Sinai and Palestine, etc

Front matter

SINAI AND PALESTINE IN CONNECTION "WITH THEIB HISTOEY. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. LECTUKES ON THE HISTORY OF THE JEWISH CHURCH— ABRAHAM TO THE CAPTIVITY. Maps. 2 Vols. 8vo. 16s. each. LECTURES ON THE HISTORY OF THE EASTERN CHURCH. Svo. 12s. ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS, . with Critical Notes and Dissertations. Svo. 1S_. SERMONS IN THE EAST. Preached during the Tour of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. With Notices of the Localities visited. 8vo. 9s. SERMONS ON THE UNITY OF EVANGELICAL AND APOSTOLICAL TEACHING. Post 8vo. 7s. 6<_. HISTORICAL MEMORIALS OF CANTERBURY. Post 8vo. 7s. 6d. BISHOP STANLEY'S ADDRESSES AND CHARGES ; with a Memoir. 8vo. 10s. 6a. THE BIBLE IN THE HOLY LAND : being Extracts from "Sinai and Palestine," for Village Schools, &c. Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2s. 6_s. Lojidoii : .loLa Murray.

SINAI AND PALESTINE IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR HISTORY. BY ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, D.D., F.R.S., QORRESPONDANT DE L'lNSTITUT IMPERIAL DE FRANCE, DEAN OF WESTMINSTER. NEW EDITION. WITH MAPS AND PLANS. LONDON : JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1866. [27ie Liight of Translation, is reserved:] LONDON : BRADBURY. EVANS, AND CO., PI-INTERS, WHITEFRIAKa. CONTENTS. PAOB

ADVERTISEMENT.

Introduction

: Egypt in relation to Israel. 1. Kile in the Delta. 2. View from the Citadel at Cairo. 3. Heliopolis. 4. Valley of the Nile. 5. Tombs of Beni-Hassan. 6. Tombs and Hermits. 7. Thebes — Colossal statues. 8. Thebes — Kamac and the Royal Tombs. 9. Nile at Silsilis. 10. At the First Cataract. 11. Philæ. 12. NUe in Nubia. 13. Ipsambul. 14. Nile at the Second Cataract. 15. Dendera. 16. Memphis. 17. The Pyramids xxx

Chapter I. Part

I. PENINSULA OF SINAI. I. General configuration — the Mountains, the Desert, and the Sea. 1. The Two GulfB. 2. The Flateau of the Tih. 3. The Sandy Tract of Debbet er- Ramleh. 4. The Mountains of the Tsir. (a) The K_-'a — the Shores. (b) The Passes, (c) The Mountains ; the Three Groups — the Colours — the Confusion — the Desolation — the Silence, (d) The Wadys — the Vegetation —the Springs — the Oases ......... 3 II. General Adaptation to the History. The Scenery — the Physical Phenomena - — the Present Inhabitants — Changes in the features of the Desert . 20 III. Local Traditions of the History. 1. Arab Tradition — Traditions of Moses. Loss of the Ancient Names. 2. Greek Traditions. 3. Early Traditions of Eusebius and Jerome . . . . . . . . . . 25 IV. Route of the Israelites. 1. Passage of the Red Sea. 2.

Marah and Elim. 3. Encampment by the Red Sea. 4. Wilderness of Sin. 5. Choice between Serbil and Jebel Msisa as Sinai. 6. Special localities of the History . 33 V. Later History of the Peninsula. 1. Elijah's visit. 2. Jcsephus. 3. Allusions of St. Paul. 4. Christian Hermitages ; Convent of St. Catherine. 5. Mosque in tbe Convent ; Visit of Mahomet. 6. Present State of the Convent. 7. Sanctuary of Sheykh Saleh . . . . . . . 48 Note A. Sinaitic Inscriptions •......•. 67 CONTENTS. IV

