Palestine, historical and descriptive, or, The home of God's people

Front matter

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Preface

There is a certain mystery which rests upon the land where those writings were indited which we all agree in calling Sacred. The Book which records the development of the religious thought of those who have gained the clearest insight into the character of God, is a book of mystery, and its secrets are still the wonder and the controversy of the world. Egypt, Sinai and Palestine share that mystery; they are still the regions over which a halo, brighter than romance, still hovers, and the common, garish light of nineteenth century reality has not, yet, banished the charm with which the imagination lingers on what we call, with a deeper meaning than we know, the Holy Land.

I may be permitted to confess to the reader that I have put much honest labor into this work, and now give it to the public as the ripened result of many years' study. Amid th^ cares of an active pastorship, my recreation has long been in the field of sacred geography and history; a protracted residence abroad has allowed me to accumulate much material, and the public has already received the results in the large b PREFACE.

work of Ritter, translated from the German, and edited with conscientious care.

The key note of this book may be said to be Ritter's great and dominating idea of the sisterhood, or rather twinship of geography and history. Though the pages will be seen to have largely a historical character, and at first glance will appear to be a repetition of what other pens have done, yet a more careful scrutiny will show that the old story is told afresh mainly for the purpose of casting upon it the side light of sacred geography. The Land of the Bible is the best commentator on the Bible itself, and he alone can enter into an understanding of Holy Writ who is willing to read the handwriting of God on those rocks and hills and plains where he mirrored his own thought, and whose physical features have become the symbols of

his own truth.

W. L. Gage.

Chapter I. The Haunts And Wanderings Of Abraham

PAGE.

Obscurity of the Opening Chapters of the Bible — Not the Men and "Women of To-day — Clearing Up — Abraham a Distinct Character — Ur of the Chaldees — Ur now a Missionary Station of the American Board — Abraham Journeys to Haran — Goes Onward to Damascus — Next Appears at the smiling Plain of Shechem — Then at the Hallowed Shrine of Bethel — Famines, common in those days — Abraham, the Rich Man, divides the whole country with Lot — Abraham gets after all the Best of the Bargain — Invasion of the "Kings of the East" — Dead Sea Described — Abraham's Victory over the Chieftains from the Plains of Shinar, 23

CHAPTER n.

JACOB AND THE "SOUTH COUNTRY/'

Change m the Character of the Country — Hills give place to Rolling Land — Grass Appears — This Land the Last Resting-place of Abraham and the Home of Isaac — This Region not yet Thoroughly Explored — Wells still a Subject of Contention — The Real Home of the Patriarchs — Hagar — Hebron and the Cave of Machpelah — Prince of Wales' Examination of It — Jacob's Embalmed Body probably there now — Jacob's Wanderings " in Search of a Wife " — His Return to Palestine — Shechem — The Death and Burial place of Rachel, 37

CHAPTER m.

EGYPT, AND THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA.

Egypt the Mother of Civilization — Sesostris — The Land of Goshen — Its Boundaries — Occupations of the Hebrew Slaves — The Treasure-cities — Succoth— Etham — The Natural Route of the IsraeHtes— Why they made their Detour — The Head of the Red Sea — The Places near it — b CONTENTS.

PAOK,

The Crossing of the Gulf of Suez — Dr. Bonar and Dr. Robinson on the Miracle wrought there, 54

CHAPTER IV.

THE SINAI PENINSULA.

A Toilful Pilgrimage — Physical Aspect of the " Wilderness " — The Triangle of Land — Rugged Sublimity of Nature — A Great Mass of Molten Rock Suddenly Cooled— The Tih Plateau— Its Wall of Mountains— The Dead Sea Gorge — Captain Allen's Theory — The Results of Modern Science — A Land Without a History — Unchanged Aspect — Want of Vegetation — A Land of Pilgrims — Literature of the Desert — The Bitter Springs of Marah — The Sweet Springs of EUm — The "Goodly" Vale — A Tedious Climb— A Desolate Plain— Desert of Sin— The One Beautiful Valley of the Whole Region — Serbal, the Mountain of Mystery — The Written Characters on the Rock — ^Approach to Sinai, 63

CHAPTER Y.

