FROM JERUSALEAI TO ALEPPO 



83 



•exude served in the ancient process of 

 •embalming. 



These trees {Ccdnis libaiii), called by 

 the natives "Arz," are a local variety of 

 <i widely distributed species. The wood 

 is cream color and works up easily, much 

 resembling soft pine. This grove stands 

 on a small hill situated at 6,315 feet 

 above sea-level, and above it rises ab- 

 ruptly the lofty Jebal el Arz, whose suni- 

 uiit is seldom without snow. 



The Christian natives attach a sanc- 

 tity to these trees, and here is held an 

 annual feast, to which pilgrims flock 

 from all directions. It also serves as a 

 delightful summer camping place. At 

 the time of our visit a number of fam- 

 ilies were encamped among the trees, in- 

 ■cluding some of the professors from the 

 American College at Beirut, who, with 

 their families, were here for their sum- 

 mer vacation. 



WIIEX DID SOLOMON LIVE? 



While sauntering through the grove 

 Ave encountered the ]\laronite priest in 

 charge of the chapel. He asked how we 

 liked the cedars, and in reply we ex- 

 pressed our admiration, but said it was a 

 pity there were so few left. He replied, 

 "So they have been for 4,000 years, and 

 history tells us that they have been just 

 -iis you see them since the flood." "lUit," 

 we remonstrated. "Solomon got all his 

 timber for the building of his temple 

 from these mountains, so there must 

 have been many more." "It is true," 

 he said, "that Solomon got his timl)er 

 here, but that was long before what I 

 have just mentioned." A peasant stand- 

 ing by, regarding with awe the wisdom 

 ■of the priest, added, "You see. khawaja 

 (gentleman), these trees," pointing to 

 some of the smallest of the cedars, "have 

 "been growing since the days of Christ." 



As we turned away we mused ujion 

 this new leaf of history, that Solomon 

 lived before the flood, and that it takes 

 2,000 years for a cedar to attain a di- 

 ameter of about 18 inches. 



Shortly after noon we reluctantly left 

 the cedars, as between us and liaalbek 

 there lay 10 hours on horseback, and we 

 wished to deviate a little from the direct 

 road, so we pushed on so as to shorten 

 the next day's work. 



Soon we came to the very steep ascent 

 of Jebal el Arz (Cedar Mountain), 

 which brings one to the top of the pass 

 7,700 feet above sea-level, while to the 

 north towers a higher peak, Dahr el Ko- 

 dib, 10,050 feet. 



Both sides of this pass were covered 

 with a thick layer of finely crushed 

 stone, as if a gigantic stone-crushing ma- 

 chine had been at work for ages. The 

 upper part of the ascent had to be done 

 on foot, as well as all of the descent, for 

 the horses' feet buried themselves in this 

 loose mass, which kept slipping from 

 under them at every step. This road has 

 been described as akin to those encoun- 

 tered in Alpine climbing. 



ox THE ROAD TO BAALP-EK 



The view from the top was superb. 

 Far below, to the east, lay Baalbek and 

 the great plain on which it stands, like a 

 raised map, terminated by the Anti- 

 Lebanon and the snow-capped peak of 

 Hermon. To the east, far down through 

 the beautiful valley we had traversed, 

 Tripoli and its bay were plainly seen, 

 and all bathed in shades of transparent 

 blue. 



Descending to Aineita, we spent the 

 night in the priest's house. It is a small, 

 poor village, lying just on the upper 

 edge of the timl)er-linc. The houses, all 

 but the little church and a couple of 

 others, are built of small stones without 

 mortar, with low ceilings and with roofs 

 of rough timber covered over with clay 

 to shed the rain. 



The house of the priest, which might 

 be taken as a typical one, consisted of 

 three rooms, two on one side and one on 

 the other, connected by a roofed court. 

 Native mattresses were spread for us on 

 the floor and native quilts of exceptional 

 thickness and weight served as covers. 

 Everything was remarkably clean, and 

 the night we had been dreading was 

 passed comfortably. 



THE LAKE OF VEXrS 



By dawn we were en route for the vil- 

 lage of Yammouneh and the mountain 

 lake of the same name. The latter in 

 winter is large, but by the end of sum- 

 mer has dried up, even though it is fed 



