Notes for Travellers by Road and Rail in Palestine and Syria

St. George’s Cathedral,

Jerusalem.

The old leisurely days of camping through
Palestine are gone for ever and the modem
traveller is whirled through the country at thirty
miles an hour in a motor car. Instead of riding
through the land and spending the night in many
a beautiful or historic spot, during a journey of
three, four, or six weeks, people can now traverse
the whole country from Jerusalem, via Nablus and
Nazareth, to the Sea of Galilee, between mid-day
and sunset.

But alas ! there are not six people out of a
hundred who, in the course of the drive, have
learnt the name of a single place beyond those
mentioned above. They have set eyes on Bethel —
but they did not know it — the valley where Shiloh
lies came within their view, as did many another
interesting spot, as well as all the well-known hills
and mountains of which mention is made in the
Bible, but not one of them have they identified.

In the course of my work I have to travel fre¬
quently over all the roads of Palestine and have
gathered together a number of notes, giving the
position, a brief description, and the chief Biblical
references relating to the towns and villages and
ancient sites passed en route by the traveller.
Fortunately it is easy to mark the position of each,
as there are kilometre stones along all the roads
and railways, and a few type-written copies of
these notes, already frequently lent to friends, have

proved that all the places can thus be easily
recognized by those who have no knowledge of
Palestine and have not visited it before.

I am well aware that these notes — which are not
a guide book and should only be used as supple¬
mentary to some such publication — are still very
incomplete, for during every journey I find that
some correction or addition is necessary. They are
now published, however, in the hope that they will
enable the reader at least to recognize and store up
a memory of many a place of intense interest as
he passes, by road or rail, through the sacred fields
and valleys and hills of the Holy Land.

Rennie MacInnes,

Bishop.

The Palestine Seasons.

March and April are the favourite months in
which to visit Palestine, as the wild flowers are
then at their best, but there is often some rain
until the end of April. From April till the end of
October there is no rain. The heat is not at all
excessive, owing to the height of Jerusalem
(2,600 feet), and nearly all the places which the
traveller visits, and it is perfectly possible to make
the tour in the summer or autumn. October and
November are also good months for travelling.

Notes for Travellers

BY ROAD AND RAIL IN PALESTINE

AND SYRIA.

By

The Right Rev. RENNIE MAC INNES, D.D.

(Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem).

COPYRIGHT.

PRICE: FIVE EGYPTIAN PIASTRES
(One Shilling in England).

Xondon :

H. B. SKINNER & Co., General Printers, 124/6 Denmark Hill, S.E.5.

Further copies of the Notes may he
obtained from the Rev. E. M. Bickersteth ,
12 Warwick Square, London, S.W. 1 ; and
from the Bishop’ s Secretary at St. George’s
Cathedral.

Any proceeds from the sale of this
pamphlet, after the cost of publication has
been met, will be given to the Work of the
Jerusalem and the East Mission in the
Holy Land.

R.M.I.

NOTi.£.

^ is possik1 ' n i i

enjov' ’ --^ie that some travellers who have

cd their visit to the Holy Land may desire
to mark their appreciation of all they have seen
by contributing towards the medical, educational,
or other permanent work which is being carried on
by the Jerusalem and the East Mission. We shall
be very grateful for any such gifts, which may be
sent in the form of cheques, notes, or stamps of
any country to the Right Rev. Bishop Mac Innes,
St. George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem, or to the Rev.
E. M. Bickersteth, 12 Warwick Square, London,
S.W. 1.

I herewith enclose

towards the funds of the Jerusalem and the East
Mission.

Name .

Address

L-Shooi

€.\ Hibns

$etl> jftlarbutbo Uibrat p

The Malphono George Anton Kiraz Collection
LoVi ,_io Loi 1 -» N. -i\ cxX -Cl2u»di Ut ''•5>-o

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Anyone who asks for this volume, to
read, collate, or copy trom it, and who
appropriates it to himself or herself, or
cuts anything out of it, should realize
that (s)he will have to give answer before
God’s awesome tribunal as if (s)he had
robbed a sanctuary. 1 .et such a person be
held anathema and receive no forgiveness
until the book is returned. So be it.
Amen! And anyone who removes these
anathemas, digitally or otherwise, shall
himself receive them in double.

ENGLISH CHURCH HOSTEL

(Within the Cathedral Precincts).

There are many people who wish to make their
visit to the Holy Land in the pilgrim spirit. We
desire to give them the fullest help of their
Cathedral in doing so. A limited amount of
accommodation is now available, within our
buildings. The furnishing of the rooms and the
food provided are very simple, though thoroughly
good. This enables us to keep the cost to the
pilgrim as low as possible, viz. : — 50 piastres
(10s. 3d.) per day, or 300 piastres (£3 Is. 6d.) per
week.

There are daily celebrations of the Holy
Communion in St. George’s, and other services.
The Cathedral is always open for private prayer
and meditation.

Ladies, whether travelling alone (this is now
perfectly easy) or in parties, are strongly advised
to go to the excellent Y.W.C.A. in Jerusalem,
which offers accommodation at very reasonable
charges. Address : The Secretary, the Y.W.C.A.,
Wyndham House, Jerusalem.

CONTENTS.

routes. page

I. — KANTARA to JERUSALEM, by Railway ... 9

1. Kantara to Lydda ... . 9

2. Lydda to Jerusalem . 14

(Lydda to Haifa, see Route VI., page 36).

II. — JERUSALEM to BEERSHEBA, by Road ... 17

1. Jerusalem to Bethlehem ... 17

2. Bethlehem to Hebron . 19

3. Hebron to Beersheba... ... 22

III. — JERUSALEM to ’AMMAN, by Road . 23

1. Jerusalem to Bethany and Jericho ... 23

2. Jericho to Es Salt ... ... ... ... 25

3. Es Salt to ’Amman ... ... ... ... 26

IV. — JERUSALEM to NAZARETH, by Road ... 27

1. Jerusalem to Nablus ... ... 27

2. Nablus to Nazareth ... ... 30

V.— NAZARETH to HAIFA, by Road . 34

VI. — LYDDA to HAIFA, by Railway ... ... 36

VII. — HAIFA to SEMAKH and DAMASCUS, by

Railway . 41

VIII.— NAZARETH to TIBERIAS (SEA OF GALILEE)

by Road . 47

IX.— TIBERIAS to DAMASCUS, by Road . 48

X. — HAIFA to BEIRUT, by Road . 50

XI. — BEIRUT to DAMASCUS, by Road . 54

XII.— JERUSALEM to KANTARA, by Railway ... 55

8

NOTE CAREFULLY.

1 . The Arabic kilometre marks read as follows : —

s =1 r = 2 r = 3 s =4 • 6 =5 “1=6

v = 7 A = g *\=9 ^ *'=10

N.B. — Be careful about Nos. 5 and 6. In
Arabic they look exactly like our 0 and 7, and
people very often mis-read them so. The
Arabic nought is like our full-stop.

2. For purposes of comparison it can be taken that
8 kilometres are equivalent to 5 miles.

3. Travellers going in the opposite direction to the
one described can identify the places quite
easily by reading “ri
as “back,” &c.

4. The speed of cars varies greatly, so only
average times are given.

5. If a party be travelling together, then one can
read the Notes aloud to the rest, and another
(with a second copy of the Notes) can turn up
the passages and be ready to read them as the
place is reached. It will also be found very
useful to read up the Biblical references before
a journey.

6. I shall greatly appreciate it if readers will send
to me notes of any corrections (showing easier
methods of identification), additions, or
suggestions which may occur to them.

7. I gratefully acknowledge much help from the
valuable guide books by Baedeker and by
Meistermann.

ght” as ‘“left,” “forward”

9

ROUTE I.

KANTARA to JERUSALEM, by Railway.

(367 kilometres; 9 hours).

NOTES. — (a) All directions, right or left, are
given as from a seat facing the engine.

(b) From Kantara to Lydda a seat on the right
is best, and from Lydda to Jerusalem a seat on
the left.

(c) The kilometre marks are on the right of the
train from Kantara to Lydda, and on the left from
Lydda to Jerusalem; Arabic numerals on one side,
English on the other.

(d) The times given are those in force in 1925.

(e) 7 his route is also described in the reverse
order, Jerusalem to Kantara. See Route XII.

1. KANTARA to LYDDA.

(301 kilometres; 6)4 hours).

KANTARA (dep. 12.1 a.m.) means in Arabic a
“Bridge,” i.e., the ancient crossing of the caravan
route between the two lakes by means of the rather
higher limestone ridge which divided them, and
now after 5,000 years a “bridge” again, over the
Suez Canal. It was the crossing by which
Abraham, Joseph, and Jacob travelled from
Palestine into Egypt, and was doubtless the track
by which the Holy Family went to and from the
Valley of the Nile.

B

10

The train passes first through the region of the
ancient Serbonian Bog, with Pelusium away on
the left, on the former most eastern branch of the
Nile.

When our armies, with the magnificent assist¬
ance of the Egyptian Labour Corps, began to
make this railway, they called it the “Milk and
Honey Railway.” Later, finding nothing but
sand all the way, they called it the “Desert
Railway.”

K. 39. Pass ROMANI (12.47), K. 75 LL ‘ABD
(1.29), and K. 112 MAZAR (2.13). All along
here are many blockhouses and wire entangle¬
ments. On the right, and later on the left, see
the remains of the pipe-line, a bank of sand
covering the pipes (now removed) by which
Nile water was carried all through the desert
to Gaza ! There was an old tradition in South
Palestine that the Turks would hold the country
“till the waters of the Nile flow into Palestine,”
i.e., an almost impossible contingency. But
it was eventually effected by General Sir
Archibald Murray.

K. 154. LL ‘AR1SH (arr. 3.2, dep. 3.5). On the
sea. Every mile of the ground north and south
of LI ‘Arish was strongly contested and the
train crosses many battlefields.

K. 156. Just after K. 156 the train crosses the
broad and shallow wady (after rain a swift
river), which was the old “River of Egypt”;
then the rolling plain, over which Chetwode
advanced in Pebruary, 1917, to Rafa.

K. 156 Zi. El ‘Arish town appears on the right,
some way back, about a mile away. The head¬
quarters of the Governor of the Province of
Sinai are here.

K. 200. RAPA (arr. 4.3, dep. 4.8). Out of sight,

west (left) of the station, are the boundary
pillars between Egypt and Palestine which the

II

Turks removed in 1907, thus nearly bringing
about war between England and Turkey. On
leaving the station see the railway to Beersheba
branching off on the right.

K. 202i/3. The frontier between Egypt and
Palestine. (Look out for the notice boards).

K. 205/2. KILAB. On the right many piles of
wire entanglements show the site of Allenby’s
G.H.Q. before and during his attack on Gaza.

K. 211. KHAN YUNUS (4.25). See, left, the tower
of the mosque-fort built here by the Egyptian
Sultan Barquq in the 13th century. This place
was the scene of a remarkable escape by
Napoleon, who conducted his campaign all
along this route; his main army, ahead of him,
turned off accidentally into the desert;
Napoleon took the direct route and, thus miss¬
ing them, rode into Khan Yunus surrounded
only by his staff. He was surprised to see a
number of Arabs in the market square hastily
mounting and galloping away. They thought
it was the French army. Had they waited and
captured Napoleon the history of the world
since then would have been changed at Khan
Yunus.

K. 220. DEIR EL BELAH (4.33), “House of

Dates,” commonly called by the British troops
“Dear old Bella.” An enormous rail-head
camp through the summer of 1917.

K. 223. On the left see a big cemetery. The bodies
of our men, from all the scattered battlefields,
have been gathered together in main centres.
(It should never be forgotten that the building
of this railway , first by Sir Archibald Murray
and then by Lord Allenby, in their campaigns
of 1915-1917, was at the cost of more than
10,000 British soldiers' lives — an average of
twenty-seven lives every kilometre).

