230 THE MOUNTAINS OF JUMA.
The high road between Jerusalem and Nablus, traverses them. They separate the Mediterranean and Jordan waterparting between Tell 'Asur and Beitin, from the equally high and parallel heights of Bir ez Zeit.
The Wady Malakeh, from its source at Eamallah, to its junction with Wady Shellal at Medieh (the Maccabean Modin), and afterwards the latter wady, and Wady Nusrah, may be regarded as dividing the hills on the north from a region on the south with distinct features. The correspond- ing part of the Jordan slope is bounded by the Wady Mu- heisin, which rises near Beitin, and is continued by Wady Eummaneh to Wady Nuei'ameh.
Westward of the main waterparting, the hills and valleys on the north are very intricate and convoluted. Besides those surrounding the two Shebtin valleys, which also form the western boundary of the lateral system running north- wards from Beitin and Abu Kush, attention to the following parallel features may help to throw light on the mass. The western slope ascending from the Plain of Sharon, appears to culminate, firstly, in a range of summits represented by 'Abud (alt. 1,240 feet), Deir Abu Meshal (alt. 1,556 feet), Shubkah (alt. 1,058 feet), and Deir el Kuddis (alt. 1,264 feet) ; (2.) East- ward, at a distance of three or four miles, rises a parallel series of superior heights, represented by Kefr 'Ain (alt. 2,285 feet), Kh. Kefr Tat (alt. 2,770 feet), Neby Saleh (alt. 1,868 feet), Deir en Nidhan (alt. 1,934 feet), Beit Ello (alt. 1,797 feet), Deir Ammar (alt. 1,737 feet), and Has Kerker (alt. 1,637 feet). The interval between this range and the western series may be regarded as an intermediate terrace ; (3.) About five miles further east is the Bir ez Zeit range ; (4.) Then follows after an interval of three or four miles, the main waterparting from Tell 'Asur to Beitin; (5.) Finally, the Jordan slope exhibits the easternmost of these parallel ranges in the culminating summits of the ascent from the Jordan Plains, which are represented by en Nejmeh (alt. 2,391 feet), in continuation of a ridge running southward from
el Mugheir, and by Khubbet Rummainaneh (alt. 2,024 feet).
