Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/125

109 WADY ED DERAJEH. 109

The Watercourses of Wady ed Derajeh.

Two main channels with a minor one on the south, divide the waters of this basin. These are Wady el Meshash, Wady ed Derajeh, and Wady Mukt'a el Jues.

(1.) The northern part has its heads as far south as the hills that divide Bethlehem from Urtas, the latter being in the southern division. The junction of all the wadys on the north of Bethlehem (alt. 2,530 feet) is on the road to Mar Saba, about two miles beyond the east end of the town. The northernmost is the Wady el Kaah, on the north of the village of Sur Bahir (alt. 2,612 feet). It descends to the junction along the northern edge of the basin. From a hill between Sur Bahir and Mar Elias, three main wadys run south to the Wady Samurah, which rises on the north of Bethlehem and runs eastward, receiving the valleys from the north, and then passing to the junction before mentioned.

Below the junction the wady is called Wady Lozeh, and runs to the southward, soon receiving the Wady Umm el Kulah from the south of Bethlehem, and the Wady et Tin from Beit T'amir. The Wady now becomes Wady el War, and flows south-east through a gorge, when it is named Wady D'abub, and then Wady el T'amireh. On reaching the southern base of Kurn el Hajr. it turns south and south-east as Wady el Meshash, and descends by a precipitous gorge to Wady ed Derajeh. Throughout this course the wady runs with the northern boundary of the basin, and receives short branches from it. In passing southwards from the base of Kurn el Hajr, it receives Wady el Bussah, and some smaller branches from the central range which divides the basin. This wady was formerly known in general as Wady T'amireh, a name confined in the Survey to a small part of it.

(2.) The southern part has its origin in Wady el Biar, which rises near Khurbet Breikut in the south-western angle of the basin, and skirts its western boundary northward up to Urtas.

[This vale was identified with the Valley of Berachah (2 Chron. xx, 26) by Dr. Grove in Smith's " Bib. Diet." ; but Lieut. Conder prefers Wady 'Arrub in the next basin (Handbook,