MOUNT SINAI, AND THE YEARS OF WANDERING.

The Broad, Curved Valley called Wady Sheikh— Pass of the Winds— The Plain before Sinai a Lofty, Craggy Pile — A Wall of Rock — Form and Structure of the Mountain — Discovery of the Sinaitic Manuscript of the New Testament by Prof. Tischendorf — The Convent of the Forty — Convent of St. Catharine — Scene of the Israelites' Encampment — Moses' Ascent — The Wilderness of Sinai — What Grows there — Silence of the Desert — Effect of a Thunder-storm — Elijah's Chapel — View from Sinai — The Stay of the Israelites around the Mount — Their Journey Northward— The Spies — Kadesh Barnea — Scene of the First Contest — Region of the Edomites — Aaron's Burial-place — Route of the Spies — Preliminary Survey of Palestine — Petra — Approach to the " Promised Land," ... 79

CHAPTER VI.

THE TRANS^ORDANIC DISTRICT.

A New Field — Recapitulation — The Ancient Tribes — The Moabites and the Ammonites — Moab and its Divisions — A Country Little Explored — Who have gone through it — Hindrances made by the Savage Bedouins — Victory over " Sihon, King of Amorites " — Rampage Northward into Og's Region — Porter's Researches — The Houses of Bashan — Argob and its Threescore Cities — Territory Given to Reuben — To Gad — To Half- Manassah — Hermon and its Various Names — The Midianites — Balaam and the Scene of His Vision — The Theoretical Limits of Palestine — Prominent Objects in the Landscape — Scene of Moses' Death — His Allotment of the " Promised Land," 100

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII.

PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN, AND BEGINNING OF THE CONQUEST.

PAGE.

Fording the Jordan — Depth in Summer — In Spring — In Winter — Melting Snows of Hermon — When the Israelites Crossed — Harvest Season — No Bridges then over the Jordan — Comparison with our American Rivers — Gilgal. the Place of the First Encampment — What Remains of It — Ruins of Jericho — Palms and Roses of that City — Vices of the Arabs There — The Man who Fell among Thieves — Natural Highway up to the Mountains— Route from Jericho to Ai — Taking of Ai — Ebal and Gerizim — Setting Up of the Law — Visit of the Gibeonites — Their Disguise — The Five Kings — Joshua as a Military Leader — Battle of Beth-horon — The Scene of the Contest— Slaughter of the Kings— "Sun, Stand Still"— The Great Miracle— Battle of Hazor, 122

CHAPTER VIIL

ALLOTMENT AMONG THE TWELVE TRIBES.

Full Description of the Allotment in the Bible — Retention of the Ancient Names in the Mouth of the Arabs — Robinson and Smith's Discoveries — The Three Tribes. East of the Jordan, Reuben, Gad, and Half-Manasseh — The Beautiful Land of Bashan — The Inequalities in Western Palestine in Respect to Soil— A Wonderful System of Compensations — Only One Tribe Fares Badly — Territory of Judah — Its Advantages — Benjamin — Its Sacred Localities — Dan — Its Narrowness and Subsequent Emigration — Ephraim — Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulon — The Cities of Refuge — Moses' Knowledge of the Land — Site of Shiloh and its Discovery by Robinson, 189

CHAPTER IX.

TROUBLOUS DAYS — THE JUDGES — DEBORAH.

The Subjugation not Perfect as Yet — Adonibezek — His Cruelties — Some very Strong Cities which had not been Taken — A Touch of Humor — The Five Philistine Cities — Gath not to be found — Who were the Canaanitesl — Great Invasion from the East — The First of the Judges — The Second Judge — The Scene Changes to the Jordan — Ehud and Eglon — The Great Battle of Deborah — Description of the Plain of Jezreel — The Battle Painted — Heroism of Deborah — Geographical LocaUties Visible at the Present Time — The Victory — Reflections, 157

CHAPTER X.

GIDEON AND HIS GREAT DELIVERANCE.

PASB.