Part II. Journey From Cairo To

JERUSALEM— EXTRACTS. PAGE I. Departure from Egypt ; Overland Route ; First Encampment. II. The Passage of the Red Sea. 1. Approach to Suez. 2. Wells of Moses. III. The Desert, and Sand-storm. IV. Marah ; Elim. V. Second Encampment by the Red Sea ; "Wilderness of Sin." VI. Approach to Mount Serbal ; Wady Sidri and Wady Feiran. VII. Ascent of Serbal. VIII. Approach to Jebel Msisa, the traditional Sinai. IX. Ascent of Jebel Msisa and Ras Ssifsafeh. X. Ascent of St. Catherine. XI. Ascent of the Jebel ed-Deir . 63 XII. Route from Sinai to the Gulf of 'Akaba. 1. Tomb of Sheykh Saleh. 2. Wady Sey&l and Wady el-' Ain. Hazeeoth. XIII. Gulf of 'Akaba ; Elath. XIV. The 'Arabah. XV. Approach to Petra. XVI. Ascent of Mount Hor. XVII. Petra. Kadesh 78 XVIII. Approach to Palestine. XIX. First Day in Palestine. XX. Hebron. XXI. Approach to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. XXII. First View of Bethlehem. XXIII. First View of Jerusalem 98

Chapter II. Palestine

The Highland of Syria : Lebanon ; the Four Rivers : the Orontes, the Leontes, the Barada, and the Jordan . . . . . . . . . 109 PALESTINE. I. Seclusion. II. Smallness and narrowness of its territory. III. Central situation. IV. Land of Ruins. V. " Land of Milk and Honey." VI. Earthquakes. VII. Variety of climate and structure. VIII. A Mountain Country ; the Views of Sacred History. The fenced Cities, and High Places : .Political Divisions and Conquests. High-lands and Lowlands. IX. Scenery: Character of hills ; Vegetation : Flowers ; Olives ; Cedars — confined to Lebanon ; Oaks and Terebinths ; Sacred Trees : Palms; Sycamores; Oleanders; Carob-tree. X. Geological Features : 1. Springs and Wells ; 2. Sepulchres ; 3. Caves; in ancient times ; in modern times ; 4. Legendary curiosities . 112

Chapter III

JUDÆA AND JERUSALEM. Judæa: — I. The " south " frontier — Simeon. II. Mountain country of Judah — Lion of Judah— Vineyards — Fenced cities — Herodion. Bethlehem — Hebron . . _— — 159 Jerusalem : — I. Exterior aspect. 1. Long obscurity — Jebus — Mountain fastness. 2. Ravines of the Kedron and of Hinnom. 3. Compactness — Growth. 4. Surrounding mountains. 5. Central situation. II. Interior aspect. 1. Hills of the city. 2. Temple-mount — Rock of the Sakrah — Spring in the Temple Vaults. 3. Walls and Towers — Palaces — Ruins — Earthquake. III. Mount of Olives — Slight connection with the early history. Connection with the Gospel History — Presence of Christ — Bethany — Scene of the Triumphal entry — The Ascension — Conclusion ..... 166

Chapter IV. The Heights And The Passes Of Benjamin

Benjamin, the frontier tribe of Judah and Ephraim — Its independent power. I. The Passes of Benjamin. 1. The Eastern Passes. a. Battle of Alb. Battle of Micbmnsh. c. Advance of Sennacherib. 2. The Western Passes — Battle of Bethhoron under Joshua. Later battles of Bethhoron . 199 II. The HeTgliR 1. Neby-Samwii or Gibeun. 2. Bethel: Sanctuary — View of Abrah .u — Sanctuary of Jacob and of the Northern tribes — Jeroboam's Temple — Josiali . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Note on Itamah and Mizpeh . ... . 5 * . . . CONTENTS. V

Chapter V. Ephraim

PAGE Mountains of Ephraim — Fertility and central situation — Supremacy of Ephraim. 229 I. Shiloh. II. Shectiem. 1. First halting-place of Abraham. 2. First settlement of Jacob. 3. First capital of the conquest. Sanctuary of Mount Gerizim. 4. Insurrection of Abimelech. 5. Sanctuary of the Samaritans. 6. Jacob's well ......... 231 III. Samaria : Its beauty — Its strength — Sebaste. IV. Passes of Manasseh. Dothan . 212 Note on Mount Gerizim. Abraham and Melchizedek : Sacrifice of Isaac : Mount Moriah 248

