Healing the sick--A strange monument--Telegraph and post in
_Haurân_--Cruel kindness--The Ruins of _Suweida_--Turkish methods of
rule--_ʿIry_--_Sheyûkh ed-Druze_--Jephthah’s burial--Enterprise of
_Ismaʾîl el-ʿAtrash_.
HERE, as at every point touched in our journey, we had ample evidence
of the prevalence of sickness and suffering, and of the crying
necessity for competent medical aid. The weak and diseased are a
prey to every travelling quack, and they bore in their bodies only
too convincing proof of their simple-hearted confidence in men who
professed to be able to relieve them. Ruined eyes and maimed limbs
told only too plainly what havoc unscrupulous men work among these
trustful people. The quack hopes to pass but once in any given way,
and cares but little for the results of his operations if only he make
present gain. The name of the good doctor wrought like magic. Almost
before we could realise it the camp was surrounded by patients; a
motley gathering they were--Moslem, Druze, and Christian; men, women,
and children, of all ages, clad in richly varied costumes; they came
forward, one by one, to tell of their sufferings, and receive what help
was possible. Not unpleasantly the time passed, examining antique
coins, making cautious purchases, and engaging the more intelligent in
conversation about their town and district, until the cheerful voice of
the dinner-bell summoned us within.
With the morning we were able to see the strange tower under whose
shadow we had slept. It is reputed one of the oldest monuments in the
country. According to inscriptions, Greek on one side and Palmyrene
on another, it was built by one Odainatus to the memory of his wife
Chamrate. The building is over thirty feet square, and rests on a base,
to which a couple of steps lead up. Between the Doric pilasters that
adorn the sides, the monument is ornamented, as became the tomb of a
soldier’s wife, with emblems, in relief, of military accoutrements.
The top of the monument is now a heap of confused blocks, while many
great stones, rolled down, lie in utter disorder to the south-west.
The name _Debusîyeh_, by which it is known among the natives--“the
pin-shaped”--shows that it was, probably at no remote period,
finished off in a pyramid. The evil that has befallen it may be due
to some thought that buried treasure might be found there. In these
circumstances no structure would be safe from the destroying hands of
the Arabs. It has been thought that the monument dates from not later
than the first century of our era, and that therefore this Odainatus
was not the warrior husband of the famous Zenobia, ruler of Palmyra.
The Odainatus known to history was in these parts; and there is nothing
impossible in the supposition that the glories of the campaign may
have been dimmed for the chivalrous soldier by the death of his sweet
companion, ere the star of Zenobia arose in the heaven of his love.
This would bring the date down past the middle of the third century.
The conjecture is so far supported by the presence of the inscription
in Palmyrene. Withal it is the most interesting of all the remains of
the past now to be seen in _Suweida_ and its neighbourhood.
Descending the steep bank, we crossed by an ancient bridge the little
stream that flows in the bottom of the ravine. With the advance of
summer this stream soon vanishes, and the town becomes entirely
dependent for water supply on reservoir and cistern. At the gate of
the town we found a little guide who conducted us to the post-office.
The quarters occupied as imperial post and telegraph office would
horrify the humblest of our Western officials. We scrambled over
several dunghills and broken walls, and but for the telegraph wires
it would have been impossible to distinguish the “office” from a
number of rude cattle-shelters around. The _maʾmûr_, or official in
charge, was all politeness and courtesy. Learning that a mail was
about to be despatched to the north, we set about writing pencil-notes
to our friends, while the _maʾmûr_, business being slack, engaged in
a conversation by telegraph with his brother operator in Damascus,
securing for us information on several points of importance. The
amount of telegraphing thus done for the friends of the _maʾmûrîn_
in Syria would not be readily credited in the West. A message is
sent to bring one to the office, when, if nothing special is on hand,
he may hold a long conversation on any subject with his friend or
man of business at a distance. These _maʾmûrîn_ in Syria are almost
all Christians, Moslems possessing the requisite qualifications in
linguistic attainments and intelligence being seldom available. This
speaks volumes for the system of education inaugurated and carried on
chiefly by the missionaries, of which as yet few Moslems have taken
advantage. The position of clerk in very many of the various Government
departments is also occupied by Christians. Moslems in the country
are, however, slowly awakening to realise the advantages of education,
and are seeking in greater numbers than ever to avail themselves of
opportunities hitherto despised.