12

K. lll/i. The railway crosses the famous
“Waddy Guzzy” by a bridge. Many remains
of trenches, sand bags, and wire entanglements
are still to be seen all along this part of the line.

K. 231. Passing through an old redoubt at K. 231,
look well forward on the right and see on the
hill slope about a mile away (just above the
point where the trees cease) the derelict tank
“War Baby,” knocked out by the Turks in the
first battle of Gaza. It can be seen well until
K. 232, when it is immediately opposite the
train and is then soon hidden by trees.

K. 234. On the right see the hill to which tradition
says Samson carried the gates of Gaza.
(Judges xvi. 1-3). Then pass through the ruins
of Gaza, now largely rebuilt. Look out on the
left side. 1 errible destruction was done here
in the war, first by the Turks taking all wood —
roofs, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, &c. —
for railway fuel and for revetting the trenches,
and again by the British when shelling the
Turkish troops.

The C.M.S. Hospital erected after many
years of devoted work by the late Canon
Sterling, M.D., was almost totally destroyed,
but has now been completely restored by his
son. After leaving the houses, see in the
distance, on the left, a mosque where is buried
the grandfather of Mohammed the prophet.

K. 236. GAZA (arr. 4.53, dep. 5.3). See the big
British cemetery containing 3,257 graves, on
the right, just after leaving the station. Gaza
was one of the five Philistine cities. (For
Samson’s visit and death read Judges xvi. 1-3,
21-31. See also II. Kings xviii. 1-8 and
Acts viii. 26).

K. 245%. See on the right the few remains of a
Turkish train, knocked out and burnt by British

13

shell fire. There are also a few pairs of rails
and about thirty 6-in. shells.

K. 234. The Turkish military railway branches off
on the right to Wady Surar. Good distant views
of the Mountains of Judaea are seen on the right
throughout this part of the journey.

K. 259 14- MAJDAL (5.31). This is opposite

Ashkelon on the coast (left), another of the
five cities of the Philistines, with a long history
and connection with the names of the Tribe of
Judah, the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans,
Crusaders, Saladin ( “Salah ed Din,” “Restorer
of the Faith”), and Richard I. of England,
Coeur de Lion. All this region is the ancient
Philistia — the origin of the name “Palestine.”
(For Samson’s visit read Judges xiv. 12-19. See
also I. Sam. vi. 17, II. Sam. i. 17-20, Zeph. ii.
4-7, Zech. ix. 5).

K. 272. ASHDOD (5.47). Another of the five
cities of the Philistines. It stood on the
northern extremity of what once belonged to
Simeon, towards Egypt. (Read history of the
ark, I. Sam. v. 1-10. Also see Is. xx. 1,
Zeph. ii. 4). In the New Testament and
Septuagint it was called AZOTUS, where
Philip “was found” after baptizing the eunuch
(Acts viii. 40).

K. 287^2 • YEBNAH (6.6), in old days Jabneel
(Josh. xv. 11). Presently we enter the borders
of the Tribe of Dan.

K. 292. All about here are the flourishing and
well-cultivated Jewish colonies — Rehoboth,
Richon-le-Zion, &c.

K. 297. On a ridge (right), amongst the trees, see
a house with a tower. Here were Allenby’s
G.H.Q. for many weeks during the deliverance
of Jerusalem in 1917 and the subsequent
advance to Damascus and Aleppo.

14

K. 300. Cross the Jaffa-Jerusalem main road.

K. 301. LYDDA (arr. 6.30, dep. for Haifa 7 a.m.,
for Jaffa 7.4, for Jerusalem 6.52 a.m.), the
ancient Lydda, a city of Dan. Local tradition
of the 6th century says St. George of England
originally came from Lydda, and after his
martyrdom by Diocletian at Nicomedia in
Cappadocia, his body was eventually brought
back to Lydda and buried here in the church
of that time. The church has been incessantly
destroyed and restored, and the fabric is now
of no interest. (See Acts ix. 32-38 for St.
Peter’s visit to Lydda).

NOTE. — The journey from Lydda to Haifa is
described in Route VI.

2. LYDDA to JERUSALEM.

(66 kilometres; 2J4 hours).

(The kilometre marks, measuring from Jaffa, are
on the left between Lydda and Jerusalem).

K. 20. LYDDA (dep. 6.52 a.m.).

K. 2 1. See on the right the “Tower of the Forty
Martyrs,’’ said to have been built by the
Crusaders and restored by Saladin and Sultan
Beybars.

K. 22/2. RAMLEH (arr. 6.57, dep. 6.59). On

the left, opposite the station, less than half a
mile away, see another big British cemetery of
over 3,000 graves.

K. 23 Cross the Jaffa-Jerusalem road. See on
the right the R.A.F. aerodrome. Distant views
(left, back) of the PLAIN OF SHARON. Good
views of the Mountains of Judaea. Jerusalem
lies about fourteen miles beyond the hill
crowned with some trees.

15

On the left see a long hill in the middle
distance, with a small building on the left
end. This is GEZER, a very important
ancient city, excavated by Professor Macalister.
He dug down to the rock, discovered troglodyte
caves of 3,000 B.C., then, in successive layers,
the Canaanite city, then the Israelite, the Jewish,
Maccabean, Roman, Christian, and finally Arab
cities — twelve in all. Gezer frequently figures in
the Tel-el-Amarna Tablets, and was some time
held by the Pharaoh of Egypt, a serious menace
to the Jewish capital, Jerusalem. Later, Pharaoh
gracefully gave it as dowry to his daughter who
married Solomon, and it was fortified at once
by him. (See I. Kings ix. 14-17). Gezer was on
the southern boundary of Ephraim. It remains
in sight for the next half-hour or more.

K. 28. In the hollow of the distant hills, on the
left, lie Bethhoron and the Plain of Ajalon,
where Joshua fought the historic battle against
the Gibeonites.

K. 33. The village of ‘Aqir (EKRON) appears on
the right, the most northerly of the five cities
of the Philistines. Scene of the calamities
brought on them by the presence of the ark.

(I. Sam. v. 10-12, vii. 12-15, xvii . 50-52; II.
Kings, i. 2; Zeph. ii. 4; and Zech. ix. 5-7).

K. 37. VALE OF SOREK (arr. 7.19, dep. 7.21).

The station buildings were erected by the
Germans during the war. Scene of fierce fight¬
ing, the capture of two Turkish trains, and
explosion of a huge ammunition dump in
November, 1917. Immediately before entering
the station, notice on the right the old Turkish
railway branching off to Beersheba and the
Sinaitic desert, for the projected attack on the
Suez Canal and Egypt. Also distant view (S.W.)
of the Valley of Elah, where the armies of Saul
and of the Philistines lay opposite to each other
and David slew Goliath. (I. Sam. xvii. 2-52).

$

16

The train now runs up a valley called the Wady
es Surar — the ‘VALE OF SOREK,” the scene
of Samson’s exploits and the home of
Delilah, &c.

K. 48. On the right a valley leading to BETH-
SHEMESH, “House of the Sun,” now called
‘Ain Shems. Scene of the return of the ark.
(I. Sam. vi. 1-21. See also II. Kings xiv. 8-13).

K. 50. ARTUF (arr. 7.36, dep. 7.38). Across the
valley (left) on the top of the ridge see a white
dome and a palm tree. That is ZORAH, the
birthplace of Samson (Judges xiii. 2-25). Further
east a red-roofed colony marks approximately
the CAMP OF DAN (Judges xiii. 25 and xviii.
2-12). We now pass into the Tribe of Judah.

K. 54. High on a hill top (left) is the supposed
site of the Cave of the Rock Etam. (Judges xv.
4-19).

K. 63. DEIR ES SHEIKH (arr. 8.6, dep. 8.10).

K. 76. BITTIR (arr. 8.36, dep. 8.37). On the line
of Turkish trenches, November to December,
1917. Scene of heavy fighting. Also the
reputed scene of the last stand and terrible
slaughter of the Jews under Barchochba, when
attempting to regain their independence in
134 A.D., during the reign of Hadrian. The
ruins of their fort, still called “The hill of the
Jews,’’ can be seen on the left, nearly opposite
the station, amongst the trees on the hill-top.
(600 feet more to climb before reaching
Jerusalem). From Bittir the train ascends the
“Valley of Roses’’ and skirts the PLAIN OF
REPHAIM. (II. Sam. V. 18-25).

K. 84. First glimpses of the city may be seen from
the left windows at about K. 84.

K. 86. Reach JERUSALEM at 9 a.m.

Note. — This Route is printed again, for use in the
reverse direction, viz., Jerusalem to Kantara.
See Route XII.

17

ROUTE II.

JERUSALEM to BEERSHEBA, by Road.

(83 kilometres; 2 1/4 —2 J/2 hours’ drive).

1. JERUSALEM to BETHLEHEM.

(7/2 kilometres; 20 minutes’ drive).

Leaving the city from the Jaffa Gate the road
descends into the upper part of the Vale of
Hinnom, below the west walls. This is the pro¬
bable site of the visit of Sennacherib’s messengers,
Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh, who “stood
by the conduit of the upper pool’’ and called to
Hezekiah’s representatives, Eliakim and Shebna
and Joah, on the walls (II. Kings xviii. 17-19, &c.).

Then the road ascends past the British Ophthal¬
mic Hospital to the cross roads, where the road on
the right leads to the railway station and the
one on the left to the Hill of Evil Counsel, where
tradition says the High Priest Caiaphas had a house
in which the Jews first met to take counsel together
against Jesus.

K. 3. For some distance we now traverse the
upper side of the PLAIN OF REPHAIM, or
“Valley of Giants’’ (possibly alluding to the
ancient inhabitants, the children of Anak.
Numbers xiii. 21-25 and 32-33). In this plain
David fought two battles with the Philistines
(II. Sam. v. 17-25).

K. 5. A few yards before reaching K. 5 see by
the road-side on the left “THE WELL OF
THE MAGI.’’ The old tradition relates that
when the Wise Men had come thus far from

c

18

Jerusalem, as they stooped to draw water they
saw, far below, the reflection of the Star of the
East which had guided them on their journey
as far as Jerusalem and now appeared to them
again (St. Matt. ii. 7—10).

K 5/2. Pass on the left the Greek Convent of Mar
Elias ( = “Saint Elijah”), where the prophet is
supposed to have rested on his flight to Horeb,
the Mount of God. (On the right of the road
is a handsome stone seat, placed there by Mrs.
Elolman-Hunt in memory of her husband, the
late R.A., who painted some notable pictures,
"The Scape Goat,” &c., during his visits to
Palestine many years ago). Just after passing
the Convent, Bethlehem appears, and in the
middle distance on the left, the Frank Mountain
(2,676 feet), a hill with a flat table top. This is
called by the Arabs Jebel Fureidis, “The Hill of
Paradise.” It is the place where Herod the
Great, after winning a signal victory over
Antigonus in 42 B.C., built a town and a royal
palace which became one of his favourite
residences. It is in this hill that the King was
buried, and there is no record to show that the
tomb has ever yet been discovered.

K. 6J/2. Left. A field covered with small pebbles,
is the scene of one of the stories about our Lord
which are typical of the old traditions. As He
passed He said to a man who was sowing
peas, “What are you sowing there, my friend?”
and the answer came, “Stones.” “Then stones
you will reap,” said Jesus, and sure enough,
when the man came to gather his crop, he
found that all the peas had become stones.

K. 7/2. Right, RACHEL’S TOMB, where Jacob’s
wife died in giving birth to Benjamin, during
their journey from Bethel to take up their
residence in Hebron (Gen. xxxv. 16-20). This
is an almost certain site, and is venerated alike
by Christians, Jews, and Moslems. A few

19

yards further a road branches off on the left
into Bethlehem itself, and leads (at about
kilometre 9) to the ancient Church of the
Nativity.

