Small is the country, but important is the geographical position. It has been called “the very out-post on the extreme western edge of the East, pushed forward, as it were, by the huge continent of Asia.” Cut off from Asia by the desert, and from Europe by the sea, Palestine stands alone. And yet it was the door through which Asiatic and European nations had to pass in order to visit, trade with, or fight each other. There was a constant stream of commerce flowing through the country. Hostile armies frequently met upon her hillsides, and watered her fertile valleys with each other’s blood. It was therefore of the very greatest importance as a strategical point. Thus, by their unique geographical position, the inhabitants of Palestine could, by staying at home, wield a most powerful influence upon the people of Europe, Asia and Africa.
Again, close study reveals the fact that Palestine is as unique within itself as it is in relation to other countries. Within this small area, the antipodes are brought together—the extremes of earth meet. Palestine is a little world within itself. In the valley of the Jordan there is perpetual summer; and, consequently, tropical fruits, a profusion of flowers, and a great variety of birds and wild beasts are found. Only a few miles away, Mount Hermon rises into the region of perpetual snow. There the bear, and other animals natural to a cold climate, take up their abode. Palestine has its highlands and lowlands; its hill country and valleys; its fertile plains and barren deserts; its oceans, rivers and lakes; its fresh water and salt; its flowing rivers and Dead Sea. Within these narrow limits, therefore, is found every variety of climate, soil and production, of habit and occupation, of bird and beast.
We can see the wisdom, therefore, that God displayed in selecting this as the home of His chosen people. Here they were to live and learn; here they were to mould national character, and influence adjacent peoples; here they were to commune with God, and write that Book which was to be read on land and water, by fishermen and farmers, by travelers on the desert and sailors on the sea. Whether chilled by polar snows, or scorched by tropical suns, we can all read that blessed Book with interest, pleasure and profit, and feel at home with the writer.
This wonderful country is known by three names. The first is Palestine from Palestina, the land of the Philistines, literally, “the land of the strangers, or of wanderers.” Originally, this name was applied only to that part of the country known as the marine plain, say from Jaffa to Gaza, as that was pre-eminently the land of the Philistines. Gradually, however, the word Palestine was accepted as the name of the whole country.
Canaan, or the Land of Canaan, is a second name given to this particular country. Canaan signifies “the low land,” or “the low country,” as opposed to the “land of Gilead,” that is, the high table-land the east of Jordan. It may at first seem strange that a country so hilly and rough as this should be called “the low land”; but it should be borne in mind that the hills are a kind of a mountain-chain running through the country from north to south. Approaching the country from the west, one is greatly impressed with the low, broad, level marine plain which begins at Mt. Carmel and extends far south of Gaza, getting broader and broader towards the south. On entering Palestine from the east, one is even more impressed with the low valley, or deep ghor, of the Jordan.
But no name seems so appropriate for this country as “the Holy Land.” No explanation is necessary; every one understands the reason for, and recognizes the appropriateness of, this appellation.
Enough has been said, even in this chapter, to give one some idea of the topography of the Holy Land. Imagine a broad, level country one hundred and sixty-five miles long, sixty miles wide at one end, and twenty at the other. On one side this country is bounded by a sea, and on the other by a river. Now imagine that you build a house through the centre of this long, narrow country from one end to the other. Let the roof come down to the ground on either side of the house, leaving a broad plateau on either side, that is, a wide valley between where the roof comes to the ground and the borders of the country. From the top of the house, or mountain ridge, to the Mediterranean is 3,000 feet, while from its top to the Jordan or Dead Sea is 4,000 feet. This gives an approximately correct idea of Palestine. But no one must for a moment suppose the mountain ridge to be regular like the comb of a house, or its sides smooth like a roof. From the central ridge, a succession of peaks rise up to various heights. Beginning at the south, the peaks are Hebron, 3,029 feet above the Mediterranean; Jerusalem, 2,610, and Mount of Olives, 2,724, Bethel, 2,400; Ebal and Gerizim, 2,700; “little Hermon” and Tabor (on the north side of the plain of Esdraelon) 2,000; Safed, 2,775, and Jebel Jurmuk, 4,000. To find the elevation of any of these peaks above the Dead Sea, just add 1,300 feet to the height already given. These several peaks mentioned are just about the centre of the country from east to west. Sometimes the central ridge is level on top, and we find a broad, elevated table-land.
During the rainy season, which usually begins with November and ends with March, a great deal of water falls upon this mountain ridge. It can not stay there, so, rolling itself up into torrents, it courses down the steep sides with great swiftness. This has continued for thousands of years, until now the ridge on both sides is seamed, threaded, cut, worn and ditched by these torrents into almost every conceivable shape. The wadys and ravines are not far apart, and are frequently quite deep. So all through Palestine there are a succession of ravines, running from east to west, with rocky ridges steep and high between them.
One would naturally suppose that a country like this would be barren and worthless; but not so with Palestine. These mountain ridges are of a lime-stone formation. In the summer, the climate is exceedingly oppressive; the rays of the sun are almost like streams of fire. The thermometer rises in the day to 126 or 128 degrees. The nights, even in midsummer, are cool and pleasant. At noon day the mercury registers 128 degrees, and at night it falls to forty and forty-five degrees. In the day, when the lime-stone rocks become heated, they expand; and at night, when cooled, they contract. They continue to expand and contract until after awhile they fall to pieces—disintegration takes place. This begets a great quantity of finely pulverized lime-stone dust, which is extremely rich and fertilizing. Nature, with her ever watchful care, has so arranged these hills as to enable them to catch, retain, and appropriate most of this fertilizing dust. The hills are naturally terraced. From base to summit we see one terrace rising above another. They look like huge steps placed there to enable giants to ascend. If the people would only build up the defective places in these terraces, they would catch practically all of the dust caused by the decaying rocks, and the country would become richer and richer as the years pass by.
Palestine is still the “land of the vine and fig-tree.” Every hillside is garnished over with olive trees, as also with figs, dates, palms, and pomegranates. The decaying rocks feed the hungry trees they bear. This suggests a very important question: What do the people of Palestine live on? Now, as in Joshua’s time, “the tree of the field is man’s life” (Deut. 20:19). The people live largely on fruits. Olives, especially, are the salvation of that country. The people here eat the olive as we eat peaches. They also pickle them; but the olive is chiefly valuable for the excellent oil it yields. Olive oil is the only seasoning these people have. Figs and dates are likewise plentiful at all seasons of the year, in one form or another. The grapes of the Holy Land are especially fine. They are abundant in quantity, large in size, and deliciously flavored. There is a grape here that makes very fine raisins, and another that yields a superior quality of wine. Wine here is usually mild. It is also plentiful, and is used freely.