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maria's idolatrous temples, or more probably of a splendid arcade, which may have been carried completely round the city. And these are all that remain of Samaria," the crown of pride!" The greater part of the top of the hill is used as a field; the crop had been reaped, and the villagers were busy at the thrashing-floor. Part of the southern side is thickly planted with figs, olives, and pomegranates. We found a solitary vine, the only representative of the luxuriant vineyards which once supplied the capital. At one point, a fox sprang across our path into the gardens, a living witness of an unpeopled city.

11

It was most affecting to look round this scene of desolation, and to remember that this was the place where wicked Ahab built his house of Baal, where cruel Jezebel ruled, and where Elijah and Elisha did their wonders. But above all, it filled the mind with solemn awe to read over on the spot the words of God's prophet uttered 2500 years before-"I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof." Every clause reveals a new feature in the desolation of Samaria, differing in all its details from the desolation of Jerusalem, and every word has literally come to pass. We had found both on the summit and on the southern valley, at every little interval, heaps of ancient stones piled up, which had been gathered off the surface to clear it for cultivation. There can be no doubt that these stones once formed part of the temples, and palaces, and dwellings of Samaria, so that the word is fulfilled, “I will make Samaria as an heap of the field." We had also seen how completely the hill has been

2

FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY.

1

295

cleared of all its edifices, the stones gathered off it as in the clearing of a vineyard, the only columns that remain standing bare, without their capitals, so that, in all respects, the hill is left like "the plantings of a vineyard," either like the bare vine-shoots of a newly planted vineyard, or like the well-cleared terraces where vines might be planted. Still farther, we had seen that the ruins of the ancient city had not been left to moulder away on the hill where they were built, as is the case with other ruined cities, but had been cleared away to make room for the labours of the husbandman. The place where the buildings of the city stood had been tilled, sown, and reaped; and the buildings themselves rolled down over the brow of the hill. Of this, the heaps in the valley, the loose fragments in the rude dykes that run up the sides, and the broken columns on their way down into the valley, are witnesses; so that the destroyers of Samaria (whose very names are unknown), and the simple husbandman, have both unwittingly been fulfilling God's word, “I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley." And last of all, we had noticed that many of the stones in the valley were large and massy, as if they had been foundation-stones of a building, and that in many parts of the vast colonnade nothing more than the bases of the pillars remain. But especially, we observed that the ruined church had been built upon foundations of a far older date than the church itself, the stones being of great size, and bevelled in a manner similar to the stones of the temple wall at Jerusalem, and those of the mosque at Hebron; and these foundations were now quite exposed. So that the last clause of the prophecy

1 The word in the original may signify either the bare vine shoots, or the plat of ground where the vines are planted.

296

SAMARIA-SCENERY.

is fulfilled with the same awful minuteness, "I will discover the foundations thereof."

Surely there is more than enough in the fulfilment of this fourfold prediction to condemn, if it does not convince, the infidel.

We examined the old church at the east end of the hill. It is a massy substantial building, supposed to have been built in the times of the Crusades, as there are many crosses of the Templars on its architecture. The Moslems have broken away one of the limbs of each of the crosses in their zeal to shape them into the form of a crescent. Within the area of the church, there is a tomb where tradition says that John the Baptist was buried. Having obtained lights, we descended twentyone steps into a handsome vault, the floor of which was tesselated with marble. There were five niches for the dead. The centre one was said to be that of the Baptist, and the door had a tinge of stone like the remarkable doors in the sepulchres of the kings at Jerusalem. "Now," said our friend Giuseppe with great gravity, "Tell your father when you go back to your own country, that you have seen the tomb of John the Baptist!"

But the natural scenery of Samaria had greater charms for us. The situation of the city is worthy of particular notice. The sun about two hours from setting, was gilding the whole country with his mellowed rays, while we stood and gazed around. We could plainly see the meaning of Isaiah's description, “ Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine."1 The valley near the head of which the hill of Samaria stands, is even now rich in olive-trees,

1 Isa. XXVIII. 1. See Lowth's Note.

MOUNTAINS OF SAMARIA.

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and probably abounded in vineyards and gardens in former days, while the hill itself, covered with palaces and towers, rose over like a glorious crown. The natural strength of the position of the city at once suggested the true force of the words of Amos, "Woe to them that trust in the mountain of Samaria."1

Within half an hour's distance of the hill on the north and south, and still nearer on the east, the ring of lofty hills which enclose the valley of Samaria begins to rise. These are what the Scripture calls "the mountains of Samaria." They encompassed the city, so that in the days of Israel's glory, when they were all clad in vineyards, the capital would appear encircled by plenty and luxuriance. The days are coming, when these same "mountains of Samaria" shall again be clothed more luxuriantly than ever, and cultivated by the hands of ransomed Israel; for the same unerring word that foretold the present desolation, has foretold the coming glory, "Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and eat them as common things."

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3

We remembered the history of the siege of Samaria by Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, and observed how easy it would be to shut in such a city on every side, so as to cut off the supplies; and it occurred to us, that probably the unbelieving lord, who was trodden to death in the gate, was thrown down by the stream of people rushing down the hill toward the Syrian camp. 4

We

As we had still a journey of several hours before us, we were compelled to leave Subuste before sunset. heard the sound of the millstone in some of the houses

298

VIEW FROM HILLS OF SAMARIA.

as we passed, and saw a man kneeling in prayer on the roof of his house, reminding us of Peter at Joppa.1 It was very pleasant to remember that along the road we had come, and on the spot we had been traversing, Philip the Evangelist preached Christ unto the people. "There was great joy in that city" then-greater than in the days of her royal magnificence, for Philip brought them joy from the fountain of life.

2

Regaining the public road, we proceeded due north to the foot of the hills which enclose the valley of Samaria, having high on our right a village called "Bet-emireen," ," "the house of Emirs." In about half an hour we began to ascend, and came to a romantic village called Bourka, half-way up the mountain. The peasants were all actively engaged at the thrashing-floor; their houses were built entirely of mud, but pleasantly surrounded by olive-trees, out of which the voice of the turtle sounded sweetly as we passed. Looking back

we saw the whole of "the fat valley" beautifully illumined by the last rays of the setting sun. A very steep and difficult ascent soon brought us to the summit of the ridge, when a magnificent scene burst on our view. To the west lay the Mediterranean Sea, and that part of the plain of Sharon which stretches to ancient Cæsarea; to the north, immediately beneath us, Wady Gaba, a fine valley or undulating plain, which seemed like a Paradise, watered by a winding stream, and abounding in olive-trees. This stream we afterwards conjectured to be the brook Kanah mentioned in Joshua. 3 To the north-east rose the hills of Galilee, among which we thought we could distinguish Mount Tabor in the distance. At the head of the valley below, appeared a sheet of water, the first we had yet

1 Acts x. 9.

2 Acts VIII. 8.

3 Josh. XVI. 8; XVII. 9.