MEMOIR OF BURCKHARDT. 57 



black ; and hence they give them the name of 

 " Jacob's tears." 



At a short distance are the town and lake of 

 Tabaria, of which Burckhardt has given an interest- 

 ing description. Tabaria is a walled town, with 

 about four thousand inhabitants, consisting of Jews, 

 Turks, and a few Christians. It is one of the four 

 holy cities of the Talmud ; the others being Szaffad, 

 Jerusalem, and Hebron. It is esteemed sacred 

 ground, because Jacob is alleged to have resided 

 here, and because it is situated on the Lake Genne- 

 sareth, out of which, according to Ixabbinical tradi- 

 tion, the Messiah is to rise. 



Jews resort to this place from all quarters of the 

 globe, in order to pass their days in praying for 

 their own salvation and that of their brethren who 

 are occupied in w^orldly pursuits. The sacred duties 

 are rendered the more indispensable from a dogma 

 of the Talmud, that the world will return to its 

 primitive chaos, if devotions are not offered up to 

 the God of Israel at least twice a week in the four 

 holy cities. This belief is of considerable pecuniary 

 advantage to the supplicants, as the missionaries, 

 whom they send abroad to S[iain, Barbary, Egypt, 

 Greece, Poland, Bohemia, &c. to collect alms, are 

 in the habit of frightening the rich Jews into a 

 liberal supply of money, by pleading the danger of 

 the threatened dissolution of the universe, should 

 they neglect to keep up these devotional services. 

 If a pilgrim brings a little money with him, the 

 cunning of the devout citizens soon deprives him of 



