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.
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