made through him as the agent of the Franks. The man paid him back one hundred and fifty piastres in our presence; which we understood to be his commission on the bargain we had made with the Arabs; being equal to thirty piastres on each camel. It was probably partly in order to render this pill less unpalatable to Defa' Allah, that Elias had yesterday given us the hint respecting an extra present to that Sheikh.1 We finished writing up our journals, and made our purchases of provisions for the journey as far as to Nâbulus; since we could now obtain nothing at Jerusalem. Just as we were preparing to set off, two English travellers came in from Beersheba. We had found their tent here yesterday, and learned that they had gone on this excursion. As travellers under such circumstances do not stand upon etiquette, we called at their tent, and found the Rev. Dr Mill and Col. Hezata, who in returning from India by way of Egypt, had thus taken the route through Palestine. Our present visit was a short one; but we afterwards had the pleasure of meeting them again at Jerusalem and Beirût; and also of making in company with them the voyage from Beirût to Alexandria and Smyrna. 1 I have since learned, that things went on prosperously with our friend Elias for the next two years; and he obtained the height of his ambition, in being made the agent of the British consul at Jerusalem. But early in the last year (1840) he was seized and thrown into prison, on a charge of peculation. Feeling perhaps that he ii. 637, 638 had few friends in Hebron, he made application to the American missionaries at Jerusalem, to intercede in his behalf, that his case might be transferred to the authorities of the Holy City. This they were able to effect, through the good will of the Mufti; and Elias was still lying there in prison at midsummer. SECTION XIII. FROM HEBRON TO RAMLEH AND JERUSALEM, Wednesday, June 6th. Afternoon. In leaving Hebron for Ramleh, we decided first to turn our steps towards el-Burj, the place which we had been formerly prevented from visiting when at Dawâimeh. We heard many extravagant reports from the Arabs respecting it; so that it seemed of sufficient importance to be investigated. We were now ready to set off; but found great difficulty in obtaining a guide. Several persons offered their services; but as this seemed to be in Hebron a new species of employment, of which the price was not yet fixed or in any way regulated, they chose to demand at least threefold wages; apparently too without being well acquainted with the route. We offered the double of what we had formerly paid; which was refused. Knowing however that we should fall in with persons on the way, or at least should certainly be able to obtain a guide at Dûra, we cut the matter short with the Hebronites; and loading up our animals, left the city at 1 o'clock alone. Our way led up the western hill, by the same path which we had formerly descended in coming from Dhoherîyeh. On the top, however, the roads separate; we took that leading to Dûra, lying more to the right; and proceeded on a general course about west by south. We now passed through a succession of fine vineyards sloping gently towards the west; the way being everywhere shut in between their walls. Our new Mukârîyeh had loaded the tent and other luggage so unskilfully, that in passing along this narrow way, the load was first caught against the walls and drawn from the horse; and again, soon after, it slipped off in going down a steep place. This detained us half an hour. At 2.40, we came upon the head of a valley running westwards, on the north of Dûra, towards the plain. It soon becomes deep; and looking down through it, we could perceive the distant sand-hills along the coast. Here on our right were the ruined foundations of a village; and five minutes further, on the left, was a beautiful little spring with a rill crossing our path. We learned from a shepherd, that it is called Nunkur, and gives its name to the valley. The way continued along the high ground on the south of this Wady; and at a quarter past three, we passed another place of springs at the head of a small branch of the same. Proceeding across some hills, we came upon the fine plain which extends for half an hour on the east of Dûra. It was now covered with fields of wheat, which the peasants were busily engaged in reaping; the wheat harvest having just begun. 1 Crossing this plain, we reached at 4 o'clock the large village of Dûra, situated on the gradual eastern slope of a cultivated hill, with olive groves and fields of grain all around. On the top of the hill, not far off, is the Mukâm or Wely of Neby Nûh (Noah), which we had formerly seen from Dawâimeh. The village is one of the largest in the district of Hebron, and is properly the chief place; being the residence of the Sheikhs of the house of Ibn 'Omar, who are the head of the Keisiyeh of the mountains, and formerly ruled over the villages. We found here a party of Egyptian soldiers; but saw no traces of antiquity; unless perhaps in a large hewn stone over a doorway, with an ornamental figure cut upon it. Here too we were able to obtain no guide in the village itself; but having rode through it, we found one of the principal Sheikhs with a number of the inhabitants sitting in an olive grove; and laid qur request before him. He treated us with great civility; and politely invited us to remain over night; repeating the usual story of the insecurity of the way; but on our declining, he immediately sent with us the servant of his brother, the head Sheikh, who was absent. This man was a Nubian slave, jet black, of a tall commanding figure; he proved a very intelligent and faithful guide, and was of great service to us. He told us, that his master, the chief Sheikh, was the owner of five male and six female slaves, two hundred sheep, three hundred goats, twenty-one neat cattle, three horses, and five camels. Dûra had recently been the seat of a violent quarrel, in which the inhabitants, although nominally disarmed, seized their weapons and went to killing each other. This of course drew upon them the notice of the government; and it was here that the three governors, whom we had recently met in Hebron, had been for some weeks occupied in compelling the people a second time to deliver up their arms. They had in this way collected from the one party about two hundred guns, and from the other nearly a hundred more, which we had seen brought into Hebron upon camels. The origin of the quarrel was related to us, as 2 1 See above, p. 27. 