BETHLEHEM (2,361 feet) was a city of
Judah, the birthplace of Elimelech and Naomi,
Boaz and Obed, Jesse, David, and, in the full¬
ness of time, our Blessed Lord Jesus Himself.
(See Ruth i. 1,2, 19-22, and the rest of the book;
I. Sam. xvi. 1-13, xvii. 12-15; II. Sam. ii. 32,
xxiii. 13-17; I. Chron. xi. 15-19; Micah v. 2;
St. Luke ii. 1-21; St. Matt. i. 1-18).

Many English travellers visit the C.M.S.
School for Girls, which has been carried on here
for many years past.

2. BETHLEHEM to HEBRON.

(27/2 kilometres; 45 minutes’ drive).

K. 7 Z2. At the road fork, the road on the left
leads into Bethlehem, that on the right to
Hebron. After skirting Bethlehem and ascend¬
ing a long slope, the road drops down again to
Qalaat el Bourak = “The Castle of the Ponds,’’
an uninteresting building erected by the Turks
in the seventeenth century for the soldiers who
guarded the Pools.

K. 12J/2. Turn down the side road on the left to
reach KING SOLOMON’S POOLS. These

three large reservoirs are of very uncertain age.
There is no doubt that both the Saracens and
the Romans made use of them, and it is per¬
fectly possible that the Roman reservoirs were
enlargements or restorations of pools originally
prepared by King Solomon. They are now being
brought once more into full use, and when
completed will dispel the last fear of water
famines which have been so injurious to
Jerusalem in times past. (It must be remem¬
bered that Jerusalem possesses only one small
spring, and depends entirely for its annual

20

supply of water on the rain which falls in the
winter season, and is collected and stored in
rock-cut cisterns under every house). The
pumping engines installed here were originally
set up at Kantara, during the war, to pump Nile
water across the Suez Canal and eventually into
Palestine. Lower down the valley can be seen
the ancient Roman aqueduct which is believed
by many to have been built by Pontius Pilate.
Returning to the main road and continuing
southwards the road again rises for some dis¬
tance, and eventually attains a height of over
3,000 feet, a higher point than any main road
between the Lebanon and Beersheba.

K. 20/2. At the summit of this hill, on both sides
of the road, are the reservoirs into which water
is pumped by engines from the pools of ‘Ain
‘Arroub at the bottom of the next valley. From
these reservoirs the water flows through pipes
by gravitation to Jerusalem.

K. 23. Just before the bridge a track leads off to
the left to the pools of Ain ‘Arroub. The
Royal Engineers did splendid work here directly
after Allenby’s liberation of Jerusalem by
rapidly setting up these engines, laying the long
line of pipes, and getting this large extra supply
of water into the city fifteen miles away, in
less than three months.

K. 26. All along this part of the journey the road
is laid over the ancient Roman road of 2,000
years ago.

K. 29. By the side of the road, on the left, is an
abundant spring issuing out of the ruins of some
ancient buildings. The earliest pilgrims identi¬
fied this spring as the one from which St. Philip
took water in order to baptize the eunuch of
Queen Candace of Ethiopia (Acts viii. 26-40).

On the right, on the top of a high hill, an old
tower can be seen, the last remains of a very
ancient fortress many times restored, now called

21

by the Arabs Beit Sour. This was once a
Canaanite city, Beth Zur (Josh. xv. 58), assigned
by Joshua, with Halhul, &c., to the Tribe of
Judah. Later it became one of King Rehoboam’s
principal strongholds (II. Chron. xi. 7), and in
the time of the Maccabees was the principal
Jewish rampart against the Syrians during their
frequent invasions. In 165 B.C. Judas
Maccabaeus, at the head of 10,000 men, waiting
below the walls, suddenly fell on Lysias’ army
of 60,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry as they
advanced to attack the city, and inflicted on
them a very serious defeat. Later on, Antiochus
Eupator and Lysias received the capitulation of
the city after a long siege, and in 145 B.C. it
was recaptured by Simon Maccabaeus.

K. 30. Away on the left, the large village of
Halhul has exactly preserved, through the
passage of thirty-four centuries, the name of the
Canaanite city Halhul, captured by Joshua.

K. 3IJ/2. About this spot are many ruins. On the
left, one such is called Beit el Khaleel, “The
House of the Friend,” the name by which the
Arabs still speak of Abraham (Isaiah xli. 8).
Indeed, Hebron itself is only called El Khaleel
by the Arabs to-day, just as the Jaffa Gate in
Jerusalem is known to them as “The Gate of
the Friend” = the gate that leads to Hebron.

K. 33. On the right, up a very short turning, is
‘Ain Sirah, whence Abner was recalled by
messengers and then killed in the gate of the
city by Joab in revenge for the death of his
brother Asahel (II. Sam. iii. 26-27).

K. 35. HEBRON (3,040 feet). Also called Kirjath
Arba, or El Khaleel. It was to this already
ancient city (Num. xiii. 22) that Abraham came
from Bethel, when he “removed his tent and
came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which
is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the
Lord.” It was in Hebron that Sarah died and

22

Abraham bought the Cave of Macpelah for a
burying-place. (Read the inimitable descrip¬
tion in Gen. xxiii. 1-20). Abraham also was
buried here, and Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob
and Leah (Gen. xlix. 28-33). The twelve spies
came here (Num. xiii. 21-23) and Caleb received
it as his share (Judges i. 20). David settled
here as king after the death of Saul (II. Sam. ii.
1-4, 11; iv. 1-12; v. 1-5) and Absalom made it
the centre of his revolt (II. Sam. xv. 7-10).
The great mosque now covers the Cave of
Macpelah and the Patriarchal tombs. Its date
is uncertain, but it is possible that all the lower
courses of the huge outer walls were built by
Solomon, if not David. An ancient evergreen
oak can be seen not far away, probably a relic
of the oak forest of Abraham’s time.

The C.M.S. hospital here is on the left, just
as the road begins to enter the town.

3. HEBRON to BEERSHEBA.

(48 kilometres; 1 ]4 hours’ driving).

This is a very picturesque drive, but there is
little of interest to be seen by the way. Some
distance off, on the left, are the Wilderness of
Ziph and the Wilderness of Maon, where David
was so long hunted by King Saul (I. Sam. xxiii.
13-15, 24-26; xxvi. 1-25), and also the second Mount
Carmel, of Judah, where Naboth and Abigail lived
(I. Sam. xxv. 3-43).

The road at last leaves the hill-tops, and after
winding down a long and rocky valley, emerges
on to the wide rolling plains of Southern Palestine.

K. 83. BEERSHEBA (788 feet). The scene of
Hagar’s trial and Ishmael’s miraculous preser¬
vation (Gen. xxi. 12-21), of Abraham’s Covenant
with Abimelech (Gen. xxi. 22-24), of Isaac’s
settlement (Gen. xxvi. 23-25, 31-33), of Jacob’s
setting forth on his journey to Haran (Gen.
xxviii. 10) and to Egypt many years later (Gen.

23

xlvi. 1-7). Elijah also tarried here on his flight
from Jezreel to Mount Horeb (I. Kings xix. 3-8).
Close to Beersheba is a large British military
cemetery, consecrated on March 22nd, 1923. A
littl e way east of the town are three ancient wells,
probably originally dug by Abraham. One of
them is 9)4 -ft. in diameter and about 70-ft.
deep. An engine has been installed and a
large volume of water can be pumped up every
day.

From Beersheba a summer track can be
followed to Gaza, the run taking about 1 /i
hours, a distance of some 45 kilometres.

ROUTE III.

JERUSALEM to ‘AMMAN, via Jericho and

Es Salt, by Road.

(115 kilometres; about 4 hours’ drive).

1. JERUSALEM to JERICHO.

(37 kilometres; 1 !4 hours’ drive).

K. 2/j. On the right the Mount of Offence. (See
I. Kings xi. 7; II. Kings xxiii. 13).

K. 3J4. Looking up the valley on the left, the top
of the hill on the right of the valley is the pro¬
bable site of Bethphage. (See St. Matt. xxi. 1;
St. Mark xi. 1 , &c.).

K. 5. BETHANY, the home of Martha, Mary,
and Lazarus. (See St. Luke x. 38-42; St. John
xi. 1-46, xii. 1-9; St. Luke xxiv. 50, 51).

K. 7%. After crossing a small bridge at a sharp
bend in the road, see on the left the Fountain
of the Apostles. This part of the road
unquestionably follows the ancient route of
2,000 years ago.

24

K. 19. Inn of the Good Samaritan. This fine site
has probably been occupied by an inn or khan
from the earliest days. TTie inn that stood here
in the time of our Lord must have frequently
afforded shelter and food to Him and to the
Disciples. Thus the allusion in His parable of
the Good Samaritan (St. Luke x. 30-37) would
come familiarly to them, as they generally
travelled this way, via Jericho and the Jordan
Valley to and from Galilee, so as to avoid, as
did all pious Jews, the necessity of passing
through Samaria on the main north road, for
‘ the Jews had no deal ings with the Samaritans.”
Above the inn the hill-top is occupied by the
Qalaat el Dumm, “The Castle of Blood,” an
ancient stronghold which doubtless owes jts
name to the blood-like colour of the rocks and
soil close by.

K. 22/2. A branch road to the left is the old
route to Jericho, very steep and rough.

K. 26% . At this point we have descended to
the level of the Mediterranean at Jaffa.

K. 3014 • After rounding a corner to the left and
while ascending a short slope, look back and
see about a mile away the Mosque of Neby
Mousa, “The Prophet Moses.” This is an
invented site, the Moslems having “transferred”
the tomb of Moses from its unknown site on the
east side of the Dead Sea to the west, and,
many years ago, established an annual pilgrim¬
age to the shrine at Easter time in order to
concentrate large numbers of Moslems in
Jerusalem who would be ready to resist any
attempt that might be made by the thousands
of Christian pilgrims to take possession of
the city.

K. 33. The road here emerges into the great plain.

At K. 33 a track turns off on the right to the Dead Sea, about
9 kilometres (20-30 minutes), very bumpy, and in wet weather
impassable. From the Dead Sea (1,300 feet below sea level) another
fine-weather track leads on to the River Jordan (8 kilometres

25

further), at the place where the pilgrims have been accustomed to
bathe during many centuries past, at the traditional site of the
baptism of Jesus (St. Matt. iii. 1-17). Possibly the Children of Israel
under Joshua crossed the Jordan near this spot (see Josh. iii. 1-17,
iv. 1-13), as also Elijah just before his translation into heaven
(II. Kings ii. 1-15). Thence after 9 kilometres more the track rejoins
the main road at Jericho.

K. 37. The old road comes in on the left and we
enter JERICHO, the modern village which
stands on the site of the Crusading city. The
Jericho of Herod’s time was a little way up
the old road, nearer to the hills. That was the
Jericho where Zacchaeus lived and Jesus
restored the sight of the blind Bartimaeus
(see St. Luke xix. 1-10; St. Mark x. 46-52).

In Jericho, a road to the left leads, after
about 2/2 kilometres, to Elisha’s Fountain
(II. Kings ii. 18-22), at the foot of the mounds in
which lie buried the walls and other remains of
the ancent Canaanite city, captured by the
Israelites under Joshua (see Josh. ii. 1-24, iii.
14-17, v. 13-15, vi. 1-27).

2. JERICHO to ES SALT.

(44 kilometres; about 1% hours).

Note. — The kilometre marks from Jerusalem cease
at Jericho and a new set begins — measured from
‘Amman. Jericho appears to be K. 77 from
‘Amman, but from this point the distances are
only approximate, as there were very few kilo¬
metre stones along the road when the writer
last drove this way.

K. 77. JERICHO.

K. 69. About K. 69 the road crosses the River
Jordan by the Allenby Bridge, 1 ,200 feet below
sea level.

K. 60. At this point the road passes some ruins
which mark the site of a fortress which guarded
the mouth of the valley, and enters the Wady
Nimrin down which the river runs from Es Salt.

D

26

About 4 kilometres further a famous Turkish
gun may be seen lying in the bed of the stream,
where it fell when the Turks blew it up on
commencing their retreat. It was called 'Jericho
jane” by the British 1 ommy, because from this
hidden corner it used to attempt to shell their
camps near Jericho.

