'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.' [‎493] (582/905)

chap. xx.]
'askulan and gaza.
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are the strong towers and deserted walls of Askulan, 1 which Remains of
contain the ruins of a temple and some broken columns of' AskuMn "
red granite. 8 But as late as a.d . 1153, when taken by the
king of Jerusalem, it was a flourishing commercial place ; 3
and at a more remote period there was, in the vicinity, a large
deep lake full of fish, also a celebrated temple dedicated to
Derceto, 4 called Venus by Herodotus. 5
About three leagues southward is Ghuzzeh or Gaza, once Town of Gaza,
a city of the Canaanites, 6 afterwards one of the principal
places occupied by the Philistines, 7 and the scene of one of
Samson's exploits. 8 It is situated on the high road between
Egypt and Damascus, almost at the frontier of Syria, and
nearly a league from the coast. It is an open town, seated on
a tabular hill, and surrounded by fruit gardens hedged with
prickly pears, amidst which, on the lower ground eastward
and south-eastward, are the two villages or suburbs of
Harrat-et-te-Jear and Sejaeth, which latter is between the
town and Samson's Mount ; 9 and on the other side stretching
northward is the largest olive grove in Palestine. 10 The
population amounts to about 10,000 souls, 11 and till recently
it was the seat of the local government. After Tyre had
fallen, this place held out for two months against Alexander the
Great, who was twice wounded during the siege. At the time
of Sandy's visit in the seventeenth century there were some
remains of a temple, probably that of Dagon, in the centre of
the town ; and there were other ruins on the southern side.
At the eastern side of the territory, not far from the sites Hebron,
of Sodom and Gomorrah, are two remarkable places, Hebron
and Beit-el-Lahm; the former, which is the more southern
town, is prettily situated amidst olive plantations and pro-
1 Zephaniah, chap. II., v. 4; Zachariah, chap. IX., v. 5.
8 Giovanni Finati's Travels, vol. II., pp. 129 and 130.
3 Edrisi, tome V., p. 340, Recueil de Voyages et Memoires, &c,
4 Diod. Sic., lib. II., cap. v. 5 Lib, I., cap. cv.
s Gen., X., v. 19. 7 Josh., X., v. 41; and XL, v. 22.
8 Judges, chap. XVI., v. 3.
9 See notes and plan by Lieut.-Col. Alderson, Royal Engineers, vol. VI., of
Papers on the Duties of the Royal Engineers. ^
10 Dr. Robinson's Biblical Researches, vol. II., p. 312. " Ibid.