A Difficult Theme — Some Localities Unknown — Who were the Midianite Invaders'? — The Bedouin of That Day — Their Costume and Manners — Where They Crossed the Jordan — The Plain of Esdraelon — Its Physical Conformation — The Order of the Midianite Invasion — Who Entered into the Alliance Against Tliem — The Character of Gideon — His Call as a Deliverer — His Brothers — The "Spring of Trembling" — The Sifting of His Men — How he got rid of the Cowards — The Night Attack — The Victory — The Pursuit into the High Lands East of the Jordan — Death of the " Raven " and the " Wolf" — Change in Gideon's Character, .... 168

CHAPTER XL

ABIMELECH THE TYRANT AND JEPHTHAH THE FREE- BOOTER.

A Tragic Tale — The Fertile Vale of Shechem — Its Conformation and Ancient Landmarks — The Scene of Jotham's Parable — Other Important Sites — Jephthah's Home East of the Jordan — A Wild, Rugged Character — How Jephthah Resembles Elijah — The Wildest of the Arabs — The First Movement of the Freebooter — The Territory of Ammon — The Crisis for which Jephthah was Raised Up — The Brief Campaign Against the Ammonites— The Scene of the World-famous Vow — The Daughter's Fate, . 176

CHAPTER XH.

SAMSON THE GREAT HUMORIST.

Scene Transferred to the Hill-Country of Dan — Samson a Danite — Character of the Country where he was Reared^The Philistines and their Domain — Whence They Came — How They Surpassed the Israelites in Arts — The Gradual Increase of the Philistines' Power — Their Use of Horses and Chariots — The Rudeness of the Arts of War Among the Israelites — The Name Palestine Derived from Philistine — The Chief Cities — Their Ruins at the Present Day — Ashkelon, Ekron, Ashdod — The Physical Character of the PhiUstine Territory, 182

CHAPTER Xm.

MICAH AND THE LEVITE— THE WAR OF EXTERMINA- TION ON BENJAMIN— THE PASTORAL OF RUTH.

The Close of the Book of Judges — The Scene of Sacred Story Moves to the Neighborhood of Jerusalem and then to the Extreme North of Pal-

I

CONTENTS. IX

PAO>.

estine — Tell el Kadi, the Mound of the Judge — The Profuse Jordan Spring Found There— Its Waters, Whence Obtained — The Course Taken by the Spies — Their Report — The Capture of Laish and its Fate — Tristara's Account of the Conquered Region — The Great War of Extermination— The Site of Gibeah — Mizpeh, Whence Named — The Old and the New Place which Bore That Name — The Sacredness of Mizpeh — The Battle which Surged Around that Hallowed Place — The Course of the Battle— The Structure and Contents of the Book of Ruth, 187

CHAPTER XIV.

SAMUEL THE PRINCELY.

The First Book of Samuel a Real Continuation of Judges — Samuel a True Member of the Line of Men who Judged Israel — Contrast Between Samson and Samuel — The Religious Degeneracy of the Hebrews — The Profligacy of Eli's Sons a Symptom of the Age— The First Battle With the Philistines — Victory at Eben-ezer — The Ark and its Use During the Battle—The Death of Hophni and Phinehas— Its Effect on Eli— The Ark Passes Into the Hands of the Philistines — They get Rid of It — Another Battle With the Philistines, 198

CHAPTER XV.

FAILURE OF THE COMMONWEALTH— CHOICE OF A KING— SAUL.

Moses' Policy Precluded Forever the Establishing of a King Over the Jews — Yet he Feared a Degeneracy which should sometime Result in Having a King — Provision Made to This End — Failure of the Commonwealth— Encroachment of the Philistines on the West — Of Arab Barbarians on the East — No Smith in Israel — ^All Repairing of Tools Done by the Philistines — Feelings of Weakness — Saul's Search for his Asses — Geographical Difficulties — Unsolved Questions of Location — Across the Jordan to Jabesh-gilead — Its Deliverance — Saul's Wonderful Alacrity — The Battle at Michmash — Other Advantages which Followed — The Slaughter of Agag — The Rejection of Sanl, 204

CHAPTER XVI.

DAVID AND SAUL.

The Anointing of David — Not Followed by his Immediate Accession to Power — David had a Reputation Even in His Youth — The Rare Qualities Which a Shepherd was Compelled to Have — David's Additional Accomplishments— His Exploits — The Psalms Written During his Shepherd Life — Saul's Madness — Similar in Character to That of Theodore the Late Emperor of Abyssinia — The Contest With Goliath — The Geographical

PAOE.

