Haifa; or, Life in modern PalestineOliphant, Laurence
History
Haifa; or, Life in modern Palestine
Oliphant, Laurence
Palestine -- Description and travel
The cisterns are of two kinds, bell-mouthed and of demijohn shape, or
open rock-hewn reservoirs or tanks. At one ruin I found an extensive
system of these latter. There were no fewer than six, of which the
largest was forty feet square, all close together, divided only by
narrow ledges of the solid rock out of which they had been hewn. They
were from fifteen to twenty feet to the soil at the bottom, now
overgrown with shrubs, so that in reality they are probably much deeper.
In some cases stone steps lead to the bottom, and on the sides were deep
niches from which evidently sprang arches to form the roof, for there
can be little doubt that the most of them were originally covered. From
the great number and extent of these cisterns it is manifest that the
inhabitants were, in some instances, entirely dependent upon them for
their water supply.
At the southeastern extremity of the mountain is the spot known as “the
place of burning,” or sacrifice, because tradition assigns it as the
locality where Elijah had his controversy with the prophets of Baal, and
in commemoration thereof the Carmelite monks are at this moment building
a church there, and using, by the way, some of the carved stones of a
neighbouring ruin, regardless of all antiquarian considerations. I feel,
therefore, a malignant satisfaction in the conviction at which I have
arrived that they are building their church on a spot which is
indisputably not the place on which the altar of Elijah was erected, if
we are to believe the Biblical record, for it is in full view of the
Mediterranean, and it would have been quite unnecessary for Elijah to
tell his servant to “go up and look toward the sea,” for there is no
higher point to go up to, and he could see the sea himself. But about a
mile from this spot there stands, curiously enough, a pile of stones in
a locality which would exactly fulfil the required conditions. I came
upon it unexpectedly, almost concealed in a thicket of underwood. The
stones are placed one upon the other without cement, and average
eighteen inches square and eight or nine thick, forming a rude altar
about twelve feet long and four high. The breadth varies, as they have
been broken away, but there is a large artificial slab, six feet square,
lying at the base. Though I do not for a moment mean to imply that this
was the original altar, the unusual shape and position of this pile
suggests that it may have been the result of some sacred tradition
connected with the Biblical event, or it may be the remains of an
ancient vineyard watch-tower. From it the ground swells back and upward
in every direction, so that a vast host might have been assembled around
and witnessed whatever was going forward, which would have been
impossible at the traditional locality. A ten minutes' walk would have
taken Elijah's servant to a neighbouring summit which commanded a full
view of the sea, and the twelve barrels of water required to drench the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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