Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/152

 Sawd al-Lehûd, Ḳârt al-Ḥamra, al-Mḫajneḳ, Šdejjed, ar-Rwejṯ, al-Mrejṭbe, al-ʻEmdên, Nezâha, an-Namra, and Ummu Rmejṯ. To the south of al-Mḫajneḳ stretches the plain of Burajrîǧ, connected on the south with the defiles Ḫrejm al-ʻAṣîra and Ḫarm al-Bedarijje, from which the pass Naḳb al-Merwa leads across the ridge of al-Meʻtedân to the springs of ʻEmûd and Umm ʻÂmel and farther on to Ẓbe’.

South of the upper part of the valley of ad-Dâma rise: the hills of Abu Šnân enclosing the plain of ar-Raḥaba on the south; Ẓlûʻ al-Ḥumr; al-Fǧejme; aṣ-Ṣâneʻ with the cones of Naṛar and Nuṛejjer; still farther on: al-Hašîm; aẓ-Ẓuma’, and Abu Tîne, separated from Mount Rajdân by the šeʻîb of al-Ḫandaḳi; and to the south of aṣ-Sâneʻ, Mwêreb, al-Wutejdât, Šhaba’ Ǧâmra, al-Ḫaẓa, Šhejb al-Bûm, and al-Ǧebâla.

On the seashore near Wâdi aṣ-Ṣurr is the shrine of the Sheikh (aš-Šejḫ) ʻAbdallâh, and to the east of it the spring of az-Zaḥlûṭa, while still farther eastward are the oases of an-Ngêr and an-Neǧel. South of the wâdi, on the shore itself, is located the settlement of al-Mwêleḥ beside the ruins of Leḥjâne.

Farther to the southeast are clustered the huts of the village of Ẓaḥakân on the bay of the same name, and about five kilometers still farther south is the large settlement of Ẓbe’ Al-Muḳaddasi, Aḥsan (De Goeje), p. 53, records Ḍabba also among the settlements belonging to the Ḳurḥ area.Jâḳût, Muʻǧam (Wüstenfeld), Vol. 3, pp. 463—464, as we have already seen (see above, p. 135, ), says that Ḍabba is a settlement near the coast in the Tihâma, still belonging to Syria. Opposite, seventy miles from it, is situated another settlement known as Bada’, through which a stream flowed and which belonged to the Patriarch Jacob. From this settlement Jacob proceeded on a journey to Egypt to his son Joseph.—Bada’ is an oasis on the Darb ar-Rakak road leading from Egypt to al-Medîna. About 130 kilometers to the northwest of it, on the shore, is situated our settlement of Ẓbe’, which I identify with the Ḍabba of al-Muḳaddasi and Jâḳût. Al-Muḳaddasi does not transcribe names accurately, and those who copied from him did not investigate the correctness of his lists. He mentions two places of the same name in the Ḥeǧâz and in the depression of Sirḥân. Both are pronounced al-ʻAwnîd by him, and Jâḳût follows his example, although the two places are actually called al-ʻWejned. He probably jotted down Ḍaba’ and later transcribed it as Ḍabba’, while actually the name of this settlement was Ẓaba’, or, as it is now pronounced, Ẓba’ or Ẓbe’.This supposition is confirmed by al-Maḳrîzi (died 1142 A.D.), Mawaʻiẓ (Wiet), Vol. 1, pp. 57—58, who says that to the east of the Ḳolzum Sea are situated the region of al-Ḥawra’, Ḍabba, and Nebk, the region of Madjan, and the region of Ajla. Some manuscripts have Ṭana’ and others Ẓaba’. The transcription Ḍabba, however, is certainly erroneous. It is obtained from Jâḳût and is due to an inaccurate etymology. The name of this settlement does not come from ḍabb, as Jâḳût supposes, but from ẓaba’ or ḍaba’. Codex Vindobonensis has Ḳaṭaja’, which suggests an original phrase fa Ẓaba’ (and Ẓaba), that is our Ẓbe’. with fine palm gardens. Beyond this village is the shrine Ḳabr aṭ-Ṭwâši, and near it the well Bîr as-Sulṭâni.

The island of an-Naʻmân lies to the south of Ẓbe’ and almost west of Wâdi ad-Dâma, which forms the old frontier between the territories of the Ḥwêṭât at-Tihama and the Beli, to whom the rest of the coast with the settlement of al-Weǧh belongs.

There are two old trade routes leading along the coast to the southeast; they branch off from each other north of the oasis of ʻAjnûna. The eastern one is called Darb ar-Raṣîfijje; and the western, Darb al-Mellâḥ. The latter leads via the oases of Šarma, Terîm, and an-Nǧêr, makes a crooked detour around the rugged elevations of as-Snejwijje and al-Bêẓa, under the name of Darb al-Falak, then passes the settle-