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Donkeys
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En-gedi — Wild goats
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Jacob's journey to Egypt
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Pools of Solomon
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Pools of Hebron.
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Tekoa.
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Vines and vineyards
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Adullam
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Abraham’s oak
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Frank Mountain.
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Ziph.
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Convent of Mar Saba
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Masada.
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Urtas-Etam
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April 21St.
Donkeys, Saddles, and Sacks
Returning from my ramble down the vale of Hebron this morning, I met a company of men and donkeys going out apparently for grain, and I was struck with the resemblance of the animals themselves to those in pictures now found on the monuments of Egypt. The saddles and sacks of some appeared to be precisely like those used in the days when the sons of Jacob descended along the same valley to get corn from Egypt.
ILLUSTRATION
Going to Egypt
Doubtless there has been but little change in all these matters from that time to this, and the resemblance is often still more exact from the fact that, when the crops of this country fail through drought or other causes, the people still go down to Egypt to buy corn, as they did in the time of the patriarchs. It has also frequently occurred to me, when passing a large company of donkeys on their way to buy food, that we are not to suppose that only the eleven donkeys on which the brethren of Joseph rode composed the whole caravan. One man often leads or drives half a dozen; and, besides, I apprehend that Jacob's sons had many servants along with them. Eleven sacks of grain, such as donkeys would carry, would not sustain a household like his for a week.
Servants
It is no objection to this supposition that these servants are not mentioned. There was no occasion to allude to them, and such a reference would have disturbed the perfect unity and touching simplicity of that most beautiful narrative; and it is in accordance with the general practice of Moses, in sketching the lives of the patriarchs, not to confuse the story by introducing non-historic characters. Thus, had it not been for the capture of Lot by Chedorlaomer, we should not have known that Abraham had three hundred and eighteen full-grown men in his household; and so, also, had it not been necessary for Jacob to send company after company to guide his large presents to meet Esau, we might have been left to suppose that he and his sons alone conducted his flocks in his flight from Mesopotamia. But it is certain that he had a large retinue of servants; and so, doubtless, each of his sons had servants, and it is incredible that they should have gone down to Egypt without them; on the contrary, there is every reason to believe that there was a large caravan. The fact, also, that the sons themselves took part in the work, and that each had his sack under him, is in exact correspondence with the customs of tent-dwelling shepherds at this day. The highest sheikhs dress and fare precisely as their followers do, and bear their full share in the operations of the company, whatever they may be.
Number of the Israelites in Egypt
This leads me to suggest another idea, which I have long entertained in regard to the actual number of persons that went down to Egypt with Jacob. It was strictly true that “all the souls that came out of Jacob's loins, besides his sons' wives, were threescore and six” (Gen. 46:2626All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; (Genesis 46:26)); and these being, so to speak, historic characters, are, according to the usual practice, specifically mentioned: but there must have been a very large company belonging to them, of both men-servants, maid-servants, and children; and, beyond a doubt, these remained, were incorporated with, and multiplied as rapidly as their masters. May we not in this fact find an explanation of the vast multitude to which this company had grown in so short a time?
Servants Included
I have myself no doubt on the subject. Israel did not sell his home-born servants, but took them into Egypt. There they were absorbed into the Hebrew nation during those generations when all were reduced by their tyrannical masters to one common lot of hard bondage. And thus it came to pass that there were six hundred thousand men that went up harnessed and fit for war. Nor is this custom of absorbing into the different tribes those servants that belonged to them at variance with either ancient or modern practice. That the freedmen were incorporated with and adopted the family name of their masters, is a well-known fact in the history of the great Roman commonwealth.
That company of donkeys you met were doubtless going to the distant fields to bring in to the threshing-floors the 'adis or lentiles from which Esau's pottage was made. Just below us is a field in which it is not yet ripe, and another yonder, on the southern slope of the mountain, where they are gathering it. You notice that it does not grow more than six or eight inches high, and is pulled like flax, not cut with the sickle. When green, it resembles an incipient pea-vine, only the leaves are differently arranged, smaller, and more delicate — somewhat like those of the mimosa or sensitive plant.
