1849.] Kadesh-Barnea. 377 same point, and that it is called el-Kaiteh. The Derderah, on the contrary, wanders off towards 'Ain Belàtah, and is lost from the view. "Difneh is a small collection of cabins used by the Arabs for granaries, with a cluster of trees near it, in the direction of the Huleh, and bearing 202° from Tell el-Kâdy. Our guide, an old man from Bàniàs, thought it had its name from an Arab burying-place in the neighbourhood. The etymology will allow of this; but it seems also to be a resemblance to Daphne." Many have supposed this to represent the Daphne (4άorn) mentioned by Josephus (B. J. 4. 1. 1.). But the reading of Josephus is far more likely to be an error for Aúrn, which is read in Antt. 8. 8. 4; seeing it required but the accidental insertion of a single letter. Josephus too speaks (B. J. I. c.), of the place as having in it the fountains of the lesser arm of the Jordan; which is not true of Difneh. The old Arab's etymology is probably the correct one. IV. KADESH-BARNEA, "IN THE UTTERMOST BORDER OF EDOM." From the northern Kedesh we pass at once to Kadesh Barnea in the southern extremity of Palestine. Since the discovery of the great valley of the 'Arabah by Burckhardt, most commentators and geographers have sought the position of the place somewhere in that valley, not far south of the Dead Sea, "in the uttermost border of Edom," Num. 20: 16. In the Biblical Researches, I have assigned the reasons for probably fixing it at the fountain el-Weibeh, or some other fountain not far distant, on the western side of that valley, north-west of Mount Hor and in full view of it, and at the foot of the western mountain by which all the ancient roads from the valley and from Petra and Edom ascended into the south of Judah. Those reasons it is not necessary to repeat here. In the appendix to the work of Mr. Williams, entitled The Holy City, Lond. 1845, is printed a letter from his companion, the Rev. J. Rowlands, who travelled from Gaza through the desert by way of el-Khulasah (Elusa) and Ruhaibeh to Suez, giving an account of his supposed discovery of a Kudes or Kadesh near his route, and quite in the interior of the desert. Until recently it has seemed to me, that the very fanciful and amusingly credulous character of the whole narrative would put every one upon his guard; and furnish in itself the best exposition of the fallacy of the whole matter. But the idea has since been taken up by Prof. Tuch of Leipzig, as falling in with a theory of his own on another topic;2 and his article has been translated by Prof. Davidson, and published in England.3 Winer, also, in the new edition of his Realwörterbuch (art. Kadesh) Zeitschr. der D. Morgenl. Gesellsch. I. p. 179. 3 Kitto's Journ. of Sac. Lit. July 1848. p. 90. 1 II. p. 583, 610. adopts the same view, relying on the supposed identity of the name. Hence it has become worth while to bring the matter to the test of examination. Mr. Rowlands appears in his writings, and is described by those who know him, as a very amiable man; but fanciful, visionary, and full of credulity. A letter written some years ago mentioned respecting him the following incident: "He said, that in passing Mount Carmel he observed a tumulus, as to which he at once conjectured that it covered the remains of Baal's prophets (1 K. 18: 40); and on inquiring of his Arab guides, he was assured that it was a fact! And his eyes glistened as he proceeded to tell of several other like things he had discovered in those parts. His letter in Williams's Appendix, is a tissue of moonshine." After this, no one can wonder that he should have found Kadesh, his " much-talked-of, and long-sought-for Kadesh," to his "entire satisfaction!" Mr. Rowlands went first from Gaza to Khŭlaah; in which he thinks he finds the ancient Chesil; though very few now question its identity with Elusa. From thence to Ruhaibeh his route was of course the same with that of Mr. Smith and myself in 1838, in the opposite direction. A quarter of an hour before coming to Ruhaibeh, he found an ancient site, "only a few traces of a city, pottery, etc." called Sepâta; this he holds to be the ancient Zephath or Hormah. We passed over the same ground, but neither saw nor heard of any such place; and, most assuredly, Mr. Rowlands heard no such name, for the word Sepâta is an impossible one in Arabic; that language not having the sound of p. Ruhaibeh itself, he "has not the slightest doubt whatever," is the Rehoboth of Gen. 26: 22. I had already pointed out the identity of the name; but with the remark, which still holds good, that