184 
HUDLESTON: GEOLOGY OF PALESTINE. 
which, if you were to trace it on the map, is pretty nearly equidistant, 
sometimes inclining towards the Mediterranean and sometimes 
towards the Jordan. It is not a little singular, how many places 
of interest are situated on, or close to the watershed — Nazareth, 
Shechem, Bethel, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, illustrate the 
fact. Leaving the plains and moderate hills of Lower (xalilee, we 
rise through the hills of Samaria to the Mountains of Judjea, and 
as over 1,000ft. has to be added to their height above the sea, the 
Mountains of Jud^a show a massive section on the east side, the 
brow of the cliff or escarpment, overhanging the Dead Sea, being 
something like 2,000ft. above the great depression. 
Now this great mountain group of Judgea is a natural fortress' 
and has been held for ages by a proud and determined race of high- 
landers, Avho had great contempt and hatred for such lowlanders as 
the Philistines. In after times the plateau was held by Saladin, 
whilst Richard overran the lowland plains. The plateau of lime- 
stone resembles very much the limestone pavements of Craven. 
The physical geography of western Palestine would be incom- 
plete without a Avord about the maritime plains. There is a strip of 
low sandy land all along the Mediterranean shore. In Phenicia, 
this is very narrow, and sometimes cut off altogether, as where the 
ladder of Tyre protrudes into the sea, and also where the still more 
conspicuous Mount Carmel makes a solid headland, the highest part 
of the block being 1,700ft. The Plain of Esdraelon is an inland 
plain, averaging between 200 and 300ft. in elevation, and covered 
with a rich basaltic loam ; we have already seen that this is on a 
line of sinking in connection with the Vale of Jezreel. By all 
accounts, it is the most fruitful district in Palestine. 
South of Carmel, along the coast, the maritime plain gradually 
widens, until the plain of Sharon merges into the wide expanse of 
Philistia. This is continued all the way to El-Arish, on the River 
of Egypt, though the boundary of Palestine proper may perhaps be 
regarded as on the Beersheba stream. In this portion of the 
maritime plain, Nile mud mingles with the drift sand, and further 
inland much of this is covered by the debris from the mountains. 
The dimensions are, 80 miles long, and near Gaza, 20 miles wide ; 
100-200ft. high. 
