EN-GEDI (meaning in Hebrew " the fountain of the kid," and corresponding to the Arabic " Ain-Jidy") is the name of a wilderness, a mountain pass, a ruined village, and a perennial fountain on the w. side of the Dead sea, half way between its northern and southern ends. In the days of Abraham it was the site of a city named Hazezon ta-mar, cutting of palm trees, doubtless with reference to the grove of trees which then grew around the fountain. In its strongholds was the home of the Amorites, who were, at that time, attacked and destroyed by the Assyrians and their allies. Here in "the city of palm-trees," at the time of the exodus from Egypt, a branch of the Kenites lived concerning whom Balsam said—" Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest they nest in the rock." After the conquest of Canaan they left this fortress and went up to dwell with the tribe of Judah. Four hundred years later, David fled for refuge into the strongholds of En-gedi. When Saul heard this he "took 3,000 chosen men and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats." Entering one of the numerous caverns, it proved to be the very one in the sides of which the fugitives were concealed. David, refusing to lift his hand against the king, and forbidding his followers to touch him, cut off the skirt of his robe, as proof of what he might have done, and let him depart. After David, Solomon celebrated in his "song of songs" the vineyards
of En-gedi, which, as the ruins still show, were planted all along the terraced side of the mountain. About 1000 years later the Jewish sect of the Essenes, in their progressive efforts to isolate themselves from all the impurities of life, chose at last as their retreat the absolute solitude of the caverns around the fountain of En-gedi. Four hundred years afterwards there was a large village on the coast below the fountain, the ruins of which yet remain. And 1400 years later still (A.D. 1838), two American travelers on their way to the Dead sea, descending the mountain by a terrific pass, more difficult and dangerous than the heights of Lebanon or of the Alps, in zigzag directions, at very steep angles, over rock as smooth as glass but of irregular surface, first along ledges on the perpendicular face of the cliff, and then down the precipitous sides, came at length to the beautiful fountain, bursting forth a fine stream on a narrow shelf of rock and rushing down the steep descent of 400 ft. into the sea in a course hidden from view by the luxuriant thicket of trees and shrubs with which its waters have clothed the rocks. And on the rocks the wild goats still roamed, secure as they had done 3,700 years before, when the fountain was named.