and hence its Hebrew name, which signifies "White Mountain." Sometimes Lebanon is lost in the clouds, or throws back the sun from its cold, white summits, while the sides of his hundred hills are clothed with majestic forests, or dotted over with villages, and the valleys at his base, watered by ever-running brooks, rejoice in extreme fertility. Hence that eloquent and animated description of the Arab poet, whose words, without his name, I have met in a French author: "Upon his head Lebanon bears the Winter, upon his shoulders the Spring, and Autumn reclines on his bosom, while Summer lies sleeping at his feet." But poets and prophets of a loftier inspiration David, Solomon and Isaiah-have drawn from Lebanon frequent imagery, beautiful and sublime, to dignify the language of their inspiration, and illustrate to man the messages of heaven. From this region, rendered so familiar to us by our Bibles, and replete with ancient, deep, and holy associations, let us take our departure for a rapid survey of mountains, hills, and valleys more sacred still. This will be a good preparation for the fuller notice we shall give them in the progress of our tour.

Lebanon is the source of two principal ridges which run down, nearly parallel to each other, in a southerly direction, and now bear the names of Libanus and Anti-Libanus; though in the Bible

they are both included under the former appellation. They inclose an extensive and fertile valley, called by ancient profane authors Cœle-Syria, or Hollow Syria, but in the Bible the "Valley of Lebanon." (Joshua xi. 17.) In this valley, near the Anti-Libanus range, are found the ruins of Baalbeck, the colossal stones in the foundation of whose temple would seem to give weight to the supposition, that it is the same with Baa-lath, or Baal-gad, and one of the cities built by Solomon. At the southern termination of this valley, the two mountain ranges come together, and from their midst, in majestic beauty, swells up Mount Hermon, with its snow-capped summit, and from its base it nourishes the springs which form the source of the Jordan. The mountain ridges now retire again to the west and east, and give space for this river to run into its first basin, the small lake where, in the days of Joshua," the kings came and pitched together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel." (Joshua xi. 5.) These ridges continue their direction south until that on the western side ends in Mount Naphtali (Joshua xx. 7), now called Safed. Upon one of its lofty summits is a city, whose white walls and houses can be seen at a far distance around, and this is supposed to have been the one to which our Lord made his allusion, when, in the Sermon on the Mount, he said, "A city that is set on a hill cannot

94

SACRED MOUNTAINS.

be hid," for it is in full view from the spot where this sermon was spoken. The other ridge embraces the Sea of Galilee on the east, and both ridges become depressed into high table lands, in which this sea reposes as in a basin. From Lake Merom, the Jordan pursues its course, forcing its way through the high table land till it falls into the lake of Gennesareth, or Sea of Galilee, which is about thirteen miles in length by about seven in breadth. Upon the high plain to the right of the Sea of Galilee, looking south, rises up to the height of about three hundred feet, a hill distinguished from surrounding elevations by its lengthened and level top, terminated by two prominences, which might cause it to be described as saddle-shaped. This is the Mount of Beatitudes, where our Lord pronounced his sermon, and near the base of which he fed the famishing multitude with the two loaves and fishes. At some distance farther south, you see a remarkable mountain, which is disconnected from all the others, and rests upon the plain as though piled up by Cyclopean labour. It is coneshaped, with a truncated top, leaving a level surface of about a mile in length. This is Tabor, called also the Mount of Transfiguration. From this noble platform, a most commanding view may be had of an extensive portion of Palestine. In the far north, Hermon lifts its white crest; nearer by, in the same direction, is the table land of which we

PLAIN OF ESDRAELON.

95

have spoken, in whose hollow the Sea of Galilee reposes. The Jordan flows through this sea, but, as it is said, without mingling with its waters, and finds an outlet at the southern extremity. From thence it pursues its course for seventy miles with a rapid descent, till lost in the Dead Sea. Beyond this river toward the east lie the mountains of Gilead. To the south-west stretches out the broad, beautiful, and fertile plain of Esdraelon, the largest in Palestine, being about thirty miles in length and about twenty in breadth. This plain is surrounded by lofty and innumerable hills. To the north, and six miles west from Tabor, from whose summit we are looking, are the hills of Nazareth. Upon the eastern edge of the plain are Little Hermon and the mountains of Gilboa. On the south, a series of hills and valleys extend for fifty miles as far as Jerusalem. From there, running north and west, an extensive range, springing up abruptly from the plain, partly encircles it, and terminates on the lofty promontory of Mount Carmel. This juts out into the sea, and at its base the "ancient river Kishon," which, rising from the foot of Tabor, had watered the northern portion of the valley, finds its way to the Mediterranean.

We leave now our lofty point of observation, and travelling southward across the plain of Esdraelon, leaving Little Hermon and the mountains of Gilboa on our left hand near by, and the range of Carmel

96

MOUNTAINS OF JUDAH.

far away on our right, we come to Samaria, a region of confused hills, with valleys winding through them in all directions. This is the very centre of the Holy Land. The northern portion comprises the mountains of Ephraim and of Israel. Of these, the most celebrated are Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, which stand fronting and quite near to each other on opposite sides of a narrow valley.

The mountains of Judah, or Judea, in which dwelt the Amorites of old, are of the same range with those of Israel, and are not divided from them by any natural boundary, but run south through the whole extent of the Holy Land, and beyond it, till they are lost in the desert. Amongst these Jerusalem is situated, upon its own sacred hills, with "the mountains round about." Upon the east, and separated only by the narrow valley of Jehoshaphat, through which runs the brook Kedron, is the Mount of Olives. From its top, looking west, the Holy City lies spread out beneath you, upon Moriah, Zion, and Calvary; and beyond, on every side, is the hill country of Judea. Now turning towards the north-east, the eye meets only rocky hills and barren valleys. In this desolate region, tradition says that the temptation of our Lord was endured. These hills run all along the valley of the Jordan and the borders of the Dead Sea, till, at its southern extremity, they meet the