CHAPTER V.

JERUSALEM TO NABULUS AND SAMARIA-NAIN-NAZARETH-MOUNT TABOR

TIBERIAS AND JAPHET.

DRS. ROBINSON and SMITH having identified several ancient sites a little to the eastward of the high road from Jerusalem to Samaria, we were induced to shape our route so as to include them, and thus to render it, if somewhat less direct, yet considerably more interesting; passing by way of Anata (Anathoth), and Muckmas (Michmash), to Beitin, or Bethel, before regaining the usual track.

Another interesting circuit was made to Seilun, or " Shiloh," where there are numerous tombs and remains of ancient edifices, which show that it must once have been a site of some importance.

Re-entering the high road again early in the morning, we reached, at eventide, the entrance to the valley of Nabulus, the ancient Sichem, which turns off upon the left. The way to Samaria and Galilee now runs up this valley to the westward, but in all probability there was formerly a more direct road to the eastward. Just at the point where these roads would have intersected, is the ancient well, which, by an almost uninterrupted tradition of Jews, Samaritans, Christians, and Mohammedans, is said to be the same dug by the patriarch Jacob. It was by this well that while his disciples went to buy provisions, our Saviour sat down previous to resuming his onward course into Galilee without turning aside into the city; and here occurred the scene with the Samaritan woman so vividly narrated in the Gospel of St. John.

The scene is one that, from its few and simple elements, easily

rivets itself upon the memory. In the foreground is the mouth of the well, nearly blocked up by stones and brambles. This orifice is in the roof of a vaulted chamber, in which is the well itself, which is upwards of a hundred feet to the bottom, thus answering to the deseription of the Samaritan woman, "Sir, the well is deep." It now appears to be dry. Near it, upon the mound, are the scarcely recognisable remains of a church, which the piety of the middle ages erected upon the spot. At a short distance appears on a little montecule, the traditional tomb of Joseph, a Moslem edifice, built probably over the original burialplace; and below, is the "parcel of ground," which his father Jacob purchased of the Shechemites. This was now waving

with corn as it was in the time of Jesus, and to this he pointed

when he, in his joy, metaphorically alluded to "the fields which were already white unto harvest." Nor less vividly do the bolder features of the landscape correspond with the Gospel

narrative.

Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, the hills of cursing and blessing, but now rugged and barren alike, rise behind. Upon the latter, then was, and now is, the sacred altar of the Samaritans. To this the woman pointed when she said, "Our fathers

worshipped in this mountain," a remark which drew from our Saviour the sublime annunciation, that "neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem" should men worship the Father, but that "the true worshippers should everywhere worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Perhaps there is no scene in Palestine more strikingly conformable to the scripture narrative than this, or to which attaches such a train of venerable and momentous recollections.

We pursued our way into Nabulus, which is not far distant, where we took up our abode for the night. A handful of the Samaritans still linger here after the lapse of so many centuries. We visited their synagogue, and saw their celebrated copy of the Pentateuch. Next morning, accompanied by a young man of this community, we ascended to the summit of Mount Gerizim, whence the fertile valley of Nabulus is seen spread out below, like a carpet of verdure. The principal object of interest was the castle that crowns the summit, and the holy place of the Samaritans. This castle, which was built by Justinian, owed its origin to an ebullition of Samaritan bigotry. The first converts to the Christian faith were made at the time of our Lord's visit, and others were afterwards added by the labours of the Apostles, until the city, which under the Romans was called Neapolis, became an Episcopal see. The fanaticism of the Samaritans now broke out in acts of violence; these the Christian emperors resented by driving them from their holy mountain, and building a Christian church on its summit: as they still continued to interrupt the worship of the Christians, Justinian built this fortress to protect the latter from any further annoyance.

Not far from this edifice is a singular hollow, which our guide declared to be the holy place of his people. Formerly they had a temple on the mountain, but no remains of it have as yet been identified.

From hence there is a very striking view, embracing the holy place, the castle, and the "parcel of ground" which Jacob bought

of the Shechemites, with the village of "Shalim" on a small mound, the Shalim passed by the patriarch on his route from the banks of the Jordan, and the distant mountains on the other side of that river.

In the afternoon we also ascended Mount Ebal, but could discover no trace of bygone generations, though the view, like that from Gerizim, is splendid and extensive.

Pursuing our way next morning along the beautiful valley of Nabulus, in about an hour, the bold hill of Samaria rose before us, standing isolated in the midst of a basin of mountains, all cultivated to their summits, a position alike strong and beautiful. Formerly, as there is indeed monumental evidence to prove, the cultivated terraces into which the hill-side is fashioned, were

adorned with the buildings of the city. The small village of Sebustich now occupies a portion of the site, and at the eastern extremity is the church built by Justinian over the reputed tomb of John the Baptist. This we were not permitted to enter; but on riding over the hill, came upon the remains of a splendid colonnade, which had once been evidently of great extent, and

SAMARIA.

187 which was terminated to the westward by the foundations of a gateway.

This is no doubt a relic of some magnificent edifice with which Herod adorned the city. Lower down the mountain side we found another group of columns, which seemed as though they had formed a part of some forum or public market-place. These are the only apparent remains of the splendid capital where the kings of Israel once held their court.

There is no mention of our Saviour's personally visiting Samaria at that time in the very zenith of its glory; having been rebuilt by Herod the Great, with his customary display of magnificence, after it had been bestowed on him by Augustus, in honour of whom it received the name of Sebaste, being the Greek translation of his name. The parts about Phenice and Samaria were visited by Philip after the dispersion of the Apostles; and here a church was gradually formed, and an episcopal see established, which fell only with the triumph of Mahommedanism.

The descent from the crest of the hill of Samaria is extremely rapid, and the city, strongly fortified as it was by Herod, would seem to have been almost impregnable; yet no part of its walls are standing, and how or when they were levelled with the dust, like all the rest of the city, there are no accounts to show.

Hence our way led over cultivated hills and valleys of no remark; the isolated hill fortress of Sanur being the only conspicuous object, on the way to the edge of the great plain of Esdraelon. In traversing Palestine, even in its present state of decay, the mind is forcibly struck by the reflection that it contains much more arable land than is usually supposed, and that the evident fruitfulness of the whole region, when cultivated as it is in terraces, imparts to it a capacity of sustaining an immense population.

The evening view of the great plain as we came down upon it at the village of Jenin, was enchanting. True, its level surface was almost bare of wood, but it was covered with richly