I. DIMENSIONS.
THE terms Canaan, Palestine and the Holy Land are used with various meanings. The first is the original name, taken from the ancestor of its early inhabitants; the second is a modernized form of the word "Philistine," a race occupying its southwest portion; the third is the name applied to it as the land where the Saviour of the world lived and died. In either one of these three names we may also find three different limitations of meaning. 1. Strictly speaking, the word "Canaan" refers to the country between the Jordan and the Mediterranean; bounded on the north by Mount Lebanon, and on the south by the desert.
The name "Palestine" is often given to this section only. This region includes about 6,600 square miles, a territory smaller than the State of Ma.s.sachusetts by 1,200 square miles. 2. Palestine Proper, the Land of the Twelve Tribes, embraces both Canaan and the region east of the Jordan, loosely called Gilead, though that name strictly belongs to but one section of it. Palestine Proper is bounded on the north by the river Leontes, Mount Lebanon and Mount Hermon; east by the Syrian desert, south by the Arabian desert, and west by the Mediterranean; and forms a sort of parallelogram, embracing an area of about 12,000 miles, about the size of Ma.s.sachusetts and Connecticut. 3. The Land of Promise (Num.
34), in its largest meaning, extended from the "Entrance of Hamath," on the north, to Mount Hor, Kadesh-barnea, and the "River of Egypt" (_Wady el Arish_); and from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean; including an area of 60,000 square miles, a little less than that of the five New England States. This was realized only during a part of the reigns of David and Solomon. Not all of even Palestine Proper was possessed by Israel during most of its history; for the plain along the sea-sh.o.r.e was held by the Philistines on the south, and by the Phoenicians on the north.
[Ill.u.s.tration: COMPARATIVE AREAS OF PALESTINE AND NEW ENGLAND.]
II. NATURAL DIVISIONS.
The divisions of Palestine made by the natural features of the country are four, generally parallel to each other: 1. The Maritime Plain. 2.
The Mountain Region. 3. The Jordan Valley. 4. The Eastern Table-Land.
1. =The Maritime Plain= lies along the coast of the Mediterranean for the entire length of the country, broken only by Mount Carmel, north of which it is quite narrow; but immediately south of the mountain it is 8 miles wide, thence widening to 20 miles at the southern boundary of the country. It is an undulating surface of low hillocks of sandy soil, from 100 to 200 feet above the sea-level, and very fertile. In the Old Testament period it was but little occupied by the Israelites, whose home was on the mountains. It is divided into four portions. North of Mount Carmel a narrow strip is called Phoenicia. Directly east of Mount Carmel the level country is pressed inward, and lies between the mountains, forming the remarkable Plain of Esdraelon, physically belonging to the Maritime Plain, but geographically to the Mountain Region. South of Mount Carmel lay Sharon; and further southward was Philistia, a land whose people, the Philistines, were long the enemies of Israel, and have since given the name PALESTINE to the whole land.
2. =The Mountain Region=, between the Jordan Valley and the Plain, is the backbone of the country, and was the princ.i.p.al home of the Israelites. It is a continuation of the Lebanon range of mountains, and extends southward to the desert. It is divided into five sections, by natural rather than political lines of boundary. (1.) In Upper Galilee the mountains average a height of 2,800 feet above the sea, and _Jebel Jermuk_, the highest peak, is 4,000 feet high. (2.) In Lower Galilee the hills are about 1,800 feet high, their southeastern slopes precipitous, the northern and northwestern gentle. In this section lies the Plain of Esdraelon, about 250 feet above the sea, 9 miles across, and 14 miles north and south. (3.) The Hill Country of Samaria and Judaea, called in the Old Testament "Mount Ephraim," and "the mountains of Judah," is from 2,000 to 3,000 feet high, consisting of mountain and valley, with the watershed midway between the Jordan and the sea. Near the Dead Sea is the Wilderness of Judaea, an uninhabitable region, without verdure, and penetrated with ravines and caves; sometimes called Jeshimon. (4.) The _Shefelah_, or "low hills," are the foot-hills of the Mountain Region, forming a natural terrace 500 feet above the sea-level, on the western side of the mountains, between them and the Plain. This extends along both Samaria and Judaea. (5.) The Negeb, a word meaning "dry," translated "South Country" in the Bible, begins just south of Hebron, and slopes southward to the Arabian desert, in a series of hills much lower than those in the northern section.
