286 JOTAPATA-PLAIN OF GENNESARETH. Descending still further south, we observed on the right a singular rock, of considerable height, in which were many caverns, and one part of which seemed to indicate excavations made by art, capable of containing a large number of men. We did not ascertain the name of this place, but afterwards conjectured that it might be the site of Jotapata, the city of Josephus, for it answers well to the description of that fortress given by him.* "Jotapata is almost wholly a precipice, abruptly enclosed all round on the other sides with immense valleys, whose depth wearies the eye of the beholder, and affording an access only on its northern side." The caves of Arbela (supposed to be the Betharbel of Hoseaf), in the valley of Doves, south-west of the plain of Gennesareth, appear, from the description of travellers, to be very similar. Leaving this spot on our left, we crossed over a pleasant hill to the south-east, and came down into the fertile Plain of Gennesareth, near a fountain called "Ain-elTin," "the fig-tree fountain," supposed by some to be "the fountain of Capernaum" mentioned by Josephus. We did not search out the ruins of the city, but there were pointed out to us heaps among the luxuriant bushes of the plain, which some have thought to be the remains of Capernaum. The land of Gennesareth is a beautiful little plain, extending along the shore nearly four miles, and about two miles from the lake to the foot of the hills at the broadest part. It is in the shape of a bow and string at full stretch, and there is a gentle slope from the hills to the water's edge all round. It seems highly probable that part of the hills which enclose it, may have been included in the territory of Gennesareth in the days of its splendour. Gardens and orchards could not find a better soil than these declivities, and it must have been on the different steps of this amphitheatre, that the variety of trees yielding the fruits of different seasons found each its appropriate climate, as described by Josephus. xxxiii. 23, should probably be translated, "Possess thou the sea () and the south." The term "south" is intended to fix the meaning of 'the sea;" d. not the Great Sea or Mediterranean, but the sea that ties south of thy border; that is, the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum, Bethsaida, and other fishing towns, belonged to Naphtali, so that his ves sels commanded the whole lake, or, in other words, "possessed it.” Just as, in Gen. xlix. 13, the border of Zebulun is said to "be unto Zidon;" because he might be said to extend to that point when his vessels were trading thither. * Wars, iii. 7. † Hos. x. 14. PLAIN OF GENNESARETH. 287 Moving on southward we crossed a fine stream flowing through the plain, the same which we had seen gushing from its fountain among the hills below Saphet. Its banks were adorned with the oleander and other flowers. A fine flock of goats were watering here, and a rich crop of dhura was springing green and beautiful. The reeds and thistles were growing to an amazing height beside the water. Soon after, we crossed another stream from the mountains, full and rapid. On the left bank upon the height, there were the remains of an ancient tower, in no way interesting, and the name of which we could not learn. In the middle of the stream stood a ruined mill. Many tortoises were seen dropping into the water as we approached. The plain opens out considerably, affording spots of pasturage, where we observed several Bedouins feeding their horses; but still there was a vast profusion of reeds and shrubs, and thorny plants, the most common being the tree called nabbok by the Arabs. In almost an hour from Ain-el-Tin we came to Mijdel, at the southern extremity of the plain. Such is the present condition of the Land of Gennesareth, once a garden of princes, now a wilderness. We have seen that the remains of Capernaum, which is called the Saviour's "own city,"* are scarcely to be found; and the traces of Chorazin and Bethsaida are still more doubtful. There seems every probability that they were also within the limits of this little plain, but where, no one can tell. The solemn "wo" pronounced by the Lord Jesus on these three cities, in whose streets He so often spoke the words of eternal life, has fallen with silent but exterminating power. It is more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for them. "And thou, Capernaum, which wast exalted to heaven, art brought down to hell." took out his believing remnant from the midst of them (as he took Lot out of Sodom), Peter, Andrew, and Philip, three worthies from Bethsaida,-and three from Caper * Matt. ix. 1. He + It seems evident that there were two towns called Bethsaida, on opposite sides of the Sea of Galilee. One was the town of Philip, Andrew, and Peter. (John i. 44), associated with Chorazin and Capernaum (Matt. xi. 20-24), and belonging to the land of Gennesareth (Mark vi. 45, 53). This town was clearly on the west side of the sea. The other is associated with the towns of Cesarea Philippi (Mark viii. 13, 22, 27), and with the desert place where Christ fed the five thousand (Luke ix. 10. It was on the east side of Jordan, probably an hou north of the lake, where the ruins of a town on a hill still remain. + Matt. xi. 20-24. 288 CAPERNAUM-CHORAZIN-BETHSAIDA. naum, the nobleman, the centurion, and Jairus; and then swept the unbelieving cities away with the besom of destruction. An awful voice rises from these ruined heaps of Gennesareth, warning the cities of our favoured land that a despised Gospel will bring them as low as Capernaum; "He that believeth not shall be damned." It was in Capernaum that Jesus healed so many upon one Saturday evening, when the Jewish Sabbath was over, and the cooling breeze of sunset was favourable to the journey of the sick.