MOUNTAIN of Forty Days, a mountain of Judæa, situated in the plain of Jericho, to the north of that city. According to the Abbé Mariti's description, the summit of it is covered neither with shrubs, nor turf, nor earth; it consists of a solid mass of white marble, the surface of which has become yellow by the injuries of the air. "The path by which you ascend to it," says this writer, "fills one with terror, as it rises with a winding course between two abysses, which the eye dares scarcely behold. This path is at first pretty broad, but it at length becomes so confined, that one can with difficulty place both feet upon it at the same time. When we had ascended a little higher, we found an Arab stretched out on the path, who made us pay a certain toll for our passage. Here the traveller requires courage. One of the parapets of the path being broken, we clung to the part which remained until we had reached a small grotto, situated very commodiously, as it gave us an opportunity of recovering our breath. When we had rested ourselves a little, we pursued our course, which became still more dangerous. Suspended almost from the rock, and having before our eyes all the horror of the precipice, we could advance only by dragging one foot after the other; so that had the smallest fragments given way under us, we should have been hurried to the bottom of this frightful abyss.
"This mountain is one of the highest in the province, and one of its most sacred places. It takes its name from the rigorous fast which Christ observed here after having triumphed over the vanities of the world and the power of hell. In remembrance of this miracle, a chapel was formerly constructed on the summit of the mountain. It may be seen from the plain, but we could not approach it, as the path was almost entirely destroyed. It, however, may be accessible on the other side of the mountain, which we did not visit. A great many scattered grottos are seen here; in one of which, according to Quaresmius, were deposited the bodies of several anchorites, which are still entire. I have heard the same thing asserted in the country, but I could never meet with any person who had seen them. Here we enjoyed the most beautiful prospect imaginable. This part of the Mountain of Forty Days overlooks the mountains of Arabia, the country of Gilead, the country of the Ammonites, the plains of Moab, the plain of Jericho, the river Jordan, and the whole extent of the Dead Sea. It was here that the devil said to the Son of God, 'All these kingdoms will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me?'