3. =The Jordan Valley= is a remarkable depression, beginning at the sources of the river, and plowing a gorge which grows deeper as it goes southward. At the springs of the Jordan it is 1,700 feet above the sea, with lofty mountains on each side, Hermon and Lebanon. At lake Merom it is 7 feet above the level of the sea. Below Merom it descends by a fall of 60 feet to the mile, and at the Sea of Galilee is 682 feet below the Mediterranean. Here begins the _Ghor_ (its Arab name, meaning "hollow"), a gorge 65 miles long to the Dead Sea, and descending 610 feet further in its depth, with a barrier of cliffs on either side, from 2 to 8 miles apart, except at the "Plain of Jordan," or "Plain of Jericho," just north of the Dead Sea, which is 14 miles wide. This plain lies 400 feet above the level of the Dead Sea, and is encompa.s.sed by mountains which rise above it about 4,000 feet.
4. =The Eastern Table-Land= is a lofty plateau, east of the Jordan. The mountains on this side are higher and more steep than are those on the west; and from their summit a plain stretches away to the great Syrian desert. It is mostly fertile, and especially adapted to pasturage. On the north is Bashan, now called "the Hauran," in the centre lies Gilead, and south was the land of Moab.
III. THE WATERS OF PALESTINE.
These may be noticed under three heads: 1. The River Jordan. 2. The Three Lakes. 3. The Brooks, or mountain torrents.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE RIVER JORDAN.]
1. =The River Jordan= has three sources. (1.) The most northerly is at _Hasbeiya_, on Hermon. (2.) The largest stream proceeds from a great spring at the ancient Dan, now _Tell el Kady_. (3.) The one recognized as the source by the Jews is at Banias, near the ancient Caesarea Philippi. It may be divided into three sections: from Hasbeiya to Lake Merom, about 40 miles; from its entrance into Merom to the Sea of Galilee, 15 miles; and from the northern end of that lake to the Dead Sea, 79 miles,--making its direct length 134 miles, though by its windings the channel is about 200 miles long. In its progress it falls over 3,000 feet, an average fall of over 22 feet to the mile. It varies in width from 80 to 180 feet, and in depth from 5 to 12 feet.
2. =The Three Lakes= are: (1.) Merom, now called _Huleh_, a triangular sheet of water three miles across, located in a swamp in Northern Galilee. (2.) The Sea of Galilee, called Chinnereth in the Old Testament, a pear-shaped lake, 14 miles long, and 9 wide. (3.) The Dead Sea, 46 miles long, its surface 1,290 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, and in some places 1,300 feet deep, though the great lagoon on its southern end is not more than 20 feet deep.
[Ill.u.s.tration: SECTION OF PALESTINE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.]
3. =The Brooks=, or mountain torrents, are an important feature in the country. They are dry for most of the year, but during the winter are large and rapid. (1.) On the east of the Jordan Valley are: (_a_) the Hieromax (now called the _Jarmuk_), flowing from the highlands of Bashan into the Jordan, south of the Sea of Galilee; (_b_) the Jabbok (now _Zerka_), descending from the table-land, and entering the Jordan a little south of midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea; (_c_) the Arnon (now _Mojeb_), entering the Dead Sea about the middle of its eastern sh.o.r.e. (2.) Flowing from the Mountain Region eastward are: (_a_) the _Farah_, "the waters of Enon" (John 3:23); (_b_) the brook Cherith (1 Kings 17:3), perhaps _Wady Kelt_, near Jericho; (_c_) the brook Kedron, running past Jerusalem, eastward, into the Dead Sea, probably the _Wady en Nar_. (3.) Flowing into the Mediterranean are: (_a_) the Leontes (now _Litany_), the northern boundary of Palestine, a stream almost as long as the Jordan; (_b_) the Kishon, "that ancient river" (Judg. 5:21), watering the Plain of Esdraelon; (_c_) the brook Besor (_Wady es Sheriah_), near the southern frontier. Others might be named, but these are the most important, though not in all cases the largest.
[Ill.u.s.tration: SECTION OF PALESTINE FROM EAST TO WEST.]
IV. THE MOUNTAINS OF PALESTINE.
These may be considered either in order of height or of location. The diagram groups the princ.i.p.al mountains in the relation of their comparative height above the sea-level; we may notice them in their order of location. They naturally divide into two sections: 1. Those of the Mountain Region west of Jordan. 2. Those of the Eastern Table-Land.
[Ill.u.s.tration: COMPARATIVE HEIGHT OF MOUNTAINS IN PALESTINE.]
