Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/242

226 226 THE SAMARITAN HILLS.

exceeds five miles. It formed, no doubt, a part of the Roman Toparchy of Acrabatene, for the modern village of 'Akrabeh (alt. 2,045 feet), with antique remains, is found upon the main waterparting about midway between the ends of the valley which it completely dominates. The village of Yanun in the northern part of the valley, is considered to occupy the site of the biblical Janoah. The village of Mejdel-beni-Fadl (alt. 2,145 feet) overlooks the southern part.

The upland valley appears to be called the Jehir 'Akrabeh and to be divided into an upper and lower terrace or trough parallel to each other. The upper includes three different drainages, descending severally from et Tawanik, 'Akrabeh, and Mejdel, the first passes by Yanun and the Wady el Abeid to a stream of the lower tier, which also comes from et Tawa- nik : and the others fall to a distinct lower branch, called Wady es Seba. These form a final junction about midway between the extremities, and then bend suddenly to the east to intersect the outer range, and descend by Wady ed Dowa and Zamur, to the Plain of Ifjim.

Next to the Jehir 'Akrabeh is the Wady Nasir, on the west of Mejdel. Then follows a more extensive system, which has its northern extremity on the west of the village of Domeh (alt. 2,006 feet) ; the southern being defined by a ridge occu- pied by the village of Mugheir (alt. 2,246 feet). About a dozen different wadys contribute to two main drains called Wady ed Duba and Wady el Merajem, which descend from the opposite ends of the valley to meet midway, and then intersect the outer range, and drop down some 2,000 feet to the Ghor, at the northern end of the ruins of Phasaelis (Fusail). It is the outer range which forms the culminating summit of the eastern slope. Mugheir is on the waterparting between this valley of many names and Wady Samieh. The parting runs back to the westward for about four miles, and separates the eastern parts of the Highland of Samaria and Judaea. Dr. Robinson traversed the whole series of the upland valleys from Mug- heir to the Plain of Salim, in the contrary direction to that which has been now followed. He gives an excellent account