Deuteronomy 34:3

And the south ,.... The southern part of the land, even all of it; and having shown him that, he is directed eastward to take a view of

the plain of the valley of Jericho ; which lay before him, a delightful plain; see Joshua 5:10 ,

the city of palm trees ; so Jericho was called, because of the multitude of palm trees which grew there, and which Josephus not only testifies F18 De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 18. sect. 5. & l. 4. c. 8. sect. 2. , who speaks of it as a plain planted with palm trees, and from whence balsam comes; but several Heathen writers: Pliny says F19 Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 14. Jericho was set with palm trees; Diodorus Siculus F20 Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 132. speaks of the country about Jericho as abounding with palm trees, and in a certain valley, meaning the vale or plains of Jericho, is produced that which is called balsam; so Strabo says F21 Geograph. l. 16. p. 525. , Jericho is a plain surrounded with mountains abounding with palm trees, where there is a plantation of palm trees, with other fruit trees, the space of a hundred furlongs:

unto Zoar ; near the salt sea; see Genesis 19:22 .