Page:Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894.djvu/343

Rh largesse, the keeper of the cave opens unto him a gate of iron which was made in the days of our ancestors, and then he is able to descend below by means of steps, holding a lighted candle in his hand. He then reaches a cave in which nothing is to be found, and a cave beyond which is also empty; but in a third cave the visitor comes upon the veritable six graves of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah, one facing the other. They bear an inscription as follows: 'This is the grave of Abraham,' 'This is the grave of Isaac,' &c. A lamp burns in the cave over the graves day and night, and one finds there casks full of the bones of Israelites, as the members of the house of Israel were wont to bring the bones of their fathers thither and they deposited them there to this day.

"Outside the field of Machpelah is the house of Abraham, and there is a well in front of the house, but out of reverence for the patriarch Abraham no one is allowed to build in the neighbourhood.

"From Hebron, at a distance of five parasangs, is Beit Jibrin, which is Mareshah, where there are but three Jews; proceeding three parasangs beyond, you reach St. Samuel of Shiloh. This is the Shiloh which is two parasangs from Jerusalem.

"When the Christians captured Ramleh, the Ramah of old, from the Arabs, they found there the grave of Samuel the Ramathite close to a Jewish synagogue. The Christians took the remains, conveyed them unto Shiloh, and erected over them a large church, which they call St. Samuel of Shiloh unto this day. At a distance of three parasangs you reach Maroumrih-la-petita, which is the Hill of Saul, and is identical with the Gibeah of Benjamin. Three parasangs beyond you come to Beth-nubi, which is Nob, the city of the priests, and halfway are the two crags, the name of the one being Bozez and the name of the other Seneh. Two Jew dyers dwell at Nob.

"Three parasangs beyond you reach Rams, which is Ramah, containing remains of walls from the days of our fathers, as is found written on the stones. Three hundred Jews dwell here. It was formerly a large city, and has a large Jewish cemetery, situate at a distance of two miles from the town. At a distance of five parasangs is Joppa, the Jaffa of old, situated by the sea, where one Jew dyer lives. Five parasangs' journey takes one to Ibelin, which is Jabneh, formerly the seat of the Jewish Academy, but no Jews dwell there now. Thus far extends the territory of Ephraim.

"Five parasangs beyond is the site of Palmid, which is Ashdod of the Philistines, and which lies in ruins. No Jews dwell here. Two parasangs further bring one to Ascalon. This is the New Ascalon, which Ezra, the priest, built. It is on the sea shore, and was first called B'ne-berak; it is situated at a distance of fouir parasangs from ancient Ascalon, which is now in ruins. New Ascalon is a large and fine city, whither people come for traffic from all places, as it is not far from the frontier of Egypt. Two hundred Rabbanite Jews dwell there, also 40 Karaites together with Cuthæans (Samaritans) to the number of three