Isaac's Rehoboth was simply a well with no mention of a city, and was situated apparently, according to the context, much further north.1 In ten hours with camels from Ruhaibeh Mr. R. came to el-Muweileh, a brackish fountain in a Wady of the same name. This is a usual station on the direct route between Sinai and Gaza; but lies a little west of our route; though it is mentioned by us and inserted on our map.2 The name el-Muweileh is a common one in Arabic, and signifies "salt places." Mr. R. writes it Moilâhhi, and finds in it nothing less than Hagar's Beerlahai-roi of Gen. 16:14. He “has no doubt about it whatever;" and "the grand settling point is its present name;" that is to say, the Hebrew Beer (well) has been changed into Arabic Moi (water); and then of course lâhhi corresponds to the lahai-roi of the Hebrew! This is the proof; and such is the philology in which we are invited to put faith. 1 Bibl. Res. in Pal. I. p. 291. 2 Bibl. Res. in Pal. I. p. 281, 561. 1849.] Kadesh-Barnea. 379 The next place is the Kadesh in question. "The water of Kădés or Kūdės, called 'Ain Kădés, lies about twelve miles (or four and a half hours by camel) to the E. S. E. of Moilahhi." Where then is this Kūdės? The reader, perhaps, will be surprised to learn, that the spot here pointed out is mentioned both by Seetzen and in the text of the Biblical Researches, and is inserted on our map. If he will turn to the map he will find marked, in that direction and about that distance from el-Muweileh, a fountain called 'Ain el-Kudeirât; it is a little east of our route, and is described by us according to the accounts of the Arabs. The Kudeirât are a tribe or clan of Arabs in this region, who water their flocks at this fountain, and sometimes also as far north as Beersheba.2 Seetzen lodged at one of their encampments.3 The conclusion is inevitable, that the name Kudės as here presented by Mr. Rowlands is the mere blunder of a tyro in Arabic for el-Kudeirât; nor is it to be wondered at in one who could first make Moilâhhi out of Muweileh, and then form it into the representative of Beer-lahai-roi. As therefore the whole hypothesis of a Kadesh in this place rests upon the supposed identity of name; and the said name is thus shown to be a mere blunder; it might perhaps be sufficient to let the matter rest here. There are however certain other considerations bearing so strongly upon the point in question, independently of any name, that it may not be labour lost briefly to present them. 1. We read in Ex. 13: 17, that in the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt, "God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return into Egypt: but God led the people about through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea." The object of this circuitous route was to avoid the Philistines; and therefore in approaching Palestine they came first to Kadesh. Now if Kadesh was at 'Ain el-Kudeirât, or anywhere in that region, then the direct and usual route from it into Palestine is and always was by way of Beersheba. But this would have brought the Israelites directly along side of the Philistines; and thus have frustrated the very purpose for which God led them by so great a circuit. Besides, if here was to be the point of their approach to the Promised Land, they might just as well have taken the route of Jacob when he went down from Beersheba to Egypt; and the whole circuit, and the visit to Kadesh itself, were unnecessary and without purpose. 2. In Num. 20: 16, Kadesh is described as "in the uttermost borders of Bibl. Res. I. p. 280. 3 Ritter, Erdk. XIV. p. 837 sq. 2 Bibl. Res. II. p. 619. Edom." Now, at that time, as all agree, the territory of Edom was limited to the mountains on the east of the 'Arabah. At a later period, indeed, in and after the exile, when the Nabatheans from the east pressed upon the Edomites, the latter passed over and took possession of the south of Judah as far as to Hebron; where they were afterwards subdued and incorporated with the Jews. But in the time of Moses they had no territory west of the 'Arabah; otherwise, the Israelites in journeying three times between Kadesh and Ezion-geber must have passed twice through Edom; which we know was not permitted.-It follows, that if Kadesh was at 'Ain el-Kudeirât, it lay more than forty miles distant from any part of Edom; and was therefore in no sense "in its uttermost border." 