About a mile further, near a big rock close
by the left side of the road, we are at the
Mediterranean sea level. Another mile and a
half and we see a row of ancient pillars on the
right.

K. 45. The road now crosses by a bridge to the
other side of the valley. We are now 1 ,000 feet
above sea level.

K. 33. ES SALT (2,750 feet).

3. ES SALT to ‘AMMAN.

(About 33 kilometres; 1 hour).

K. 25. At various points we can look back and
see the Towers of the Mount of Olives in the
distance.

K. 14. Pass through a Circassian village. The
magnificent ruins of Jerash lie far away amongst
the hill-tops on the left.

K. 11. About K. 1 1 the road reaches the highest
point on the journey, viz. : 3,400 feet above
sea level, or 800 feet higher than Jerusalem.

We descend the rest of the way to ‘AMMAN
on the Mecca Railway, the capital of Transjordania
and residence of the Emir Abdullah. It was called
Rabbath Ammon in Bible times and Philadelphia
by the Greeks. Some of the ancient remains are
well worth seeing, especially the amphitheatre.

27

ROUTE IV.

JERUSALEM to NAZARETH, by Road.

(140 kilometres; about 3^—4 hours’ actual driving).

1. JERUSALEM to NABLUS.

(66 kilometres; 1% hours’ drive).

K. 5J4- The hill on the right is TEL-EL-FUL, the
site of GIBEAH OF SAUL in the TRIBE OF
BENJAMIN, the birthplace and royal residence
of King Saul (I. Sam. x. 26, xi. 4, xiii. 1-16,
xiv., &c.; Isa. x. 29; and several references in
Hosea). Behind the hill is ANATHOTH, still
called ANATA, birthplace of Abiathar the High
Priest and the Prophet Jeremiah (Isa. x. 30;
Jer. i. 1, xxxii. 7-9; and other references in
Jeremiah).

Good views on the left of NEBI SAMWIL,
the burial place of Samuel, and the scene of very
heavy fighting in the war when the minaret (now
rebuilt) was destroyed by shell fire.

K. 6. Soon after K. 6, at a sharp bend of the
road to the right, see in the narrow plain on
the left the two ancient Roman roads, the one
on the right leading to the north and to
Damascus, the other on the left to Antipatris
and Caesarea, almost certainly the road along
which St. Paul was taken by the Romans by
night to Antipatris, en route for Caesarea.
(Acts xxiii. 31-33).

K. 8. Forward, on the right, see ER RAM, the
old RAMAH (I. Sam. i. 19, vii. 17, viii. 4,
xxv. 1; also Jud. iv. 3; I. Kings xv. 17-22; St.
Matt. ii. 16-18). All this district is within the
borders of the TRIBE of BENJAMIN.
Michmash lies about an hour-and-a-half’s walk
eastward of Er Ram.

K. 11. Cross the new landing-place for the Air
Force.

28

K. 15. Just after K. 15, the road to the left leads to
Ramallah.

K. \5/2. Large red-roofed building on the left is
the American Friends’ Mission Boys’ School.

K. 16. Main road immediately passes through
BIREH, the ancient BEEROTH. In the
village are ruins of a large Church of the Holy
Family, finished in 1146, built on the site of a
much older church, the traditional spot where
Mary and Joseph perceived that the Child Jesus
was not with them and returned to Jerusalem
to seek Him. Ruins of an old Khan are close
by, the first stopping place for caravans going
north. (Ai lies about an hour’s walk further
east).

K. 16J/2. As road descends from BIREH, see on
the right (about 1 J4 miles away) BETHEL
(Gen. xii. 8, xiii. 3, xxviii. 19, and xxxv.;
Josh. vii. 2, viii. 9-17; I. Kings xii. 29-33, xiii.
1-11; II. Kings ii. 2, 3, 23).

K. 20y2. First distant view of Mount Ebal and
Mount Gerizim, 28 miles away. When the
building on a small hill about 500 yards away
shows against the sky, then Ebal and Gerizim
are seen to the right of it.

K. 22/2. On the left, down in the valley, is JIFNA,
the ancient GOPHNA.

K. 25. AIN SINIA, much damaged by shell fire;
for some time the front lines were near here.
In a few minutes we pass within the borders
and into the hill country of the TRIBE of
EPHRAIM (Josh. xvii. 17 and 18).

K. 321/2 - By the bridge, in the rocks on the left,

‘AIN EL HARAMIYEH, “The Robbers’
Well.’’ We have now descended about 500 feet
from Jerusalem.

K. 37. A few yards before reaching K. 37 (both
before and after passing a solitary olive tree
on the right side of the road), below a village
in the cleft of the hills on the skyline, well

29

forward, about two miles away, lies SHILOH,
resting place of the Ark of the Covenant after
the conquest of Canaan (Josh, xviii. 1-10,
xix. 51; I. Sam. i., ii., iii., iv.; Jer. vii. 12-14).

K. 38. On the left, SINJIL. Name derived from a
Crusader, Raymond de Saint Giles, Count of
Toulouse, one of the few Crusading names
which are still in use.

K. 40. See Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim again.
Also further to the right, Mount Hermon, if
clear.

K. 42 J/2 - German lorry fallen over the edge of
the road at a sharp turn (on right).

K. 43. KHAN LUBBAN, one of the places from
which wine was brought for use in the Temple
services

K. 49. Cross WADY YETMAH.

K. 51 14. See the old road to the north ascending
this gully.

K. 52. At the top of the next hill, just beyond
K. 52, look down the long valley which leads
to Nablus. The town lies between Mounts
Ebal and Gerizim.

K. 57. HAWARA, on the left. (No history).

K. 59. On the small hill on the right, near a big
tree, the tomb of the High Priest Eleazar, son
of Aaron, and not far off, the tomb of his son
Phineas. The tomb is still called El ‘Azeir
(Josh. xxiv. 33).

K. 60. EL-MUKHNAH-EL-TAHTA on right,
and EL-MUKHNAH-EL-FOQA on left. These

are the ‘Lower Encampment” and the “Upper
Encampment”; names possibly derived from
the Camp of the Israelites established here on
their first arrival at Shechem.

K. 63. The slopes of Mount Gerizim rise up on
the left from the road. The old building on
the top (2,849 feet) is close to the place where
the Samaritans still perform their ancient Pass-
over Sacrifice.

30

Mount Ebal (3,077 feet) comes in sight behind
the shoulder of Mount Gerizim.

K. 64. JACOB’S WELL, where Jesus talked with
the woman of Samaria. (Gen. xxxiii. 18-20;
St. John iv. 5-43). This is one of the most
certain sites in Palestine. All Christian,
Jewish, and Moslem traditions support it. The
mouth of the well is cut out of one stone (now
horribly disfigured by an ugly iron contrivance
for drawing up water), and is probably the
original well mouth. The depth of the well is
80-ft. and the diameter 9-ft. A little further on,
the small white dome is Joseph’s Tomb.
(Josh. xxiv. 32). The village beyond is
SYCHAR, whence the woman came to draw
water.

K. 65 J/2 - Natural amphitheatres in Mount Gerizim
and Mount Ebal (on either side) are the tradi¬
tional sites of the reading of the Blessings and
the Cursings prescribed by Moses (Deut. xxvii.

1 1 , to xxviii. 14) and fulfilled by Joshua (Josh,
viii. 30-35, xxiv. 1-25).

K. 66. NABLUS (1 ,000 feet below Jerusalem), the
ancient SHECHEM, one of the Cities of Refuge
(Josh. xx. 7; I. Kings xii. 1-25), and to-day the
head-quarters and only home of the few
remnants of the ancient Samaritan sect, number¬
ing about 170 people.

Th ere is an excellent C.M.S. hospital here,
and also schools and a church.

2. NABLUS to NAZARETH.

(74 kilometres; 2 hours’ drive).

K. 66. NABLUS.

K. 67. At a railway crossing, the main road
inclines to the right (the road to the left goes
through Nablus and joins the main road at
K. 69). About K. 72 enter the territory of the
TRIBE of MANASSEH.

31

K. 75^/4. Turn (right) to Samaria and Jenin; or
keep straight on for Tul Keram, a station on
the Lydda-Haifa Railway.

K. 77. The hill straight ahead is the site of the
ancient city of SAMARIA. The village on the
right is the modern SEBASTIEH.

K. 78. Just beyond the bridge a track leads off
on the right, past the notice board, to the village
of Sebastieh, for those who wish to see the ruins
of Samaria and the remains of the church.
This detour takes at the least an extra hour.

K. 79. See, high up on the right, two bastions of
the gateway, probably mentioned in II. Kings,
vi. 24, to vii. 20. On the hill there are also the
pillars of Herod’s Colonnade and remains of
_ Ahab’s “ivory house’’ (I. Kings xxii. 39. Read
also II. Kings vi. 8-23, &c.).

K. 80. The railway on the left is a branch line
from Tul Keram (on the main line from Lydda
to Haifa), via Nablus and Jenin to ’Afouleh (on
the main line from Haifa to Damascus).

K. 82^2- Look back to Samaria. Also (from K.
83-83) see the Plain of Sharon and the sea coast.
The yellow sand dunes mark the site of
Caesarea.

K. 85. Over the furthest bit of road visible in the
plain and over the ridge above it, see a hill
with a dark top. That is little H ermon, and
just above it can be seen the buildings on the
top of Mount Tabor,. 30 miles from where we
are. Above Mount Tabor, if the day is clear,
Mount Hermon (9,166 feet) can be seen to the
right, 90 miles away. (Psalm lxxxix. 12,
cxxxiii. 3). Hermon is the culminating point
of the range of Anti-Lebanon, towering high
above the ancient city of Dan and the sources
of the Jordan. Nazareth shows well among
the lower hill-tops to the left of little Hermon.

K. 100. DOTHAN, a clearly defined Tel on the
right, where Joseph found his brethren (Gen.
xxxvii. 15-36).

32

K. 103. About two miles forward, on the right,
see the remains of a Crusading Castle, which
marks the site of Ibleam.

K. 108J/2- On the left, close to the road, an arch¬
way leads past a small pool and into the
subterranean passage-way by which the
Crusaders came down to the spring in safety.
The lower end of their steps can be seen cut
in the rock. A little further on, looking back,
the castle can be seen well (Josh. xvii. 11;
II. Kings ix. 27).

K. 109. Just before K. 109, on the left is a copious
spring, but the water is not fit to drink.

K. 110. JENIN, the ancient ENGANNIM. (See
Josh. xix. 21 and xxi. 29). We are now in the
TRIBE of ISSACHAR.

K. 111. All along this bit of road see Mount
Carmel, well forward (left), sloping down
sharply to Haifa at its foot.

K. 114. See Nazareth, straight ahead, in the hills.

K. 1 16-1 18. A good deal of debris along here was
abandoned by the Turks in their flight in 1917.

K. 1 163^. At the top of the rise, directly over
village in the foreground, on the left, see the
tel where the ancient fort of Taanach stood.
(See Josh. xii. 21; Judges v. 19).

K. 120. Slopes of Mount Gilboa on the right,
where King Saul was defeated by the Philis¬
tines (refer to Route VII., K. 46), and the vast
plain of ESDRAELON (see Route VII., K.

1 6 J/2 ) , one of the world’s ancient battlefields,
on the left. We are now in Galilee.

K. 121. JEZREEL on the right, the city of Ahab
and Jezebel (I. Sam. xxix. 1-11; I. Kings xviii.
43, 46; xxi. 1-17, &c. II. Kings viii. 29; ix.
10-37; x. 6, 7).

K. 123. 400 yards beyond K. 123, at the first bend

of the road to the left, stop the car and see
(looking back on the right, far down the Vale of
Jezreel) the clearly marked Tel Beisan, the

33

ancient BET HSHAN. (See I. Sam. xxxi. 10, 12).
Important discoveries of Egyptian, Roman, and
other remains have recently been made here.
(Refer to Route VII., K. 39).

