Prof. FREDERICK H. HEDGE, D. D., Harvard | Prof. C. V. RILEY, State Entomologist, St. University. PAUL, SAINT. M. HEILPRIN. POLAND. Louis, Mo. PHYLLOXERA. Prof. C. A. Jox, Ph. D., Columbia College, J. W. SCOTT. New York. PARAFFINE, and other chemical articles. POSTAGE STAMPS. J. G. SHEA, LL. D. PAWNEES, POTTAWATTAMIES, and other articles in biography and geography. and other archæological, oriental, and philological articles. ᏢᎪᎡᏦ . FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED. Rev. BERNARD O'REILLY, D. D. I. DE VEITELle. ΡΑΝΑΜΑ, PARAGUAY, PATAGONIA, PERU, PASSAGLIA, CARLO, PORTUGAL, PORTUGAL, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OF, and other geographical articles. Prof. S. F. PECKHAM, University of Minnesota. Major W. T. WALTHALL, Mobile, Ala. THE AMERICAN CYCLOPÆDIA. PALE PALESTINE ALESTINE (Gr. Пlaλaiorívn, derived from the Heb. Pelesheth, Philistia), a country of western Asia, now forming a part of the Turkish empire, bounded N. by the Lebanon mountains, which separate it from Cole-Syria, E. and S. by the desert which separates it from Arabia and Egypt, and W. by the Mediterranean. It lies between lat. 30° 40' and 33° 15' N., and lon. 33° 45' and 36° 30′ E.; length about 200 m., average breadth 60 m.; area, 12,000 sq. m.; pop. estimated at 300,000. The name Palestine was never applied by the ancient Hebrews to anything more than the southern portion of the coast region, as synonymous with Philistia; and when it occurs in the English translation of the Bible it has this sense. The earlier Greek usage was the same; but under the Romans it became the general name for the whole country of the Jews, and Josephus uses it in both the early and the later application. Modern Palestine is included in the vilayet of Syria, and contains the two subpashalics of Acre and Jerusalem. It is a "land of hills and valleys." It is remarkably separated by mountain and desert from other countries, and its seashore is without any good harbor. The ancient harbor of Cæsarea, the principal port during the Roman dominion, was entirely artificial, and the ruins of its breakwater are now only a dangerous reef. From Tyre, which is N. of Palestine proper, to the borders of Egypt, there is now but one port, Jaffa, and this only allows landing by boats under favorable circumstances. From the coast on the west the land rises rapidly to a mountainous height in the centre, and declines on the other side to the low level of the desert, being cleft through the centre N. and S. by the deep valley of the Jordan. This depression, called by the Arabs el-Ghor, is the most characteristic feature of the physical geography of Palestine, and corresponds with the valley of | the Orontes and Leontes in Cole-Syria, and with the wady Arabah in Arabia Petræa. The coast level varies much in breadth, being in some places only a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea, and in others expanding into plains of considerable width. The southern portion of the coast level is termed in the Scriptures the plain or low country (Heb. Shefelah), and the western part of it was the abode of the Philistines. This plain is very fertile, and is covered with corn fields. N. of it is a plain less level and fertile, the Sharon of the Scriptures, a land of fine pastures, which under the Roman empire contained Cæsarea, the Roman capital of Palestine. Beyond Cæsarea the plain grows narrower, until it is terminated by Mt. Carmel, N. of which lies the plain of Acre, about 15 m. long from N. to S., and about 5 m. in average breadth from the seashore to the hills on the east. Mt. Carmel is a ridge about 10 m. long and 1,500 ft. high, stretching N. by W., and terminating at the sea in a high promontory which encloses on the south the bay of Acre. North of Mt. Carmel are the Lebanon mountains (in the wider sense), which consist of two parallel ranges running N. into Syria, and enclosing between them a beautiful and fertile plain, called in Scripture the valley of Lebanon, and by the classic writers Cole-Syria, the "hollow or enclosed Syria." This plain, only the extreme southern portion of which is in Palestine, is 90 m. long and from 10 to 20 m. broad, except at the S. end, where it is narrower. The western range of these mountains runs nearly parallel to the sea, into which it projects several promontories; and its average elevation is about 7,000 ft., while its loftiest summits, including Jebel Timarun (10,533 ft. according to Burton) and Jebel Makmel (9,998 ft.), are covered with perpetual snow. These summits are outside of Palestine, as is the nat | ural amphitheatre in which grow the finest which form the beds of winter torrents. The specimens that remain of the famous cedars precipitous descent from Jerusalem to Jericho that once covered all the mountains of Leba- is famous for difficulty and danger, and is an non. This great western range was called Li- example of the valleys descending to the Jorbanus by the classic writers, and to the eastern dan through all its length. The W. slope of range they gave the name of Anti-Libanus. In the hills is more gradual and gentle, but still the Scriptures both ranges are called Lebanon. difficult of passage, and the central heights of They are composed of masses of limestone