similar to several others in the neighbourhood of Hebron; but with the remark that there were no remains there of importance. Had we then known the circumstances above related, we should certainly have gone upon the hill, and ascertained the facts for ourselves. The later researches of friends' show conclusively, that there is nothing on that hill to counterbalance the mention of "the valley of Hebron" in the book of Genesis, and the strong evidence of the ancient pools.2 3 4 5 In the fourteenth century, pilgrims passed from Sinai to Jerusalem directly, through the desert, by Beersheba and Hebron. In the following century, this route was abandoned for that by Gaza; yet the pilgrims sometimes took Hebron in their way, or visited it from Jerusalem. Writers of that period describe here an immense charitable establishment or hospital, situated near the Haram, where twelve hundred loaves of bread, besides oil and other condiments, were daily distributed to all comers, without distinction of nation or religion. The annual expenses were said to amount to twenty-four thousand ducats; of which two thousand were derived from the village of Summeil in the western plain. Hebron continued to be occasionally visited by travellers, down to the latter part of the seventeenth century; although, before that time, it seems no longer to have been generally resorted to by pilgrims. But from that period onward until the present century, no Frank traveller appears to have found his way to the city of the Patriarchs. 6 7 Morison relates, in A. D. 1698, that a few years before, a French (Frank ?) merchant on a visit to Hebron, being mounted on a spirited horse, rode over and killed a child in the streets. Although he made shift to escape the rage of the people by flight, yet such was the excitement and the hatred caused by 2 So Rev. S. Wolcott, in Biblioth. Sac. 1843, p. 59, 60. 2 See pp. 88-90. A remark of Jerome may seem at first to favour the site upon the hill, and perhaps gave rise to the rise to the story; Quaest. in Gen. xxxv. 27, "pro Arbee in Septuaginta campum habet, quum Chebron in monte sita est." But this expression "in monte" stands here by way of antithesis to a plain, and is therefore equally applicable to a high hill-side; in which sense it would also be true of the present town. The ancient city was doubtless larger and extended further up the sides of the valley. So Maundeville, L. de Suchem, W. de Baldensel. 4 Gumpenberg was here in A. D. 1449; Breydenbach and F. Fabri in 1483, on their way to Gaza; Baumgarten in 1507, coming from Gaza; Belon about 1548; etc. Gumpenberg's Journal in Reissb. p. 445. F. Fabri ib. pp. 288, 289. Mejr edDîn in Fundgr. des Orients II. p. 377. This last writer says there were three distributions of bread and the like daily; in the morning and at noon to the inhabitants only; and in the afternoon to all comers. 6 F. Fabri 1. c.-For the error which converts Summeil into St. Samuel, and the greater blunder of Breydenbach, see above p. 33, and Note XXXI, end of the volume. 7 Zuallart speaks of Hebron, probably without having seen it; p. 233. So too Cotovicus, p. 241 sq. Quaresmius appears to have been there, II. p. 769 sq. Von Troilo visited it in 1666, p. 319 sq. But both Surius and Doubdan, who were earlier than he, and strictly pilgrims, make no mention of Hebron. 1 this accident against the Christians, that from that time no traveller had ventured to approach the place. It is not unlikely that some accident of this kind may have alarmed the fears of the monks, and led them to dissuade travellers from going thither; but their timidity was probably still more wrought upon, by the restless and warlike disposition of the people of Hebron, and their continual feuds with the inhabitants of Bethlehem and other neighbouring villages; they being of the Keis party, and the latter of the Yemen. Hasselquist in 1751 mentions, that five or six years before, "the inhabitants of Bethlehem and Hebron carried on such a war as destroyed the greatest part of the best inhabitants of both villages; and the neighbourhood of Bethlehem was entirely laid waste." Even so late as 1807, Ali Bey fell in with "a band of Christian shepherds, who were going to Jerusalem, to lay a complaint against the Mussulman shepherds of Hebron, who had carried off a part of their cattle. They had with them two camels, which they had taken from the Mussulmans as reprisals."4 Under such circumstances, it is not surprising, that the influence of the monks should have been successfully exerted, to restrain travellers from extending their excursions towards the south beyond the pools of Solomon. 6 In the present century, Seetzen was the first to lay open again the way to Hebron in 1806; he travelled from here to Mount Sinai through the desert, making however a circuit almost to Gaza.5 He was followed the very next year by Ali Bey. Then another interval of eleven years elapsed, before the visit of Irby and Mangles and their party in 1818, as they passed this way on their route to Wady Musa." Thirteen years later, in 1831, Poujoulat made an excursion hither from Jerusalem, as did Monro in 1833.8 Then came the rebellion of 1834; in which the people of Hebron and the whole region round about bore a conspicuous part, and brought down upon themselves a heavy retribution. They were among the last to hold out; and when, after quelling the disturbances at Nâbulus, Ibrahim Pasha marched southwards with his troops, the rebels gave him battle not far from Solomon's pools, and were defeated." They retired and entrenched themselves in Hebron; but Ibrahim pressed forward, carried the place by storm, and gave it over to sack and pillage. Many were slain; and the Jews especially are reported to have suffered the most 1 Relation Historique p. 480. 2 See above, p. 17. Quaresmius relates, that in his day (about 1620) Tekoa was seldom visited for a similar reason: "Non facile possumus Thecuam ire, propter ibi et in via inhabitantes et discurrentos Arabes." Vol. II. p. 687. 