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HERMON

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Originally appearing in Volume V13, Page 372 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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HERMON , the highest See also:

mountain in See also:Syria (estimated at 9050 to 9200 ft.), an outlier of the See also:Anti-See also:Lebanon. As the See also:Hebrew name (iSe'^, " belonging to a See also:sanctuary," " See also:separate ") shows, it was always a sacred mountain. The Sidonians called it Sirion, and the See also:Amorites Shenir (Deut. iii.9). According to one theory it is the is See also:Early See also:English and later; the living was held by See also:Nicholas " high mountain " near Caesarea See also:Philippi, which was the See also:scene of the Transfiguration (See also:Mark ix. 2). A curious reference in See also:Enoch vi. 6, says that in the days of Jared the wicked angels descended on the See also:summit of the mountain and named it Hermon. The See also:modern name is See also:Jebel es-See also:Sheikh, or " mountain of the See also:chief or See also:elder." It is also called Jebel eth-Thelj, " snowy mountain." The See also:ridge of Hermon, rising into a See also:dome-shaped summit, is 20 M. See also:long, extending See also:north-See also:east and See also:south-See also:west. The formation of the See also:lower See also:part is Nubian See also:sandstone, that of the upper part is a hard dark-See also:grey crystalline See also:limestone belonging to the Neocomian See also:period, and full of fossils. The spurs consist in some cases of See also:white See also:chalk covering the limestone, and on the south there are several basaltic outbreaks. The view from Hermon is very extensive, embracing all Lebanon and the plains east of See also:Damascus, with See also:Palestine as far as See also:Carmel and See also:Tabor. On a clear See also:day Jaffa also may be seen.

The mountain in See also:

spring is covered with See also:snow, but in autumn there is occasionally none See also:left, even in the ravines. To the height of 500 ft. it is clothed with oaks, poplars and See also:brush, while luxuriant vineyards abound. Foxes, wolves and Syrian bears are not infrequently met with, and there is a heavy See also:dew or See also:night mist. Above the snow-limit the mountain is See also:bare and covered with See also:fine limestone See also:shingle. The summit is a See also:plateau from which three rocky knolls rise up, that on the west being the lowest, that on the south-east the highest. On the south slope of the latter are remains of a small See also:temple or sacellum described by St See also:Jerome. A semicircular See also:dwarf See also:wall of See also:good See also:masonry runs See also:round this See also:peak, and a See also:trench excavated in the See also:rock may perhaps indicate the site of an See also:altar. On the plateau is a See also:cave about 25 ft. sq. with the entrance on the east. A rock See also:column supports the roof, and a See also:building (possibly a Mithraeum) once stood above. Other small temples are found on the sides of Hermon, of which twelve in all have been explored. They See also:face the east and are dated by architects about A.D. 200.

The most remarkable are those of See also:

Deir el 'Ashaiyir, Hibbariyeh, Hosn Niha and Tell Thatha. At the ruined See also:town called Rukleh on the See also:northern slopes are remains of a temple, the stones of which have been built into a See also:church. A large medallion, 5 ft. in See also:diameter, with a See also:head supposed to represent the See also:sun-See also:god, is built into the wall. Several See also:Greek See also:inscriptions occur among these ruins. In the 12th See also:century See also:Psalm lxxxix. 12 was supposed to indicate the proximity of Hermon to Tabor. The conical See also:hill immediately south of Tabor was thus named Little Hermon, and is still so called by some of the inhabitants of the See also:district.

End of Article: HERMON

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