hundred. In the midst of the city there is a well which they call Bir-Ibrahim, and which was dug in the days of the Philistines.
"A day's journey brings you to St. George, which is Lud. From there it is a journey of a day and a half to Zerin, which is Jezreel, where there is a large well. One Jew, a dyer, dwells there. Three parasangs further take you to Sefuriyeh, which is Sepphoris, the burial-place of Rabbenu Hakodesh (R. Jehuda Ha-nasi), of Rabban Gamaliel, of Rabbi Chija (who came up from Babylon), and of Jonah, the son of Amittai. These are buried on the mount. Numerous graves of other Israelites are also found there. Five parasangs further bring you to Tiberias, situated on that part of the Jordan which is called the Sea Kinnēreth. Here the Jordan flows into a valley enclosed by two mountains, which it fills, forming Lake Kinnēreth—which is really the river, great and wide like the sea. The Jordan, after flowing between the two mountains, pours down into the land of the Round Plain unto a place called the Slopes of Pisgah, whence it falls into the Sea of Sodom, called the Salt Sea. And at Tiberias there are about 50 Jews and here are the hot waters bubbling up from beneath the earth, which they call the Hot Springs of Tiberias. Close by is the Synagogue of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, with the graves of Israelites, including that of Rabbi Jochanan-ben-Zacchai and Rabbi Jehuda Halevi[1] All these are in Lower Galilee.
"Two days' journey brings one to Teimin, which is Timnatha, where Simon the Just and many other Israelites are buried. Three parasangs further to Merun, which is Meiron. In a cave in the neighbourhood are the graves of Hillel and Shammai, also 20 graves of their disciples, and the graves of Rabbi Benjamin-bar-Jepheth, and of Rabbi Jehuda-ben-Bethera. Two parasangs further you come to Alma, with 50 Jewish inhabitants, and a large Jewish cemetery. Here are buried R. Eleazer-ben-Arach, R. Eleazer-ben-Azariah, R. Chouni Hamaagal, R. Simeon-ben-Gamaliel, and R. Jose, the Galilean. It is half a day's journey to Kadesh, of Naphtali, on the banks of the Jordan, where the tomb of Barak, the son of Abinoam, is to be found. No Jews dwell there.
"Thence it is a day's journey to Banias, which is Dan, where there is a cavern, whence the Jordan issues, flowing for a distance of 3 miles. The Arnon, coming from the borders of Moab, falls into it. In front of the cavern may be discerned the site of the altar associated with the graven image of Micah, which the Children of Dan worshipped in ancient days. This is also the site of the altar of Jeroboam, where the golden calf was set up. Thus far reaches the boundary of the land of Israel, at the side of the Western Sea.
- ↑ The published text reads "Rabbi Jonathan-ben-levi." The British Museum manuscript has the words "Rabbi Jehuda Halevi." Under this name the great Jewish poet is referred to. This passage fully settles the question as to Jehuda Halevi being buried in the Holy Land. The burial must have taken place within 20 years of the date of Benjamin's visit.
