THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Kruman) between the Wadi al-Hammam and the Wadi al-Rabadiyah on the lake of Gennesaret. From the western foot of Tabor the watershed proceeds west until near Nazareth, when it turns northeast to the volcanic peak of Karn Hattin. It then resumes its western direction to the center of the district, when it again turns to the east, and joins the Jabalat al-'Arus, the southern boundary of the mountain district of Upper Galilee. It then stretches north to the vicinity of Marun al-Rase when it turns to the east, unites with the northerly range on the eastern border of Upper Galilee, and ends in the Jabal al-Dahr, which separates the Nahr al-K!asimiyah from the Nahr al-Hazbani. The range which forms the southern boundary of the plateau of Upper Galilee begins near 'Akka and runs eastward via the Nabi Haidar, the Jabalat al-'Arus, Zafad and the Jabal Kan'an to the Jordan below the Jisr Banat Ya'kub. The eastern range is rather wide in the south, including the Jabal Zafad (which includes Mairon, the " waters of Merom " of Josh, xi. 5, 7), and the Jabal Jarmak, the highest mountain of Galilee (nearly 3,700 feet.) From the Jabal Zafad several roads run to important points. Near the ancient city of Kadesh the line of hills divides into several parallel chains, but near Mais it unites with the watershed and thus reaches the plateau of Marj 'Ayun and the Jabal al-Dahr. The western border of Upper Galilee begins in the south at the village Kisra and runs parallel to the coast to Khirbat Salam on the Wadi al-Hajair. This range is pierced by certain valleys which afford communication between the plateau and the coast. The northern boundary is formed by the heights between Khirbat Salam and Hunin. Within the irregular quadrangle of the plateau of Upper Galilee two ranges of hills run northwest, the one from Jabal Jarmak to Khirbat Balat, and the other from Jabal al-Ghabiyah (s.w. of Kadesh) to Khirbat al-Yadun near Tibnin. Between the two ranges are fertile wooded plateaus.
The plains between the mountains and the coast begin immediately south of Ras al-Nakurah or Jabal al-Mushakkah. The first is the plain of Acre stretching to the northern foot of Carmel, the northern portion being fertile; the center a 7. The marshy district between Acre and Plains be- Shafa 'Amr watered by the Nahr tween Moun- Na'aman (the classical Belus) ; and the
tain and southern part constituting the vicinity Coast of the Lower Kishon. The plain to the west of Carmel is narrow, though fertile. Near the ruins of Tanturah were the heights of Dor (Josh. xi. 2; I Kings iv. 11). South of the Nahr al-Zarka begins the plain of Sharon distinguished for its vegetation (Cant. ii. 1; Isa. xxxv. 2). It extends southward to the mouth of the Nahr Rubin and westward to the foot of the mountain district, its length being about forty-three miles and its width reaching twelve miles at Jaffa. It is, in general, level, though small groups of hills are not infrequent. In the north considerable portions are used only for pasturage, but between Jaffa and al- Ramlah the plain is well settled. Near the coast runs a range of sandy hills which holds the water that collects in the plain, thus forming numerous marshes. South of the plain of Sharon stretches
the Shephelah, or " plain." Between this and the plain of the Philistines there is no natural boundary and it is evident that the Shephelah was extended far westward (cf. Josh. xv. 33 sqq.). Nor is there any strict delimitation of this region even to the west. On its eastern edge, on the other hand, various ranges of hills run west and northwest, forming the watershed between the numerous valleys of the irregular country. Large plains are found near 'Akir (Ekron), Jabna (Jabneh), Asdud (Ashdod), and 'Arak al-Manschiyah. Near Asdud begins a range of hills gradually increasing in height to the east and southeast, dividing the region of the Nahr Sukrair from the Wadi al-Hasi, while farther south they turn to the west for some twelve miles. Another range runs from Asdud parallel with the coast south to Sumsum and Dair Asnaid; but at the Wadi al-Shari'a this hill country ends, and farther south the Negeb begins. A shephelah of the northern mountain district of Israel is mentioned once in Josh. xi. 16, but this district is not noted elsewhere. Of the coast little need be said. It runs fairly straight from Tell Rafah to Carmel, in places rising abruptly from the sea, as at Ascalon, Jaffa, Tanturah 'Atlit, and Acre. The sole natural harbor of Palestine is the bay between Acre and Haifa; but this harbor is now so choked with sand as to be practically useless.
The name of the river Jordan (Heb. Yarden; Arab. Urdun, more commonly Shari'at al-kabirah, "Great Watering-place") is of uncertain etymology and meaning. It arises at the foot of Hermon from three springs: the Nahr al-Hazbani, 8. The Upper the Nahr al-Laddan, and the Nahr Jordan Val- Baniyas, the first rising half an hour ley; the Sea north of Hazbaiya, the second on Tell of Galilee. al-Kadi, and the third at Baniyas. These three sources unite five miles s. of Tell al-Kadi c. 130 feet above the sea. The river then flows rapidly through a small plain, the Ard al-Hulah, fifteen miles long by six wide, fertile and richly watered both by the Jordan and by many small streams from the east and west, but very unhealthy. The end of this swampy district is formed by the pear-shaped Bahrat al-Hulah, which has evidently decreased greatly in size since the days of Josephus (cf. War, IV., i. 1). The river is here some six feet above the level of the Mediterranean. Issuing from the Bahrat al-Hulah, the Jordan flows south over a rocky bed hemmed in by high cliffs of basalt. A little over a mile south of the lake is the ford of the old " way of the sea " (Isa. ix. 1) from Damascus, and the river is here forty feet below the surface of the Mediterranean. The Sea of Galilee (Lake of Gennesaret) is the most beautiful part of the Jordan valley, except the sources at Mount Hermon. It is twelve miles long, and five wide at Tiberias; its waters are sweet, fairly clear, and extremely rich in fish. It is, however, exposed to violent wind storms from north, northwest, and southeast (cf. Mark iv. 35-41). It seems always to have been named after some neighboring locality. In the Old Testament it is called the " sea of Chinneroth " or " Chinnereth " (Num. xxxiv. 11; Josh, xii. 3, xiii. 27), this being the name of a city north of Rakkath (Josh. xix. 35; cf. I Kings xv. 20); and