In Deut. xxxiii, 2, Seir appears to he connected with Sinai and Paran; but a careftd consideration of that difficult passage proves that the connection is not a geographical one. Moses there only sums up the sev- eral glorious manifestations of the divine majestj^ to the Israelites, without regard either to time or place (comp. Judg. V, 4, 5).
IMount Seir was originally inhabited by the Horites, or " troglodytes," who were doubtless the excavators of those singular rock-dwellings found in such num- bers in the ravines and cliffs around Petra. They were dispossessed, and apparent]}' annihilated, by the poster- ity of Esau, who "dwelt in their stead" (Deut. ii, 12). The history of Seir thus early merges into that of Edom. Though the country was afterwards called Edom, yet the older name, Seir, did not pass away : it is frecjuently mentioned in the subsequent history of the Israelites ( 1 Chron. i v, 42 ; 2 Chron. xx, 1 0). Mount Seir is the subject of a terrible prophetic curse pro- nounced by Ezekiel (ch. xxxv), which seems now to be literally fulfilled: "Thus saith the Lord (iod, Be- hold, O JMount Seir, I am against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, . . . when the whole earth rejoiceth I will make thee des- olate. ... I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return, and ye shall know that I am the Lord." — Smith.
The southern part of this range now bears the appel- lation esh-Sherah, which seems no other than a modifi- cation of the ancient name. In modern times these mountains were first visited and descrilied by Biirck- hardt (Syria, p. 40), but they have often since been visited 'by other travellers, among whom Dr. Kobinson has perhaps furnished the best description of them (Bib. Res. ii, 551, 552). At the base of the chain are low hills of limestone or argillaceous rock ; then lofty masses of porphyr\', which constitute the body of the mountain ; above these is sandstone broken into irreg- ular ridges and grotesque groups of cliffs; and again, farther back, and higher than all, are long elevated ridges of limestone without precipices. Beyond all these stretches off indefinitely the high plateau of the great eastern desert. The height of the porphj-ry cliffs is estimated by Dr. Robinson at about 2000 feet above the Arabah (the great valley between the Dead Sea and Elanitic (iulf); the elevation of Wady IMusa above the same is perhaps 2000 or 2200 feet; while the lime- stone ridges farther back probably do not fall short of 3000 feet. The whole breath of the mountainous tract between the Arabah and the eastern desert above does not exceed fifteen or twenty geographical miles. These mountains are quite different in character from those which front them on the other (west) side of the Ara- bah. The latter seem to be not more than two thirds as high as the former, and are wholly desert and ster- ile ; while those on the east appear to enjoy a sufficiency of rain, and are covered with tufts of herbs and occa- sional trees. The valleys are also full of trees and shrubs and flowers, the eastern and higher parts being extensively cultivated, and yielding good crops. The general appearance of the soil is not unlike that around Hebron, though the face of the country is very differ- ent. It is, indeed, the region of which Isaac said to his son Esau, "Behold, thy dwelling shall be [far] from the fatness of the earth, and the dew of heaven from above" (Gen. xxvii, 39). — Kitto. See Idu.^i.ka.
3. An entirely different mountain from the foregoing formed one of the landmarks on the north boundary of the territory of Judah (Josh, xv, 10 only). It lay west- ward of Kirjath-jearim, and between it and Beth-she- mesh. If Kurict el-Enab be the former, and Ain-shems the latter of these two, then IMoimt Seir cannot fail to be the ridge which lies between tlie Wady Aly and the Wady Ghurab (Robinson, Bib. Res. iii, 155). A village called iS'ori.s- stands on the southern side of this ridge, which Tobler (l)ritte Wandeninfj, p. 203) and Schwarz (Palest, f). 91) with great probability identify with Seir, notwithstanding considerable difference in the names. The Sa'irah, on the south of the Wady Surar (Robin- son, 1st ed. ii, 364), is nearer in orthography, but not so suitable in position. It is possibly the Ewpi}(;, which, in the Alex. MS., is one of the eleven names inserted b_v the Sept, in Josh, xv, 59. The neighboring names agree. In the Vat. MS. it is 'Eojj3{]q.
SEIUATH
512
SELAH
H(nv the name of Seir came to be located so far to the mirth of tlie main seats of the Seiritcs we have no means of knowing. Perha|)s, like other names occur- ring in the tribe of Henjaniin, it is a monmnent of an incursion by the Kdomites which has esca|>0(l record. See OniNi, etc. Uut it is more ))rol>able that it derived its name from some peculiarity in the form or ap]tear- ance of the spot. Dr. Hobinson (iii, loo), apparently without inteuvling any allusion to the name of Seir, S])eaks of the 'Tugged points which comi>osed the main ridge" of the mountain in ((uestion. Such is the mean- ing of the Hebrew word Stir. Whether there is any connection between this mountain and Seirath (([.v.), or /i(is-Si'ira/i, is not so clear. The name is not a com- mon one. and it is not unlikely that it may have been attached to the more northern continuation of the hills of Judah which ran up into Benjamin — or, as it was then called. IMount Ejiiiraim. — Smith.