K. 124J4- On the right, amongst trees on the
slopes of LITTLE HERMON (1,043 feet), see
SHUNEM, often visited by the Prophet Elisha,
who restored to life the son of the good people
who had built for his use a little room on their
roof. (See II. Kings iv. 1-37). Still more to the
right, the VALLEY OF JEZREEL leading
down to the Jordan (Judges vi. 33). Beyond the
Jordan Valley see the distant Mountains of
Gilead. On the left see Carmel in the distance.
The place of Sacrifice is just below the tiny
building on the top. (See I. Kings xviii. 19-46).

K. 125)4. Left, rather forward, below the most
grey and rocky portion of the hills, see Tel el
Mutasellim, the ancient Fortress of MEGIDDO
(see Judges v. 19; II. Kings ix. 27, xxiii. 29, 30),
and the pass leading through to the Plain of
Sharon.

K. 126J4- Cross the branch railway from Tul
Keram, via Nablus and Jenin, to ’Afouleh,
where it joins the Haifa to Damascus Railway.

K. 127. Right, the top of Mount Tabor begins to
appear above the left hand (west) slope of Little
Hermon.

K. 128. Cross the Haifa-Damascus railway at
’Afouleh Station. See Mount Tabor away on
the right. (See Judges iv. 4-14; Psalm lxxxix.
12; Jer. xlvi. 18; Elosea v. 1).

K. 132. On the right see NAIN, on the left slopes
of Little Hermon (St. Luke vii. 1 1-18). ENDOR,
whither Saul went to consult the witch before
his last fight and death, is further to the right,
behind the slope. (See I. Sam. xxviii. 3-25).
See also NAZARETH in the hill-tops straight
ahead.

K. 139. Road branching off to the left goes to
Haifa (one hour’s drive).

34

K. 140. NAZARETH ( 1 ,602 feet). (See St. Luke
i. 26-39; ii. 39, 51; iv. 16-32. St. Mark vi. 1-6).

There is a fine hospital of the Edinburgh Medical
Mission here, also a C.M.S. church and orphan¬
age and many Roman Catholic Mission
buildings. Do not fail to see the various
traditional sites described in the guide books.
NOTE. — The roads from Nazareth to Haifa and to
Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee are described in
Routes V. and VIII.

ROUTE V.

NAZARETH to HAIFA, by Road.

(35 kilometres; 1 hour’s drive).

K. 140. Nazareth. (See Route IV., K. 140).

K. 139. Road turns right to Haifa, left to
Jerusalem.

K. 141. Left : Traditional Mount of the Precipita¬
tion, whence the Jews intended to throw Jesus
down to death on the rocks (St. Luke iv. 29).
Right : JAFFIA, a strong city, surrounded by
a double wall, in the time of Josephus. Trajan
and Titus captured the city for Vespasian, with
a loss to the Jews of 15,000 men.

K. 143. Magnificent views of Mount Tabor, Little
Hermon, Mountains of Gilead, Vale of Jezreel,
Mount Gilboa, Plain of Lsdraelon, Mountains
of Samaria, &c.

K. 145. MUJEIDIL (785 feet).

K. 147. Fine views of MOUNT CARMEL. At
the top of the eastern (left) end, see the Greek
Monastery. Just below it, in a natural amphi¬
theatre in the hill, is the probable site of Elijah’s
great contest with the priests of Baal. (See
I. Kings xviii. 17, to the end). There is a
spring there which has never been known to

35

run dry, so that, even in the most severe drought,
there was sufficient water to throw on the altar
(verses 33-35). The place is still called in
Arabic “El Muhraqa,” = “The Sacrifice.” In
the plain at the foot of the hill, a small tel
can be seen. It is still called by the natives
Tel el Qusus = The Mound of the Priests”
(v. 40 : “And Elijah brought them down to the
brook Kishon, and slew them there”).

K. 150. Left: New Jewish Colony, Maloul.
Right : Road to pre-war German Colony,
“Bethlehem.”

K. 154. JEIDEH.

K. 156. Awaj' on the left, where the hills south
of the plain of Esdraelon project into the plain,
the Tel el Mutasellim, or fortress of MEGIDDO,
may be seen jutting out into the plain. (See

Route IV., K. \25/2).

K. 157J4 to 16(3- Forest of ever-green oaks,
grievously destroyed by the Turks during the
war, being so accessible for transport by rail¬
way.

K. 1 58 J/2 - Last complete view of Mount Carmel
and “The Mound of the Priests.”

K. 159. The height above sea level is here 577
feet.

K. 162. Left : Track, rough, but passable for cars
in dry weather (a very interesting route), leading
past the Tel el Qusus, Megiddo, and Lejjun to
Jenin (on th.e Nablus to Nazareth road), a
distance of about 22 miles.

K. 162 Zi- Cross “that ancient river, the river
Kishon.” (Do not be disappointed ! It is there,
in wet weather, even if you cannot see it
to-day). Left : The other bridge carries the
Haifa to Damascus Railway line.

K. 164. Just beyond the bridge, close to the road
on the right, is Tel ‘Amr. Forward on the right,
see the ancient Tel el Harbaj, a gigantic tumulus
which appears to be the site of a very ancient

36

city. It is thought likely to be HAROSHETH
of the GENTILES. (See Route VII., K. 9).
H ere Sisera kept his “nine hundred chariots of

• ♦ i

iron.

K. 163. Far away on the right, see the Ladder
of Tyre, jutting out into the Mediterranean.
The road now runs along the foot of Mount
Carmel, which here formed the southern border
of the TRIBE of ASHER.

K. 168. Right: Large cement works, belonging
to a Jewish Company.

K. 169J/2- Left : Beled esh Sheik, a Druse Village.
Mount Carmel is one of the three main Druse
centres, the others being in the mountains of
Lebanon and the Jebel Druse in the Hauran.
K. 175. HAIFA. Railway Station. (See Route
VI., K. 412 y2).

ROUTE VI.

LYDDA to HAIFA, by Rail.

(1 1 1 Yi kilometres; 2J4 hours).

K. 301. On leaving LYDDA the train passes (at
first through the boundaries of Dan) through
large olive groves until it emerges in the Plain
of Sharon.

K. 306. On the right, for a long distance, the old
Turkish railway embankment can be seen,
most of the bridges having been blown up
during their retreat.

K. 308. Left, in the distance, a high tower marks
the church near the grave of Tabitha (Dorcas.
See Acts ix. 36-43, &c.) at JAFFA.

K. 310^2* Left: A prosperous German Colony,
Wilhelma.

K. 318. Right : The prominent village is MEJDEL
YABA. Left : At some distance amongst the

37

trees, see one of the oldest and most prosperous
Jewish Colonies, Mulebbis, now renamed
Petach Tikvah ( = “The Gate of Hope ”).

K. 318 /i. Right: First distant views of Mount

Ebal and Mount Gerizim, which stand on either
side of the valley where SHECHEM (Nablus)
lies.

K. 319. Left : Look forward for a good view of
the old Mohammedan Castle, Ras el ‘Ain,
built about 12th or 13th century, at the spot
where the River ‘Aujeh springs from the ground
a full-sized river.

K. 321. Station. RAS EL ’AIN. Probably the
site of ANTIPATRIS, founded by Herod and
named after his father Antipater. St. Paul,
saved from the Jews in Jerusalem, was brought
here (Acts xxiii. 31-35) on the way to Caesarea.

K. 325. Right : Good glimpses of Mount Gerizim
all along here. (Height, 2,849 feet). On the
top of the mountain the ancient Samaritan sect
still performs the annual Passover sacrifice.

K. 327 to 328. Right : Many trenches can be seen
here, close to the line.

K. 33CH/2 . Right: Large village, JILJULIEH, one
of the many Gilgals. We are now within the
half TRIBE of MANASSEH.

K. 334. Station, KILKILIEH. Away on the right
Mount Ebal (3,077 feet) shows like a gigantic
whale.

K. 340. Right: Village Fureidis = “Paradise.”
Away on the left is the place where Lord
Allenby’s army broke through the Turkish lines
on September 19th, 1918.

K. 341 . Left : Kulunsaweh, with its ancient tower,
Saracen work of the 12th or 13th century.

K. 345 Yj. Station, TUL KERAM (no history).
The railway to Nablus branches off to the right.

38

From Nablus it proceeds to Jenin and then to
'Afouleh, where it connects with the Haifa-
Damascus Railway.

K. 347 J/2 * Cross a bridge and then the main road
from Lydda to Haifa.

K. 351. Left: Qaqon. See the ruins of a large
castle, probably built by the Saracens. Near
here, on March 15th, 1799, Napoleon dispersed
the Turkish troops who wished to stop his
march upon St. John of Acre. To the west
runs the Nahr el Faleq, “The River of the Slit,”
which was artificially cut through a rocky hill
to allow the marshy waters of the plain to flow
into the sea. South of the stream, Richard
Coeur de Lion gained a victory over Saladin.

K. 353. Right : Fine view of the hills round
Samaria.

K. 359^. In the hills on the right a small rounded
hill marks the entrance to the pass leading
to Megiddo and the Plain of Esdraelon, the
ancient highway of the armies of all times, from
the Pharaohs and Assyrians to Napoleon and
Allenby.

K. 363. Station, KHEDFRA. Left : Amongst
trees, a large Jewish Colony. Soon after, cross
the Dead River.

K. 368. Right, some way forward, the furthest
hill is the inland (or south-eastern) end of
Mount Carmel. The white building on the top
is a monastery, just above the natural amphi¬
theatre which is still called in Arabic “The
Place of Burning.” It is the spot where Elijah
offered up his sacrifices (I. Kings xviii. 17-46)
after withstanding the priests of Baal through¬
out the long day. At the foot of the hill near
the Kishon is a place still called “The Mound
of the Priests,” the spot where they were all
slain at the Prophet s command. When clear,
Mount Hermon shows in the distance.

K. 371. Station, BENYAMINA (“Benjamin”).

39

K. 3 H/2. Right : MAMAS (at the foot of the hill,
about half a mile away) contains the remains
of a Roman amphitheatre. On the top of the
hill, out of sight, is another big Jewish Colony,
Zammarin.

K. 373 J/2 - The railway crosses several branches of
the Nahr ez Zerka ( = “The Blue River”), called
in ancient times “The Crocodile River.”
Crocodiles have certainly been seen and
captured in it within living memory, but it is
practically certain that none survive now.

K. 378. Station, ZJCHRON JACOB ( = “In
memory of Jacob,” i.e., the father of Baron
Rothschild).

K. 378)4- Right: Come in sight of the long line
of Mount Carmel stretching north. Round the
distant point lies our destination — Haifa.

K. 380. Left, looking far back down the coast,
see a large mound. That is part of the ruins
of C/ESAREA. The city was mainly built
(about 25 B.C.) by Herod the Great, and named
in honour of Caesar Augustus. It eventually
eclipsed Jerusalem as a civil and military
centre, and became the chief residence of the
Roman Procurators. For visits of St. Philip
the Deacon, St. Peter, and St. Paul, read Acts
viii. 40, x. 1-8, 23-33, &c.; xxiv., xxv., xxvi.
Origen was ordained priest here in 250 A.D.
Scene of many fierce fights between the
Crusaders and the Saracens. Sultan el Ashraf
destroyed the city in 1291.

K. 382 VZ Left: DOR (TANTURA). Remains of
a big tower and many other ruins.

K. 385. Right : KEFR LAM. Another fortress,
destroyed by Saladin before the coming of
Richard Coeur de Lion.

K. 391 2/}. Right: Some very fine rock cuttings;
very common along here.

K. 392. Left : ATHLIT. The ancient Castra
Peregrinorum, “The Castle of the Pilgrims,”

40

built in 1218 by the Templars for the protection
of Christians. It was the last bulwark held by
the Crusaders in Palestine and from its
battered walls they looked out on the Land
and the Cause they had lost. The ruins are
very extensive and should be visited from
Haifa.

