terranean canal at the village of Ashrafîyeh, about a mile to the west of the road. A fast ride of an hour and five minutes now brought us to the gate of Damascus, Buwâbet Ullah. We had crossed several small streams like the Berdy in the interval; and also the village of Kadam, a quarter of an hour from the gate. The whole distance from Kesweh to the city gate is nearly nine miles.

CHAPTER XV.

BOUNDARIES AND PROVINCES OF BASHAN.

The kingdoms of Sihon and Og-The boundary of Gilead and Bashan identified - Provinces of Bashan.

GAULANITIS.-Its southern border-Site of Gadara - of Gamala of Gerasa and Arbela - of Abila - The Mountains of Gilead-The Jaulân identical with Gaulanitis.

TRACHONITIS.-Identical with Argob - The Saccaa and Mons Alsadamus of Ptolemy identified — Extent and boundaries.

AURANITIS.-The same as the HAURAN - Extent and boundaries.
BATANEA.- Distinct from BASHAN - Its position - Its modern

name.

The "mountains and oaks of Bashan"

- Where situated.

ARGOB. Situated in Bashan-Identical with Trachonitis and the Lejah-Kenath.

ITUREA.- Not included in Bashan-Its ancient name and history
Its modern name and position.

As
my researches in the Haurân have led me to con-
clusions regarding the boundaries of the ancient kingdom
of Bashan considerably different from the published opi-
nions of most if not all modern geographers, I shall now
give a brief summary of my views, with the arguments on
which they are based.

The whole country east of the Jordan, which fell into the hands of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the halftribe of Manasseh, was, at the period of its conquest, divided between two powerful monarchs, Sihon and Og. The kingdom of the former extended from the Arnon on the south to the Jabbok on the north,' and was occupied

1 Num. xxi. 23-30; Deut. iv. 47-49. It will be observed that the greater part, if not the whole, of this kingdom had at one time be

by Reuben and Gad. The kingdom of Og embraced that part of Gilead which lay north of the river Jabbok, and the whole of Bashan; all this territory, with the exception of a narrow strip along the east bank of the Jordan, was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh.3

There is no description in the works of any of the ancient geographers of the northern border of Gilead, or the southern border of Bashan; and neither is there any clear or definite statement of the positions and extent of the several provinces into which Bashan was subsequently divided. There are however cities mentioned as belonging to Bashan and Gilead, the sites of which have been identified; and others are referred to as being near to, or in certain directions from, well-known localities. It is only from a careful comparison of these notices, and an examination of the present features of the country around them, that we can approximate to the truth. The modern divisions of the district also afford important assistance, as most of the ancient names still remain, and are applied to well-defined provinces. There is one thing which creates considerable confusion in ancient writers, and renders their topographical remarks much more difficult to be understood-when cities rose to importance, provinces were attached to them and called by their name; and when these cities declined, and neighbouring rivals grew up, the provinces of the former were, in whole or in part, absorbed in those of the latter. Thus, for instance, Golan was a city of Bashan, and had a large territory

longed to Moab, and was conquered by Sihon, who established the seat of his government in the city of Heshbon. The northern section of this kingdom embraced the southern half of Gilead.

2 Deut. iii. 12.

3 Deut. iii. 13, and iv. 47-49.

4

attached to it, and called Gaulanitis; Gamala was a city of Gaulanitis, and its territory, Gamalitis, afterwards embraced a section of the former. Gadara, again, was a city of Gilead, and had its district, "the country of the Gadarenes ;" and Pella was another city of Gilead, whose subject province at one time absorbed all Gadaris. Thus took place a series of changes in divisions, and boundaries, and appellations, as years rolled on. But while the different provinces of Bashan and Gilead changed their names, we have every reason to believe that these countries themselves remained intact and clearly defined.

It is important to observe that the ancient province of Gilead was divided between Sihon and Og, the one having that section which lay on the south side of the Jabbok, and the other the portion on the north side of that river. Gad's inheritance, however, extended north of the Jabbok, embracing a narrow tract in the valley of the Ghôr, along the east bank of the Jordan, as far as the sea of Chinnereth. The borders of Manasseh extended far to the south of the parallel of the sea of Chinnereth, and of the river Yarmuk (the present Sheriat el-Mandhûr), so as to embrace the half of Gilead which fell to the lot of that tribe. It appears that this tribe possessed the whole mountainous region as far south as Mahanaim, and probably to the banks of the Jabbok."

8

4 Luke viii. 26; Joseph. Bel. Jud. iii. 3, 1.

5 Compare Joseph. Ant. xiii. 13, 5, and Luke viii. 26, with Joseph. Bel. Jud., iii. 3, 3.

6 Josh. xii. 1-6.

8 Josh. xiii. 30, 31; Num. xxxii. 39, 40.

7 Josh. xiii. 24-28.

9 Compare Josh. xiii. 26, and Deut. iii. 12, with Josh. xiii. 30, 31, and Deut. iii. 13. There is an apparent contradiction in these passages, but it is easily explained. The border of Gad and Manasseh is said to be at Mahanaim in the one place, and at the banks of the Jabbok in the

Having these facts before us, we are prepared to consider the statements and incidental notices that tend to define the boundary between Bashan and Gilead; but as in a consideration of this subject frequent reference must be made to one of the provinces into which Bashan was in later times divided, I shall begin by a notice of that province. The remaining boundaries of Bashan on the west, north, and east will also be defined under the several provinces which lay in those quarters.

1

When the kingdom of Israel was subdued by the Assyrians, and the power of the Jews in Bashan overthrown, it appears that the ancient tribes, before kept in subjection, rose to importance, and the country was rent into provinces. Some of these provinces, as will be seen in the sequel, were of ancient origin, and had been distinct principalities previous to the time when Og or his predecessors united them under one sceptre. Before the time of the Babylonish captivity Bashan is universally spoken of as a whole; but in writings subsequent to that period this country is mentioned as divided into four provinces, namely, Gaulanitis, Trachonitis, Auranitis, and Batanæa.2

other. Now, Mahanaim is considerably north of the Jabbok. But we know that the territories of Gad and Manasseh touched each other as far north as the sea of Chinnereth, and consequently both Mahanaim and the Jabbok may have been on the borders. The southern section of Manasseh included the east, and the northern section of Gad the west, of the country between the Jabbok and the Yarmuk. Num. xiii. 27.

1 See Lightfoot, Hora Heb. et Talmud. in Evang. Luk., Chor. Pauc. sec. iii.

2 That the whole kingdom of Bashan was comprehended in these provinces will be seen by a careful comparison of the following passages in Josephus Ant. iv. 5, 3, and 7, 4; ix. 8, 1; xiii. 13, 5; Bel. Jud. iii. 3; iv. 7, 3.