{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_55824/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_55824","id":"gutenberg_55824","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55824","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Archaeology & Anthropology","Category: History - Religious","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Travel Writing","Palestine -- Description and travel"],"text":"FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA\n\n\n\n\n \u250c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2510\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 Transcriber\u2019s Notes \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 Punctuation has been standardized. \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 Characters in small caps have been replaced by all caps. \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 Non-printable characteristics have been given the following \u2502\n \u2502 transliteration: \u2502\n \u2502 Italic text: --> _text_ \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 This book was written in a period when many words had \u2502\n \u2502 not become standardized in their spelling. Words may have \u2502\n \u2502 multiple spelling variations or inconsistent hyphenation in \u2502\n \u2502 the text. These have been left unchanged unless indicated \u2502\n \u2502 with a Transcriber\u2019s Note. \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 The symbol \u2018\u2021\u2019 indicates the description in parenthesis has \u2502\n \u2502 been added to an illustration. This may be needed if there \u2502\n \u2502 is no caption or if the caption does not describe the image \u2502\n \u2502 adequately. \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 Footnotes are identified in the text with a number in \u2502\n \u2502 brackets [2] and have been accumulated in a single section \u2502\n \u2502 at the end of the text. \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 Transcriber\u2019s Notes are used when making corrections to the \u2502\n \u2502 text or to provide additional information for the modern \u2502\n \u2502 reader. These notes are not identified in the text, but have \u2502\n \u2502 been accumulated in a single section at the end of the book. \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502\n \u2514\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2518\n\n\n Illustration: JERUSALEM.\n\n\n\n\n FROM\n DAN TO BEERSHEBA\n\n\n A DESCRIPTION OF THE\n WONDERFUL LAND\n\n WITH\n\n MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS\n\n AND\n\n A PROLOGUE BY THE AUTHOR CONTAINING THE LATEST\n EXPLORATIONS AND DISCOVERIES\n\n\n BY\n\n JOHN P. NEWMAN, D.D., LL.D.\n\n Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Member\n of the London Society of Biblical Arch\u00e6ology\n\n\n REVISED EDITION\n\n\n NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON\n CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & CURTS\n\n\n\n\n Copyright, 1892, by\n JOHN P. NEWMAN,\n NEW YORK.\n\n\n\n\n TO\n MY WIFE,\n THE\n JOY\n OF\n MY LIFE.\n\n\n\n\nThis edition of Bishop Newman\u2019s book on Palestine\u2015\u2015_From Dan to\nBeersheba_\u2015\u2015is demanded by its introduction into the course of study\nprescribed for the undergraduates in our Annual Conferences, who,\nduring their ministry, will have frequent occasion to refer to the\nhistory, topography, and customs of the Holy Land, of which this book\nso fully and clearly treats.\n\n THE PUBLISHERS.\n\n\n\n\n CONTENTS.\n\n\n CHAPTER I.\n\n The two Boundaries.\u2015\u2015The parallel Mountains. \u2015\u2015 The great Valley.\n \u2015\u2015 Inspired Eulogies. \u2015\u2015 Sterile Soil. \u2015\u2015 Gibbon Comparison.\n \u2015\u2015 Natural and miraculous Causes of present Sterility. \u2015\u2015\n Testimonies of pagan Authors on the ancient Productions of\n Palestine. \u2015\u2015 Land coveted by the great Nations of Antiquity.\n \u2015\u2015 A Land of Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Present Fertility and Fruits. \u2015\u2015\n Richness of the North. \u2015\u2015 Volney on the Variety of the Climate\n of Palestine. \u2015\u2015 Beauties of Spring in the Promised Land. \u2015\u2015\n Flowers. \u2015\u2015 Magnificent Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Standard of Landscape\n Beauty. \u2015\u2015 Palestine is a World in Miniature. \u2015\u2015 Illustrations.\n \u2015\u2015 Prophetical Descriptions of the twelve Tribeships. \u2015\u2015\n Wonderful Correspondence.\n\n\n CHAPTER II.\n\n Location of Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Strong defensive Position of the City.\n \u2015\u2015 Surrounding Hills and Valleys. \u2015\u2015 Its Situation compared\n to that of Athens and Rome. \u2015\u2015 True Meaning of the 125th Psalm.\n \u2015\u2015 Tower of Psephinus. \u2015\u2015 The two Valleys. \u2015\u2015 Height of the\n adjacent Mountains. \u2015\u2015 A City without Suburbs. \u2015\u2015 Modern Wall.\n \u2015\u2015 Goliath\u2019s Castle. \u2015\u2015 Immense Stones of Solomon\u2019s Age. \u2015\u2015\n Ancient Portals. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Corner-stone. \u2015\u2015 Pinnacle of\n the Temple from which Christ was tempted to throw himself. \u2015\u2015\n Golden Gate. \u2015\u2015 Tower of Antonia. \u2015\u2015 Objection to Prophecy\n answered. \u2015\u2015 The Bevel the Sign of Jewish Masonry. \u2015\u2015 Great\n Cave beneath the City. \u2015\u2015 Wanderings by Torchlight. \u2015\u2015\n Solomon\u2019s Quarry. \u2015\u2015 Tyropean Valley. \u2015\u2015 Five Hills of\n Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Mount Zion. \u2015\u2015 Royal Abode. \u2015\u2015 Herod\u2019s three\n Towers. \u2015\u2015 Splendid Church of St. James. \u2015\u2015 House of Caiaphas.\n \u2015\u2015 Scene of the Last Supper and of Pentecost. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of David.\n \u2015\u2015 Royal Plunderers. \u2015\u2015 Proof of its Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Home of the\n Lepers. \u2015\u2015 Sad Sight. \u2015\u2015 Akra. \u2015\u2015 Bezetha. \u2015\u2015 Napoleon\u2019s\n Church.\n\n\n CHAPTER III.\n\n Mount Moriah. \u2015\u2015 Site of Solomon\u2019s Temple. \u2015\u2015 Surrounding Walls.\n \u2015\u2015 Great Fosse. \u2015\u2015 Pasha\u2019s Palace. \u2015\u2015 Council Chamber of the\n Jewish Sanhedrim. \u2015\u2015 Jews\u2019 Place of Wailing. \u2015\u2015 Their cruel\n Treatment. \u2015\u2015 Scene on Friday Afternoon. \u2015\u2015 Mournful Spectacle.\n \u2015\u2015 High-priest. \u2015\u2015 Prophecy fulfilled. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s Bridge. \u2015\u2015\n Its Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Temple Area. \u2015\u2015 Tower of Antonia. \u2015\u2015 Shrines\n within the Inclosure. \u2015\u2015 Imposing View. \u2015\u2015 Dome of the Chain.\n \u2015\u2015 Mosque of Omar. \u2015\u2015 Its grand Exterior. \u2015\u2015 Its History.\n \u2015\u2015 Its Portals. \u2015\u2015 Its magnificent Interior. \u2015\u2015 Sacred Rock\n within the Mosque. \u2015\u2015 Traditions. \u2015\u2015 Scene of the Offering of\n Isaac and of other Scriptural Events. \u2015\u2015 Mosque of El-Aksa. \u2015\u2015\n Its Interior and History. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s subterranean Passageway.\n \u2015\u2015 Extraordinary Workmanship. \u2015\u2015 Mosque of Jesus. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s\n great Vaults. \u2015\u2015 They reflect his Genius. \u2015\u2015 Evidence of their\n Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s great Lake beneath his Temple. \u2015\u2015 His\n Work. \u2015\u2015 Vicissitudes of Mount Moriah.\n\n\n CHAPTER IV.\n\n Valley of the Dead. \u2015\u2015 Tombs of the Judges. \u2015\u2015 Of El-Messahney.\n \u2015\u2015 Of the Kings. \u2015\u2015 Valley of the Kidron. \u2015\u2015 Pillar of Absalom.\n \u2015\u2015 Traditional Tombs. \u2015\u2015 Jews\u2019 Cemetery. \u2015\u2015 Funeral Procession.\n \u2015\u2015 Mount of Offense. \u2015\u2015 Virgin\u2019s Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Gardens of\n Siloam. \u2015\u2015 Bridal Party. \u2015\u2015 Pool of Siloam. \u2015\u2015 Of En-Rogel. \u2015\u2015\n Vale of Hinnom. \u2015\u2015 Burning of Children. \u2015\u2015 Valley of Slaughter.\n \u2015\u2015 Potters\u2019 Field. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s Coronation. \u2015\u2015 Pools of Gihon.\n \u2015\u2015 Pool of Hezekiah. \u2015\u2015 Supply of Water.\n\n\n CHAPTER V.\n\n Laws of the Credibility of Tradition. \u2015\u2015 Dean Trench on Words.\n \u2015\u2015 Scenes of the historical Events of Christianity not well\n defined. \u2015\u2015 Palm Sunday in Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Crossing the Mount\n of Olives. \u2015\u2015 Journey to Bethany. \u2015\u2015 Site of the City. \u2015\u2015 Home\n of Mary and Martha. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of Lazarus. \u2015\u2015 Christ frequented\n Bethany. \u2015\u2015 To his Visits is due its Significance. \u2015\u2015 Touching\n Legends. \u2015\u2015 Resurrection of Lazarus. \u2015\u2015 Scene of Christ\u2019s\n triumphal March to Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Garden of Gethsemane. \u2015\u2015 Old\n Gardener. \u2015\u2015 Walls and Iron Gate. \u2015\u2015 Place of Sweet Repose.\n \u2015\u2015 Flowers. \u2015\u2015 Pictures. \u2015\u2015 Aged Olive-trees. \u2015\u2015 Overwhelming\n Emotions. \u2015\u2015 Ascent of the Mount of Olives. \u2015\u2015 Three Paths.