ll, were soaked
immediately, and lay down on the road or in the streets of Enab, or
slept where they stood, the picture of misery. An isolated Turk rushed
down the road, determined to sell his life dearly. But he could find
nobody enthusiastic enough to fight, or even to take sufficient interest
in him to accept his surrender; until at last he found a military
policeman, who, this being his job, had no alternative but to take him
prisoner. At length dawn broke; and it then became clear that Enab was
under Turkish observation. So a cold night of rain was followed by a hot
morn of fire.

From Enab, a "Roman road" leaves the main Jaffa-Jerusalem road and
strikes away north-east to Biddu, and thence towards Bireh. In Roman
days, this may have been an important road, but now it was found to be a
mere rocky track, impassable for wheels, or for anything except infantry
and pack animals. On the morning of the 21st, a portion of the 75th
Division moved forward by this track, while another portion of the
Division was left at Enab to cover the flank and demonstrate along the
main Jerusalem road. The latter body drove hostile parties from Kushel,
2-1/2 miles east of Enab, and secured this ridge. Meanwhile, progress
along the "Roman road" was slow. The track was under hostile shell-fire,
and it was found impossible to bring up guns to support the advance of
the infantry. The advanced guard, pushing on towards Bireh, had got as
far as Biddu, when it was held up there by intensive hostile shelling.
The remainder of the leading brigade thereupon captured a commanding
position about a couple of miles to the east of Biddu, and 2-1/2 miles
short of the Jerusalem-Nablus road. This commanding position was Neby
Samwil.

Neby Samwil, one of the most prominent heights round Jerusalem, must
always have been a place of considerable importance. It is identified
with Mizpeh, one of the cities built by King Asa. Ecclesiastical
tradition connects this place with Ramah, the birth and burial place of
the prophet Samuel, whose tomb is said to lie under the Crusading
Church, the ruins of which still exist here. To the honour of this
prophet, the Moslems had erected a fine mosque upon this spot, which was
a landmark for miles round. As subsequent events proved, Neby Samwil was
the key to Jerusalem.

The question has been often asked: Who was the first to capture Neby
Samwil? The honour has sometimes been claimed for the 60th Division. No
doubt that D