[p.269]from Arab tribes which anciently settled here; but nobody could
tell me the origin of these appellations. The inhabitants do not pretend
to be descendants of those tribes, but say that these were their
dwelling places from time immemorial.
The castle of Erbad stands upon a low hill, at the foot of which lies
the village. The calcareous rock which extends through Zoueit, Moerad,
Adjeloun, and Beni Obeid, begins here to give way to the black Haouran
stone, with which all the houses of Erbad are built, as well as the
miserable modern walls of the castle. A large ancient well built
reservoir is the only curiosity of this place; around it lay several
handsome sarcophagi, of the same kind of rock, with some sculptured bas-
reliefs upon them. Part of the suite of the Aga of Tabaria, consisting
of Moggrebyns, was quartered at Erbad. From hence I wished to visit the
ruins of Beit el Ras [Arabic], which are upon a hill at about one hour
and a half distant. I was told that the ruins were of large extent, that
there were no columns standing, but that large ones were lying upon the
ground. From Beit el Ras I intended again to cross the mountain in order
to see the ruins of Om Keis, and from thence to visit the Djolan.
We were shewn the road from Erbad, but went astray, and did not reach
Beit el Ras. One hour and a half N. by W. of Erbad we passed the village
Merou [Arabic]; from thence we travelled W.N.W. to El Hereimy [Arabic],
two hours from Erbad; and from El Hereimy N.N.W. to Hebras [Arabic],
three hours from Erbad. Hebras is the principal village in the district
of Kefarat, and one of the largest in these countries. It is inhabited
by many Greek Christian families. One hour and a half to the N.E. of it
are the ruins of Abil [Arabic], the ancient Abila, one of the towns of
the Decapolis; neither buildings nor columns remain standing; but I was
told that there are fragments of columns of a very large size.