Gibeondetails

Now we see “with our own eyes,” from Neby Samwil, the scenes, as I have said, of several Scripture narratives.

As we look down on the maritime plain, we see Azotus (Ashdod), where Philip was found, and follow his track along the sea-shore as he passed northward to Cæsarea.*

(footnote: “But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all teh cities, till he came to Cæsarea.” [this is from Acts 8:40])

In Ashdod and Ekron, both visible, abode the ark of God for seven months. [this legend is from 1 Samuel].

We see Lydda, where Peter healed Eneas; Joppa, from which they sent for him when Dorcas died, and from which he afterwards journeyed to meet Cornelius, also at Caesarea.†

(footnote: “And it came to pass, as Peter passed through all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda... And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord...And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to com to them.” [this is from Acts 9]

Here we trace for the first time the footsteps of St. Paul, for down this path by the Beth-horons he probably descended twice from Jerusalem to Cæsarea—in both cases to save his life.

Standing here, we understand also the great battle which Joshua waged against the petty, yet, in their own place and amongst their own numerous tribes, powerful chiefs of the heathen people of the land.

For at our feet is the hill on which the village of El- Jib is now built, but which, as I have said, represents the old city of Gibeon, the capital of a numerous though not very valiant clan, and which commanded this great pass from the plain to the Jordan.

From this spot went those cunning diplomatists, the Gibeonites, to deceive Joshua, then want of truth all the while arising from a practical faith in Joshua as a great general and a veritable conqueror of the land. And out of those as yet to us unseen depths which plunge from the table-land of Judaea towards the Jordan, Joshua and his host made that wonderful march by night up 3,000 feet and for about twenty miles, until he reached Gibeon, his army in the morning rising like the sudden flood of a stormy sea, column after column pouring over the ridge into the upland plain round El-Jib, on which the heathen host were encamped, then dashing among them, and sweeping them over the western ridge down the wild steeps that lead to the Philistian plain.

The battle-field explained the battle. The rout must have been terrible! I have visited many battle-fields, but except those where Suwarrow fought in the High Alps, or those in the Pyrenees where Wellington defeated Soult, I never saw any so wild as this. From the dip of the strata, rocks clothe the sides of the hills like the scales of a huge monster, overlapping each other, yet leaving deep interstices between. Steep gorges and narrow valleys cleave the hills as with deep gashes on every side of the road.

After riding up the ascent to the plain of Gibeon, we understood how a demoralised army would in flight become utterly powerless, and, if panic-stricken, be hurled over each succeeding range of rocks.

(p. 304)