In later years the knights of St. John built a monastery liere in order to enable them to carry out one of their threefold duties, viz. escorting
Silgriius down from Jerusalem to Jordan. This uty is still carried out once a year by the Turkish governor of Jerusalem, who, on Monday in Passion week, escorts thousands of pilgrims to the Jordan to bathe.
Ancient Writers on the Jordan Valley. — 1\\e Antiquities a.nA Wars oi Josephus are full of references to this valley. (Ant. I. x. 1 and I. xi. 1) The spring of Jordan called Dan is spoken of, and the destruction of the cities of the Plain. [Ant. IV. \-iii. 1) Moses gathered the congiegation to- gether near Jordan where the city Abila now stands, a place full of palm trees. (Ant. v. i. 1) Abila to Jordan 60 furlongs. (Ant. v. i. 2) Joshua was in fear about their passing over, for the Jordan ran with a strong current, and could not be passed over by bridges, as there never had been any bridges laid over it hitherto, and ferry-boats they had none. (v. iv. 3) The Israelites seize the ford of the Jordan (Jg 3^). (Vll. xi. 2) A bridge of boats laid over Jordan to enable king David to return from Mahanaim to Jerusalem. (IX. ii. 2) Elijah disappeared from among men, and no one knows of his death to this very day. (Ant. XV. X. 3, V. V. 1, III. X. 7 ; B.7 iv. i. 1, I. xxi. 3) The Jordan's sources at Dan and Panium described. The lake Seniechonitis (Hvlch) is 30 furlongs in breadth and 60 in length ; its marshes reach as far as the plain Daphne, under the temple of the golden calf at the lesser Jordan. Jordan's stream from Panium divides the marshes and fens of the lake Semechonitis ; when it has run another 120 furlongs it first passes the city Julias, and then passes through the middle of the Lake Gennesaret, after which it runs a long way over a desert, and then makes its exit into the lake Asphaltitis. Around Germesaret the soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees are grown upon it, partioilarly walnuts ; also palm trees, fig trees, and olives ; it supplies men with figs and grapes 10 months in the
Sear. Some have thought it to be a vein of the lile, because it produces the coracine fish as well OS that lake dres which is near Alexandria. iBJ IV. viu. 2. 3 4, V. xiii. 6) The Jordan and
Jericho are described. Jericho is situated on a
f)laiii, with naked and barren mountains over- langing it ; the.se mountains extend from Scytho- polls in the north to Sodom in the south at the utmost limits of the Salt Sea. Somorrhon is al.so spoken of, the Great Plain, the Salt Sea, and the plantations of palm trees near the Jordan. He speaks of the fountain of Jericho being healed by Elisha ; and also of the excellent ''ardens of Jericho, 70 furlongs lon<; and 20 broad, abound- in" in palm trees, yielding honey and bees, the balsamuni, that most precious of all fruits, the cypress tree, and mjTobalanum. He states that it is not easy to light on any country in the world equal to it. The lake Asphaltitis is also described. (BJ IV. Wii. 4) He describes the aqueduct from Nerea to water the palm trees of Jericho.
Strabo (XVI. ii. 16, c. A.D. 19) gives a short account of the Jordan and Jericho. Cocle-Syria, a hollow plain between the mountains of Libanua and Antilibanus. Rivers run through it, the largest of which is the Jordan, which waters a country productive and fertile of all things. It contains also a lake, which produces the aromatic rush and reed. In it are also marshes. The nam > of the lake is Gennesaritis. It produces also bal samum. The Lycus and the Jordan are navigated upwards chiefly by the Aradii, with vessels ol burden. At Jericho is the palm plantation, which contains various other trees of the cultivated kind producing excellent fruit, but its chief production IS the palm tree ; it is 100 stadia in length ; the whole IS watered with streams, and filled with dwellings. Here also is a palace and the {jarden of the balsamum. Strabo has not only given a confused account of the Jordan, but he has mixed up together the account of the Salt Sea with that 01 the Lacus Serbonis, and he places Tarichaa on the Salt Sea instead of on L. Tiberias. .
Tacitus (Hist. v. 6, A.D. 97) sums up the Jordan in a few words : ' Nee Jordanes pelago accipitur : secundum atque alterum lacum integer perfluit : tertio retinetur.'
Galen (A.D. 164) and Pausanias(v. vii. 4, A.D. 174) speak of the disappearance of tlie Jordan in the bitter lake.
Pliny (Hist. Nat. v. 15, A.D. 74) speaks of the rise of Jordan at Panium fountain, ' qui nomen dedit Ca;sarea!.'
Eusebius and Jerome (Onomn.it. s.v. 'Dan') describe Dan as being 4 R. miles distant from Paneas on the way to Tyre ; and here, too, thej- say the Jordan breaks forth.
The Targum of Jerusalem ■writes, ' Dan of CiEsarea' (Tarn. Hieros., Gn U").
The name of the Salt Sea adopted by Josephus (Ant. I. ix.), viz. Asiihaltitis Lacus, is first found in Diodorus Siculus (li. 48, B.C. 45). He gives an account of the neighbourhood : ' It is, however, well fitted for the cultivation of palms wherever it is traversed by serviceable rivers or fountains available for the purpose of irrigation. In a neighbouring valley grows the plant called balsam, which j-ields an abundant income, as the plant grows in no other part of the world. It is much used by physicians as a medicine.'