TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. -625 



obtained, and written on the map. Every possible check on the veracity of the 

 natives was employed by asking the names of numbers of people independently. 



One of the great values of the resulting- map is the number of unknown names it 

 has made public ; thus, on this survey, 2770 names were collected, only about 450 

 of which were to be found on the best formerly existing map of the country, 

 Another is the accuracy of these names, taken down from the natives in a man- 

 ner never attempted before ; and the result has been to throw a vast light on the 

 ancient nomenclature of the country, and the origin of the races that inhabit it. 



The survey of the detail took live more days, and on the 27th March the camp 

 was moved to Tiberias, with the assurance of having no obstacle of a technical 

 nature to hinder work. 



The scenery of the lake is decidedly monotonous, but there is a great charm in 

 that dry and thirsty land in having a vast expanse of fresh water spread out before 

 the eyes. During the survey of the shores, a considerable discovery was made, 

 viz., the site of Sennabris, mentioned by Josephus as the place where Vespasian 

 pitched his camp when marching on the insurgents of Tiberias. The name Sinn en 

 Nabra still exists, and is well known to the natives ; it applies to a ruin situated on 

 a spur from the hills that close the southern end of the Sea of Galilee ; it formed, 

 therefore, the defence against an invader from the Jordan plain, and blocked the 

 great main road in the valley. 



Close beside it, there is a large artificially-formed plateau, defended by a water- 

 ditch on the south, communicating with Jordan, and by the Sea of Galilee on the 

 north. This is called Kh. el Kerak, and is doubtless the remains of Vespasian's 

 camp described by Josephus. It is just like another Roman camp found near 

 Jenin, where an army was camped. This Kh. el Kerak has been identified with 

 Tarichaea, but, as Major Wilson has pointed out, that site must be sought to the 

 north of Tiberias. The finding of Sennabris, the place where the Roman host 

 encamped before marching on Tiberias and Tarichrea, clearly proves that the latter 

 place could not have been anywhere near the southern end of the lake. 



The ruins of ancient Tiberias, with its sea-walls and scattered columns, extend 

 nearly as far south as these springs, and it may be fairly supposed that the modern 

 site of the town is situated to the north of the ancient place. 



Passing the ruin of Kuneitriah, where, Lieut. Kitchener believes, the ancient 

 Tarichaea was situated, and the plain beyond, the path leads along the side of the 

 steep slope of the hills, with rocky cliffs towering above, and the sea almost directly 

 below ; turning a corner, the Plain of Gennesareth lies spread out, with the cluster 

 of ruined hovels of the village of Mejdel in the foreground. A fine stream of 

 water irrigates this portion of the plain from Wady Hamam, the narrow gorge 

 through which the levelling had been brought down, with cliffs 1000 feet high 

 on either side. In those on the south, are the caves of the robbers who were sub- 

 dued by Herod the Great by letting down soldiers on platforms from above on the 

 defenders, who slew one another sooner than be taken captive. Lieut. Kitchener 

 explored the caves, which consist of galleries at different heights conducted along 

 the face of the precipice leading to different-sized chambers ; some appeared natural, 

 while others were artificial ; there were spacious halls, small sleeping-places, and 

 some enormous stables, all cut out of the solid rock. Water was brought by a 

 long aqueduct, cut in the face of the precipice, and poured down into cisterns in- 

 side the fortress. The place has been since occupied by Arab marauders, who have 

 built walls to defend the outside of the galleries and round towers at different 

 elevations on the face of the rock, to bring a flanking fire on the entrance, which 

 was reached by a long flight of basalt steps. 



Beyond Mejdel on the Plain of Gennesareth, and round the northern shores of 

 the lake, are the most interesting sites of all — Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida. 

 Lieut. Kitchener does not agree with Major Wilson in the position of Capernaum 

 at Tell Hum, but would rather place it at Kh. Minia on the plain, believing the 

 fine remains. of Tell Hum to be the relics of the known grandeur of the ancient 

 Bethsaida. 



On the 4th April the camp was moved to Khan Jubb Yusef, situated on the 

 great Damascus road, and some distance from any inhabited village. The country 



1878. s s 