The Druze sheikh of the town, who was also _kaim makâm_, or
lieutenant-governor of the district, we found in his own house near
the top of the quarter at present inhabited. He was in sore distress
over the apparently hopeless illness of his son, a lad of some twenty
summers, who sat suffering among his friends. The room was crowded in
every part by relatives and friends, who had come from far and near
to show their sympathy in the hour of trial. Anything more completely
opposed to all humane and civilised ideas of the conditions that ought
to prevail in a sick-room it is impossible to imagine. The air was
foul with many breaths, and laden with the fumes of tobacco, in which
all seemed to indulge, conversation being carried on in manner and
tone suggestive of the public market; the dying youth, meanwhile,
utterly wearied of the noise and confusion, with difficulty attracted
attention to have his few wants supplied. It must not be thought that
this conduct was the result of exceptional thoughtlessness on the part
of the sheikh’s sympathisers. It was all done in obedience to custom,
whose requirements are far more stringent than those of written law
in this country. The man whose sick-room is not crowded with hosts of
sympathising friends is held in but little respect. To refrain from
mingling with the crowd and adding a quota to the hubbub is to prove
lack of all interest in the case. So firmly is the custom rooted, that
the energetic efforts of enlightened medical men in many parts have
as yet produced almost no appreciable result. We long for quiet in
our time of trial, and true friends jealously guard against intrusion
upon our grief. Here trial and sorrow must alike be borne practically
in presence of the public. When death enters a household the place is
literally taken possession of by so-called sympathising friends; and
their well-meant endeavours to divert the thoughts of the mourners from
their loss must nearly always have the effect of deepening the woe they
are intended to alleviate.
The sheikh’s house, less squalid perhaps than most in the town, was
built around a paved courtyard, entered from the street by an imposing
doorway. One large room had also a door opening upon the street,
approached by a flight of steps. Here we were entertained with coffee.
As a Government official who had received instructions from his
superiors to receive the travellers with all courtesy, the sheikh bore
himself with no little dignity; and only the haste of our departure
prevented his making a larger display of hospitality. The _diwân_ of
the sheikh stands on the opposite side of the street a little lower
down, on the site of an ancient temple. Many of the columns which
once surrounded the latter are standing still, but serve only to cast
a dreary air of departed glory over the place. A few paces farther
down, the street is spanned by a triumphal arch, of Roman workmanship.
This street is paved throughout. We visited, in rapid succession,
the remains of a church, of a mosque, and of a building called by
the natives _el-Mehkemeh_--“the court of justice.” All of these are
in a completely ruinous condition. _Suweida_ offers a rich field for
inscription-seekers. Only he who would make thorough work must be
prepared for risks and unpleasantnesses,--in hanging, for example, over
the top of a rickety doorway to read an inscription placed upside down,
or in creeping into holes and cellars where one’s attention is almost
entirely absorbed in the important but well-nigh impossible process
of breathing. Here are also the remains of a nymphaeum and aqueduct
dating from the time of Trajan. Two large reservoirs afford the chief
supply of water, there being no fountains in or near the town. These
are built round with solid masonry, and the water is reached by means
of stone stairs. When the summer is well advanced, it must require a
stout heart and no little usage to enable one to conquer a natural
repugnance to the unwholesome liquid collected in these reservoirs. I
imagine that the memory of the oldest man does not carry him back to
the time when they were last cleaned. The larger of the two is called
_Birket el-Hajj_--“Pool of the Pilgrimage.” The _Hajj_ road to Mecca
once passed by way of _Suweida_, and from this reservoir the pilgrims
drank. Mohammed Said Pasha, when chief of the pilgrimage, changed the
route, finding the way by the western side of the plain less liable to
annoyance by the robber Arabs. Such reservoirs, more or less preserved
and protected by guards against other use, stand at intervals all along
the great _Hajj_ road to Mecca.