\n \u2015\u2015 David\u2019s Ascent. \u2015\u2015 Connection of the Mount with the two\n Dispensations. \u2015\u2015 Scene of the Ascension. \u2015\u2015 True Place. \u2015\u2015\n Commanding View from the Summit of Olivet. \u2015\u2015 Passion Week\n in Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Footsteps of our Lord. \u2015\u2015 Good Friday in\n the Holy City. \u2015\u2015 Visit to the Garden. \u2015\u2015 Lord\u2019s Supper.\n \u2015\u2015 Sleepless Night. \u2015\u2015 Calvary. \u2015\u2015 True Location. \u2015\u2015 Its\n Appearance. \u2015\u2015 Appropriate Place. \u2015\u2015 Via Dolorosa. \u2015\u2015 Pilate\u2019s\n Judgment-hall. \u2015\u2015 Ecce Homo Arch. \u2015\u2015 Legendary Stations. \u2015\u2015\n Crucifixion of Christ dramatized by the Latin Monks. \u2015\u2015 The\n Procession. \u2015\u2015 Ascent to Calvary. \u2015\u2015 Tumult. \u2015\u2015 Spectators.\n \u2015\u2015 Sermons. \u2015\u2015 The Cross. \u2015\u2015 Church of the Holy Sepulchre.\n \u2015\u2015 Architecture. \u2015\u2015 Scene in the Court. \u2015\u2015 The Fa\u00e7ade. \u2015\u2015\n Imposing Interior. \u2015\u2015 Chapel of the Greeks. \u2015\u2015 Rotunda. \u2015\u2015\n Dome. \u2015\u2015 Holy Sepulchre. \u2015\u2015 Magnificent Decorations. \u2015\u2015 Its\n Interior. \u2015\u2015 The Tomb. \u2015\u2015 Holy Shrines. \u2015\u2015 Not the Tomb of\n Christ. \u2015\u2015 Difficulties of the Question. \u2015\u2015 Evidence for its\n Identity. \u2015\u2015 Objections. \u2015\u2015 Argument against the Site.\n\n\n CHAPTER VI.\n\n Forty Days and forty Nights in the Holy City. \u2015\u2015 Inside View\n of Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Streets. \u2015\u2015 Buildings. \u2015\u2015 Commerce. \u2015\u2015 A\n Cosmopolitan City. \u2015\u2015 Government Officials. \u2015\u2015 Taxation.\n \u2015\u2015 Population. \u2015\u2015 Turks. \u2015\u2015 Dervishes. \u2015\u2015 Fast of Ramadan.\n \u2015\u2015 Feast of Beiram. \u2015\u2015 Moslem Sects. \u2015\u2015 Their Creeds.\n \u2015\u2015 Quarter of the Jews. \u2015\u2015 Their wretched Condition. \u2015\u2015\n Their Nationalities. \u2015\u2015 Pensioners. \u2015\u2015 Jewish Passover. \u2015\u2015\n Ceremonies witnessed. \u2015\u2015 Jewish Sabbath in Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015\n Synagogue. \u2015\u2015 Education. \u2015\u2015 Mr. Touro and Sir Moses Montefiore.\n \u2015\u2015 Religious and Industrial Institutions. \u2015\u2015 Christian Sects\n in the Holy City. \u2015\u2015 Armenians. \u2015\u2015 Their Wealth. \u2015\u2015 Greeks.\n \u2015\u2015 Their Influence. \u2015\u2015 Latins. \u2015\u2015 Their Edifices. \u2015\u2015 Monastic\n Quarrels. \u2015\u2015 Curious Scene. \u2015\u2015 Rivalry between France and\n Russia. \u2015\u2015 Russian Gold. \u2015\u2015 Protestant Christianity in\n Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 English Church. \u2015\u2015 House of Charity. \u2015\u2015 The\n two Slave Girls.\n\n\n CHAPTER VII.\n\n Road to Jericho. \u2015\u2015 Delay. \u2015\u2015 Caravan. \u2015\u2015 Robbers. \u2015\u2015 Ladies.\n \u2015\u2015 Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Waters of Enshemesh. \u2015\u2015 Wilderness of Judea.\n \u2015\u2015 Scene of Christ\u2019s Temptation. \u2015\u2015 Thieves of Jericho. \u2015\u2015\n Parable of the Good Samaritan. \u2015\u2015 Brook Cherith. \u2015\u2015 Wild\n Region. \u2015\u2015 Elijah fed by the Ravens. \u2015\u2015 First View of the\n Plain of the Jordan. \u2015\u2015 Evening at Jericho. \u2015\u2015 Ruins of the\n ancient City. \u2015\u2015 Historical Events. \u2015\u2015 Fountain of Elisha. \u2015\u2015\n \u2019Ain D\u00fbk. \u2015\u2015 Castle of Doch. \u2015\u2015 Jericho of the New Testament.\n \u2015\u2015 Scene of Herod\u2019s Death. \u2015\u2015 Town of Riha. \u2015\u2015 Site of Gilgal.\n \u2015\u2015 Great Events. \u2015\u2015 Sunrise on the Plain of Jericho. \u2015\u2015\n Richness of the Plain. \u2015\u2015 Quarantania. \u2015\u2015 Description of\n Turkish Soldiers. \u2015\u2015 The Ride. \u2015\u2015 Banks of the Jordan. \u2015\u2015\n Sources of the Sacred River. \u2015\u2015 The ten Fountains. \u2015\u2015 The\n three Lakes. \u2015\u2015 Descent and Sinuosities of the River. \u2015\u2015 Glen\n through which it flows. \u2015\u2015 Flowers and Trees on its Banks.\n \u2015\u2015 Birds in its Shrubbery and Beasts in its Thickets. \u2015\u2015 Its\n Color. \u2015\u2015 Depth. \u2015\u2015 Rapidity. \u2015\u2015 Twenty-seven Rapids. \u2015\u2015 Falls.\n \u2015\u2015 Islands in the River. \u2015\u2015 Roman Bridges. \u2015\u2015 Brook Jabbok. \u2015\u2015\n Jacob and the Angel. \u2015\u2015 War Scenes. \u2015\u2015 Entrance of the Jordan\n into the Dead Sea. \u2015\u2015 Meaning of Jordan. \u2015\u2015 Pilgrim\u2019s Ford. \u2015\u2015\n Charming Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Mountains of Moab. \u2015\u2015 Vision of Balaam.\n \u2015\u2015 Vision of Moses. \u2015\u2015 His Death. \u2015\u2015 Crossing of the Jordan by\n the Israelites. \u2015\u2015 Probable Place. \u2015\u2015 Overflowing of the River.\n \u2015\u2015 Causes. \u2015\u2015 Translation of Elijah. \u2015\u2015 Cure of Naaman. \u2015\u2015\n Baptismal Stations of John the Baptist. \u2015\u2015 Bethabara. \u2015\u2015 \u00c6non.\n \u2015\u2015 Scene of Christ\u2019s Baptism here. \u2015\u2015 The Argument for it.\n \u2015\u2015 Journey to the Dead Sea. \u2015\u2015 Robbers. \u2015\u2015 Features of the\n Sea. \u2015\u2015 Delightful Bath. \u2015\u2015 Dimensions of the Sea. \u2015\u2015 Its Bed\n coeval with the Upper and Lower Valleys. \u2015\u2015 Sea larger than\n formerly. \u2015\u2015 No Outlet. \u2015\u2015 Its Waters evaporate. \u2015\u2015 Peninsula.\n \u2015\u2015 Island. \u2015\u2015 Surrounding Mountains. \u2015\u2015 Hot Springs of\n Callirrhoe. \u2015\u2015 Sublime Chasm. \u2015\u2015 Castle of Machaerus. \u2015\u2015 Wild\n Glen. \u2015\u2015 River Arnon. \u2015\u2015 Scenery. \u2015\u2015 City of Kerak. \u2015\u2015 Ruins\n of Zoar. \u2015\u2015 Location of Sodom. \u2015\u2015 Manner of its Destruction.\n \u2015\u2015 Mountain of Salt, cause of the saltness of the Sea. \u2015\u2015\n Lot\u2019s Wife. \u2015\u2015 Ruins of Masada. \u2015\u2015 Besieged by Flavius Silva.\n \u2015\u2015 Tragical Death of 600 Sicarii, their Wives and Children. \u2015\u2015\n Fountain of the Kid. \u2015\u2015 David and Saul. \u2015\u2015 Maon. \u2015\u2015 The Home\n of Abigail. \u2015\u2015 Journey to Bethlehem. \u2015\u2015 Wilderness of Engedi.\n \u2015\u2015 A Night with the Monks of M\u00e2r S\u00e2ba. \u2015\u2015 The Monastery. \u2015\u2015\n Bethlehem. \u2015\u2015 Its Names. \u2015\u2015 Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Convent\n of the Franciscans. \u2015\u2015 The Stable of the Nativity. \u2015\u2015 Present\n Condition. \u2015\u2015 Pictures. \u2015\u2015 The Manger. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of St. Paula.\n \u2015\u2015 Cell of St. Jerome. \u2015\u2015 Basilica of St. Helena. \u2015\u2015 Evidence\n that this is the Birthplace of Christ. \u2015\u2015 Stable in a House.\n \u2015\u2015 Situation of Bethlehem. \u2015\u2015 Population. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Women.\n \u2015\u2015 Herodium. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of Herod the Great. \u2015\u2015 Cave of Adullam.\n \u2015\u2015 Hiding-place of David. \u2015\u2015 Its Wonders.\n\n\n CHAPTER VIII.\n\n En Route for Hebron. \u2015\u2015 Travelers. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Scenery. \u2015\u2015\n Ancient Travelers. \u2015\u2015 Evening. \u2015\u2015 Gray\u2019s Elegy. \u2015\u2015 Search\n for Lodgings. \u2015\u2015 Hebron. \u2015\u2015 Its Name. \u2015\u2015 Origin. \u2015\u2015 Home of\n Abraham. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Location of the City and its Environs.\n \u2015\u2015 Pools. \u2015\u2015 Cave of Machpelah. \u2015\u2015 The Mosque over it. \u2015\u2015\n Tombs of the Patriarchs and their Wives. \u2015\u2015 Prince of Wales.\n \u2015\u2015 Isaac still Lives. \u2015\u2015 Identity of the Cave. \u2015\u2015 Evidence.\n \u2015\u2015 United in Death. \u2015\u2015 Beersheba. \u2015\u2015 Its ancient Wells. \u2015\u2015\n Events of the Past. \u2015\u2015 Changeless Customs. \u2015\u2015 Abraham and the\n Angels. \u2015\u2015 Dining with an Arab Sheikh. \u2015\u2015 Grapes of Eshcol. \u2015\u2015\n Abraham\u2019s Oak. \u2015\u2015 Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Pool of Solomon. \u2015\u2015 His Aqueduct.\n \u2015\u2015 Plains of Rephaim.\n\n\n CHAPTER IX.\n\n Land of the Philistines. \u2015\u2015 Its Limits. \u2015\u2015 Fell to the Lot of\n Simeon and Dan. \u2015\u2015 Origin of the Philistines. \u2015\u2015 The meaning\n of the Name. \u2015\u2015 Their royal Cities. \u2015\u2015 Their God and Goddess.\n \u2015\u2015 Journey thither. \u2015\u2015 Valley of Roses. \u2015\u2015 Baptism of the\n Eunuch. \u2015\u2015 Home of John the Baptist. \u2015\u2015 Slaughter of the Jews\n in the City of Bether. \u2015\u2015 Site of Bethshemesh. \u2015\u2015 Home of\n Samson. \u2015\u2015 Village of Zorah. \u2015\u2015 Field where the Angel appeared.\n \u2015\u2015 Town of Timnath. \u2015\u2015 Lair of the Lion. \u2015\u2015 Home of Delilah.\n \u2015\u2015 Oriental Weddings. \u2015\u2015 Valley of Shochoh. \u2015\u2015 Scene of the\n Conflict between David and Goliath. \u2015\u2015 Correspondence between\n Scripture and the natural Features of the Place. \u2015\u2015 The Valley.