habited by Zidonians, but the Danites "sought them an inheritance to dwell in," and five men sent "to spy out the land, and to search it," chanced to light upon this snug place, and reported, "We have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good. . . . Be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land.... ..... a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth" (Judges xviii. 9, 10). So six hundred Danites went up from the south towards Laish, and on their way they stopped at the house of Micah, the freethinker; stole his gods, took away his priest, and then came to Laish, where they found a people "quiet and serene." They slew them all, and then set up the graven image which Micah had made, and established themselves upon this hill, which they called Dan, after the name of their father. Later on, this place became the scene of more idolatrous worship. Here it was that Jeroboam set up one of the golden calves, the other being at Bethel, as a substitute for the religion of their fathers, forsaken when the kingdom was separated (1 Kings xii. 28). The spot where the image was set up is said to be at the south-west corner of the mound. It was ultimately conquered by Benhadad, King of Syria. On the east of the Plain of Hûleh will be seen a range of mountains; these are the hills of Bashan, still covered with their famous oaks. They will recall the words of Moses, which he spake to Israel before his death: And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp; he shall leap from Bashan" (Deut. xxxiii. 22). In a figurative sense these hills and oaks are referred to in Scripture. "The hand of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon . . . . all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan" (Isa. ii. 13). In the vision of judgment, Zechariah exclaims, "Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire

may devour thy cedars. Howl, fir-tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty is spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down" (Zech. xi. 1, 2). It is an interesting fact, that the word "Kady" in Arabic corresponds exactly with "Dan" in Hebrew, and means a judge. In the blessing given by Jacob to his sons, this is the portion of Dan. “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord" (Gen. xlix. 16—18).

The journey from Tell-el-Kâdi, or Dan, to Bâniâs, is short, but exceedingly beautiful, and has been thus admirably described by Stanley :

"With Dan, the Holy Land properly terminates. But the easternmost source of the Jordan, about four miles distant, is so intimately connected with it, both by historical and geographical association, that we must go forwards yet a little way into the bosom of Hermon. Over an unshaded carpet of turf-through trees of every variety of foliagethrough a park-like verdure, which casts a strangely beautiful interest over this last recess of Palestine, the pathway winds, and the snowy top of the mountain itself is gradually shut out from view by its increasing nearness; and again there is the rush of waters through deep thickets, and the ruins of an ancient town-not Canaanite, but Roman-rise on the hillside; in its situation, in its exuberance of water, its olive-groves, and its views over the distant plain, almost a Syrian Tivoli." This is

BÂNIAS OR CAESAREA PHILIPPI.

[The usual camping-place is beside the stream flowing from the source of the Jordan. It is a picturesque spot, in a

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fine grove of olives, and green park-like grass, commanding too some charming peeps across the ravine. Travellers should determine to spend at least a day in this delightful neighbourhood.]

Bâniâs was known as the Greek Paneas, from the sanctuary of Pan (p. 324). It was adorned by Herod the Great, who erected a temple over the spring of the Jordan, in honour of Augustus Cæsar. His son, Philip the Tetrarch, enlarged the town, and called it Cæsarea, in honour of Tiberias Cæsar, and, as there was already a Cæsarea on the Mediterranean, he added Philippi. By Agrippa II. it was named Neronias, but this name soon died out, and it became generally known as Cæsarea Paneas, a name which is preserved in the modern name of Bâniâs.

Nothing is known of the very ancient history of this remarkable place, although Dr. Robinson and Schwarz agree that it corresponds with Baal-Gad, the northern boundary of Joshua's victories. "Joshua took all the land, even from the Mount of Halak that goeth up to Seir, even unto BaalGad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon" (Joshua xi. 17). See also xii. 7, xiii. 5.

Baal-Gad is probably identical with Baal-Hermon (Judges iii. 3; 1 Chron. v. 23).

The greatest interest which the modern traveller feels in visiting Bâniâs is, that by almost universal consent, it is regarded as the scene of the Transfiguration (p. 287). It was without doubt consecrated by the presence of Christ, who received from St. Peter that attestation to His Divinity which has been the foundation motto of the Roman Catholic Church (p. 324); and an unauthentic tradition, but dating from Eusebius, has claimed for this spot that it was here Christ healed the woman having an issue of blood.

The situation of Bâniâs is exceptionally beautiful, being

on the mountain side, with ravines on either side, and everywhere sparkling streams of water and therefore luxuriant vegetation. The modern village has about fifty or sixty houses, and one or two shops. There is a rough bridge over the Jordan made of antique pillars minus the capitals; parts of the old citadel are still to be seen, and its massive walls and towers can be traced. In several of the houses old pillars are built up into the modern dwellings, notably in that of the Sheikh of the village. It will be observed that on the roof of nearly every house there is a booth made of green branches, and raised upon stout pedestals of wood. This is the summer sleeping-place, and is designed for the inhabitants to be raised above the swarming scorpions, lizards, and vermin.

Several picturesque views may be obtained among the ruins, especially from the bridge and the citadel. These will not attract the interest of the visitor, who will at once proceed to the spot where all the present interest in Bâniâs centres. It is the fountain or source of the Jordan, which bursts out in a series of many streams, and forming a large basin, flows hence in one copious stream. Behind it rises a precipitous red limestone cliff, in the face of which is a cave, or grotto, the Paneum, or Sanctuary of Pan, from which the town took its name. On the face of the rock will be seen niches, with inscriptions which tell of the purpose for which this grotto was used. On the summit of the cliff Herod erected a white marble temple; now there is a wely in honour of St. George on the same spot. A fine view of Bâniâs and its surroundings may be obtained here, when it will be seen how extensive the ruins are, which cannot be so well appreciated when the traveller is actually amongst them.

As the traveller stands at the foot of the cave and looks

at that grotto, where, perchance, in early days Baal was worshipped (p. 322), where, without doubt, the Greeks, who always associated caves and grottoes with the worship of Pan, paid their devotions to that deity, he will recall with some emotion that scene recorded in Matt. xvi. 13, “When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Stanley says with reference to this, and to the scene of the Transfiguration (Matt. xvii.), Jesus "came into 'the parts,' unto 'the villages' of Cæsarea Philippi. It is possible that He never reached the city itself; but it must at least have been in its neighbourhood that the confession of Peter was made. The rock on which the Temple of Augustus stood, and from which the streams of the Jordan issue, may possibly have suggested the words which now run round the dome of St. Peter's. And here one cannot but ask, What was the high mountain' on which, six days from that time, whilst still in this region, He was transfigured before his three disciples? It is impossible to look up from the plain to the towering peaks of Hermon, almost the only mountain which deserves the name in Palestine, and one of whose ancient titles was derived from this circumstance, and not be struck with its appropriateness to the scene."