Palestine and Syria:  Handbook for Travelers

1. From Tiberias to Khân Minyeh.

The road at first runs 30-40 ft. above the level of the water, commanding a fine view, though Tiberias itself soon disappears behind a rocky corner. On the right (35 min.) we perceive below us flg-trees with ruins among them , and several springs (`Ain el-Bârideh), the water of which is warm and brackish. Some of the springs have an enclosure of stone, forcing the water to ascend. A small valley descends from the left. On the hill to the left are several rock-tombs. The miserable village of Mejdel (25 min.) is identical with Magdala, the birthplace of Mary Magdalen, and perhaps also with Migdal-El of the tribe of Naphthali (Joshua xix.  38). Here, too, we may perhaps place Taricheae, which played an important part in the war with Rome.

Near Mejdel the hills recede westwards from the lake. The Wâdi el-Hamâm descends here from Khân Lûbiyeh (p. 286), and is traversed by the caravan route between Nazareth and Damascus. About 1/2 hr. to the W. of Mejdel, on the left side of the valley, lie the ruins of the castle of Katat Ibn Ma'ân, opposite which is Irbid-, the ancient Arbela.  The cliffs here are about 1150 ft. in height. The castle consists of caverns in the rock, connected by passages and protected by walls, and possesses several cisterns. This inaccessible fastness was once the haunt of robbers.  Herod the Great besieged them here, and only succeeded in reaching and destroying them by letting down soldiers in cages by ropes to the mouths of the caverns. The caverns were afterwards occupied by hermits. The ascent is difficult (3/4-1 hr.). — Near Irbid, close to the slope of the Wâdi el-Hamâm, still stand the ruins of an old synagogue mentioned in the Talmud.

At Mejdel begins the plain of El-Ghuwêr, the ancient Gennesar, about 3 M. long and 1 M. wide.

The soil is extremely fertile and copiously watered by several springs, but there is hardly a trace of cultivation. The banks of the lake and the brooks are fringed with oleanders (difieh) and nebk. The brooks contain numerous tortoises and crayfish, and shells abound on the shores of the lake. The principal spring is the 'Ain el-Mudawwara ('round spring'), which lies 25 min. N.W. from Mejdel. The basin, enclosed by a round wall, and about 30 yds. in diameter, is concealed among the bushes. The water, 2 ft. deep, is clear and good, and bursts forth in considerable volume. From `Ain el-Mudawwara we return to the bank of the lake by
crossing the plain obliquely (1/2 hr.).

Leaving Mejdel we cross (1/4 hr.) the Wâdi el-Hamâm, the (10 min.) brook of the 'Ain el-Mudawwara, and (10 min.) the brook Er-Babadtyeh, and soon afterwards pass the village of Abu Shûsheh on a hill to the left. We next reach (1/4 hr.) the mouth of the Wâdi el-'Amûd, and (20 min.) arrive at the Khân Minyeh, dating from the time of Saladin. Attempts have been made to identify this spot with the Bethsaida of the N.T., but it is doubtful whether there ever was another village of this name except Bethsaida Julias (p. 290).

From Khân Minyeh, or even from Mejdel by Abu Shûsheh, the baggage horses may be sent by a more direct route to Safed. The present caravan route (which is also the ancient Roman road) leads from Khân Minyeh direct towards the N. to (1 hr. 25 min.) Khân Jubb Yûsuf (p. 293).
 

2. From Khân Minyeh to Tell Hûm.

The narrow path skirts to the right (E.) the rocky slope of the hills at some height above the lake. The ruins of a (modern) aqueduct, which ran from 'Ain et-Tâbigha to Khân Minyeh, serve as a bridle-path. On the right we soon observe the 'Ain et-Tin, or fig-spring, below us (much papyrus), and beyond it (20 min.) reach the copious —

'Ain et-Tabigha (= Heptapegon, '7 springs'), which was formerly supposed to be the scene of the miracle of feeding the 5000 (Mark vi. 30-44). The water is brackish and has a temp, of 89.6° F.  On the left, about 2 min. from the road, is the large octagonal enclosure of the spring. A little to the S. of the spring the German Catholic Palestine Society has established a small colony with a hospice (kind reception but limited space, pens. incl. wine 10 fr.), near a few ruins. Some authorities locate Bethsaida here (see above), which is possible; others seek to identify the spot with the ancient spring of Capernaum.

The path from 'Ain et-Tâbigha continues to skirt the bank, on which several springs and remains of buildings are observed, and reaches (35 min.) the ruins of —

Tell Hûm. — History. The identification of Tell Hûm with Capernaum is supported by some old itineraries of pilgrims and is as good as certain. Jewish authors mention a place here called Kafar Tankhûm, or Nakhûm. Whether 'Tell Hûm' was corrupted from 'Tankhûm', or whether the Arabic 'Tell' (hill) was substituted for 'Kaphar' (village) and Nakhum shortened to Hûm, is very questionable. The extent of the ruins of Tell Hûm points to an ancient place of considerable importance , such as a custom-house and garrison town is likely to have been. The building material is basalt.

The village consists of a dozen miserable huts. The ruins are surrounded by a wall and belong to the Franciscans, who own a small hospice (no beds) and a farm here. Permission to inspect the ruins should he brought from the guardian at Tiberias. In order to acquire the land the Franciscans covered up most of the ruins, but by-and-by excavations will be made. On the bank of the lake lies the only building which is still to some extent preserved. It was probably a Christian church, and is composed of still more ancient materials. There is no trace of anything like a quay or harbour. In the midst of the mass of black ruins we can trace the remains of a beautiful ancient building of white limestone resembling marble. This structure, about 25 yds. long and 18 yds.  wide, was partly composed of very large blocks of stone. On the S.  side there were three entrances. In the interior are still seen the bases of the columns, while beautiful fragments of Corinthian capitals and other remains lie scattered in wild confusion. This, as some think, must have been a synagogue (perhaps the one mentioned in Luke vii. 5), and the ruins are certainly older than some others adjacent, which perhaps belonged to the basilica that stood here about the year 600 on the site of St. Peter's house. At the N. end of the town are two tombs, one of which, lined with limestone, is subterranean, while the other is a square building, which must have been capable of containing many bodies. From the ruins of the deeply humiliated city (Matth. xi. 23) the eye gladly turns to the lake, bounded by gentle hills and stretching far to the S.; and of this, at least, we are certain, that the scene is the same as that which Christ and his disciples once so often beheld.
 

3. From Tell Hûm to Safed.

We follow the water-course from Tell Hûm along a very bad, steep path. On the left bank (1 hr.) lie the ruins of Kerâzeh, the ancient Chorazin, once apparently an important place (Matth. xi.  21). The ruins lie partly in the channel of the brook, and partly on an eminence above the valley. Many walls of houses are preserved.  These are generally square buildings, the broadest measuring 9 yds.; in the centre are one or two columns for the support of the roof, which seems to have been flat. The walls, 2 ft. thick, are constructed of basalt blocks or of masonry. In the middle of the town are the ruins of a floridly ornamented synagogue. The rocky eminence commands a fine view of the lake. To the N. of the town are the remains of a street running northwards. From Kerâzeh our route leads to (1 hr.) the ruined