DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10357#0392
SUBEIBEH.
357
prevail against it." This city, famous for the visits and works of kings, emperors, and
victorious generals, was honoured also by the presence of Christ. This is, however, but one
of the many strange contrasts which meet us at almost every turn as we study the history of
this land.
A little more than one hour from Banias is the great castle of Subeibeh (see page 354).
This has been one of the strongest fortresses in the East. It exhibits the work of every
period from the early Phoenician to the time of the Crusaders. Its situation is remarkable, and
from its broken walls one looks across the Huleh Plain to the hills of Galilee in the west,
while at his feet the mountain-slope descends in terraces that are covered with oaks and olive-
trees. The castle is not far from one thousand feet long by about three hundred feet in width,
and the walls at some points are even yet one hundred feet high. The natural approach to it
is from the east, while it is well-nigh inaccessible from the south, wTest, and north. On the
north side the mountain, for six hundred feet below the castle, presents an almost perpendicular
wall before the bottom of the ravine is reached. The strength of the position has been greatly
augmented by the skill and labour of man, until this might appropriately be called the Gibraltar
of Palestine. Situated at the southern base of Mount Hermon, the armies from the East would
pass by it on their way to the sea-coast and Egypt; and the same might be true on their
return, as we know was the case with one of the earliest Eastern invaders, Chedorlaomer,
whose date is at least twenty centuries before the birth of Christ. The cuneiform inscriptions
often speak of Assyrian kings reaching the kingdom of Damascus, and then entering the
kingdom of Tyre. They would be almost compelled to follow the great highway of the nations
on which this fortress stands. The Phoenicians, no doubt, used all the means in their power to
repel these invaders, and these two facts are sufficient to account for the existence of this castle
at this point, while the urgency of the case demanded that it should be built with all possible
strength. From this point two roads diverge, one leading to Tyre and the other to Sidon.
We have found on the road leading hence to Tyre, Assyrian sculptures which prove the early
passing over this route of their great armies. At the eastern end of this castle stands the
citadel of the place (see page 355). It has a wall and a moat of its own. It is one hundred
and fifty feet higher than the castle proper, which lies below it to the west. Here one has
an excellent illustration of a fact often mentioned by Josephus and other ancient writers, that
even if the castle was taken in any given case, the garrison could retire to the citadel and resist
the enemy for a long time, if not with entire success. Such a citadel might best be described
as a castle within a castle, with the difference that the inner one would possess greater strength
and greater means of resistance.
Subeibeh played an important part in the history of the Crusades, and was often taken and
retaken during those bloody wars between Moslem and Christian. Underneath the ruins,
where we crawled by a difficult passage, we found a stone ball such as were in common use in
ancient sieges. This is a small one, weighing not more than fourteen pounds, while some that
were thrown by the ballistce, as described by Josephus, weighed at least one hundred pounds
357
prevail against it." This city, famous for the visits and works of kings, emperors, and
victorious generals, was honoured also by the presence of Christ. This is, however, but one
of the many strange contrasts which meet us at almost every turn as we study the history of
this land.
A little more than one hour from Banias is the great castle of Subeibeh (see page 354).
This has been one of the strongest fortresses in the East. It exhibits the work of every
period from the early Phoenician to the time of the Crusaders. Its situation is remarkable, and
from its broken walls one looks across the Huleh Plain to the hills of Galilee in the west,
while at his feet the mountain-slope descends in terraces that are covered with oaks and olive-
trees. The castle is not far from one thousand feet long by about three hundred feet in width,
and the walls at some points are even yet one hundred feet high. The natural approach to it
is from the east, while it is well-nigh inaccessible from the south, wTest, and north. On the
north side the mountain, for six hundred feet below the castle, presents an almost perpendicular
wall before the bottom of the ravine is reached. The strength of the position has been greatly
augmented by the skill and labour of man, until this might appropriately be called the Gibraltar
of Palestine. Situated at the southern base of Mount Hermon, the armies from the East would
pass by it on their way to the sea-coast and Egypt; and the same might be true on their
return, as we know was the case with one of the earliest Eastern invaders, Chedorlaomer,
whose date is at least twenty centuries before the birth of Christ. The cuneiform inscriptions
often speak of Assyrian kings reaching the kingdom of Damascus, and then entering the
kingdom of Tyre. They would be almost compelled to follow the great highway of the nations
on which this fortress stands. The Phoenicians, no doubt, used all the means in their power to
repel these invaders, and these two facts are sufficient to account for the existence of this castle
at this point, while the urgency of the case demanded that it should be built with all possible
strength. From this point two roads diverge, one leading to Tyre and the other to Sidon.
We have found on the road leading hence to Tyre, Assyrian sculptures which prove the early
passing over this route of their great armies. At the eastern end of this castle stands the
citadel of the place (see page 355). It has a wall and a moat of its own. It is one hundred
and fifty feet higher than the castle proper, which lies below it to the west. Here one has
an excellent illustration of a fact often mentioned by Josephus and other ancient writers, that
even if the castle was taken in any given case, the garrison could retire to the citadel and resist
the enemy for a long time, if not with entire success. Such a citadel might best be described
as a castle within a castle, with the difference that the inner one would possess greater strength
and greater means of resistance.
Subeibeh played an important part in the history of the Crusades, and was often taken and
retaken during those bloody wars between Moslem and Christian. Underneath the ruins,
where we crawled by a difficult passage, we found a stone ball such as were in common use in
ancient sieges. This is a small one, weighing not more than fourteen pounds, while some that
were thrown by the ballistce, as described by Josephus, weighed at least one hundred pounds