In a Syrian Saddle

In Short

This travel account follows an expedition through Moab, Galilee, and Samaria during the early twentieth century. Riding on horseback with a small company of companions and local guides, the author explores famous biblical sites, Roman ruins, and remote desert landscapes. The narrative captures the daily realities of campsite life, encounters with local Bedouin and Circassian communities, and the striking contrast between ancient civilizations and emerging modern infrastructure. It has endured as an observant, dryly humorous record of a region on the cusp of modern change, written with an eye for landscape, history, and human behavior.

The Story

The journey opens with a departure from Jerusalem down to Jericho, crossing the Jordan River to enter the high, windswept plains of Moab. Moving beyond the familiar routes, the party sets out on horseback to examine the dolmens, ruined fortresses, and classic stone monuments of the East Jordan region. They pause at Madaba to observe its famous mosaics, then press further into the desert to visit the grand, unfinished palace walls of Mshatta. Traveling north through the high tablelands, they reach the ruins of Ammân and Jerash, where massive Roman colonnades, grand theatres, and ruined temples stand amid the encampments of Bedouin tribes and newly established Circassian settlements.

From the ancient heights of Gilead, the party descends into the heat of the Jordan Valley, negotiating river crossings, quarantine checks, and local bureaucracy. They ride back westward across the river into Samaria, making their way up to Nablus and the hilltop ruins of Sebaste. Here, Crusader masonry sits alongside ancient Samaritan sites, while local boys play hockey near historic mosque precincts. Moving across the plain of Esdraelon, the travelers stop at active archaeological sites, including the Canaanite excavations at Taanak and Megiddo, sifting through ancient pottery shards and examining structural remains.

The route continues toward the coast, ascending Mount Carmel above Haifa to visit the Carmelite monastery and examine local collections of regional maps and artifacts. Turning inland once more, the expedition passes through Nazareth, climbs Mount Tabor, and descends to the Sea of Galilee. At Tiberias, the travelers navigate logistics with their guides, debate the risks of swollen streams, and consider routes into Pella and Besan. Throughout the trek, long days in the saddle are balanced by evening encampments, sharp morning starts, and constant negotiations over supplies, local escorts, and route changes. The trip concludes with a return journey through the hills back to Jerusalem, bringing the long circuit to a close.

How It Unfolds

Crossing the Jordan The party leaves Jerusalem, descending through the arid descent to Jericho and waiting at the river bridge for sunrise. Surrounded by Bedouin, fellahin, and local officials, they handle permits and backsheesh before crossing into the plains of Moab.

The ruins of Moab Riding across high tablelands, the travelers visit historic sites from Madaba to the solitary palace of Mshatta. They marvel at the grand architecture standing isolated in the desert, surrounded by grazing gazelles and wild scrub.

Through Ammân and Jerash The journey proceeds through the ancient cities of the Decapolis, where vast Roman colonnades and amphitheatres remain largely unencumbered by modern developments. The party meets local leaders and observes how recent Circassian immigrants have settled among the classic stones.

Across Samaria to Mount Carmel Turning back toward the west, the expedition climbs through the olive groves of Samaria, stopping at the excavations of Taanak and Megiddo. They continue to the Mediterranean coast, resting at the Carmelite monastery on Mount Carmel and viewing regional survey maps in Haifa.

Galilee and the return The final leg takes the travelers past Nazareth and Mount Tabor down to the shores of the Sea of Galilee and the hot springs of Tiberias. After navigating swollen watercourses and desert tracks near Besan, the party completes its loop, returning along the hill road to Jerusalem.

The People

• The Lady (The Author): The primary narrator, who approaches the journey with keen observational skill, deep historical knowledge, and an endurance for long hours in the saddle. She seeks out ancient folklore and botanical details while maintaining a wry sense of humor about travel discomforts.
• The Professor: An expert companion who guides the group's historical and architectural understanding. He identifies structural periods at ruined sites, translates context, and insists on ethical interactions regarding local permits and fees.
• The Doctor: A steady traveling companion who shares the physical rigors of the expedition, offering practical judgment during long rides, river crossings, and adjustments to the itinerary.
• Khalil: The group's primary mukari (groom/guide), responsible for the horses and logistics. He regularly uses his dramatic flair and imaginative warnings about bad weather, missing supplies, or swollen streams to try to influence the group's travel choices.
• The Artist: A member of the party who brings an aesthetic eye to the landscape, though her lack of Arabic leaves her reliant on the others when negotiating with local guides and guards.

In Its Own Voice

"The Oriental himself makes no attempt at being consistent. When you arrive at his house he spreads a priceless carpet, but omits to remove last week's dust from off the furniture..." The author reflects on the charming, unhurried contradictions of daily life and hospitality in the region.

"No matter how early you rise the world is up before you; you can have as much at five o'clock as at nine." Describing the crisp vitality and quiet pleasure of setting out on horseback at dawn.

"We come on the wings of steam, and with all the miracles of science, but we leave no trace but unsightly heaps and a scar upon the face of the landscape." A quiet meditation on modern progress as the party crosses the newly laid tracks of the Hedjaz railway.

What It's Really About

At its core, the narrative explores the layered nature of history and the fleeting presence of human empires. As the author rides through landscapes shaped successively by Canaanites, Israelites, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, and Ottomans, she examines how each culture left its mark upon the earth—and how quickly nature and nomadic life reassert themselves over forgotten cities. The book contrasts the durable, heavy construction of antiquity with the disruptive, utilitarian push of early twentieth-century industrial expansion. It also considers the quiet endurance of local customs, folklore, and daily habits that persist virtually unchanged across centuries of political shift.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic travel literature, historical archaeology, and vivid natural descriptions will find much to admire here. The narrative offers an authentic, unvarnished look at Palestine and Transjordan during the final years of the Ottoman Empire, captured just before modern development permanently altered many of these ancient landscapes.

The prose is refined, literate, and deeply attentive to landscape, plant life, and local traditions. Rather than relying on dramatic sensationalism, the author writes with quiet precision and clear-eyed curiosity. Contemporary readers should be prepared for period terminology, occasional references to forgotten regional politics, and the deliberate pace of early twentieth-century travel writing. What remains with the reader is the immersive atmosphere of the trail: the scent of wild wormwood, the chill of mountain dew at dawn, the quiet majesty of standing colonnades under a desert moon, and the calm rhythm of days spent entirely in the saddle.