\n \u2015\u2015 The Brook. \u2015\u2015 The smooth Stones. \u2015\u2015 The Sling. \u2015\u2015 The\n Mountains. \u2015\u2015 The Champions. \u2015\u2015 The Victory. \u2015\u2015 Home of\n Goliath. \u2015\u2015 Gath. \u2015\u2015 David\u2019s feigned Insanity. \u2015\u2015 Road to\n Eleutheropolis. \u2015\u2015 Its Location. \u2015\u2015 Great Caves. \u2015\u2015 Site\n of Lachish. \u2015\u2015 Its great Battle-field. \u2015\u2015 Sennacherib and\n Hezekiah. \u2015\u2015 Byron\u2019s Hebrew Melody. \u2015\u2015 Gaza. \u2015\u2015 Palm-groves.\n \u2015\u2015 Direction of the Road. \u2015\u2015 Site of the City. \u2015\u2015 Modern City.\n \u2015\u2015 Ancient Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Christian Church. \u2015\u2015 Home of Giants. \u2015\u2015\n Gates that Samson carried away. \u2015\u2015 His Prison. \u2015\u2015 The great\n Feast. \u2015\u2015 Samson called. \u2015\u2015 His Presence alarms the Multitude.\n \u2015\u2015 Feats of Strength. \u2015\u2015 Death Scene. \u2015\u2015 He is a Failure.\n \u2015\u2015 Alexander the Great wounded at Gaza. \u2015\u2015 A Moslem City. \u2015\u2015\n Ascalon. \u2015\u2015 Route thither. \u2015\u2015 Stood near the Sea. \u2015\u2015 Ruins. \u2015\u2015\n Desolation. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Adorned by Herod. \u2015\u2015 Captured by\n the Crusaders. \u2015\u2015 Road to Ashdod. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Gardens. \u2015\u2015 No\n Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Dagon and the Ark. \u2015\u2015 Road to Joppa. \u2015\u2015 Villages.\n \u2015\u2015 Joppa on the Sea. \u2015\u2015 Its Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Floats of Pine and\n Cedar. \u2015\u2015 House of Simon. \u2015\u2015 Substantial Structure. \u2015\u2015 Peter\u2019s\n Vision. \u2015\u2015 Appearance of the Town. \u2015\u2015 Gate of the City.\n \u2015\u2015 Population. \u2015\u2015 Jews. \u2015\u2015 Nubian Magician. \u2015\u2015 Magnificent\n Orange-groves. \u2015\u2015 Ramleh. \u2015\u2015 Franciscans. \u2015\u2015 Traditions.\n \u2015\u2015 Antiquities. \u2015\u2015 Tower. \u2015\u2015 View. \u2015\u2015 Ludd. \u2015\u2015 Eneas cured\n of Palsy. \u2015\u2015 Church of St. George. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Ruin. \u2015\u2015\n Nether Bethhoron. \u2015\u2015 Wretchedness. \u2015\u2015 Upper Bethhoron.\n \u2015\u2015 Battle-field of Gibeon. \u2015\u2015 The Battle. \u2015\u2015 Wonderful\n Correspondence. \u2015\u2015 Testimony of the Rocks. \u2015\u2015 Ajalon. \u2015\u2015 Sun\n and Moon stand still. \u2015\u2015 City of Gibeon. \u2015\u2015 Modern Town. \u2015\u2015\n Gibeonites. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Death of the Gladiators. \u2015\u2015 Pool\n of Gibeon. \u2015\u2015 Murder of Amasa. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s Dream. \u2015\u2015 \u201cThe\n Look-out.\u201d \u2015\u2015 Mizpeh. \u2015\u2015 National Rendezvous. \u2015\u2015 Ebenezer\n Stone. \u2015\u2015 Saul chosen King. \u2015\u2015 Minaret. \u2015\u2015 Vast and\n magnificent Prospect.\n\n\n CHAPTER X.\n\n Northern Palestine. \u2015\u2015 Gibeah. \u2015\u2015 Birthplace of King Saul. \u2015\u2015\n Historical Events. \u2015\u2015 Thrilling Story of Rizpah watching her\n Dead Sons. \u2015\u2015 Identity of the City. \u2015\u2015 Field of the Arrow.\n \u2015\u2015 Parting of David and Jonathan. \u2015\u2015 Nob. \u2015\u2015 Massacre of the\n Priests. \u2015\u2015 The View. \u2015\u2015 Birthplace of Jeremiah. \u2015\u2015 Geba. \u2015\u2015\n Pottage. \u2015\u2015 Benighted. \u2015\u2015 Yusef Shang, of Beeroth. \u2015\u2015 A Night\n of strange Experience. \u2015\u2015 Town of Beeroth. \u2015\u2015 Ancient Bethel.\n \u2015\u2015 Its Desolation. Site of the City. \u2015\u2015 Abraham\u2019s Altar. \u2015\u2015\n Parting of Abraham and Lot. \u2015\u2015 The Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Jacob\u2019s Flight\n and Dream. \u2015\u2015 Idolatry. \u2015\u2015 Prophecy fulfilled. \u2015\u2015 Route to\n Shiloh. \u2015\u2015 Romantic Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Robbers\u2019 Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Wild\n Glen. \u2015\u2015 Robbers. \u2015\u2015 Their Dance. \u2015\u2015 Sinjil. \u2015\u2015 Shiloh. \u2015\u2015\n Remains. \u2015\u2015 Site discovered in 1838. \u2015\u2015 Tower. \u2015\u2015 Damsels\n of Shiloh carried off. \u2015\u2015 Death of Eli. \u2015\u2015 Approach of the\n Robbers. \u2015\u2015 An Attack. \u2015\u2015 Resistance. \u2015\u2015 Again assailed. \u2015\u2015\n Again resist. \u2015\u2015 Revolvers drawn. \u2015\u2015 Escape. \u2015\u2015 Overtaken.\n \u2015\u2015 Third Attack. \u2015\u2015 Revolvers in demand. \u2015\u2015 Sixteen against\n Four. \u2015\u2015 Serious Moment. \u2015\u2015 One of the Party whipped. \u2015\u2015 Narrow\n Escape. \u2015\u2015 Lebonah. \u2015\u2015 Ride to Nablous. \u2015\u2015 Grand View. \u2015\u2015\n Evening on the Plain of Mukhrah. \u2015\u2015 Antiquity of Nablous. \u2015\u2015\n History. \u2015\u2015 Its beautiful Situation. \u2015\u2015 Population. \u2015\u2015 Inside\n View of the Town. \u2015\u2015 Character of the People. \u2015\u2015 Christian\n School. \u2015\u2015 Origin of the Samaritans. \u2015\u2015 Remnant of the Nation.\n \u2015\u2015 Their Creed. \u2015\u2015 Their religious Peculiarities. \u2015\u2015 Their\n High-priest. \u2015\u2015 Their sacred Writings. \u2015\u2015 Vale of Shechem.\n \u2015\u2015 Its Length and Beauty. \u2015\u2015 Cursings and Blessings of the\n Law. \u2015\u2015 The Scene. \u2015\u2015 Great Congregation. \u2015\u2015 Twin Mountains.\n \u2015\u2015 Jacob\u2019s Well. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Sweet Water. \u2015\u2015 Evidence of\n its Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Jesus at the Well. \u2015\u2015 Woman of Samaria. \u2015\u2015\n Accuracy of its evangelical History. \u2015\u2015 Well Sold. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of\n Joseph. \u2015\u2015 Symbol of his Life. \u2015\u2015 Ascent of Mount Ebal. \u2015\u2015\n Twenty Lepers. \u2015\u2015 Ascent of Mount Gerizim. \u2015\u2015 Almond-groves.\n \u2015\u2015 Ruins on the Summit. \u2015\u2015 Holy of Holies of the Samaritans.\n \u2015\u2015 Traditions. \u2015\u2015 Not the Scene of the Offering of Isaac. \u2015\u2015\n Samaritan Passover. \u2015\u2015 Impressive Moment. \u2015\u2015 Lambs slain. \u2015\u2015\n The Feast.\n\n\n CHAPTER XI.\n\n A Price for Politeness. \u2015\u2015 Escort. \u2015\u2015 Picturesque Scenery. \u2015\u2015\n Samaria. \u2015\u2015 Its Founder. \u2015\u2015 Its Vicissitudes. \u2015\u2015 Residence\n of Elisha. \u2015\u2015 Famine. \u2015\u2015 City beautified by Herod. \u2015\u2015 Its\n Location. \u2015\u2015 Hill of Omri. \u2015\u2015 Grand Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of John\n the Baptist. \u2015\u2015 Temple of Augustus. \u2015\u2015 Prediction fulfilled.\n \u2015\u2015 Departure for C\u00e6sarea. \u2015\u2015 Night on the Plain of Sharon. \u2015\u2015\n The Sick brought out. \u2015\u2015 Plain of Sharon. \u2015\u2015 The Lost Lake. \u2015\u2015\n C\u00e6sarea uninhabited. \u2015\u2015 Dangers. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Imperial City\n under Herod the Great. \u2015\u2015 Grand Ruins. \u2015\u2015 St. Paul a Prisoner.\n \u2015\u2015 Death of Herod Agrippa. \u2015\u2015 Athlit. \u2015\u2015 Mount Carmel. \u2015\u2015\n Scene of the Sacrifice. \u2015\u2015 Great Event. \u2015\u2015 Abode of Elisha.\n\n\n CHAPTER XII.\n\n Plains of Palestine. \u2015\u2015 No Farm-houses. \u2015\u2015 Great Plain of\n Esdraelon. \u2015\u2015 Its Fertility. \u2015\u2015 Topography. \u2015\u2015 River Kishon.\n \u2015\u2015 World\u2019s Battle-field. \u2015\u2015 Waters of Megiddo. \u2015\u2015 Deborah and\n her Victory. \u2015\u2015 Jeneen. \u2015\u2015 Bethshean. \u2015\u2015 Encampment. \u2015\u2015 Modern\n Sheikhs and ancient Patriarchs. \u2015\u2015 City of Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Jabesh\n Gilead. \u2015\u2015 Pella. \u2015\u2015 Gideon\u2019s Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Mount Gilboa. \u2015\u2015\n Battles. \u2015\u2015 Jezreel. \u2015\u2015 Napoleon and the Turks. \u2015\u2015 Shunem.\n \u2015\u2015 Nain. \u2015\u2015 Endor. \u2015\u2015 Witch\u2019s Cave. \u2015\u2015 Saul and Samuel. \u2015\u2015\n Witches. \u2015\u2015 Mount Tabor. \u2015\u2015 Its Form. \u2015\u2015 Woods. \u2015\u2015 View. \u2015\u2015\n Misnomer. \u2015\u2015 Transfiguration. \u2015\u2015 It occurred at Night. \u2015\u2015\n Argument. \u2015\u2015 Benighted Party.\n\n\n CHAPTER XIII.\n\n Jerusalem and Capernaum the great Centres of our Lord\u2019s\n Ministry. \u2015\u2015 Christ a limited Traveler. \u2015\u2015 Judea and Galilee\n contrasted. \u2015\u2015 Provinces of Galilee. \u2015\u2015 The Herods. \u2015\u2015 Meaning\n of Galilee. \u2015\u2015 Sea of Galilee. \u2015\u2015 Its Characteristics. \u2015\u2015\n Hallowed Associations. \u2015\u2015 Imperial City of Tiberias. \u2015\u2015 Founded\n by Herod Antipas. \u2015\u2015 His Crimes. \u2015\u2015 John the Baptist. \u2015\u2015 It\n became a Jewish City and the Metropolis of the Race. \u2015\u2015 Home\n of eminent Scholars. \u2015\u2015 Now an Arab Town. \u2015\u2015 Citizens. \u2015\u2015\n Miraculous Draught of Fishes. \u2015\u2015 Jesus never visited it.