79 



SYRIA. 



SYRIA. 



770 



straight line, and is naturally divided into three sections by two 

 deep depressions, which are occupied by two large lakes the Dead 

 Sea and the Lake of Qennesareth, now called Buhr Tabarieh, from 

 the town of Tabarieh on its western shore, which occupies the site of 

 the ancient Tiberias. The southern part of the valley, between th 

 Gulf of Akabah and the Dead Sea, is called Wady-el-Arabab. ; the 

 central portion, between the Dead Sea and the Bahr Tabarieh, 1- 

 Ghor ; and the northern, or that part of it which extends from the 

 Bahr Tabarieh to the Bahr Houleh, is called Wady Seisaaban. 



The Wady Arabah extends from south to north in a straight line 

 for above 110 miles. Many were formerly inclined to think that, at 

 some remote period, it had served as the channel by which the Dead 

 Sea had discharged Us waters into the Bahr Akabah, but if the 

 physical condition of the region remains unaltered, this can never 

 have been the case, is the level of the Dead Sea is considerably lower 

 than that of the Red Sea. [DEAD SEA ; RED SEA.] The watershed 

 between the two seas occurs somewhat north of 30 N. lat., and is 

 about 500 feet above the sea-level. On each side of the Wady-el- 

 Arabah the mountains riie to a great elevation. Near the watershed 

 those on the west attain 2000 feet; and those on the east rise to 

 3000 feet In approaching the Dead Sea they iucrea-e in height, or 

 perhaps it may be more correct to fay that the level of the valley 

 here sinks much lower. The distance between the two mountain mnmtn 

 vane* considerably. Near the two extremities they are only 8 or 10 

 miles apart, but towards the middle the valley is 20 mile* wide. The 

 surface of the valley presents considerable varieties. South of the 

 watershed it ia generally level, but has a considerable slope from east 

 to wet, so that near the western mountains it is very little above the 

 sea-level, whilst along the eastern it may be from 200 to 800 feet 

 higher. About three mile* from the Bohr Akabah the soil is strongly 

 impregnated with salt, bat farther north sand prevails, and is inter- 

 mixed with pieces of granite, porphyry, and greenstone. After the 

 rains the country produces some gnuwes, and supplies indifferent 

 pasture for sheep, goats, and camel* ; but in several place* low bills 

 of moving sand occur, which are destitute of vegetation. North of 

 the watershed there are some ridges of low hills running lengthwise 

 through the valley, and dividing it into two valleys. In the western 

 valley during the rains, there is a stream, called El-Jib, which at that 

 season collect* all the waters that descend from the eastern and 

 western mountains, and carrie* them to the Dead Sea. A few acacia- 

 tree*, tamarisks, and a few mimosa* and thrub* grow among these 

 sand-hill*. Water U found even in summer a few feet below the 

 surface. In proceeding farther north, the Arabah Hoe* not appear to 

 have any considerable descent toward* the north, but it i* longitu- 

 dinally furrowed by a narrow valley, in the midst of which i* the bed 

 of the Jib. Thi* narrow valley gradually sink* lower, *o that at it* 

 northern termination it i* 150 feet below the general level. It* width 

 at the beginning i* about one mile, but toward* it* termination hardly 

 more than half a mile. The dry bed of the river, (specially in the 

 . narrower part of the small valley, i* overgrown with tamarisk*, and 

 in one or two place* there are a few date-tree*, but otherwise thi* 

 tract U a desert Near 31* N. lat. the general level of the Wady-el- 

 Arabah descends abruptly about 150 feet, forming apparently a line 

 of bills running east and wect, and oompoeed meetly of mart All 

 along the bate of these hill* there are springs of brackuh water, which 

 form a tract of marshy land towards the north. Between thi* salt- 

 manh and the Dead sea extend* the most deeolate portion of the 

 Aral.ab. No trace of vegetation, no living creature i* met with. At 

 the ba*e of the western mountain* i* a low ridge (called the mountain* 

 of I'sdum), in general about 150 feet high, which run* for about 

 10 mile* parallel to the Wady Arabah and the southern portion of 

 the Dead Sea, and which ia one mas* of solid rock-salt, covered with 

 layers of soft limestone and marl, through which the salt often break* 

 out, and appear* on the sides in precipice* 40 or 50 feet high, and 

 several hundred feet long. From the bane of this chain of rocks, 

 which i* palled Usdum, there break out several rill* of transparent 

 water, which run to the Dead Sea, but the water i* a* salt ai the 

 saltest brine. The tract between them, the bed of the Jib and the 

 Dead Sea, i* a perfect level, and extremely barren ; but that on the 

 east of the Jib ia traversed by some rivulets descending from the 

 eastern mountains, which have fresh water, and impart to the soil a 

 considerable degree of fertility, so that there are some tract* which 

 are cultivated. That part of the Arabah which lie* north of 31* N. 

 lat in called El-Ghor, the lowest part of which i* occupied by the 

 Dead Sea. The region round this sea. U intensely hot and very 

 unhealthy in summer, where also it i* barren and desolate in the 

 extreme. In winter and early spring the shore* of the Dead Sea 

 present in parts considerable verdure. The Dead Sea and its shore* 

 are noticed in a separate article. [DEAD SEA.] 



