70 MEMOIR OF BURCKHARDT. 



But the most interesting feature of Wadi Arabah 

 is its association with the early history and com- 

 merce of the Israelites. That this valley gave its 

 name to the whole peninsula of Arabia, there is 

 little reason to doubt. As it belonged to the de- 

 scendants of Ishmael from the earliest ages (Gen. 

 xxv. 13), it is natural to suppose that these warlike 

 tribes would give the name of their original domi- 

 nions to the territories which they conquered, until 

 it extended over the whole country, which they are 

 recorded to have subdued as far as Mecca. Moses 

 repeatedly calls the western wilderness Arabah, 

 and describes it (Deut. i. 1, 2), with a minuteness 

 not to be mistaken, as situated " over against the 

 Eed Sea, between Paran and Tophel, and by the 

 way of Elath and Ezion-gaber." It was probably 

 the Kadesh-barnea of the same historian, through 

 which he retreated southwards when " Edom re- 

 fused to give Israel a passage through his border," 

 (Numb. xx. 21), so that they had no alternative 

 left but to retrace their steps, following the direc- 

 tion of the valley as they " journeyed from Mount 

 Hor (which rises abruptly from the valley, and 

 where Aaron died), by the way of the Red Sea, to 

 compass the land of Edom, through the way of the 

 plain (in Hebrew, Arabah), from Elath, and from 

 Ezion-gaber," until " they turned and passed through 

 the wilderness of Moab, and arrived at the brook 

 Zared," which flows close by Zoar and the lower 

 end of the lake of Sodom. The preservation of so 

 many Scripture names, together with the other 





