268 HASISADRAS ADVENTURE vil 



Persian frontier in the east, but to reach even 

 four or five thousand feet, it must have stood over 

 the Palestinian hog's back, and have filled, up to 

 the brim, every depression on its surface. There- 

 fore it could not have failed to fill that remarkable 

 trench in which the Dead Sea, the Jordan, and 

 the Sea of Galilee lie, and which is known as the 

 " Jordan- Arabah " valley. 



This long and deep hollow extends more than 

 200 miles, from near the site of ancient Dan in 

 the north, to the water-parting at the head of the 

 Wady Arabah in the south ; and its deepest part, 

 at the bottom of the basin of the Dead Sea, lies 

 2500 feet below the surface of the adjacent 

 Mediterranean, The lowest portion of the rim of 

 the Jordan- Arabah valley is situated at the village 

 of El Fuleh, 257 feet above the Mediterranean. 

 Everywhere else the circumjacent heights rise to 

 a very much greater altitude. Hence, of the 

 water which stood over the Syrian tableland, when 

 as much drained off as could run away, enough 

 would remain to form a " Mere " without an out- 

 let, 2757 feet deep, over the present site of the 

 Dead Sea. From this time forth, the level of the 

 Palestinian mere could be lowered only by evap- 

 oration. It is an extremely interesting fact, 

 which has happily escaped capture for the pur- 

 poses of the energetic misunderstanding, that the 

 valley, at one time, was filled, certainly within 

 150 feet of this height probably higher. And it 



