DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36287#0087
PALMYRA AND THE REGION OF THE HAURAN
63
a cultivated field near by and naturally the owner or man in charge objected strenu-
ously, whereupon the people of the village hurled stones from slings at the offending
caravan. One of our men drew a revolver but it failed to go off. The situation
looked serious for a few moments, but the caravan went on and it turned out that
there were no casualties on either side.
The people of Kefr Haleb showed no hostility but seemed to be somewhat fearful
of us. The next morning observations were taken of the surrounding country and a
native who was pressed into service thought he would find out what we saw in the
telescope. At first he could make out nothing, but when he got the focus he grew
excited, for, as if by magic, the snow on the distant Amanus mountains was brought,
as he expressed it, "to his side."
The distance between Kefr Haleb and Kinnesrin was covered in three hours. A
sacred hawthorn bush stood by the side of the path. It was covered with rags torn
from the clothing of the sick and given as an offering to the spirit living in the bush.
It was called "the mother of rags." At Barkum a woman informed us, with a smile,
that "it was good you did not stop here, for we would have killed you."
On the slope of Djebel il-'Is we found traces of an ancient road, presumably a con-
tinuation of the Roman road north of Kefr Kermin. There are two ruts worn by
wheels in the solid rock to a depth of about five centimeters.
Kinnesrin was a disappointment to us, for we had hoped to find extensive ruins
there, but practically nothing of the sort remains above ground. Only a few frag-
ments of squared stones and portions of columns are lying on the surface of the great
In il-'is, the wretched village below the AY/, are two inscriptions and the houses
are built in part of stones from ancient structures. Probably valuable material could
be found in the A?// by the excavator.
63
a cultivated field near by and naturally the owner or man in charge objected strenu-
ously, whereupon the people of the village hurled stones from slings at the offending
caravan. One of our men drew a revolver but it failed to go off. The situation
looked serious for a few moments, but the caravan went on and it turned out that
there were no casualties on either side.
The people of Kefr Haleb showed no hostility but seemed to be somewhat fearful
of us. The next morning observations were taken of the surrounding country and a
native who was pressed into service thought he would find out what we saw in the
telescope. At first he could make out nothing, but when he got the focus he grew
excited, for, as if by magic, the snow on the distant Amanus mountains was brought,
as he expressed it, "to his side."
The distance between Kefr Haleb and Kinnesrin was covered in three hours. A
sacred hawthorn bush stood by the side of the path. It was covered with rags torn
from the clothing of the sick and given as an offering to the spirit living in the bush.
It was called "the mother of rags." At Barkum a woman informed us, with a smile,
that "it was good you did not stop here, for we would have killed you."
On the slope of Djebel il-'Is we found traces of an ancient road, presumably a con-
tinuation of the Roman road north of Kefr Kermin. There are two ruts worn by
wheels in the solid rock to a depth of about five centimeters.
Kinnesrin was a disappointment to us, for we had hoped to find extensive ruins
there, but practically nothing of the sort remains above ground. Only a few frag-
ments of squared stones and portions of columns are lying on the surface of the great
In il-'is, the wretched village below the AY/, are two inscriptions and the houses
are built in part of stones from ancient structures. Probably valuable material could
be found in the A?// by the excavator.