Situation — The Friendship With Jonathan — David Hunted Before Saul — The Refuge Places Where we Find Him — He Even Seeks Slielter Among the Philistines — The Cave of Adullam — Moab — Keturn to his Native Heath — Keilah and its Deliverance — Recent Identifications of David's Haunts — Physical Character of Southern Palestine — David's Wild, Wretched, Wander-Years— Grand Attack on Saul — The Philistines at Jezreel — The Death of Saul and Jonathan, 214

CHAPTER XVII.

DAVID AS KING— CONQUEST OF JERUSALEM— ALLI- ANCE WITH PHOENICIA.

The Career and Misfortunes of Saul's Son — Site of Mahanaim — The Princely Abner — A State of Anarchy and Civil War — David at Hebron —The Region Around that City— The Change of the Capital— The Natural Seat of Government was at Shechem — Zion — Millo — The City of David — Insignificant Size of the Jerusalem of that Day — Great War with the Philistines — A Speedy and Brilliant Campaign — David's False Policy Regarding Philistia — The Alliance with the Phoenicians and What it Meant — The Northern Tribes and their Relations with Phoenicia — David's Palace, 226

CHAPTER XVIII.

REMOVAL OF THE ARK— MILITARY CONQUESTS.

The Place where the Ark had Lain for Twenty Years — Its Removal to Gibeah— The Pomp of that Removal— The Twenty-fourth Psalm— The Acme of David's Career — David's Conquests — His Eminence as a Poet, Contrasted with his Fame as a Warrior — The Extent of David's Victories— Campaign Against the Philistines — Mistaken Policy Regarding Them — War Against Moab — Improvement on tlie Old Carnage of Joshua's Time — Wrong to Judge the Ethics of the Old Testament by those of the New — War Against the King of Zobah — The Riches Gained by this Campaign — The Frontier Lines as now Drawn by David — Master now of nearly all the "Promised Land" — Petra and its Subjugation — Full Description -of Petra from Ritter — Subjugation of Ammon — Size of Palestine Contrasted with that of Other Great Nations of that Age, .... 284

CHAPTER XIX.

DAVID'S SIN— ABSALOM'S REVOLT.

The Fall of David — A Turning-point in His Life — Bathsheba Descried from the Palace — Her Husband a Foreigner — Uriah's Wonderful Fidelity — David's Sin must not be Measured by the Standard of Our Day — The Fifty-first Psalm — An Autobiographical Confession — David's Star on the

PAoa.

Wane — The Story of Absalom Minutely Told in the Bible — Stanley's

Account — Absalom's Beauty — Eastern Family Customs — David's Love

for Absalom — The Flight of the King — The Insults which were Offered

Him — Ahithopel's Counsel — The Psalms which Grew Out of this Event

— David in Security East of the Jordan — Death of Absalom — Effect on

the King — David's Return, 267

CHAPTER XX.

CLOSING EVENTS OF DAVID'S REIGN— PREPARATIONS FOR THE TEMPLE.

Two Minor Rebellions — David Falls into the Usual Ways of an Oriental Despot — Introduction of a Strict Military Discipline — Heavy Taxes Laid on the People — The King's Favorites — Popular Discontent — Sheba's Rebellion— The Conscription under Joab — The Penalty Laid on David — Pestilence — Its Limits — The Threshing-floor of Araunah — Mount Moriah — David's Purchase — Its Consecration to a New Use — The Present Aspect of that Threshing-floor — Mosque of Omar — Access to it — The Cavern Beneath the Dome — Adonijah's Rebellion — David an Old Man — The Royal Succession — Death of David — His Burial — His Sepulchre, 287

CHAPTER XXI.

SOLOMON'S CHARACTER AND EARLIER ACTS.

