of clay. Yet
travelling authors have constantly pronounced this to be the locality of
Antipatris. Not one of them, however, has visited the place.

What does Josephus say (Antiq. xvi. 5, 2, in Whiston)?--"After this
solemnity and these festivals were over, Herod erected another city in
the plain called Caphar Saba, where he chose out a fit place, both for
plenty of water and goodness of soil, and proper for the production of
what was there planted; where a river encompassed the city itself, and a
grove of the best trees for magnitude was round about. This he named
Antipatris, from his father Antipater." [Greek text]. No words can be
more distinctly descriptive; yet Robinson, who had not visited that
district, in his positive manner lays down that the village of Cuf'r Saba
is the site of Antipatris; and "doubtless" all that is said about "well
watered," and "a river encompassing the city," means that some wadi or
watercourse came down from the hills in that direction, and made the
place watery in the winter season.

Now, what are the facts remaining at the present day? Upon the same
plain with Cuf'r Saba, and within sight of it, at hardly six miles'
distance, is a large mound capable of containing a small town, with
foundations of ancient buildings, bits of marble, Roman bricks, and
tesserae scattered about,--but especially a large strong castle of
Saracenic work, the lower courses of the walls of real Roman
construction; and at the foot of the mound rises the river _Aujeh_ out of
the earth in several copious streams, crowded with willows, tall wild
canes, and bulrushes,--the resort of numerous flocks, and of large herds
of horned cattle brought from a distance, and (as I have seen there)
counted by the Government inspector of the district, for the levying of
agricultural taxes upon them. {133} This is our Ras el 'Ain.

For a considerable extent there is capital riding-ground of green grass,
so rare in Palestine. Let any one familiar with that country answer,
Could Herod have selected a better spot for a military station, (as
Antipatris was,) just on the border, descending from the hill-country
upon the plain? With this description in view, we understand all the
more vividly the narrative of Felix sending St Paul to Caesarea. To
elude the machinations of the conspiracy, the military party travelled by
night over the hilly region; and on reaching the castle of Antipatris,
the spearmen and other soldiers left h