The Kishon is beyond all doubt the river now called Kdhr el-^fokaltcih (or Mukatta), which, after travers- ing the plain of Acre, enters the bay of the latter name at its sv)uth-east corner. It has been usual to trace the
source of this river to Jlount Tabor (as above by Je- rome), but Dr. Shaw affirms that in travelling along the south-eastern brow of Mount Carmel he had an oppor- tunitj' of seeing the sources of the river Kishon, three or four of which lie within less than a furlong of each other, and are called Ras el-Kishon, or the head of the Kishon. These alone, without the lesser contributions near the sea, discharge water enough to form a river half as large as the Isis. During the rainy season aU the waters which fall upon the eastern side of Carmel, or upon the rising grounds to the southward, empty themlblves into it in a number of torrents, at which time it overflows its banks, acquires a wonderful rapid- ity, and carries all before it. It was doubtless in such a season that the host of Sisera was swept away in at- tempting to ford it. But such inmidations are only oc- casional, and of short duration, as is indeed implied in the destruction in its waters of the fugitives, who doubt- less expected to pass it safely. The course of the stream, as estimated from the soiurces thus indicated, is not more than seven miles. It rmis very briskly till within half a league of the sea; but when not augmented by rains, it never falls into the sea in a full stream, but insensi- bly percolates through a bank of sand, which the north winds have thrown up at its mouth. It was in this state that Shaw himself found it in the month of April, 1722, when it was crossed by him.
Notwithstanding Shaw's contradiction, the assertion that ths Kishon derives its source from INIount Tabor has been repeated by modern travellers as conlidently as by their ancient predecessors {Summer Ramble, i, 281). Bucldngham's statement, being made with ref- erence to the view from JMount Tabor itself, deserves at- tention. He says that near the foot of the mountain on the south-west are " the springs of the Ain cs-Sherrar, which send a perceptible stream through the centre of the plain of Esdraelon, and form the brook Kishon of antiquity." Further on. the same traveller, on reach- ing the hills which divide the plain of Esdraelon from that of Acre, saw the pass through which the river makes its way from the one plain to the other {Travels in Palestine, i, 1G8, 177). Schwarz also states that the soiu-ces of the Kishon are at a village called Sheik Ab- rik, south-west of Tabor {Palest, p. 1G6). On further in- quiry, and more extensive comparison of observations made at different times of the year, it \\ill probably be found that the remoter source of the river is really in Mount Tabor, but that the supply from this source is cut oft" in early summer, when it ceases to be maintain- ed by rains or contributory torrents ; Avhereas the copi- ous supply from the nearer springs at Eas el-Kishon, with other springs lower down, keep it up from that point as a perennial stream, even during the drought of summer. (See Kitto's Pict. Hist, of Palestine, p. cxci.) Mariti (ii, 112) mentions the case of the English drago- man who -(vas drowned, and his horse with him, in the attempt to cross this temporary stream from JIt. Tabor, in Feb. 17G1. During the battle of Mount Tabor, be- tween the French and Arabs, April IG, 1790, many of the latter were drowned in their attempt to cross a stream coming from Dcburieh, which then inundated the plain (Burckhardt, Sip-ia, p. 339). Monro, who crossed the river early in April (in its lower or perennial part), in order to ascend !Mount Carmel, describes it as traversing the plain of Esdraelon. The river, where he crossed it, in a boat, was then thirty yards wide. In the plain from Solam to Xazareth he crossed " a considerable brook, and afterwards some others, which flow into a small lake on the northern side of the jJain, and event- ually contribute to swell the Kishon" {Ramble. 1,55,281). Dr. Bobinson says that this account corresjionds with channels that he observed {Biblical Researches, iii, 230). Prokesch also, in April, 1829, when travelling directly from Bamleh to Nazareth, entered the idain of Esdrae- lon at or near Lcjjiui, where he came upon the Kishon, flowing in a deep bod through marshy ground; and af- ter wandering about for some time to find his way
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through the morass, he was at last set right by an Arab, who pointed out the proper ford {Reise ins It. Land, p. 120). The scriptural account of the overthrow of Sis- era's host manifestly shows that the stream crossed the plain, and must have been of considerable size. The above arguments, to show that it chd so, and still docs so, are confirmed by Dr. IJobinson, who adds that " not improbably, in ancient times, when the country was perhaps more wooded, there may have been j^ermanent streams throughout the whole plain." The transaction of the prophet Elijah, who, after his sacritiee on Carmel, commanded the priests of Baal to be slain at the* river Kishon, reqidres no explanation, seeing that it took place at the perennial lower stream. This also explains, what has sometimes been asked, whence, in that time of drought, the water was obtained with which the prophet inundated his altar and sacrifice.