their possession, for the name does not again occur in the Scriptures. May it not be that, in consequence of its position on the borders of a wild region infested by numerous robber bands, it was soon abandoned by the Israelites?5 The monuments now found in it show that it must have been a place of considerable importance from the time the Romans took possession of Bashan. Richter copied a fragment of a Greek inscription, from which we learn that it bore the rank of a Metrocomia in the time of the Emperor Alexander Severus (A.D. 222-235), and was called Zoroa. Above the western doorway of the church of St. George is a Greek inscription, to the effect that the building was formerly a heathen temple, but was converted into a church in the year 410, A.D. 516.7 There are many other Greek inscriptions given in Burckhardt, and I saw still more in the city, but they are of no historical value. Some of them are upon the graves of Roman soldiers. Adra was one of the most important episcopal cities in the province of Arabia; and its bishops were present at the general councils of Seleucia (A.D. 359), Constantinople (381), and Chalcedon (451). It is worthy

8

5 In Josephus' Antiquities we find many references to the predatory and bloodthirsty habits of the inhabitants of Trachonitis. See xvi. 9, 1, &c. The remnant of the ancient inhabitants of Bashan probably took refuge amid the inaccessible defiles of this wild region when the neighbouring plain fell into the hands of the Israelites.

6 Ritter, Pal. und Syr., ii. 860; Buckingham, Travels among Arab Tribes, p. 274.

7 Burckhardt, Travels in Syria, p. 61. Colonel Leake has given this date as if the Christian era had been then used; but it does not appear that the Christians in this country ever used that era previous to the time of the Mohammedan conquest of Syria. There is clear evidence from many other inscriptions that the Bostrian era only was in use throughout this whole province from the middle of the second century. 8 Reland, Pal., pp. 548-9.

9

of remark that the name is generally written in the plural, Adgax and Adgxwv. In A.D. 1142 the crusaders under Baldwin III. attempted to take the city, but they encountered such obstacles in the difficult nature of the ground, the scarcity of water, and the fierce valour of the people, that they were unsuccessful. The historian of the crusades, in his account of this attack, refers to the large subterranean cisterns that abound in the neighbourhood of the city among the rocks; and there is scarcely anything that now strikes the traveller more than the number and extent of these reservoirs, not only in this but in all the other cities and villages of the Lejah and mountains.1 William of Tyre gives another account of a plundering expedition of the crusaders into the ancient kingdom of Bashan, which was more successful. Taking advantage of the temporary absence of the great Saladin, they crossed the Jordan and entered Trachonitis; they succeeded in capturing a city called Zora, but the inhabitants had suddenly removed from it all their property and cattle to "strongholds" (loca munitiora), so that their success was fruitless.2 These strongholds were the rocky

9 Id., and S. Paulo, Geog. Sac., p. 295, note 8.

"Transcursa

1 Wil. Tyr. Hist. in Gesta Dei per Francos, pp. 895-6. igitur cum summo periculo regionis illius parte, circa horam dei novissimam ad locum perveniunt, qui antiquo Adratum dicitur vocabulo, nunc autem vulgari appellatione dicitur Civitas Bernardi de Stampis. Est autem una de urbibus suffraganeis, quæ ad Bostrensem metropolim habet respectum . . . . ubi etiam de cisternis, quarum ora videbant patentia, et sine difficultate haurire aquas se posse nostri arbitratentur, demissas situlas non sine damno admittebant." See also Wilken, Gesch. der Kreutz, iii. 1, pp. 215-16.

