Page:Syria, the land of Lebanon (1914).djvu/94

SYRIA, THE LAND OF LEBANON feet above, so in Syria the Bika' stretches between the parallel ranges of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. There is, however, one striking difference between the two valleys. That of the Jordan is a deep depression, and the mouth of the river is nearly 1,300 feet below the surface of the Mediterranean. On the other hand, the central valley of Syria throughout its entire length lies considerably above sea-level, and at its highest point reaches an elevation of about 4,000 feet. The Bika', which is seventy miles long



and from seven to ten miles wide, is exceedingly fertile, and in it rise the two largest rivers of Syria. Near their sources the Orontes and Leontes pass within less than two miles of each other; yet the former flows to the north past Hama and Aleppo, while the latter turns southward and reaches the Mediterranean between Tyre and Sidon.

The Bika' extends north and south as far as we can see and is apparently as level as a floor. [ 64 ]