 AN
uncommon degree of interest has been excited in modern times towards Palestine,
to an extent scarcely ever before attained. It issues forth, as it were, out of
its devastation of more than eighteen centuries standing; and people seek to
reanimate it through their investigations and discoveries. The learned contend
for the prize of contributing the most to its elucidation by discovering and
tracing out the vestiges of antiquity which it offers; and it is therefore
constantly visited and travelled over by the well-informed of all nations. How
much more ardently, then, must the erudite man belonging to the house of Israel
feel on the subject! For should not Israel march in the advance, and serve in
this matter as an example to other nations? or shall it, to whose ancestor God
said (Gen. 13. 15), “For the whole land which thou seest I will give unto thee
and thy seed for ever,” receive an account of its possessions—for its
property the land remains, long as the time may be that its claim is not
acknowledged, and its rights usurped by the hand of power from the mouth of
others?
As I
now happened to live in contentment in the Holy City, this thought became the
more active in me, since I had the opportunity to furnish much, more indeed than
any other in this respect; because I was constantly on the spot, and had a
knowledge of the languages which are necessary to carry on the discoveries and
investigations, and was tolerably familiar with Hebrew literature, the most
extensive and reliable source in this field of inquiry; and I was thus in a
position which promised me much assistance in my labours.
I
call Hebrew literature the most extensive and reliable source; and, in truth, it
is this in every respect; and whoever cannot draw his information out of it in
his investigations, must remain unacquainted with much, even the most
interesting matter, and will therefore fail in his discoveries. It hence
results, that, despite the sagacity of so many travellers, much has remained
unknown; for instance, no one could hitherto indicate where to look for the
Mount Hor, in Northern Palestine; Riblah, Kadesh-Barneä, Azmon, Katath,
Nahallal, Shimron, Rakkath, &c.; since all the learned were unacquainted
with the circumstance, that all these names were changed at a later period, as
we see mentioned in Talmud Yerushalmi, and since the names into which they were
changed are existing to this day. In this way, therefore, being able to draw
from the source indicated, I have been permitted to discover nearly a hundred
names which had hitherto remained unknown. It farther struck me, that we had no
manual which could aid us in elucidating the book of Joshua, either in reading
or teaching it; so that several chapters are almost left unread, and not
explained in instructing. Farthermore, I found that several passages are
incorrectly translated; and bow, in good faith, can one expect from the learned
of the West a correct explanation of the nature of the Orient? and who should
feel more interested in the matter than one belonging to the house of Israel
I
therefore applied myself to compose a new geography, and I can freely flatter
myself that this work does not resemble the many modern journals of the
constantly augmenting visits to Palestine, in which are repeated, again and
again, the old and already known facts, which are only dressed up with a
somewhat changed fashion; but rarely do you find a new discovery, only some
entertaining particulars, which have no value to the scholar; and all the author
exhibits to the world is, that he too has travelled through the Holy Land. This
work, however, is at the same time instructive, and may be viewed as a
commentary on the geographical passages of the Bible, and by no means as a
description of a journey of three or four months’ duration,—but as the
result of investigations and discoveries continued for many years with the
greatest care, with many sacrifices, and not rarely with much personal danger.
I
have likewise not lost sight of the labours of all preceding scholars; since I
am acquainted with nearly all the works concerning Palestine, from Flavius
Josephus to the books of the most modern times; especially the celebrated work
of Réland, who cites accurately the description of Palestine by Eusebius and
Hieronymus.
I
have also derived much information from the Arabic version of the celebrated
Saadiah Gaon, edited at Constantinople in 5306 (1546), and the Persian version
of Rabbi Jacob bar Joseph Tawas; likewise from another unknown edition of
Saadiah of the whole Bible canon, all of which enabled me to elucidate several
geographical names. I may say the same of the very rare work, Caphtore
Vapherach, of Astori Pharchi, in which he gives a description of Palestine.
Having
now undertaken to describe the geography of the Holy Land, it struck me that it
might be advisable to give a brief account of the physical nature and history of
the country, as also my studies with regard to many names beyond Palestine
occurring in the Bible and Talmud, many of which are quite unknown, whilst
others are shrouded in a great deal of obscurity; and I trust that I have
rendered some little service in this department.
In
conclusion, I cannot avoid blaming my fellow-Israelites for their neglect of
this beautiful science, since they display so little interest in our country,
even in a scientific point of view; and whilst they are so careful to instruct
their children so accurately in the situation and nature of strange and distant
lands, for instance Siberia, Australia, South Africa, &c., they appear
ashamed to impart to them any information concerning Palestine and Jerusalem.
But God has said: “I will heal thee again, and cure thy wounds, because they
called thee the forsaken, and it is Zion for which no one careth.” (Jeremiah
30. 17.)
I,
therefore, hope that my laborious efforts may attain their aim, by exciting
interest and love for the Holy Land and its inhabitants, in the hearts of my
brothers.
Jerusalem,
in the month of Sivan, 5605 [1845].
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