Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/103

87 WADY EL 'AftjAH. MINOR BASIN. 87

approaches the opening of its chasm into the plain. It was confused formerly with Wady Habis and Wady el Musireh. The Wady Abu Obeideh has its source on the west of Umm Sirah, and takes the rest of the drainage of the southern border of the basin. In crossing the enclosed plain, here called Salet el Meidan, the Wady Abu Obeideh receives the Wady Umm Sirah, which rises among the rocks at the foot of the mountains near the pass of Nukb el Asfar. This is the Wady el Musireh of former maps, which confused it with Wady Dar el Jerir and Wady Lueit, and carried it into the Wady el Aujah, instead of into Wady el Obeideh. It also receives the Shukh ed Dub'a, and then begins to cross the low hills on its way to the Ghor, and to its junction with Wady el 'Aujah in the depths of the Zor.

THE MINOR BASIN OF WADY MESA'ADET 'AiSA.

A small group of secondary basins succeeds the el 'Aujah, and intervenes between its outfall and that of Wady Nuei'a- meh. The only notable one amongst them is Wady Mesa'adet 'Aisa or '* the Ascension of Jesus," with several small branches, which drain the eastern side of the southern part of the detached hills, from the Maidan el 'Abd to the 'Osh el Ghurab or " Eaven's Nest " a traditional Mountain of the Temptation of Our Lord, from whence the name of the Wady is derived. (Conder's "Tent Work," ii, 5, 10, 13.) This tradition is said to be only attached to the 'Osh el Ghurab at the present day by the Bedawin ; but as Lieut. Conder also attributes to it a " mediaeval monkish " origin, for which he cites authorities, it may be observed that the opposite summit of the Kuruntul* Mountain is reputed by the Eoman Church to be the " exceeding high mountain " of the Temptation. Le Frere Lievin, " Guide des Sanctuaires," 377.


 * Called also " Quarantania," or Mount of the Forty days' Fast.

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