Chapter VI. The Maritime Plain

1. The Shephelah, or the Low Country, — Philistia : 1. Maritime character of the Philistines. 2. The strongholds ; their sieges. 3. Corn-fields — Contact with Dan. 4. Level plain — Contact with Egypt and the Desert . . . 255 II. Plain of Shakon — Pasture-land — Naphath-Dor — Forest — Cæsarea — Connection with Apostolic History ......... 259 III. Plain and Bav of Acre — Tribe of Asher ...... 263 IV. Plain of Phœnicia : 1. Separation from Palestine. 2. Harbours. 3. Security. 4. stivers. Tyke and Sidon — Local Prophecies . . . . 266 Note A. House of Simon at Jaffa ........ 274 Note B. Villages of Sharon 275 Note C. Phœnician Antiquities : Sarcophagus of Esmunazar .... 277

Chapter VII. The Jordan And The Dead Sea

The Four Rivers of Lebanon in their courses : — The physical peculiarities of the Jordan — Unfrequented — Historical Scenes ....... 281 I. Vale of Siddim. 1. Battle of the Kings. 2. Overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah. 3. Appearance of the Dead Sea. 4. Vision of Ezekiel. 5. En-gedi 287 II. Plain and Terraces of the Jordan Valley. 1. Tlain of Abel-Shittim — Encampment of the Israelites — Views from Pisgah by Balaam and by Moses- Burial-place of Moses — Passage of the Jordan— Drying up of the River. 2. Jericho — At the time of the capture — In the time of the Prophets, and of Christ. 3. Scene of the Preaching of John — Bethabara — Scene of the Temptation — Baptism in the Jordan — Bathing of the Pilgrims . . . 296

Chapter VIII

PERÆA AND THE TRANS-JORDANIC TRIBES. I. General character of the scenery. II. First view of the Holy Land. III. Frontier land. — First victories of Israel. IV. Isolation. V. Pastoral character of the country and its inhabitants. Nomadic Tribes — Reuben — ■ Gad — Manasseh — Elijah the Tishbite. VI. Land of exile. Last view of the Holy Land .319

Chapter IX. Plain Of Esdraelon

General features. I. Boundary between northern and central tribes. II. Battle-field of Palestine. 1. Victory over Sisera. Battle of Kishon. 2. Victory over the Midianites. 3. Defeat of Saul. Battle of Mount GilHba — Bethshan and Jabesh Gilead. 4. Defeat of Josiah — Battle of Megiddo . . 335 III. Richness and fertility of the Plain — Issachar: Jezreel — Engannim. IV. Tabor: Fortress and Sanctuary of the Northern Tribes. V. Carmel — Scene of Elijah's sacrifice. VI. Nain VI CONTENTS.

Chapter X. Galilee

PAGB Scenery of Northern Palestine— The Four Northern Tribes— Their wealth— Their isolation — Galilee in the New Testament ...•••• 361 I. Nazareth — Its upland basin — Its seclusion — Sacred localities . . . 364 II. Lake of Gennesareth. 1. Plain of Hattin, and Mountain of the Beatitudes — Battle of Hattin. 2. View of the Lake of Gennesareth. 3. Jewish History of Tiberias. 4. Plain of Gennesareth. Traffic— Fertility of the Plain — Villa, of the Herods— Fisheries of the Lake. 5. Scene of the Gospel Ministry— "Manufacturing district " — The Beach — The Desert — The storms of wind — The Demoniacs — The Feeding of the Multitudes — The Plain of Gennesareth — Capernaum ......... 367

Chapter XI. The Lake Of Merom And The Sources Of The Jordan

I. Upper Valley of the Jordan — Hills of Naphtali and Manasseh— Kedesh- Naphtali. II. Lake of Merom — Battle of Merom. III. Sources of tbe Jordan— Tel el-Kady — City and Tribe of Dan— Cæsarea Philippi — Hazor — Paneas — Hermon — Mount of the Transfiguration ..... 3S9

