MY HOME IN PALESTINE. 135 



we observe to the right, standing alone on the sea- 

 shore about half a mile to the north of the town, 

 another lofty isolated fragment of wall, that from a 

 distance somewhat resembles a lighthouse, but which 

 now turns out to be all that remains of an ancient 

 castle, whose substructures date from a period an- 

 terior to the middle ages. The limestone range 

 which we have remarked at Athlit continues to cut 

 off the plain from the sea, and in it are caverns, 

 while near Tantura it is covered with the shapeless 

 ruins of an ancient town. This was probably the 

 part occupied by the Jews, who, we are told in the 

 Bible, were unable to completely drive the Canaanites 

 out of the place, but compelled them to pay tribute 

 while they occupied the upper portion of the town. 

 In former times there must have been a good harbour 

 at Tantura, formed by a chain of rocky islets, upon 

 which are the remains of the old sea-wall, while their 

 sides are hollowed by caverns. Even now, when the 

 breakers are not too high to prevent the coasting craft 

 from running through, they find here a secure shelter; 

 and there is an attempt at trade on a small scale. 

 But the inhabitants, like those of Tireh, have a 

 doubtfid reputation ; and though they entertained 

 me hospitably, I met some years ago a party of 

 tourists at Jerusalem who had been robbed by them. 

 Classical authors mention Dor as having been a 

 Phoenician colony. During the wars of the Diadochi, 

 it was besieged and partly destroyed ; but the town 



