A Crack in the Earth: A Journey Up Israel's Rift ValleyAncient Syria was much larger than its modern counterpart, being bordered by the Taurus Mountains in the north, the Upper Euphrates to the north-east, and the Syrian Desert to the south-east. The name is Greek, which they used to describe various Assyrian peoples. Amoritsbegan to arrive in the territory to the west of the Euphrates, within modern Syria, from around 2500 BC.
During the 1850s, ports along the Syria/Palestine coast were shipping wheat to the United Kingdom.
The New York Times
New York, New York, August 3, 1860
INTERESTING FROM EUROPE
FRENCH INTERVENTION IN SYRIA
The proceedings of the British Parliament have been unimportant. Lord John Russell had stated that the French Government had made a suggestion that the Great Powers with a view to united intervention in Syria . . . "In teh presence of the deplorable events of which Syria is is the theatre, and which have caused deep emotion throughout Europe, the Government of the Emperor has deemedit its duty to communicate its views without delay to the Cabinets of the other Great Powers and to the Porte, in order to concert the measures which circumstances demand."
The situations of affairs in Syria had undergone no change. A dispatch of tbe 11th July says " No other incident has taken place. Tne latest state of things continues to be very grave. The Christians are leaving the Interior of the country, and emigrating towards the coasts to be under the protection of the European vessels. 32,000 parsons have already arrived at Beyrout and Sayda."
According to the Paris Pays, far more dreadful massacres are in contemplation, and the exciters of these disturbances in Syria have ramifications with other parts of the Ottoman territory. The events in Syria are only the prelude to a formidable rising in areas of the Ottoman population against the Christians.
The Paris correspondent of the London Herald asserts that England will send a regiment to Syria, and that France will send 23,000 men under Marshal McMahon. This was regarded as an exaggeration, although there was no doubt that a strong expedition was being prepared bv France.
Great anxiety was felt Beyrout respecting the fate of the Christians, who, to the number of 45,000 had taken refuge in the south of Kesrovan, were surrounded by powerful bodies of Druses.
Trade continued and in the 1870s, thousands of pounds of wheat, barley and other cereals were exported to Great Britain.
