South of the river Yarmuk the plain of Bashan gives place to the picturesque hills of Gilead, Their slopes are easy, their tops rounded, and there are undulating plateaus along the broad summit of the ridge. Their elevation, as seen from the east, is not great. The distant view is more that of an ascent to a higher part of the plain than of a mountain range. The summits seem nearly horizontal, and not more than five or six hundred feet above the plain. On passing in among them the physical features assume new forms, and the scenery becomes very beautiful. Wild glens cut deeply down through the ridge to the Jordan valley. The first of these is the Yarmuk, which contains a rapid perennial torrent rushing along its rocky bed between fringes of willow and oleander. It is the largest tribu- tar}' to the Jordan, and next to it the largest river in Palestine. Farther south is Wady Yabes, taking its name from the old city of Jabesh-Gilead, which once stood on its bank. Still farther south is the Jabbok, also a perennial stream, though much smaller than the Yarmuk. The scenery of these glens and the inter- vening hills is not surpassed In any part of Palestine. The steep banks are broken by white limestone cliffs, and they are in most places covered with the glistening foliage of the ilex, intermixed with hawthorn and ar- butus; wliile the slopes overhead and the rounded hill- tops wave with forests of oak, terebinth, and occasion- ally pine. The little meadows along the streams, the open spaces on the mountains, and the undulating for- est glades, are all covered with rich herbage. Gilead is still "a place for cattle" (Numb, xxxii, 1).
The highest peak of (iilead is Jebel Osha, near es- Salt. South of it the ridge sinks, and finally melts into
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the plateau near the ruins of Rabbath-Aramoii. None of the peaks of (Jilead have been measured, and their height can only be estimated by comparison with the plain behind and the mountains of Samaria opposite. Viewed from the west, the top of the wliole ridge on the east side of the Jordan appears nearly horizontal ; yet both to the north and south of Gilead the summit of the ridge is on the level of the plateau. Jebel Osha, therefore, can scarcely be more than 700 feet above the plateau, which would make its elevation above the sea less than 4000 feet. This is much lower than the ordi- nary' estimate. Like Bashan, Gilead contains the re- mains of many splendid cities, the chief of which are Gerasa, Itabbath - Ammon, (Jadara, and Pella. The ruins of towns, castles, and villages stud the mountains in all directions. Settled inhabitants are now very few, and they are greatly oppressed by the inroads of the Bedawin, who, attracted by the rich pastures and abundant waters, penetrate all parts of the country. See Gilead.
South of Gilead lies " the land of ^loab" (Deut. i, 5 ; xxxii, 49), a plateau like Bashan, but more naked and desolate. Less is known of it than of any other part of Palestine. It has never been fully explored ; and, with the exception of a few travellers passing through and following nearly the same route, the countrj' has, until recently, scarcely been examined. From tlie ruins of Ammon it extends in a succession of rolling downs to Kerak. On the west it breaks down in stupendous cliffs, 3000 feet and more, to the shore of the Dead Sea. Chasms of singular wildness cut these cliffs to their base, and run far back into the plain. Along the torrent -beds are fringes of willow, oleander, tamarisk, and palms. The ravine of Kerak is its southern boundary; but the grand- est of all the ravines is the Arnon, which formed the southern boundary of Reuben's territory (Dent, iii, 12). Wady Zurka Main is also a deep ravine, and is remark- able as having near its mouth the famous warm foun- tains, anciently called Callirrhoe (Joseph. Ant. xvii, 6, 5 ; Pliny, v, IG ; Irb}' and Mangles, Travels, p. 467 sq., 1st ed.). Along the western brow of the plateau, little conical and rounded hills rise at irregular intervals to a height of two or three hundred feet. The highest is Jebel Attarus. Not far from Heshbon is Jebel Neba, or Nebo (q. v.), a spur from the general Dead Sea wall. There are also some low ridges away to the eastward, separating the southern part of the plain from the des- ert of Arabia (Burckhardt, Travels in Syria, p. 375). The soil of the plateau is rich and deep ; but being com- posed mainly of disintegrated limestone, and diffused over white calcareous strata, it is greatly affected by the sini, and assumes a bare and parched aspect during the summer. At the northern end, where it Joins Gilead, are some remains of oak-forests; and in the deep ra- vines, and along the north-western declivities, trees and shrubs grow abundantly, but the vast expanse of the upland is treeless and shrubless (Irby and Mangles, p. 474; Burckhardt, p. 364). At Wady Mojeb (Anion) the plain assumes a more rugged aspect, being strewn with basalt boulders, and dotted with rocky mounds. These extend to Kerak. The general features and character of the plateau agree perfectly with the inci- dental notices of the sacred penmen. It is " a land for cattle," famed throughout all Palestine for the abim- dance and richness of its pastures, and forming a constant source of (lis]iute and wtirfare among the desert tribes (Burckhardt, ]). 3G8). It was well termed Mishor, a region of " level downs," a "smooth table-land," as con- trasted with the rough and rocky soil of the western mountains (comp. Stanley, .S'. and P. p. 317). Tlie pla- teau of Moab is a thirsty region. Fountains, and even spring wells, are verj' rare ; and there arc no perennial streams, yet it aboinids with traces of former dense pop- ulation. Tlie ruins of old cities — many of great extent — and of old villages, stud its surface. In numbers of these we recognise the Bible names, as llcsbfin, El-al. Medcba, and Arair. The want of fountains and streams