* We could imagine them coming, some up the side of the lake, others from its northern towns, or down the valley of Doves from the interior of Galilee, till all meet in this very plain, where they hear that Jesus is in the city, and forthwith pour in to find him. He receives them, heals many that were sick of divers diseases, and casts out many devils; for "he did most of his mighty works" there. And being left alone, “he rose a great while before day, and went out and departed into a solitary place," wandering up the valley of Doves on the west, or the deep ravines of Saphet on the north, and there prayed till Simon Peter and a multitude of anxious souls found him out among the rocks, and said unto him, "All men seek for thee." + We found the small village of Mijdel quite deserted. We had already met in the village several poor plundered peasants on their way to Saphet, with all that remained of their property. We examined at leisure their wretched mud-huts; the habitation of man and beast seemed to have been not only under one roof, but sometimes in the same apartment, separated merely by a slender partition. Their little gardens were full of cusas and cucumbers, and other thriving vegetables. It is not unlikely that this village occupies the site of Migdal-el, mentioned by Joshua as one of the towns of Naphtali; and is also generally believed to be the site of the Magdala of the New Testament, the town from which Mary Magdalene got her name. But this latter supposition is doubtful, for there seems to have been another place of the same name on the eastern side; and the name which signifies "a tower," was not an uncommon one in Palestine. We sat down to rest under a shady nabbok-tree, and then wandered to the edge of the lake through oleanders and reeds. Many curious insects people the leaves of these Mark i. 32-35. + Mark i. 37. VILLAGE OF MIJDEL-TIBERIAS-LAKE oF GALILEE. 289 shrubs; one species especially abounded, shaped like a frog, and green as the leaves on which they sat. We washed our hands and faces in the soft water, and gathered many shells from the beach as memorials of the spot. From this point of view is to be seen the whole of the upper margin of the lake, which appears like a semicircle. We could easily trace the point where the Jordan enters, by the opening of the hills. The eastern mountains in the region of Bashan appeared still more steep and lofty. The ridge of Hermon on the north, sprinkled with snow, formed the grandest object in sight. There were deep serenity and calm, and a bright sun playing upon the waters. How often Jesus looked on this scene, and walked by the side of this lake! We could feel the reason why, when harassed and vexed by the persecution of enemies, "Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea.' "The rabbins spoke more truth than they intended, when they said, "GOD loved that sea beyond all other seas!" From Mijdel, the margin of the lake takes a turn to the south-east, and as the hills approach close to the shore, the pathway is often a considerable height above the water. Sometimes a wady descends from the hills, and the shore forms a gently sloping cove, with a pebbly beach, and then, again, becomes abrupt. It was probably on one of these pebbly spots that Jesus was walking, when the people gathered round him, till the pressure of eager listeners was so great, that he had to enter into a ship, from which he spoke the parable of the sower, "and the whole multitude stood on the shore." And perhaps it was during a solitary walk round some of these retired coves, that he came on James and John, with their father and servants, mending their nets by the shore.‡ The largest of these open spaces running up toward the hills was cultivated, and seemed very fruitful, and we noticed on the shore a large circular well, enclosed by walls that were much dilapidated. The pathway ascends the promontory beyond this, and now the south part of the lake came fully in view, with the dark walls and towers of Tiberias at our feet. The hills of Bashan on the opposite side appeared a steep unbroken wall, descending into the lake, and giving a shade of • Mark iii. 7. + Matt. xiii. 1, 2. + Mark i. 19. 290 TIBERIAS-ASHKENAZIM SYNAGOGUE. deeper blue to the waters beneath. We could not distinguish a single tree on the opposite hills, and on this side very few. We passed a single fig-tree, the only fruit-tree we saw till we came in sight of the few palms that adorn Tiberias. In approaching Tiberias, the eye rests on the ruins of towers and walls; and as the greater part of the stones are black like lava, the place wears a dismal and melancholy appearance. The wall, which nearly surrounds the town, has been at one time massy and solid; but the town and much of its walls was ruined by the same earthquake which overwhelmed Saphet, and has never been properly rebuilt. They call the town Taberiah, by a corruption of its ancient name. We intended to take up our quarters in the old church of St. Peter, a relic of the earliest ages of Christianity, but soon found that we could enjoy more cleanliness and coolness by pitching our tent between it and the lake, our cords almost dipping in the water. In passing through the town, our compassion was excited by observing the wretched booths in which most of the people live. Many of them were nothing better than boughs of trees plastered over with mud, and their common fuel was the dung of horses and cattle, such as we had seen used in Saphet. We walked over several ruined arches in our way to the Jewish quarter. Here we came first among the Ashkenazim, Germans and Russians, with their black broad-brimmed hats, or large fur-caps, and soiled black Polish gowns, of all dresses the most unsuitable for such a climate. . . . Tiberias (as mentioned before) is one of the four cities which the Jews account peculiarly holy. In it are three synagogues of the Ashkenazim and two of the Sephardim, besides several readingrooms- very clean and airy buildings, especially those of the Sephardim. The first synagogue which we entered was one belonging to the Ashkenazim, in which were seated three old men, with beards white as snow, one nearly deaf, and all nearly blind, yet poring over volumes of the Talmud. It was truly a sight fitted to move in us the feelings of our Lord, when in Galilee he saw the multitude "as sheep without a shepherd." No sooner did we begin to speak with them, than they were warned by a young Jew pressing his finger on their arm, and they were immediately silent. They seemed lost in studying the Hebrew page, and soon one and |