DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10358#0181
154
PICTURESQUE PALESTINE.
to say, about the sides and among the steep slopes and precipices of the mountains of Judah at
a time when the Philistines had dominion over Israel. And he went from Zorah (Surah, see
page 149) across the valley of Sorek (Wady es Sur'ar) to the opposite side, into the parts
where the Philistines lived, to Timnath (Tibneh, see page 156) where he sought for his wife
a daughter of the Philistines. And among the vineyards of Timnath a young lion roared
against him, and Samson, who had nothing in his hand, rent him as he would have rent a kid.
And as he returned he found a swarm of bees and honey in the skeleton of the lion, and put
forth a riddle to his companions among the Philistines, who had come to feast with him.
Through Samson's wife they ascertained the answer, and Samson's anger was kindled, and he
went over the mountains to Askalon (see page 169), where he slew thirty Philistines in order
to obtain garments with which to pay for his wager ; he then abandoned his wife and went up
to Zorah (Sur'ah, see page 149). Some time after, during wheat harvest, he prepared to visit
his wife with a peace offering, but found that she was married to another. Then he determined
to be revenged upon the Philistines, and caught three hundred foxes and tied them two and
two, and put a firebrand in the midst. And when he had set the brands on fire he let them go
into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and also the standing
corn, with the vineyard and olives. The corn in Philistia at the time of harvest may be seen
in unbroken expanses for many miles in extent, on the undulating plains and in the valleys,
and on the terraces of the hills, and a conflagration once kindled would be most difficult to
arrest. It would probably extend over all the land of Philistia, and reduce the people to
starvation. The question naturally arises as to whether the people of Israel would have
suffered from this act of Samson, but it will be noticed, on reference to a map representing
Palestine at this period, that they lived entirely in the high lands, and would be exempt from
this devastating calamity.
At the present day during the harvest time the people are obliged to adopt the most
stringent measures to prevent any accidental conflagration among the expanses of standing
corn.
Our next detailed account relating to the southern part of Philistia is that concerning the
journeys of the ark after it had fallen into the hands of the Philistines at Eben-ezer, near
Aphek, when the sons of Eli were killed. And the ark was taken from the mountains about
Eben-ezer down to Ashdod in the plains, and it was brought into the house of Dagon ; and in
the morning the people of Ashdod found that their god, Dagon, was fallen upon his face to the
earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again,
and were much troubled about the matter. And on the following morning again Dagon was
found to have fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord, and was broken,
and the people of Ashdod (see page 165) and the surrounding district were smitten with
emerods. And when the people saw that this was on account of the ark being among them,
they summoned a council and decided that the ark should be taken across the plain to Gath
(see page 161), at the foot of the hills. And the people of Gath suffered in like manner for
PICTURESQUE PALESTINE.
to say, about the sides and among the steep slopes and precipices of the mountains of Judah at
a time when the Philistines had dominion over Israel. And he went from Zorah (Surah, see
page 149) across the valley of Sorek (Wady es Sur'ar) to the opposite side, into the parts
where the Philistines lived, to Timnath (Tibneh, see page 156) where he sought for his wife
a daughter of the Philistines. And among the vineyards of Timnath a young lion roared
against him, and Samson, who had nothing in his hand, rent him as he would have rent a kid.
And as he returned he found a swarm of bees and honey in the skeleton of the lion, and put
forth a riddle to his companions among the Philistines, who had come to feast with him.
Through Samson's wife they ascertained the answer, and Samson's anger was kindled, and he
went over the mountains to Askalon (see page 169), where he slew thirty Philistines in order
to obtain garments with which to pay for his wager ; he then abandoned his wife and went up
to Zorah (Sur'ah, see page 149). Some time after, during wheat harvest, he prepared to visit
his wife with a peace offering, but found that she was married to another. Then he determined
to be revenged upon the Philistines, and caught three hundred foxes and tied them two and
two, and put a firebrand in the midst. And when he had set the brands on fire he let them go
into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and also the standing
corn, with the vineyard and olives. The corn in Philistia at the time of harvest may be seen
in unbroken expanses for many miles in extent, on the undulating plains and in the valleys,
and on the terraces of the hills, and a conflagration once kindled would be most difficult to
arrest. It would probably extend over all the land of Philistia, and reduce the people to
starvation. The question naturally arises as to whether the people of Israel would have
suffered from this act of Samson, but it will be noticed, on reference to a map representing
Palestine at this period, that they lived entirely in the high lands, and would be exempt from
this devastating calamity.
At the present day during the harvest time the people are obliged to adopt the most
stringent measures to prevent any accidental conflagration among the expanses of standing
corn.
Our next detailed account relating to the southern part of Philistia is that concerning the
journeys of the ark after it had fallen into the hands of the Philistines at Eben-ezer, near
Aphek, when the sons of Eli were killed. And the ark was taken from the mountains about
Eben-ezer down to Ashdod in the plains, and it was brought into the house of Dagon ; and in
the morning the people of Ashdod found that their god, Dagon, was fallen upon his face to the
earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again,
and were much troubled about the matter. And on the following morning again Dagon was
found to have fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord, and was broken,
and the people of Ashdod (see page 165) and the surrounding district were smitten with
emerods. And when the people saw that this was on account of the ark being among them,
they summoned a council and decided that the ark should be taken across the plain to Gath
(see page 161), at the foot of the hills. And the people of Gath suffered in like manner for