GEOGRAPEIGAL RESEARCHES IN THE EAST. 87 



at least plausible, is that which points out that the site— Bethnimrah — hith- 

 erto generally considered to be "the place where John baptised," is in fact 

 too far south, one condition being that the place must be within two days' 

 journey ot Cana and ISTazareth. Eecently, all the fords of the Jordan have 

 been examined, and, among them, is one found twenty-five miles from Naza- 

 reth, which not only seems to answer all the conditions, but also preserves 

 the name — that is, it is called Makhadhet Abara, the "ford of the crossing- 

 over;' but as Bethabara means the "town of the crossing-over," this identi- 

 ty of name might be met with at any of the fords, so that the identification 

 must be supported on other grounds. Besides the favoring condition in re- 

 spect to distance, the newly-found site is the ford over which the road down 

 the Wady Jalud to Gilead and the Hauran passes; here the river bed is 

 more open than at other places, the steep banks of the valley are further 

 retired, and a broad space is left, suitable for the collection of the great 

 crowds which followed John the Baptist, and for the performance of the 

 rite administered by him to so great a multitude in one. place. 



Similarly favorable results appear to have attended the efforts recently 

 put forth to arrive at some more satisfactory determination in regard to the 

 ancient Ashkelon. It will be remembered that, a short time ago. Prof. Pu- 

 sey, one of the most reliable authorities in matters of archaeology, called 

 attention to the fixct that, just as there were a Gaza and a Maiumus Gazfe, 

 or "Gaza by the Sea," so there were, in the sixth century at least, an Asca- 

 lon and a Mainmas Ascalon, each place having then a bishop of its own; 

 and he also pointed out that Benjamin of Tudela speaks ot the present. 

 Ascalon as the new town "built by Ezra the priest on the sea shore," four 

 parasangs from the former place of the same name. 



And now the interesting fact is brought to light that both of these As- 

 calons exist still. The ruined Ascalon by the sea shore has been long known 

 and frequently described; but the site just discovered, called Khirbet As- 

 calon, is in the hills north of Beit Jibrin, near Tell Zakeriyeh. It shows 

 remains of an early Christian church or convent, and a great lintel of stone 

 with a deeply cut cross in the centre, resembling somewhat the cross of 

 Malta, lies on the ground; suck lintels are to be found in all that class of 

 ruins which date from the fifth to the seventh century. It is twenty-three 

 miles from the shore, which would seem to agree with the four parasangs 

 measured to Ashdod. From all the evidence gathered, it would appear, 

 therefore, that the Ashkelon of the Bible, of Herod and of the crusaders, 

 are one and the same place, distinguished from an early Christian site ot 

 the same name by the title of Ascalon Maiumas. The numerous crusading 

 fortresses in the great plain which was the scene of so many terrible con- 

 flicts between the English and Saladin have also been pretty nearly all 

 identified. 



But the most valuable contribution lately made to this class of researches 

 in Biblical geography is perhaps due t® Porter, the English traveler, and in 

 especial his investigations of the much-disputed site of Pisgah, upon which 

 he throws seme light of peculiar importance. 



