d of Og, king of
Bashan.

Under the Ptolemy dynasty--successors of Alexander--it was rebuilt, with
the name of Philadelphia. Several of the best edifices here, now
partially ruined, belong to that period.

Under the Crusaders it was a flourishing city and district, retaining the
Grecian name.

I could not but reflect on the infinite prescience that dictated the
prophecies of the Bible--no tongue could speak more plainly to us than
the scene around us did, the fulfilment of the denunciations that these
cities of Moab and Ammon should remain _as cities_ "without
inhabitants"--"not a man to dwell therein"--and "driven out every man,
right forth, and none shall gather up him that wandereth"--"desolate" and
"most desolate."

In the afternoon we walked about to inspect the antiquities, and found
several remains of Christian churches with bell-towers attached to
them--certainly not originally minarets. These edifices had been
afterwards, in Mohammedan times, converted into mosques, as evidenced by
the niche made in the south wall of each, pointing to Mecca; and there
are watch-towers for signals on all the summits of hills around. The
city lies nestled in a valley between these hills.

The first building I examined was among those of the citadel placed upon
a lofty eminence commanding the city, the ground-plan of which building
is here shown--

[Picture: Ground-plan of possible old church]

The interior of the walls was so profusely embellished with festoons of
roses and vine-grapes--both sculptured in stone and wrought in stucco,
and of very large size--that there was no room left for pictures or
images. The roof of this building is almost all fallen in. I imagined
this to have been a Christian church, of very remote antiquity, on
account of the vine and the roses, which are peculiarly Christian
symbols--alluding to the texts, "I am the true Vine," and "I am the Rose
of Sharon;" but the chambers in each corner are difficult to account for.
The east and west ends have no doors.

Near this is a square mass of masonry, upon which are standing six
columns, of magnificent dimensions, which no doubt originally supported a
roof. Their capitals, of chaste and correct Corinthian style, with
portions of ornamental entablature, are lying near. Perhaps belonging to
this, but at some distance, lies a ponderous piece of architrave, on
which, between lines of moulding, is an inscription in Greek--illegible
ex