is a place carrying on trade with all countries.  Here is a mosque of the Arabs called the Gami of Damascus; there is no building like it in the whole world, and they say that it was a palace of Ben Hadad.  Here is a wall of crystal glass of magic workmanship, with apertures according to the days of the year, and as the sun’s rays enter each of them in daily succession the hours of the day can be told by a graduated dial.  In the palace are chambers built of gold and glass, and if people walk round the wall they are able to see one another, although the wall is between them.  And there are columns overlaid with gold and silver, and columns of marble of all colours[101].  And in the court there is a gigantic head overlaid with gold and silver, and fashioned like a bowl with rims of gold and silver.  It is as big as a cask, and three men can enter therein at the same time to bathe.  In the palace is suspended the rib of one of the giants, the length being nine cubits, and the width two cubits; and they say it belonged to the King Anak of the giants of old, whose name was Abramaz[102].

[p.48]

For so it was found inscribed on his grave, where it was also written that he ruled over the whole world.  Three thousand Jews abide in this city, and amongst them are learned and rich men[103].  The head of the Academy of the land of Israel resides here[104].  His name is R. Azariah, and with him are his brother, Sar Shalom, the head of the Beth Din:  R. Joseph, the fifth of the Academy:  R. Mazliach, the lecturer, the head of the order:  R. Meir, the crown of the scholars:  R. Joseph ben Al Pilath, the pillar of the Academy:  R. Heman, the warden:  and R. Zedekiah, the physician.  One hundred Karaites dwell here, also 400 Cuthim, and there is peace between them, but they do not intermarry.

It is a day’s journey to Galid, which is Gilead, and sixty Israelites are there, at their head being R. Zadok, R. Isaac, and R. Solomon.  It is a place of wide extent, with brooks of water, gardens, and plantations.  Thence it is half a day to Salkat, which is Salchah of old[105].

[p.49]

Thence it is half a day’s journey to Baalbec, which is Baalath in the plains of Lebanon, and which Solomon built for the daughter of Pharaoh.  The palace is built of large stones, each stone having a length of twenty cubits and a width of twelve cubits, and there are no spaces between the stones.  It is said that Ashmedai alone could have put up this building.  From the upper part of the city a great spring wells forth and flows into the middle of the city as a wide stream, and alongside thereof are mills and gardens and plantations in the midst of the city.  At Tarmod (Tadmor) in the wilderness, which Solomon built, there are similar structures of huge stones.[106] The city of Tarmod is surrounded by walls; it is in the desert far away from inhabited places, and is four days’ journey from Baalath, just mentioned.  And in Tarmod there are about 2,000 Jews.  They are valiant in war and fight with the Christians and with the Arabs, which latter are under the dominion of Nur-ed-din the king, and they help their neighbours the Ishmaelites.  At their head are R. Isaac Hajvani, R. Nathan, and R. Uziel.