K. 393 /. Right : The pass, cut through the rocky
hill, leading to the Castle, was called by the
Latin historians the Via Stricta or Petra Incisa.

K. 395 LT - Right : Some way back, up on Carmel,
lies Dalieh, a big Druse centre, long the home
of Laurence Oliphant.

K. 3991/2. Right: EL TIREH, the TYRUS of

William of Tyre.

K. 400. Left : KH. el KENISEH, where there are
ruins of a Church.

K. 406. Right : On the top of the hill see the
Lighthouse and the Carmelite Monastery. The
Carmelite Order was founded here in the 13th
century and hence spread all over Europe.

K. 406/. Left : TEL ES SEMAK, an ancient
site. Now we round the promontory.

K. 408. Right : A large walled enclosure contains
the School of the Prophets, the traditional cave
where Elisha gathered together and taught his
followers.

K. 408 14. Left : See the Bay of Acre, and ‘Akka,
or Acre, the old city of ST. JEAN D’ACRE,
and away, on the left the Ladder of Tyre or
Scala Peregrinorum. Mount Hermon can be
seen if fine, behind Acre.

K. 410. Right : House with a small tower was
for some time Lord Allenby’s residence and

G.H.Q. in 1919.

K. 410/. Well forward (left), the hills of Galilee.

K. 412/. Station, HAIFA. The Sycamenum of
Greek and Roman times. A place of small
historical importance. Besieged and stormed

41

by I ancred in 1100. Richard Coeur de Lion
caught a severe fever in the palm-grove, east
of the town, near the place where the River
Kishon finds its way into the sea. At Haifa
are the head-quarters of the Palestine Railways.
Change here for Nazareth (‘Afouleh), Semakh
(Sea of Galilee), and Damascus.

There is a hospital, a girls’ school and a
church of the Jerusalem and the East Mission
here, and also a church and school of the

C.M.S.

Cars of the Nairn Transport Co. (P.O. Box
262, Beirut) meet the trains at Haifa. Passengers
can drive to (1) Beirut (see Route X.) about
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; (2) from Beirut about 3 /j
hours to Damascus (Route XL); and (3) from
Damascus (about 8 a.m. on Fridays) 542 miles
to Baghdad (about 9 a.m. on Saturdays).
Returning cars leave Baghdad at 1 p.m. every
Thursday.

Note. — Haifa to Damascus, see Route VII.

Haifa to Beirut, see Route X.

Haifa to Nazareth, see Route V.

ROUTE VII.

HAIFA to SEMAKH (Sea of Galilee) and
DAMASCUS, by Railway.

(284 kilometres; 10 hours).

HAIFA to SEMAKH.

(87 kilometres; 2% hours).

K. 4. Left : Branch line to Acre.

K. 5/2. The village on the right is called Beled
esh Sheikh. The inhabitants are all Druses.
MOUNT CARMEL, rising up steeply on the

42

right, is one of their chief centres, the others
being in the mountains of Lebanon ana the
Jebel Druse in the Hauran.

K. 9. Left : A few miles away the ancient Tel el
Harbaj rises from the level plain. It is probably
the site of “Harosheth of the Gentiles,’’ where
Sisera kept his ‘nine hundred chariots of iron.’’
It was an important strategic position guarding
the narrow pass which links the maritime plain
with that of Lsdraelon. From this spot Sisera,
as general of the Canaanite king of Hazor,
Jabin, set out on his disastrous expedition to
give battle to the Israelites under Deborah and
Barak. (See passages mentioned in the next
paragraph but one).

K. 1 1 j/2 . Cross the main road from Haifa to
Nazareth.

K. 13. Left : See the road bridge over the RIVER
KISHON, while crossing the railway bridge.
The Kishon (Nahr el Muqatta’, or River of
the Massacre”), fed by many tributaries, drains
the Plain of Esdraelon and empties itself into
the sea close to Haifa. In summer the river
bed is often dry. After heavy rain it becomes
a muddy torrent, as on the day when Sisera
was defeated by Barak. (See Judges iv. verse 1
to the end, especially verses 7 and 13; also
Chap. v. verse 1 to the end, especially verses

19-22).

K. 16. Right: At the top of Mount Carmel, a
little forward, see the Carmelite Monastery
(1 ,687 feet). Just below it there is a natural am¬
phitheatre, the probable site of Elijah’s contest
with the priests of Baal. (See I. Kings xviii. 17
to the end). There is a well on the spot which
has never been known to fail. The place is
still called in Arabic, “El Muhraqa” = “The
Sacrifice.”

K. I6J/2. Right : Close to the railway is a clearly
defined tel, called * Tel el Qusus,’ or Tel el

43

Oatl” = ”The Mound of the Priests,” or “The
Mound of Massacre,” in memory of the priests
who were put to death there. We now enter
the great PLAIN of ESDRAELON, a vast and
very fertile plain which has been a battle¬
ground in all ages. Egyptian Pharaohs,
Thoth mes Ill. and Raineses II., Canaanite kings,
Israelite and Jewish warriors, Gideon, Deborah,
Barak, Saul and also King Josiah who was
killed in battle here, have all led their armies
across th is plain to defeat or victory. The
Greeks and the Romans, Crusaders and
Saracens, Napoleon and Allenby have all
fought within sight of where we are.

K. 21. The hills bordering the plain on the right
sweep round to the east and end in a clearly
marked tel jutting out into the fields about 7
miles away. This is Tel el Mutasellim, the
probable fortress of Megiddo. (See Judges v.
19; II. Kings ix. 27, xxiii. 29, 30).

K. 22. Station, Tel esh Shammam = “The Mound
of the Melons.”

K. 29. The isolated conical hill away on the left,
with buildings on the top, is MOUNT TABOR
(Judges iv. 4-14; Psalm lxxxix. 12; Jer. xlvi. 18;
Hosea v. 1). The sharply sloping hill to the left
of Tabor is the traditional Mount of Precipita¬
tion, whence the Jews intended to throw Jesus
down to death on the rocks below (St. Luke iv.
29). On the right, the Tel el Mutasellim is now
directly opposite to us. To the left of the Tel,
the pass of Megiddo, leading from the Plain of
Sharon, opens into the plain.

K. 35. Left : NAZARETH can now be seen high
up in the hills to the left of the Mount of
Precipitation.

K. 36J4. Station, ‘Afouleh. (Passengers for
Nazareth leave the train here). Just after
leaving the station see (right) the main road from

44

Jerusalem coming in, and a little later (right)
the railway from Tulkeram, via Nablus, and
Jenin. The latter town can be seen far off to
the south-east, at the foot of the hills.

K. 38. Left: The hill is LITTLE HERMON
(1,843 feet). We now begin to descend the
VALE of JEZREEL.

K. 39. Left : On the lower slope of Little Hermon,
about a mile away, see the village of
SHUNEM, often visited by the prophet Elisha,
who restored to life the son of the good people
who had built for his use a little chamber on
their roof (II. Kings iv. 8-37). On the other side
of the hill is ENDOR, whither Saul went to
consult the witch the night before his last battle
with the Philistines (I. Sam. xxviii. 3-25).

K. 42. Right : On the top of the ridge see Zer‘in,
the ancient JEZREEL, the city of Ahab and
Jezebel, the scene of many events. (Read
about Naboth s vineyard, I. Kings xxi. 1- 16).
Realize the great distance Elijah ran in front of
theK ing’s chariot from Mount Carmel, 18 miles.
(Refer to K. 16). At this point we have
descended to the level of the Mediterranean
Sea, so the great depth of the Jordan Valley
and Sea of Galilee can be more easily marked,
as we continue the long descent from this point.

K. 45. Right : At the foot of the slope there are
some rocks with a cave and a pool of water.
This is “The WELL of HAROD,” now called
‘Ain Jalud, or “Gideon’s Spring,” where Gideon
tested his soldiers and chose the 300 who
scooped up the water to their mouths instead
of kneeling down to drink. Read of his victory
here over the Midianites (Judges vii. 1-25).

K. 46. Station, ‘Ain Harod. A new Jewish
Colony. Right : MOUNT GILBOA rises high
(1,648 feet) from the Valley of Jezreel. At the
foot of the hill runs the track along which Jehu

45

drove furiously from Ramoth Gilead to Jezreel.
(See II. Kings ix. 1-37). The Mountain was the
scene of King Saul’s last fight, his defeat by the
Philistines, and the death of the King and his
three sons — Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melchi-
shua. (Read 1. Sam. xxxi. 1-13, and especially
David’s touching lamentation in II. Sam. i. 1-27).

K. 51. Station, Shutta. Forward, on the right,
the MOUNTAINS of GILEAD show well, on
the east side of the Jordan Valley.

K. 59. Station, Beisan, the ancient Canaanite city
BETH-SHAN. The ruins of many cities lie
buried here, and the fortress seen on the right
soon after leaving the station was occupied
strongly by Egyptian troops in the reigns of
Seti I. and Rameses II., of whose period fine
inscriptions were found here in 1923. To the
wall of this city King Saul’s body and those of
his sons were nailed by the Philistines, till the
men of Jabesh Gilead came and bore them
away. In later days many famous people
came here — David, Solomon, Holophernes,
Antiochus the Great, Judas Maccabaeus, Queen
Cleopatra, Pompey, the Crusaders, and Saladin.

K. 60. We are now about 500 feet below sea level.
Good views (right) of the Jordan Valley.

K. 62. Right : The valley which we cross here
leads down to one of the supposed (but unlikely)
sites of Bethabara, “where John was
baptizing.”

K. 65. Right : Many glimpses of the RIVER
JORDAN, unless the water is too low.

K. 73. Left : On the top of a prominent hill one
can discern the ruins of BELVOIR, a great
castle built by King Fulke in 1140. Saladin
captured it in 1188. To-day it is called by the
Arabs, Kaukab el Howa = ‘‘Star of the Wind.”

46

K. 74/2 . Left: The remains of several motor
lorries, abandoned by the Turks in their retreat,
still lie on the road close by.

K. 76. Station, Jisr el Majami*.

K. 77. The railway crosses the River Jordan. On
the left see the ancient bridge, Jisr el Majami* .
Immediately afterwards, on the left, see the
RIVER YARMUK (called by Pliny the
‘ Hieromax”), close to its junction with the
Jordan.

K. 79^2 • The railway crosses the Yarmuk.

K. 8OV2. Left : Good view of the Jordan.

K. 85. Right : Directly opposite to us in the hills
is the deep gorge down which the Yarmuk runs
from the high plateau of the Mountains of
Gilead. The railway, after leaving Semakh,
winds up this valley 46 miles to Deraa, the
ancient Edrei, and thence 77 miles to Damascus.
On the left the SEA of GALILEE is seen,
Tib erias being just beyond the promontory on
the left. Abpve the promontory and a little to
the right see SAFED, the ‘ city set on a hill.’

K. 87. Semakh Station. From this station cars
take twenty to twenty-five minutes to drive 12
kilometres to Tiberias. (See Route VIII.,

K. 173/2).

From Semakh travellers can take the train
to Damascus. Semakh to Deraa is 74 kilometres
(2/S. hours), Deraa to Damascus 123 kilometres
(4|4 hours).

47

ROUTE VIII.

NAZARETH to TIBERIAS (Sea of Galilee),

By Road.

(33 J4 kilometres; 1 hour’s drive).

K. 140. Nazareth.

K. 147J/2- The village on the left is EL MASH¬
HAD (GATH HEPHER of Josh. xix. 13 and
II. Kings xiv. 23), the birthplace and home of
the prophet JONAH. The name Nebi Yunis
is still used for the old tomb on the top of the
hill there. We are now passing through the

TRIBE of ZEBULON.

K. 150. CANA OF GALILEE (St. John ii. Ml,
iv. 46-54), now called KEFR KENNA.

K. 162. Right : The broad Plain of Ahma in which
the Crusaders were disastrously defeated by
Saladin at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 A.D.,
and the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem came to
an end.

