HEBREWS. 707 the Hebrews (Edinburgh, 1899) ; Harnaek, Chro- nologic (Leipzig, 1897). HEBREWS, OospEL of. Spe Apocryi'IIA, scftion ('ir Testament. HEBRIDES, heb'ridez. The name ai)i>lied to all the ishmds of the western coast of Scot- land, popularly known as the Western Isles (ilap: Scothind, A 2). They are classified as the Outer and Inner Hebrides. To the Outer belong Lewis-with-Ilarris. North Uist, Benbeeula, South Uist, liarra. and Uie remote Isle of Saint Kilda. The principal of the Inner islands are Skye, Coll, Tiree, Eigg, JIuU, lona, Stafl'a, Ulva, Lisniore, Kerrera, Easdale, Colonsay, Jura, and Islay. Bute, Arran, and the Cumbraes, lliough lying in the Firth of Clyde, are usually classed with the Hebrides. The total number of the Hebrides is about 521 ; of these not more than 120 are inhabited. The entire area is estimated at upward of 3000 square miles, and the population, in 1901, was 95.739. Only about 200,000 acres are arable; the rest is in pasture land, and in morasses, peat-mosses, lakes, and barren sands and rock. Geologically the Hebrides are divided into groups, of which the more important are the gneiss, trap, and slate. The scenery is grand and picturesque ; Mull is noted for its lofty mountains. Jura for its peak5, and Arran for its higli, rugged hills. Islay and Bute are comparatively level and arable. Stafl'a is remarkable for its ba- saltic columns and great cavern. lona derives interest froni its ruins and historical associa- tions. vPolitically all the Hebridean isles are attached to Scotland. The counties among which they are distributed are those of Ross, Inver- ness, Argyll, and Bute. The principal Hebri- dean towns are Stonioway in Lewis, Portree in Skye, Tobermory in Mull, and Rothesay in Bute. Though situated on the mainland of Argyll. Oban (q.v. ) is usually considered a town of the Hebrides, and, along with Rothesay, is best known to tourists. Sheep, cattle, and pony rear- ing, herring fisheries, and the manufacture of kelp are the chief industries. Live stock, fish, kelp, wool, and stone are the principal exports; iron and groceries the imports. Enjoying the benefit of the moist southwest winds, the climate, although humid, is mild, pleas- ant, and healthful, and is reeonnncnded for cer- tain classes of invalids. The poorer class of natives for the most part speak Gaelic. The establish- ment of several distinct lines of steamer coni- nninication with Glasgow, and the opening up of remote tracts formerly reached with diflScuIty, have developed the resources of the islands and brought them, with the neighboring coast, within the sphere of trade and the reach of tourists. Under modern pro]n'ietorship real estate has im- proveil, and large tracts of moorland are annual- ly rented to sportsmen as shooting-grounds. The Hebrides are the Ebudce of Ptolemy, the Hchudes of Pliny, and the Hudrcyjar of the Nor- wegi;wis. The Hebrides were first colonized in the ninth century by emigrants from Norway. They settled in the greatest nunbcrs on the Shet- land and Orkney Islands and Outer Hebrides, but soon wandered as far south as the Isle of 5Ian. colonizing as they went. This resulted in the absorption of the Celtic into the Norse ele- ment in tlic northern islands, while southward the Celtic element remained predominant. The HEBRON. colony e.tended to the north and west coasts of Scotland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland, and probably founded the Xorse kingdoms of Dublin, vVatcrford, and Limerick; it also sent a colony to Iceland in 874. Tiie settlers became sufiicienl- !y powerful to annoy the mother country, where- upon Harald Haarfagr (Iving of Norway, c.StiG- 9.'j;i) fitted out a great expedition and subdued the Hebrides and Alan. They remained subject to Norway till 1200. three years after the battle of Largs, and were then transferred to Scotland. In 1346 one of the chiefs, named Maedonald, reduced the whole under his authority, and took the title of 'Lord of the Isles;' but in 1540 they were finally annc.cd to the Scoltisli Crown by James V'. The Hebrides were ecclesi- astically dependent on Norway as late as 1374. Scott's Lord of the Isles contributed materially to create popular interest in these islands, which has been added to by William Black's novels. Consult: Buchanan, Hebrid Isles (London. 1SS3) ; Gordon-Cumming, In the Hebrides (ib., 1883). HE'BRON (Heb. KhebrOn). A very ancient sacred city of Southern Palestine, the modern El-Khalil, about 21 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem. Hebron ligures in tradition as ons of the oldest cities of Palestine (ef. Num. xiii. 22), and was originally called Kirjath Arba, 'four-city' (Gen. xxiii. 2; Joshua xiv. 15; ef. .Jo- sephus, Bel. Jud., iv. 9, 7 ) . As one of the fa- mous sanctuaries of the south, it became associat- ed in the traditions and legends of the Hebrews with the beginnings of their history. All three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are rep- resented as sojourning in Hebron (Gen. xiii. 18; XXXV. 27; xxxvii. 14). and tradition locates here the cave of Machpelah, where all three, as well as Sarah and Rebecca, were buried (CJen. xxiii.; XXV. 9; xxxv. 27-29; xlix. 29-32; 1. 13). The spies sent out by Moses before entering the promised land came hither (Num. xiii. 21, 22). Joshua is said to have destroyed the city, given it to Caleb for an inheritance, and made it a city of refuge (Joshua x. 36-37; xiv. 13; x.x. 7 ) . Hebron figures prominently in the his- tory of David (q.v.) ; it was here that he was anointed King, first over Judah, later over al! Israel (II. Sain. ii. 1-4; v. 1-3). The popularity of the Davidic dynasty probably had much to do with the production of legends regarding Hebron and the reshaping of old traditions of the place to make them conform to the later scheme of Hebrew historiography. It was from Hebron that Absalom made his attempt to secure the throne (II. Sam. xv. 7 sqq.). After this time it is seldom mentioned in biblical history. Judas JMaccabaeus captured it from the Edomites, and the Romans stormed it. It was held for a time by the Crusaders, but fell into the hands of Saladin (1187), and since then has belonged to the Mo- hammedans, who have always respected its sanc- tity and regard it as one of the four sacred cities of the world, Mecca, Medina, and .Jerusalem being the other three. Its association with Abraham, who is called by the Mohammedans Khalil .lllah, 'friend of God,' has given it its modern name. The modern city has a population of about IS.OOO JMohammedans and 1500 .Tews. The alleged sepul- chres of the patriarchs are still shown, and an ancient oak at the neighboring Mamre is pointed cut as the oak of Abraham. In the neighborhood are the so-called tombs of Ruth, Jesse, and Abner.
