The Messrs. Bagster have in press a new edition of the Hebrew Bible, with the most important various readings placed at the bottom of the pages, and a revised text founded on authority. All departures from Van der Hooght are marked by a smaller character in the text, after the manner of Griesbach in his Greek Testament; and the work is intended to be for the Old Testament text something like Griesbach's for the New. No pains have been spared by the editor to make it accurate and trustworthy. He has consulted and used the best authorities and works that could contribute to the value of the edition.

The press now teems with books relating to Turkey and Russia, for the war is of all-absorbing interest in England at present. There is little taste for other reading among the great majority of the people. Hence, probably, some valuable works will be postponed till the autumn or winter.

The revised edition of the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana is very much improved. Among the new volumes just announced are: Vol. 28. History of Greek and Roman Philosophy and Science, by Bishop Bloomfield, Dr. Whewell, and others; Vol. 28. Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy of the first six centuries of the Christian Era, by F. D. Maurice, from whom another volume is promised on the Philosophy of the Middle Ages. Another volume promised in the series is on "Glossology, or the Historical Relation of Languages," by Sir John Stoddart, LL. D., who prepared Vol. II. of the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana on Universal Grammar. Westmacott, the eminent artist, is to furnish a volume on Sculpture.

"The Biography of Samson, illustrated and applied," is a work recently from the pen of Rev. John Bruce, D. D., of the Scotch Free Church, Edinburgh.

Prof. Henry Rogers has published a "Defence of the Eclipse of Faith," particularly against the attacks of Newman and his friends. It has been republished by Crosby and Nichols, Boston.

Major A. Cunningham has recently prepared a work on "The Bhilsa Topes, or Buddhist monuments of Central India," which is said to contain much valuable information concerning Buddhism.

Hardwick's Church History of the Middle Ages is illustrated by four maps prepared by A. K. Johnston (whose high reputation authorizes us to expect rare correctness), and is pronounced a very successful work.

A third edition brings Brown's "History of the Propagation of Christianity among the heathen since the Reformation," down to the present time.

Dr. Robert Vaughan has lately prepared a very elaborate and learned Monograph on John de Wyclif.

The "History of the French Protestant Refugees," by Prof. C. Weiss, and the "History of the Protestant Church in Hungary, translated by J. Craig, D. D., have recently appeared in England, and have been very promptly republished in Boston.

It is said that Mr. Scott, who was associated with Mr. Liddell in preparing the admirable and popular Greek Lexicon, has in preparation a New Testament Lexicon.

Dr. William Freund, who now resides in England, is preparing an edition of the Greek and Latin Classics for schools. The text will be in every case revised by the editor. In doubtful cases he gives the matured results of his own careful and critical inquiries. The lives of the authors, prefixed to each volume, offer the results of sound historical criticism, and point out briefly the characteristics of each author. The notes, indispensable to enable the pupil to comprehend the literary meaning of the text, are to be placed under it; more elaborate and critical notes will be published in a separate form. Each work will contain a complete vocabulary of proper names. There will be a most accurate and scrupulous revision of the press by the editor personally. Virgil has already appeared. The series will contain Horace, Cicero, Sallust, Livy, Ovid, Caesar, Homer, Xenophon, etc. Dr. Freund has also in preparation an English School Edition of his Latin Dictionary. A third edition of Thomson's " Outline of the necessary laws of thought," is just published. The author has also prepared a work on "The Atoning work of Christ," being a course of Bampton lectures, illustrated by nume

rous notes.

Chapman's Quarterly Series for 1854 will consist of translations of Cousin's Lectures on the Philosophy of Kant, Feuerbach's Essence of Christianity, and Ewald's Introduction to the History of the People of Israel, with additions and emendations for this edition, and R. W. Mackay's Sketch of the Rise and Progress of Christianity.

Birks's "Horae Evangelicae, or the Internal Evidence of the Gospel History" has been recently published.

We see announced, also, Dr. J. H. Newman's Lectures on the History of the Turks in its Relation to Christianity; and two different transla tions of the famous "Theologia deutsch" of the fourteenth century, one under the title " Old German Theology one hundred years before the Reformation, with a preface by Martin Luther," by Mrs. Malcolm, and the other, "Theologia Germanica, etc.," by Susanna Winkworth, with a preface by Kingsley and a letter from Chevalier Bunsen.

We announced the appearance of the "Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology" in our last number. The contents of the first number of the Journal are as follows: On the Birds of Aristophanes; on Lucretius; St. Paul and Philo; a passage in 1 Cor., illustrated from Philo Judaeus; on the Dating of Ancient History; Notes on the Study of the Bible among our Forefathers. Under the department to be designated Adversaria, is Value of Roman Money; Classical Illustratrations of St. Matthew's Gospel. Under the department of Anecdota, are Inscriptions; Bp. Pearson's Marginalia on Eusebius; Fragment of Cicero De Fato. Then Reviews, Shorter Notices of Books, Correspondence, Contents of Foreign Journals, Lists of New Books. The work is one of a high order. The subjects treated show critical and extensive learning, a breadth and thoroughness of investigation which give promise that the Journal will do valuable service in the cause of Philology. The second number has appeared and is ready for delivery by the American Agent, W. F. Draper.

THE

BIBLIOTHECA SACRA,

NO. XLIV.

AND

AMERICAN BIBLICAL REPOSITORY,

NO. XCVI.

