Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/269

253 THE SHEPHELAH OR PHILISTIA. 253

range now turns to the westward as far as the junction of Wady Zakariya with the Sunt.

The descent of the range eastward to the Sur is abrupt, like that of the range along Wady en Najil on the north. The slope to the west is much longer, and about four miles in width, terminating partly in Wady el Afranj on the north-east of Beit Jibrin, but chiefly in Wady Zakariya, called also Wady es Seiji, which rises about two miles north- eastward of Beit Jibrin, and runs northward to Wady es Sunt.

At the foot of Beit Jibrin, but on the north of Wady el Afranj, a range commences, which runs northward to Wady es Sunt, where it terminates in Tell Zukariya. This range is altogether seven miles in length, and completely separates the eastern tract, just described, from the western. The range rises steeply on the east, from the banks of Wady el Judeiyideh, and Wady Zakariya ; but it throws off long slopes towards the plain, which however they are prevented from reaching by the interposition of another range running from the right bank of Wady Afranj, on the north-west of Beit Jibrin up to Wady es Sunt, where it ends in Tell es Safi. This western range throws the southernmost waters of the middle range to the north, and collecting the rest of the western drainage of the middle range in them, finds an outlet to the Sunt in Wady es Safi, on the east of TeU es Safi. The middle range rises to 1,335 feet in Kh. es Surah. On its western slope are the villages of Kudna and Eana, and Deir edh Dhibban.

Besides Tell es Safi (alt. 695 feet), the summits of the western range are distinguished by the village of Dhikerin (alt. 680 feet), and its slopes contain the villages of Berkusieh (alt. 585 feet), and Summeil (alt. 405 feet). From the ground between those villages a slight swell extends across the plain to the villages of el Butani, about five miles from the sea.