\n \u2015\u2015 Warm Baths of Tiberias. \u2015\u2015 Site of Tarichea. \u2015\u2015 Naval\n Engagement. \u2015\u2015 Bridge of Semakh. \u2015\u2015 River Jarmuk. \u2015\u2015 City\n of Gadara. \u2015\u2015 Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Tombs. \u2015\u2015 Not the Scene of the\n Destruction of the Swine. \u2015\u2015 Argument. \u2015\u2015 Ruins of Gamala. \u2015\u2015\n Near here was the Scene of the Miracle. \u2015\u2015 Mouth of the Jordan.\n \u2015\u2015 Bethsaida Julias. \u2015\u2015 Feeding of the Five Thousand. \u2015\u2015 Our\n Lord Walking on the Sea. \u2015\u2015 Home of Mary Magdalene. \u2015\u2015 Rich\n Plain of Gennesaret. \u2015\u2015 Parables. \u2015\u2015 Site of Capernaum. \u2015\u2015\n Fountain of the Fig. \u2015\u2015 Thrilling History of the City as\n connected with Christ. \u2015\u2015 The Woe. \u2015\u2015 Desolation. \u2015\u2015 Bethsaida.\n \u2015\u2015 Birthplace of Peter, James, and John. \u2015\u2015 Not Bethsaida\n Julias. \u2015\u2015 Influence of natural Scenery upon the Formation\n of Character. \u2015\u2015 Chorazin. \u2015\u2015 Sudden Gale upon the Sea. \u2015\u2015\n Extensive Remains of the City. \u2015\u2015 Without an Inhabitant. \u2015\u2015\n Upper Jordan. \u2015\u2015 Waters of Merom. \u2015\u2015 Tell el-K\u00e2dy. \u2015\u2015 City of\n Dan. \u2015\u2015 Its Fountain. \u2015\u2015 C\u00e6sarea Philippi. \u2015\u2015 Town of Hasbeiya.\n \u2015\u2015 Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Highest perennial Source of the Jordan. \u2015\u2015\n Mount Hermon. \u2015\u2015 Vast and grand Prospect from its lofty\n Summit. \u2015\u2015 Scriptural Allusions. \u2015\u2015 \u201cValley of the Pigeons.\u201d\n \u2015\u2015 Sublime Ravine. \u2015\u2015 Mount of Beatitudes. \u2015\u2015 Battle of Hattin.\n \u2015\u2015 Defeat of the Crusaders. \u2015\u2015 Triumph of Saladin. \u2015\u2015 Route\n to Nazareth. \u2015\u2015 Its authentic History is not older than the\n Christian Era. \u2015\u2015 Its Valley and Mountains. \u2015\u2015 Population.\n \u2015\u2015 Schools. \u2015\u2015 Legendary Sites. \u2015\u2015 Scene of the Annunciation.\n \u2015\u2015 House and Shop of Joseph. \u2015\u2015 Pictures. \u2015\u2015 Fountain. \u2015\u2015\n Beautiful Girls of Nazareth. \u2015\u2015 Mount of Precipitation. \u2015\u2015\n True Mount. \u2015\u2015 View. \u2015\u2015 Scene of our Lord\u2019s Childhood and\n Manhood.\n\n\n CHAPTER XIV.\n\n Ph\u0153nicia. \u2015\u2015 Its Extent and Fertility. \u2015\u2015 Origin of the\n Ph\u0153nicians. \u2015\u2015 Their Commerce. \u2015\u2015 Their Learning. \u2015\u2015 Departure\n from Nazareth. \u2015\u2015 Cana of Galilee. \u2015\u2015 First Christian Wedding.\n \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Vale of Abil\u00een. \u2015\u2015 Plain of Accho. \u2015\u2015 City of\n \u2019Akka. \u2015\u2015 Names. \u2015\u2015 Metropolis of the Crusaders. \u2015\u2015 Their\n Destruction. \u2015\u2015 Gibbon. \u2015\u2015 The Moslem Nero. \u2015\u2015 Napoleon\u2019s\n Defeat. \u2015\u2015 Road to Tyre. \u2015\u2015 Summer Palace. \u2015\u2015 Excavations. \u2015\u2015\n Wild and dangerous Pass. \u2015\u2015 Antiquity of Tyre. \u2015\u2015 Three Tyres.\n \u2015\u2015 Stupendous Water-works. \u2015\u2015 Continental Tyre. \u2015\u2015 Sins and\n Judgments. \u2015\u2015 Glory departed. \u2015\u2015 How Prophecy was fulfilled.\n \u2015\u2015 Insular Tyre. \u2015\u2015 Tyre of the Crusaders. \u2015\u2015 Cathedral. \u2015\u2015\n Tomb of Hiram. \u2015\u2015 Wonderful Temple. \u2015\u2015 Sarepta. \u2015\u2015 Zidon. \u2015\u2015\n Gardens. \u2015\u2015 Ancient Glory. \u2015\u2015 Wars. \u2015\u2015 Harbor. \u2015\u2015 Citadel. \u2015\u2015\n Tombs. \u2015\u2015 Interesting Discoveries. \u2015\u2015 Ornaments.\n\n\n CHAPTER XV.\n\n Mountains of Lebanon. \u2015\u2015 Grand Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Sublime View. \u2015\u2015\n Mountain Traveling. \u2015\u2015 Scriptural Allusions. \u2015\u2015 Cedars of\n Lebanon. \u2015\u2015 Their Number, Appearance, and symbolic Character.\n \u2015\u2015 Population of the Mountains. \u2015\u2015 Districts and Peculiarities\n of the Druzes and Maronites. \u2015\u2015 New Road. \u2015\u2015 Crossing the\n Mountains. \u2015\u2015 Plain of the Buk\u00e2\u2019a. \u2015\u2015 Leontes. \u2015\u2015 A swollen\n River. \u2015\u2015 Ancient Cities. \u2015\u2015 Imposing Cavalcade. \u2015\u2015 Wives of\n the Pasha of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 First View of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 Splendor\n and Enjoyments of the Interior of the City. \u2015\u2015 Great Plain\n of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 Abana and Pharpar. \u2015\u2015 Scene of St. Paul\u2019s\n Conversion. \u2015\u2015 City without Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Antiquity and thrilling\n History of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 House of Judas. \u2015\u2015 Home of Ananias.\n \u2015\u2015 \u201cStreet called Straight.\u201d \u2015\u2015 Naaman\u2019s Palace. \u2015\u2015 Tombs of\n the Great. \u2015\u2015 Location of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 Walls and Gates. \u2015\u2015 Old\n Castle. \u2015\u2015 Great Mosque. \u2015\u2015 Gardens of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 Commerce\n of the City. \u2015\u2015 Curiosities in the Bazars. \u2015\u2015 Population.\n \u2015\u2015 Christian Citizens. \u2015\u2015 Origin of the Massacre of 1860. \u2015\u2015\n Its Progress. \u2015\u2015 Terrible Scenes. \u2015\u2015 American Vice-Consul.\n \u2015\u2015 Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Sad Results. \u2015\u2015 Defense of the Christians by\n Abd-el-Kader. \u2015\u2015 Visit to the Chieftain of Algiers. \u2015\u2015 Our\n Reception. \u2015\u2015 Testimonials. \u2015\u2015 His Appearance. \u2015\u2015 Conclusion.\n \u2015\u2015 Political History of Palestine. \u2015\u2015 Its Condition under the\n Turks. \u2015\u2015 It is now in a Transition State. \u2015\u2015 Possessions of\n European Nations. \u2015\u2015 Future of the Holy Land. \u2015\u2015 Christian\n Missions. \u2015\u2015 Decline of Mohammedanism. \u2015\u2015 Religious Liberty.\n \u2015\u2015 Future Glory.\n\n\n\n\n LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.\n\n\n Jerusalem\n Maps of Southern and Northern Palestine\n Immense Stones of Solomon\u2019s Age\n Golden Gate\u2015\u2015Interior View\n Mount Zion and Tower of Hippicus\n Jews\u2019 Place of Wailing\n Solomon\u2019s Bridge\n Mount Moriah, with a View of the Mosque of Omar\n Solomon\u2019s subterranean Passage-way\n Tombs of the Judges\n Tombs of the Kings\n Absalom\u2019s Pillar restored\n Tombs in the Valley of Jehoshaphat\n Fountain of the Virgin\n Pool of Siloam\n Lower Pool of Gihon\n Pool of Hezekiah\n Bethany\n Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives\n Via Dolorosa and the Arch of the Ecce Homo\n Church of the Holy Sepulchre\u2015\u2015Front View\n View of the Holy Sepulchre\n Ground Plan of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre\n View of Modern Jerusalem, from the Mount of Olives\n Raven\n Plain of Jericho and View of the Dead Sea, from the North\n Shooting the Rapids\n Dead Sea\n Masada\n Convent of M\u00e2r S\u00e2ba\n View of Bethlehem\n Cave of the Nativity\n Interior of the Church of the Nativity\n Tomb of Herod the Great\u2015\u2015Herodium\n Hebron\n Urt\u00e2s\n Solomon\u2019s Pools\n Gaza\n Ruins of Askelon\n Ashdod\n Joppa from the North\n Ramleh, or the \u201cLook-out\u201d\n Church of St. George\n Gibeon\n Nablous\n Jacob\u2019s Well\n Sam\u01ceria\n Ancient C\u00e6sarea\n Women grinding at a Mill\n Arab Encampment\n Jezreel\n Nain\n Mount Tabor\n Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee\n Ruins and Tombs of Gadara\n Plain of Gennesaret and Home of Mary Magdalene\n Upper Jordan\n \u201cValley of the Pigeons\u201d\n Nazareth\n Acre from the East\n Ladder of Tyre\n Tyre\n Has el-\u2019A\u012dn\n Tomb of Hiram\n Sidon\n Cedars of Lebanon\n\n\n\n\n PROLOGUE.\n\n\nThe Land and the Book are inseparable. Like prophecy and history they\ncomplement each other. They are the reciprocal witnesses of the same\ngreat truth. They stand or fall together. Our chief interest in\nPalestine is the confirmation of scriptural allusions to its topography,\nthe scene of personal and national history. The sacred writers make\nincidental references to towns and cities, to valleys and mountains, to\nlakes and rivers, to battlefields and other scenes of important events,\naround which will forever cluster the most hallowed associations of\nour religious faith. They make these allusions with an accuracy of\nstatement which to-day is in proof of the sincerity of their purpose\nand the truthfulness of their record. There is a sublime naturalness\nin their narration which is monumental evidence of the facts which they\nhave transmitted to mankind. These frequent off-hand references clearly\nindicate that the sacred writers resided in Bible Lands, that they\nwitnessed the events they recorded, and were familiar with the times,\nplaces, and persons of which they wrote.\n\nUnbelievers realize the force of this argument and have sought, but\nin vain, to charge the inspired penmen with inaccuracy, and thus throw\ndistrust upon their history; but they have found to their consternation,\nboth by personal observation and the testimony of travelers, that the\nBible is the most reliable handbook of Palestine extant.