386 SKETCHES OF PALESTINE. 



informing them who the party were whom they meant to attack^, 

 that they travelled under the protection of a firman from the Porte 

 and the pasha of Acre, and, what was, perhaps, as powerful a dis- 

 suasive, that we were armed, and could fight as well as they could, 

 they withdrew their weapons of offence, and remained quiet. A 

 little further on we passed two villages on our left, the names of 

 which I did not learn. The road lay partly through a rocky dell, 

 and partly through a narrow cultivated valley ; but the general 

 aspect of the country was particularly wild and barren. The next 

 village that we passed was called Engeeb, also on the top of a hill 

 on the left, and the adjoining ground was well cultivated in the 

 same manner. After this, we passed a fine looking picturesque 

 hill, every way susceptible of cultivation, at the foot of which we 

 entered the small valley of Khan Leban, where we found the 

 ruins of an old khan, with many mouldering vaults, and a plentiful 

 spring of clear water, much infested with small worms. It derives 

 its name from a village called Leban, at the other end of the valley. 

 It is eight hours from Jerusalem. Here we pitched our tents for 

 the night, the place being agreeable and convenient, with plenty of 

 grass for the animals. 



Maundrell describes this spot as * a delicious vale,' and says, that 

 either Khan Leban, which is on the eastern side, or the village 

 which is on the opposite side, is supposed to be the site of the 

 ancient Lebonah. He notices also a village called Cinga, lying 

 at some distance on the traveller's left, about three quarters 

 of an hour south of Khan Leban ; and, between this and 

 Engeeb, he describes a very narrow valley between two high 

 rocky hills, where he found the ruins of a village and a 'monastery, 

 supposed to mark the site of the ancient Bethel, which was on the 

 confines of Ephraim and Benjamin. The monastery is almost 

 sufficient to awake the suspicion that this was not Bethel : possibly, 

 the Arabs, who are the best authorities, could decide the point, as 

 they have almost uniformly preserved the ancient names. But 

 neither the empress Helena nor the monks ever thought of consult- 

 ing them. 



'Having passed the village of Leban,' continues Dr. Richardson, 

 'the road, winding with the valley, proceeds in a northern direc- 

 tion. Here the ground is rich and well cultivated, and several 

 ploughs were busily engaged. We next passed the village of 

 Zanio, and travelling for a considerable time over a mountainous 

 and barren track, descended into a fertile valley, where we found 

 the reapers cutting down an excellent crop of barley. Here are 

 three comfortable looking villages near each other; the first is 

 named Cousa, the second Anabous, and the third Couara. We are 

 now about two hours and a half from Nablous. The ground in 

 this valley is remarkably stony, but well cultivated. Having 

 ascended the hill, we passed on our right the tomb of the patriarch 

 Joseph, situated in the plain below. It is now a Turkish oratory 

 with a whitened dome, like the tomb of his mother Rachael 011 the 



