The Wady Arabah extends from south to north in a straight line for above 110 miles. Many were formerly inclined to think that, at some remote period, it had served as the channel by which the Dead Sea had discharged its waters into the Bahr Akabah, but if the physical condition of the region remains unaltered, this can never have been the case, as the level of the Dead Sea is considerably lower than that of the Red Sea. [Dem) SEA; RED SEA.] The watershed between the two seas occurs somewhat north of 30° N. lat., and is about 500 feet above the sea-level. On each side of the Wady-el Arabah the mountains rise to a great elevation. Near the watershed those on the west attain 2000 feet; and those on the east rise to 3000 feet. In approaching the Dead Sea they increase in height, or perhaps it may be more correct to say that the level of the valley here sinks much lower. The distance between the two mountain masses varies considerably. Near the two extremities they are only 3 or 10 miles apart, but towards the middle the valley is 20 miles wide. The surface of the valley presents considerable varieties. South of the watershed it is generally level, but has a considerable slope from east to west, so that near the western mountains it is very little above the sea-level, whilst along the eastern it may be from 200 to 300 feet higher. About three miles from the Bahr Akabah the soil is strongly impregnated with salt, but farther north sand prevail; and is inter mixed with pieces of granite, porphyry, and greonstone. After the rains the country produces some grasses, and supplies indifferent pasture for sheep, goats, and camels ; but in several places low hills of moving sand occur, which are destitute of vegetation. North of the watershed there are some ridges of low bills running lengthwise through the valley, and dividing it into two valleys. In the western valley during the rain; there is a stream, called EI-Jib, which at that season collects all the waters that descend from the eastern and western mountains, and carries them to the Dead Sea. A few acacia trees, tamarisks, and a few mimosas and shrubs grow among these sand-hills. Water is fonnd even in summer a few feet below the surface. In proceeding farther north, the Arabeh does not appear to have any considerable descent towards the north, hut it is longitu dinally furrowed by a narrow valley, in the midst of which is the bed of the Jib. This narrow valley gradually oink? lower, so that at its northern termination it is 150 feet below the general level Its width at the hegloning Is about one mile, but towards its termination hardly more than half a mile. The dry bed of the river, especially in the „ narrower part of the small valley, is overgrown with tamarisks, and in ooe or two places there are a few date-trees, but otherwise this tract is a desert Near 31' N. lat. the general level of the Wady-el Arabah descends abruptly about 150 feet, forming apparently a line of hills running east and west, and composed mostly of marl All along the base of these hills there are springs of brackish water, which form a tract of marshy land towards the north. Between this salt mush and the Dead sea extends the most desolate portion of the Arabah. No trace of vegetation, no living creature is met with. At the base of the western mountains Is a low ridge (called the mountains of Usdum), in general about 150 feet high, which runs for about 10 miles pantilel to the Wady Arabah and the southern portion of the Dead Sea, and which Is one mass of solid rock-salt, covered with layers of soft limestone and marl, through which the salt often breaks out, and appears on the sides in precipices 40 or 50 feet high, and several hundred feet long. From the base of this chain of rock; which is called Usdum, there break out several rills of transparent water, which run to the Dead Sea, but the water is as salt as the salteat brine. The tract between them, the bed of the Jib and the Dead Sea, is a perfect level, and extremely barren ; but that on the east of the Jib is traversed by some rivulets descending from the eastern mountains, which have fresh water, and impart to the soil a considerable degree of fertility, so that there are some tracts which are cultivated. That pert of the Arabab which lies north of 31* N. lat. is called El-Ghor, the lowest part of which is occupied by the Dead Sea. The region round this sea is intensely hot and very unhealthy in summer, where also it is barren and desolate in the extreme. In winter and early spring the shores of the Dead Sea present in parts considerable verdure. The Dead Sea and its shores are noticed in a separate article. (Dean SEA.) That portion of the Ghee which lies between the Dead Sea and the Lake of Tabarieh extends about 65 miles in • straight line. This valley is below the level of the lied Sea. The width of the valley is about 6 miles; but towards the Dead Sea it grows much wider. It is traversed by the river Jordan, the course of which is traced in the article P.u.seruea (vol. Ii1., coL 51.) The mountains which inclose the valley on the east are steep and high they are also high and steep on the western side for nearly half the length of the valley, beginning from the south; but farther north they sometimes sink down to low hills, and continue so for several miles. The river flows in a bottom about half a mile wide, and at least 40 feet below the general level of the Ghaur. This bottom is overgrown with high trees, and exhibits a luxuriant vegetation of plants and grasses, which present a striking contrast with the sandy and bare slopes which border it on both sides. In winter, the river inundates the bottom,
but never rises to the upper plain. In the well-watered parts of the upper plain, there is a luxuriant growth of herbage and wild grass, but the greater part of the ground is a parched desert The most important articles of cultivation are wheat, barley, and dhurra. On the banks of the river there are willows, poplars, and tamarisks, and on the higher ground plantations of vines, pomegranates, &o. South of the ruined village of Riche. (Jericho), and as far as the Dead Sea, the valley is nearly level, and the soil consists of clay impregnated with salt.
