3. The Eyelet of Ifaleb, or Aleppo, contains the northern part of the Jebel Anzeyry, the valley of the lower Azy, together with the Ohab, the Jebel Amer, the Umk, the Hilly Region of Northern Syria, and the Northern Plain. The western and northern portion is vary fertile, and in many places is well cultivated ; the eastern is partly stony and partly sandy, and for the most part a desert.
On the coast are the harbours of SCLNDEROON and Swerdiyah, or Sin:dein/I. The latter is not far from the mouth of the river Azy, and has good anchorage, but is much exposed to western and south western wind,. Near it there is a large and scattered village of the same name.
In the valley of the river Azy Is Antakia [Arritocnatel, and in the plain is the capital, Aleppo, or //deb [ALEPPO]. To the south-west of Haleb, and near the base of the Hilly Region, is the town of Edlip, containing more than 1000 houses, some manufactures of cotton stuffs, a few dyeing-houses, and a large manufactory of soap. It has a considerable trade with the fertile and well-cultivated distriot in which it is situated, which it provides with rico, ooffee, oil, tobacco, and manufactured goods. Atntab, a large town at the base of the Alma Dagh, is the subject of a separate article. [Aitsr-Tan.] 4. The Eyelet of Dantasou, or Sham, extends over the southern of the two great plains which occupy tho north-eastern portion of Syria, over the plains of Damsons, the southern portion of Mount Antili bents's, the greater part of the Wadye Seissaban and El-Ohor, tho table-land of Judrea, the llaouran, and the mountain regions of the Belka and the Shen'. There are Beduin Arabs in every district.
On the table-land of inches. is Jzaostaimr, Nablous, and Khalil Nab/oes (a corruption of Neapolis), on or near the site of Sichem, is situated In a valley between Mounts Ebal and Oerlzitn. About two miles east of the town is another valley called Erd-Mulchno. At tho north-east base of Gerizim is the village of Asker, probably the ancient Sychar, dose to which are Jacob's Well and Joseph's Tomb. Nablous is • largo and well-built town, with about 14,000 inhabitants, who are Mohammedans, with tho exception of about 200 Samaritans. The streets are narrow and roughly paved, but the houses are well-built with stone and dome-roofed. The town is well supplied with water
by streams and by fountains which spring up in the valley between Nabloua and Aster. Nabloua is commonly said to occupy the site of the Sichem, or Schechent, of the Old Testament, which however Eusebiva and St. Jerome say was a suburb of Neapolis; and St. Jerome also maintains that Sychar in St. John's Gospel (iv. 5) is a corruption of Sichem. Pliny and Josephus respectively glee the native name as Mamortha and Mabortha, which Iteland corrects from coins to fiforthia. This last name the same writer says is the classical form of Moreh, and both names (Moreh and Sieber) ha supposes to have been adopted by the Jews from the prophet Habnkkuk'e Moreh Shaker," teacher of lies,' and applied to the Samaritan city as the seat of error. Sichem is a very ancient site. Abraham sojourned In it on his first coming into Canaan, and built an altar in it. Jacob's connection with it is marked by the well. It fell to Ephraim, and was a Levitical city, end a city of refuge. Here was the tabernacle in the time of Joshua, who set up n pillar near it shortly before his death. Here Gideon defeated the Midianites, and Rehoboam was made king. The name Novelle was given during the occupation of Syria by the Greeks, who probably extended the city to the westward on account of the abundant supply of water. Simon Magus practised his eorceries in Neapolis, and Justin Martyr was a native of the Lune city. About 10 miles S. from Nablous is Silas, the ancient Shiloh. KAa1J, the Iltbroa of the Bible, and one of the holy cities of the Jews, Is south of Jerusalem, not far from the place where the table-land of Jades joins the Desert of Ell'yh. It contains about 3000 inhabitants, and has some glasshouses. Hebron was frequently the residence of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who wets, buried here In the cave of Maepelab ; the tombs are still shown. David, as king of Judaea, resided above seven years In Hebron. The town was taken and burnt by the Romans In the great Jewish war. Outside the town are two reservoirs, one of which is supposed to be the ' pool of ilebron,' iu 2 Sam., Iv. 12.