or Hierichus (anc. geog.), a city of Judea; situated between Jordan and Jerusalem, at the distance of 150 stadia from the latter, and 60 from the former. Josephus says, "the whole space from Jerusalem is desert and rocky, and equally barren and uncultivated from Jericho to the lake Asphaltites; yet the places near the town and above it are extremely fertile and delicious, so that it may be justly called a divine plain, surpassing the rest of the land of Canaan, no unfruitful country, and surrounded by hills in the manner of an amphitheatre. It produces opobalsamum myrobalans, and dates; from the last of which it is called the city of palm-trees, by Moses. The place is now called Raha; and is situated, M. Volney informs us, "in a plain six or seven leagues long, by three wide, around which are a number of barren mountains, that render it extremely hot. Here formerly was cultivated the balm of Mecca. From the description of the Hadjes, this is a shrub similar to the pomegranate-tree, with leaves like those of rue: it bears a pulpy nut, in which is contained a kernel that yields the resinous juice we call balm or balsam. At present there is not a plant of it remaining at Raha; but another species is to be found there, called Zak-koun, which produce a sweet oil, also celebrated for healing wounds. This zak-koun resembles a plum-tree; it has thorns four inches long, with leaves like those of the olive-tree, but narrower and greener, and prickly at the end; its fruit is a kind of acorn, without a calyx, under the bark of which is a pulp, and then a nut, the kernel of which gives an oil that the Arabs sell very dear: this is the sole commerce of Raha, which is no more than a ruined village.