Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/77

61 WADY GHUZZEH. 61

Ghuzzeh seven wadys join the Sheriah from the northern edge of the basin.

The southern branch collects all the south-eastern affluents of the Sheriah and carries their waters to Khurbet Erk. Monsieur V. Guerin has contributed some additional sites to this part of the survey, which the surveyors left incomplete. But it is difficult to make his routes fit with the Palestine Exploration Map, and his own map like the best of others relating to this part, only serves to repeat the proof of the imperfect results of route surveys.

At the junction of Wady Sheriah with Wady Ghuzzeh, the survey places the Khurbet el Kutshan, which appears to be Arabic for the " Euins of the Horse Village." This at once suggests its identification with the biblical Hazor Susah or Susirn, which has the same meaning. The site has been long looked for in this locality. It has been supposed to be connected with the trade in horses with Egypt in Solomon's time; but its association with this neighbourhood is more fitly explained by the fact that horsebreeding is a prominent pursuit in the pastures about Gaza. The Henady Arabs of this part are famous for it.

On the south of Wady Ghuzzeh and near the sea, the Survey places the remains of Deir el Belah, which Mons. V. Guerin identifies with the Crusaders' fortress of Darum. The Rev. E. Wilson applies his cogent reasoning to connect it with the Bizjoth-Jah-Baalah of Joshua xv, the Balah of Joshua xix, and the Bilhah of 1 Chronicles iv. It is un- doubtedly the site of a sacred fane of high antiquity, suitable for the worship of Baal, and still more to give expression to the contempt of the Almighty (Bizjoth-Jah) for that idolatry.

Here ends the present examination of the Survey within the Mediterranean watershed. The remainder includes the western slope of the Jordan and Dead Sea Basin. It will be subjected to the same analysis as the former part ; and the comparison of the knowledge acquired by the Survey with earlier work will be not less instructive and interesting.