Princeton Expeditions to Syria (1899, 1904-1905, 1909)

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[list] April 6, 1909 Slêm April 7, 1909 Brêkeh - Slêm April 7, 1909 Tell id-Dibbeh April 7, 1909 Dêr il-Leban April 8, 1909 Djdîyeh April 9, 1909 to Damascus (Friday) April 10, 1909 in Damascus April 11, 1909 in Damascus (Easter Sunday) April 12, 1909 *Nedjrân April 12, 1909 [...] April 12, 1909 Rîmet il-Luḥf April 13, 1909 Dêr il-Asmar April 13, 1909 Umm il-‘Alak April 13, 1909 Beshâm to April 13, 1909 *Ṣmêd, Burd, il-‘Âhireh April 14, 1909 Mdjêdil April 15, 1909 Waḳm, Khurēbât - Kharsah April 16, 1909 Djrên, Lubên 16-19 April 17, 1909 *Lubbên April 18, 1909 Ḥarrân - Msêkeh - il-Ubêr April 19, 1909 *Sûr

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Dêr Berain & idj Ojadj

Djrên April 16, 1909

This is an imposing ruin when seen from a distance. It is set on high ground, and two towers stand out as landmarks. The place is inhabited by a few families of Druses. Some time after Waddington's visit, presumably at the time of the Druse settlement of the adjoining ruin now called Lubên, the names of the two sites were exchanged, ancient Aegriun, called by the Arabs idj-Djrên, became Lubên and the Arabic Lubên became idj-Djrên.

The present ruin consists of a crudely built but strong tower of two high stories set on an eminence with a Nabataean inscription in large letters carved in a lintel of rough porous basalt over a large window in the upper story: of a number of ruined houses of the Christian period, and a large ancient house still partly preserved and inhabited. The entrance to this house is a long passage beneath a tower of three stories. To the right as one enters is a row of large rooms of the original construction, one of which

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