The Phoenicians called it Širjōn (a name found in texts from ancient Ugarit discovered at Rās Šamrah), which corresponds to the Šariana of the Amorrites. The Amorrites gave another name, Širjōn, which seems rather to refer to the Anti-Lebanon. The Arabs call it Gebel es-Sejj. In the Bible, H. is designated as the northeastern boundary of the Palestinian territory under Moses and Joshua (Deut. 3:8; 16:3, 7; 12:5; 13:11; 1 Chron. 5:23). In Hebrew poetry, H. is associated with Tabor (Ps. 88:13), Zion (Ps. 132:3), and Amara and Sanir (Cant. 4:8).
The range, 28–30 km long and running from southwest to northeast, is separated from the Anti-Lebanon by a notable depression. H. has three main peaks: one in the north overlooking the Beqā plain or Coele-Syria, one in the south overlooking Damascus, and a third to the west, the least elevated, overlooking the Jordan plain. The highest point rises 2,758 m above the Mediterranean. The summits are almost always snow-covered even in summer, which creates a striking impression, especially when viewed from the Jordan plain, where the heat is intense. On the slopes of H. up to 1,440 m, vines and olive trees are cultivated. Wild animals inhabit the mountain. Among the ruins, those of a temple at Qasr el-Antar stand out; from it comes a Greek inscription now in London, which appears to be of pagan liturgical origin. Some scholars suggest that some point on H. may be the site of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, but tradition consistently places it at Tabor (v.).