Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-11-12
Scenery of Palestine.

The .nnearance of the old country IN the
old days was probably, on the whOle, very
like that which it still presents. lhere S
no evidence, that any part OF Palestine was
ever. within the historic period, covered
with those forests which many writers sup
nose to have formerly existed, or that the
rainfall or supply ot running streams HAS
decreased The springs and rivers noticed
in Scripture still flow with water, anu Ihe
deserts of Scripture are still deserts Inc
wild growth of copse and lakewood now
existing answers to the Hebrew momcncia-
ture of the old natural vegetation, and the
long rolling limestone ridges. the sharp
precipices. the open plains and downs, pre-
sent TO our eyes the same features as OF ola:
Only in one respect is there marked
change--in the decay Of cultivation through
out the land This is an undisputaDle Gact'
| In the middle Of thick cOpses, the traveller
still comes across the old rude stone towers
of the ancient orchards On the bare hill
sides he finds magnificent wine presses cut
in the rock. and in the districts where the
white chalk prevails, the hills are contoured
with endless terraces excavaied on thelr
slopes, and now only growing thorns ana
thistles. The present population oi the
whole Of Syria is less than that OF London,
and the land is desolatiOn because of the
steady decrease of the native inhabitants.
| The appearance of the country when thOro-
ushly cultivated must have been one of un-
usual fertility and prosperity. though not oil
romantic beauty. The rugged hills OF Heb
ron were indeed clothed with thick copse-
wood of Hareth; Carmel was then, as now,
covered with bushes; and the lower hills
of Galilee, with the plain of Sharon, were
beautified by thick oak wood, surrounding
the bright shallow streams which still run
over the rocky beds Of the valley. On the
other hand, bare and waterless deserts
stretched along the east of the watershed; /;
tn hastily JeshimOn, or solitude, reach
ell to the crass which bound the Dead sea
on .le west the wilderness of BOth-Ayon
was stony then as now; and the open
plains Of Beersheba grew only grass and
flowers. serving in spring as rich pasturaSe
for the nomadic tribes. The Jordan valley
was also uncultivated, and the swamps of
the river afforded cover to outlaws and
fu.itives; for the palm cultivation, which
was first commenced by HerOd the Great,
had not yet been attempted, and the great
capabilities of Jericho soil were unknown.
In such districts the country had very much
the same appearance in the second century
before Christ that it now presents; but in
those parts where cultivation was possible,
the aspect of the scenery was probably more
pleasing. Throughout the district of She
phelan, or low hills, the yellow corn cr0wn-
ed the flat SUBMITS, and covered the red
soil Of the valleys. On the higher hills, the
long applesreen vineyards spread terraces
as they still do in the fastness of Hcrmon.
The dark, soft foliage of the great olive
groves In the broader valleys cOntrasted
with the sparse, struggling leaves Of the
fig trees which flourished on the higher
ground. Water for irrigation was stored
in cisterns long since broken, and it is by
no means necessary to suppose that the
natural supply was then more plentiful than
it now is. How far this condition of pros
Iperity had been developed in the Hasmo-
mean times it is not easy to determine; pro-
badly the cultivation differed almost from
year to year, according to the tranquility
of the land, just as it does at the present
day; and no doubt, during the period of
the revolt, agriculture must have suffered
where the contest was being carried on.
The picture. as a whole, may, however,
he taken to represent Jewish Palestine al
most from the time Of Samuel to that of
llerod.