From Thence We Descended Amidst The Ruins
Of Private Habitations, Into A Narrow Lateral Valley, On The Other Side
Of Which We Began To Ascend The Mountain, Upon Which Stands The Tomb Of
Aaron.
There are remains of an ancient road cut in the rock, on both
sides of which are a few tombs.
After ascending the bed of a torrent for
about half an hour, I saw on each side of the road a large excavated
cube, or rather truncated pyramid, with the entrance of a tomb in the
bottom of each. Here the number of sepulchres increases, and there are
also excavations for the dead in several natural caverns. A little
farther on, we reached a high plain called Szetouh Haroun (Arabic), or
Aaron’s terrace, at the foot of the mountain upon which his tomb is
situated. There are several subterranean sepulchres
[p.430] in the plain, with an avenue leading to them, which is cut out
of the rocky surface.
The sun had already set when we arrived on the plain; it was too late to
reach the tomb, and I was excessively fatigued; I therefore hastened to
kill the goat, in sight of the tomb, at a spot where I found a number of
heaps of stones, placed there in token of as many sacrifices in honour
of the saint. While I was in the act of slaying the animal, my guide
exclaimed aloud, “O Haroun, look upon us! it is for you we slaughter
this victim. O Haroun, protect us and forgive us! O Haroun, be content
with our good intentions, for it is but a lean goat! O Haroun, smooth
our paths; and praise be to the Lord of all creatures!”[[Arabic].] This
he repeated several times, after which he covered the blood that had
fallen on the ground with a heap of stones; we then dressed the best
part of the flesh for our supper, as expeditiously as possible, for the
guide was afraid of the fire being seen, and of its attracting hither
some robbers.
August 23d.—The plain of Haroun and the neighbouring mountlains have no
springs: but the rain water collects in low grounds, and in natural
hollows in the rocks, where it partly remains the whole year round, even
on the top of the mountain; but this year had been remarkable for its
drought. Juniper trees grow here in considerable numbers. I had no great
desire to see the tomb of Haroun, which stands on the summit of the
mountain that was opposite to us, for I had been informed by several
persons who had visited it, that it contained nothing worth seeing
except a large coffin, like that of Osha in the vicinity of Szalt. My
guide, moreover, insisted upon my speedy return, as he was to set out
the
[p.431] same day with a small caravan for Maan; I therefore complied
with his wishes, and we returned by the same road we had come. I
regretted afterwards, that I had not visited Haroun’s tomb, as I was
told that there are several large and handsome sepulchres in the rock
near it. A traveller ought, if possible, to see every thing with his own
eyes, for the reports of the Arabs are little to be depended on, with
regard to what may be interesting, in point of antiquity: they often
extol things which upon examination, prove to be of no kind of interest,
and speak with indifference of those which are curious and important. In
a room adjoining the apartment, in which is the tomb of Haroun, there
are three copper vessels for the use of those who slaughter the victims
at the tomb: one is very large, and destined for the boiling of the
flesh of the slaughtered camel. Although there is at present no guardian
at the tomb, yet the Arabs venerate the Sheikh too highly, to rob him of
any of his kitchen utensils. The road from Maan and from Wady Mousa to
Ghaza, leads by the tomb, and is much frequented by the people of Maan
and the Bedouins; on the other side of Haroun the road descends into the
great valley.
In comparing the testimonies of the authors cited in Reland’s
Palaestina, it appears very probable that the ruins in Wady Mousa are
those of the ancient Petra, and it is remarkable that Eusebius says the
tomb of Aaron was shewn near Petra. Of this at least I am persuaded,
from all the information I procured, that there is no other ruin between
the extremities of the Dead sea and Red sea, of sufficient importance to
answer to that city. Whether or not I have discovered the remains of the
capital of Arabia Petræa, I leave to the decision of Greek scholars, and
shall only subjoin a few notes on these ruins.
The rocks, through which the river of Wady Mousa has worked its
extraordinary passage, and in which all the tombs and mausolea
[p.432] of the city have been excavated, as high as the tomb of Haroun,
are sand-stone of a reddish colour. The rocks above Eldjy are
calcareous, and the sand-stone does not begin until the point where the
first tombs are excavated. To the southward the sandstone follows the
whole extent of the great valley, which is a continuation of the Ghor.
The forms of the summits of these rocks are so irregular and grotesque,
that when seen from afar, they have the appearance of volcanic
mountains. The softness of the stone afforded great facilities to those
who excavated the sides of the mountains; but, unfortunately, from the
same cause it is in vain to look for inscriptions: I saw several spots
where they had existed, but they are all now obliterated. The position
of this town was well-chosen, in point of security; as a few hundred men
might defend the entrance to it against a large army; but the
communication with the neighbourhood must have been subjected to great
inconveniences.
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