192 OCCUPATION. 



dismal waters of the Dead Sea. Its basin belongs to 

 the desert, for it does not overflow its banks. 



Along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, parallel to 

 the valley of the Jordan, lies a fertile strip of land with- 

 out good harbours, but otherwise resembling Phoenicia, 

 from which it is divided by two large promontories, the 

 Tyrian Ladder and the White Cape. 



And, thirdly, between the naked valley of the Jordan, 

 and this corn producing line of coast, there rises a table- 

 land of limestone formation, honeycombed with caves, 

 watered by running streams of no great size, intersected 

 by ravines and also by flat extensive valley plains. 



The coast belonged to the Philistines ; the basin of 

 the Jordan and the pastoral regions on the south to 

 roving Arab tribes ; the table-land was inhabited by 

 farmers whose towns and villages were always perched 

 on the tops of hills, and who cultivated the vine on 

 terraces, each vineyard being guarded by a watch 

 tower and a wall ; the valley plains were inhabited by 

 Canaanites or lowlanders, who possessed cavalry and 

 iron chariots of war. 



The Israelites differed from other Bedouin tribes in 

 one respect ; they were not mounted ; and they were 

 unable to stand their ground against the horsemen of 

 the plain. The Philistines, a warlike people, probably 

 of the Arian race, also retained their independence. 

 The conquests of the Israelites were confined to the 

 land of the south, the Jordan valley and the mountain 

 regions ; though even in the Highlands the conquest 

 under Joshua was not complete. However, the greater 

 part of Palestine was taken, and partitioned among 

 the Israelitish tribes. Some of these inclined to the 

 pastoral, and others to the agricultural condition ; and 

 each was governed by its own sheik. During four 



