The Keep
Or Citadel Seems To Have Been On The Highest Summit, On The Eastern
Side, Where The Walls Are Stronger Than On The Lower, Or Western Side.
The View From Hence Over The Houle And A Part Of Its Lake, The Djebel
Safad, And The Barren Heish, Is Magnificent.
On the western side, within
the precincts of the castle, are ruins of many private habitations.
At
both the western corners runs a succession of dark strongly built low
apartments, like cells, vaulted, and with small narrow loop holes, as if
for musquetry. On this side also is a well more than twenty feet square,
walled in, with a vaulted roof at least twenty-five feet high; the well
was, even in this dry season, full of water: there are three others in
the castle. There are many apartments and recesses in the castle, which
could only be exactly described by a plan of the whole building. It
seems to have been erected during the period of the crusades, and must
certainly have been a very strong hold to those who possessed it. I saw
no inscriptions, though I was afterwards told that there are several
both in Arabic and in Frank (Greek or Latin). The castle has but one
gate, on the south side. I could discover no traces
BANIAS.
[p.38]of a road or paved way leading up the mountain to it. The valley
at its S.E. foot is called Wady Kyb, that on its western side Wady el
Kashabe, and on the other side of the latter, Wady el Asal. In winter
time the shepherds of the Felahs of the Heish, who encamp upon the
mountain, pass the night in the castle with their cattle.
Banias is situated at the foot of the Heish, in the plain, which in the
immediate vicinity of Banias is not called Ard Houle, but Ard Banias. It
contains about one hundred and fifty houses, inhabited mostly by Turks:
there are also Greeks, Druses, and Enzairie. It belongs to Hasbeya,
whose Emir nominates the Sheikh. On the N.E. side of the village is the
source of the river of Banias, which empties itself into the Jordan at
the distance of an hour and a half, in the plain below. Over the source
is a perpendicular rock, in which several niches have been cut to
receive statues.
The largest niche is above a spacious cavern, under which the river
rises. This niche is six feet broad and as much in depth, and has a
smaller niche in the bottom of it. Immediately above it, in the
[p.39] perpendicular face of the rock, is another niche, adorned with
pilasters, supporting a shell ornament like that of Hereibe.
There are two other niches near these, and twenty paces farther two more
nearly buried in the ground at the foot of the rock. Each of these
niches had an inscription annexed to it, but I could not decipher any
thing except the following characters above one of the niches which are
nearly covered with earth.
[Greek]
In the middle niche of the three, which are represented in the
engraving, the base of the statue is still visible.[Banias, [Greek
text], or Caesareia Philippi, was the Dan of the Jews. The name Paneas
was derived from the worship of Pan. The niche in the cavern probably
contained a statue of Pan, and the other niches similar dedications to
the same or other deities. The cavern and [Greek text], or sanctuary of
Pan, are described by Josephus, from whom it appears also that the
fountain was considered the source of the Jordan, and at the same time
the outlet of a small lake called Phiala, which was situated 120 stades
from Caesareia towards Trachonitis, or the north-east. The whole
mountain had the name of Paneium. The hewn stones round the spring may
have belonged, perhaps, to the temple of Augustus, built here by Herod.
Joseph. de Bel. Jud. l.i,c.16. Antiq. Jud. l.3,c.10,-l.15,c.10. Euseb.
Hist. Eccl. l.12,c.17. The inscription appears to have been annexed to a
dedication by a priest of Pan, who had prefixed the usual pro salute for
the reigning Emperors. Ed.]
Upon the top of the rock, to the left of the niches, is a mosque
dedicated to Nebi Khouder, called by the Christians Mar Georgius, which
is a place of devotion for Mohammedan strangers passing this way. Round
the source of the river are a number of hewn stones. The stream flows on
the north side of the village; where is a well built bridge and some
remains of the ancient town, the principal part of which seems, however,
to have been on the opposite side of the river, where the ruins extend
for a
[p.40]quarter of an hour from the bridge. No walls remain, but great
quantities of stones and architectural fragments are scattered about. I
saw also an entire column, of small dimensions. In the village itself,
on the left side of the river, lies a granite column of a light gray
colour, one foot and a half in diameter.
October 15th.--It being Ramazan, we remained under a large tree before
the Menzel, smoking and conversing till very late. The researches which
Mr. Seetzen made here four years ago were the principal topic; he
continued his tour from hence towards the lake of Tabaria, and the
eastern borders of the Dead Sea. The Christians believe that he was sent
by the Yellow King (Melek el Aszfar, a title which they give the Emperor
of Russia) to examine the country preparatory to an invasion, to deliver
it from the Turkish yoke. The Turks, on the contrary, believe, that,
like all strangers who enquire after inscriptions, he was in search of
treasure. When questioned on this subject at Baalbec, I answered, "The
treasures of this country are not beneath the earth; they come from God,
and are on the surface of the earth.
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