134 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



which Jewish national independence was maintained. 

 There can be no doubt, therefore, that prior to this 

 period it was a Roman city of some importance. 



It was destined once again to play a prominent 

 part in the history of the country. It became cele- 

 brated during the Crusades under the name of Gastel- 

 lum Peregrine/rum, or the Chateau des Pelerim. At 

 the beginning of the thirteenth century it bore the 

 name of Petra Incisa, probably owing to the rock-cut 

 passage to it, which I have already described. In 

 1218, the Templars restored the castle and constituted 

 it the chief seat of their order, on which occasion 

 it is recorded that they " found a number of strange 

 unknown coins" possibly a currency used by Bar- 

 cochebas. At this time the .castle was regarded as an 

 outwork of Acre, which was the chief crusading 

 stronghold. In 1220 it was unsuccessfully besieged 

 by Muazzam, Sultan of Egypt, and it was only aban- 

 doned by the crusaders in 1291 because Acre had 

 been taken, and it remained the only spot still held 

 by the Christians in the country. It has thus had 

 the curious privilege of having been the last Jewish 

 and the last Christian possession in Palestine. 



If we have started from Haifa early enough, and 

 not lingered too long on the way, we have still time 

 to reach Tantura, the Biblical Dor, see what there is 

 to be seen, and get home comfortably to dinner. 

 Following the coast-road for five miles more, and 

 passing the obscure ruins of Hadara and Kefr Lam, 