3 Reise nach Paläst. p 170. * Ali Bey's Travels, II. p. 230. 5 See his letter in Zach's Monatl. Corresp. XVII. p. 132 sq. 8 6 Travels II. pp. 230, 231. * Trav. p. 342 sq. [104.] Legh, May 7, 8. Correspond. d'Orient V. p. 211 sq. Summer Ramble, I. p. 232 sq. 9 1 cruel outrages from the brutal soldiery. Many of the rebels escaped and fled to Kerak on the east of the Dead Sea; they were pursued by Ibrahim and his troops; and that place too was taken and laid in ruins. These events inflicted a heavy blow on Hebron, from which it had not yet recovered.2 This war removed all obstacles in the way of travellers. My companion was at Hebron in 1835, with other American friends; and since that time, the city has every year been more or less visited by travellers, with as much facility as any other part of Palestine. In 1839, Hebron was for a short time in the possession of the rebel Abd er-Rahmân of Dúra. 1 Stephens' Incidents etc. II. p. 165. Paxton's Letters from Palest. p. 142. Lond. 2 See some notices of this war in Mengin's Histoire Sommaire de l'Egypte etc. do ii. 461, 462 l'an 1823 à l'an 1838, Paris 1839. pp. 7385. The narative is written in an Egyptian spirit, with several topographical bluuders. SECTION XII. FROM HEBRON TO WADY MUSA AND BACK. ON our departure from Jerusalem, we had left a letter to be forwarded to Elias in Hebron, requesting him to send word to the Sheikh of the Jehâlîn, and have him waiting for us with camels, when we should arrive on the 23d of May. This letter never reached its destination; and we were thus subjected to the disappointment and delay already described. Our first care in Hebron was, to despatch a messenger to the camp of the Jehâlin beyond Carmel. This service Elias undertook to perform for us; and informed us, that he had sent a man the same evening. As the distance was not more than three or four hours, we thought we might reasonably expect the camels, so as to set off the next afternoon, at the latest. But the morrow (Thursday) came and went, without any tidings either from the Jehâlîn or of the messenger. The following morning, Friday, as we were sitting after breakfast in our tent, we were somewhat surprised to see the head Sheikh of the Jehâlin, Defa' Allah, whom we had formerly met at the encampment of the Ta'âmirah, riding up to our tent accompanied by a single man on foot. It turned out, however, that he had come from Dûra, where he had been for several days with the governors of Gaza and Jerusalem. He was merely passing through Hebron on his way home; and seeing our tent, called to pay us a visit. He had of course seen or heard nothing of our messenger. We now made a bargain with him in the presence of Elias, for five camels to Wady Musa and back; to go by way of the south end of the Dead Sea and Wady el-'Arabah, and return by the more direct route over Semû'a. The price of the camels was to be two hundred and forty piastres, or twelve dollars each. There were to be five men, all armed; one of whom was to be a responsible person, either the head Sheikh himself or one of his brothers; and for these we were to furnish provisions. Had we chosen to go and return by the direct route, the price would have been ten dollars for each camel. It seemed to be a matter of indifference to Defa' Allah, which route we took; there was not the slightest hint of any more danger on the one than on the other; nor indeed was danger to be apprehended on either, excepting from casual predatory parties, which might be crossing the Ghôr or 'Arabah. We took the fifth camel for the sake of a supply of water in the Ghôr; and therefore concluded to take also our second servant, whom we had intended to leave at Hebron till our return. The Sheikh now left us, expecting on his way home to meet the camels coming to us. But the day again wore off in expectation and in disappointment. It turned out afterwards, that the messenger said to have been sent by Elias, had never reached the encampment; so that the camels had to be collected from the distant pastures, and all the preparations made, after the return of the Sheikh. This was enough to occupy Arab dilatoriness for the remainder of the day; and consequently, the camels did not set off for Hebron until the next morning.-There was reason to suppose, that no messenger had ever been sent by Elias, notwithstanding his assurances; he had perhaps directed his servant to send a man, and given himself no further trouble in the matter. This and other instances of shuffling conduct, prevented all confidence in the man; and left only a painful impression, in respect to the sole representative of the Christian name in Hebron. Had he performed what he undertook, we should not have lost a day; or had he frankly said he had not sent or could not send, we should have taken other measures, and have improved our time to visit Beni Na'im, or Sûsieh, or other places in the vicinity. As it was, two days were comparatively lost to us; and we, during the whole interval, subjected to that "hope deferred which maketh the heart sick.” Saturday, May 26th. This morning was the coolest we had long felt; the thermometer at sunrise standing at 43° F. The camels arrived at 9 o'clock. But we found they had been hastily collected; were without proper furniture; and were indeed intended only to transport us to the territory of the tribe, where we were to stop over the Christian Sabbath. Defa' Allah also made his appearance, and assured us, that we should afterwards have dromedaries and better camels; indeed some delay was occasioned by purchasing saddles and other furniture in Hebron. We deposited with Elias a portmanteau containing our papers and books, and such articles as we did not need upon the journey; and he afterwards came to bid us adieu. All these particulars, and the loading of the camels, occupied what seemed to our impatience no little time. At length, at twenty minutes past 11 o'clock, we set off, keeping at first down the valley, which soon bends more to the |