CARMEL, a celebrated mountain in Palestine. Though spoken of in general as a single mountain, it is in fact rather a mountainous region, the whole of which is known by the name of Carmel, while to one of the hills more elevated than the rest, that name is commonly applied by way of eminence. It has the plain of Sharon on the south; overlooks the bay of Acre on the north ; and is bounded on the west by the 'Mediterranean, form ing one of the most remarkable promontories that are to be seen on the shores of that extensive sea. John Phocas, a Greek monk, who visited Mount Carmel in the twelfth century, describes it as having the form of a ridge, ex tending from the bay which winds by Ptolemais and Cai plias, to the Galilean territory. Josephus says, (de Bell. I. iii. c. 3.) that Cannel was a mountain of Galilee. In another place, (Artily. lib. v. c. 1.) he states that Issachar, in length, had for its limits :Nlount Carmel and the river ; and that the tribe of Zabulon's lot included the land which belonged to Carmel and the sea, Theodoret (Comm. ad c. 32. Jesmc) places Carmel in Samaria. Hieronymus (In Comment. ad Jes. 29.) describes it as situated on the confines of Plicenicia and Palestine, and overlooking Ptolemais. In a passage of the 4th vol. of Hudson's Minor Geographers, it is represented as lying immediate ly to the north of Dora. It belonged to the tribe of Asher and Manasseh, according to the division made by Joshua of the Iloly Land. (Sec Jos/i. xix. 26. Reland. Pa/zst. /that. tom. ii. p.539, and Calmat's Dictionary.) St Je rome informs us, that this tribe having remained in cap tivity with the other tribes, Cannel returned into the possession of the Phcenicians, its original masters. It is, according to Volney, about two thousand feet in height. It has the shape of a flattened cone. Its sides are steep and rugged. Its soil is neither deep nor rich. And among the naked rocks, stinted plants, and wild forests which it presents to the eve, there are kw traces of that fertility which every reader of scripture naturally asso ciates with the idea of Nlount Carmel. Vet even Volney
himself acknowledges, that he found among the bram bles, wild vines and olive trees, which proved that the hand of industry had once been employed on this un grateful spot. Of its ancient productiveness there can be no doubt; the etymology and ordinary application of its name being sufficient evidence of the fact. Carmel is not only expressly mentioned in the sacred writings as superior to other districts in that respect ; but every place possessed of the same kind of excellence, obtained from it the same appellation, in the language both of the pro phets and the people. Some accordingly suppose that ( arms I m as primarily the name of the mouht• 'n, and that on account of its natural or superinduced 1'4 uIhIty, the name came to be transferred to all lilac es tier t v. ere distinguished by a similar character ; while otlu rs think, that as the original signification of the wuld Cannel is a rtile place, the mountain in question got tint appellation from its peculiar and acknowledged fertility. We shall not attempt to determine which of these opinions is the most correct—Ben David himself de( lines the task, on account of its difficulty—but each of them implies a testimom to the ancient fruitfulhess of Carmel. And it is curious, that the words of which that name is «un pounded, as well as the name itself, refer not only to the general quality ascribed to Nlount Carmel, but even to the particular kinds of produce in which that quality ap peared. Thus signifies to cut off, to prune, In or titm to a vine, and a full ear of corn, a fruitful field or country, a place planted %%itli uit-trees. The word Carmel also signifies purple or crimson ; be cause at the foot of the mountain, on the south side, a certain shell-lish was caught which was of great use in dying that colour. Sec Song rf &tom. vii. 5. and also Buchan de ?nimal Sac. Scrip.