DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36287#0167
EXPLANATION OF THE MAPS PUBLISHED IN THIS VOLUME
141
extend the work in the future that this map is more
correct than the others, and that the western half of
it is better than the eastern half. I was not abie to
measure a base-line on the foothills east of the central
mountain, the Djebel Riha proper.
On Map I, the town and ruin of Bashmishli, the
ruin of Bashakuh, the ruin of id-Der (in the Djebel
il-A'la), and on Map II, Tell NebI Aiyub, Tell Shekh
Tammam, Hass, Djuzif, Ma'rata, Bhn, and still other
sites, are fairly well placed. On Map III, Kinnesrin
and il-Khanasir are somewhat more correctly located
than the rest of the towns or ruins.
On the other hand, it was possible to secure but
one or two observations of some places which it has
seemed best to put on the maps, and consequently
I was unable to calculate the distances of these
places from the points of observation. For example,
on Map I, Fidri, Refadi, Durakhman, Kefr Tkherm,
and 'Ain Dilfeh; on Map II, Riha, Dadikh, Tell Min-
nis, and Ihsim; and on Map III, Tell Badjer, Stablat,
and Rahib were each sighted only once with the the-
odolite. Thus their positions are only approximately
accurate.
It was even necessary in a few instances to guess
at the locations, with the aid of my record of the num-
ber of minutes or hours that were expended in going
from place to place. This was true, for instance, of
Kefr Binneh and of Mar Saba on Map 1, and of Wadi
Marthun, of Djeradeh, of Babila, and of Khan Sebil
on Map II, for I was unable to secure an observation
of them with either the theodolite or the prismatic
compass.
Another difficulty was that occasionally two men
would give different names for the same place or re-
gion. Both of the names were at times apparently
correct. For example, as I have indicated above,
Djebel Riha and Djebel iz-Zawiyeh are both properly
applied to the mountainous region of Map 114 Again,
the place noted on Map I as Yeni Shehr was also often
called simply Birkeh, which signifies a "pool"; and
the town called Kubbesin, nearly east of Aleppo, is
also called Bashkui. An interesting case of a place
with two names is that of the ruin near the large vil-
lage of Hass in the Djebel Riha. To-day it is usually
called Khirbit Hass, which simply means the "Ruin
of Hass," because it is near, and is considered the
property of, the village. Some of the natives, how-
ever, refer to it as Shinsharah, a name of Aramaic
origin which was evidently given to it many centuries
ago.
1 See Oppenheim, Vol. II, p. 397.
2 See Map 1.
While we were in Bshindelaya a native told me that
a portion of the ruin toward the west was called Kar-
rus. I was unable to verify this name, though I in-
quired about it carefully, and consequently I did not
put it on the map. It seemed to be unknown to any
natives met with other than my informant. I record
it here, however, in case it may be of value to future
travelers in that region.
In one instance it was not possible for me to decide
whether I had been given two names for one ruined
town or whether I had sighted from my two points of
observation two entirely distinct places. Although
these observations were indefinite, they seemed suf-
ficient to justify me in putting two ruined towns near
each other on the map.- The names given me for these
places are Tawami and Durakhman/
I could not determine accurately the dividing line
between Djebel Bartsha and Djebel Halakah. The in-
formation gained from the natives led me to believe
that the lower hills in which Babiska and other ruins
lie are considered a part of the former mountain. It
may be, however, that this region ought to be con-
sidered a part of the low chain which forms a ring
around the plain of Sermeda, and which is called by
the natives Djebel Halakah or the "Ring Mountain."
There is a deep and narrow valley extending through
one side of this "ring" from the plain of Sermeda to
the low and level district northwest of the mountains,
which is called il-'Amk or "the Depression." It is
through this valley that the great highway referred to
elsewhere in this volume was built by the Romans/
This I assumed to be the dividing line between
the two mountains, but my conclusion is open to
question, especially in view of the fact that the
hills or mountains on either side of the valley are
of much the same formation and altitude, whereas
there is a great difference in altitude between the
region of Babiska and that which we have consid-
ered the main part, though not the whole, of the
Djebel Bartsha.
Again, it was not possible to ascertain with certainty
the dividing line between Djebel Sim'an and Djebel
Halakah," but it seemed to this Expedition that the
region eastward and northeastward from Djebel Shekh
Berekat should be called Djebel Sim'an.
A number of ruined towns and villages which were
sighted in a northeasterly direction from the summit
of Djebel Shekh Berekat had to be omitted from Map
1. It was a matter of great regret to us that we could
not extend our researches to them. There were even
places: Tawami, a village with a few ruined buildings, and Durakh-
man, the proper spelling of which is Dera'man, an extensive ruined town.