Chapter XII. Lebanon And Anti-lebanon

I. Hermon : its Temples — Baalbek. II. The Vale of Hasbeya — The Vale of Cœle-Syria— Lebanon — The Nahr-el-Kelb — The Cedars. III. The Litany. IV. The Orontes — Riblah — Antioch. V. The Barada — Damascus: its Traditions 403

Chapter XIII. The Gospel History And Teaching, Viewed In Connectiox Tvith Tiie

LOCALITIES OP TAI/ESTI-fE. I. The stages of the Gospel History. 1. Infancy of Christ. 2. Youth. 3. Public ministry. 4. Retirement from public ministry. II. The Parables. 1. Parables of Judæa, a. Tbe Vineyard, b. The Fig-tree. c. The Shepherd, d. The good Samaritan. 2. Parables of Galilee, a. The cornfields. 6. The birds, c. The fisheries. III. The Discourses — The Sermon on the Mount. 1. The city on a hill. 2. The birds and the flowers. 3. The torrent 416 IV. Conclusions. 1. Reality of the teaching. 2. Its homeliness and universality. 3. Its union of human and divine ........ 431

Chapter XIV. The Holy Places

I. Bethlehem : Church of Helena— Grotto of the Nativity — Jerome. II. Nazareth : Grotto in Latin Convent — Spring near the Greek church — House at Loretto — Compared with site at Nazareth — Origin of the Legend. III. Jerusalem : Lesser localities— Church of the Ascension — Tomb of the Virgin — Gethsemane — Cœnaculum — Church of the Holy Sepulchre — Greek Easter — Conclusion ..... . CONTENTS. VII

Appendix

. VOCABULARY OF HEBREW TOPOGRAPHICAL WORDS. PAGH Introduction ............ 475 Index 479 I. — Valleys and Tracts of Land 481 II. — Mountains, Hills, and Hocks ......... 494 III. — Rivers and Streams .......... 501 IV.— Springs, Wells, and Pits 509 V.— Caves 516 VI. — Forests and Trees ' 517 VII. — Cities, Habitations, Streets 521 VIII.— The Sea and its Shores 533 INDEXES 535 MAPR I. Diagram of the Heights of Egypt, Sinai, and Palestine . Frontispiece. II. Egypt Page xxxvi III. Peninsula of Sinai ,, 5 IT. Traditional Sinai ,, 42 V. Palestine Ill VI. Sooth of Palejitine ........,, 161 VIL Plain of Esdraelon and Galilee „ 337 WOODCUTS. 1. Sketoh-map of Syria ........ Page 106 2. Sketch-plan of Jerusalem .......,, 158 3. Sketch-plan of Shechem . . . . . . ,, 228 4. Map of the Lake and District of Gennesareth . . . „ 360 5.

Sketch-plan of House at Nazareth and at Loretto . . ,, 436 In the references to the Erdkunde of Professor C. Ritter throughout this work, the foRowing names have been adopted for the volumes relating to Sinai and Palestine :— Part XIV. (or Vol. I.) is designated Sinai: Part XV. (Vol. II.), Sect. 1. Jordan : Sect. 2. Syria : Part XVI. (Vol. III.) Palestine : Part XVII. (VoL IV.), Sect. 1. Lebanon : Sect. 2. Damascus.

ADVERTISEMENT.

. What is personal in this book may be briefly told. In the winter of 1852 and spring of 1853, in the company of three friends' (to whose kindness I shall always feel grateful for having enabled me to fulfil this long-cherished design), I visited the well-known scenes of Sacred History in Egypt, Arabia, and Syria. Any detailed description of this journey has been long since rendered superfluous by the ample illustrations of innumerable travellers. But its interest and instruc tion are so manifold that, even after all which has been seen and said of it, there still remain points of view unexhausted. Much has been written, and still remains to be written, both on the History and the Geography of the Chosen People ; but there have been comparatively few attempts to illustrate the relation in which each stands to the other.