Beginning at the northern boundary of Palestine, we find: 1. Mount Lebanon, "the white mountain," a range of lofty mountains stretching northward, parallel with the sea, generally about 5,000 feet high, but at its highest point, _Jebel Mukhmeel_, 10,200 feet high. 2. The highest point in Galilee is _Jebel Jermuk_, northwest of the Sea of Galilee, 4,000 feet high. 3. West of the Sea of Galilee is _Kurn Hattin_, "the horns of Hattin," the traditional "Mount of the Beat.i.tudes," 1,200 feet high. 4. At the northeastern corner of the Plain of Esdraelon is Mount Tabor, a symmetrical cone, the battle-field of Deborah and Barak, 1,843 feet high. 5. A short distance to the south stands Little Hermon, "the Hill of Moreh," now _Jebel el Duhy_, 1,815 feet high. 6. Southward still is Mount Gilboa, the place of Gideon"s victory and of King Saul"s defeat, 1,715 feet high. 7. Sweeping around the southern border of the Plain of Esdraelon to the Mediterranean Sea is Mount Carmel, at its highest point 1,750 feet, but 500 as it meets the sea. These last four mountains form the boundary of the Plain of Esdraelon. In the land of Samaria, which we now enter, are but two important elevations: 8. Ebal, the mountain of the curses, 3,075 feet; 9. Directly opposite, Gerizim, the mountain of the blessings, 2,850 feet. The princ.i.p.al peaks in Judaea are the following: 10. Mount Zion, the seat of David"s castle, 2,550 feet; 11. Across the valley of the Kedron eastward, the Mount of Olives, 2,665 feet; 12. Mount Hebron, 3,030 feet. South of Hebron the land slopes away to the level of the desert.
The Eastern Table-Land has fewer elevations, and is generally less noticed in the Scriptures. 1. On the north rises Mount Hermon, 9,000 feet high, the southern end of the range known as Anti-Lebanon, or "Lebanon toward the sun-rising." 2. South of the river Hieromax is Mount Gilead, about 3,000 feet high. 3. Near the northern end of the Dead Sea is Mount Nebo, 2,670 feet high, on a "shoulder" of which, Mount Pisgah, Moses beheld the Promised Land, and died.
V. THE PLAINS OF PALESTINE.
These have been already noticed, to some extent, but may be named together. Upon the Maritime Plain, we notice: 1. Phoenicia, a very narrow strip along the Mediterranean, north of Mount Carmel, never possessed by the Israelites, and having Tyre and Sidon as its princ.i.p.al cities. 2. Directly south of Mount Carmel, Sharon, having Caesarea and Joppa as its most important places. 3. Still further south, Philistia, the land of Israel"s ancient enemies, containing several cities, of which Gaza and Ashkelon (afterward Ascalon) were chief. Upon the Mountain Region we find imbedded, 4. The Plain of Esdraelon, a Y-shaped region, 250 feet above the sea-level, surrounded by mountains, and situated between Mounts Carmel, Tabor and Gilboa. 5. The Negeb, or South Country, between Hebron and the desert, in Southern Judaea, may be regarded as a plain, though of rolling character, as its hills are not so high as those on the north. 6. In the Jordan Valley, just north of the Dead Sea, is a place called "the Plain of Jordan," or "the Plain of Jericho," the site of the destroyed "cities of the plain." 7. In the northern section of the Eastern Table-Land is the vast highland known as "the Hauran," anciently called Bashan, watered by the streams which form the Hieromax river.
OUTLINE FOR REVIEW.
I. _Dimensions._ 1. Canaan. 2. Palestine (Twelve Tribes). 3. Land of Promise.
II. _Natural Divisions._ 1. Maritime Plain. 2. Mountain Region (Upper Galilee, Lower Galilee, Hill Country, Shefelah, Negeb). 3. Jordan Valley (Merom, Galilee, Dead Sea). 4. Eastern Table-Land (Bashan, Gilead, Moab).
III. _Waters._ 1. Jordan (sources, sections). 2. Lakes (Merom, Galilee, Dead Sea). 3. Brooks. (1.) East: Hieromax, Jabbok, Arnon. (2.) Mountain Region: Farah, Cherith, Kedron. (3.) Maritime Plain: Leontes, Kishon, Besor.
IV. _Mountains._ 1. West of Jordan: Lebanon, Jermuk, Hattin, Tabor, Little Hermon, Gilboa, Carmel, Ebal, Gerizim, Zion, Olives, Hebron. 2.
