"Stony heap, an "island," as it has been called, of rock about 30" "miles by 20, rising 20 or 30 feet above the table-land of" Bashan; a region of crags and chasms wild and rugged in the "extreme. On this "island" stood sixty walled cities, ruled over" "by Og. It is called Trachonitis ("the rugged region") in the New" Testament (Luke 3:1). These cities were conquered by the Israelites (Deut. 3:4; 1 Kings 4:13). It is now called the "Lejah. Here "sixty walled cities are still traceable in a space" of 308 square miles. The architecture is ponderous and massive. "Solid walls 4 feet thick, and stones on one another without" "cement; the roofs enormous slabs of basaltic rock, like iron;" "the doors and gates are of stone 18 inches thick, secured by" ponderous bars. The land bears still the appearance of having "been called the `land of giants' under the giant Og." "I have" "more than once entered a deserted city in the evening, taken" "possession of a comfortable house, and spent the night in peace." "Many of the houses in the ancient cities of Bashan are perfect," "as if only finished yesterday. The walls are sound, the roofs" "unbroken, and even the window-shutters in their places. These" ancient cities of Bashan probably contain the very oldest "specimens of domestic architecture in the world" (Porter's Giant" Cities). (See [27]BASHAN.)
Definition of Argob:
"a turf, or fat land"