The Reign of Solomon a Contrast to that of David — Change in the Public Tastes — Not Much of Shepherd Life Left in the Royal Home — David's Palace a Simple House Judged by Solomon's Standard — ^Not Altogether an Advance from David's to Solomon's Time, but Rather a Fall — No Increase in Faith and Purity — An Epoch of Effeminacy — Solomon a Believer in the Visible — His Life Pitched to a Much Lower Key than that of David — The Influences Around His Youth — His Crafty and Ambitious Mother — The Realm He Found Himself Master of— Its Extent and Boundary Lines — His First Act one of Destruction — His Marriage into the Royal House of Egypt — Mighty Contrast Between Moses' Time and Solomon's — The Effect of the Egyptian Alliance — The Compact with Hiram of Tyre— The Officers of Solomon's Household, 296

CHAPTER XXn.

SOLOMON'S ARCHITECTURAL AND OTHER PUBLIC WORKS.

The Erection of the Temple — Planned by David, but Executed by Solomon — Relation of Its Size to that of the Tabernacle — The Temple About the Size of a Moderately Large Village Church — Its Divisions — Its Sacred Vessels— The Gold Used in Its Floor and Sides— The Fame of the Edifice

I

PAOI.

— The Foundation Stones Which now Remain — Their Great Size — Other Remains — Solomon's Palace — The Armory — The House of the Forest of Lebanon — The Porch of Pillars — Magnificence of all these Structures — Adornment of the Suburbs of Jerusalem — The Pools of Solomon — The Aqueduct — I he Fortifications Which He Built — Palmyra — Solomon's Drain upon the Resources of his Subjects — The Establishment of a Navy in the Red Sea— Trade With Ophir— Where was Opliir— The "Ships of Tarshish" — The Queen of Sheba — Solomon's Administration — His Mistakes, 30H

CHAPTER XXill.

THE TWO KINGDOMS— REHOBOAM AND JEROBOAM.

Change at this Point in the Character of Kings and Chronicles — Crisis at the Close of Solomon's Reign — Rehoboam Inherits his Father's Love of Splendor — His Mother — The Council at Shechem — An Abrupt Break — Jeroboam's Origin — Resemblance Between Jeroboam and the First Napoleon— His Education in Egypt — His Great Deeds — An Egyptian Invasion— Artificiality of Rehoboam's Character — Extent of the Northern Compared with that of the Southern Kingdom — The Isolation of the Southern Kingdom its best Safeguard — Jeroboam's Want of Religion — He Organizes a State Religion for the "Masses" — Philosophy which Underlay the Worship of the Bullock — The Homage Paid to Nature — Apotheosis of Men — No Binding Force in his State Religion — The Doom of the House of Jeroboam — Tumults and Conspiracies — Zimri, and his Seven Days' Reign — Omri — Abijah— Asa, 316

CHAPTER XXIV.

AHAB AND ELIJAH— JEHOSHAPHAT.

Ahab Surpasses even Jeroboam in Wickedness — His Marriage with Jezebel — The Worship of Foreign Images comes in — The Adoration of Baal an Apotheosis of Power — Parallel Between the Ideas of Ancient Idolaters and those Current Among Ourselves — The Brilliant and Festive Character of much of the "Divine Worship" of Our Day — ^A Falling Away from the Grave and Earnest Spirit of Moses and His Successors — The Character of Jezebel — The Rites She Introduced — Elijah Starts, as it were from the Ground — His Training — His Rough, Wild, Ungracious Ways — Contrast Between Eastern and Western Palestine— Thunder in a Clear Sky — Ahab's First Rebuke — Suddenness of Elijah's Moves — Scenes where He Appears — He is Always at Hand when Needed — Hopes that he would Again Visit this Earth — Mendelssohn's Elijah — War Between Ahab and the King of Syria — The Reign of Ahab Almost Unconnected with that of His Contemporary, Jehoshaphat — The Great Deeds of the Latter King — He Revives the Glories of Solomon, 328

CHAPTER XXV.

ELISHA AND HIS TIMES.

PAGE.

Contrast Between Elisha and Elijah — Mont Blanc and Righi — Elisha is Commonplace Compared with his Predecessor — Yet a Sweet and Benignant Character — Hazael the King of Syria — The Call of Elisha — Strange Affection of Elijah for Elisha — The Going Up from Gilgal to Bethel— Elisha's Short Hair and the Ridicule it Occasioned — *' Go Up Thou Bald Head " Explained — A Peaceful Career — Elisha's Great Kindnesses — The Wonders He Wrought — Elisha is the Master Even of Kings, 338

CHAPTER XXVI.

