The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-01-21

Importance; hut not temple or palace
now remains we are told by the travel
er-all ruins and desolation. The
few people who live there now, live
III the lower stories Of the grand edi-
fees that once crowned the ridge.
Two hours ride will bring you from
Suweideh, over rocks and up among
the mountain spurs covered with ever
green oaks, to Kunawat, the Kenath
of the Bible, and one Of the "three
score cities" of Argob, captured by
Nabath, of the tribe Of Manassah,
more than 3, 900 years ago. And Nobath
went and took Kenath, and the will
ages thereof, and called it Nobath,
after his own name," Numbers 32-42.
Little west Of this city may be seen
the ruins of a beautiful tempted dedi-
Gated to some unknown God"
which stood in an open court, on an
elevated platform, with portico on
its eastern front originally by twelve
WA lAoIi1ol4 PtA1o4S III cWO 1OWSs Liz
columns rested on square pedestals
about six feet high, on all of which
there were inscriptions, no longer leg
ible. Strolling in any direction,
you will find beneath your feet half
buried in the earth, broken statues,
inscribed blocks, and other remains of
architectural grandeur presenting a
sad picture of desolation. The prin-
cipal ruins of Kenath extends from
about mile along both sides of ra-
vine, through which plows noun.
tain stream, supplying the place with
plenty good water. In this valley,
above the ridge and east of the stream
is the theatre, built against a rocky
cliff in which the seats are excavated,
with a fountain in the center of the
orchestra. Next come small temple
and just above it, on hill, fort or
castle built of large beveled stones,
apparently of Phonician workman
ship. The stone doors of this build
ing are tastefully paneled and en-
bossed, with a groove on the inside
for the bolt to slide lin, which, by
a simple, but secure arrangement,
could also be opened from without.
This may be tile ''brazen bars''
spoken OF in l Kings 81 A few
rods from this fortress is one Of the
many round towers everywhere Ito be
seen in this region. They are from
80 to 40 feet in diameter and about 80
feet high. They bear the marks of
great age, and were, no doubt, con
structed for the protection of the
herdsmen and shepherds from the
Bedonians of the desert, and are the
strong towers so often alluded to
in the scriptures, and to which David
refers when he says "The Lord is my
work and my fortress, and strong
tower from the enemy" Ps. 1872
and 61-3.
But the most interesting ruins in
Kunawat is group of buildings on
the ridge in the heart of the city,
known as the Serai, or Palace of Job. "
How difficult 1t is to grasp at once the
event of 5000 years, or to realize,
when wandering through the streets
of this city, that the ruined buildings
over which you are climbing were
erected before Christ was born, be-
fore Rome was founded, even before
the children Of Israel came up out of
Egypt that this is the land in which
the ''giants dwelt in old times" and
that perhaps some of the ruins over
which you have been climbing were
constructed by those mighty men of
valor; that these cities of Bashan are
among the Oldest walks Of man, snd
were standing before Abram left his
native land and before the Patriach
Job endured his fiery trial. A good
writer says "But that which staggers
ones faith more than all this, is to be
lieve the tradition, now almost an es-
tablished fact, that the Hauran is
"the land of w. that Job was one
of the first princes of this country
that this city of Kenah was his home,
and that the "Serai," or palace, that
still bears his name marks the site of
his awful trial and glorious triumph.
There has been much discussion as to
the locality of the country where Job
lived. The name was derived from
w, the grand son of Shem Gen.
1929 who is said to have founded
Damascus and Frachonitis, and prob
ably lived in the neighorhood, CIV
ing his name to the district where
he lived. Some locate the home of
Job in Mesopotamia, near the Euphr-
ates. But w, the eldest son of Ma
hor, probably lived in this country
that bears his name. He was brother
of ''Bus, and it will be remembered
that Elihu, the young friend of Job
was Bottle, Of the kindred of Aram,
showing that the land of Uz was