KISHON (Ici'shon), (Heb. 1"7-:"7.5. kee-shone', winding). The incorrect form of Kishion (Josh. xxi:28). In Chron. vi:72, the name Kedesh ap pears in its place in the lists.
The most important river in Palestine next to the Jordan. After traversing the plain of Acre, it enters the bay of the same name at its south east corner. It is celebrated in Scripture for the overthrow of thc host of Sisera in its overflow ing stream (Judg. iv it3; v:21).
(1) Source of the River. It has been usual to trace the source of this river to Mount Tabor; but Dr. Shaw affirms that in traveling along the southeastern brow of Mount Carmel he had an opportunity of seeing the sources of the river Kishon, three or four of which lie within less than a furlong of each other, and are called Ras el Kishon, or the hcad of the Kishon. These alone, without the lesser contributions near the sea, dis charge water enough to form a river half as large as the Isis.
During the rainy season all the waters which fall upon the eastern side of Carmel, or upon the rising grounds to the southward, empty them selves into it in a number of torrents, at which time it overflows its banks, acquires a wonderful rapidity, and carries all before it.
It was doubtless in such a season that the host of Sisera was swept away, in attempting to ford it. But such inundations are only occasional, and of short duration, as is indeed implied in the destruction in its waters of the fugitives, who doubtless expected to pass it safely.
The course of the stream, as estimated from the sources thus indicated, is not more than seven miles. It runs very briskly till within half a league of the sea ; but when not augmented by rains, it never falls into the sea in a full stream, but insensibly percolates through a bank of sand, which the north winds have thrown up at its mouth. It was in this state that Shaw himself found it in the month of April, 1722, when it was crossed by him.
Notwithstanding Shaw's contradiction, the as sertion that the Kishon derives its source from Mount Tabor has been repeated by modern travel ers as confidently as by their ancient predecessors.
It will probably be found that the remoter source of the river is really in Mount Tabor ; but that the supply from this source is cut off in early summer, whcn it ceases to be maintained by rains or contributory torrents. The copious supply from the nearer springs at Ras el Kishon, with othcr springs lower down, keep it up from that point, as a perennial stream, even during the drought of summer. Thus during one part of the year the source of the river may appear to be in Mount Tabor, while during another part the source of the diminished stream is at Ras el Kishon.
(2) Overthrow of Sisera. The scriptural ac count of the overthrow of Sisera's host mani festly shows that the stream crossed the plain, and must have been of considerable size. Thc above arguments, to show that it did so, and still does so, notwithstanding Dr. Shaw's account, were, in substance, given several years ago in the. Pictorial History of Palestine (itltrOri. p. CXCI.) ; and the writcr has had the satisfaction of seeing his view since confirmed by Dr. Robin son, who adds that 'not improbably, in ancient times, when the country was perhaps more wooded, there may have been permanent streams throughout the whole plain.' (3) Priests of Baal. The transaction of the prophet Elijah, who, aftcr his sacrifice on Car mel, commanded the priests of Baal to be slain at the river Kishon (1 Kings xviii:40), requires no explanation, seeing that it took place at the perennial lower stream. This also explains, what has sometimes been asked, whence, in that time of drought, the water Ivas obtained with which the prophet inundated his altar and sacrifice.
The spot where the priests of Baal were slain was near the foot of Mount Carmel. The loca tion has been almost certainly identified at the east end of the mountain. The place still bears the name El-illahraka "The burning." (leish-ri-Tm'),(Heb. msqp, kish-shoo eene), is translated cucumbers in the A. V., and the correctncss of this rendering has been almost universally admitted.
It first occurs in Num. xi :5, in the verse already quoted in Abattachim, where the Israelites, when in the desert, express their longings for the melons and the kishuint or cucumbers of Egypt. Reduced from the plural form, the word kisha is so similar to the Arabic kissa, that there can be very little doubt of their both meaning the same thing. All travelers in the East notice the exten sive cultivation and consumption of cucumbers and other vegetables of the same tribe, especially where there is any moisture of soil, or the pos sibility of irrigation.
Thus cn in the driest parts, the neighborhood of a well i3 often occupied by a field of cucur bitaccous plants, generally with a man or boy set to guard it from plunder, perched up on a tempo rary scaffolding, with a slight protection from the sun. where Ile may himself be safe from the at tacks of the more powerful wild animals.
That such plants appear to have been similarly cultivated among the Hebrews is evident from Is. i :8. 'The daughter of Zion is left like a cot tage in a vineyard. like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers;' as well as from Baruch vi :7o, 'As a scarecrow in a garden of cucutnbers keepeth nothing, so are their gods of wood.' (See ABAT TACHIM ; CUCUMBER.) J. F. R.