That portion of the Ohor which lies between the Dead Sea and the 

 Like of Tabarieh extend* about 65 mile* in a straight line. Tbi* 

 valley i* below the level of the lied Sea. The width of the valley i* 

 about 6 mile* ; but toward* the Dead Sea it grow* much wider. It i* 

 traversed by the river Jordan, the course of which is traced in the 

 article PALESTINE (vol. iii., coL 51.) The mountain* which inclose 

 the valley on the east are steep and high : they are also high and 

 steep on the western lid* for nearly half the length of the valley, 

 beginning from the south; but farther north they sometime* sink 



0*00. DIT. Vol. IT. 



down to low hills, and continue so for several miles. The river flowa 

 in a bottom about half a mile wide, and at least 40 feet below the 

 general level of the Ghaur. This bottom ia overgrown with high 

 trees, and exhibits a luxuriant vegetation of plants and grasses, which 

 present a striking contrast with the sandy and bare slopes which 

 border it on both sides. In winter, the river inundates the bottom, 

 but never rises to the upper plain. In the well-watered parts of the 

 upper plain, there is a luxuriant growth of herbage and wild grass, 

 but the greater part of the ground is a parched desert The most 

 important articles of cultivation are wheat, barley, and dhurra. On 

 the banks of the river there are willows, poplars, and tamarisks, and 

 on the higher ground plantations of vines, pomegranates, &c. South 

 of the ruined village of Richa (Jericho), and as far as the Dead Sea, 

 the valley is nearly level, and the soil consists of clay impregnated 

 with salt 



The Bahr Tabarieh, anciently called the Sea of Tiberias and of 

 Gennesareth, is noticed under PALESTINE. It is surrounded with 

 steep and lofty mountains, except on the south, and along the western 

 shore, from the town of Tabarieh northward, where an undulating 

 plain, with a width of a mile or more, intervenes between the moun- 

 tain* and the lake. A considerable portion of this plain is cultivated 

 by mean* of irrigation, and produces wheat, barley, dhurra, tobacco, 

 grapes, melons, and several kinds of vegetables. The heat in summer 

 is excessive. Melons ripen four weeks sooner than at Damascus. 

 Date* are also grown here. The water of the lake is slightly brackish, 

 and some of the rivulets which descend from the western mountains 

 are salt. There are also hot-springs. 



The Wady Seinaban extends from the Bahr Tabarieh to the Bahr 

 Houleh, about 15 miles in a straight line. About one-half of it* 

 extent ia below the sea-level, as the bridge called Beni-Yakoub is 

 350 feet above the sea, whilst the Lake of Tabarieh is 572 feet below 

 it The higher grounds of the valley of the Jordan, which is here 

 about two miles wide, are partly cultivated ; and ou the greater part 

 of the cultivated tract* different kinds of vegetables are grown, espe- 

 cially cucumber* and gourds, which ripen three weeks sooner than at 

 Damascus, where the produce finds a ready sale. There are many 

 zakkum-bushes, and the thorny rhamnus (.S//IHO C/uruti), in the lower 

 part of the valley. The Bahr Houleh, the Merom of the Old Testa- 

 ment, U not large, and it* extent varies according to the seasons. 

 The low country which surrounds it to some extent is only inhabited 

 on the eastern border, where the banks are overgrown with reeds and 

 papyrus plant*. The western and south-western banks are covered 

 with a saline crust. 



2. The Desert called El-Tyh-Beni-Israbl (the Wandering of the 

 Children of Israel) belong* partly to Syria and partly to Egypt, a* 

 the boundary-line between these two countries lies across it. It 

 extends on the west of the Wady Arabah, aud reaches southward to 

 the Jebel-el-Tyh (29 1 0' N. lat), which is connected with the extensive 

 mountain-masses of Monnt Sinai. On the north the Tyh extends to 

 the elevated table-land of Judas. The Tyh is a desert and elevated 

 table-land between 1000 and 2000 feet high. Along its eastern border 

 its surface is much furrowed by deep watercourses, or wadys ; in some 

 part* lower depression* occur. In such places verdure is found in 

 winter, and tree* all the year round. Some of the deep valleys are 

 of considerable extent, and are viaitcd by the Beduins in winter with 

 their herds, and in summer for the purpose of collecting gum-arabic, 

 which is carried to Cairo. The higher parts of the table-land have 

 a hard gravelly soil without vegetation ; aud in many places there are 

 low irregular ridges of limestone hills. 



3. The Table-land of Judsoa joins the Tyh on the north, and 

 extends from the parallel of the southern extremity of the Dead Sea 

 to 82 30' N. lat, having on the east the Dead Sea and the Ghaur, 

 and on the west the Plain of Falastin. The dividing-line between the 

 last-mentioned plain and the table-land is near 35 K long. The 

 elevation of this table-land diminishes a* we proceed farther north. 

 North of 31 N. lat, the desert of the Tyh pusses insensibly into a 

 fertile country. The table-land there extends into an undulating 

 plain, occasionally interrupted by low ridges of hilli, which in summer 

 are barren, but a part of the year are covered with grass and rich 

 pasture. The lower parts preserve their verdure all the year round. 

 The plain is furrowed by valleys, which sink considerably below the 

 general level, and are full of corn-fields, and vineyards and orchards 

 that produce excellent grape* and figs. Corn-fields are also numerous 

 on the higher grounds, but they are interrupted by large tracts of 

 naked limestone rocks. This description applies to the interior of the 

 table-land, as far north as Jerusalem, except that cultivation, and 

 especially the plantations of olives, fig-trees, vines, pistachio-trees, 

 apricots, pomegranates, orange*, and lemon-tree* increase as we pro- 

 ceed farther north. The plain* between the limestone rocks are 

 covered with grass, which supplies pasture to sheep aud gouts, and 

 herds of cattle, horses, asses, and camels. The mountains which forui 

 the eastern border of the table-land however, and extend along the 

 Dead Sea, are a picture of desolation ; they consist of yellow rocks 

 without the least traces of vegetation. These mountains are dis- 

 tinguished from all other ranges of Syria by their summits, which do 

 not present rounded muses, but rise in the form of pointed peaks and 

 sharp edges, like the summits of the Alps. The barrenness which 

 characterises this tract extend* over the whole table-land in the 



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