‘The Oriental geography of Ebn Haukal, an Arabian traveller of the tenth century’ [‎39] (92/388)

( S9 )
it is called Lib nan (Lebanon), till it comes near the Sea of
Kolzum (Red Sea.) The borders of Palestine are two
days journey to the west, from the place called llemaa to
(he borders of Behour ; and the breadth of the borders of
Palestine, on the western side, is also, from that place to UUb
Jlilka, two days journey; and the land of the tribe of Lot,
(Sodom, &c.) and Baherah, and Taberah, all that
is situated between the two mountains, they call j>j.t Ghour.
It is lower down than the land of Syria; and part of it is
reckoned as belonging to Arden, and part to Palestine.
The water of Palestine is rain water. Palestine is about one half
of Syria; and the chief cities of it are Ramleh, and the
cXy Beit-almokeds, Holy House, or Jerusalem, which
is situated on a hill. Here is a mosque (Ocs:"^), or temple, than
which there is not, in all the land of the Mussulmans, one more
large. Here also is the Mehrah, the chief altar of David,
on whom be peace!—a building of about fifty guz high, and
thirty broad, of stone. On the top of this is the Mehrab of
David; and this is the first object that presents itself as one comes
from Ramleh.
i
At a distance of six miles from Jerusalem is a village called
Beit Allehem (Bethlehem orBethlem.) Here
' Jesus, on whom be peace! was born of his mother; and it is
said that the date or palm tree, of whose fruit Mary ate.