103
KEREYE.
collected  by  the  Arabs  in  autumn.  Near  Abd  Maaz  is  another
ruin  called  Deffen.  S.  one  hour  is  Tel  Mashkouk  (),  towards
which  are  the  ruins  Tehhoule  (4,),  Kfer  ezzeit(),  and
Khererribe  (4)2).
We  left  Szalkhat  towards  sunset,  on  a  rainy  evening,  in  order  to
reach  Kereye,  a  village  three  good  hours  distant.  In  one  hour  we
passed  the  ruined  village  Meneidhere  (),  with  a  copious
spring  near  it.  Our  route  lay  through  a  stony  plain,  and  the  night
now  becoming  very  dark,  with  incessant  rain,  my  guides  lost  their
way,  and  we  continued  for  three  hours  uncertain  whether  we
should  not  be  obliged  to  take  up  our  night’s  quarters  in  the  open
plain.  At  length,  however,  we  came  to  the  bed  of  a  Wady  called
Hameka,  which  we  ascended  for  a  short  distance,  and  in  half  an
hour  after  crossing  it  reached  Kereye,  about  ten  at  night;  here
we  found  a  comfortable  Fellah’s  house,  and  a  copious  dish  of
Bourgul.
November  23d.—Kereye  is  a  city  containing  about  five  hundred
houses,  of  which  four  only  were  at  this  time  inhabited.  It  has
several  ancient  towers,  and  public  buildings;  of  the  latter  the
principal  has  a  portico  consisting  of  a  triple  row  of  six  columns  in
each,  supporting  a  flat  roof;  seven  steps,  extending  the  whole  breadth
ofthe  portico,  lead  from  the  first  row  up  to  the  third  ;  the  capitals
of  the  columns  are  of  the  annexed  form  ;  their  base  is  like
the  capital  inverted.  Behind  the  colonnade  is  a  Birket
surrounded  with  a  strong  wall.  Upon  a  stone  lying
upon  the  upper  step,  in  the  midst  of  which  is  an  excavation, ¬
  is  this  inscription  :
ATAOH  TUXII
CKTICOH  H  AIMNH  ETOTCPP
CKOINQN  ANAXQATON
THCKOMHCXX  EKIIPONOIag
OX  KOPNHAIANOY  II  II