ILLUSTRATION
Road to St. Saba
Our muleteers anticipate a hard day's march to St. Saba, and therefore are more than usually expeditious in starting. Allowing them to pursue the regular road toward the Pools of Solomon, we will pass up to the northwest, and visit the great oak of Abraham.
Pool of Hebron
Do you suppose that this large pool we are now passing is ancient? I see no reason to doubt that both this and also the smaller one, higher up the valley, date back to the days of the Jews. Whether either of them is mentioned in 2 Samuel 4:1212And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron. (2 Samuel 4:12), as the place where David hung up the murderers of Ishbosheth, is, of course, doubtful; but both of them may have then been in existence, for works of this kind, and in such localities, last as long as the cities for whose accommodation they were made.
Vineyards
We are now riding through the most extensive and best-kept vineyards that I have seen in this country.
All travelers are struck with them, and no one fails, or can fail, of being reminded by them of that extraordinary cluster of grapes which the spies carried “between two upon a staff”; for the valley of Hebron is the place from whence they bore this proof of the fertility of the promised land (Num. 13:2323And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. (Numbers 13:23)).
ILLUSTRATION
Vines
I have been here in the season of grapes, and, though they are larger than in most other localities, and the dusters very long, yet I have never seen any so heavy as to require to be borne between two upon a staff.
These houses and rude towers in the vineyards are for the vine-dressers, I suppose?
Vintage
The houses are for the families of the owners of these vineyards; and should you come this way in September or October, you will find the city deserted, and these gardens crowded with grape-gatherers of every age and sex. The whole population then live abroad, each under his own vine and fig-tree. Most of them sleep beneath these vine-arbors, and the houses are for the safe keeping of their utensils and their raisins, while they are out gathering grapes. A large part of the crop is eaten or sold at the time; the remainder is dried into raisins, or pressed, and the juice boiled down to a thick molasses, called Bibs; for the Moslems, as you are aware, make no wine.
Towers
These towers stationed around on commanding points are for the natûrs, or watchmen; and they are already there, keeping a keen eye upon the entire range of vineyards. One of them is coming toward us from his tower, and his object is to see who we are, and what may be our business out here among the vineyards. We will take him as our guide to the oak; for, although it is in full view, there are innumerable turns yet to be made in our tortuous path before we can reach it.
Watchmen
These watchmen are very celebrated characters in the Bible, and figure largely both in prose and poetry. Isaiah has a beautiful reference to them in the 52nd chapter of his prophecies: “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” (Isa. 52:88Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. (Isaiah 52:8)).
Watchmen Seeing Eye to Eye
Do you believe that the watchmen here mentioned were these natûrs over the fields and vineyards? I had supposed that the prophet refers in that passage to the military sentinels in time of danger.
Doubtless the reference is in many places to such sentinels stationed upon lofty mountains, or upon the fortifications of the city. Thus, in the 62nd chapter, “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night”; and again in the 52nd chapter, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” If you conceive of Zion as a city defended by walls and towers, and guarded by soldiers, the illustration is natural and striking, particularly in time of war. Then, as I myself have seen at Jerusalem, these watchmen are multiplied, and so stationed that every yard of the wall falls under their surveillance, and thus they literally see eye to eye. They never remit their watchfulness, nor do they keep silence, especially at night. When danger is apprehended they are obliged to call to one another and to respond every few minutes. The guard on the look-out at the Tower of David, for instance, lifts up his voice in a long call, the one next south of him takes up the note and repeats it, and thus it runs quite round the circuit of the walls. At Sidon the custom-house guards stationed around the city are required to keep one another awake and alert in the same way, particularly when there is danger of smuggling.
