(7) Strongholds of Engedi. The strongholds of Engedi, which afforded a retreat to David and his followers (I Sam. xxiii :29; xxiv :1 ), can be clearly identified. They are now called 'Ain Tidy by the Arabs, which means the same as the He brew, namely, 'The Fountain of the Kid.' On all sides the country is full of caverns, which might serve as lurking places for David and his men, as they do for outlaws at the present day. The whole scene is drawn to the life' (Robinson, ii :2o3).
(8) Adullam. The cave of ridullam, to which David retired to avoid the persecutions of Saul ( t Sam. xxii :1, 2), and in which he cut off the skirt of Saul's robe (I Sam. xxiv :3), is an im mense natural cavern of the Wady Khureitun, which passes below the Frank mountain.
(9) Fortified Caverns. Caverns were also fre quently fortified and occupied by soldiers. Jo sephus often mentions this circumstance. He re lates also that Herod sent horsemen and footmen to destroy the robbers shot dwelt in caves and did much mischief in the country.
The mention of caves of robbers reminds us of our Lord's words, in which he reproaches the Jews with having made the Temple, corVia(or Xvori:iv, a den of thieves (Matt. xxi:13). In the for mer of these passages Josephus calls them raps IV rat ornXatott Xnarat, the robbers in the caves, and in the latter, x rty,:, (V crir7;Xaloo certain robbers livinff in caves. Certain caves were afterward fortified by Josephus him self during his command in Galilee under the Romans. In one place he speaks of these as the caverns of Arbcla, and in another as the caverns near the lake Gennesareth. A fortified cavern existed in the time of the Crusades. It is men tioned by William of Tyre as situate in the coun try beyond the Jordan sixteen Roman miles from Tiberias.
(10) Cave of Elijah. The cave of Elijah is pretended to be shown, at the foot of Mount Sinai, in a chapel dedicated to him, and a hole near the altar is pointed out as the place where he lay.