To bring the recollections of my own journey to bear on this question ; to point out how much or how little the Bible gains by being seen, so to speak, through the eyes of the country, or the country by being seen through the eyes of the Bible ; to exhibit the effect of the ' Holy Land ' on the course of the ' Holy History ; ' — seemed to be a task not hitherto fully accomplished. To point out the limits of this connection will be the object of the following Preface. As a general rule, it has been my endeavour, on the one hand, to omit no geographical feature which throws any direct light on the History or the Poetry of the Sacred Volume ; and, on the other hand, to insert no descriptions except those which have such a purpose, and to dwell on no passages of Scripture except those which are capable of such an illustration.

The form of narrative has thus been merged in that of dissertation, 1 I trust that I may be permitted to name Mr. Walrond, Mr. Fremantle, and Mr. Findlay.

ADVERTISEMENT.

. X following the course of historical and geographical divisions. Whenever I have given extracts from journals or letters, it has been when it seemed necessary to retain the impression not merely of the scene, but of the moment. Only in a few instances, chiefly confined to notes, tlie main course of the argument has been interrupted in order to describe in greater detail particular spots, which have not been noticed in previous accounts. I have, as much as possible, avoided the controverted points of Sacred Topography, both because they mostly relate to spots which throw no direct light on the History, and also because they depend for their solution on data which are not yet fully before us. The Maps have been framed with the intention of giving not merely the physical features, but the actual colouring offered to the eye of the traveller at the present time.

In the use of the geographical terms of the Old and New Testament, I have aimed at a greater precision than has been reached or perhaps attempted in the Authorised Version ; and have thrown into an Appendix a catalogue of such words, as a help to a not unim portant field of philological and geographical study. For the arrangement of this Appendix, as well as for the general verifica tion of references and correction of the press, I am indebted to the careful revision of my friend Mr. Grove, of Sydenham. Throughout the work I have freely used all materials within my reach to fill up the deficiencies necessarily left by the hasty and imperfect character of my personal observation. It is unnecessary to describe more particularly the nature of these sources : they are mostly given in the long catalogues of writers affixed to Robinson's " Biblical Researches," and Bitter's volumes on Sinai, Palestine, and Syria; and I may perhaps be allowed to refer, for a general estimate of their relative value, to an essay on " Sacred Geography" in the Quarterly Review for March, lr.54.

Finally, I have to express my deep sense of all that I owe to my friend and fellow-traveller, Mr. Theodore Walrond, Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. Without him the journey, to which I shall always look back as one of the most instructive periods of my life, would in all probability never have been accom-

ADVERTISEMENT.

. XI plished: on his accurate observation and sound judgment I have constantly relied, both on the spot and since; and though I have touched too slightly on Egypt to avail myself of his knowledge and study of the subject where it would have been most valuable, I fee} that his kind supervision of the rest of the volume gives a strong guarantee for the faithful representation of the scenes which we explored together, and of the conclu sions to be derived from them. Preoinots, Canterbury, January, 1856. P.S. — Nine years after the journey to the East on which this volume is based, I was enabled to revisit Palestine in attendance on His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The tour was necessarily rapid, and was chiefly confined to scenes already familiar ; but it furnished me with illustrations, or corrections, of what I had before described; and some spots were seen which I had not been able to visit on the previous journey, and one of which (the Mosque of Hebron) I owe entirely to the privilege accorded to the Prince of Wales.

The main topographical results of the journey are incorporated in this edition; though, for the convenience of those who have purchased the earlier editions, I have given the same, in sub stance, in my " Lectures on the History of the Jewish Church," and in the Appendix to my " Sermons in the East." In these same nine years the Geography of Palestine has been almost rewritten. Not only have new discoveries been made in every part (with which I have been hardly able to keep pace in the corrections of my successive editions), but the historical and topographical details of the subject have been worked up into a far more complete form than any to which I can lay claim. It is a satisfaction to me to think that this task has fallen to the lot of one to whose friendship I have been so greatly indebted in the present work, and that I may refer my readers, for any shortcomings, to the numerous articles on Sacred Topography in the new " Dictionary of the Bible" signed by the well-known name of George Grove. Deanery, Westminster, January, 1864. b

PREFACE.

