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The southward prolongation of the great mountainchain of Lebanon extends through, and divides the length of Palestine, and becomes, as it were, its backbone. Now, the parallel valley or basin of this great central chain, on the west, is formed by the low lands on the coast facing the Mediterranean. But the great valley, on the east, is formed, first, by the Bekka, or valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon; then, by the bed of the river Jordan and its lakes; and, lastly, by the great valley of Araba, which extends from the Dead Sea to the Elanitic Gulf. This valley is the eastern frontier of Palestine Proper; but, including the country beyond it eastward, it becomes a central basin, towards which, are directed, westward, the valleys and streams of the eastern mountains and high plains.

This being the system of the valleys of Canaan, the course obviously prescribed to us is, first, to survey its two principal valleys, and, then, such of its subsidiary valleys as, either from their geographical or historical importance, merit consideration.

The seaward plain may be considered as extending from Antaradus (Tartous) to the southernmost border of Palestine, a distance of about four degrees of latitude. (31° to 35°.)

The tract of country through this extent varies considerably in its breadth. While, in some parts, it expands into wide plains, in others, it is contracted into narrow valleys; and there are places where the mountain-branches sent forth westward, break the continuity of the plain, by stretching into the sea, and forming promontories along the coast. Moreover, the plain is, in some parts, indented by bays; which, however, are broad rather than deep, and nowhere occur south of Carmel.

Throughout this extent, the soil, with the exception of some sandy tracts, is surpassingly productive. It is, for the most part, as in most of the fertile parts of

Syria, composed of a rich brown garden-mould; although, in its northern part, there are indications of that red soil which prevails in the extreme north and north-eastern parts of Syria. The climate all along the coast is very warm, and rather insalubrious, as compared with the more elevated parts of the country.

In noticing the great central valley, our attention is of course required, first, by the great valley or enclosed plain, which separates the parallel ranges of Libanus and Anti-Libanus. This vale extends above ninety miles in length, from north to south, and averages about eleven in breadth. Its breadth is unusually equal; but its widest part is towards the northern extremity, and its narrowest towards the southern. This was the Colo-Syria or Hollow Syria of the ancients; its present name is El Bekaah, or "The Valley," by way of eminence. This valley, by collecting the waters from the mountains on each side of it, is abundantly supplied with rivulets; almost every village has its spring, all of which descend into the valley, and either lose themselves there, or join the Liettani, (the ancient Leontes,) the source of which is between the towns of Zahle and Baalbec, about two hours from the latter place, near a hill called Tel Hushben. The soil is very fertile; and, as the mountains concentrate the rays of the sun, a heat in summer is produced scarcely inferior to that of Egypt. of water, warmth, and good soil, fertility everywhere in the East. Bekaah, which is hence naturally, rich and fertile part of Syria.

Such a combination produce exuberant It does so in the perhaps, the most

The valley of the Jordan is, of course, the space between the hills on each side of the river and its lakes. From above the sources of the Jordan to the end of the Dead Sea, this valley is not less than one hundred and seventy-five miles in length. Its breadth varies much; in some places it is very inconsiderable,

and in others it widens into extensive plains. "Through its whole course," says Dr. Richardson, "it is bounded by a chain of mountains on each side. On the east, they rise almost precipitously from the bed of the river; but, on the west, there is a fine fertile vale, averaging about half or three quarters of a mile broad, between the river and the mountain. This does not apply to the lake of Gennesareth; for there the mountains are close to the lake on each side, with here and there a small beautiful vale, opening on the west. The mountains on the east are bolder, and continue with little interruption all the way. On the west side, the interruptions are frequent, and charming defiles, irrigated by small streams of water, pass off."

