Submitted by scott on

September 18 Wednesday Sam and group departed Baniyas at 7:15 AM , and camped that night at Ain Mellahah, near Lake Huleh (now called Bahret el Hule). From Sam’s notebook: It was first, ages ago, the Phoenician Laish—a lot of Danites from Sodom, 600, came over, like a pack of adventurers as they were, captured the place & lived there as sort of luxurious agriculturists, till Abraham hazed them in after times [MTNJ 1: 422]. (MTDBD)

About an hour’s ride over a rough, rocky road, half flooded with water, and through a forest of oaks of Bashan, brought us to Dan. From a little mound here in the plain issues a broad stream of limpid water and forms a large shallow pool, and then rushes furiously onward, augmented in volume. This puddle is an important source of the Jordan. Its banks, and those of the brook are respectably adorned with blooming oleanders, but the unutterable beauty of the spot will not throw a well-balanced man into convulsions, as the Syrian books of travel would lead one to suppose. From the spot I am speaking of, a cannon-ball would carry beyond the confines of Holy Land and light upon profane ground three miles away. We were only one little hour’s travel within the borders of Holy Land—we had hardly begun to appreciate yet that we were standing upon any different sort of earth than that we had always been used to, and see how the historic names began already to cluster! Dan—Bashan—Lake Huleh—the Sources of Jordan—the Sea of Galilee. They were all in sight but the last, and it was not far away. The little township of Bashan was once the kingdom so famous in Scripture for its bulls and its oaks.

From Bædeker Palestine and Syria  (1898): page 293

`Ain Mellâha, a beautiful spring. The night is best spent at Kebâ`a or Marûs, villages on the hill to the left, from which we obtain a view of Lake Hûleh.

Lake Hûleh 'is sometimes supposed to be connected with the Aramsean Huî (Gen. x. 23), but this seems questionable. Josephus (Antiq.  xv. 10, 3) calls the whole district Ulatha, and the lake Samachonitis. It is hardly possible that it can be the Waters of Merom (Josh. xi. 5, 7).

The lake is a triangular basin; 10-16 ft. in depth, and lying about 6 ft. above the sea-level. It abounds in pelicans, wild duck, and other waterfowl, but swamps render it difficult or impossible of access on the N. side, on which rises a dense jungle of papyrus (Arab, babir). The lake has been carefully explored by Macgregor (`The Rob Roy on the Jordan', 7th ed., 1886).

The plain to the N. of Lake Hûleh forms a basin of tolerably regular form, and about 5 M. in width. The E. hills are less abrupt, though higher than the W. The broad bed of the valley is for the most part a mere swamp, in which the buffaloes belonging to the Beduins wallow. These Beduins (Ghawârineh) are generally peaceable; their occupations are hunting, fishing, and cattle-breeding. The soil of the sides of the valley is good, and if the marshes were drained this tract might become extremely productive. Travellers should be on their guard against malaria. — In order to avoid the marshes, the road skirts the W. hills (guide necessary). On the left, after about 1 hr. 10 min., here lies `Ain el-Belâta; after 2 1/4 hrs. the road crosses, below the fortress of Hunîn (p 298), on the left, the Nahr Derdâra, a tributary of the Jordan descending from Merj `Ayûn (p. 331). Near the ruin of Khirbet el-Khân, on the right, some authorities place the site of ancient Hazor (comp. p. 297). We now turn towards the N.E., and in a little more than 1 hr. reach Jûr el-Ghajar (p. 299).

The Roman road leads to the N. past the Khân Jubb Yûsuf, and limestone rocks now take the place of basalt. Ascending towards the N.W., we pass some ruins (55 min.), and reach (1/4 hr.) the spring (Ain el-Hamrâ. We now turn to the left and ascend to the top of the hill (1/4 hr.), where we soon reach (5 min.) the castle of Safed.

See Murray Route 29 TIBERIAS TO BANIAS DIRECT

 

From Dan to Beersheba

Lake Huleh is the Biblical “Waters of Merom.” Dan was the northern and Beersheba the southern limit of Palestine—hence the expression “from Dan to Beersheba.” It is equivalent to our phrases “from Maine to Texas”—“from Baltimore to San Francisco.” Our expression and that of the Israelites both mean the same—great distance. With their slow camels and asses, it was about a seven days’ journey from Dan to Beersheba—-say a hundred and fifty or sixty miles—it was the entire length of their country, and was not to be undertaken without great preparation and much ceremony.

Preconceptions Lost

In a verse from the Bible which I have quoted above, occurs the phrase “all these kings.” It attracted my attention in a moment, because it carries to my mind such a vastly different significance from what it always did at home. I can see easily enough that if I wish to profit by this tour and come to a correct understanding of the matters of interest connected with it, I must studiously and faithfully unlearn a great many things I have somehow absorbed concerning Palestine. I must begin a system of reduction.

Land of Lizards, Where the Turtle Does Not Sing

Gray lizards, those heirs of ruin, of sepulchres and desolation, glided in and out among the rocks or lay still and sunned themselves. Where prosperity has reigned, and fallen; where glory has flamed, and gone out; where beauty has dwelt, and passed away; where gladness was, and sorrow is; where the pomp of life has been, and silence and death brood in its high places, there this reptile makes his home, and mocks at human vanity. His coat is the color of ashes: and ashes are the symbol of hopes that have perished, of aspirations that came to nought, of loves that are buried.

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