f,5) In the Time of Christ. By this it be seen that the Jericho which existed in the time of our Savior was a great and important city—probably more so than it had ever been since its foundation. It was once visited by. him, when Ile lodged with Zaccheus, and healed the blind man (Luke xviii :35-43; xix:i, 7; Matt xx :29-34 ; Mark x :46-52).
(6) Subsequent History. Jericho was after wards made the head of one of the toparchies, and was. visited by Vespasian before he left the country, who stationed there the tenth legion in garrison (Joseph. De Bell. Incl. iii. 3, 5; iv:8, 1; v:2, 3). Eusebius and Jerome describe Jericho as having been destroyed during the siege of Jeru salem, on account of the perfidy of the inhabitants, but add that it was afterwards rebuilt. The town, however, appears to have been overthrown during the NIoliammedan conquest ; for Adamnanus, .at the close of the seventh century, describes the site as without human habitations, and covered with corn and vines. The celebrated palm-groves still existed. In the next century a church is men tioned; and in the ninth century several monas teries appear. About the same time the plain of Jericho is again noticed for its fertility and pecu liar products; and it appears to have been brought under cultivation by the Saracens, for the sake of the sugar and other products for which the soil and climate were more suitable than any other in Palestine. Ruins of extensive aqueducts, with pointed Saraccnic arches, remain in evidence of the elaborate irrigation and culture of this fine plain—which is nothing without water, and every thing with it—at a period long subsequent to the occupation of the country by the Jews. It is to this age that we may probably refer the origin of the castle and village, which have since been re garded as representing Jericho. The place has been mentioned by travelers and pilgrims down to the present time as a poor hamlet consist ing of a few houses. In the fifteenth century the square castle or tower began to pass among pilgrims as the house of Zaccheus, a title which it bears to the present day.
(7) Modern Jericho. The village that now represents the ancient Jericho bears the name of Rihah, and is supposed to date from the ninth century. It is situated about the middle of the plain, six miles west from the Jordan, in N. lat. 31° 57', and E. long. 35° 33'. Dr. Olin de scribes the present village as 'the meanest and foulest of Palestine.' It may perhaps contain forty dwellings, formed of small loose stones. The most important object is the castle or tower already mentioned, which Dr. Robinson supposes to have been constructed to protect the cultiva tion of the plain under the Saracens. It is thirty or forty feet square, and about the same height, and is now in a dilapidated condition.
Rihah may contain about two hundred in habitants, who have a sickly aspect, and are reckoned vicious and indolent. They keep a few cattle and sheep, and till a little land for grain as well as for gardens. A small degree of in dustry and skill bestowed on this prolific soil, favored as it is with abundant water for irri gation, would amply reward the labor. But this is wanting; and everything bears the mark of abject, and, which is unusual in the East, of squalid poverty. There are some fine fig-trees near the village, and some vines in the gardens. But the most distinguishing feature of the whole plain is a noble grove of trees which borders the village on the west, and stretches away north ward to the distance of IWO miles or more.
This grove owes its existence to the waters of one of the fountains, the careful distribution of which over the plain by canals and aqueducts did once, and might still, cover it with abun dance. One of these fountains is called by the natives Ain es-Sultan, but by pilgrims the Foun tain of Elias, being supposed to be the samc whose bitter waters were cured by that prophet.
Dr. Robinson thinks there is reason for this con clusion. It lies almost two miles N.W. from the village, and bursts forth at the foot of a high double mound, situated a mile or more in tront of the mountain Quarantana. It is a large and beautiful fountain of sweet and pleasant water. Beyond the fountain rises up the bold perpendicu lar face of the mountain Quarantana (Kuruntul), from the foot of which a line of low hills runs out N.N.E. in front of the mountains, and forms the ascent to a narrow tract of table-land along their base. On this tract, at the foot of the mountains, about two and a half miles N. N.W. from the Ain es-Sultan, is thc still larger fountain of Duk, the waters of which are brought along the base of Quarantana in a canal to the top of the declivity at the back of Ain es-Sultan, whence they were formerly distributed to several mills, and scattered over the upper part of the plain (Robinson's Bib. Researches, ii. 284, 285) • Bishop S. M. Merrill writes of a ride from the ford of the Jordan westward thus: "The fruit ful plain that so long ago flourished as the garden of the Lord was a desert. Dry, sandy, and scorched, it is worn out and blighted; and yet it looks as if, with irrigation, it might be easily redeemed to productiveness. The village of Jericho is a cluster of mud houses, with every appearance of poverty and discomfort. The re mains of old aqueducts and ruins of buildings in dicate that a city of some proportions was once here. It stood close to the mountain range, in fact touched the foot of the mountain. High above the other summits, some three miles away, is the place where Jesus was tempted, and is called the Mount of Temptation, where lie fasted forty days and forty nights, tempted of the devil. We left Jericho early in the morning to go up to Jerusalem, probably by the way that was traveled two thousand years ago. We passed the brook Cherith, where Elijah was fed by the ravens when hiding from the wrath of Ahab. On the high ground, above the plain, we struck the old Roman road, with the broad, flat paving, stones still covering its bed for quite a distance. Further up, we came to the ruins of an old khan, or caravansary, which is said to be the only spot where an 'inn' ever stood between Jerusalem and Jericho, and therefore, it is the reputed site of the inn to which the good Samaritan took the wounded man who had fallen among thieves in this neighborhood, as related in the Lord's para ble. This region has always been famous for robbers.
"After passing the place where Shimei cursed and threw stones at David, when the king was fleeing from the rebellion of Absalom, we arrived at one of the most inviting spots for a rest in all the journey. It is called the Fountain of the Disciples, or Apostles' Fountain. Tradition says it was a favorite stopping place with Christ and his disciples, and it is not difficult to accept the statement ; for one can scarcely imagine that a company of weary travelers could come to such a fountain as is here and not be delighted and refreshed. We tarried at this fountain for an hour or two, and after lunch took up our march to Bethany. The hill to ascend after leaving the fountain was a very high one. It was fatiguing to our horses, and we could but feel that to foot men making this journey it would be exhausting indeed. Along these side hills were numerous flocks of sheep and goats, with persons following or watching them quite after the style of the ancients. Almost everything in sight appeared to illustrate some Scriptural allusion or incident." The feet of Jesus must have often been weary as he trod these rugged paths on his missions of mercy to mankind.