ed them to return to their country, to rebuild their temple, and to re-establish their ecclesiastical constitution. Judæa continued thus a province of Persia, till after the con quest of Alexander, to whom it submitted without resistance. After the partition of bis empire, it fell naturally under the power of the kings of Syria, though exposed also to invasion from the Ptolemies. Several of the Syrian kings having attempted to enforce the adoption of the Grecian idolatry, instead of the worship of the true God, were met by the most determined resistance. On this occasion the Maccabees, in a scries of glorious contests, with the most unequal means, successfully asserted the religious and political liberties of their country. Judæa, now become an independent country, was governed for more than a hundred years by a race of sovereign high priests called Asmonæans. They could not, however, prevent the country from falling under the wide spread dominion of Rome, who established the Herods as tributary kings, leaving, however, the civil and ecclesiastical administration, to a great extent, in the hands of the natives. It was at this crisis that Judæa became the theatre of those great events which form the foundation of our faith, but which must be too familiar to our readers to require mention here. The wrath of heaven was now destined to fall on this offending people. Enraged by repeated insurrections, the Romans, under Titus, entered Judea with a large force, took Jerusalem, razed it to the ground, carried the whole nation captive, and dispersed them through the different provinces of the empire. The Jews have never recovered from this fatal and final blow. They have never been permitted to return into their native country; yet though dispersed among all nations, and everywhere oppressed and despised, they have never mixed with any other people, but have retained undimi nished all the peculiarities of their religion and manners.

south of Syria, and included within the limits of the Turkish empire. Neither the name nor division are recognised by the natives or the Turkish government; but they remain prominent in the eye of Europeans, to whom, as to this region, the past is of a much deeper interest than the present. Palestine is rendered illustrious in our eyes, by its being the spot where our holy religion first derived its origin, and whence it has been so widely diffused over the earth. It has presented also a striking spectacle, by its various revolutions. In the time of the patriarchs, it appears to have been a pastoral country, traversed by independent shepherds or chiefs, similar to those who now wander over the extensive plains of Arabia. On the return of the children of Israel from Egypt, it is described as a land flowing with milk and honey; very considerable progress appears to have been made in agriculture; and the vices of luxury had made serious progress. The interposition of heaven having delivered this country into the hands of the Israelites, it was divided by Joshua among the ten tribes; Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Dan, Ephraim, Zabulon, Naphtali, and part of Manasseh, had their portion allotted on the western, commonly called this side of Jordan; while Reuben, Gad, and the remaining part of Manasseh, were placed on the eastern side, commonly called beyond Jordan. Israel, after having remained long without any regular government, but ruled by occasional judges, was at length, on the demand of the people, converted into a monarchy, of which Saul was the first king. Under the reigns of David and Solomon, it became one of the most flourishing kingdoms of Asia. On the east it extended as far as the Euphrates, and having obtained ports both on the Red sea and the Mediterranean, was, even as to commerce, the rival of Tyre. This prosperity suffered a great declension, in consequence of the schism which took place in the kingdom, by the separation of the ten trikes, and the establishment of the two rival kingdoms of Judæa The Romans, on obtaining full possesand Samaria. They continued both consi- sion of this country, divided the part of it derable, however, till the rise of the great on this side of Jordan into three tetrarchies, empires on the Euphrates, which were des- Judæa proper, Samaria, and Galilee. The tined to swallow up all the west of Asia. former consisted of the tribes of Judah, The kings of Ninivch and Babylon expe- Benjamin, Dan, and Simeon, and included rienced here such an obstinate resistance, all the territory between the Dead sea and that they conceived it impossible to com- the Mediterranean. Samaria comprehendplete the conquest, unless by carrying cap-ed the region to the north between Jordan tive, first Israel, and then Judah, into the eastern provinces of their empire. This eclipse of the Jewish name and nation, however, lasted only till the downfall of Babylon. Cyrus, an enlightened and generous conqueror, determined to signalise the commencement of his empire by an act of clemency to this exiled people. He allow

and the sea, which had formerly composed the strength of the kingdom of Israel, and included the possessions of the tribes of Ephraim, Issachar, and part of Manasseh. Galilee formed the fine inland territory on the lake of Tiberias, the former possession of the tribes of Zabulon, Asser, and Naphthali. The region to the east of Jordan

