THE word Lebanon means white, and it is applied to this remarkable chain of mountains partially because several of their summits are always covered with snow and capped with clouds, and partially because the mountains are themselves composed of white limestone, they are thus visible for a distance of thirty leagues.
They consist of two parallel ranges in crescent form and enclosing a fertile valley called Coele-Syria, or the valley of Lebanon. (Josh. 11:17.) One of the highest peaks is called Hermon (Deut. 3:9), the same mountain, Sion (Deut. 4:48), and Shenir. (Song of Sol. 4:8.) It rises to the height of from eight thousand to ten thousand feet, and from its sides flow numerous streams of pure water. (Jer. 18:14: Song of Sol. 4:15.)
Four rivers at least find their sources in the Lebanon group of mountains; the Orontes, which blows into the Mediterranean Sea below Antioch, the Leontes, the mouth of which is in the neighborhood of Tyre, the Abana and Pharpar, “rivers of Damascus,” and the Jordan itself which forms the eastern boundary of Canaan proper. The whole district is described by travelers as a multitude of mountains separated by deep ravines, and covered fairly thickly with pine and fruit trees to an altitude of five thousand feet, above which the cypress, cedar and oak predominate.
The ascent of the mountains is steep and rocky. The cedars which now remain are found principally at the foot of one mountain, covering a space three-quarters of a mile in circumference and number about four hundred, the trunks of some of which are forty feet round and the height nearly one hundred feet. A strong balsamic odor is perceptible for some distance round and is alluded to in Hosea 14:6 and Song of Solomon 4:11.
From Lebanon the cedars used in the construction of Solomon’s temple were obtained, and so many were required for the building of his palace that it is called the “house of the forest of Lebanon.” (1 Kings 7:2: 10:17.) Few of them now remain, as we have seen, but even now they may be called “the glory of Lebanon,” their fine shade, conical form, beautiful symmetry and lofty height fully justifying the figurative language of scripture. (Psa. 80:10; Amos 2:9.)
“O LORD, HOW MANIFOLD ARE THY WORKS! IN WISDOM HAST THOU MADE THEM ALL.” PS. 104:24.
ML-10/10/1920