Library Epiphanius On Weights and Measures
Geographic Terms
83. And, other place and land names occurring to us, we are making mention of them. Mountains and hills. Mountains, indeed, are according to nature; they [621] are elevated places that were formed by God, that were heaped up by means of rocks and stones. And hills also are elevated places, but they are of earth [622] and not heaped up out of stones. And ridges [623] are elevated places, but they are of sand. And |83 the rasine [624] also are said to be of sand----not the shevalte, [625] but the rapine. For the shevalte are in the middle parts of streams where the movement of the stream is from both sides toward the middle, being gathered together in the likeness of a spike (of grain), such that because of the force of the turning about they are called whirlpools.
English translation by James Elmer Dean, Epiphanius’ Treatise on Weights and Measures: The Syriac Version (Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, 1935). Public domain in the United States (copyright not renewed). Digital text via Roger Pearse / tertullian.org.