Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/270

254 254 THE SHEPHELAH OR PHILISTIA.

IV.

This group has the Wady el Afranj on the north, and the main channel of Wady el Hesy on the south. This main channel enters the Shephelah at the junction of the Wady el Butm, through the gorge of Tell el Akr'a ; and it emerges at Tell el Hesy into an arm of the western plain, having the villages of Bureir and Simsim at its mouth.

The village of Idhna is the central point of the northern part of these hills. From thence a range runs north-west- ward, following the curvature of Wady el Afranj, and forming its left bank, until it reaches Khurbet Senabreh, when the range is deflected to the south-west, along the northern- most affluent of the southern branch of the Sukereir Basin, which crosses the plain as Wady el Ghueit. The range now divides the affluents of Wady el Afranj from those that fall to el Ghueit, and in the performance of this function it reaches the plain on the south of Zeita. The most noted place on its summit is Tell Sandahannah on the south of Beit Jibrin.

Another range proceeds from Idhna westward to el Khubeibeh, and throws off considerable spurs to the north- west, which terminate on the left bank of the Ghueit affluent before mentioned, called in part Wady Beit 'Alam, and filling up the space between the two Idhna ranges.

The next range arises between the wadys that rise about Beit 'Auwa. It is in continuation of the waterparting between the basins of Nahr Sukereir and Wady el Hesy, which begins at Eas Biain on the south of Dura. It throws out spurs on the south side of the range, from a point on the south of ed Dawaimeh. They are divided by the Wady el Butm ; and at its western end it sends two spurs towards Bureir. Otherwise it hugs the right bank of Wady el Hesy so closely, that no features of that kind occur. To the basin of Nahr Sukereir, this range contributes not only spurs, but a considerable branch, which, beginning on the west of ed Dawaimeh, passes to the plain at Arak el Menshiyeh. From