Watchmen of Vineyards
There is, however, another set of scenes which seems to me to correspond better to the drapery of the passage from Isaiah. Zion, or the Church of God, is frequently described under the similitude of a garden or vineyard; and such is the case here. Her watchmen are not on walls, but stand upon the mountains, and the costume of the entire scene is rural, not mural. It breathes of the country, not of the city. To understand and enjoy this noble passage, one needs to go forth to the fields at the time of the vintage. The vineyards are generally planted on the sides of mountains, often climbing, by successive terraces, quite to the summit. As they are far from the village, and without fence or hedge, they must be carefully guarded, and the stoutest and boldest young men are selected for natfirs. They take their stations on the highest part of the mountain which they have to watch, and are so arranged that the eye of one surveys the entire series of vineyards up to the point where the eye of the other reaches Thus eye meets eye, and every part is brought under constant surveillance. “They shall lift up the voice,” etc. This is very natural and beautiful. When an animal or thief appears, or any other cause of alarm occurs, the watchman who observes it lifts up a long-toned cry at the very top of his voice, and is immediately responded to by his fellows at the other stations; and the attention of all being aroused, it is his duty whose part is threatened with injury to attend to the case at once. Thus it will be with Zion in the happy days foreshadowed by this prophecy. The watchmen being sufficient in number, rightly located, all intent upon their work of watching, and ready to afford each other information of danger and assistance in repelling it, then will Zion dwell safely. Wild beasts may threaten to break in and devour, and robbers may prowl about, but the system of defense will be perfect, and the watchmen “scorn surprise.”
Feet Upon Mountains
This explanation coincides best with the 7th verse: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that published peace!” These natûrs, standing upon the very pinnacle of the mountain, have a very striking appearance, particularly when seen below, far off, at a great elevation, in picturesque costumes, their outline drawn sharply upon the clear blue sky beyond; they seem in fancy's eye like aerial beings, guardian angels, hovering in mid heaven over their peaceful charge. The feet are mentioned, perhaps, because they are seen standing, as if alert and prompt to fulfill the duties of their office. They do, in fact, stand, not sit or lounge; and the same idea is implied in the 5th verse of the 61St chapter of Isaiah: “Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks.” Good shepherds do not sit down in careless neglect of their charge, and I have often been reminded of this promise to Israel when looking at the shepherd standing out in bold relief upon some towering cliff, from which he could see every member of his flock.
It is only on rare occasions that one now finds all the circumstances here alluded to combined in the same scene, and never but in elevated and retired parts of Lebanon, during the months of September and October.
Singing Together
When passing through vineyards thus situated and thus guarded on that goodly mountain, I have been suddenly startled by a long, loud note of warning, swelling up the steep cliffs of the mountains, and responded to by others before and behind, “singing together” in concert, and waking the echoes that sleep in the wadies and among the ragged rocks; then one of the watchmen, leaving his lofty station, would descend to meet me with hands laden with the best clusters for my acceptance, and this, too, “without money and without price.” Courteously accompanying me to the end of the vineyards, he would then dismiss me with a graceful bow, and the prayer of peace on his lips. If, however, one attempts to take without permission, these watchmen are required to resist even unto death — and in the execution of their office they are extremely bold and resolute. I have known many serious and some fatal rencounters of this kind.
Abraham’s Oak
Here we are at the famous oak, and a moment's inspection will show to one acquainted with such matters that it can have no connection with Abraham, nor, indeed, with any one else who lived more than a thousand years ago. We have oaks in Lebanon twice the size of this, and every way more striking and majestic. It is a fine old baluta (evergreen oak), however, twenty-six feet in girth at the ground, and its thick branches extend over an area ninety-three feet in diameter. Some six feet from the ground the tree forks into three great arms, which again divide as they ascend into innumerable limbs. The location is beautiful, near the head of this wady Sebta, and about two miles northwest of the city, and many a picnic is achieved by the Jews of Hebron upon the soft sward that is allowed to grow beneath this noble oak of their father Abraham.
We must now pursue our ride to the northeast, and join our company below Beled en Nussarah (town of the Christians), where they are to wait for us. In the valley south of this ruined Beled is a fountain of the same name, from which an aqueduct once carried the water to Hebron.
Abraham’s House
Beyond is the house of Abraham, which lies some distance to the east of the regular road from Hebron to Bethlehem, on a path that leads to Tekoa, and which we would follow if our men knew the way, as it would take us nearer the cave of Adullam, which we wish to visit. This house of Abraham appears never to have been finished, and at present there remain but two courses of great stones, some of them fifteen feet in length, and more than three thick. The builder, whoever he was, appears to have projected a strong castle or palace, two hundred feet long and a hundred and sixty feet broad; but, like many who begin, he was not able to finish, and has left these courses of hewn stones out on this lone mountain to puzzle the brains of antiquarians and tourists to the end of time.
