File:Palestine - the physical geography and natural history of the Holy Land (1841) (14761026086).jpg

Identifier: palestinephysica00kitt (find matches)
Title: Palestine : the physical geography and natural history of the Holy Land
Year: 1841 (1840s)
Authors: Kitto, John, 1804-1854
Subjects: Nature in the Bible Physical geography Natural history
Publisher: London : Charles Knight
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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xts in which such allusions occur. (4) Szaffa, p. lxxxiii.—It may be well to in-troduce here the whole of the informationwhich we at present possess concerning thisdistrict.— The Szaffa is a stony district, muchresembling the Ledja, with this difference, thatthe rocks with which it is covered are consi-derably larger, although the whole may be saidto be even ground. It is two or three days incircumference, and is the place of refuge ofthe Arabs who fly from the pashas troops orfrom the enemies in the desert. The Szaffahas no springs: the rain water is collected incisterns. The only entrance is through a nar-row pass, called Bab el Szaffa, a cleft betweenhigh perpendicular rocks, which none everdared to enter as an enemy. On its westernside this district is El Harra, a term appliedby the Arabs to all tracts which are coveredwith small stones; being derived from Harr,i. e. heat (reflected from the ground).0 ■ Burckhardts Syria, p. 92, note. CHAPTER V. VALLEYS, PLAINS, AND DESERTS.
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(Plain of Jericho.) It has already been shown that the general direction of the great mountain-chains of Syria isfrom north to south, that being the direction in which the country is most extended. It there-fore follows that the great principal valleys, or basins, which separate or run parallel to thesemountains, take the same direction. The lateral valleys, which separate the arms or branchesof the mountain-chains, and through which their waters pass into the parallel basins, for themost part make a great angle—generally a right angle—with them, and, consequently, have ageneral direction from east to west, or from west to east. We have written of the great mountain-chain of Lebanon, and have described its southwardprolongation as extending through and dividing the length of Palestine, the backbone of which,so to speak, it forms. Now, the parallel valley or basin of this great central chain, on thewest, to which all the lateral valleys and all the streams of its western slope tend

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