LIBANUS or LEBANON (lib'a-nus or leb'a non), (Heb. 11.4?, leb-aw-nohn; Gr. Ali3avos, Libanus, for the Heb. Leban,In'), thc name of a long chain of mountains on the northern border of Palestine.
(1) Name and Location. The term Libanus is more convenient in use than the Hebrew form Lebanon, as enabling us to distinguish the parallel ranges of Libanus and Anti-Libanus, which have no such distinctive names in connection with the Hebrew designation. Lebanon seems to be ap plied in scripture to either or both of these ranges ; and we shall also use it in this general sense : but Libanus means distinctively the westernmost of those ranges, which faces the Mediterranean, and Anti-Libanus the eastern, facing the plain of Da mascus ; in which sense these names•will be used in this article. The present inhabitants of the country have found the convenience of distin guishing these parallel ranges; and give to Liban us the name of 'Western Mountain' (Jebel esh Sharki), and to Anti-Libanus that of 'Eastern Mountain' (Jebel el-Gharbi) ; although Jebel Lib nan (the sante name in fact as Lebanon) occurs among the Arabs with special reference to the eastern range.
These two great ranges, which together form the Lebanon of Scripture, commence about the parallel of Tripoli (lat. 34° 28'), run in a general direction from northeast to southwest, through about one degree of latitude, and form, at their southern termination, the natural frontier of Palestine. These parallel ranges enclose be tween them a fertile and well-watered valley, averaging about fifteen miles in width, which is the Ccele-Syria (Hollow Syria) of the ancients, but is called by the present inhabitants, by way of preeminence, El-Bekaa, or 'the valley,' which is watered through the greater portion of its length by the river Litany, the ancient Leontes.
(2) Hermon. Nearly opposite Damascus the Anti-Libanus separates into two ridges, which di verge somewhat, and enclose the fertile NVady et Teim. The easternmost of these two ridges, which has already been pointed out as the Hermon of Scripture (see HERMON), Jebel esh-Sheikh, con tinues its southwest course, and is the proper prolongation of Anti-Libanus. From the base of
the higher part of this ridge, a low broad spur or mountainous tract runs off towards the south, forming the high land which shuts in the basin and Lake of el-Huleh on the east. This tract is called Jebel Heish, the higher portion of which terminates at Tel el-Faras. nearly three hours north of Fiek. The other ridge of Anti-Libanus takes a more westerly direction. It is long, low, and level ; and continues to border the lower part of the great valley of Bekaa, until it seems to unite with the higher bluffs and spurs of Lebanon, and thus entirely to close that valley. In fact, only a narrow gorge is here left between prec ipices, in some places of great height, through which the Litany finds its way down to the sea, north of Tyre. The chain of Lebanon, or at least its higher ridges, may be said to terminatc at the point where it is thus broken through by the Litany. But a broad and lower mountain ous tract continues towards the south, border ing the basin of the Huleh on the west. It rises to its greatest elevation about Safed (Jebel Safed) ; and at length ends abruptly in the moun tains of Nazareth, as the northern wall of the plain of Esdraelon. This high tract may very properly be regarded as a prolongation of Leb anon.
(3) Formation and Height. The mountains of Lebanon are ot limestone rock, which is indeed the general constituent of the mountains of Syria. In Lebanon it has generally a whitish hue, and from the aspect which the range thus bears in the distance, in its cliffs and naked parts, the name of Lebanon (which signifies 'white') has been supposed to be derived; but others seek its origin in the snows which rest long upon its summits, and perpetually upon the highest of them.
Of the two ranges, that of Libanus is by far the higher. Its uppermost ridge is marked by a line, drawn at the distance of about two hours' journey from the summit, above which all is barren (Burckhardt, p. 4) ; but the slopes and valleys below this line afford pasturage, and are capable of cultivation, by reason of the numerous springs which are met with in all directions.