OCTOBER, 1854.

ARTICLE I.

NOTES OF A TOUR FROM DAMASCUS TO BA'ALBEK AND

HUMS.

WITH TOPOGRAPHICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE NORTHERN SECTION OF

ANTILEBANON.

By Rev. J. L. Porter, Missionary at Damascus.

DURING the early part of the present summer (1853), I had intended making a mission tour to the town of Hums, and the Jacobite villages around it; but was prevented from fulfilling my purpose by the pressure of duties in this city. A short interval of leisure occurred after our return from our summer residence at Blûdân; and Mr. Barnett and myself resolved to employ this time in visiting the Christians of Hums, by some of whom our presence and instructions were earnestly sought. We proposed to include in our tour such Christian villages as lay in the line of our route; and, that as large a number as possible might be embraced without waste of time, we determined to cross the mountains direct to Ba'albek, and follow the road by Râs, Hurmăl and Ribleh; and then return, if possible, by way of Sădăd; or, if that should prove impracticable, by the great caravan road to Hasya and Nebk. This latter was the road we were finally obliged to follow.

Tuesday, October 11th. We left Bâb Tûma (Thomas' Gate) at 12 o'clock, and, after half an hour's ride in a northerly direction VOL. XI. No. 44.

55

among the gardens and orchards of Damascus, we crossed the canal Yezid and entered the open plain beyond. At 1 o'clock we passed through the large village of Burzeh, at the entrance of the wild ravine of Ma'raba. Twelve minutes beyond, we commenced to ascend the low ridge of barren hills that here bounds the plain. We followed the course of an ancient road, now passing through deep cuttings in the white chalky cliffs, and now scrambling up long flights of stairs hewn in the hard limestone. At 1.40 we gained the summit; and here again I enjoyed a prospect which for richness and beauty is not surpassed, if equalled, in Syria. The scene was the same I had gazed on exactly twelve months before; but many of its features had become more familiar to me by visits paid them during the interval. The group of the Tellûl was there on the eastern horizon; but I could now distinguish along their base the dim outlines of the three singular ruins called the Diûra. Far away, south by east, were the mountains of Haurân; and I could now distinctly recognize the lofty conical peaks of Kuleib and Tell Abn-Tumeis, overtopping all others; while, in the plain to the north of this range, I could see the ruin-crowned Tell el-Khalediyeh. The bearings of these I noted, testing the accuracy of the compass by measuring their relative angles with the sextant. These bearings are important as determining the relative posi tions of the city and plain of Damascus, and the mountain range of the Haurân.

From this spot we descended the hill diagonally in a course N. 20 W., and in fourteen minutes reached the plain of Sahra. We then turned N. 25 E., leaving the large village of Tell, with its luxuriant orchards and vineyards, some distance to the left. In half an hour more we left the road we had followed in our former journey to Saidanaya, that we might keep further along the Sahra, and obtain a view of its north-eastern extremity to the foot of Jebel Tiniyeh. The ground was now undulating, the spurs from the two ranges on the right and left here meeting and interlacing. Our course was north-east; and, after some time, on surmounting a rising ground, we got a fine view of this section of the Sahra. It is considerably depressed, and a large portion of it is cultivated. In one hour more we reached the summit of the second ridge of hills, which is at this place much lower than at the point where we crossed it on our former journey. It retains, however, the same characteristic features

towards the south-east- a shelving slope surmounted by a lofty wall of naked rock. The road is ancient, and is hewn deeply in the cliff. We observed a little further eastward a large excavated chamber, now used as a chapel, and dedicated to some saint. On reaching the summit, I saw, at twenty minutes distance, in the plain below, the little village of Ma'rûneh; and about forty minutes N. by E., Hafeiyer. These are the only villages eastward of Tell, in the plain of Sahra. The general aspect of this region during the autumn is bleak and desolate in the extreme. The mountain sides are either naked white rock, or loose gravel composed of fragments of flint and limestone. The plains, as seen from the distance, are no less barren looking than the mountain sides. Not a tree or shrub or particle of verdure relieves the painful whiteness of the parched soil; save, here and there, where an ancient olive or a half-decayed mulberry stands lonely and deserted, like the last tree of the forest; or where a little group of walnut and poplar trees clusters round a fountain in some secluded dell. The land, however, is not so barren as it seems. Vines grow luxuriantly where the hand of industry plants and tends them; and the blasted looking soil yields a crop of wheat or barley which amply repays the labor of the peasant. Even here, there are extensive vineyards; but it requires a close examination to identify them at this season; for no sooner is the fruit removed, than vast flocks of hungry goats are turned loose among them, and then soon divest them of every leaf, and tendril, and sappy branch. The expense and trouble of pruning is thus saved, and the poor goats are kept from starvation.

The battlemented cliffs of Saidanâya were now before us, on the side of the opposite rugged mountain range; and the gardens of Ma'arra, about half way to it, lay a little to the right in the plain below. We descended the easy slope, through fine fields, and reached Ma'arra in half an hour. From this we rode across the fertile plain among extensive vineyards to the foot of the opposite hills, where a few minutes ascent brought us to the base of the rock on which stands the convent of Saidanâya, thirty minutes from the former village.

The date of the foundation of this convent I am unable to ascertain from any good authority. One of the officiating priests told me it was erected 1340 years ago, in the time of the Emperor Justinian. It so happens, however, that Justinian did not