JEHU AND HIS REIGN.

Encroaching Power of Syria — Combination Thus Enforced Between the Kingdom of Israel and that of Judah — The Syrians Masters of Ramoth-gilead — The City Occupied Temporarily by Jehu — Marriage Alliances — Jehu Appointed King — The Effect of the Tidings on Him — Jehu Hurries to the City of Jezreel — Riding "Like Jehu" — Treachery at Court — Jezebel at the Capital — Death of the Wicked Queen — Jehu's Eirst Acts —The Infamy of Athaliah, 343

CHAPTER XXVn.

DOWNFALL OF ISRAEL.

A Line of Wicked Kings— The Old Story of Jeroboam Oft Repeated- Jehu Hardly Better than the Rest — Jeroboam the Second — A Period of Crisis and Calamities — Trouble in Syria — Rise of Assyria — The Assyrian Kings — The First Invasion and the Taking of the People of the Northern Kingdom Captive — The Next Blow of the Assyrians — Palestine as Viewed by the Assyrians — Compared with Modern European Nations — A Kingdom Blotted Out — Alleged Modern Discoveries of the Ten Tribes —The Site of Nineveh— The Prophets of the Bible— Their Function as Preachers, 349

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE ANNALS OF JUDAH— THE GOOD KING HEZEKIAH.

The Annals of Judah not so Remarkable for Wicked Kings as those of Israel — Instances of Piety on the Throne — Hezekiah the Most Memorable of them all— His Life Narrated in Three Different Parts of the Bible— The Book of Isaiah — The Former Assyrian Invasions — The One which Now Occurred — Sennacherib, His Character — The Memorial of Him at Dog River, Near Beyrout — Other Memorials There — The Assyrian Army —

PAOI.

What was Expected — Isaiah's Description of the Approach — Topographical Worth of His Description — Siege of Lachisli — Its lluins — Insulting Message of the Assyrian King to Hezekiah — Not Difllcult to Take Jerusajem — No Words of Submission — Tlie Plague at Night— Byron's Lines— The Danger Passed — A Trace of this Fragment of History Found in Herodotus, 858

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE CAPTIVITY— NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

Prevalence in Corruption in Jerusalem and Judah — Josiah Raised Up to Stem it — Brief Reigns — Kings Carried into Captivity at Babylon — Zedekiah has his Eyes Put Out — Battle of Megiddo — Rivalry of Babylon and Egypt — The Prophecy of Jeremiah — Discovery of the Bible — The Old Faith a Dead Thing — The Approach of the Final Siege of Jerusalem — The Invasion of Nebuchadnezzar — The Character of this Monarch — Daniel — The Ruins of Babylon — Nebuchadnezzar's Insanity, 379

CHAPTER XXX.

CONDITION OF THE JEWS DURING THE CAPTIVITY.

The Books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Esther — The Grandeur of the Babylonian Monarch — Glimpses of the Jewish People — Their Slavery — The Book of Esther in Special — A Romantic History — Why that Book is Found in the Bible — Objections Considered — Xerxes the Great — Esther Herself — The Great Providence Displayed in the Wliole History — Salvation of the Jewish Nation — The Feast of Purim Still Kept by the Jews — Side Lights Thrown Upon Jewish History — Their Prosperity in Babylon — Reluctant to Return — Cyrus — His Shrewdness in Allowing the Jews to Go Back, . 883

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

The First Colony or Caravan that Returned — View of Jerusalem from the East — A Scene of Desolation — Rebuilding of the Temple — Hindrances Put in the Way — The Work Sped — ^Book of Ezra — Nehemiah Goes Up with Another Colony — Ezra's Work of Reformation — The Effect Felt to the Present Day — Restoration of the Wall — The People had a Mind to Work — Gross Evils Ceased — Synagogue Worship Began — Ceasing of Prophecy — The Editing of the Bible — Malachi — Restoration of the Sabbath — The Reform in Marriage and the Abolishment of Idolatry, . . 389

CHAPTER XXXII.

PALESTINE AFTER THE CAPTIVITY.