The Bahr Tabarieb, anciently called the Sea of Tiberias and of Genneeareth, is noticed under PALESTINE. It is surrounded with steep and lofty mountains, except on the south, and along the western shore, from the town of Tabarieh northward, where an undulating plaio, with a width of a mile or more, intervenes between the moun tains; and the lake. A considerable portion of this plain is cultivated by means of irrigation, and produces wheat, barley, dhurra, tobacco, grapes, melons, and several kinds of vegetables. The heat in summer is excessive. Melons ripen four weeks sooner than at Damascus. Dates are also grown hare. The water of the lake is slightlybrackish, and some of the rivulets which descend from the western mountains are salt There are also hot-springs.
The Wady Seissaban extends from the Bahr Tabarieh to the Bahr Houleh, about 15 miles in a straight line. About one-half of its extent is below the sea-level, as the bridge called Beni-Yakoub is 350 feet above the sea, whilst the Lake of Tabarieh is 572 feet below it. The higher grounds of the valley of the Jordan, which is here about two miles wide, are partly cultivated; and on the greater part of the cultivated tracts different kinds of vegetables are grown, espe cially encumbers and gourds, which ripen three weeks sooner than at Damascus, where the produce finds • ready sale. There are many zakkum-bushes, and the thorny rhamnus (Spina Christi), in the lower part of the valley. The Bahr Houleh, the Merom of the Old Testa ment, is not large, and its extent varies according to the seasons. The low country which surrounds it to some extent is only inhabited on the eastern border, where the banks are overgrown with reeds and papyrus plants. The western and south-western banks are covered with a saline crust, 2. The Desert called El-Tyh•Beni-Israbl (the Wandering of the Children of Israel) belongs partly to Syria and partly to Egypt, as the boundary-line between these two countries lies across it. It extends on the west of the Wady Arabab, aud reaches southward to the Jebel-el-Tyh (29° 10' N. let.), which is connected with the extensive mountain-masses of Mount Sinai. On the north the Tyh extends to the elevated tableland of Judaea. The Tyh is a desert and elevated table-land between 1000 and 2000 feet high. Along its eastern border its surface is much furrowed by deep watercourses, or wadya; in some parts lower depressions oconr. In such places verdure is found in winter, and trees all the year round. Some of the deep valleys are of considerable extent, and are visited by the Beduins in winter with their herds, and in summer for the purpose of collecting gumetrabic, which is carried to Cairo. The higher parts of the table-land have a hard gravelly soil without vegetation ; aud in many places there are low irregular ridges of limestone hills.
3. The Tableland of Judaea joins the Tyh on the north, and extends from the parallel of the southern extremity of the Dead Sea to 32° 30' N. 1st., having on the east the Dead Sea and the Ghaur, and on the west the Plain of Falastin. The dividing-line between the last-mentioned plain and the table-land is near E. long. The elevation of this table-land diminishes as we proceed farther north. North of 31' N. lat., the desert of the Tyh passes insensibly into a fertile country. The table-land there extends into an undulating plain, occasionally interrupted by low ridges of hills, which in summer are barren, but a part of the year are covered with grass and rich pasture. The lower parts preserve their verdure all the year round. The plain is furrowed by valleys, which siuk considerably below the general level, and are full of corn-fields, and vineyards and orchards that produce excellent grapes and figs. Corn-fields are also numerous on the higher grounds, but they are interrupted by large tracts of naked limestone rocks. This description applies to the interior of the table-land, as far north as Jerusalem, except that cultivation, and especially the plantations of olives, fig-trees, vines, pistachio-trees, apricots, pomegranates, oranges, and lemon-trees increase as we pre eeed farther north. The plains between the limestoue rocks are covered with grass, which supplies pasture to sheep and goats, and herds of cattle, horses, asses, and camels. The mountains which form the eastern border of the table-land however, aud extend along the Dead Sea, are a picture of desolation; they cousist of yellow rocks without the least traces of vegetation. These mountains are dis tinguished from all other ranges of Syria by their summits, which do not present rounded masses, but rise in the form of pointed peaks and sharp edges, like the summits of the Alps. The barrenness which chameteriscs this tract extends over the whole table-land in the parallel of Jerusalem ; for in this part even the mountains that form the western border of the table-land are comparatively barren, but farther south they are fertile.