In Jer 50''\ where AV has 'foundations,' th«
b2
FOUNTAI^'
FOUNTAIN
meaning of nV;;'!< is prob. 'bulwarks' (RV) or ' buttresses' (see Oxf. lleb. Lex.). In Is IG' ' raisin- cakes' seems to be the meaning, not ' foumlations ' (see Flagon). The ' gate of the foundation ' (li?' i\o;n) in 2 Ch 23' ia obscure. Perhaps we should read to 'v ' the gate Sur,' as in 2 K U", or cpcrt 'p ' the horse gate ' (see Oxf. llch. Lex. s. nto;). In 2 Ch 3^ for A V ' these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed,' liV substitutes 'these are the foundations wliich Sol. laid ' (taking ipn as Hoph. intin. of ip;). RV further gives ' founda- tions ' for ' posts ' in Is 6* as tr. of max, a derivative from Dx in metapli. sense. Finally, in two instances (Pa 89" 97^) wliere AV tr. p3? ' habitation," RV gives the correct sense ' foundation."
J. A. Selbie.
FOUNTAIN 1. A fountain is a natural outflow,
or spring, of water, and is in this way distinguished from a well of artificial construction (see Well). Palestine, owing to its physical structure, is especi- ally rich in fine springs of water. Remarkably appropriate is the statement (Dt 8'), ' For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains {ni:;^) and depths springing forth in valleys and liills."
2. The Cretaceous limestone of which W. Pales- tine is mainly composed being open and porous, the rain (or snow) which falls during the winter moiitha percolates downwards and forms under- ground reservoirs in the strata, which burst forth along the sides of the Jordan depression, as also on the western flanks of the central table-land.* Equally favourable is the geological structure of the eastern sides of the Jordanic depression for the production of springs ; for the heavy falls of snow which cover the Lebanon and Hermon ranges in wintei' give rise to copious fountains which supply the bead waters of the Litany, the Jordan, and the rivers of Damascus. Not less remarkable are some of the fountains of the region of Trachonitis and the I'ernca, wliich have their sources in the volcanic mountains of the Hauran, and their outlets into the Jordan by the Hieromax and the Jabbok. Fine springs are also nvimerous along the western shore of the L. of Tiberias, scattering verdure and fertility along their course. Amongst the Edomite mountains and those of the Sinaitie peninsula the most important fountains are those of the Wady Mus.1, which flows down through the city of Petra ; the 'Ain Abu Werideh (or el- Weibeh), and 'Ain Ghurundel in the Araliah ; the Wady el-'Ain at the entrance to the grand gorge of ea-Sflk, between Jebel Mus.l and 'Akabah ; + and those which de- scend from the Hanks of Jebel Musa (Mount Smai) it.self. The spring of 'Ain I;Cadis, which issues forth at the base of a limestone clitf in the Badiet et-Tih (Wilderness of I'aran), has been identified, with much probability, as the site of Kadesh-Rarnea.J
3. Thermril Spriniju. — Many of the springs which flow directlj- into the Dead Sea and the lower waters of the Jordan have a high temperature, due partly to the existence of volcanic rocks (basalt), still highly heated, with which the waters come in contact ; and partly to the depth below the surface to which the underground waters de- scend before issuing forth into day.
The following are the most important thermal springs § : —
1. Uammam (or Hammath), situated on the W.
* The average rainfall at Jerua. is about 30 inches, nearly the whole of which falls between Nov. and Feb. ; in the Leb.^non it iB probably considerably greater. See Glaisher, * Meteorological Observations at Jerus.'m PKFSt, 18S7-93.
f liescribed by Uuppell. Miss Martineau, Dean Stanley, and Major Kit<'hencr(.Uou)(f Seir, App. 20S).
X This fountain was discovered by Rowlands, and his identifica. tion of it with Kadesh-Barnea has been supported by Holland »tid Trumbull after personal inspection of the »pot {Eadesk- Bar'ica, 1S84>.
§ Som*^ of the Jordan Valley springs appear to burst forth
side of the Sea of Tiberias, near to which Herod tht tctrarch built the city of that name.* Teiuji. 14:^3° I'ahr., water sulphurous.t 2. Ynrmiik, N. of Umm I\eis (Gadara). Temp. 109° Kahr., water sulphur- ous.J 3. Zerkn Main (Callirrho('), ten princijial warm and sulphurous springs, of which the lowest reaches a temperature of 143° Fahr.g Here Herod the lireat bathed during his last illness.|| 4. 'Ain Znrri enters the Dead Sea on the E. side Temp. 109° Fahr.lT 3. 'Ain es-SullAn, in tlie Plain of Jericho (el-GliAr), W. of the Jordan. Temp. 71° Fahr. (See AiiADAii, JiatiCHO. ) G.' Ain el- Beic/a enters the Wady el-Jeih S. of Jebel Usduiu. Temp 91° Fahr. 7. 'Ain el-Khuhnrnh, W. of the Dead Sea, water sulphurous. Temp. 88-93' Fahr.** 8. 'Ain Iu:thl;h'ih, W. of the Dead Sen. Temp. 82° F.'ihr.tt 9- The springs of A^non ('Aintin) near to Salim in Samaria, where John baptized (Jn 3'-^). According to Conder the bead si)rings issue from an open valley, surrounded by desolate hills ; but the water gushes forth over a stony bed ami rapidly produces a fine perennial stream surrounde<l by oleanders. J* 10. Kishnn. The springs forming the head waters of the Kishon are remarkable fur their copiousness. Stanley describes them as ' full- grown from their birth.' They rise at the foot of Mt. Tabor and form a chain of pools and sjuings, together with quagmires and swamps, which were fatal to many of Sisera's army§§ (Jg 5-'). The river enters the Mediterranean at the northern base of Mt. Carmel. 11. Ba»ii1s. The springs at the head of the Jordan at Banifis (Ca>sarea Fhilippi) issue from a cavern above the town, constituting the ' upper sources,' and are au^'mented by a still larger fountain below, which is known as ' the lower springs'; so that the Jordan is full-grown from its birth. |||| 12. T/ie Jerusa/etti fotnitnins. Jerus. in former times was sup[ilied from several sources; but we are here concerned only with the natural fountains. Of these the most remarkable are the Upper Springs of (///(on.HH which are inter- mittent, and break out underground in the Kidron Vallej' (Wady en-Nar), forming the chief source of this stream, from whence the water is carried by an underground conduit to a pool, now known as the ' F'ountain of the Virgin ' ('.I in Umm lyl-DcrnJ), to the west side of the City of David. This con- duit, 1700 feet (or 1200 cubits) in length, was constructed by Hezekiah on the approach of the Assyrian army (2 K 20™, 2 Ch 32-"'|. In 1S80 a pupil of Schick observed an inscription which was afterwards deciphered by S.aj'ce and Guthe. It contains in old Heb. characters a record of the constniction.*** This fount is the only natural spring of Wiiter at Jerusalem, and is the chief source of supply of pure water at the present day. The pools of Solomon, near Bethlehem, were formerly the chief sources of supply for Jems., and were conducted into the city by an upper .and lower conduit hewn in stone, now fallen into disu.se. The pools are supplied by a fine spring which issues