rock. Palestine are a series of natural fastnesses of The general elevation of Anti-Libanus is less great strength; and both in ancient and modthan that of Libanus, but at its southern ex- ern times armies have traversed the western tremity rises the conical snow-clad peak of plains from Egypt to Phoenicia without disHermon, called by the Arabs Jebel esh-Sheikh turbing the inhabitants of the hill country. (the chief), or eth-Thelj (the snowy), to the The Jordan is the only important river of height of about 10,000 ft., rivalling the highest | Palestine. Its sources are mainly on the southpeaks of Libanus, and overlooking all Pales- ern and western declivity of Mt. Hermon, and tine. S. of Hermon the Anti-Libanus sinks after a short course its head streams unite and into the hills of Galilee, which rise from a flow into Lake Merom, now called Lake Huleh. table land elevated about 1,000 ft. above the After quitting this the river is sluggish and sea, and sloping on the east to the Jordan, on turbid for a short distance, till it passes over the west to the plain of Acre, and on the south a rocky bed where its mud is deposited, and to the plain of Esdraelon. The last named then rushes on through a narrow volcanic valplain, extending from the sea to the Jordan, ley. About 13 m. below Lake Huleh it enters is often mentioned in the Scriptures under the the lake of Gennesaret or Tiberias, or sea of names of Megiddo, Jezreel, and others, and Galilee, which is between 600 and 700 ft. lower was the great battle field of Jewish history. than the level of the Mediterranean. On isIt is traversed by ridges known as the moun- suing from the S. end of this lake the river tains of Gilboa and Little Hermon. On its N. enters a valley from 5 to 10 m. wide, through E. border stands Mt. Tabor, now known as which its course is so winding that within a Jebel et-Tur, the traditional scene of the trans- space of 60 m. in length the river traverses 200 figuration. Though only 1,800 ft. high, it is m. and descends 27 rapids through the ever one of the most remarkable and interesting of deepening valley, until it finally enters the the mountains of Palestine. It is sometimes Dead sea at a depression of a little over 1,300 called the southern termination of the Lebanon ft. below the level of the Mediterranean, after range, but rises abruptly from the plain, and a total direct course from N. to S. of 120 m. is entirely insulated except on the west, where At the mouth the river is 180 yards wide. a narrow ridge joins it to the rocky hills about Except the Jordan, Palestine has no streams Nazareth. It is densely covered with trees considerable enough to be called rivers; those and shrubs, except a small tract on the top. so called in its history are mere brooks or Its isolated summit commands a panoramic torrents which become dry in summer. The view of the principal places of Samaria and Kishon, now Nahr el-Mukutta, which enters Galilee, and was the rendezvous of Barak from the bay of Acre near Mt. Carmel, flows from which he rushed down to the defeat of Sisera. Mt. Tabor, and in winter and spring is a large In the middle ages it was the resort of many stream, while during the rest of the year it hermits. It is now covered with ruins of a has water only in the last 7 m. of its course. fortress of Saracenic architecture, while there The Kanah enters the Mediterranean between are also remains of a far earlier period. S. of Cesarea and Jaffa. The Arnon, often menthe plain of Esdraelon stretches an unbroken tioned in Scripture, is now called the wady tract of mountains, about 30 m. in breadth, Modjeb; it rises near the S. E. border of the and rising in height toward the south till near country, and flows circuitously to the Dead Hebron it attains an elevation of 3,000 ft. sea. The Jabbok, now the wady Zurka, N. above the sea. The northern part of this of the Arnon, flows a parallel course into the region comprised Samaria, and the southern Jordan. The brook Kedron flows through the Judea. The principal mountains of Samaria valley of Jehoshaphat, on the E. side of Jeare Ebal and Gerizim, which rise to the height rusalem, to the Dead sea, but is merely a torof about 2,700 and 2,600 ft. respectively above rent and not a constant stream. Springs and the sea, the former N. and the latter S. of a fountains of remarkable size, however, are narrow valley in which stands the town of Na- found in different parts of the country. The blus, the ancient Shechem, the capital of the principal lakes are the Dead sea in the south ten tribes after their secession from the rest of and the lake of Gennesaret in the north.-In Israel. The hills of Judea are masses of bar- many parts of the country, and especially in ren rock, for the most part of moderate ap- the valley of the Jordan and the vicinity of parent elevation, though their general height the Dead sea, there are indications of volcanic above the sea is 2,000 or 3,000 ft. On their E. origin, and earthquakes are often felt. The face these mountains descend abruptly to the mountains are mostly of oolitic limestone of a great valley of the Jordan, their general slope light gray color. Black basalt is very combeing furrowed by steep and rugged gorges, The general character of the scenery is | mon. |