Lebanon is mentioned in the OT over 60 times, but almost two-thirds of the references occur in
oetical passages. It is not mentioned in the NT. Vhile included in the land assigned to the Israel- ites, Jos 13° (105), these mountains were never con- quered by them (Jg 34), the actual limit of con- quest being ‘ Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon, under Mount Hermon’ (Jos 1117). This valley of Lebanon was known to the Greeks as Cele-Syria, and is the modern Buka. Anti-Libanus proper is mentioned but once in the OT as ‘ Lebanon towards the sunrising’ (Jos 135). The Hivites are said to be inhabitants of the Lebanon (Jg 3°), and the Giblites dwelt at Gebal (the modern Jedaitl, Greek Byblos, at the base of the mountains) (Jos 13°: 8), vents the reign of Solomon, the Lebanon appears to have been subject to Hiram king of Tyre, who contracted to bring cedar trees, firs, and almug (algum) trees by sea to Joppa for the temple (1 Καὶ 5°, 2Ch 28), On the Ginee hand, Solomon pbpests to have erected buildings in the Lebanon (1 K 9°, 2 Ch 88). At the rebuilding of the temple, after the restoration, cedar trees were again brought from the Lebanon (Ezr 37). See, further, art. CEDAR.
Mt. Lebanon runs N.N.E.-S.S.W. for 95 miles from Nahr Kasmiyeh, lat. 33° 20’ (known as the Litany, the classic Leontes, along its upper course), to Nahr el-Kebir, the ancient Eleutherus. The pes of the Buka‘ separates it from the Anti-
ibanus, which, starting from the Barada, rung for 65 miles roughly parallel to the Lebanon. * The name appears in Assyr. as Labndnu, ete. (see Schrader
COT? on 1 K 515), and in Egyp. perhaps as Ramannu (see W Max Miller, Aa. τὸ. Europ. 198 f., 204).
LEBANON
LEBANON 91
Strabo (xvi.) represents the two ranges as parallel, but is in error in stating their direction : Lebanon, according to him, beginning at Tripolis, and Anti- Libanus at Sidon, both running towards Damascus. The foot-hills of Lebanon—the western range— rise abruptly from the seashore, except for the narrow strip of plain at Sidon, and for the tri- angular projections of the promontories of Bey- rout and Tripoli. At its southern end the main ridge is divided into two ranges, roughly parallel, by the brook Zahardni, which, after flowing south- wards, turns abruptly west and enters the sea south of Sidon. The eastern ridge is known as Jebel Rihdn, and the western as Jebel Taura (alt. 4500 ft.). Both are more or less wooded. Near the plateau on which stands Kefr Howni, these two ridges merge into one, which is separ- ated from the twin peaks Tawmdt Niha (alt. 5625 ft. and 5550 ft.) by a notch 600 ft. deep. The ridge now becomes higher and more pronounced, rising to an altitude varying from 5500 to 7000 ft. Its various parts are locally named from the larger villages, as Jebel Niha, and Jebel Bartik. North of the latter the ridge falls to an altitude of 4700 ft., and is crossed by a transverse ridge, Jebel Kuneiseh (alt. 6960 ft.). A narrow watershed con- nects this with Jebel Sannin, a triangular-shaped mountain—one face being parallel to the sea, one in the line of the main ridge, and the third or northern one running roughly east and west. Its highest point is on the eastern face. From a distance the top appears to be level, but it is exceedingly rough owing to numerous conical depressions, in which snow may be found late into the summer. For some distance beyond Sannin the top of the main ridge is really a broad, rolling platen, called Jebel Muneitri, varying in altitude rom 5800 to 6000 ft. North of the village ‘Akidrah the altitude increases rapidly, and the western art of this broad mass is broken up by a series of intricate ridges, suddenly breaking down into the great amphitheatre of the Nahr Kadisha. This is bounded on the east by the narrowed main ridge, joining on to the huge mass which forms the northern side of the amphitheatre. This is named as a whole Dahr el-Kadib, and is sur- mounted by two series of peaks, roughly parallel, varying in height from 9800 to 10,225 ft. The highest peak is called Jebel Mukhmal by Burton, but no local trace of the name appears to have been recovered by later travellers. The western face of this northern mass is a series of sheer cliffs. To the north another great amphitheatre opens oat, in which are found the head waters of the northern branch of the Nahr el-Bdrid. Be- yond this rises the Jebel el-Abiadh (alt. 7380 ft.), after which the mountain breaks down to the valley of the Nahr el-Kebir, and the low, rolling hills joining the Lebanon to the mountains of the Nusewriyeh.
With very few exceptions all the Lebanon streams rise on the western face. South of Beyrout the main rivers have their sources in high valleys be- tween ridges approximately parallel to the main ridge. Their course is thus first southerly, then westerly, to the sea. They Awwali (Bostrenus), and the Damir (the Tamuras of Strabo, and the Damuras of Polybius). North of Beyrout the head waters of the rivers are in wide amphitheatres, separated from each other by narrow watersheds, in places 5000 to 6000 ft. high; and in their course to the sea they break through the spurs of the great hill in narrow gorges. The western face of the Lebanon is thus extremely rugged and varied in contour. The