Limitation of the Church Land of the Hebrews to the Hill-country Around Jerusalem — New and Large Relations — Great Extent of the New Empire — By Whom it had been Conquered — The Policy of Cyrus — Egypt the

PAQB.

Ground-work of our Conceptions — Resemblances between the Ruins of Babylon and those of Egypt — Condition of Palestine at this Time — The Character of the Men who Returned from Babylon — What Jerusalem was still to the Jews — The Work of Nehemiah told in Greater Detail — The Men who Followed Nehemiah and Their Work, 398

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE LAND OF THE MACCABEES.

The Empire of Alexander and the Place of Palestine in it — Changes Going Forward — Alexandria and Egypt — The Ptolemaic Restorations — Extension of the Syro- Grecian Power — Course of Afiairs at Jerusalem — The Fidelity of Judas Maccabaeus — A Period of Depression — Hopes of Finding the Dispersed Jews — The Maccabean Kingdom — ;The Conquest by Rome, 414

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE HOLY PLACES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Difference Between the Old and New Testaments in Respect to Geographical Importance — Holy Places Narrated — Bethlehem — Church of Helena — Grotto of the Nativity — Nazareth — Grotto in the Latin Convent — Spring Near the Greek Church — House at Loretto — Jerusalem — Church of the Ascension — Tomb of the Virgin — Garden of Gethsemane — The Coenaculum — Church of the Holy Sepulchre — Rock of Golgotha — Diversity of Sects— The Holy Fire— Travels of St. Paul— Patmos, 432

CHAPTER XXXV.

HOLY PLACES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT— (Continued.)

Uniformity of Tradition Regarding the Holy Places — Growth of Legends in Greece and Rome — Different in Jerusalem — The Church of the Ascension— Its Antiquity — The Church Built by Helena — The Cave at Bethlehem— The Mount of Olives — Church of the Virgin — Garden of Gethsemane— Mount Zion — Mosque of the Tomb of David — The Coenaculum — The Site of the Holy Sepulchre — Hadrian's Temple — Tomb of Adam — The Wall of Herod— Golgotha— Chapel of the " Invention of the Cross " — Capernaum — The Two Canas — Bethesda — The Trav-els of St. Paul — The Fastnesses of Asia Minor — The Holy Places of Greece, .... 461

CHAPTER XXXVI.

PALESTINE, ITS ASPECT AND SITUATION.

The Highlands of Syria — Lebanon — The Four Rivers of Palestine — The Orontes — The Litany — The Barada — The Jordan — Physical Conformation of Palestine — Seclusion from the rest of the Ancient World — Small-

and Narrow Territory — Central Situation — ^A Land of Ruins, . . . 47i ly CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

CLIMATE AND SCENERY OF PALESTINE.

i/AQK.

The Land of " Milk and Honey " — Destruction of Forests — Contrast with the Desert — Contrast with Assyria and Egypt — Variety of Structure and Climate — Palestine a Mountainous Country — Aram — The Views of Sacred History — What Abraham Saw from Bethel — What Balaam Saw from the Hills of Moab — What Moses Saw from Pisgah — What Jesus Saw from the Mount of Temptation — The Fenced Cities — The "High Places " — Political Divisions and Conquests — Highlands and Lowlands — Distinction Between Palestine and Other Half-civilized Countries — Scenery of Palestine, 48b

CHAPTER XXXVin.

NATURAL PRODUCTIONS AND SOIL OF PALESTINE.

Vegetation of Palestine — Trees — Olives — Cedars of Lebanon — Oaks — Terebinths — Abraham's Oak — Sacred Trees — Oak of Moreh — Oak of Mamre — Palms — Sycamores — Oleanders — The Wells of Palestine — Springs — Sepulchres — Caves — Legendary Curiosities, 507

CHAPTER XXXIX.

A COMPARATIVE SURVEY OF SYRIA.

The Three Routes into Palestine from the South — Insignificant Size of Palestine — Perpetuation of the Bond which Binds the Jew to his Former Home — Sacredness of Palestine in the Eyes of the Mahometans — Close Connection between the Local Geography of the Holy Land and the Mental Characteristics of the People — The Philosophy which Underlies This — Syria, how Bounded — Palestine's Position in Relation to the Ancient World — Palestine Viewed in Detail, 531