\n\nDuring one of my visits to Jerusalem I chanced to meet a venerable\nEnglish barrister who had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to write\na book against the Bible founded on the supposed discrepancies between\nthe Land and the Book; and I subsequently met him at Beyroot, after his\n_fruitless_ journey from \u201cDan to Beersheba.\u201d While at Mosul, opposite\nancient Nineveh, I met George Smith, sent forth by a London journalist\nto explore the Assyrian ruins, and who, as arch\u00e6ologist and philologist,\nranks with Layard and Rassam. He went out an unbeliever, but such is\nthe agreement between the record of the ruins and the record of the\nBook, that Mr. Smith returned to London a believer, and lectured before\nthe Society of Biblical Arch\u00e6ology on the marvelous synchronisms of the\nAssyrian tablets and the sacred historians.\n\n_From Dan to Beersheba_ was written to verify these references. It\nhas the advantage of having been written on the scene of the recorded\nevent, in notes taken for future elaboration of all that had transpired\nthereon, whether in sacred or profane history. It was my custom, from\nwhich I seldom deviated, to read on the spot every reference in the\nBible to each locality I visited, and to record my observations and\nimpressions while my mind was aglow with the recollections of the\nhallowed associations of the place and impressed with the extraordinary\nagreement between the inspired narration and the present aspect of the\nscene where the grand events had transpired; so that the traveler of\nto-day, with this book in hand, will have his memory refreshed and his\nmind inspired by a picture of what once occurred on the accredited\nhistoric site.\n\nThrough all the turbulent centuries since Christ ascended, Palestine\nhas been a \u201cchangeless land,\u201d whose social customs, mechanic arts,\ncommercial and manufactural methods have suffered little from contact\nwith Western civilization, and it should be the ambition of Christendom\nto preserve it _intact_ to the last generation of mankind. Providence\ncalls us to preserve this monumental land. The changeful influence of\nthe mighty West is seen to-day on lower Egypt, on Asia Minor, on Grecia\nand Rome in Europe, but Palestine abides the same forever; as Christ\nand his apostles left it we now see it, and so should it be seen by\nall future ages. Impelled by sectarian zeal or for political purposes,\nthe nations of Europe have sought supremacy there, and the Promised\nLand is the larger factor in the Eastern Question, but neither France,\nnor Russia, nor England should take possession, but rather a syndicate,\nrepresenting all nations and all creeds, should hold it in fee simple\nby purchase from the Sultan subject to such rights of property as may\nvest in the present inhabitants.\n\nIt is a land of buried cities which await the coming of the spade.\nNames are to be verified, places are to be identified, dates are to be\nreconciled. The whole land should be open to research. Modern Jerusalem\nshould be removed. The Jerusalem of Solomon and of Christ is from two\nto three hundred feet buried beneath the present city. That religious\nmetropolis of the world has suffered twenty-seven sieges, and eleven\ncities have been built upon the ancient site. Each conqueror leveled\nthe _d\u00e9bris_ and thereon reared his new capital. Vital questions await\nthe spade of the explorer. Much has been accomplished within the last\ntwenty years, and more awaits the efforts of the future.\n\nThe whole of western Palestine has been surveyed, and the biblical\ngains have been immense. Not less than six hundred and twenty-two names\nwest of the Jordan are given by the sacred writers. Of these we had\nknowledge of two hundred and sixty-two, and by the survey one hundred\nand seventy-two were discovered and added to our list, leaving one\nhundred and eighty-eight to be uncovered by the arch\u00e6ologist. Some of\nthese are insignificant, but others are of intense interest, such as\nMamre, Gethsemane, and Arimathea, around which cluster most hallowed\nmemories. The surveyors have determined the boundaries of the tribes,\nthe march of armies, the routes of pilgrims, merchants, and kings.\nBeautiful Tirzah, royal residence of Jeroboam, has been identified,\nwith its enchanting landscape\u2015\u2015\u201cBeautiful as Tirzah, comely as\nJerusalem\u201d\u2015\u2015and in the rocks are to be seen the tombs of the kings\nof Israel. The famous battlefield of Sisera and Deborah has been\ntraced, the relative positions of the contending hosts by the waters\nof Megiddo, the path of the flight of Sisera, when \u201cthe river Kishon\nswept them away, that river of battles, the river Kishon,\u201d the site of\nthe black tent of Heber the Kenite, where the generous Jael gave the\nroyal fugitive Leban a delicious preparation of curdled milk, and then,\nwhen he infringed upon oriental etiquette and insulted her womanhood by\nforcing himself into the women\u2019s apartments, the avengeful Jael drove\nthe iron tent-peg into the offender\u2019s brain.\n\nThe \u201cBrook Cherith,\u201d from which Elijah drank, and the \u201cValley of\nAchor,\u201d where Achan was stoned, have been identified, and the site of\nBethabara, dear to all Christians, has been recovered. The native name\nAb\u00e2rah, a passage or ferry, now marks one of the fords of the Jordan,\njust above where the Jal\u00fbd debouches into the sacred river, and means\nthe same as Bethabara\u2015\u2015a \u201cferry.\u201d This disarms the critics of the\nfourth gospel, inasmuch as Cana of Galilee is but twenty-two miles\nfrom Ab\u00e2rah, a day\u2019s journey, while from the traditional site of our\nLord\u2019s baptism the distance is eighty miles. Forty fords of the Jordan\nhave been identified; hundreds of ancient names have been recovered;\nthe site of Gilgal has been determined; the tombs of Joshua and of\nNun, and the tombs of Eleazar and Phinehas, successors of Aaron in\nthe priesthood, have been rescued from oblivion, and are to be seen in\nMount Ephraim, south of Shechem, all of which appear of great antiquity.\n\nIn the first chapter of this book I gave what seemed to me at the\ntime the wonderful correspondence between the prophetical descriptions\nof the twelve tribeships and the present aspects and conditions\nof those twelve sections, as to climate, physical features, soil,\ncultivation, and natural products, and the recent surveys more than\nconfirm this correspondence. It is now apparent that the boundaries of\nthe tribal possessions were rivers, ravines, ridges, and the watershed\nlines of the country, and, above all, the fertility of the soil was\nin accordance with the density of population, and this density is now\nindicated by the larger number of ancient ruins.\n\nWhile excavations have been made with more or less success in all the\nnotable sections of the land, those of chief interest to the biblical\nscholar are in and about the holy city. There shafts have been sunk\nthrough the _d\u00e9bris_ one hundred and twenty-five feet below the present\nsurface of the ground. In those researches the foundation stones of the\nwalls of the temple area were laid bare; Ph\u0153nician jars were found, on\nwhich are Ph\u0153nician characters; a subterranean passage was uncovered,\na secret passage for troops from the citadel to the temple in times of\ndanger; old aqueducts were brought to light; the ancient wall on Mount\nOphel was traced hundreds of feet; the first wall on Mount Zion, and\nthe probable site of the second wall, on which so much depends touching\nboth the Temple and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, were discovered.\nThe explorer has confirmed the historical statement of the glories of\nthe temple of God, one thousand feet long and two hundred feet high,\nthe grandest structure ever dedicated to divinity.\n\nIn their explorations they found fragments of earthenware at a depth\nof ninety feet, belonging to the city of the Jebusites, B.C. 1500;\nthey uncovered pavements, one of mezzah stone, and between the\npavements rubbish twenty feet deep, and under a second pavement was\nfound Haggai\u2019s seal, bearing the Hebrew inscription, \u201cHaggai, son of\nShebaniah,\u201d B.C. 500. And in those depths of the ages were found lamps,\ndishes, stone weights, and a Ph\u0153nician jar, standing upright where the\nworkmen of King Hiram of Tyre left it 3,000 years ago, and beautiful\nvases of black ware covered with crimson glaze. They were rewarded for\ntheir patient toil by uncovering immense columns, broken arches, vast\nvaults, the bases of great towers, and large water tanks, four hundred\nfeet long, subterranean passageways, with their steps _in situ_,\nand strong triple gates; they exhumed the lower courses of Solomon\u2019s\ncity wall, seven hundred feet long and whereon are painted Ph\u0153nician\ncharacters in red paint, still bright, and they brought to light a\nstone cross inscribed, \u201cThe light of Christ shines forth for all.\u201d For\nthese magnificent results we are indebted to two Americans, Robinson\nand Barclay, and to two Englishmen, Warren and Conder.\n\nIn my visits to the holy city I experienced a keen regret that I was\nnot treading the streets trodden by Christ and his apostles. They\nare hidden beneath the accumulated rubbish of ages. As I walked the\ncrooked, neglected lanes of modern Jerusalem I felt I was treading upon\nthe buried temples and palaces and avenues of Solomon\u2019s glorious reign\nwhich await a resurrection by the spade, when the crescent goes down\nand the cross goes up. The regret I had experienced was relieved when\nI stood upon Mount Moriah, whose summit remains in its form and aspect\nas when Jesus \u201cwalked in Solomon\u2019s Porch;\u201d or when I crossed the little\nstone bridge which spans the Kedron, so often pressed by his weary feet;\nor when I sat on the slopes of Olivet and \u201cbeheld the city\u201d which in\nits former majesty and glory rose before his divine vision.