To the left are the ruins called Merdj
Ekke (Arabic).
The soil in this vicinity is chalky. Last year a battle
was fought here between the troops of the Pasha of Damascus,
EL AAL
[p.365] and the Beni Szakher, in which the former were routed. At four
hours and a half, and about three quarters of an hour to our right, we
saw the ruins of Naour (Arabic) on the side of a rivulet of that name,
which falls into the Jordan opposite Rieha, or Jericho, driving in its
course several mills, where the Bedouins of the Belka grind their corn.
On both sides of the road are many vestiges of ancient field-enclosures.
From Naour our road lay S. At five hours and three quarters are the
ruins of El Aal (Arabic), probably the Eleale of the Scriptures: it
stands upon the summit of a hill, and takes its name from its situation,
Aal meaning “the high.” It commands the whole plain; and the view from
the top of the hill is very extensive, comprehending the whole of the
southern Belka. From hence the mountain of Shyhhan (Arabic), behind
which lies Kerek, bears S. by W. El Aal was surrounded by a well built
wall, of which some parts yet remain. Among the ruins are a number of
large cisterns, fragments of walls, and the foundations of houses; but
nothing worth particular notice. The plain around is alternately chalk
and flint. At six hours and a quarter is Hesban (Arabic), upon a hill,
bearing S.W. from El Aal. Here are the ruins of a large ancient town,
together with the remains of some edifices built with small stones; a
few broken shafts of columns are still standing, a number of deep wells
cut in the rock, and a large reservoir of water for the summer supply of
the inhabitants. At about three quarters of an hour S.E. of Hesban are
the ruins of Myoun (Arabic), the ancient Baal Meon (Arabic), of the
tribe of Ruben.
In order to see Medaba, I left the great road at Hesban, and proceeded
in a more eastern direction. At six hours and three quarters, about one
hour distant from the road, I saw the ruins of Djeloul (Arabic), at a
short distance to the east of which, are the ruined places called El
Samek (Arabic), El Mesouh (Arabic), and
MADEBA
[p.366] Om el Aamed (Arabic), situated close together upon low
elevations. At about four hours distant, to the east of our road, I
observed a chain of hills, which begins near Kalaat Zerka, passes to the
east of Amman, near the Kalaat el Belka, (a station of the Syrian Hadj,
called by the Bedouins Kalaat Remeydan [Arabic]), and continues as far as
Wady Modjeb. The mountains bear the name of El Zoble (Arabic); the Hadj
route to Mekka lies along their western side. At seven hours and a
quarter is El Kefeyrat (Arabic), a ruined town of some extent.
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