Page:Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine.djvu/189

Rh principal physical features, were hollowed out and sculptured at a time when the amount of rainfall was much greater than at present, and when these valleys and ravines formed the channels of swift perennial rivers. It is impossible to suppose that such deep and precipitous ravines as that of the Kedron at Mar Saba, and of the Cherith near Jericho, can be due to the action of the little rills that from time to time creep along their beds.

Viewed on a large scale the limestone table-land of Judæa forms a great arch, near the centre of which is situated the capital of the country. As we have already observed, the general dip of the strata on entering the table-land at Bab-el-Wâdy is westward; but as we ascend towards the higher elevations in an easterly direction the strata become flatter, and at length, at Beit Nakuba, they assume a nearly horizontal position. This continues as far as Jerusalem, where the beds begin to slope gently towards the south, and on passing by Bethany, and onwards along the road to Jericho, we find the dip to take a strong easterly trend, until close to the margin of the Jordan Valley, where they again approach the horizontal position. Over the whole of this region the depth of soil is exceedingly slight, and the solid framework may be clearly seen. "Where the beds are horizontal they crop out along the sides of the deep glens and profound ravines in courses and ledges, the upper surfaces of which support a little reddish soil and a vegetation of small plants, but capable when cultivated of being turned to excellent account. The rock itself presents considerable variations in character as well as colour. Around Jerusalem it produces not only a solid and durable white building stone, but marbles of red, pink, and yellow colours capable of receiving a fine polish. In other places it is mottled, veined, or pure white. The upper beds, which occur in the direction of the Jordan Valley, contain numerous bands of dark chert (or flint); and where the strata are contorted, these bauds, which are exceedingly hard, stand out on the hillsides and describe curiously curved lines and patterns which may be seen from considerable distances. All these strata, whether calcareous or silicious, are of organic origin, and were deposited below the waters of the sea during the Cretaceous and early Tertiary periods.