(r) The Gh6r or louver Jordan Valley. — The Jordan between L. Tiberias and the Salt Sea lies in a deep depression, sloping nearly uniformly from north to south, at about 9 ft. to 1 mile. On either side are the mountains of Western and Eastern Palestine, rising to heights of over 3000 to 4000 ft. (2000 to 3000 ft. above the Mediterranean), and separated by the comparatively flat Jordan Valley, called the GhCr by the Arabs, the Arabah of the Hebrews, Aulon of the Greeks, which is 3 miles wide at L. Tiberias, 12 to 16 miles wide at the Salt Sea, contracting to a width of 2 miles south of the plain of Beisan. The Gh^r has a very
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gentle slope on either side down to the lower plain (the ZOr), in which the Jordan runs, of about five degrees.
The banks of the CA<)r leading down into the Z6r are not refnilar, but are fretted away by the fervid Bun, the strong winds, and ocoasioiuil heavy rains in January and I'ebruary. They are very ragged, and during the rainy season are covered with lovely Bowers and verdure, but during most seasons of the year are a scene of utter desolation. Towards the lower portion of the Jordan Valley, where the streams (en-Nweimeh, Faseil, el-A tijch, Kelt, and others) on the west run into the Zor, the plain of the GfiSr ia broken up into a series of valk'3-s, the original plain being left in outline here and there isolated and forlorn. ThesR broken valleys have very steep sides, are about 100 to 200 ft. deep, and at first sight it seems impossible that the small streams which meander through tliem — at the best not 3 ft. deep or 6 ft. wide — can liave scooped out these banks over 150 ft. in height, whose irregularities often extend more than a mUe from the stream itself. From the ruins which exist about the plain, it is obvious that this work of denudation has proceeded exceedingly slowly, the features having scarcely altered during the last 2000 years. A licavier rainfall in early days would, however, readily account for a more rapid degree of change.
The plains of the Jordan are sterile only at the southern end for a few miles nortli of the Salt Sea over tliat depressed portion, which probably in early days, wlien there was a greater rainfall, was covered by the Salt Sea. The soil is not impreg- nated with salt at a height of 200 ft. above the level of the Salt Sea, and will bear plentifully pro- vided there is any rainfall, so much so that during the rainy season the Jordan plains for miles, as far as the eye can reach, are vast meadows, abounding in grasses and flowers. Those who see the country after tlie sun has burned up the pasturage may well conceive the idea that nothing will grow there, for when the hot winds sjiring up in May the grasses are broken up and blown away, and there is little left but a few dried stumps in a howling wildeme.ss. During Januarj' and February and part of March, flocks are brought down from the mountains to feed on the rich pasturar;e on the plains of .Jordan, and browse within a mile of the river. In February 1SG8 between Jericho and Jisr Dnmieh the country was green everywhere, the weather was chilly, flowers of every hue lay in the path, and the lower Jordan plain or Zur was covered with an early croji of barley, with here and there branches of the overflowing .Jordan meander- ing throui'h it. The plain of lieisnn at this time wa.s abundantly watered and covered with verdure.
In the plain of lieisan three distinct levels can be seen — the Ziir, the Gh6r, and an upper plain which is aV)Out 300 ft. above the Ghir at Beisan. Here the GlUJr is cultivated with corn and indigo, watercourses and canals irrigate the crops and supply the mills with water.
.■\t liciwan the Jordan Valley is 8 miles wide, but immediately to the north it is only 1^ miles wide, and to the south it contracts again to about 2 miles, the hills on the west closing right down to the river. The GlU/r varies in width until at Jericho it is about It} miles acro.ss, the foot of the hills being about 400 to ridO ft. aliove the Salt Sea.
It is quite evident from the number of nqueducts in all directions that the Jordan Valley about .lericho was once very highly cultivateil, and that with a little care and a good government it might again be broughtiindercultivatinn.anditsmalarious and pestilential marshes removed.
The .Jordan Valley on the eoHlem side, between the Zf.rkn and Nimrin, is only barren because there
are no streams or fountains led out to water it. North of the Zarlcn, where streams are numeioui the valley is clothed with wheat fields and vegeta- tion. South of the Zerka there are traces ol ancient canals, showing that that portion of the valley between the Zec/ra and the road leading fiom esSnlt to Nablus was formerly under cultivation, though it is now a desert. Perhaps more tlian half tlie Jordan Valley on the east is now reached by irrigation canals, and in those sections not occupied by wheat fields the thistles and weeds are rank, and form such dense jungles that it is almost impossible to get throujjh them. ' Every square mile not now under irrigation could be watered from the Jordan, and the expense for a dam and canals would be small compared with the large number of square miles of valuable land that would be made productive . . . we should have 180 square miles of land as fertile as any prairie, and which at 20 to 25 bushels of wheat per acre would produce between 2 and 3 million bushels of wheat. Give these plains and deserts water, and you can transform them into gardens' (/'£/"6V, 1877, 153). The portion of the valley between the Zerka and the Mnntlhur in February and March resembles New Engl.and (U.S.) in the month of June. Tlie soil is then burdened with its own productions. By the last of May the weeds, thistles, and wild mustard have formed an almost impenetrable jungle.