their chief mountain, stands always deep in its eternal snow, a strange phenomenon in such a burning climate.  Here, too, the river Jordan has its source[489] and comes pouring down, to find a home in the sea.  It flows undiminished through first one lake, then another, and loses itself in a third.[490] This last is a lake of immense size, like a sea, though its water has a foul taste and a most unhealthy smell, which poisons the surrounding inhabitants.  No wind can stir waves in it:  no fish or sea-birds can live there.  The sluggish water supports whatever is thrown on to it, as if its surface were solid, while those who cannot swim float on it as easily as those who can.  Every year at the same time the lake yields asphalt.  As with other arts, it is experience which shows how to collect it.  It is a black liquid which, when congealed with a sprinkling of vinegar, floats on the surface of the water.  The men who collect it take it in this state into their hands and haul it on deck.  Then without further aid it trickles in and loads the boat until you cut off the stream.  But this you cannot do with iron or brass:  the current is turned by applying blood or a garment stained with a woman’s menstrual discharge.  That is what the old authorities say, but those who know the district aver that floating blocks of asphalt are driven landwards by the wind and dragged to shore by hand.  The steam out of the earth and the heat of the sun dries them, and they are then split up with axes and wedges, like logs or blocks of stone.

Not far from this lake are the Plains, which they say were once 7 fertile and covered with large and populous cities which were destroyed by lightning.[491] Traces of the cities are said to remain, and the ground, which looks scorched, has lost all power of production.  The plants, whether wild or artificially cultivated, are blighted and sterile and wither into dust and ashes, either when in leaf or flower, or when they have attained their full growth.  Without denying that at some date famous cities were there burnt up by lightning, I am yet inclined to think that it is the exhalation from the lake which infects the soil and poisons the surrounding atmosphere.  Soil and climate being equally deleterious, the crops and fruits all rot away.

The river Belus also falls into this Jewish sea.  Round its mouth is found a peculiar kind of sand which is mixed with native soda and smelted into glass.  Small though the beach is, its product is inexhaustible.

The greater part of the population live in scattered villages, but 8 they also have towns.  Jerusalem is the Jewish capital, and contained the temple, which was enormously wealthy.  A first line of fortifications guarded the city, another the palace, and an innermost line enclosed the temple.[492] None but a Jew was allowed as far as the doors:  none but the priests might cross the threshold.[493] When the East was in the hands of the Assyrians, Medes and Persians, they regarded