2 Wil. Tyr., ut sup., p. 1031. The words are here so important that I give an extract from the original:-Pertranseuntes ergo Traconitidem regionem, quæ Bostrensis diocesios pars est non modica, Syriem mi

اذرع

defiles and cavern-like recesses of the Lejah, to which the whole population of Edhr'a could fly in a few hours, carrying with them every article of value. The Arabic word is pronounced either Edhr'a or Ezr'a; and hence probably the diversity of spelling in William of Tyre's history. Abulfeda mentions this city, and says it is one of the capitals of the Haurân, and is eighteen miles distant from Sunamein. These statements are of great importance; in the first place, as tending to fix the precise position of the city he alludes to (Sunamein is a wellknown ruined town on the Haj road; and it will be observed from my map that it is exactly eighteen Roman miles distant from Edhr'a, while Der'a is nearly twelve farther south); and, in the second place, this statement affords strong evidence that this Edhr'aât is identical with the Greek Adraa, both being written in the plural.3 Upon these grounds, therefore, I am led to believe that EDREI, the capital of Bashan; Adraa, the episcopal city; the Edhr'aât of Abulfeda, and the modern Edhr'a, are identical; and further, that the modern Der'a is the site of the Adraa of Eusebius, and the Adraha of the Peutinger Tables.

After a hasty repast we set out, in company of the

norem, cujus caput est Damascus, ingressi, et ad Orientalem ejus plagum contendentes, locum celebrem et famosum Zora nomine, multis refertum habitatoribus, qui a Damascena non multum distat urbe, violenter effregerunt: et inde regionem perlustrantes ex parte plurima, loca suburbana quæ vulgo Casalia dicuntur, suppositis ignibus et aliis, quibus poterant, nocendi artibus dejecerunt. Regionis autem habitatores, præcognito nostrorum adventu, cum gregibus et armentis, cum liberis et uxoribus ad loca se contulerant munitiora.

3 Abulfeda, Tab. Syr., p. 97.

Christian sheikh, to examine the ruins. I was anxious to see something of the general features of a city so celebrated both on account of its remote antiquity and importance. We visited first a church dedicated to St. Elias, but long since in ruins. There is a descent of some 12 feet to the court, so high have the ruins been piled up on each side. Proceeding northward from this over vast mounds of rubbish, we reached a lofty square tower, with two or three Greek inscriptions on and beside it. Here is a spacious quadrangle, encompassed with arcades, and having the centre almost filled up with heaps of ruins composed of hewn stones and fragments of columns. Around it are the remains of large private dwellings. There are in this place the evidences of different periods and orders of architecture. It appears to have been first designed by the Romans, after their usual style of taste and splendour, but, being afterwards in part ruined, it was repaired during the early centuries of Saracenic rule. From hence we continued our walk to the large church of St. George, situated on the rising ground at the northern extremity of the city. It is a square pile of building, having in front a paved court-yard, raised about 12 feet above the ground, and surrounded by a wall. The entrance is by a very low stone door, evidently taken from some more ancient structure; over it, on a tablet, is the long Greek inscription above alluded to. The interior resembles the church of the monk Boheira at Busrah.

While we stood examining the exterior of this building and trying to decipher the inscription, we noticed that a crowd of some sixty or seventy people had collected

round us in the court. however, as we had got accustomed to such evidences of popularity; and so intent were Mr. Barnett and myself on our antiquarian work, that we did not hear the remarks passed or the threats uttered by them. Nikôla heard these, and felt alarmed; but, just as he was about to inform us of them, we turned and went into the interior, while Mr. Nikôla, and the sheikh remained without; Mahmûd and our servants were in the house where we had left our luggage and arms. Shortly after we had entered Mr. Barnett was some yards in front of me, writing, and I stood, with my arms folded and my back against a column, looking at the building. Ten or twelve men had followed us into the building. While I was thus standing I received a heavy blow on the shoulder from a large stick or club. I turned round suddenly, for I was completely taken by surprise, as not a word had been spoken, or a question asked, or a sound heard. The club was again raised, and I got another stroke on the arm which had been aimed at my head, but by starting back I escaped it. Several men, armed with their clubs, now attempted to close upon me, but I leaped back, and demanded what they wanted; at the same time, throwing open my large over-coat, I drew a pistol, which I had fortunately put in my belt at Busr el-Harîry. These things quickly attracted Mr. Barnett's attention, and he saw at a glance the danger of our position, and also drew a small pistol from his pocket. The cowardly ruffians had watched their opportunity, and, as soon as they saw our little party divided, they rushed upon us. They had no doubt thought we were altogether unarmed, and, having

We paid little attention to this,