'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎539] (630/905)

CHAP. XXI.]
PALESTINE.
539
Beirut and Saide, trades with Aleppo and towns more north- Commercial
ward ; it also sends supplies of its manufactured stuffs to establi8binents -
Nabulus, Jerusalem, and Cairo, as well as to Mekkah, Medina,
and to many other places in Arabia. Besides a fair portion of
shopkeepers who retail woollen and other goods, there are
about 90 Muhammedan commercial establishments, 30 kept
by native Christians and 24 by Hebrews; also two British
houses and one French house. There is, for the settlement
of disputes, a tribunal of commerce, whose members are of
different nations and religions, and nearly in proportion to the
number of merchants belonging to each.
We find that, from the most remote period, the narrow Ancient in-
strip stretching from Akka northward to Tortosa, between pSeS. of
the Lebanon mountains on one side, and the eastern shore of
the Mediterranean on the other, was occupied by the Phoeni
cians, who had previously dwelt on the Erythrean Sea, 1 which
name was then probably applied to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; The
interior, as far as the valley of the Jordan, was occupied by
the Jebusites, Hittites, and other descendants of Canaan; the
tract lying along the coast, to the southward, contained the
five satrapies of the Philistines, viz., Gath, Ekron, Ashdod,
Askulan, and Gaza; whilst the countries beyond the Jordan
were in possession of the Susim, Emim, Anakites, and other
Cushite branches. The whole of the preceding territory was,
in the first instance, known by the name of Chna, or the
land 2 of Canaan ; then by that of Philistia, or Palestine : 3 it
extended to the frontiers of Egypt, and included three provinces
west of the Jordan, viz., Judsea, Galilee, and Samaria, with
two beyond, Persea, and Trachonitis. Subsequently, this terri
tory became known as the land of Israel, or the Holy Land;
which extended from Sihor, 4 on the brook or torrent of Egypt, 5
1 Herod., lib. I., c. ii., and lib. VII., c. Ixxxix.; Strabo, lib. I., p. 42.
2 Cumberland's Times of First Planting of Nations, &c., pp. 74, 75.
8 Herod., lib. VII., c. Ixxxix. 4 Joshua, chap. XIII., v. 3.
5 This was evidently considered the boundary of Egypt in the time of the
Saracens; for a letter being sent by the Khaliph 'Omar to his general, Amrou,
ordering him to return to Palestine in case he had not entered the territory of
Egypt, the commander being then at El Arish, which was pronounced to be
within its limits, he proceeded.—Oaklev's Conquest of Syria, p. 346.
3 z 2