was divided into the smaller districts of Perea, Decapolis, Gaulonitis, Galaaditis, Batanæa, and Auranitis. The country continued long in a troubled state, in consequence of the insurrections raised by the remaining Jews. On the conversion, however, of the empire to Christianity, Judæa became an object of religious veneration. The empress Helena repaired in pilgrimage to the Holy Land, viewed all the spots which had been the scene of the great events of gospel history, and built splendid temples on their site. The Holy Land was now enriched by the crowd of pilgrims who resorted thither from every part of the Christian world. The most numerous of these soon came from the west, over which the church of Rome had fully established its empire. In the commencement, how ever, of the sixth century, an entire change took place in the destinies of this part of Asia. Judæa was among the countries first exposed to the invasion of the military and fanatical followers of Mahomet, and soon fell under their sway. The caliphs, however, still viewed her holy places with reverence, and were induced to encourage pilgrimage, from the gain which it afforded. When the Turks, however, an ignorant and barbarous people, poured in from the north, they no longer observed the same courtesy. They profaned the holy places, and committed out rages of every kind upon the visitants of the Holy Land. The intelligence of these violences being conveyed to Europe, roused the military and religious spirit of the age into those truly extraordinary expeditions called the Crusades. All Europe seemed to pour itself in one mass upon Asia. Not withstanding the losses sustained on the road, the tide rolled on at first with irresistible fury. The Saracen armies were routed, Jerusalem taken by storm, and its garrison put to the sword. A Latin kingdom of Jerusalem was then erected under Godfrey of Boulogne, which endured for above 80 years, during which the Holy Land streamed continually with Christian and Saracen blood. As the zeal of Europe cooled, however, and the same vast armies were no longer poured into Asia, the Mahometan states, whose resources were all at hand, gradually regained the ascendancy. In 1187, Judæa was conquered by Saladin, on the decline of whose kingdom it passed through various hands, till in 1517 it was finally swallowed up in the Turkish empire. After ceasing for many centuries to have any political existence, it was drawn into notice by Bonaparte's invasion of Syria, and his celebrated siege of its port of Acre, in the defence of which British valour was 50 conspicuously displayed.

Few countries are distinguished by greater variety of surface than Palestine. Some have represented it as barren; but this character can apply only to some of the mountainous districts around, and to the east of Jerusalem. According to the best. informed travellers, the greater part of Pa lestine displays a truly luxuriant fertility, and corresponds entirely to the description of the promised land. In taking a survey of its different portions, we shall begin with Judæa proper, the ancient kingdom of Judah, and the central seat of the power of David. It comprises the territory extending from the Lake Asphaltites to the sea. It is composed of a range of limestone hills, rising as it were by stages from the level of the Mediterranean. The plain extending along that sea, though now neglected, appears to be excessively rich. Sandys, in travelling from Gaza to Jaffa, describes the caravan as almost buried under pastures which lay "unmowed and uneaten." As the track ascends, it becomes rugged and rocky, so that the road from Jaffa to Jerusalem is, very steep and difficult. The sides of the mountains, however, are fitted for the vine, the olive, the sycamore, and are crowned. with natural groves of oak and cypress; while the earth is abundantly covered with aromatic plants. Between these mountains. are interposed vallies, particularly that of Jeremiah and the Terebenthine vale, which are covered with plentiful crops of tobacco, wheat, barley, and millet. Delicious wine is also produced in some of the districts. These mountains are tenanted by the wildest Arabs, who find lurking places in the numerous caves which are cut out of the mountains. These caves are characteristic of all the mountains of Pa lestine, and formed probably habitations to the ancient inhabitants. On reaching the summit of these successive ranges, the traveller discovers the country round Jerusa➡ lem, which wears a dry, rugged, and stony aspect. There is reason to believe, how ever, that ancient industry, under a protecting government, had rendered even these tracks highly productive. Traces may still. be found of walls by which the earth was formerly supported, of cisterns where the rain water was collected, and of canals, by which it was distributed through the fields. Wild bees still lodge, in the hollow of the rocks, honey, which is seen flowing from them. Dr Clarke, indeed, in travelling towards Jerusalem from the north, through a district which is under the beneficent administration of the pacha of Damascus, saw proofs of the most extraordinary cultivation. The limestone rocks and stony vallies were entirely covered with plantations of figs, vines, and olives. The hills, throughous

