of Western Hauran as probably the land of Uz. "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job" (Job i.). The old village of Sheikh Sa'ad is a spot which from the most ancient times has been held sacred to the memory of Job (Neby Ayyub). We find there the ruins of the Monastery of Job (Deir Ayyub), much venerated by the ancient people of the Hauran. At the south-eastern extremity of the long low hill upon which the village is built, and elevated about 40 feet above the surrounding plain, is the "Rock of Job," which stands now in a mosque. Here, so says the legend, Job sat when he was leprous, and received his friends. The rock is a monolith of basalt, 7 feet high and about 4 feet broad, and on its surface are some illegible letters. There may be no truth in the legend; but it serves to show how closely the name of Job is associated with this region.
About half a day's journey due east from Bethshan is a place called Mahneh, which several writers, on account of the similarity of name, have been inclined to identify with Mahanaim, where Jacob met the two companies of angels, and where David sojourned during Absalom's rebellion. A mound exists here, and Dr Tristram picked up some pieces of old pottery, scattered about, so that it might be worth while to excavate: but we must look elsewhere for Mahanaim.
Mahanaim must have been some little distance north of the Jabbok, because Jacob came to it before he crossed that stream. It must have been in or near the Jordan Valley, for Jacob, in his prayer at that place, says, "With my staff I passed over this Jordan," language which would not have been used if the Jordan were not within sight. The city was assigned to one of Solomon's commissariat officers (1 Kings iv. 14), from which we may infer that it represented a district. These conditions appear to point to Khurbet Suleikhat, a large ruined city at the mouth of
