Through Palestine with the Twentieth Machine Gun Squadron

by Unknown

[5] Ramleh was a city of the Crusaders, and suffered in the wars between the Franks and Saladin. During the French invasion Napoleon made this town his headquarters.

[6] Naane; Naamah, see Joshua xv, 41.

[7] Akir = Ekron, see Joshua xv, 11, 45, xix, 43; I Sam. vi; III Kings i; Jer. xxv, 20; Amos i, 8; Zeph. ii, 4; Zech. iv, 5.

[8] Jimzu = Gimzo, see II Chron. xxviii, 18.

[9] Esdud = Ashdod of the Bible, one of the Philistine cities: See Joshua xiii, 3; I Samuel v; II Chron. xxvi, 6; Isaiah xx, 1; Neh. xiii, 23; Jeremiah xxv, 20; Amos i, 8, iii, 9; Zeph. ii, 4; Zech. ix, 6. In New Testament called Azotus, Acts viii, 40.

[10] Gaza, see Judges xvi and l, 18; Genesis x, 19; Deut. ii, 23; Jer. xxv, 20, xlvii, 1, 5; Josh. xi, 22, xv, 47; I Kings iv, 24 (Azzah); Amos i, 7; Jeph. ii, 4; Zech. ix, 5; Acts viii, 26.

[11] Yebna = Jabneh of the Bible, see Josh xv, 11; II Chron. xxvi, 6. There are ruins of a Crusaders' Church here.

[12] River Auja, the Mejarkon of Joshua xix, 46, one of the boundaries of the tribe of Dan.

[13] Jaffa, stated to be the scene of the Legend of Perseus and Andromeda, is the Joppa and Japho of Scripture, see Josh. xix, 46; II Chron. ii, 16; Ezra iii, 7; Jonah i, 3; Matt. xii, 40; Acts ix, 36, x, 9. A house said to be that of Simon the Tanner can be seen in the town. In A.D. 1799 when Napoleon invaded Palestine, he marched 10,000 men across the desert from Egypt, took El Arish and Gaza easily, but met with great resistance at Jaffa. Finally, the town was taken, and then 4,000 prisoners were murdered in cold blood after life had been promised them.

[14] Ludd was the birthplace of St. George, the Patron Saint of England. A church built here, after his martyrdom, was destroyed on the approach of the First Crusaders. It was re-built, however, but was destroyed again by order of Saladin in A.D. 1191. Of this church, two apses, two bays and the crypt still remain, and to-day the eastern end has been restored by the Greeks, while the western end is used as a mosque! In the crypt (belonging to the Greeks) is shown the Tomb of St. George.