'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎342] (451/496)

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dicate an ancient place of some importance; but we were not yet satis
fied that it was Ai” # Two subsequent and most intelligent travellers,
the Revd. Dr. Wilson of Bombay, and the Revd. Mr. Graham of Da
mascus, visited Bethel, and made search for this long lost site, but in
vain. “ When at Bethel, we looked for some site for Ai, but, as might
be expected from the preceding statement, without success.”!
My own discovery of it in April 1846 was almost accidental. Dur
ing many solitary rambles among the hills surrounding Jerusalem, I
chanced one day to stroll to An&ta, the ancient Anathoth, and ascend
ed the neighbouring hill of Ras-el-Khdrub, ^ ^ ^ attended
by an Arab conversant with the surrounding country, for the purpose of
taking bearings of particular points, in order to endeavour to trace out
some of the places mentioned by Joshua and Isaiah, on this now unfre
quented road through the eastern confines of Benjamin and Ephraim.
Among other places, the Arab, to my great surprise and delight, named
a spot, marked by a tree on the horizon of a desert-looking tract to the
E. N. E., as “ Khirbet-el-Hai ”—Ruins of Hai: but, as the day had far
advanced, I resolved to curb my impatience to visit the place until
another opportunity, which shortly afterwards presented itself.
My first trip to Anathoth was on foot, and alone : and as it presents
a few details of some interest concerning the country between Jerusalem
and Hai, I shall give an extract from some rough notes taken by the way-
side to Khirbet-el-Hai, which will be described in due order.
Notes on the way to Anathoth and Khirbet-el-Hai from Jerusalem. 1846.
Passed the Damascus gate of Jerusalem, along its northern wall, to the
N. E. angle of the fortifications, and there descended into the valley of
Jehoshaphat, which I crossed diagonally, a little south of the spot where
it turns to the west, covered with wheat fields, olive trees, a vineyard
to the left.
The ascent on the opposite side of the valley occupied about ten
minutes; and the entire distance from the Damascus gate to the summit,
thirty minutes. From the top of this ridge,—which, turning southerly,
connects the Scopus on the N. of Jerusalem with the ridge and peak of
the Mount of Olives on the east of the city and the Mount of Offence
further south,—is a magnificent view of Jerusalem^—much finer, m my
* Res. II., pp. 312, 313, 118.
t Lands of the Bible, 1847. II , 288, note.