\n\nUntil the uncivilized and uncivilizing Turk is driven from the holy\ncity, and until Christendom owns that religious metropolis of the world,\nand until the arch\u00e6ologist can pursue his noble work unmolested, two\nquestions will remain in dispute\u2015\u2015the site of Calvary and the site\nof the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Greeks and Latins claim that both\nare within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a claim which rests upon\nthe traditions of centuries, but which can never be substantiated\nbeyond a doubt until the second wall of the Jerusalem of Christ can be\ndefinitely traced. Both English and American explorers of to-day place\nCalvary on the ridge over the Grotto of Jeremiah, north of the city and\nnear the Damascus Gate. From immemorial time this has been called the\n\u201cHill of Execution;\u201d it resembles the human skull, and the Jews esteem\nit accursed, and exclaim as they pass it, \u201cCursed be he who destroyed\nour nation by aspiring to be king thereof.\u201d And to the west of the hill,\ntwo hundred yards north of the Damascus Gate, on one side is a lane\nleading to St. Stephen\u2019s Church, and opposite is an arched gateway of\nstone, with wooden door, which opens into a garden, and in the garden\nis the tomb. The tomb has never been finished, yet it has been occupied;\nits construction is Herodian, about the time of Christ; it has been\noccupied for only one burial; it is a Jewish tomb and designed for one\nof wealth and influence; it has been used for Christian worship, and\nupon its walls can now be traced faintly a frescoed cross with the\nsacred monograms.\n\nInteresting and remarkable as are the recoveries thus far made, a\nlarger future awaits the arch\u00e6ologist. There are venerable traditions\nwhich point to hidden vaults and subterranean passageways beneath\nancient Jerusalem wherein were secreted during the last and fatal\nsiege of the city the Ark of the Covenant, the autograph copy of the\nPentateuch, and the sacred vessels of the temple which were brought\nback from Babylon, and these traditions have been confirmed by the\nexcavations of the present day. And there is good reason to believe\nthat St. Matthew\u2019s gospel in Hebrew, together with some of the\napostolic letters, were deposited in a place of security when the storm\nof persecution burst upon the Church in Jerusalem. A few inscriptions\nhave been found and translated, illustrative of the Scripture record.\nA tablet has been recovered on which is an inscription in Greek\u2015\u2015the\ncharacters are monumental in size\u2015\u2015which is a notice to strangers not\nto pass through the sacred inclosure of the temple: \u201cNo stranger is\nto enter within the balustrade round the temple inclosure; whoever is\ncaught will be responsible to himself for his death, which will ensue.\u201d\nThis recalls the episode recorded in Acts xxi, 26, when St. Paul,\nafter his purification, was accused of introducing into the temple\nthe Gentile Trophimus of Ephesus, which caused a riot, that was\nquelled by the intervention of the Tribune, who rescued Paul. In the\nPool of Siloam there was discovered an inscription, the letters of\nwhich closely resemble those on the Moabite stone. On this tablet,\ntwenty-seven inches square, is recorded in six lines a commemoration\nof the completion of the tunnel, which is a third of a mile long and\nconnects the Virgin\u2019s Fount with the Pool of Siloam, and dates back to\nthe reign of Solomon. And at Bethphage a stone was uncovered on which\nare frescoes representing the raising of Lazarus and the triumphal\nprocession in honor of our Lord, and strong arguments are adduced that\non this stone the Saviour rested when he sent his disciples to the city.\nThese are but intimations of the future, when biblical research can be\ncarried forward unhindered by the greed of the Turk or the fanaticism\nof the Jew.\n\nWhile we wait patiently for the incoming of that better day, Jerusalem\nis attracting the attention of all peoples. Palestine is still the\n\u201chigh bridge\u201d of the nations, over which the commerce of the world\nmust pass from west to east. The old saying of Scripture is still true:\n\u201cI have set Jerusalem in the midst of the nations,\u201d and for some wise\npurpose it is destined to be the religious metropolis of the world.\nSixty thousand people dwell within her walls; eight thousand Turks hold\nthe city and rule it with an iron hand. They have neither patriotism\nnor honor; they are robbers in the disguise of government officials.\nForty-two thousand Jews have come from Spain, Poland, and the ends of\nthe earth, who are paupers, and who divide their time between wailing\nover their departed glory and living on the charity of others. Ten\nthousand Christians are denizens of the once proud city, who stand\nguard over the \u201csacred places\u201d and are the thrift and hope of the place.\nFour thousand orthodox Greeks and four thousand orthodox Latins watch\neach other with a jealous eye, and are ready for the fray whenever\nthe \u201cSilver Star of Bethlehem is stolen.\u201d The Arminian Christians are\nmerchant princes; the Syrians live on the venerable past; the Copts\nand Abyssinians are few and poor; and the four hundred Protestants\nrepresent the brain, the heart, the enterprise, the piety, and the\ncharity of modern Jerusalem. They are American and Scotch Presbyterians,\nGerman Lutherans, and Anglican Episcopalians. They have founded\nhospitals, organized schools, built churches, created a healthful\nliterature, and are the energy of public opinion. While many are\nwaiting for the restoration of the Jews these noble Protestant\nChristians are preparing the way for the coming of the Lord, when\nJerusalem shall be rebuilt and made holy and once again be the joy of\nthe whole earth.\n\n Illustration: \u2021 signature of John P. Newman.\n\n Illustration: NORTHERN PALESTINE.\n\n Illustration: SOUTHERN PALESTINE.\n\n\n\n\n FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER I.\n\n The two Boundaries. \u2015\u2015 The parallel Mountains. \u2015\u2015 The great\n Valley. \u2015\u2015 Inspired Eulogies. \u2015\u2015 Sterile Soil. \u2015\u2015 Gibbon\u2019s\n Comparison. \u2015\u2015 Natural and miraculous Causes of present\n Sterility. \u2015\u2015 Testimonies of pagan Authors on the ancient\n Productions of Palestine. \u2015\u2015 Land coveted by the great Nations\n of Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 A Land of Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Present Fertility and\n Fruits. \u2015\u2015 Richness of the North. \u2015\u2015 Volney on the Variety\n of the Climate of Palestine. \u2015\u2015 Beauties of Spring in the\n Promised Land. \u2015\u2015 Flowers. \u2015\u2015 Magnificent Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Standard\n of Landscape Beauty. \u2015\u2015 Palestine is a World in Miniature.\n \u2015\u2015 Illustrations. \u2015\u2015 Prophetical Descriptions of the twelve\n Tribeships. \u2015\u2015 Wonderful Correspondence.\n\n\nTHE boundaries of Palestine are defined by the sacred writers according\nto the Land of Possession and the Land of Promise. The extreme length\nof the former is 180 miles from north to south, the average breadth\n50 miles from east to west, and it has a superficial area of 14,000\nsquare miles. The latter is 360 miles long, 100 broad, and contains\n2,800 square miles, being three and a half times larger than New\nJersey, twice as large as Maryland, of equal extent with South Carolina,\nand of exact proportion to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont\ncombined. The limits of the lesser area are from \u201cDan to Beersheba\u201d\nnorth and south, and from the Jordan to the Mediterranean east and\nwest. The boundaries of the greater area are from the \u201cWaters of Strife,\nin Kadesh,\u201d on the south, to the \u201centrance of Hamath\u201d on the north,\nand from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean to the western border\nof the Arabian Desert.[1] Moses describes the Land of Promise;[2]\nSamuel, the Land of Possession;[3] the former, what was included in the\noriginal grant; the latter, what was actually possessed by the \u201cchosen\npeople.\u201d And although the twelve tribeships remained substantially the\nsame as surveyed by Joshua, yet both David and Solomon held dominion\nfrom the Nile to the Euphrates, and in them was fulfilled God\u2019s promise\nto Abraham.[4]\n\nIt is the remark of an eminent writer that \u201cthere is no district on\nthe face of the globe containing so many and such sudden transitions as\nPalestine, being at once a land of mountains, plains, and valleys.