salem to (upper) Beth-horon, according to these writers, was twelve Roman miles; according to Josephus one hundred stadia, or fifty stadia from Gibeon. It took us five hours to reach Jerusalem; though as parts of the road are very bad, and our horses were weary and jaded, we did not here travel much if any faster than the rate with camels; which would coincide exactly with Josephus. From all this it appears, that in ancient times, as at the present day, the great road of communication and heavy transport between Jerusalem and the sea-coast, was by the pass of Beth-horon. Whether the way through Wady Suleimân, the second valley south of Beit 'Ur, which is only a branch of the same road, was then in use, we are nowhere informed; but such was not improbably the case. At present we understood this to be the easier route. Of old, as now, the direct road from Jerusalem to Yâfa by Kuryet el-'Enab and Wady 'Aly was probably used only by travellers without heavy baggage. That it anciently existed, can hardly be doubted; although I find no direct notice of it. We heard of no other pass up the mountain between the Wadys Suleimân and 'Aly; but Pococke relates, that from el-Kubeibeh, (the Emmaus of the monks,) on the top of the mountain, he descended directly by a path which took him some distance north of Lâtrôn, though that place was in sight, and so to Ramleh. This however could not have been a much travelled road. 3 2 From the time of Jerome, nothing more appears of Bethhoron until the present century. The crusaders seem not to have recognised the name, or at least do not mention it. Brocardus and Marinus Sanutus indeed speak of the lower town; but apparently only with reference to scriptural authority, and not as eye or ear witnesses. The long line of pilgrim travellers since the crusades, have almost uniformly taken the direct route between Ramleh and Jerusalem, and have heard nothing of Beth-horon. In A. D. 1801, by some chance, Dr Clarke wandered hither from Kuryet el-'Enab, and recognised the ancient appellation in the present name Beit U'r. Since then it ap 1 The most direct intimation of such a road, is perhaps the notice of Eusebius and Jerome, that Kirjath-jearim lay nine miles from Ælia on the way to Diospolis. If Kirjath-jearim was the same with the present Kuryet el-'Enab, this notice would be decisive. Onomast. art. Cariathiarim. -At any rate, the fact that Jerome makes Paula travel from Nicopolis to Jerusalem by way of Beth-horon, (see Text above,) is of no weight to prove that the direct road did not then exist; she took the longer route in order to visit remarkable places, as she had already done in passing 3 Brocard. c. 9. p. 184. Marin. Sanut. p. pears not to have been visited again, until some of our friends took it in their way from Yâfa to Jerusalem, a few days before we set off on this excursion.1 The inhabitants of Beit 'Ur seemed to be mostly absent, probably in the fields or the plain, at work during the harvest. We found several women, and at length also one active old man drawing water at a neighbouring well. He led us to the roof of a house, where we had a wide and very distinct view of the country around Beth-horon and towards the sea, with all of which he seemed well acquainted. The prospect included the hill country and the plain, as far on the right and left as the eye could reach. The prominent towns were Ramleh and Lydda; we could not make out Yâfa. Towards the north were several places, which we had formerly seen from Râm-Allah; particularly Râs Kerker, a castle among the hills. Between us and Ramleh we looked down upon a broad and beautiful valley at our feet, formed by the junction of Wady Suleimân, the Wadys on the north and south of Beit 'Ur, and others. This valley, or rather plain, runs out W. by N. quite through the tract of hills, and then bends off towards the great western plain. It is called Merj Ibn 'Ömeir; and we thought we perceived its further course to be on the right of the hills on which Khulda stands. This however was an error; for this Merj is drained by the Wady 'Atulla, which passes down just north of el-Kubâb and Lydda.3 .5 6 2 The interest of this fine plain or valley is enhanced, by its probable connection with a remarkable event of biblical history. Upon the side of the long hill which skirts the valley on the south, we could perceive a small village in the W. S. W. called Yâlo, which name cannot well be any other than the ancient Aijalon, the ancient city of that name in the tribe of Dan. We find that city coupled with Beth-shemesh and Zorah and Socoh and Ekron ; which might seem to imply that it lay much further south; but it is at the same time in like manner coupled with Gimzo, which we had passed to-day. Jerome informs us, that the Hebrews of his day placed Aijalon about two Roman miles from Nicopolis, on the way to Jerusalem; and if this be reckoned on the road by Beth-horon, it would correspond well to the position of Yâlo. Eusebius assigns the Aijalon of Dan to the same vicinity. There can therefore be little question, that 1 Messrs Nicolayson and Paxton. See Paxton's Letters, Lett. XX. p. 227. Lond. 2 Is this perhaps the Calcalia of the crusaders, to which the renegade Ivelin marched, after burning Ramleh and besieging Lydda for a time in vain ? Will. Tyr. 21. 