What _Suweida_ was in the far past no one can tell; the very name
of the ancient city seems irrevocably lost. But, judging from the
magnitude of the ruins, it must have played no unimportant part in the
history of the country. An ancient local tradition asserts that Job
was the first _emîr_ or prince of _Suweida_. It is to this day what we
may call the capital of _Jebel ed-Druze_, the sheikh being, as we have
seen, not merely chief of the town, but also lieutenant-governor of the
district under the Turks. The appointment of one of themselves as _kaim
makâm_ represents one side of the Turkish policy in its endeavour to
gain the mastery over these free-spirited and warlike people. The man
chosen in this instance was one whose name, if any, would carry weight
with his nation. But even the son of the famous _Ismaʿîl el-ʿAtrash_
could hardly render himself acceptable to the Druzes in the ungracious
task of tax-collecting--the chief function of the Turkish official.
The other side of the policy has long been familiar to the world,
the method of setting rival factions and races against each other,
fomenting their quarrels, fanning their animosities, until they are
so weakened by mutual conflict that Turkey can step in without much
trouble and lay an iron hand on all. Of this more anon. There have been
stirring times since our visit.
We took a straight line across country for _ʿIry_, a village crowning
a low hill some two hours’ distant from _Suweida_. The land is open
and diversified, hill and valley in pleasant succession relieving
the monotony of the plain. The soil is rich, and in this part the
Druzes use it well. Their skill in evading the iniquitous exactions
of the Government doubtless accounts partly for their industry. No
one cares to do his best to raise crops of which he knows he will be
systematically robbed; but the Druzes generally display a commendable
diligence compared with most other inhabitants of Syria. _Jebel
ed-Druze_, with its neat gardens and trim vineyards creeping over the
slopes, more closely resembles Mount Lebanon than any other district
in the country. With the advantages conferred by the arrangements made
for the government of the Lebanon after the fearful scenes of 1860, of
which recent corrupt governors have been unable wholly to deprive the
inhabitants, such progress has been made in education, agriculture, and
generally in the arts of civilisation, in spite of the wild and sterile
character of much of their country, as to inspire hope for the rest
of Syria when the time comes, as surely it soon must now, to deliver
her from the oppressions of the Turk. A little over half-way, a large
building to the right of our path, with the Turkish flag floating over
it, would have served as a reminder had we been disposed to forget that
we were not beyond the reach of His Imperial Majesty’s arms.
Arrived at _ʿIry_, we took up our position on the bank of a little
stream, which was full to the brim with cool water. Fruit trees grew
profusely around, and lent us grateful shade. Forming a circle on the
grass, we discussed the contents of our luncheon-bags with all the
relish of a picnic-party. We had not rested long when a messenger
arrived from the sheikh, bearing his salutations, together with a
load of substantial viands. The chief was engaged with a company of
brother sheikhs from various districts in _Haurân_, and could not come
himself; but having seen the strangers seating themselves in the grove,
he sought to maintain the tradition of Eastern hospitality by sending
to us of the best--milk, _leban_, cheese, bread, honey, and, above
all, delicious fresh butter, the first we had seen in our travels. How
delightfully refreshing these were that hot noontide, with rustling
leaves overhead and rippling water at our feet, it is needless to say.
When we rode up to express our obligations to the worthy sheikh, he and
his companions received us with great cordiality. He also is a son of
the celebrated _Ismaʾîl el-ʿAtrash_, brother of the lieutenant-governor
of _Suweida_. The younger, he is also much the larger man of the two.
