adjacent district, as is attested by the lines o( driftwood which can be seen at successive levels around the Salt Sea. A cliange f:om moisture to dryness over a large area in the valley would essentially all'ect the surrounding country, and reduce the rainfall, lower the surface of tiie sea, and expose more and more dry soil. Now, supposing the etlects of the overtlirow of the cities of the Plain resulted in a fall of 50 ft. in the level of the waters of the lake, it is interesting to remark that the wliole of the mud flat at the south of the Salt Sea for about 10 miles (Anderson, Ojliciul Jlcport, p. 182) would have been covered with water, also a considerable portion of the peninsula of Lisan and the low-lying portions of the shore on the western side, while to the north the Z6r would have been covered over nearly as far as the Makhadet Hajluli. If this is so, the area over which the cities of the Plain can be found is very much circumscribed (Anderson, Official Report, p. 182). Assuming that the cities of the Plain were situated at the N.E. end of the Salt Sea, it is suggested (PEFSt, 1879, 144) that the following tells on the Abel-shittim plain were the five cities of the Plain : (1) Tell Kafrein (Abel or AbUa), (2) Tell er-Rama (Beth-ramtlia or Beth-haran, Julias or Livias), (3) Suweimeh (Heth- jesimoth or Besimoth), (4) Tell el-Hamman, (5) Tell Ektanu ('the little one,' or Zoar). Ganneau (PEFSt, 1886), however, identifies Jcbel Usdum as Sodom, and Gomorrah with 'Ain Gliamr, at the entrance of WAdy Ghamr, about 20 leagues south of the Salt Sea, and Zoar in If'ddy es-SaJi. This would appear closely to agree with the traditional sites given by Josephus, already mentioned.
Passages of the Jordan.— It was at the northern extremity of the Jordan that Abram (Gn 14"'), in his pursuit of Chedorlaomer, came up with him at Laisu (Dan), and rescued his kinsman Lot.
The first record of a passage of the Jordan is that by Jacob (Gn 32'°). On the return journey (Gn 33") he crosses on his road from Succoth to Shalem (RVm ; but there can be little doubt that RV ' in peace ' is the correct translation), a city of Shechem ; but as Succoth has not been satisfactorily identified, the ford of passage cannot be conjectured. The passage of Elijah (2 K 2*) and the return of Elisha (2'^) over the Jordan took place over against Jericho ; but there is nothing further to indicate the position, though there is a traditional spot on the east of Jordan from which the ascent of Elijah is said to have been made. The point of the Jordan where David crossed when warring against Helam (2 S 10") also cannot be conjectured. Again, when a fugitive to Mahanaim (2 S 15^ 17" 19'*), he probably escaped by the quickest route over the Jordan ; but this depended upon the road he took from Jerusalem, and whether he wished to avoid Jericho. The two fords which would be most suitable would be that of el-Gh6ran5yeh, which would necessitate his passing by Jericho, and the Makhadet Hajlah ford, which he could have reached by the road passing the present j\l. Neby MAsa.
The number of fords between Jisr Damieh and Lake Tiberias exceeds 50, and it would be futile to suggest any particular one which may have been used in that portion of the Jordan, in the passings over between the east and west. There was the ford or passage of the Jordan (Jg 12"-), taken by the Gileadites, when the Ephraimites were discovered by the pronunciation of the word 'Shibboleth.' There was Beth-barah ('even Jordan,' RV), which the Ephraimites (Jg 7") took possession of when they slew the Midianites, and which may be the ford 'Abarah discovered by Conder (SWP ii. 89). The occurrence probably took place near this ford, as 'Ain d-Hehoah (Abel-
JORDAN
JORDAN
res
meholah) is on the southern end of tlie jilain of Beisan (Bethshean).
Passage of the children of Israel oc&r Jordan. — This is the most important event recorded in the Bible tonnected with the passaj,'e of tlie Jordan. The people were gathered to^'elhor in tlie plains ('(Irdbuth) of Moab extending' from Abel-sliittim ('the meadow ol Ae acacia), now probably Kafrein, to Beth-jesimoth(' house of the wastes'), now probably 'Ain Suweimeh near the Salt Sea (Nu XV'-'). And they came to Jordan and lodged there for three days. The plains of Moab, where they had been staying, were from 200 to 400 ft. above the Salt Sua, and the ground which they had occupied for the last three days was probably some- what on a lower level, but certainly not tlie Zi>r or lower terrace of the Jordan as it was in Uood, ' overflowing all his banks at the time of the barley harvest' (Jos 3"-), probably about the month of April. The descrii)tion states that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city of Adam, that is, beside Zaretan ; and those that came down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut oil' (.los 3'"). The RV has ' at Adam,' and Stanley (304 note) has ' hij,'!! lip the river, very far, in Adam, the city which is beside Zaretan.' The site of Adam is not sutlicieiitly identilied, but it is supposed by .'some to be represented by Tell Damieh, near the bridge of that name. Conder has pointed out (SWP ii. 14) that somewhat higher up, where the mountains come down and overhang the Jordan, a landslip could readily block up the Jordan for a period, and T. Drake (I'EFSt, 1874, 182; 1875, 30) suggests that Adam (' red earth ') may be Khan el-Hamrath, the Red Ruin, situated opposite Fnhil (Pella), on the west side of the Jordan in the plain of Beisnn, and that adherents of the theory tliat the waters of the Jordan were suddenly dammed by a landslip might perhaps point to the present appearance of the banks at this point and the curious bends of the river here to sujiport their idea. M Clermont- Ganneau has brought to notice that the historical stoppage of the Jordan in A.D. 12.57, while the bridge Jisr Damieh was being repaired, is to be found in the history of Sultan Bibars. A land- slip in the narrow part of the vallej', some miles above Jiir Damieh, kept the Jordan dammed up for several hours, allowing the bed of the river to become dry by the water below running oil' to the Salt Sea. Stanley {Sin. and Pal. 304 n. 6) mentions that the appearance of the drying up of the Jordan seems to be described by Antoninus Martyr in the 6tli cent., as if it occurred yearly at the visit of the pilgrims. See al.so King, Morsels o/Criticifm, i. 281.