\u201d[5]\nFar to the north, at the \u201centering of Hamath,\u201d commence two parallel\nranges of limestone mountains, extending southward to the Desert of T\u00eeh\nand Arabia Petr\u00e6a, which are branches of the ancient Taurus chain, and\na continuation of that mountain tract stretching from the Bay of Issus\nto the Desert of Arabia, called Lebanon. The western ridge attains its\ngreatest altitude, opposite Ba\u2019albek, in Jebel Mukhmel, whose summit\nrises 13,000 feet above the level of the sea. Continuing southward\nto the point opposite Tyre, the chain is broken by the River Leontes\nflowing through a sublime gorge into the Mediterranean. Decreasing\nin height, but expanding in breadth, the ridge continues south of\nthe ravine to the hills of Nazareth and the wooded cone of Tabor,\nwhere it is broken again by the great plain of Esdraelon, through\nwhich the Kishon flows to the sea, separating the hills of Galilee\nfrom the mountains of Samaria. Coming up from the Bay of \u2019Akka in a\nsoutheasterly direction is Mount Carmel, immediately to the south of\nwhich are the hills of Samaria. Rising from the southern border of\nEsdraelon, and stretching southward thirty-three miles, they terminate\nin Ebal and Gerizim, where the chain is broken for the third time by\nthe Plain of Mukhnah. Beyond this vale are the mountains of Ephraim,\nextending to Bethel, where the Heights of Benjamin begin, which extend\nto the valley of the Kedron. Here the ridge takes the name of the \u201cHill\nCountry of Judea,\u201d running in a wide, low, irregular mountain tract\nto the southern limit of Palestine. Excepting the promontory of Carmel,\nthe southern section of the Lebanon range is farther removed from the\nsea, leaving at its base a maritime plain more than 150 miles long,\nembracing the beautiful Sharon on the north, and the Land of Philistia\non the south.\n\nTwenty miles to the east of the Lebanon, and at the \u201centering of\nHamath,\u201d the anti-Lebanon chain begins, running parallel to the former\nin a southwestern direction. Though of less general altitude than\nits companion ridge, it includes Mount Hermon, 10,000 feet high, and\nrivaling in the grandeur of its form and the sublimity of its scenery\nthe loftiest peaks of Syria. Thirty-three miles south of Hermon the\neastern range sweeps round the Sea of Galilee, taking the name of the\nMountains of Gilead along the east bank of the Jordan, and the names of\nAmmon and Moab along the shore of the Dead Sea, and finally terminating\nwith the hills of Arabia Petra at the head of the Bay of Akabah.\n\nNext to these mountain chains, the most remarkable feature in the\nphysical geography of Palestine is the great valley, which, commencing\namid the ruins of ancient Antioch, runs southward between the two\nparallel ridges of Lebanon and anti-Lebanon. Measuring more than 300\nmiles in length, and being from seven to ten miles broad, it serves as\nthe bed of the Orontes, the Lit\u00e2ny, and the Jordan. Bearing the name of\nC\u0153lesyria, its southern section has an elevation of 2300 feet above the\nsea; but from its westerly branch, through which the Leontes flows to\nthe village of Hasbeiya, it rapidly descends, and at its intersection\nwith the Plain of el-H\u00fbleh, a distance of less than twenty miles,\n_it is on a level with the sea_. At the Lake of Tiberias it has a\ndepression of 653 feet, and reaches its greatest depth in the chasm of\nthe Dead Sea, the surface of whose waters is 1312 feet below the level\nof the Mediterranean.\n\nTo the cursory observer there is an air of extravagance in the\ninspired descriptions of the Promised Land. Dwelling with delight upon\nthe fruits of the soil, the pleasures of the climate, and the grandeur\nof the scenery, the poets and historians of the Bible ascribe to it a\nmarvelous fertility, and in their glowing encomiums other lands sink\ninto insignificance when compared to the favored inheritance of Jacob,\nand even the rich valley of the Nile is to be cheerfully exchanged\nfor the rich hills and valleys of Palestine.[6] Such was to be its\nrichness, that from the \u201ccattle on a thousand hills,\u201d and from the\nthymy shrubs and the numberless bees inhabiting its venerable forests,\nit was to be \u201ca land flowing with milk and honey.\u201d[7] Such was to be\nits fruitfulness, that the \u201cthreshing was to reach unto the vintage,\nand the vintage reach unto the sowing-time.\u201d[8]\n\nSuch was to be its metallic wealth, that it was to be \u201ca land whose\nstones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig copper.\u201d[9]\nUnlike Egypt, which is dependent upon the Nile for a supply of water,\nit was to be a country superior in its mountain springs and in its\n\u201cearly and latter rains.\u201d[10] Repeating the eulogistic utterances of\nMoses, and realizing the promises he had made, five centuries later\nDavid sings, \u201cThe pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys are\ncovered with corn; they shout for joy; they also sing. The Lord causeth\nthe grass to grow for cattle, and herb for the service of man, that he\nmay bring forth food out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the\nheart of man, and oil to make his face to shine.\u201d[11]\n\nBut, whatever may have been the appearance of Southern Palestine in\nthose distant ages, it appears at present, especially its mountain\nregions, to be little better than a vast limestone quarry, covered with\nsmall gray stones, offensive to the eye, painful to the foot of man and\nbeast, and seemingly incapable of a harvest. An aspect so sterile and\nforbidding induced the author of \u201cThe Decline and Fall of the Roman\nEmpire\u201d to institute the comparison that \u201cPalestine is a territory\nscarcely superior to Wales either in fertility or extent.\u201d[12]\nConceding this apparent barrenness, the causes of the change which\nhas taken place in the lapse of so many centuries are at once natural\nand miraculous. The frequent changes of government, the rapacity of\nofficials, the insecurity of property, the religious animosity of rival\nsects, the barbarian ignorance of the peasantry as to the enlightened\nprinciples of agriculture, together with a moral degradation\nuniversally prevalent, are adequate causes, when operating during a\nlong series of years, to change the face of any country, and doom it to\nalmost irreclaimable barrenness. It is also true that the destruction\nof the woods of any section on the earth\u2019s surface, and particularly\nthe trees on the mountain-tops, which invite and arrest the passing\nclouds, tends to the diminution of rain and to the consequent evils of\nthe drought. The condition of Germany since the disappearance of its\ngreat forests, and of Greece since the fall of the large plane-trees\nwhich once shaded the bare landscape of Attica,[13] illustrates the\nfact that where the land is denuded of its herbage and foliage, which\ncasts a cooling shade upon the ground, the scorching rays of the sun\npenetrate more certainly and intensely, promoting evaporation, causing\nthe springs and fountains to fail, and at the same time increasing the\nabsorbent capacity of the soil;[14] but where the valleys are clothed\nwith verdure, and the mountains with forests, a larger quantity of\nmoisture is retained in the ground, a lower temperature exists in\nthe atmosphere, and the clouds are drawn to the spot in obedience to\nmeteorological laws.[15] To Titus belongs the shame of having stripped\nthe hills about Jerusalem of their magnificent olive-groves, and,\nfrom the destruction of the Holy City to the present century, Southern\nPalestine has been a vast common for the marauding and predatory bands\nof Saracens and Persians, of Mamelukes and Turks, whose innumerable\nherds and flocks have wandered at liberty over gardens and fields,\nthrough groves and forests, consuming and destroying both plants and\ntrees, and thereby diminishing the usual quantity of rain in the proper\nseasons.\n\nWhile to every candid mind such are sufficient causes for this\napparent sterility, yet to the Christian a miraculous interference\nwith the ordinary course of nature for the attainment of a moral end\nis an additional consideration why Palestine is not now what it was in\nthe days of Moses and David. Assuming to exercise a special care over\nthe land, Jehovah represents himself as sending and withholding rain\naccording to the obedience or disobedience of his chosen people: \u201cThou\nhast polluted the land with thy wickedness, therefore the showers\nhave been withholden, and there has been no latter rain.\u201d[16] \u201cI have\nwithholden the rain from you when there were yet three months to the\nharvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not\nto rain upon another city.\u201d[17] Hazardous as it would seem, in human\nestimation, to suspend the continuance of rain and national prosperity\nupon the continued faithfulness of human beings, yet it most evidently\nappears that, so long as the Jews remained faithful and obedient as\na nation, just so long, and no longer, was their land blessed with\nprosperity; and, whenever they became guilty of defection, the rains of\nheaven were withheld, and their land became desolate. The evil, however,\nexperienced by the present tiller of the soil is not the want of rain,\nbut rather its proper distribution. Whatever effect the denudation\nof the country of its foliage may have had to diminish the vernal and\nsummer showers, it is a remarkable fact that it rains more copiously in\nSyria than in the United States; but, commencing in November, the rainy\nseason continues only till February, while during the eight or nine\nsucceeding months there is scarcely a shower falls. Such an unequal\ndistribution of rain could not fail to injure the most fertile portions\nof the globe.