His frame is well built and in good proportion. When dressed in his
state robes of barbaric splendour, and girt with his golden-hilted
sword, he appeared quite a king among men. The assembled _sheyûkh_
had gathered from all the district between _ʿIry_ and _Salkhad_--the
fortress on the mountain, marking the most easterly boundary of
Israel’s possession--and they formed a company of chiefs such as it
is a piece of rare good fortune for any traveller to see. The doctor
produced his camera, in which all were immediately interested. After
most of them had peeped into it, and, to their great amusement, had
seen their fellows upside down, they were in the best of humour, and
anxious to have their portraits taken. This, of course, was what the
doctor wanted; and the result was one of the finest plates in his
possession, presenting a striking group of men, not one commonplace in
appearance.
[Illustration: SHEYÛKH ED-DRUZE (COUNCIL OF WAR)]
The present village of _ʿIry_ is insignificant, but ruins covering a
wide area prove it to have been an important place in early times. A
suggestion has recently been made that here Jephthah, judge of Israel,
was buried. The statement that he was buried “in the cities of Gilead”
has always presented a difficulty, which the rabbis have sought to
explain by the invention of a story which even they would find it
difficult to equal in absurdity. According to the rabbis, Jephthah
brought on himself divine displeasure, because he persisted in carrying
out his dreadful vow, although he knew this to be contrary to God’s
desire, and an official existed in Israel part of whose stated duty
it was to relieve men from vows which ought not to be performed. God
therefore smote him with a terrible disease. As commander-in-chief
of the armies of Israel, he went on a tour of inspection through the
fortresses of Gilead. Just then the fell disease wrought havoc in his
frame, which died piecemeal. The parts were buried where they fell,
as he moved on in his chariot. Thus in his burial he was distributed
through “the cities of Gilead”! The consonants in the Hebrew word
translated “cities” correspond exactly to the Arabic consonants in
the name _ʿIry_. If, as seems not impossible, this place was within
the borders of the district then designated by the term “Gilead,” the
suggested identification is almost certainly correct, and we should
read that Jephthah was buried “in ʿIry of Gilead.”
ʿIry in its present form owes its existence to the above-mentioned
_Ismaʿîl el-ʿAtrash_, who made it his headquarters, and in the early
part of the nineteenth century wielded a potent influence over the
whole province. He was a man who, in favourable circumstances,
might have taken rank with the world’s great generals. Combining
distinguished courage, determination, and military skill with a genius
for administration and the management of men, he secured a position
of practical independence of the Turkish Government, and was able to
make his own terms with the _Beduw_ who visit that region. It was
customary, indeed, for men from the desert who wished to go to Damascus
to obtain permission to pass through his dominions. The fact that
these proud-spirited Arabs submitted to this interference with their
ancient and hereditary privileges is enough in itself to prove the
dread in which his displeasure was held. With statesmanlike regard for
the well-being of the country, he planned a system of irrigation, and
was able, before his death, partly to carry out his project, capturing
the rills on the mountains, and leading them, through artificial
channels, in every direction. The stream by which we had lunch owed to
this arrangement its unusual volume of water--strong enough, even at
this season, to turn a mill which stood nearer the village. He also
encouraged the planting of olives and fruit trees, and the grove which
afforded us shelter was one result of his praiseworthy public spirit
and enterprise.
When _Ismaʿîl el-ʿAtrash_ died, none of his sons displayed capacity at
all equal to that of their father. Each had a village given him, of
which he became sheikh; but no one arose to fill the old man’s place
in the respect and awe of the people. To restore the prestige of their
house, these sons appear to have entered into an alliance with the
Turks, accepting positions as subordinates of the Government which
their heroic father had defied, trusting to their great name to protect
them against suspicion of treachery among the Druzes. It was a step
pregnant with disaster alike for themselves and for their people.
As we here take leave of the towns and villages of the Druzes, we may
look for a little at the faith, the character, and recent history of
this strange people in these parts.