. THE CONNECTION OF SACRED HISTORY AND SACRED GEOGRAPHY. The historical interest of Sacred Geography, though belonging in various degrees to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy, is, like the Sacred History itself, concentrated on the Peninsula of Sinai and on Palestine. Even in its natural aspect the topography of these two countries has features which would of themselves rivet our attention ; and on these, as the basis of all further inquiry, and as compared with similar features of other parts of the world, I have dwelt at some length1. But to this singular conformation we have to add the fact that it has been the scene of the most important events in the history of mankind ; and not only so, but that the very fact of this local connection has occasioned a reflux of interest, another stage of history, which intermingles itself with the scenes of tlie older events, thus producing a tissue of local associations un rivalled in its length and complexity.

Greece and Italy have geographical charms of a high order. But they have never provoked a crusade ; and, however bitter may have been the 1 See Chapters I. II. VII. and

PREFACE.

. XIII disputes of antiquaries about the Acropolis of Athens or the Forum of Rome, they have never, as at Bethlehem and Jerusalem, become matters of religious controversy — grounds for interpreting old prophecies or producing new ones — cases for missions of diplomatists, or for the war of civilised nations. This interest in Sacred Geography, though in some respects repelled, yet in some respects is invited by the Scriptures them selves. From Genesis to the Apocalypse there are — even when not intending, nay even when deprecating, any stress on the local associations of the events recorded — constant local allusions, such as are the natural result of a faithful, and, as is often the case in the Biblical narrative, of a contemporary history. There is one document in the Hebrew Scriptures to which probably no parallel exists in the topographical records of any other ancient nation.

In the book of Joshua we have what may without offence be termed the Domesday Book of the conquest of Canaan. Ten chapters of that book are devoted to a description of the country, in which not only are its general features and boundaries carefully laid down, but the names and situations of its towns and villages enumerated with a precision of geographical terms which encourages and almost compels a minute investigation. The numerous allusions in the Pro phetical writings supply what in other countries would be furnished by the illustrations of poets and orators. The topographical indications of the New Testament, it is true, are exceedingly slight ; and, if it were not for the occurrence of the same names in the Old Testament or Josephus, it would often be impossible to identify them. But what the New Testament loses by the rarity of its allusions, it gains in their vividness

PREFACE.

. XIV and, moreover, its general history is connected with the geography of the scenes on which it was enacted, by a link arising directly from the nature of the Christian religion itself. That activity and practical energy, which is its chief outward characteristic, turns its earliest records into a perpetual narra tive of journeyings to and fro, by lake and mountain, over sea and land, that belongs to the history of no other creed. It is easy in all countries to exaggerate the points of con nection between history and geography ; and, in the case of Palestine especially, instances of this exaggeration have some times led to an undue depreciation of any such auxiliaries to the study of the Sacred History. But there are several land marks which can be clearly defined. I. The most important results of an insight into the geogra- Influen phical features of any country are those which eluci national m any degree the general character of the nation to which it has furnished a home.

If there be any thing in the course of human affairs which brings us near to the ' divinity which shapes men's ends, rough-hew them how they will,' which indicates something of the prescience of their future course even at its very commencement, it is the sight of that framework in which the national character is inclosed, by which it is modified, beyond which it cannot develop itself. Such a forecast, as every one knows, can be seen in the early growth of the Roman commonwealth, and in the peculiar con formation and climate of Greece1. The question which the geographer of the Holy Land, which the historian of the Chosen People has to propose to himself is, Can such a con- 1 For the sake of convenience I may graphy of Greece," in the first number here refer to an essay on "The Topoof the Classical Museum.

PREFACE.

