principal mountains are near the watershed; they include Jebel
Fuku‛a (Gilboa), a range that forms the watershed at the eastern
extremity of the plain of Esdraelon. The range of Carmel (highest
point 1810 ft.) must also be included in this district; it runs from the
central point above mentioned—though interrupted by many
passes—to the end of the promontory which makes the harbour
of Haifa, at its foot, the best on the Palestine coast. The highest
mountains in the Samaria district are, however, in the neighbourhood
of Nablus (Shechem). They include the rugged bare mass
of Gerizim (2849 ft.), the smoother cactus-clad cone of Ebal (3077),
and farther south Tell ‛Asur (3318) at which point begins the
Judaean range. On the eastern side of the watershed the most
important feature is perhaps the great valley system that connects
the Mukhnah (the plain south of Nablus) with the
Ghor—beginning with the impressive Wadi Bilan and proceeding through
the important and abundantly watered
Wadi Far‛a. Tell ‛Asur stands a short
distance north of Beitein (Bethel). South
of it is the long zigzag range known as
Jebel el-Kuds, named from Jerusalem
(el-Kuds) the chief town built upon it. The
highest point is Neby Samwil (Mizpah),
2935 ft. above the sea, north of Jerusalem.
This city itself stands at an altitude of
2500 ft. To the south of it begins the
subdivision of the Judaean mountains now
known as Jebel el-Khalil, from Hebron
(el-Khalil), which stands in an elevated
basin some 500 ft. above the altitude of
Jerusalem; it is here that the Judaean
Mountains attain their greatest height.
South of Hebron the ridge gradually
becomes lower, and finally breaks up and
loses itself in the southern desert.
|
| Emery Walker sc. |
On the west side of the watershed the mountainous district extends about half way to the sea, broken by deep valleys and passes. Among these the most important are the Wadi Selman (Valley of Aijalon) which seems to have been the principal route to Jerusalem in ancient times; the Wadi Isma‛in south of this, along which runs the modern carriage road from Jaffa to Jerusalem; and the Wadi es-Surar, a higher section of the bed of the Nahr Rubin, along which now runs the railway line; farther to the south we may mention the Wadi es-Sunt, which opens up the country from Tell es-Safi (Gath?) eastward.
Between the mountainous country of Judaea and the maritime plain is an undulating region anciently known as the Shephelah. It is composed of horizontal strata of limestone, forming groups of hills intersected by a network of small and fertile valleys. In this region, which is of great historical importance, are the remains of many ancient cities. The adjacent part of the maritime plain is composed of a rich, light brown loamy soil. Although cultivated with most primitive appliances, and with little or no attempt at irrigation or artificial fertilization, the average yield is eight- to twelve-fold annually. This part of the plain is (in European nomenclature) divided into two at about the latitude of Jaffa, that to the north being the plain of Sarona (Sharon), the southern half being the plain of the Philistines.
On the east side of the watershed the ground slopes rapidly from its height of 2500 ft. above sea-level to a maximum depth of 1300 ft. below sea-level, within a distance of about 20 m. It is a waste, destitute of water and with but scanty vegetation. It has never been brought into cultivation; but in the first Christian centuries the caves in its valleys were the chosen refuge of Christian monasticism. It descends to the level of the Ghor by terraces, deeply cut through by profound ravines such as the Wadi es-Suweinit, Wadi Kelt, Wadi ed-Dabr, Wadi en-Nar (Kedron) and Wadi el ‛Areijeh.
The southern district, which includes the white marl region of Beersheba, was in ancient times called the Negeb. It is a wide steppe region which (though it contains many remains of ancient towns and settlements, and was evidently at one time a territory of great importance) is now almost entirely inhabited by nomads. It should, however, be mentioned that the Turkish government has developed a town at Beersheba, under the jurisdiction of a Kaimmakam (lieutenant-governor), since the beginning of the 20th century.
The Ghor or Jordan valley is treated in a separate article (see Jordan). There has been no systematic survey of Eastern Palestine such as was carried out in Western Palestine between 1875 and 1880
