Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/223

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THE NAZARETH RANGE. 207

and terminate the south-eastern part of this division, in strik- ing contrast with the bare chalky downs spread out between Mount Tabor and the Sea of Galilee.

On its northern side, the main range sends out only one important spur westward from Jebel es Sih, (alt. 1,838 feet), on which stands el Meshhed (alt. 1,254 feet), and Seffurieh (alt. 813 feet). This spur gradually spreads out like a fan, and throws off its lower ramifications from Kummaneh to el Khalladiyeh ; its lateral limits being the Wadys Kefr Kenna and Kummaneh on the east, and a wady on the south, that has its sources in 'Ain el Jinnan and 'Ain el Jikleh, and descends by er Eeineh, and Kustul Seffurieh, which is an outwork on the south of the ancient town, the Sepphoris of Josephus. Thus the outlet of the Plain of Buttauf is gradu- ally contracted to a narrow vale passing southward on the west of Seffurieh.

Between Jebel es Sih (alt. 1,838 feet), and esh Shejerah (alt. 795 feet), the northern side of the main range descends to the Plain of Toran, with a slope that gradually abbreviates east- ward from Wady Kefr Kenna to el Merhan, its breadth being three miles at the former, and only half-a-mile at the latter. On the north of esh Shejerah, the main range runs on to Lubieh, which has the northern base of the Nazareth range imme- diately below the village in the Hakul el Mugharah, which descends to the head of the Plain of Toron, where the western slope on the south of Lubieh, also falls. The 'eastern slope between Lubieh and esh Shejerah, forms the head of a plateau between Mount Tabor, including its north-western ridge, and the eastern division of the main Nazareth range, the description of which follows.

3. The Eastern Division.

The eastern division of the Nazareth Eange has its eastern base in the Ghor of the Jordan, and the north-eastern in the Wady Fejjas and Wady Shubbabeh. The western boundary meets the slope from the central division of the

range between Lubieh and esh Shejerah and runs by Ard ed