We now begin to descend northward to Dirweh, where is a fountain of water with large stone troughs, and many old quarries in the neighborhood. The place is doubtless ancient, though its name does not occur in the Bible. Directly east of it, however, is Hŭlhŭl, the ancient Halhûl, which was given to Judah, and which was near Hebron, according to the “Onomasticon.” From this to the Pools of Solomon one may go to sleep, so far as pretty scenery or interesting historic sites are concerned. We are now coming to a deserted village, called Klein and west of it a short distance is Beit Ummar, while on the east of our path is a considerable ruin, called Bazata, or Beth Zeita.
Though our present road is destitute of historic sites, this region of country abounds in them; and if the season were not so far advanced, and the country had been less disturbed, it would have been pleasant to spend a few days in making excursions around Hebron. Scarcely any part of Palestine has preserved so many ancient names as the district of which this city is the center.
Ancient Sites
On the south are Adoraim, and Anab, and Shochoh, Juttah, Ziph, Eshtemoa, Anim, Maon, and Cannel, from whence David got his wife, after Nabal, “that son of Belial,” had died in his drunken debauch, as recorded in the twenty-fifth chapter of First Samuel; on the west and north are Beth-tappuah, Ramah, Beth-zur, and Halhûl, and many more, according as we extend the circle.
Ziph
These names, however, are nearly all destitute of Biblical interest, and what there is of ruins about the sites worthy of notice we must commit to the care of tourists and explorers, who make it their business to search out, measure, and describe them. The people of Ziph obtained an odious reputation in the time of David by betraying his hiding-place in the bill of Hachilah to king Saul. One of these rough hills below Ziph must doubtless be the scene of that venturesome visit of David into the camp of his enemy while he and all his troop were asleep (1 Sam. 24:1-121And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. 2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 4And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. 5And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. 7So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. 9And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 10Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed. 11Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. 12The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. (1 Samuel 24:1‑12)). That entire region is now almost deserted except by Bedawin robbers, who render it at least as dangerous to honest shepherds as it seems to have been before David and his company frequented it. The men of Carmel mention it as something remarkable that they were not hurt, neither missed anything as long as they were conversant with them in the fields. “They were a wall unto us night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep” (1 Sam. 25:15-1615But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: 16They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. (1 Samuel 25:15‑16)). It is refreshing to read such a testimony to David's admirable government over the band that followed him; and if there were now such an emeer in that same region, we might have safely extended our rambles down to the Dead Sea, at the famous castle of Masada, and then passed on northward by 'Ain Jidy to Jericho. As it is, we are only able to get some such view of these districts as Moses had from the top of Pisgah.
Masada
The result of such a survey on my mind, however, has always been far less satisfactory and refreshing than it appears to have been to Moses; for no other part of Palestine is so dreary and uninteresting as this — and it grows more and more so as you approach the Sea of Sodom, until the barren, bronze-colored rocks terminate in the tremendous cliff of Masada. It has never been my privilege to visit that celebrated castle, and the best account I have seen of it is from the pen of Mr. Wolcott, who was also the first in modern times to visit and identify it. The most striking views were drawn by his traveling companion, Mr. Tipping, and appear in Mr. Trail's new translation of Josephus. Their visit was made in the winter of 1842, and since then many travelers have been there, including several of the exploring expedition of Captain Lynch.
Exaggerated Accounts
All who have visited this terrific crag and strange castle seem to have been smitten with the spirit of exaggeration, but no one, except perhaps M. De Saulcey, has equaled Josephus. You can read his account in the 8th chapter of the 7th book of his Wars. He thus speaks of the approach to it along the path called “the serpent,” “as resembling that animal in its narrowness and its perpetual windings, for it is broken off at the prominent precipices of the rock, and returns frequently into itself; and lengthening again by little and little. hath much ado to proceed forward, and he that would walk along it must first go on one leg and then on the other; and there is also nothing but destruction in case your foot slip; for on each side there is a vastly deep chasm and precipice, sufficient to quell the courage of anybody by the terror it infuses into the mind,” and so forth.