East of Jordan: Hermon, Gilead, Nebo.
V. _Plains._ 1. Phoenicia. 2. Sharon. 3. Philistia. 4. Esdraelon. 5.
Negeb. 6. Jordan. 7. Hauran.
THE JOURNEYS OF THE PATRIARCHS.
AT the close of the eleventh chapter of Genesis a change is made in the subject of the Bible story. Thus far it has been a history of the entire race; but from this point to the close of Genesis a single family is brought into prominent notice, and the rest of the tribes of men are referred to only incidentally. The family of Abraham, of Semitic origin, deserve all their prominence in sacred history, since through them the true religion was perpetuated until the world was ready for its wider dissemination in the gospel period.
[Ill.u.s.tration: MUGHEIR, SUPPOSED TO BE UR OF THE CHALDEES.]
I. THE JOURNEYS OF ABRAHAM.
These extend over nearly all the lands of the Old Testament, from Chaldea to Egypt. They represent the separation of a Semitic clan from the great body of the race, which was then ruled by an Elamite dynasty; and they bring to our notice the political relations of the world about two thousand years before Christ, in the early Chaldean period of the East.
1. =From Ur to Haran.= (Gen. 11:27-32.) The family of Abraham (then called Abram) lived at Ur of the Chaldees, probably _Mugheir_, south of the Euphrates, and an early seat of empire. Thence, at G.o.d"s call, they migrated, moving up the Euphrates to Haran, in Mesopotamia, probably the Roman Carrhae, and the modern _Haran_, on the river Belik, 50 miles above its entrance into the Euphrates. Here the family remained until the death of Terah, Abraham"s aged father, whose traditional tomb is still shown.
2. =From Haran to Canaan.= (Gen. 12:1-9.) A branch of the family, the descendants of Abraham"s brother Nahor, settled in Haran; but Abraham and his nephew Lot moved on southward, past Damascus, to the land of Canaan. They paused first at Shechem, and afterward at Bethel, at each place building an altar; but after a time removed further southward, impelled by the dearth of food in the land.
3. =The Visit to Egypt.= (Gen. 12:10-20.) The famine caused a removal of the entire clan to Egypt, where the beauty of Sarah was the occasion of Abraham"s deception, of Pharaoh"s wrong, and of Abraham"s expulsion from the land. He returned to his former abode at Bethel. (Gen. 13:3, 4.)
4. =The Removal to Hebron.= (Gen. 13:5-18.) This was occasioned by the scarcity of pasture for the immense flocks and herds of Abraham and Lot.
The two chieftains made a division of the land, Lot choosing the Jordan Valley, north of the Dead Sea, near the city of Sodom, and Abraham the highlands around Hebron, anciently Kirjath-arba, now known by Abraham"s t.i.tle, _el Khalil_, "The Friend," _i. e._, of G.o.d.
5. =Pursuit of the Elamites.= (Gen. 14.) At that period the early Babylonian empire, under Amraphel or Hammurabi (see p. 91), was at the height of its power. Its king governed Elam, Chaldea, a.s.syria, Mesopotamia, and most of Palestine. Chedorlaomer, the head of the united peoples, led his armies against the aboriginal races east of the Jordan.
(See Map of Palestine Before the Conquest, and description, on page 37.) After subduing them he pa.s.sed around south of the Dead Sea, smote the Amorites in the mountains near Hazezon-tamar, afterward En-gedi, and poured his host down upon the Jordan Valley. The cities on the north of the Dead Sea, Sodom and Gomorrah, with their dependent villages, being unable to stay his progress, were ravaged, and their inhabitants (including Abraham"s nephew Lot) carried away captive, up the valley.
News of the invasion came to Abraham, and he instantly gathered his servants and allies, and pursued the marauders. He overtook them near Laish, afterward Dan, now _Tell el Kady_, attacked them by night, pursued them as far as Hobah, near Damascus, and brought back the booty and the prisoners. On the return took place the remarkable interview with Melchizedek, a priest-king over the city of Salem, perhaps the place afterward Jerusalem. After the return to Hebron the following events occurred: 1. The covenant of G.o.d with Abraham. (Gen. 15.) 2. The birth of Ishmael. (Gen. 16.) 3. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
(Gen. 18, 19.) These cities were probably located on the plain of Jordan, north of the Dead Sea, and not on the south, as formerly supposed; but all traces of them have entirely disappeared.