. XV nection be traced between the scenery, the features, the boundaries, the situation, of Sinai and of Palestine on the one hand, and the history of the Israelites on the other ? It may be that there is much in one part of their history, and httle in another; least of all in its close, more in the middle part, most of all in its early beginnings. But whatever be the true answer, it cannot be indifferent to any one who wishes — whether from the divine or the human, from the theological or the his torical point of view — to form a complete estimate of the character of the most remarkable nation which has appeared on the earth. If the grandeur and solitude of Sinai was a fitting preparation for the reception of the Decalogue and for the second birth of an infant nation ; if Palestine, by its central situation, by its separation from the great civilised powers of the Eastern world, and by its contrast of scenery and resources both with the Desert and with the Egyptian and Mesopotamian empires, presents a natural home for the chosen people ; if its local features are such as in any way constitute it the cradle of a faith that was intended to be universal ; its geography is not without interest, in this its most general aspect, both for the philosopher and theologian1.

II. Next to the importance of illustrating the general character of a nation from its geographical situation Influence on forms of is the importance of ascertaining how far the forms expression. and expressions of its poetry, its philosophy, and its worship, have been affected by it. In Greece this was eminently the case. Was it so in Palestine ? It is not enough to answer that the religion of the Jewish people came direct from God, and 1 See Chapters I. and

PREFACE.

. XVI that the poetry of the Jewish prophets and psalmists was the immediate inspiration of God's Spirit. In the highest sense, indeed, this is most true. But, as every one acknowledges that this religion and this inspiration came through a human. medium to men living in those particular ' times ' of civilisation, and in those particular ' bounds of habitation,' which God had ' before appointed and determined ' for them, we cannot safely dispense with this or with any other means of knowing by what local influences the Divine message was of necessity coloured in its entrance into the world1. Again, as there are some who would exaggerate this local influence to the highest, and others who would depreciate it to the lowest degree possible, it is important to ascertain the real facts, whatever they may be, which may determine our judgment in arriving at the proper mean.

And lastly, as there was in the later developments of the history of Palestine, in the rabbinical times of the Jewish history, in the monastic and crusading times of the Christian history, an abundant literature and mythology of purely human growth, it becomes a matter of at least a secondary interest to know how far the traditions and the institutions of those times have been fostered by local considerations*. III. In the two points just noticed, the connection between _, , history and geography, if real, is essential. But this particular connection must always be more or less matter of opinion, and, for that very reason, is more open to fanciful speculation on the one side, and entire rejection on the other. There is, however, a connection less important, but more generally accessible and appreciable, that, namely, which, 1 See Chapters II. and XIII. - See Chapters I. II. and

PREFACE.

. XVII without actually causing or influencing, explains the events that have occurred in any particular locality. The most obvious example of this kind of concatenation between place and event is that between a battle and a battle-field, a campaign and the seat of war. No one can thoroughly understand the one without having seen or investigated the other. In some respects this mutual relation of action and locality is less remarkable in the simple warfare of ancient times than in the complicated tactics of modem times. But the course of armies, the use of cavalry and chariots, or of infantry, the sudden panics and successes of battle, are more easily affected by the natural features of a country in earlier than in later ages, and accordingly the conquest of Palestine by Joshua, and the numerous battles in the plain of Esdraelon1 must be as indis putably illustrated by a view of the localities as the fights of Marathon or Thrasyinenus.

So again" the boundaries of the different tribes, and the selection of the various capitals, must either receive considerable light from a consideration of their geographical crcumstances, or, if not, a further question must arise why in each case such exceptions should occur to what is else the well-known and general rule which determines such events. It is to the middle history of Palestine and of Israel, the times of the monarchy, where historical incidents of this kind are related in such detail as to present us with their various adjuncts, that this interest especially applies. But perhaps 1 See Chapters IV. VII. IX. and XI. In these portions of the work I have ventured on a more continuous narrative than would elsewhere have been ad missible. Where history and geography were so closely blended, it seemed most natural not to attempt a separation. • See Chapters III. IV. V. VI. VIII. andX.