Page:Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894.djvu/130

106 hills prevent one from seeing the plain itself, but smoke rising from the plain could easily be seen, whereas smoke rising from the Dead Sea would be quite invisible. This was first argued by Grove and followed by the Canon.

From the Jebel Nebâ, Moses might well have surveyed a large part of the country. Canon Tristram was the second to identify this with Nebo and the first to publish it. The preservation of the ancient name of Gilgal is most significant. In 1857 there were still a few palm trees left at Jericho. There was once a vast forest here which did not interfere with the corn-culture beneath. Palms must have salt in the soil—here the water is mainly brackish. Cleopatra cleared away the palms to introduce the Balm of Gilead (Balsama dendron), which must have a tropical climate. Like all exotic plants it finally died out. In Crusading times Jericho became the property of the Knights of St. John, who introduced the culture of the sugar-cane; the ruins of their mills may yet be seen. The revenue was then £1,500 a year. At the time of Joshua, Jericho was near 'Ain es Sultan. The Canon pointed out the difficulty of a vast army in crossing the Jordan without boats, which we know they did not have. You cannot, he said, explain Scripture history if you try to deny miracles. We can follow Joshua's march to Ai and to Bethel up the dangerous pass of 'Ain Duk. How easily the spies could have been concealed among these crags.

Not the least interesting place here, though very traditional, is Mount Quarantana, the Mountain of Temptation. The Canon described a wonderful system of hermit caves, partly artificial, some of them walled in. For some time they were deserted, but now, principally in Lent, they are re-inhabited by hermits from Egypt and Abyssinia. The walls are covered with frescoes, dating from the time of the Arian controversy. There is not a trace of a crucifix nor of the Adoration of the Virgin. In the lists of Apostles, St. John appears at the head. While the lecture was going on the rain beat down upon the tent and the prospects looked very grave for the morrow, but Thursday dawned clear and cloudless and the pilgrimage returned to Jerusalem in comfort, some by Mar Saba and the rest by the ordinary route. A good audience assembled in the evening to hear the Rev. Mr. Kelk lecture on Walks about Jerusalem, which he modestly called the tale of an ordinary observer. He pointed out the fact that Jerusalem is once more becoming a city of Jews. It is not many years since the estimate of the population gave 8,000 Jews, 10,000 Mohammedans, and 12,000 Christians. He believes that there are now 40,000 Jews, 8,000 Mohammedans, and 12,000 Christians. He stated that this is disputed, some putting the number of Jews as low as 26,000, but five years ago he caused a careful census of the Jews to be taken, and they then numbered 30,000; since then there is certainly an increase of 13,000, so that he believes the above estimate of 40,000 to be under the mark. Mr. Kelk then described the familiar but ever interesting walk around the city, beginning at the Jaffa gate and going southwards.