The great valley of Araba, as we have already observed, extends from the Asphaltic Lake to the Red Sea. M. de Bertou, on reaching the southern end of the lake, found the valley to be from two to three miles wide, covered with salt, and fenced in on each side with salt-hills. These hills diminish in height to the southward, and form the foreground to higher ranges behind them; they are in every part furrowed by salt torrents, which flow in winter and inundate the plain. Seven miles from the end of the Dead Sea, the Count reached the chain of low hills, which, since the morning, had appeared to him the limit of El Ghor, and to close it up, by uniting the mountains of salt to those of Arabia. These hills are from sixty to seventy feet in height, and composed of a whitish and very friable sand-stone they form the buttresses or outworks of the desert, which stretches to the south, and is known by the name of Wady Araba: they are channeled by numerous small streams which fall into El Ghor, and, eventually, into the Dead Sea.

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After proceeding eleven miles, the in sight of Mount Hor in the distance.

travellers came Still advancing,

the Wady became broader, and assumed the aspect of

a desert; the hills on each side decreased in height, and the plain seemed to ascend. At twelve miles, the banks of the valley to the left disappear, and, on the right, distant mountains are perceived to the south-west. At eighteen miles, a pause was made at a spring of tolerable water for the Desert, at the point where the valley is crossed by the road from Petra to Hebron.

After travelling some miles from the well, the valley becomes about one thousand five hundred yards wide; and, at ten miles from that well, another was reached of the temperature of 59° Fahrenheit, the water being detestable both in taste and smell. Beyond this, the ground is covered with flint pebbles; all vegetation has disappeared; and the Wady is gradually lost in the slightly undulating plain which extends towards the mountains in the east.

Having thus cursorily surveyed the two longitudinal valleys of Canaan, we shall survey some of its lateral valleys; and the course we shall pursue in our survey is from north to south.

The first of the vales which lie beyond the hills skirting the coast between Cape Nakhoora and Acre, is the VALLEY OF ABILENE. It is long and narrow, and bounded by low hills covered chiefly with oak.*

THE VALLEY OF ZEBULUN lies to the south-east of this, and is the first vale immediately from the plain of Acre. It is of somewhat an oval figure, and between three and four miles in length and one in breadth. To the tribe of Zebulun, to which it belonged, and by which doubtless it was highly cultivated, it must have been a treasure. Although now under very partial cultivation, the natural fertility of its soil is evident in the abundance of plants, field-flowers, and herbs which spontaneously grow in it. The enclosing hills are beautifully wooded, chiefly with the carob-tree, and a

*Robinson, ii. 243.

sort of oak with whitish leaves. Its pasturage is reckoned among the finest in the Holy Land.*

THE VALE OF SEPPHORIS is designated from a city of Galilee of that name. It is separated by hills from the valley of Zebulun, which is to the west of it. It is about the same length, and forms a very fine plain. Its verdure in spring is most striking, being abundantly enamelled with an endless variety of flowers, among which are most conspicuous tulips of every colour.†

The small VALE OF NAZARETH claims attention as the scene of the birth and early history of our blessed Lord. It is a kind of hollow or basin, formed by enclosing mountains of no great height. "It seems," says Dr. Richardson, "as if fifteen mountains met to form one enclosure for this delightful spot; they rise around it like the edge of a shell, to guard it from intrusion. It is a rich and beautiful field in the midst of barren mountains. It abounds in fig-trees, small gardens, and hedges of the prickly pear; and the dense grass affords abundant pasture."‡

Behind the hills which bound the Lake of Gennesareth on the west, there are some valleys which tradition points out with considerable probability as the scenes of some of the transactions in the history of the Son of God. One of these is that in which he is supposed to have multiplied the seven loaves and fishes. This valley is long and of moderate width. The extremity, which advances towards the Lake of Gennesareth, is between Tiberias and Bethsaida. It is a fine valley, with green and abundant grass, and well capable of containing, seated thereon, a great number of people.

Between Galilee and Samaria, lies the PLAIN OF

* Morison, 178; Pococke, vol. ii. part i.; Clarke, iv. 131; Skinner, i. 141; Robinson, i. 243.

+ Zuallart, iv. 77; Morison, 179; Pococke, vol. ii. part i.; Clarke, iv. 131–136. Richardson, ii. 434.

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