The historian informs us that Jonathan the high priest first of all built a fortress on this cliff, and called it Masada; but the great wall around the entire summit, seven furlongs in length, was the work of Herod, who erected a palace there, and spent vast sums in preparing it to be a last retreat for himself in case of need. He, however, died elsewhere, and had no occasion for such a stronghold; but after the destruction of Jerusalem, a band of robbers, whom Josephus calls Siccarii, seized upon it, and dared to set at defiance the conquerors of the world; and upon its hard and blackened summit was enacted the very last scene in the tragedy of Israel's destruction.
Tragedy of Masada
The wall built by Silva to hem in the besieged can still be traced quite round the rock, and also the remains of the Roman camp; and when the place was subdued by famine, and the defenses were stormed, the people, unable to escape, and maddened by the speech of Eleazar their chief, “embraced their wives, took their children in their arms, and gave the longest parting kisses,” and with bitter tears then plunged their dripping daggers to their hearts, and laid them all dead in one ghastly funeral pile. They then chose ten men by lot to slay all the rest, and every one laid himself down by his wife and children, and, with his arms around their lifeless bodies, offered his neck to the sword of the executioner. This bloody butchery accomplished, one of the ten killed all the rest, and finally himself. Thus perished nine hundred and sixty men, women, and children, the last great sacrifice on the altar of divine retribution, and only two women and five children survived to tell the tale. Such tragedies are far more than mere incidents in man's general history. They are the voice of the Almighty One, setting the seal of truth divine to a thousand admonitions and prophetic warnings scattered everywhere through his holy Word; and, thus regarded, there is no stronger evidence for the divine origin of the Bible than the seven books of Jewish Wars by Josephus.
En-gedi
There is no other point of much interest along the western shore of the Dead Sea, except 'Ain Jidy — Fountain of the Goat — the En-gedi of the Bible, which was given to Judah, and mentioned by Joshua along with the city of Salt (Josh. 15:6262And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages. (Joshua 15:62)). It is in a wild ravine, and the cliffs on either side are full of natural and artificial caves and sepulchers. It was in the strongholds of En-gedi that the persecuted David at one time dwelt; and into one of the caves there Saul went “to cover his feet,” when David, who lay hid deep within, arose and cut off the skirt of his robe, and might have slain the wearer also, had he not feared to stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed (1 Sam. 23:29; 24:1-629And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi. (1 Samuel 23:29)
1And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. 2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 4And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. 5And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. (1 Samuel 24:1‑6)). Owing to copious fountains in this warm ravine, there were, in ancient times, fragrant orchards and spicy gardens at En-gedi, to which Solomon, in his Song of Songs, compares his beloved: “My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vintage of En-gedi” (Song of Sol. 1:1414My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi. (Song of Solomon 1:14)). What camphire was precisely, cannot now be determined, but it must have been very pleasant. In the margin it is translated “cypress,” — something equally unknown to me. Dr. Kitto argues that this kopher was the henneh; and certainly the long “clusters” of henneh flowers are extremely fragrant. The Orientals, also, are extravagantly fond of their odor, and they have an intimate association with love and marriage, so that Solomon might very appropriately compare his beloved to such a cluster. It is my opinion, however, that kopher is merely a poetic name for a very fragrant species of grape that flourished most luxuriously in these vineyards of En-gedi. The Arabs of the present day distinguish their choice varieties of grapes by names every way analogous to this.
