DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36287#0033
PALMYRA AND THE REGION OF THE HAURAN
11
we had an impromptu concert. It was held for the benefit of some of our Druse
friends. It would be a stretch of imagination to say that they enjoyed the music,
for they do not understand our music any more than we do theirs, but they were in-
terested to hear a wooden box give forth musical notes; and while selections from
" Faust" and popular American tunes were ringing through the camp, a row of squat-
ting natives had their eyes and ears fixed with rapt attention on the magic box.
I he next two days were spent in Kalb Lauzeh, Kefr Kila, and Kirk Beza. An
attempt was made to secure data for a plan of the last of these places, for it was a
walled town and was more perfectly preserved than any group of ruins that we had
seen thus far. At some points a special wall was built to fill gaps between the houses,
and at others the outer walls of the houses themselves served as parts of the town
wall. Several of the ancient streets can still be followed. One of them, running due
north and south between two of the most perfect houses, probably formed the chief
entrance to the town, but there are no traces of a gate or even an archway at the
beginning of the street.
In the early afternoon we were visited by a lieutenant of the Turkish soldiery of
the district, who ostensibly came to inquire if all was well with us and if the people
treated us properly. He asked if there was anything we desired that could be sup-
plied at his headquarters in Kefr Tkherin, but owing to the completeness of the camp
equipment, together with the great hospitality shown to us by the natives, we needed
nothing.
In the evening of October 29th, the second Sunday of our life in camp, we read the
few passages in the Bible which refer to Antioch and presumably also to the country
immediately about us. It is probable that Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas visited
some of these towns/ though most of the buildings which we studied were erected
later than their time. In any event, the numerous churches now in ruins there cer-
tainly were built as a result of their influence.
Thus ended our fourth day in this hill country. The area of the Djebel il-Ada is
not great, but it is clear that it must have been extremely rich in ancient days, judging
ft om the number of its ruined towns, and from the beauty and massiveness of both its
public and private buildings. There are evidences on every hand that certain indus-
tries must have flourished. Even on the surface there are quantities of broken pieces
of glass and earthenware, and there are wine and olive presses in nearly every ruined
town." We saw no modern vineyards and to-day there are not many groves of olive
ttees, but in former times the hills must have been nearly covered with them, judging
from the number of the presses. They were chiseled out of the living rock and great
stone rollers are to be found in many of them. The few olive groves or isolated trees
Acts xv, 22, 23, 36, 41. Syria,theyarefarmorenumerousintheDjebelil-A'la thanelse-
- 1 hough presses abound in all the mountains of northern where. For a description of these presses, see Part II, p. 268.
11
we had an impromptu concert. It was held for the benefit of some of our Druse
friends. It would be a stretch of imagination to say that they enjoyed the music,
for they do not understand our music any more than we do theirs, but they were in-
terested to hear a wooden box give forth musical notes; and while selections from
" Faust" and popular American tunes were ringing through the camp, a row of squat-
ting natives had their eyes and ears fixed with rapt attention on the magic box.
I he next two days were spent in Kalb Lauzeh, Kefr Kila, and Kirk Beza. An
attempt was made to secure data for a plan of the last of these places, for it was a
walled town and was more perfectly preserved than any group of ruins that we had
seen thus far. At some points a special wall was built to fill gaps between the houses,
and at others the outer walls of the houses themselves served as parts of the town
wall. Several of the ancient streets can still be followed. One of them, running due
north and south between two of the most perfect houses, probably formed the chief
entrance to the town, but there are no traces of a gate or even an archway at the
beginning of the street.
In the early afternoon we were visited by a lieutenant of the Turkish soldiery of
the district, who ostensibly came to inquire if all was well with us and if the people
treated us properly. He asked if there was anything we desired that could be sup-
plied at his headquarters in Kefr Tkherin, but owing to the completeness of the camp
equipment, together with the great hospitality shown to us by the natives, we needed
nothing.
In the evening of October 29th, the second Sunday of our life in camp, we read the
few passages in the Bible which refer to Antioch and presumably also to the country
immediately about us. It is probable that Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas visited
some of these towns/ though most of the buildings which we studied were erected
later than their time. In any event, the numerous churches now in ruins there cer-
tainly were built as a result of their influence.
Thus ended our fourth day in this hill country. The area of the Djebel il-Ada is
not great, but it is clear that it must have been extremely rich in ancient days, judging
ft om the number of its ruined towns, and from the beauty and massiveness of both its
public and private buildings. There are evidences on every hand that certain indus-
tries must have flourished. Even on the surface there are quantities of broken pieces
of glass and earthenware, and there are wine and olive presses in nearly every ruined
town." We saw no modern vineyards and to-day there are not many groves of olive
ttees, but in former times the hills must have been nearly covered with them, judging
from the number of the presses. They were chiseled out of the living rock and great
stone rollers are to be found in many of them. The few olive groves or isolated trees
Acts xv, 22, 23, 36, 41. Syria,theyarefarmorenumerousintheDjebelil-A'la thanelse-
- 1 hough presses abound in all the mountains of northern where. For a description of these presses, see Part II, p. 268.