GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATION Of MOAB. 223 



known to students. The entrance to Kerak is certainly unique, by an arclied 

 natural tunnel in the side of a precipitous cliff, out of which the traveller 

 emerges in the midst of the city. The photograph shows this gateway into 

 Kerak. It is needless to describe the extraordinary position of the city and 

 its natural and artificial strength against the resources of medioeval or modern 

 Oriental assault. It was undoubtedly the strongest natural fortress in Syria 

 before the introduction of modern artillery — a platform of a triangular shape, 

 each side from | to | mile in extent, inacessible except by exposed mountain- 

 paths on all sides, save where a neck of land connects it with the adjoining 

 mountains, and this cut through by a wide fosse of 30 feet deep and touch- 

 ing massive walls 18 feet thick above it. 



The fortifications, Phoenician or Jewish in their lower parts, then Roman, 

 surmounted by the work of Crusaders, are of vast extent and cnoi-mous 

 height. The photographs give some idea of the vast labour expended on 

 these works. 



We found Kerak as little hospitable as have our predecessors in this land. 

 The Mudjilli, though holding a Turkish commission, is practically indepen- 

 dent, and is an unscriipulous, avaricious, and cunning chieftain. We were 

 held as prisoners for some days to ransom, after entering under his son's 

 safe conduct ; but our imprisonment was not severe, though rather costly. 



On one day, when our keeper relented, we were able to go out ■with a 

 guard, and ride many miles to survey, while the rest of the party photo- 

 graphed nearer home. 



Our survey proved very successful in fixing the sites of many ruined places, 

 some of them hitherto unknown by name, and the others erroneously placed 

 in all the existing maps. Our course lay chiefly south for twelve miles, and 

 thence back by a detour to the eastward. Crossing the deep valley of Tziatin, 

 where the soldiers of Ibrahim Pasha were slaughtered in 1844 in attempting 

 to cut their way from the north, we marked the position of Jelam es Sebbha, 

 where Ibrahim Pasha had his camp ; and then of Kureitin (evidently an 

 ancient Kiriathain), the remains of twin ancient towns close together, each 

 on a low knoll. This fashion of two adjacent towns with the same name 

 seems to have been very prevalent throughout the whole of Moab. 



Here we foiind ourselves on the high tableland which forms the country of 

 Moab, studded thickly in every direction with ruined villages and towns, 

 always situated on gentle swellings — Kirbet Azizeh, Kirbet Nekad, M'hheileh, 

 Howeiych, Jubah (on the old Roman road), Mahkhennah (mentioned by 

 Irby), Modeh, Abou Taleb, Mesh'had, and several others. Modeh, like 

 Kureitin, has been a twin city, and there is a Roman milestone, iinmutilated, 

 close to it, of the date of Antonino. At none of these ruins did we find any 

 water, but wells and cisterns innumerable, from fiftj' to one hundred in each 

 place, generally one for each house, and oil-presses and wine-presses cut in 

 the rocky slopes. We returned by Madin, more extensive ruins than the 

 others. Here were sarcophagi and sculptured fragments, and house-walls 

 quite perfect, but without a trace of mortar between the dressed stones. We 

 saw, but did not visit, the ruins of Moureyah, Hamad, Suhl, and Nachal, 

 mentioned by Ivhj. 



From the Kerak people wc obtained a long list of names of ruined sites 

 known to them, upwards of sixty in number, some of which seem the Arabic 

 representatives of Hebrew names. Dimnah (perhaps the Dimon of Isaiah, 

 commonly held to be identical with Dibon), Lubcirali, Sumrah, Yaroud, 

 Retir, Hadadah, Rahun, Zerar, Hhomoud, Azour, and others. 



In a few davs, by the aid of Sheikh Zadam of the Eeni Sakkr, we were 

 1872. ' " R 



