The region el-Hismeh, the country of the Ma'âz mentioned above, was here also described as a sandy tract with mountains around it on the East of 'Akabah; but not itself a mountain nor a separate district, as reported by Burckhardt. Yet the Arabs would be very likely in pointing out the adjacent mountains to speak of them as Jebel Hismeh or Tûr Hismeh; although all our guides, both of the 'Amrân from 'Akabah and of the Haweitât from near Ma'ân, uniformly denied the existence of any such name as applied to a mountain.1

The chief tribe of Bedawîn in the district of Jebâl are the Hejâya. Besides these, there is also a branch of the Ka'âbineh, who dwell in the region of Wady elAhsy, and sow near a well called el-Malîh. They were now at enmity with the Jehâlîn; although their relatives west of the Dead Sea, are the allies of the latter tribe, and intermarry with them.

In the district esh-Sherah, the Bedawîn are all Haweitât, with a few allies. This is an extensive tribe, broken up into several subdivisions, and dwelling in various and distant parts of the country. Those found in these mountains are divided into the clans Abu Rashîd, el-Jâzy, el-Bedûn, and el-'Alawîn. The last properly occupy the region towards 'Akabah; the Bedûn, as we have seen, pasture around Wady Mûsa. The Sheikh Abu Jâzy of Laborde, appears to have been the head of the division el-Jâzy; we did not learn the limits where they pasture.

The proper country of the Haweitât Abu Rashid, is around Shôbek; but they were said to be now in the region of Kerak. The spirited Sheikh Muhammed Abu Rashid, to whose fidelity and perseverance Irby

1) Burckhardt pp. 433, 440, 444. Laborde Voyage p. 63. (218.) Comp. above, Vol. I. p. 256.

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70

2) The Ebn Jarzee of Irby and Mangles, p. 391.

and Mangles and their companions were indebted for their visit to Wady Mûsa, was the head of this division. He is dead, and his clan were now governed by his sons. Closely allied with these are the 'Ammârîn, who are not themselves Haweitât, but a respectable independent tribe; although they acknowledge the Sheikh of the Abu Rashîd as their head. They live in the northern part of esh-Sherah, and to them belongs 'Ain el-Buweirideh in the 'Arabah.

The Haweitât live not only among these mountains, and along the adjacent eastern desert; but also around Muweilih and in Egypt; and some are found near Gaza. The head Sheikh over them all is Mansûr Ibn Shedîd, who resides at Cairo, and has been already mentioned.2 Even the Haweitât who dwell here and at Muweilih, are registered among the Arabs of Egypt. The Bedawîn throughout these districts, and also further north, were said to be now in a state of subjection to the Egyptian government and pay an annual tribute. That of the Beni Sukhr, the preceding year, was one camel for every two tents.

In both Jebâl and esh-Sherah the Fellâhîn also are half Bedawîn; inhabiting the few villages, but dwelling likewise partly in tents, like the Ta'âmirah near Bethlehem. Such are in esh-Sherah, the Refâi'a living in and around Dibdiba; the Liyâthineh in and around Eljy; the Rawajifeh at a ruined place of the same name; and also the Hebâhibeh and Beni Na'îm dwelling wholly in tents. Besides these, Burckhardt mentions also the Sa'ûdîyeh and the Ja'îlât. The Fellâhîn of the Sherah are in subjection to the government, pay tribute, and furnish supplies of grain.—In Jebâl the Fellâhîn are in like manner divided into several tribes; but we did not succeed in 1) Travels p. 383, seq. Legh May 23d. Burckhardt writes the name incorrectly Ibn Rashid, p. 417. So too Mr. Degh.

2) See the account of his being appealed to as a peace-maker, Vol. I. p. 207.

3) Travels, pp. 419, 434.

obtaining their names. wâbireh as living in Tufîleh, the Beni Hamideh in el-Busaireh, and the Melâhîn at Shôbek.' The Fellâhs of Jebâl were at this time still in rebellion against the government; and during the last year, Sheikh Sa'îd of Gaza, with the Jehâlîn and Tiyâhah, had spent two or three months in trying to subdue them. They easily got possession of the villages; but the inhabitants betook themselves to the fastnesses of the mountains, where they could not be approached.— It was for this reason that our Jehâlîn guides would not venture to take us to Shôbek.2

Burckhardt mentions the Ja

Such are the races who now hold in possession the ancient territory of Edom. This is not the occasion to dwell upon the course of events during the many intervening centuries; yet a few notices of the leading changes which have here taken place, will serve to throw light upon the history and character of that ancient city, whose remains now constitute the chief attraction for the traveller among these mountains.

