"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٣‎٣‎٠] (٧٣٨/٦٦٥)

654
THE GHOR AND WADI ‘ARABAH
the water. North of Mejdel lies the plain of El-Ghuweir,
see p. 534 f.; behind modern Tiberias the mountains recede,
leaving a crescent-shaped plain largely covered by the ruins
of an ancient city ; farther S., a narrow strip of plain runs
to the southern end of the lake. A similar narrow plain
runs along the eastern shore. On the NE., there is the
marshy and very unhealthy plain of Batihah. The slopes
bordering the lake are covered with luxuriant foliage in
spring ; everywhere oleanders are seen.
Many of the wadis which fall into the lake on the eastern
side are dry, or nearly so, in summer. The surrounding
scenery is picturesque, especially on the eastern side of the
lake. On the western shores there are several hot saline
springs as at Tabghah and Fuliyeh, and also S. of Tiberias,
where there are ancient and modern hot baths. The water
of the latter is sulphurous with a temperature of 143° Fahr.
The lake is subject to frequent storms and sudden squalls,
the cool air from the uplands rushing down the gorges with
great violence and making the sea dangerous to sailing craft.
Boatmen do not venture far from the shore unless under
settled conditions. Since the Haifa-DeFa railway was built
steamers ply between Semakh and Tiberias (seep. 551).
Fishing occupies the attention of a large part of the popu
lation and is followed more particularly between Mejdel and
Batihah. At Tabghah, the fish are attracted by the warm
water from the hot springs, and between mid-January and
mid-April, fishermen make this hamlet their head-quarters
(see further, Chap. XVI, p. 549 f.).
The Dead Sea, or Bahr Lut
This inland salt sea measures 47 miles from N. to S. and, at
its greatest width opposite ‘Ain Jidi, measures 10 miles, narrow
ing to 2 miles opposite the promontory El-Lisan, ‘ the tongue ’;
its area is some 340 square miles. The surface level varies
according to the season of the year. Besides this, the general
level of 1,292 ft. below the Mediterranean, observed during
the survey in 18/4, is now considerably higher, as is proved