2 Sce above, p. 80. Comp. p. 57. follows. A family of Sheikhs, not of the house of Ibn 'Omar, was in power; and one of them was Mutesellim at the time of the last conscription; in which he and his followers so managed, as to take all the men required for soldiers from the opposite party. In consequence of the ill will which thus arose, he caused also the head of the house of 'Omar, 'Abd er-Rahman, to be imprisoned. Upon this, the brother of the latter, the Sheikh whom we saw, went to Damascus to Sherîf Pasha, governor of all Syria, and obtained from him the release of the prisoner. The chief himself now repaired to Damascus; and returned as Mutesellim in place of his enemy. In the broils which ensued, the parties took arms; and six men were killed, all of the party now in disgrace. The people of Yutta also entered into the quarrel. The government interfered with stern severity; gathered up the arms of both parties; and the followers of the deposed Mutesellim withdrew to el-Burj and other places in the plain. It was probably for this reason, that the Sheikh represented the way to el-Burj as insecure.1 2 Although we saw no special traces of antiquity among the buildings in Dûra, yet the general aspect of the village and of the adjacent country testifies, that the place is one of long standing. There is indeed little reason to doubt of its being the Adoraim of the Old Testament, enumerated along with Hebron and Maresha as one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam. Under the name Adora it is mentioned in the Apocrypha, and also often by Josephus; who usually connects the two places Adora and Maressa as cities of the later Idumea. At the same time with Maressa, it was captured by Hyrcanus, and again built up by Gabinius. After Josephus, there seems to be no mention of the place, either by Eusebius or Jerome or any other writer, down to the present day. Yet the name is quite decisive. The dropping of the first feeble letter is not uncommon; and appears also to have been partially current in this name, even in the days of Josephus; in whose writings we find it in several instances in the form of Dora.5 4 After a delay of forty minutes we left Dûra at 4.40, proceed 1 In 1839, this chief of Dûra, 'Abd erRahman, rose in rebellion against the government; and with his followers got possession of Hebron, and held it for a time. The governor of Damascus marched against him; and compelled him to abandon Hebron and retire to the desert towards 'Ain Jidy. Here he was surrounded by a circle of 2000 men upon the watch; through which he at last cut his way, and escaped to the country east of the 'Arabah. 2 2 Chron. 11, 9. 3 ib. 13. 6. 4. ib. 13. 9. 1. ib. 13. 15. 4. ib. 5 Apa Dora, Ant. 13. 6. 4 in all Mss. Ant. 14. 5. 3 in the text. Awpeós Doreus, B. J. 1. 2. 6, and ib. 1. 8. 4 in the Mss. See generally Reland Palæst. pp. 547, 739. -Josephus scoffs at Apion for placing the Dora (Dor) of Phenicia in Idumea; which at least serves to show that Apion might have heard of this name there; c. Apion * 1 Macc. 13, 20. Joseph. Ant. 8. 10. 1. 2. 5. ing on a southwest course, passing around the head of a Wady which runs off west on the south of Dûra, and crossing a low ridge beyond. Here we had a view of the western sea. At 5 o'clock there was a site of foundations on our left called Khursah; and at the same time Dhoheriyeh was visible, bearing S. 35° W. The hills around us were now green with bushes, and the trees higher than we had usually seen. At 5.35, we were 4 opposite to other ruined foundations, called el-Hadb, at the foot of a hill on our left. At 52 o'clock, we passed between two higher hills on the brow of the steep descent of the mountain, into the head of a Wady called el-Keis, which runs down nearly west into the lower region.1 We followed down Wady el-Keis, descending very gradually on a western course. The adjacent hills were decked, as before, with bushes and large trees. This proved to be the least steep and rugged, and therefore the most feasible, of all the passes that we travelled up or down the mountains. The path continued all the way in the Wady; which brought us out at 6.40 into the region of lower hills, and valleys, intermediate between the mountains and the great plain, similar to that which we had formerly traversed further north. The hills, where not tilled, were bushy and green, and sprinkled with numerous flocks; the valleys broad and covered with a rich crop of wheat; the fields full of reapers and gleaners in the midst of the harvest; with asses and camels receiving their loads of sheaves, and feeding unmuzzled and undisturbed upon the ripe grain. These peasants were mostly from Dûra, belonging to the party which had fled, and was now scattered at different places in this region. 2 Our path led us southwest across a broad basin or plain; around which many of the hills were marked by ruins, showing that this tract of country was once thickly inhabited. Of these, one called Deir el-'Asal was on our right at 6.55; another named Beit er-Rûsh, on the left ten minutes beyond; at 7.30 we had Khurbet en-Nusrâny on the same side; and at 7.40 some foundations called Beit Mirsim occupied a Tell on our left. Here we ascended from the plain, and crossed a ridge running north from this Tell. It was now quite dark. In going up the ascent the guide suddenly demanded a pistol, and running forward fired at an animal, which he supposed to be a hyæna; but without effect. We now came into another valley running about S. by W. and at 8 o'clock reached el-Burj, situated on a very rocky promontory, or long point of a hill project 1 From the top of the southern hill I took the following bearings: Yutta S. 70° E. Semu'a S. 36° E. Dhoherîyeh S. 23° W. iii. 5, 6 2 Ps. 65, 13, "The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing." |