In the times of Scripture history, the mountains east of the Dead Sea were comprised in the territory of Moab; the northern border of which, towards the Amorites, was ultimately the brook Arnon, now Wady el-Môjib.3 The southern border of Moab appears to have been the brook Zered; at least this is described as the limit of the wanderings of the children of Israel in the desert, and the point where they passed over into the territory of Moab, a kindred people. The features of the country seem to show, that this was probably the Wady el-Ahsy, which now separates the district of Kerak from Jebâl, and indeed forms a natural division between the country on the North and on

1) Burckhardt's Travels in Syria, etc. pp. 405, 407, 416. 2) See p. 504 above.

3) Num. xxi. 13, 26. Judg. xi. 18. 4) Deut. ii. 13, 14, 18. Num. xxi. 12.

the South. Taking its rise near the castle el-Ahsy on the route of the Syrian Haj, upon the high eastern desert,' it breaks down through the whole chain of mountains to near the S. E. corner of the Dead Sea, forming for a part of the way a deep chasm. On the North, the mountains of Moab are high, and terminate here in a bluff near Khanzîreh, which has several times been mentioned, as one of our landmarks. Further South the mountains are much lower, until they again become high beyond Wady el-Ghuweir.-The Israelites doubtless passed Wady el-Ahsy (Zered) near its upper end, where it would present no difficulty.

On the South of Moab, Mount Seir, or the territory of Edom, extended to Elath on the Red Sea. To this region Esau retired from the face of his brother Jacob; and his descendants are said to have succeeded the Horites in Mount Seir, "when they had destroyed them and dwelt in their stead." The rivalry of the patriarchs Esau and Jacob, was transmitted to their posterity. When the Israelites, after many years of wandering, arrived a second time at Kadesh, they asked leave of the Edomites to pass through their country by the "King's highway," (probably Wady el-Ghuweir,) in order to reach Palestine from the East. Leave was refused; and the Israelites were thus compelled to return through the 'Arabah to Elath (Ailah, 'Akabah), and thence pass up through the mountains to the eastern desert, so as to make the circuit of the land of Edom.1

In later times Saul made war upon the Edomites; David subdued the whole country; and Solomon made Ezion-geber a naval station, whence he des

1) Burckhardt pp. 400, 401. 2) Deut. ii. 1-8. The Israelites were compelled to proceed quite to Elath, in order to pass around the land of Edom.

12, 22.

3) Gen. xxxvi. 6-8. Deut. ii. xxi. 4.

4) Num. xx. 14-21. Deut. ii. 1-8.

patched fleets to Ophir. After various struggles, this people succeeded in the time of king Joram in making themselves again independent of Judah;2 for although Amaziah made war upon them and captured one of their chief cities, Sela (Rock, Petra), changing its name to Joktheel; and although Uzziah his successor "built Elath and restored it to Judah;3 yet these appear to have been only temporary conquests. Under Ahaz, the Edomites made inroads upon Judea and carried away captives; and about the same time Rezin king of Syria " drove the Jews from Elath," of which the Edomites now took permanent possession.1 All this time their metropolis appears to have been Bozrah.5

From the prophetical books of the Old Testament we also know, that while the kingdom of Judah was fast verging to ruin, that of Edom became prosperous; and joining apparently the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar, aided in the overthrow of the Jewish state. In a like degree the national hatred of the Jews against Edom, became still more inflamed; and the prophets uttered the strongest denunciations against that land. During the Jewish exile, as it would appear, the Edomites pressed forward into the South of Palestine, of which they took possession as far as to Hebron; here, as we have already seen, they were subsequently attacked and subdued by the Maccabees, and compelled to adopt the laws and customs of the

1) 1 Sam. xiv. 47.-2 Sam. viii. 14. 1 Chr. xviii. 11-13. 1 Kings xi. 15.-1 Kings ix. 26. 2 Chron. viii. 17, 18.

2) 2 Kings viii. 20-22. 2 Chr. xxi. 8-10.

3) 2 Kings xiv. 7. 2 Chr. xxv. 11, 12, 14. 2 Chr. xxvi. 2.

4) 2 Chr. xxviii. 17.-2 Kings xvi. 6 Keri. Here the Keri

Edomites is to be read instead of Syrians. The change doubtless arose out of the close resemblance of the Hebrew and

5) Is. xxxiv. 6. lxiii. 1. Jer. xlix. 13, 22. Am. i. 12.

6) Ps. cxxxvii. 7. Obad. 1, seq. Jer. xlix. 7, seq. Ezek. xxv. 12-14. xxxii. 29. xxxv. 3-15.