"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٢‎٤‎١] (٧٣٨/٤٨٧)

476 SAMARIA (INCLUDING CARMEL)
and J. et-Tor with an average breadth of l|-2 miles, being
narrow in the north and south and broader in the middle.
At about one-third of its length from the north, W. Nablus
comes in from the west. The hills on its eastern side are
low but rocky and often project into the plain, and, directly
opposite the Nablus valley, an offset or arm—the Plain of
Salim (3 miles by 1| mile)—runs up at right-angles among
the eastern hills. The Mukhneh plain is drained mainly
by W. Qanah, and the plain of Salim by W. Bidan affluent
of W. Far‘ah.
The Plain of Beisan, which calls for special notice, may be
said to extend from the Nahr Jalud to Wadi el-Malih (see p. 474),
a distance of 11 miles. The valley of the Jordan here undergoes
a great widening which commences at the outfall of the Jalud
into the R. Jordan and thence stretches westward along the
foot of the hills on the north of Beisan and up the Jalud
valley, to the waterparting between it and the Plain of
Esdraelon, about 15 miles from the Jordan. On the south
side of the Jalud valley the plain is bounded by J. Fuqu‘
until it comes to about 3 miles west of Beisan when the
mountain range turns to the south and forms the western
limit of the plain of Beisan. For about 7 miles south of the
N. Jalud, the plain is 6 or 7 miles wide ; beyond this, low
hills advance suddenly and reduce it to a width of about
3 miles at its southern end.
An abrupt rise takes place in the plain, occurring along the
whole length of the broad part from the N. Jalud and Beisan
on the north towards the advancing hills on the south, and
it lies about midway between the Jordan Zor and the foot
of the western mountains and parallel to them—the plain is
thus on two levels. The height of this remarkable bank
amounts to 400 ft. or more and it appears to be the projaer
limit of the western Gh5r at this point. The village of Beisan
lies on its edge and so does the road which connects Beisan
Nablus.
The Plain of Beisan is a tract of great agricultural possi
bilities, now given over mostly to wild and rank vegetation.