4 See p. 61. 5 gee Oppenheim, Vol. II, p. 397.
141
extend the work in the future that this map is more
correct than the others, and that the western half of
it is better than the eastern half. I was not abie to
measure a base-line on the foothills east of the central
mountain, the Djebel Riha proper.
On Map I, the town and ruin of Bashmishli, the
ruin of Bashakuh, the ruin of id-Der (in the Djebel
il-A'la), and on Map II, Tell NebI Aiyub, Tell Shekh
Tammam, Hass, Djuzif, Ma'rata, Bhn, and still other
sites, are fairly well placed. On Map III, Kinnesrin
and il-Khanasir are somewhat more correctly located
than the rest of the towns or ruins.
On the other hand, it was possible to secure but
one or two observations of some places which it has
seemed best to put on the maps, and consequently
I was unable to calculate the distances of these
places from the points of observation. For example,
on Map I, Fidri, Refadi, Durakhman, Kefr Tkherm,
and 'Ain Dilfeh; on Map II, Riha, Dadikh, Tell Min-
nis, and Ihsim; and on Map III, Tell Badjer, Stablat,
and Rahib were each sighted only once with the the-
odolite. Thus their positions are only approximately
accurate.
It was even necessary in a few instances to guess
at the locations, with the aid of my record of the num-
ber of minutes or hours that were expended in going
from place to place. This was true, for instance, of
Kefr Binneh and of Mar Saba on Map 1, and of Wadi
Marthun, of Djeradeh, of Babila, and of Khan Sebil
on Map II, for I was unable to secure an observation
of them with either the theodolite or the prismatic
compass.
Another difficulty was that occasionally two men
would give different names for the same place or re-
gion. Both of the names were at times apparently
correct. For example, as I have indicated above,
Djebel Riha and Djebel iz-Zawiyeh are both properly
applied to the mountainous region of Map 114 Again,
the place noted on Map I as Yeni Shehr was also often
called simply Birkeh, which signifies a "pool"; and
the town called Kubbesin, nearly east of Aleppo, is
also called Bashkui. An interesting case of a place
with two names is that of the ruin near the large vil-
lage of Hass in the Djebel Riha. To-day it is usually
called Khirbit Hass, which simply means the "Ruin
of Hass," because it is near, and is considered the
property of, the village. Some of the natives, how-
ever, refer to it as Shinsharah, a name of Aramaic
origin which was evidently given to it many centuries
ago.
1 See Oppenheim, Vol. II, p. 397.
2 See Map 1.
While we were in Bshindelaya a native told me that
a portion of the ruin toward the west was called Kar-
rus. I was unable to verify this name, though I in-
quired about it carefully, and consequently I did not
put it on the map. It seemed to be unknown to any
natives met with other than my informant. I record
it here, however, in case it may be of value to future
travelers in that region.
In one instance it was not possible for me to decide
whether I had been given two names for one ruined
town or whether I had sighted from my two points of
observation two entirely distinct places. Although
these observations were indefinite, they seemed suf-
ficient to justify me in putting two ruined towns near
each other on the map.- The names given me for these
places are Tawami and Durakhman/
I could not determine accurately the dividing line
between Djebel Bartsha and Djebel Halakah. The in-
formation gained from the natives led me to believe
that the lower hills in which Babiska and other ruins
lie are considered a part of the former mountain. It
may be, however, that this region ought to be con-
sidered a part of the low chain which forms a ring
around the plain of Sermeda, and which is called by
the natives Djebel Halakah or the "Ring Mountain."
There is a deep and narrow valley extending through
one side of this "ring" from the plain of Sermeda to
the low and level district northwest of the mountains,
which is called il-'Amk or "the Depression." It is
through this valley that the great highway referred to
elsewhere in this volume was built by the Romans/
This I assumed to be the dividing line between
the two mountains, but my conclusion is open to
question, especially in view of the fact that the
hills or mountains on either side of the valley are
of much the same formation and altitude, whereas
there is a great difference in altitude between the
region of Babiska and that which we have consid-
ered the main part, though not the whole, of the
Djebel Bartsha.
Again, it was not possible to ascertain with certainty
the dividing line between Djebel Sim'an and Djebel
Halakah," but it seemed to this Expedition that the
region eastward and northeastward from Djebel Shekh
Berekat should be called Djebel Sim'an.
A number of ruined towns and villages which were
sighted in a northeasterly direction from the summit
of Djebel Shekh Berekat had to be omitted from Map
1. It was a matter of great regret to us that we could
not extend our researches to them. There were even
places: Tawami, a village with a few ruined buildings, and Durakh-
man, the proper spelling of which is Dera'man, an extensive ruined town.
4 See p. 61. 5 gee Oppenheim, Vol. II, p. 397.