fortunate husbandman is thus deprived on
all sides, of any security of enjoying the
fruits of his labour; and the rich culture
which this country formerly displayed, has
gradually disappeared. Its lot depends
greatly upon the character of the pacha
under whose sway it happens to be placed.
Palestine, as to administration, is included
partly in the pachalic of Acre, and partly
in that of Damascus. The former com-
prehends all the sea coast, while the latter
extends over the interior; and they are se
parated by a line drawn from north to
south, through the whole length of Pales-
tine. The former pachalic has long groan-
ed under the fierce and gloomy tyranny of
Dsjezzar, a chief whose energy of character
was solely directed to military achieve
ments, and whose avarice sought to gratify
itself by rapine and extortion, without ever
viewing his interest as connected with the
permanent prosperity of the districts which
he governed. Recent travellers have drawn
the most gloomy picture of the state to
which this territory was reduced during the
latter years of his administration. Towns
that had once been flourishing, were redu-
ced now to a few cottages; and plains
which might have borue the most luxuriant
crops, were abandoned as pasture to the
wandering Arabs. On entering the terri-
tory of the pacha of Damascus, the happiest
change presented itself. The virtue, or at
least the enlightened avarice of this chief,
had induced him to employ with diligence
every means of protecting property, and en-
couraging industry; so that the whole coun-
try subject to him was cultivated like a gar-
den. Unluckily the pacha was not sufficient-
ly liberal in imparting a share to his masters
at Constantinople; and having thus incur-
red their displeasure, he was driven from his
post, which is now occupied by another,
who is pacha at once of Damascus, Acre,
and Aleppo. This new chief, however,
though bred under the ferocious Dsjezzar,
is represented by Burckhardt in rather a
favourable light; so that there is hope that
the desolated districts may somewhat revive
under his influence.

Palestine has been conquered and occupied by such a variety of foreign races, that it would be difficult to decide who form the basis of its present population. The Turks, as elsewhere throughout the empire, occupy all the civil and military posts; while the inhabitants of the eastern empire, un der the name of Greeks, form a very numerous part of the population. The country districts, however, are filled to a great extent with nomadic Arabs. The dress of this people, in the Holy Land, is very simple; it consists of a blue shirt, descending below the knees, the legs and feet being ex

posed, or the latter sometimes covered with
the ancient cothurnus or buskin. A cloak
is worn, of very coarse and heavy camels'
hair cloth, almost universally decorated
with black and white stripes, passing verti
cally down the back: this is of one square
piece, with holes for the arms: it has a
seam down the back. Upon their heads
they wear a small turban, or dirty rag,
like a coarse handkerchief, bound across the
temples, one corner of which generally
hangs down; and this, by way of distinc
tion, is generally fringed with strings in
knots. The Arab women are not so often
concealed from view as in other parts of
Turkey. They render their persons as
hideous and disgusting as any of the
islanders of the South sea; their bodies are
covered with a long blue shift, but their
breasts are exposed; and these, resembling
nothing human, extend to an extraordinary
length. Upon their heads they wear two
handkerchiefs, one as a hood, and the
other bound over it as a fillet across the
temples. Just above the right nostril they
place a small button, sometimes studded
with pearl, a piece of glass, or any other
glittering substance. Their faces, hands,
and arms, are tattooed, and covered with
hideous scars; their eyelashes and eyes be-
ing always painted, or rather dirtied, with
some dingy black or blue powder; their
lips are dyed of a deep and dusky blue, as
if they had been eating blackberries; their
teeth are jet black; their nails and fingers
brisk red; their ears are loaded with pon-
derous rings; and altogether it might ap-
pear as if some dæmon had employed his
ingenuity to difigure the lovliest work of
the creation. The true Arab is always the
inhabitant of the desert, a name given to
any solitude, whether barren or fertile,
Their usual weapons consist of a lance, a
poignard, an iron mace, a battle axe, and
The move-
sometimes a matchlock gun.
ables of a whole family seldom exceed a
camel's load. They reside always in tents
on the open plain, or upon the mountains.
The covering of their tents is made of goats'
hair, woven by their women. Their mode
of life very much resembles that of the
gipsies in Eugland; men, women, children,
and cattle, all lodging together. In their
disposition, though naturally grave and se
date, they are very amiable, considering
hospitality as a religious duty, and always
acting with kindness to their slaves or in
feriors.

A considerable number of Christian
monks still reside in the Holy Land; and
there is no considerable town which does
We are
not contain at least one convent.
sorry, however, to find Dr Clarke describ
ing the lives of these persons as very little

H