K. 163. The HORNS OF HATTIN, straight

ahead.

K. 166. Suddenly come in sight of the SEA OF
GALILEE, 1,000 feet below us. Near here we
enter the TRIBE OF NAPHTHALI.

K. 170. The first bend to the right after K. 170
is about level with the Mediterranean. If the
sea were let in, it would fill up the Jordan
Valley to this height.

K. 1731/2- TIBERIAS (682 feet below sea level),
the City of Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee.
It has been one of the Jewish sacred cities since
ancient times.

48

An important Mission hospital of the United
Free Church of Scotland here owes much of its
prestige to the long and devoted services of the
late Dr. Torrance.

Note. — Tiberias to Semakh Station (for Haifa to
Damascus Railway), 12 kilometres, 20 minutes’
drive. We pass the hot sulphur baths at K. 176
and cross the River Jordan at K. 183 (St. John
vi. 23).

ROUTE IX.

TIBERIAS to DAMASCUS, by Road.

(136J/2 kilometres; about 4J4 hours’ drive).

K. 1 73 J/2 - Tiberias (about 20 minutes’ drive to
Tabagha).

K. 174. Across the Lake to the north-west, see a
large building with a red roof, some height
above the shore. To the left of the building, on
the lake-side amongst the trees, is TABAGHA;
and to the right, also among trees, TEL HOUM,
the probable site of CAPERNAUM. Still further
to the right, two large trees stand close to the
place where the River Jordan runs into the
Lake.

K. 178. Right : MEJDEL, the ancient MAGDALA,

a town of some importance in the time of
Christ. It was the birthplace of Mary Magdalen.
(See St. Luke viii. 2; St. Luke vii. 37; St. Matt,
xv. 39).

K. 180. We are now in the Plain of Gennesaret,
in the Tribe of Naphthali.

49

L. 186. Soon after K.. 186, a branch road leads
to the right (1 kilometre) to TABAGHA, where
visitors are most hospitably welcomed at the
Hospice of St. Vincent de St. Paul. Name is
derived from the Greek “Heptapegon” = “The
Seven Springs,” which rise here close to the
Lake. Motors can travel in dry weather to Tel
Houm (Capernaum), about 3 kilometres (St.
Matt. iv. 13).

K. 192. We have already ascended 1,000 feet
above the Lake.

K. 198. Nearly 2,000 feet. Road to the right leads
to Gendarmerie Camp.

K. 1 99J/2 • Left: Road to ROSHPINA,' a big
Jewish Colony, 1 kilometre, and SAFED
(2,750 feet), about 6 kilometres. Safed is pro¬
bably the “City set on a hill,” to which Jesus
alluded in St. Matt. v. 14.

K. 202. Left : Branch road (39 kilometres) to
Metulleh, a Jewish Colony, north-west of the
Waters of Merom (Josh. xi. 5, 7).

K. 213. JISR BANAT YA;COUB = ‘/The Bridge of
the Daughters of Jacob.” This bridge carries the
road across the Jordan, about a mile south of
the Waters of Merom (in Arabic = Bahairet el
Huleh; 7 feet above Mediterranean level), of
which we get good views when beginning the
long ascent of 3,000 feet in the next 15 miles.
We now cross the frontier between Palestine
and (French) Syria.

K. 244. KUNEITRA, 19 miles or about 31 kilo¬
metres from the Jisr Banat Ya‘coub. (French
Passport office here).

K. 310. DAMASCUS (2,260 feet), 41 miles or about
66 kilometres from Kuneitra (Acts ix. 3-25).
There are old-established Missions here, both
of the Edinburgh Medical Mission (the Victoria
Hospital), the British Syrian Mission (girls’
schools), and the Irish Presbyterian Mission.

I

50

ROUTE X.

HAIFA to BEIRUT, by Road.

(92 miles =147 kilometres; 4J4 to 5 hours).

NOTE. — (a) At the time of writing, the road is
being greatly changed and improved. There are
very few kilometre stones between Haifa and Tyre,
so that the following route is marked in miles,
most cars being fitted with mileometres.

(b) Considerable portions of the road are
generally in very bad order, so that the times given
are only approximate.

(c) Passports must be in order for the British
visa at Acre or Ras en Naqurah and the French
visa at their Frontier Post.

1. HAIFA to TYRE.

(39 miles; 2 to 2J4 hours).

Starting from the railway station, cars soon turn
to the left and use the sea-shore as a track all the
way round the bay.

M. 2/2 . Cross the River KISHON, turning inland
to go over the bridge if the mouth of the river
is too deep; otherwise drive straight through the
water.

M. 91/2. The River Na’mein flows into the sea.
It is the ancient BELUS, and it was on the sands
here that the Phoenicians first discovered how
to make glass.

M. 10^2- Thirty-five to forty minutes from Haifa
we reach ACRE, called by the Arabs ‘Akka

51

and in old days Ptolemais. (The long history
of this place should be read in the guide-book).
The track now passes along the plain, with
frequent glimpses of the old aqueduct which
still brings water to Acre.

M. 19%. Fz-ZIB (thirty to forty minutes from
Acre), a village close to the sea, is the ancient
Achzib, a city of Asher. The Israelites, how¬
ever, having no ships, were unable to drive out
the Canaanite inhabitants, but left them in
possession, as they did with most towns on the
coast (Judges i. 31). Some six miles up the
valley (due east) lie the great ruins of the
Crusading castle, Montfort (955 feet).

M. 23 14. The road, after a steep ascent, rounds the
promontory called RAS EN NAQURAH, the
Scala Fyriorum or Scala Peregrinorum ( “The
Pilgrim’s Ladder ”) of the ancients. This point
is usually reached in about an hour and a half
from Haifa, unless there has been extra delay
over passports. The frontier between British
and French territory is crossed a short distance
beyond the promontory.

M. 26. The French frontier passport office.

M. 30. RAS FL ABYAD-“The White Cape.”

All this region is the ancient Phoenicia, and for
the next forty miles or more we are in “the
coasts of Tyre and Sidon,” so frequently men¬
tioned in the Bible.

M. 35. On the left amongst the trees are the
copious springs of water called Ras el Ain,
which supplied Tyre in old times.

M. 36. Four miles away on our right there is an
ancient tomb, still called in Arabic “Qabr
Hiram,” or the “Tomb of Hiram. It may
possibly be the tomb of that Hiram, King of
Tyre, who supplied Solomon with cedars,
cypress trees, and skilled workmen for the build¬
ing of the Temple.

52

M. 39. At this point we turn to the right, the road
to the left leading into the town of TYRE,
which does not lie on our route. It was origin¬
ally an island, and the causeway built out to it
originally by Hiram I. to carry into the town
the waters of the springs at Ras el Ain, but
destroyed later, was rebuilt by Alexander the
Great, who had hitherto failed to capture this
strong position. Sand silted up the causeway,
which thus became an isthmus, permanently
joining the island to the mainland. .The town
is now of little importance, but acres of ruins
show what it was formerly. It has become, in
the words of the prophet, “a place for the
spreading of nets in the midst of the sea”
(Ezekiel xxvi. 5). The traveller should read the
interesting history of Tyre and also the touching
description of St. Paul’s visit to the city (Acts
xxi. 3-6. See also Neh. xiii. 16; Isa. xxiii;
Ezekiel xxvii. 32-36).

2. TYRE to SIDON.

(231/2 miles; 50 minutes to 1 hour).

M. 39. Just at the turn of the road we see a kilo¬
metre stone on the left, inscribed 85, i.e., 85
kilometres (or 53 miles) from Beirut.

M. 44. Twelve to fifteen minutes north of Tyre
the road crosses the Nahr el Qasimiyeh, or
River Litany. It is the LEONTES of ancient
times, and rises near Baalbek in the great plain
between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon.

M. 49. Five miles (i.e., twelve to fifteen minutes)
north of the Litany we reach the extensive ruins
of Surafend, called Zarephath in the Old
Testament or SAREPTA in the New Testament.
Here the prophet Elijah sojourned with the
widow during the severe famine, and “the
barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the

53

cruse of oil fail” (I. Kings xvii. 8-24. Jesus
Himself spoke of the incident, as is recorded
in St. Luke iv. 24-30). It is possible that it was
in this city that our Lord healed the daughter
of the Svro-Phcenician woman (St. Mark vii.
24-31).

M. 57^2- Just before crossing a bridge (and seeing
a kilometre stone, marked 55, on the left) the
main road is joined by one coming in on the
right from Hasbeiya and Nebatiyeh in the hills.

M. 62J/2- SIDON, another city with a long and
tempestuous history. Famous for its glass and
purple dye in ancient times, it is now the centre
of vast fruit orchards, especially oranges and
lemons, in which a large trade is carried on.
(For Biblical references see Gen. x. 19; St. Matt,
xi. 21, 22; and Acts xxvii.3).

3. SIDON to BEIRUT.

(29^ miles; 1 J4 to 1% hours).

M. 62J/2. SIDON.

M. 76. Forty-five to fifty minutes from Sidon we
cross the Nahr ed Damour, the ancient River
Tamyras, by a fine bridge built since the war.
The ruins of the old bridge can be seen on the
left.

During the remaining 16 miles to Beirut (about
forty to fifty minutes), the road follows the coast
most of the way until it turns inland at the tall
French wireless mast. Thence it runs through
beautiful and very extensive olive groves to

M. 92. BEIRUT.

From Beirut cars of the Nairn Transport Co.
(P.O. Box 262, Beirut) start at 5 p.m. every
Thursday, reaching Damascus 8 to 8.30 p.m.
and leaving next morning (Friday, at about day¬
break) for the run of 542 miles to Baghdad in
about 25 hours.

54

ROUTE XI.

BEIRUT to DAMASCUS, by Road.

(71 miles; 3^ to 3)4 hours).

1. BEIRUT to SHTORA.

(30 miles; about 1 /i hours).

Leaving the Square at Beirut and crossing the
narrow plain behind the town, the road begins the
long climb up the Mountains of Lebanon. Beautiful
views of St. George’s Bay and the thickly populated
hill-sides open out at every turn.

M. 9. A road turns off on the right to ‘Aleih, one
of the very popular summer resorts, to which
visitors come from many distant places.

M. 15. ‘Ain Sofar. The road passes close to the
railway station.

M. 18. Another road turns off on the right (just
at the end of the railway tunnel) to ‘Ainzehalteh,
Beteddin, and Baakleen, a most beautiful
drive.

M. 22. The main road continues climbing for
about four miles more and then reaches at the
summit a height of over 5,000 feet. Fine views
are seen of Jebel Keniseh on the left (height
7,084 feet), and of some of the clumps of cedar
trees near the top of Jebel el Baruk (7,098 feet)
on the right. As we descend the hills a
magnificent view opens out gradually on the
right, the great plain, the Beqaa* (called in
ancient times Coele-Syria), lying below us,
Mount Hermon beyond it on the right and the
whole range of Anti-Lebanon opposite to us.

M. 30. Shtora. A road leads off here on the left
to Baalbec, a run of 25 miles, which can usually
be done in little more than an hour.

55

2. SHTORA to DAMASCUS.

(41 miles; 1% hours).

M. 30. Shtora. Our road now takes us across
the wide plain, itself nearly 3,000 feet above
sea level, and we pass over the Litany river
(the ancient Leontes), which empties itself into
the Mediterranean 5 miles north of Tyre. Then
we begin climbing again, the road ascending
gradually to a height of 4,438 feet as we cross
the Anti-Lebanon range.

M. 53. Pass Khan Meizelun. The last part of the
drive brings us down into the lovely valley
through which the River Barada runs, and also
the Beirut to Damascus railway. The Barada is
the ancient Abana. the Abana and Pharpar,
rivers of Damascus, both of crystal clearness,
naturally appealed more to Naaman the Syrian
than the muddy River Jordan in which the
prophet Elisha told him to wash and be clean
(II. Kings v. 1-19).

