The country known by the names of Canaan, Palestine, the Holy Land and
the Promised Land is located in Asia, at the eastern end of the
Mediterranean Sea, and not far from Africa. It is not far from Europe,
and consequently very near the center of that part of the earth which
was known to the ancients. It has an extent of less than six thousand
square miles, being about one twenty-second part of the size of the
kingdom of Norway. It has now about three hundred and fifty thousand
inhabitants, but had formerly a great many more. When King David
numbered the people, he found one million three hundred thousand who
could bear arms. One-fourth of a population is generally considered able
to bear arms, and the number of inhabitants at that time must have
exceeded five millions.
The country is very mountainous. To the north, in Syria, is Mount
Lebanon, ten thousand feet at its highest, and east of this is Mount
Hermon. Lebanon was famed for its magnificent cedars. From Lebanon and
Hermon two mountain ranges extend southward through the whole length of
the country, one to the west, the other to the east of the river Jordan.
Jerusalem lies two thousand five hundred feet above the ocean. The river
Jordan runs two hundred miles from north to south, and divides the
country into two parts. It flows through the Lake of Gennesaret, which
has been and is yet very rich in fish, and empties into the Dead Sea,
which is forty-five miles long and ten miles wide. The Dead Sea lies
thirteen hundred feet lower than the Mediterranean Sea. The water has a
bitter taste and is very salty. Neither animal nor vegetable life can
exist in it. If a fish happens to stray from the Jordan into the lake,
it dies. Such is now the condition of that plain which once upon a time
was as the garden of Eden.
Palestine lies far south; its summers are therefore hot, and the winters
mild. In Jerusalem, which lies at such great altitude, snow may
occasionally fall in January and February, but melts immediately.--The
land used to be very fruitful, producing grain, wine, many kinds of
fruit, and had good pastures. In the Bible it is called “a land flowing
with milk and honey.” Now it is entirely different. The country has
through many centuries been badly governed, and the saying appears to be
true that where the Turk sets his foot, grass will grow no more.--Of
forests may be mentioned the Woods of Ephraim, where Joab slew Absalom.
The cedar wood, with which Solomon ceiled the temple, came from
Lebanon.--The camel was a beast of burden, and used mostly in
traveling.--Of wild animals there were lions and bears, as we read in
the stories of Samson and David.
The country was at first divided into twelve parts among the twelve
tribes. Later on it was divided into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.
At the time of our Savior it was divided into four parts: Judæa,
Samaria, Galilee and Perea. Judæa was the southern, Samaria the middle,
Galilee the northern part west of the Jordan river; while Perea was east
of the Jordan.