21. 8 3 See more in respect to Yalo in Vol. VOL. II.-22 III. Sect. III, under Apr. 26th, 1852. * The Sept. and Eusebius write this name Aixóv. Epiphanius has it 'Iaλú, adv. Hær. lib. II. p. 702. 702. Reland Pal. p. 553. 5 Josh. 19, 42. 2 Chr. 11, 10. 28, 18. 6 2 Chron. 28, 18. 7 Onomast. art. Aialon (Airáμ). • Ibid. art. Aialon ( Aiλúv). this village marks the site of the ancient Aijalon; and that the broad Wady on the north of it, is the valley of Aijalon so renowned in the history of Joshua. Here it was, that this leader of Israel, in pursuit of the five kings, having arrived at some point near upper Beth-horon, looked back towards Gibeon and down upon the noble valley before him, and uttered the celebrated command: "Sun, stand thou still on Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.' 2 3 A little to the right of Yâlo, and in the plain at some distance from the foot of the same hill, a village was pointed out to us called Beit Nubah. This probably represents the Nobe of Jerome; which also in his day was regarded by some as a Bethannaba, eight Roman miles eastward from Diospolis. Jerome appears to refer to this place, when he makes Paula, in the vicinity of Lydda and Arimathea, see Nobe; where he seems to suppose the priests were slain; though, as we have seen, the Nob of the priests must have been in sight of Jerusalem. In the age of the crusades, Beit Nubah became celebrated; first, as the site of the "Castellum Arnaldi," erected by the patriarch and citizens of Jerusalem in order to protect the approaches to that city; and then as the place to which Richard of England, in June A. D. 1192, led his army from Askelon on their way to besiege Jerusalem. There, having lingered for several weeks ingloriously, the English monarch turned back with his troops to Ramleh and Joppa; and, after concluding a truce with Saladin, soon left the country. From the notices connected with this march, it appears that Beit Nubah lay near the western plain, on the great road between el-Jib and Ramleh. It is mentioned by Willebrand of Oldenberg upon the same road in A. D. 1211, and again by Brocardus ; but seems to have been wholly lost sight of from that day to the present time. 6 5 Among the towns lying upon the mountains south of Bethhoron, one was pointed out to us (though doubtfully) towards the 1 Josh. 10, 12. Eusebius and Jerome place the valley of Aijalon on the east of Bethel, and near Gibeah and Ramah of Benjamin; in a direction wholly opposite to that in which Joshua was pursuing the Amorites; Onomast. art. Aialon, (Aiλáμ). Yet Jerome, in relating that Paula ascended from Nicopolis to Jerusalem by way of the two Beth-horons, makes her leave on her right hand the Aijalon and Gibeon where Joshua commanded the sun and moon to stand still; Epitaph. Paulæ, p. 673, ed. Mart. 2 Hieron. Ep. 86 ad Eustoch. Epit. Paulæ, p. 673, ed. Mart. Onomast. art. Anob. Reland Pal. p. 661. 4 3 See above, Vol. I. p. 464. Will. Tyr. 14. 8. He speaks of the place as "Nobe, qui hodie vulgari appellatione dicitur Bettenuble." Wilken Gesch. der Kr. II. p. 615. 5 Gaufr. Vinisauf 5. 49 sq. p. 399 sq. Also 6. 6, 9. p. 408 sq. This writer calls the place "Betenoble" and "Betenopolis." Jac. de Vitr. 100. p. 1123. Bohaeddin Vit.. Salad. pp. 203, 230, 243. Wilken Gesch. der Kr. IV. pp. 508-533. 6 Willebr. ab Oldenb. Itin. p. 146, in Allatii Symmikta, Col. Agr. 1653. Brocardus, c. 10. p. 186. Brocardus writes Bethnopolis," and makes it the same as Nob of the priests. south, as el-Kubeibeh, where it has formerly pleased the monks to fix the site of the village Emmaus of the New Testament; whither the two disciples were going from Jerusalem, as Jesus met them and went with them. According to Pococke, who visited the spot, it lies about an hour in a westerly direction from Neby Samwîl; and in travelling to it from the latter place, he left the village of Biddu on the right, and Beit Sûrîk on the left; further west and more towards the north he saw Beit 'Enân, which we also could now see.2 2 To this hypothesis of the monks there is the objection, that its position is not in accord with the language of Luke, whether the latter ought to read sixty stadia, or more probably one hundred and sixty; el-Kubeibeh being at least three hours, or more than seventy stadia distant from Jerusalem. To this we may add, that there never was the slightest ground for connecting elKubeibeh in any way with Emmaus; nor is there any trace of its having been so connected, before the fourteenth century.4 3 The bearings of these and other places, as seen from the upper Beth-horon, are given in the note below." The land around upper Beth-horon is exceedingly rocky, affording little opportunity for tillage. We left the place at 12 o'clock, and continued to ascend gradually among rocky and desolate hills, having all the characteristics of a desert. The ground was in general so strewed with rocks, that it was sometimes difficult to find the way; once we missed the path, and 1 Luke 24, 13–35. 