How  well  fitted  Jerusalem  then  was  to  be  the  world's
watchtower,  the  traveller  may  see  to  this  day.  The
city  lies  upon  the  great  central  ridge  of  Palestine,
at  an  elevation  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  If  you  ascend  the  hiil
behind  the  city,  you  stand  upon  one  of  the  great
view-points  of  the  earth.  It  is  a  forepost  of  Asia.  To
the  east  rise  the  red  hills  of  Mo;ab  and  the  uplands
of  Gilead  and  Bashan,  on  to  which  wandering  tribes  of
the  Arabian  deserts  beyond  still  push  their  foremost
camps.  Just  beyond  the  horizon  lie  the  immemorial
paths  from  Northern  Syria  into  Arabia.  Within  a  few
hours'  walk  along  the  same  central  ridge,  and  still
within  the  territory  of  Judah,  you  may  see  to  the
north,  over  a  wilderness  of  blue  hills,  Hermon's
snowy  crest ;  you  know  that  Damascus  is  lying  just
beyond,  and  that  through  it  and  round  the  base  of
Hermon  swings  one  of  the  longest  of  the  old  world's


28o  THE  BOOK  OF  ISAIAH.
highways — the  main  caravan  road  from  the  Euphrates
to  the  Nile.  Stand  at  gaze  for  a  Httle,  while  down  that
road  there  sweep  into  your  mind  thoughts  of  the  great
empire,  whose  troops  and  commerce  it  used  to  carry.