Sheep Cotes
In the account of Saul's pursuit of David to En-gedi, two circumstances are mentioned which are worthy of a passing remark. The first is, that there were sheep-cotes there in connection with the cave into which Saul retired. I have seen hundreds of them around the mouth of caverns, and, indeed, there is scarcely a cave in the land whose location will admit of being thus occupied, but has such a “cote” in front of it, generally made by piling up loose stones into a circular wall, which is covered with thorns as a further protection against robbers and wild beasts. During cold storms, and in the night, the flocks retreat into the cave, but at other times they remain in this enclosed cote. The cavern may have been full of them when the king entered; nor would his presence have disturbed them — as I have found on many occasions — while their constant tramping about the sleeping Saul would have rendered the approach of David wholly unnoticed. I have had them step over me when resting in such caves, and have seen them actually tramp on their sleeping shepherd without disturbing his slumbers. Moreover, these caverns are as dark as midnight, and the keenest eye cannot see five paces inward; but one who has been long within, and is looking outward toward the entrance, can observe with perfect distinctness all that takes place in that direction. David, therefore, could watch Saul as he came in, and notice the exact place where he “covered his feet,” while he could see nothing but impenetrable darkness.
Wild Goats
The other fact is, that the cliffs about En-gedi were then called “the rocks of the wild goats” (1 Sam. 24:22Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. (1 Samuel 24:2)); and from them, doubtless, the place received its name, En-gedi (Ain Jidy) — the Fountain of the Goats. Now it is a remarkable and a pleasing circumstance that these bold and hardy dwellers upon the rocks are still found in the wild ravines about 'Ain Jidy. I have seen the skin and powerful horns of one that was shot there by an Arab hunter.
Pools of Solomon
But here we are at El Burak, as the Pools of Solomon are now called, and there we will take our noonday lunch, and drink of that “sealed fountain” which furnished the king another pretty figure with which to compare his “beloved”; at least such is monastic identification and exposition of Song of Solomon 4:1212A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. (Song of Solomon 4:12).
While I arrange for our repast under the wall of this dilapidated old castle, you may satisfy your curiosity by a survey of these great cisterns. Well, do they equal their name and fame?
They are worthy of Solomon, and that is the highest note I can think of at present.
ILLUSTRATION
Size of Pools
They are certainly gigantic cisterns, and all the more impressive is this utter solitude, where there are no other structures with which to compare them, or to divide the interest which they inspire. The proportions of the one furthest to the east are truly royal: nearly six hundred feet long, two hundred wide, and fifty deep. When full, it would float the largest man-of-war that ever plowed the ocean.
(Dr. Robinson, with his usual accuracy, gives the measurement of the three as follows: The first is 582 by 207, and 50 feet deep; the second is 423 by 250, and 89 deep; the third is 390 by 236, and 25 deep. All of them, however, are considerably narrower at the upper end, the first being 148, the second 160, and the third 229 feet.)
The first time I saw these Burak there was very little water in any of them, but I have since been here when the two upper ones were full and overflowing into the third. The stream from the only fountain in this vicinity was then led along an open canal on the north side, directly into the aqueduct east of the pools, and thus carried round the shoulder of the hill, apparently to irrigate gardens in that direction. I examined the under-ground rooms in the southwest corner of this old castle, where the water first appears, brought there by an artificial channel, many feet below the surface, from the fountainhead, which is some forty rods to the northwest. Tradition makes this “the spring shut up, the fountain sealed,” to which the “sister spouse” is compared in Song of Solomon 4:1212A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. (Song of Solomon 4:12); and if so, the “garden enclosed” was near at hand, perhaps in this little plain which spreads up to the fountain from the pools. If Solomon really constructed these vast reservoirs — and even Dr. Robinson is disposed to admit the fact — it is probable that it was on the neighboring hills, and in the valleys to the northeast of them, that he planted the vineyards, made the gardens and orchards of all kinds of fruits, and made pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees (Eccl. 2:4-64I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: (Ecclesiastes 2:4‑6)); by which and other like data he worked out the great problem of human affairs to the final product of “vanity of vanities.” Josephus, however, says that these gardens were at Etam — which our friends in Jerusalem have identified with Urtas, its fountains and fine gardens.
ILLUSTRATION
Well, at Urtas let it be, or whereever you please: I am tired of doubting everything. Besides, I think there is good reason to rest in the general correctness of this identification; and the thought that the wise king of Israel had often retired to those then well-wooded and well-watered hills and valleys, adds immensely to the charm of this day's most delightful and instructive ramble.
