RUINED CITIES OP PALESTINE SUTTON 511 



revival of commerce, and the city is gradually becoming more popu- 

 lous. In the middle of the last century it had fallen so low that 

 Hasselquist, a traveler, found but 10 inhabitants in the place. 



The ruins which are now found in the peninsula are those of 

 Crusaders' or Saracenic work. The city of the Crusaders lies 

 several feet beneath the debris, and below that are the remains 

 of the Mohammedan and early Christian Tyre. The ancient capital 

 of the Phoenicians lies far, far down beneath the superincumbent 

 ruins. 



The ancient glory of Tyre has been described in Ezekiel with a 

 graphic power of description and minute accuracy of detail which 

 is scarcely equaled in the annals of literature. Strabo ascribes the 

 prosperity of Tyre to two causes — " partly to navigation, in which 

 the Phceenicians have at all times surpassed other nations, and 

 partly to their purple, for the Tyrian purple is acknowledged to 

 be the best; the fishing for this purpose is carried on not far off." 

 The far-famed Tyrian dye was extracted from the glands of a pe- 

 culiar species of shellfish (Murex trunculus). Pliny says that the 

 reason why Tyre was so famous in ancient times was " for its off- 

 spring, the cities to which it gave birth." 



Nearly the whole of ancient Tyre now lies buried fathoms deep 

 beneath the surface of the sea, the only thing remaining visible 

 now of the ancient city being an enormous mass of magnificent 

 granite and marble columns and ruins, which lie in the northern 

 harbor, submerged by the sea, but distinctly visible when the watei 

 is clear. Thus literally have Tyre's stones and dust been hid 

 " in the midst of the waters." " What city is like Tyrus, like tht 

 destroyed in the midst of the sea? " (Ezekiel, xxvii, 32.) 



Passing up the Wady Ashur, one of the most picturesque and 

 interesting ravines in Syria, we find ourselves in the region of the 

 wonderful Phoenician rock sculptures and tombs, and camp at 

 Tibnin, whose fine large castle has been the chief feature of the 

 landscape for some two hours before we arrive. The castle was 

 founded by Hugh de St. Omer, Count of Tiberias, about 1104. 



The second day's ride from Zarephath, where we had camped 

 for our visit to Tyre, brings us to Safed, one of the four sacred 

 cities of the Jews, occupying a conspicuous position on the sum- 

 mit and slopes of a lofty mountain, and supposed to be the place 

 referred to when our Lord said "A city that is set on a hill can not 

 be hid" (Matthew, v. 14). To-day it contains about 15,000 in- 

 habitants — 9,000 Jews, 6,000 Moslems, and a few Christians. Like 

 many other towns of Palestine, it is filthy beyond description. It 

 was almost entirely destroyed by the great earthquake of 1837, 

 when great numbers of the inhabitants perished. Baldwin III 

 fled here after his defeat in 1157, and Saladin captured it after 

 the Battle of Hattin in 1187. 