3. According to the scriptural account, both the spies and the Israelites in entering the Promised Land from Kadesh, had immediately to ascend a mountain. It Kadesh was at 'Ain el-Webeh or in the vicinity, all this is a natural and exact representation; since the ascent from the great valley begins immediately back of that fountain. But if Kadesh be sought at 'Ain el-Kudeirât or anywhere in that region, the language of Scripture is wholly inapplicable. The tract between the latter spot and Beersheba is an open rolling country; there are swells, but no mountain, to be crossed; and none to be ascended until we reach the mountains of Palestine proper on the north of Beersheba towards Hebron; a distance from 'Ain el-Kudeirât of about sixty miles, or four days' march for troops. 4. While at Kadesh the Israelites sought permission from the king of Edom to pass through his territory, in order to shorten their journey around the Dead Sea; and when this was refused, they "turned away," and "journeyed unto Mount Hor," Num. 20: 14-22. If Kadesh was at or near 'Ain el-Webeb, all this again is easy and natural. Over against that spot is the broad Wady el-Ghuweir, affording an easy ascent into the land of Edom; while in the south-east towers the lonely summit of Mount Hor, toward which they "turned away," and at whose base they encamped after a day's march. But if they were at 'Ain el-Kudeirât when the refusal of Edom came, they did not "turn away" at all; but, in proceeding to Mount Hor, they marched for at least three days, through a mountainous and pathless region, in precisely the direction they must have taken had Edom granted their request. But as "Edom came out against them with much people, and with a strong hand," such a march is hardly supposable. 5. The testimony of Eusebius and Jerome, if it does not serve definitely to fix Kadesh at 'Ain el-Webeh, is yet wholly inconsistent with any position of it on the high desert west of the 'Arabah. In the Ono2 Num. 13: 17. 14: 44, 45. Deut. 1: 24, 41. 1 See Bibl. Res. II. p. 557 sq. 1849.] The Israelites at Sinai. 381 masticon, art. Cades, they write as follows: Euseb. Káddns Bagvý, čo̟nμος ἡ παρατείνουσα Πέτρα πόλει τῆς Παλαιστίνης. Jerome, translating and correcting: "CADES, ubi fons est judicii, et CADESBARNE in deserto quae conjungitur civitati Petrae in Arabia." Also in art. Barne; Euseb. Βαρνή, αὐτή ἐστι τῇ Κάδης Βαρνῇ ἐν ἐρήμῳ τῇ παρατεινούσῃ Πέτρα πόλει. Jerome: "BARNE, haec ipsa est, quae et Cades Barne in deserto, quod extenditur usque ad urbem Petram." Again in his Comm. on Gen. 14: 7, Jerome writes: "Significat locum apud Petram, qui fons judicii nominatur, id est Cadesh."-At that time Kadesh was a known place; for both Eusebius and Jerome speak of the sepulchre of Miriam as still shewn there in their day. It must have been situated on the route between Hebron and Petra. NOTE. It may not be out of place to mention, that the name Kadesh under different forms has been not unfrequently found of late years. So Mr. Rowlands says that el-Muweileh is also sometimes called 'Moilâhhi Kadésah; from which I infer that it may occasionally be known as 'el-Muweileh el-Kudeirât,' i. e. as a watering place of the Kudeirât. Messrs. Williams and Rowlands, also, when at a point of the high ground some hours west of the Tell of Madŭrah, and overlooking the southwestern part of Wady Fikreh, had pointed out to them "some hours to the west, in a valley, the site of Kaddese, the Kadesh of Scripture." Now this could hardly have been 'Ain el-Kudeirât, the Kădés of Mr. Rowlands; which is at least thirty miles distant from their position on an air line, and towards the south-west. Bertou likewise says he found 'Kadessa' (Kadesh) at the Tell of Madŭrah itself.1 Earlier than all these, Seetzen speaks of a dry Wady el-Kdeis,' on his route between Gaza and Sinai; but it is difficult to fix the locality of it. At an encampment of the 'Azâzimeh the Wady and fountain el-'Ain were described to him as lying a few hours towards the east; and from thence he travelled one and a half hour on the usual road from Hebron to Suez, before reaching Wady el-Kdeis. This would seem to place it some fifteen or twenty miles south-west of el-'Ain. At any rate the Wady can have no relation to Mr Rowland's 'Kădés;' nor has any one else heard of the like name in that quarter. V. POSITION OF THE ISRAELITES AT SINAI, A discussion has of late years sprung up, not only in respect to Sinai itself, but likewise respecting the position which the people of Israel must have occupied before the mount. This latter point has been brought into consideration only in recent times; the earlier travellers and writers appear never to have thought of it. 1 Bibl. Res. II. p. 662. 2 See Ritter XIV. p. 839 sq. |