Urtas Aqueduct
We must now pursue our ride, and the path lies down the valley below Urtas, and we shall follow for some time the line of the canal by which the water was conveyed to Jerusalem. This aqueduct is probably less ancient than the pools; but that is not certain, for I have often noticed that such canals, where the line followed along the surface of the country, were constructed of small stones, laid up in a careless manner, and this, too, where we know that the work dates back at least to the beginning of our era. The ephemeral character of the present aqueduct, therefore, does not prove that it is modern. It followed the sinuosities of the hills, passed east and below Bethlehem and the Convent of Elijah, and near Jerusalem was carried along the west side of Gihon to the north end of the lower pool, where it crossed to the east side, and descended around the southern declivity of Zion, below Neby Daûd, and finally entered the southwestern corner of the Temple area, where the water was employed in the various services of the sanctuary.
Tekoa
I once struck across the wild region east of us, to visit Tekoa and the so-called cave of Adullam. Of Tekoa little need be said. The name is applied to a ruined site lying on the northeastern slope of a high ridge, an hour and a half to the southeast of the pools. The whole country is now deserted, except by the Arabs, who pasture their flocks on those barren hills. They are a rude and sinister-looking generation. I hope the herdsmen of Tekoa, with whom Amos says he associated, were better men and more civilized than their present successors. Joab, I am sure, would search Tekoa in vain for a wise woman to fetch about that cunning form of speech by which David was induced to recall Absalom from banishment (2 Sam. 14).
Having passed eastward of Tekoa, we descended a shallow wady for about a mile, to some curious old buildings which overhang the tremendous gorge of Wady Urtas, there called Khureitûn, which is also the name of the ruins.
Cave of Adullam
Leaving our horses in charge of wild Arabs, and taking one for a guide, we started for the cave, having a fearful gorge below, gigantic cliffs above, and the path winding along a shelf of the rock, narrow enough to make the nervous among us shudder. At length, from a great rock hanging on the edge of this shelf, we sprang by a long leap into a low window which opened into the perpendicular face of the cliff. We were then within the hold of David (1 Sam. 22:4-54And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold. 5And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth. (1 Samuel 22:4‑5)), and, creeping half doubled through a narrow crevice for a few rods, we stood beneath the dark vault of the first grand chamber of this mysterious and oppressive cavern. Our whole collection of lights did little more than make the damp darkness visible. After groping about as long as we had time to spare, we returned to the light of day, fully convinced that, with David and his lion-hearted followers inside, all the strength of Israel under Saul could not have forced an entrance — would not have even attempted it.
Identity of the Cave
I see no reason to disturb the tradition which makes this the hold into which David retired with his father's house and his faithful followers when he fled from Gath. David, as a shepherd leading his flocks over these hills, was doubtless acquainted from his boyhood with all the intricacies of this fearful cavern, just as these Arab shepherds, his successors, now are; and what more natural, therefore, than that he should flee thither in the day of his extremity? It was out in the wild desert, far from the haunts of Saul, and not likely to be visited by him. It was also in the direction of Moab, whither he sent his parents and the women of his train, while he abode still in the hold. Again, we know that many of his subsequent exploits and escapes from Saul were in this region and south of it. And, finally, there is a sort of verbal accuracy in speaking of the topography — David's family are said to have gone down to him from Bethlehem. Now this cavern is nearly two hours to the southeast of that village, and the path descends rapidly nearly the entire distance. Let us therefore acquiesce in the tradition that this is the Adullam into which David fled from Gath, and in which he first collected and organized his band of trusty followers.
Of course, this is not the city Adullam, so often mentioned in the oldest books of the Bible, and which appears to have been in the neighborhood of Gath. But enough about this cave. After escaping from it, we returned up the same shallow wady for a mile or more, and then descended by one of the vilest roads in the world into Wady Urtas, and passed up northward round the western base of Jebel Fureîdîs. We had not time to ascend it, but it seemed very high — I should say eight hundred feet from the bottom of the wady — an enormous natural mound, as trimly turned and as steep as a haystack. It is doubtless the Herodium of Josephus, which he somewhat fancifully compares to the breast of a woman. It has every appearance of an extinct crater, and yet I noticed no indication of volcanic agency in that immediate vicinity.
