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 the northernmost part of the basin at Kh. 'Ejjis er Ras (alt. 331 feet), and takes the drainage of Kaukabah, Beit Tima, Kjjeh, Burberah, and Beit Jerjah.

From the southern waterparting, between Sk. abu Kharrubeh and Tell Khuweilfeh, the Wady edh Dhikah proceeds, and takes the name of Wady en Nias on the way to its junction at Kh. Surrâ. Another considerable branch rises near the same part, and skirts the waterparting up to Kh. el Mukeimin, when it turns to the north-west and passes Kh. abu Gheith (alt. 640 feet) on its way to the main wady at Tell el Hesy (alt. 340 feet). The modern name of Gheith, its position on the southern frontier of Philistia, midway between the ancient fortresses of Hebron and Gaza, and particularly its connection with "the way to Shaaraim"(Tell esh Sheriah) have caused the remains of Gheith to be regarded as the representative of the long lost, ancient Gath, one of the five cities of Philistia, and the birth-place of Goliath.

Another affluent from the south, rises at Kh. Umm Ameidat, waters the modern village of Huj, and joins the Hesy at Khurbet Jelameh. The next from the southern waterparting, rises at Kh. Zuheilikah (alt. 450 feet) runs nearly up to Gaza where it receives a tributary from the south, and bending northwards, reaches the Hesy at-Deir Sineid.



The Palestine Exploration Survey only includes the northern part of this basin. Where the southern limit is to be drawn, it would be rash to affirm with any pretension to certainty, after the proofs supplied by the Survey of the unreliable character of existing maps dependent on route surveys in respect to questions of this precise character. The present southern limit of the survey corresponds with the division between Philistia and the Hill Country of Judah on the one hand, and the exceedingly interesting but unsurveyed and therefore very imperfectly known region including the 