shiloh, which is now called St. Samuel." Here stood a Latin convent of the order of Praemonstrants; which was plundered |