Frank Mountain
This Fureîdîs was called Frank Mountain by the Crusaders, and must have been a strong fortification during all the ages in which isolated tells afforded the natural platform for castles. There is none of equal height and size in Palestine. Leaving it on the right, we had Bethlehem in full view about three miles westward, and the setting sun threw a mild and subdued light over the plains where the shepherds were keeping watch. Somehow or other we made but slow progress, and night came upon us bewildered in a labyrinth of wadies, while there were yet two long hours to Mar Saba, whither the muleteers had preceded us, and which we had to reach, or otherwise sleep out in the wilderness supperless, and at the mercy of our villanous glides. On we marched, up and down, and down and up, on sharp ridges, in deep wadies, and over slippery rocks, or through stiff mud, but finally, without accident or injury of any kind, we dismounted at the entrance of the convent. I shall never forget that evening ride. Our imaginations had been held wide awake hour after hour by bad roads, doubtful guides, and the dismal notes of owls and jackals. The moon, rising over the brown hills of Moab, flashed and trembled on the Dead Sea, giving just light enough to make the crags appear more stern, and the chasms more horrible.
Convent of Mar Saba
At the convent, two towers, one on either brow of the gorge, loomed up through the misty moonbeams, like grim old giants, to guard the access. We entered through a low iron door, went down, turned round through a second door, then down again by winding stairs, across queer courts, and along dark passages, until we reached at length our rooms, hanging between cliffs that towered to the stars, or seemed to, and yawning gulfs which darkness made bottomless and dreadful. I was struck dumb with astonishment. It was a transition sudden and unexpected, from the wild mountain to the yet wilder, more vague, and mysterious scenes of Oriental enchantment. Lights gleamed out fitfully from hanging rocks and doubtful caverns. Winding stairs, with balustrade and iron rail, ran right up the perpendicular cliffs into rock chambers, where the solitary monk was drowsily muttering his midnight prayers. It was long after that hour before sleep visited my eyes, and then my dreams were of Arabs, and frightful chasms, and enchanted castles.
Sight of Mar Saba
Daylight next morning stripped off much of the wild and fearful from the midnight view through the pale beams of the waning moon; but even then Mar Saba is the strangest convent that I have ever seen. We, of course, visited the curiosities of the place: St. Saba's sepulcher, beneath an octagonal mausoleum; the numerous chapels, covered with pictures and Greek inscriptions; the really splendid church, blazing with silver and gold; the vault, filled with fourteen thousand skulls of martyred monks! and I know not what besides, with which this convent-castle is crowded. No description had in the least prepared me for what I saw, and no pen-picture could do justice to the original. It must he seen, and every visitor will be well rewarded for his three hours' ride. The stupendous cliffs of the Kidron, full of caverns, now the home of bats and owls instead of monks and hermits, are not the least impressive of the many wonders that cluster around this strange retirement of Santa Saba.
Urtas-Etam
Our present approach will be by the sober light of day, and must lack every element of romance, so we may as well interest ourselves with this fine valley of Urtas. This is believed to be the Etam of the ancient Hebrew kings — a name which rarely occurs in the Bible, and nowhere in such relation to other places as to indicate this locality, unless it be in 2 Chronicles 11:66He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, (2 Chronicles 11:6), where it is named along with Bethlehem and Tekoa. The truth is that its celebrity depends upon the fables of the rabbis more than the pages of sober history. The fountain near the village, however, must have always filled the valley below it with orchards and flourishing gardens; and it is not an unreasonable supposition that David, who so intensely longed for even a drink of water from his native Bethlehem, would have shown a similar partiality for this pretty valley below it, where he must have often played while a child. Not unlikely he had purchased it before he died, and when Solomon came into possession, he further adorned it with his pools and orchards; and in traversing this vale, I always love to reproduce in imagination the gorgeous scene when it was filled with fruits and flowers, and these many-shaped hills on either side, and on all sides, were terraced to their tops, and dotted everywhere with country villas, amid olive-groves, fig-orchards, and clustering vines. Thus it certainly was through many long ages of peace and prosperity; and it is my belief that thus it will he once more, in that happy day “when the Lord shall bring again Zion” (Isa. 52:88Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. (Isaiah 52:8)).