The Penn's Grove record., 1885-01-31
Light on the oldest OF ai.torlcaI Problems.

The current quarterly statement OF
the Palestine Exploration Fund Is ex-
ceptionally interesting. 1t contains the
report drawn up by Major Kitchener,
~embodyiDg the results of the survey
made by him of the great Valley of the
Arabah, which was, in prehistoric
times, the continuation Of the Jordan
Valley. down to the eastern arm Of the
Red Sea, now known as the Gulf Of
Akaba.
1t will be recollected that some eigh-
teen months ago a project was mooted
of connecting the Jordan Valley with
the Red Sea by means of a canal cut
out III the Arabah; and a the Dead Sea
| and the Jordan Valley are considerably
below the sea level, it vas ~conjectured
that if a cutting was made for some
twenty miles from the head OF the Gulf
of Akaba an opening would be effected
by which the waters of the Red Sea
would flow down the remaining por
tions of the Arabah into the Dead Sea
and fill the Jordan Valley up to and
even beyond the Sea of Galllee. Not
with the object OF promoting a scheme
which, if accomplished, would have
sunk beneath the wave a considerable
portion of the Holy Land, but with the
view Of demonstrating its impractical
bility, besides obtaining more accurate
knowledge of a region which must have
been traversed by the ~Israelites OIL their
way to the promised land, the Palestine
Fund dispatched ut the close OF last
wear an expedition, the services of
Major Kitchener, X. E., having been
enlisted, to make the necessary survey.
AS the result of his observations 1t
appears that the watershed OF the
Arabah is distant As miles from Akaba,
and that it is $50 feet above the
sea level. Thirty miles further up the
valley the sea level is again reached, so
that the proposed canal would involve a
cutting of IS miles through a limestone
floor covered by gravel, the depth of the
cutting ranging up to 700 feet. The
construction of such a canal, though
perhaps not a physical impossibility, is
practically 80, inasmuch as the cost of
the undertaking would be 50 enormous
that the necessary funds would
be forthcoming.
The result of the expedition has,
however, been TO do something more
than obtain precise information re-
specting the physical characteristics OF
the Arabah. AS a consequence of
personal observation of the region he
trayersed and a careful examination Of
some novel and rather startling views
expressed a short time since by Baker
Greene respecting the route followed
by the Israelites on their way from
Egypt to the land OF promise, Major
Kitchner has fully Endorsed his views
and expressed his convection that
Mount Sinai and Mount Hor are iden-
teal. According to the accepted belief
the Israelites, after crossing or round
ing the head of the Gulf of SueZ,
turned to the south aud entered the Pc
nlnsula which lies between the Gulf Of
Suez and Akaba; that ia this region
the holy mountains was situated where
/ the tradition Of the law took place, and
that, subsequently, they wandered for
close on forty years in the adjoining
desert of the Tih before making their
way to the eastern frontier or Edom TO
Moab and the TRANSFORMING region.
This view Of the journeyings Of the TO
leased captives was assailed by Baker
Greene, who pointed out that II had no
other foundation than the %gratultous
and unsupported assumption that
Mount Sinai was situated in the PENN
sula of that name, and was at direct
variance with the account given IN the
P~entateuch of the route followed by the
Israelltes on quitting Egypt and with
all the opinions held in Judea on the
subject down To the fourth century OF
the Christian era. According to the
Scriptural account the following we're
the incidents Of the journey between
the Egyptian fro tier and Mount Sinai
The Israelites went thsee days into the
wlatxress and found 10 water; at theiI
neu Stage they came to Marah, where
ths water Is bitter, and the next resting