2 Descr. of the East. II. i. Pococke says "three miles," usual reckoning for an hour. Nau, Voyage p. 502 sq. pp. 49, 50. which is his Comp. also 3 See more in connection with 'Amwâs, in Vol. III. Sect. III, under Apr. 27th, 1852. 4 The crusaders and the pilgrims of the following centuries, appear to have fixed Emmaus and Nicopolis at Lâtrôn, on the way from Ramleh to Jerusalem; near the church dedicated to the Maccabees, which may not improbably mark the traditional site of Modin; see above, p. 232; also pp. 6, 7. So Fulcher Carnot. 18, p. 396. Will. Tyr. 7. 24. Jac. de Vitry, c. 63. p. 1081. Brocardus, c. 10. p. 186. Marin. Sanut. pp. 146, 249. Tucher in Reissb. p. 658. Breydenbach ibid. p. 105.-Yet in the fourteenth century there are traces, as if a new hypothesis had already be gun to transfer the site up the mountain to Kubeibeh. Thus Ludolf de Suchem seems to speak of Emmaus as in the region of Neby Samwil; Itin. p. 92. Reissb. p. 850. So too Tschudi in 1519 places it expressly two hours from Jerusalem; p. 115. St. Gallen, 1606. In the course of the sixteenth century, the transfer became complete; Kubeibeh appears henceforth as Emmaus, and the place at the foot of the mountain took the name of "Castellum boni Latronis;" whence the present Arabic name Lâtrên. So Zuallart, p. 242, comp. p. 113. Cotovicus, p. 315, comp. p. 143. Quaresmius II. p. 719 sq. comp. p. 12 sq.-All these writers and travellers, wherever they may place Emmaus, regard it as Nicopolis; making no distinction between the village and the city Emmaus, nor even inquiring whether it was 60 or 160 stadia from Jerusalem. 5 Bearings from upper Beth-horon, beginning in the southeast and proceeding towards the right: Biddu S. 24° E. (?) et-Tireh S. 10° E. Beit 'Enân S. 11° W. Yâlo S. 66° W. Beit Nûbah S. 70° W. el-Kubâb W. Khurbata N. 85° W. Ramleh N. 71° W. Ludd N. 64° W. Beit 'Ûr the lower, N. 60° W. Suffa N. 57° W. Deir Kadi N. 30° W. Deir Abu Mesh'al N. 10° W. Râs Kerker N. Beit Ellu N. 8° E. Deir Bezî'a N. 10° E. Jânieh N. 12° E. ́ ́ Abu Zeitûn, a Wely, E. lost ten minutes in finding it again. Add to this, the way was winding, and our horses wearied; so that from Beth-horon to elJîb our rate of travel was not greater than with camels. At 1.50, we came out upon the top of the whole ascent, and reached the edge of the plain on the west of el-Jib. Here we had Beit 'Ûr, el-Jib, and Neby Samwil, all in sight at once.1 At this spot too was the site of a former village, the name of which we could not learn, as we had no guide and met no peasants. We could here look down into Wady Suleiman on our right, which begins to descend directly from the western end of the plain; and could perceive the other road as it comes up that valley. 2 We kept on our way towards el-Jîb; and at 2.25 turned out of our path into the fields on our right, to visit the neglected well already mentioned, Bîr el-'Özeiz. It is nineteen feet in diameter, and nearly filled up with earth; being only eight feet to the water, which also is very scanty. Losing ten minutes by this detour, we proceeded along under the northern side of the hill of el-Jib; and at 2.50 stopped for a few minutes at the fountain in the cavern.3 4 From el-Jib to Jerusalem, our horses felt the impulse of travelling towards home; and were somewhat more active, though still jaded. We did not care this time to climb the steep ascent to Neby Samwil; and therefore took the road by Beit Hanîna, which passes down the valley at the northeast end of the ridge of Neby Samwîl. This is the drain of the whole plain around el-Jîb, except at its western extremity; and forms one of the heads of the great Wady Beit Hanîna. Leaving the fountain at 3 o'clock, we soon entered and proceeded down the valley, which is narrow, rocky, and rugged. The path keeps along the bottom nearly to Beit Hanîna, where it gradually ascends to the village. We reached this place at 3.50; it stands upon the rocky ridge running down between the Wady we had descended, and another similar one coming from the tract around er-Râm. The village is not large, and is tolerably well built of stone. The land around is exceedingly rocky, affording little room for tillage; but there are many olive trees round about, which seemed flourishing. Neby Samwil here bore N. 72° W. From Beit Hanîna we again descended gradually into the valley; and having passed the fork where the eastern branch comes in, after a while ascended obliquely the eastern hill, in order to cross over it in the direction of Jerusalem. This brought us to the upper part of the branch Wady, up which 1 They bore as follows: Beit 'Ur, N. 65° W. el-Jib, S. 27° E. Neby Samwîl, S. 5° E. 2 See Vol. I. P. 455. 3 For our former visit to el-Jîb, see Vol. I. pp. 454-457. * See above, Vol. I. p. 455. |