M. 71. DAMASCUS, “a pearl set within an
emerald,” as Mohammed is said to have des¬
cribed it when he saw the city surrounded by
its wonderful gardens and orchards.

ROUTE XII.

JERUSALEM to KANTARA, by Railway.

(367 kilometres; 9 hours’ journey).

Notes. — (a) All directions, right or left, are
given as from a seat facing the engine.

( b ) From Jerusalem to Lydda a seat on the
right is best, and from Lydda to Kantara a seat
on the left.

56

(c) The kilometre marks are on the right
between Jerusalem and Lydda and on the left
between Lydda and Kantara.

(d) The times given are those in force in 1924.

(e) This route is also described in the reverse
order, Kantara to Jerusalem. See Route I.

1. JERUSALEM to LYDDA.

(66 kilometres; 2 hours). .

K. 86. Leave JERUSALEM (8.15 a.m.), skirting
on the left the Plain of Rephaim (II. Sam. v.
18-25), then descending the Valley of Roses to
Bittir.

K. 76. BITTIR ( arr. 8.35, dep. 8.38), on the line
of the 1 urkish trenches, November to Decem¬
ber, 1917. Scene of heavy fighting. Also the
reputed scene of the last stand and terrible
slaughter of the Jews under Barchochba,
attempting to regain their independence in 134
A.D., during the reign of Hadrian. The ruins
of their fort, still called the "Hill of the Jews,"
can be seen nearly opposite the station, on the
left, amongst the trees on the hill-top. (We
have already descended 600 feet from
Jerusalem).

K. 54. High on the hill-top (right) is the supposed
site of the Cave of the ROCK ETAM (Jud. xv.
4-19).

K. 50. ARTUF (arr. 9.29, dep 9.31). Across the

valley (right), on the top of the ridge, see a
white dome and a palm tree. That is ZORAH.
the birthplace of Samson (Jud. xiii. 2-25).
Further east a red-roofed colony marks approxi¬
mately the CAMP OF DAN (Jud. xiii. 25 and
xviii. 2-12). The train now runs down the
Wady es Surar = the VALE OF SOREK, the

57

scene of Samson’s exploits and the home of
Delilah, &c. (Jud. xvi. 4-21). Hereabouts was
the boundary between JUDAH and DAN.

K. 48. On the left is a valley leading to BETH-
SHEMESH, the “House of the Sun,” now called
‘Ain Shems. Scene of the return of the Ark
(I. Sam. vi. 1-21. See also II. Kings xiv. 8-13).

K. 40. On the right see a long hill in the middle
distance, with a small building at the right-hand
end. This is GEZER, a very important ancient
city, excavated by Professor Macalister. He
dug down to the rock, discovered troglodyte
caves of 3,000 B.C., then, in successive layers,
the Canaanite city, then the Israelite, the Jewish,
Maccabean, Roman, Christian, and finally Arab
cities — twelve in all. Gezer frequently figures in
the Tel-el-Amarna Tablets, and was some time
held by the Pharaoh of Egypt, a serious menace
to the Jewish capital, Jerusalem. Later,
Pharaoh gracefully gave it as dowry to his
daughter, who married Solomon, and it was
fortified at once by him. (See I. Kings ix.
15-17). Gezer was on the southern boundary of
* Ephraim. It remains in sight for the next half-
hour or more, as the railway winds towards it.

K. 37. VALE OF SOREK (arr. 9.46, dep. 9.48).

The station buildings were erected by the
Germans during the war. Scene of fierce
fighting, capture of two Turkish trains and the
explosion of a huge ammunition dump in
November, 1917. Immediately after leaving
the station notice on the left the Turkish rail¬
way branching off to Beersheba and the Sinaitic
desert, for the projected attack on the Suez
Canal and Egypt. Also distant view (south¬
west) of the Valley of Elah, where the armies
of Saul and the Philistines lay opposite to each
other and David slew Goliath (I. Sam. xvii.

2-52).

58

K. 33. The village of ‘Akir = Ekron, appears on
the left. The most northerly of the five cities
of the Philistines. Scene of the calamities
brought on them by the presence of the ark
(I. Sam. v. 10-12, vii. 12-15, xvii. 50-52; II. Kings
i. 2; Zeph. ii. 4, and Zech. IX. 5-7). Good
views on the right of Gezer and of the Mountains
of Judea.

K. 23. Cross the Jaffa to Jerusalem road. On the
left, see the aerodrome of the R.A.F. Distant
view (right, forward) of the PLAIN OF
SHARON.

K. 22 . RAMLEH (arr. 10.8, dep. 10.10). On
the right, less than half a mile away, see a
British Military Cemetery where 3,100 men lie
buried.

K. 21. On the left see the “Tower of the Forty
Martyrs,” said to have been built by the
Crusaders, restored by Saladin (name means
Salah ed Din, “Restorer of the Faith”) and
Sultan Beybars.

K. 20. LYDDA (arr. 10.15, dep. for Kantara
10.48, for Jaffa 10.40, and for Haifa 1 p.m.),
the ancient city of Dan. Local tradition of the
sixth century says St. George of England came
from Lydda and was eventually buried here in
the church of that time. The church has been
incessantly destroyed and restored; the fabric
is now of no interest. (See Acts ix. 32-38, St.
Peter’s visit to Lydda).

NOTE. — The journey from Lydda to Haifa is des¬
cribed in Route VI.

2. LYDDA to KANTARA.

(301 kilometres; 6^/2 hours).

K. 301 . Leave LYDDA (10.48 a.m.) for the South.
(Kilometre marks are now on the left of the
train).

59

K. 300. Cross the Jaffa-Jerusalem main road.

K. 297. On a ridge (left), amongst trees, see a
house with a tower. Here was Allenby’s
G.H.Q. for many weeks, during the deliverance
of Jerusalem in 1917.

K. 292. All about here are the flourishing and
well-cultivated Jewish Colonies of RICHON-
LE-ZION, REHOBOTH, &c.

K. 2 871/2 . YEBNAH (arr. 11.10, dep. 11.11), in
the old days Jabneel (Josh. xv. 11). We
presently enter the borders of the TRIBE OF
DAN.

K. 272. ASHDOD (arr. 11.29, dep. 11.30).
Another of the five cities of the Philistines. It
stood on the northern extremity of what once
belonged to Simeon, towards Egypt. (Read
history of the ark again, I. Sam. v. 1-10; also
see Isa. xx. 1, Zeph. ii. 4). In the New
Testament and Septuagint it was called
AZOTUS, where Philip “was found” after
baptizing the eunuch (Acts viii. 40). All this
region is the ancient Philistia, the origin of the
name Palestine.

K. 25914. MAJDAL (arr. 10.44, dep. 10.45).
This is opposite ASHKELON on the coast
(right), another of the five cities of the Philis¬
tines, with a long history and connection with
the names of the tribe of Judah, the Egyptians,
Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Saladin, Richard I.
of England, Cceur de Lion. (For Samson’s visit
read Jud. xiv. 12-19; see also I. Sam. vi. 17;
II. Sam. i. 17-20; Zeph. ii. 4-7; Zech. ix. 5).

K. 256J4. From here to K. 254J/2, see the old
1 urkish branch railway (left) coming in from
Beersheba.

K. 246 14. DEIR SINEID (arr. 12, dep. 12.1).
Then look out on the left, about K. 245%, for
the few remains of a Turkish train, knocked

60

out and burnt by British shell fire. There are
also a few pairs of rails and about thirty 6-in.
shells.

K. 236. GAZA (arr. 12.13, dep. 12.23). See the
British cemetery of 3,237 graves, on the left just
on reaching the station. Gaza was another of the
five great Philistine cities. (For Samson’s visit
and death read Jud. xvi. 1-3, and 21-31. See
also II. Kings xviii. 1-8, and Acts viii. 26).
Soon after leaving the station, see in the distance
(right) a mosque, where is buried the grand¬
father of Mohammed the Prophet. Then pass
through Gaza, largely rebuilt. Terrible des¬
truction was done here in the war, first by the
Turks taking all wood, roofs, ceilings, floors,
doors, windows, &c., for railway fuel and for
revetting the trenches, and again by the British
when shelling the Turkish troops.

The C.M.S. hospital erected after many
years of devoted work by the late Canon
Stirling, M.D., was almost totally destroyed,
but has now been completely restored by his
son.

K. 234. On the left see the small hill to which
tradition says Samson carried the gates (Jud.
xvi. 1-3).

K. 232. See on the left, beyond the trees, on the
hill slope, the derelict tank “War Baby,’’
knocked out by the Turks in the first battle of
Gaza. It can be seen well, gradually looking
further back all the way to K. 231, where one
loses sight of it on passing an old redoubt.
Many remains of trenches, sand bags, and wire
entanglements are to be seen all along this part
of the line.

K. HI/2. The railway crosses the famous “Wady
Guzzy’’ by a bridge.

K. 223. On the right see another big cemetery.
The bodies of our men from all the scattered

61

battlefields have been gathered together in main
centres. It should never be forgotten that the
building of this railway across the desert in
1916-17 Was at the cost of more than 10,000
British soldiers’ lives — an average of 21 lives
every kilometre.

K. 220. DEIR EL BELAH (arr. 12.42, dep. 12.43),
“The House of Dates,” commonly called by
the British troops “Dear old Bella.” An
enormous rail-head camp through the summer

of 1917.

K. 211. KHAN YUNUS (arr. 12.31, dep. 12.52).

See (right) the tower of the mosque-fort built
here by the Egyption Sultan Barquq in the 13th
century. This place was the scene of a
remarkable escape by Napoleon, who con¬
ducted his campaign all along this route; his
main army ahead of him branched off accident¬
ally into the desert; Napoleon took the direct
route and thus missing them rode into Khan
Yunus surrounded only by his staff. He was
surprised to see a number of Arabs in the
market square hastily mounting and galloping
away. They thought it was the French army.
Had they waited and captured Napoleon, the
history of the world since then would have been
changed at Khan Yunus.

K. 205 V2 * KILAB. Many piles of wire entangle¬
ments on the left show the site of Lord Allenby’s
G.H.Q. before and during his attack on Gaza.

K. 202 V3. The frontier between Palestine and
Egypt. (Look out for the notice boards).

K. 200. RAFA (arr. 1.9, dep. 1.14). Out of sight
(right), west of the station, are the boundary
pillars which the Turks removed in 1907, thus
nearly bringing about war between England and
Turkey. Then the rolling plain over which
Chetwode advanced in February, 1917.

62

K. 156]/2- EL ARISH Town appears forward on
the left, about a mile away. Head-quarters of
the Governor of the Province of Sinai.

K. 156. The train crosses the broad and shallow
Wady (after rain a swift river), which was the
old “River of Egypt.”

K. 154. EL ‘ARISH (arr. 2.11, dep. 2.13). Every
mile of the ground north and south of El ‘Arish
was strongly contested, and the train crosses
many battlefields, e.g.,

K. 112. MAZAR (arr. 3.1, dep. 3.3).

K. 75. EL ‘ABD (arr. 3.45, dep. 3.46).

K. 39. ROMANI (arr. 4.26, dep. 4.27). Many

block-houses and entanglements all through this
desert. When our armies, with the magnificent
assistance of the Egyptian Labour Corps began
to make this railway, they called it the “Milk
and Honey Railway,” but later, finding no
traces of either, they called it the “Desert
Railway.” Thence through the ancient
Serbonian Bog, with Pelusium away on the
right on the former most eastern branch of the
Nile.

KANTARA EAST (arr. 5. 15) = Arabic for a
“Bridge,” i.e., the ancient crossing of the
caravan route between the two lakes by means
of the rather higher limestone ridge between
them, and now after 5,000 years a “bridge”
again over the Suez Canal. It was the crossing
by which Abraham, Joseph, and Jacob travelled
from Palestine into Egypt, and was doubtless
the track by which the Holy Family went to
and from the Valley of the Nile.

NOTE. — This Route is printed again, for use in the
reverse direction, viz. : — Kantara to Jerusalem,
in Route I.