[18]\n\nThough unquestionably true that the structure and composition of\nthe soil for miles around Jerusalem must always have been essentially\nwhat it is now, of a rough limestone nature, and as such it must have\nappeared in the palmiest age of the Jewish commonwealth, yet in those\nhappier days, under a mild and an enlightened government, no part was\nwaste; the more fertile hills were cultivated in artificial terraces,\nothers were covered with orchards of fruit-trees, while the more\nrocky and barren districts were converted into vineyards. But in the\nprocess of time the terraces which supported the soil upon the steep\ndeclivities have been destroyed, and the accumulated earth has been\nswept away by the rains, leaving naked hills \u201cwhere once grew the corn\nand crept the vine.\u201d\n\nThose who quote Gibbon against Moses and David with so much triumph,\nshould also cite pagan authors of higher antiquity and of equal\nauthority in their favor. In his description of Jericho, Strabo speaks\nof \u201ca grove of palms, and a country of a hundred stadia full of springs\nand well-peopled.\u201d According to Tacitus, \u201cthe inhabitants of Palestine\nare healthy and robust, the rains moderate, and the soil fertile.\u201d\nAmmianus Marcellinus is even more explicit than his predecessors:\n\u201cThe last of the Syrias is Palestine, a country of considerable extent,\nabounding in clean and well-cultivated land, and containing some fine\ncities, none of which yield to the other, but, as it were, being on a\nparallel, are rivals.\u201d[19]\n\nRegarding it as a valuable accession to their dominions, Palestine\nwas a prize for which the Assyrians and Egyptians, the Greeks and\nRomans, the Persians and Saracens, fought to conquer and retain. To\neach it was the \u201cdiamond of the desert;\u201d and coveting the fruits of\nthe soil, and sighing for the delights of the climate, they each in\nturn also contended for the advantages its central position afforded\nas a military station between the east and west, the north and south.\nCharmed with its gardens, the fascinating Cleopatra induced Antony to\ntake from Herod the Great the noble plain of Jericho and annex it to\nher dominions, that she might possess the celebrated balm and the other\nvaluable drugs and fruits it then produced.[20] Delighted with its\nfertility, its opulence, and populousness, Chosroes of Persia aspired\nto its permanent conquest; and, a quarter of a century later, the\nSaracens feared to have Omar see Jerusalem, lest the richness of the\nsurrounding country and the purity of the air might tempt him never to\nreturn to the holy city of Medina. As significant of its fruitfulness,\nboth Vespasian and Titus caused medals to be struck on which Palestine\nis represented by a female under a palm-tree; and there are medals\nstill extant on which Herod is represented as holding a bunch of grapes,\nand the young Agrippa as displaying fruit.[21]\n\nConfirming alike the testimony of both sacred and profane writers,\nthere are still two traces of the ancient productiveness of the soil.\nOn the plains, in the valleys, upon the hills, every where, from the\nriver to the sea, from \u201cDan to Beersheba,\u201d are ruins\u2015\u2015broken cisterns,\nprostrate walls, crumbling terraces, and old foundations, indicating\nthe greatness of an earlier population, and the abundant harvests which\nsupported the millions once dwelling within these narrow limits. These\nsilent but unmistakable indications of the populousness of a former age\nare more significant than the testimony of Tacitus and Josephus. Though\nwanting the air of grandeur of the ruins of Thebes and Palmyra, yet\nthere is the vineyard tower, the peasant\u2019s cottage, the streets, the\nwalls, the dwellings of the once large and thriving village; and on the\nhillside and in the field is seen the ruined sheepfold, the wine-press,\nthe ancient oil and flour mill; while along all the highways, and\nin many a retired valley, are water-tanks and reservoirs now dry and\nbroken. Neither in Egypt nor in Greece is the aspect of desolation more\ncomplete. In the one and in the other are the remains of mighty cities,\nwith their stupendous temples and magnificent palaces; but here, in\nclose proximity, as one might expect to find in a country of shepherds\nand husbandmen, is the mound of ruins, the forsaken village, the\ndesolate city.\n\nLike the remains of those ancient habitations, there are still\nevidences, in the present capacity and products of the soil, sustaining\nthe claim that the Holy Land was once a land of \u201cwheat and barley,\u201d\nof \u201cwine and oil.\u201d As of old, the Plain of Jericho repays the toil of\nhusbandry, and only requires proper tillage to make it \u201ceven as the\ngarden of the Lord.\u201d For many miles around Joppa the Plain of Sharon\nis a vast and beautiful garden, yielding the most delicious oranges,\nlemons, plums, quinces, apricots, and bananas. In the Vale of Eshcol\nand on the Heights of Urt\u00e2s are produced the finest grapes in the world;\nwhile around all the larger towns of Philistia, and in the environs of\nHebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Gibeon, are the largest and richest\nolive-groves, fig and almond orchards in the East.\n\nThough forbidding in aspect and apparently hopelessly sterile, yet,\nconsidering the nature of the soil, the kind of crops it is best\nadapted to produce, and the crude husbandry here practiced, the flinty\nregion of Southern Palestine is equal in productiveness to many of\nthe best portions of Europe and America. All that can be reasonably\ndemanded of a country is to yield in fair proportion, with ordinary\nappliances, the indigenous fruits of the climate. The mountain tract\nfrom Shiloh to Hebron is the proper region for the olive and the vine,\nand one acre of the stony surface of Olivet, planted with olive-trees\nand carefully tended, would yield more through the exchanges of\ncommerce toward human subsistence than a larger tract of the richest\nland in New York planted to corn. While corn is simply an article\nof food, the olive berry subserves a variety of purposes. Besides\nbeing used by the natives for food, and, as such, in large quantities\nexported to other countries, it contains a delicious oil, which,\nin domestic life, is the substitute for butter and lard, and in\nmanufacture is employed in making soap and candles, and for lubricating\nmachinery.[22] While, as in the days of the Psalmist, the olive and the\ngrape, together with wheat, barley, and corn, are the staples of life,\nyet there are here annually raised in great abundance cauliflowers,\ncabbages, radishes, lettuce, beans, peas, onions, garlic, carrots,\nbeets, leeks, lentiles, celery, parsley, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes,\npumpkins, together with the egg-plant and sugar-cane. There are also\ncultivated, in all their deliciousness, figs, apricots, peaches, plums,\noranges, lemons, citrons, limes, mandrakes, pomegranates, apples,\npears, dates, bananas, quinces, cherries, watermelons, muskmelons, with\nalmonds, pistachios, and walnuts. In many northern districts cotton\nand tobacco are extensively cultivated, while in all sections herds of\ncattle and flocks of sheep and goats are raised for food and raiment.\nPossessing a climate marked with the peculiarities of the three zones,\nand yielding annually such harvests of grains and fruits for the\nsustenance of more than a million and a half of people, the Promised\nLand, under an enlightened Christian government, might be restored to\nits original fertility and pristine beauty.\n\nWhatever apology is necessary for the vindication of the sacred writers\nas to the southern portion of their native land, none, however, is\nneeded to sustain them in their loftiest praises of all their ancient\nterritory north of the ruins of Bethel. While in the south \u201cJudah\nwashed his garments in wine and his cloths in the blood of grapes,\u201d\nin the north the powerful house of Joseph had the \u201cprecious things of\nheaven and the precious things of the lasting hills.\u201d Beyond the tribal\npossessions of Benjamin the soil is no less rich than the scenery is\ngrand; within the inheritance of Ephraim, the Plain of Mukhnah and the\nVale of Shechem resemble vast gardens, while the mountains and valleys\nof Samaria, the plains of Sharon and Esdraelon, and the fields and\nhills of Galilee, stretching from the lakes to the sea, pronounce their\nown eulogy.\n\nAn elegant writer has justly observed that \u201cSyria unites different\nclimates under the same sky, and collects within a small compass\npleasures and productions which nature has elsewhere dispersed at\ngreat distances of time and place. To the advantage which perpetuates\nenjoyments it adds another, that of multiplying them by the variety of\nits productions.\u201d[23]\n\nThough lying within the same parallels of latitude with Washington\nand New Orleans, yet, owing to its peculiar geological structure and\nconfiguration, the climate is essentially different. On the higher\nslopes of Lebanon the summer months are cool and pleasant as on our\nnative Catskills, but in the deep valley of the Jordan, and on the\nshores of the Dead Sea, the heat is as intense and debilitating\nas on the plains of Southern India. Along the sea-board the same\nvariety prevails. Where the high mountains crowd down upon the coast,\nreflecting the light and heat of a Syrian sun, the region is sultry and\nunhealthy, but where the mountains retire and the soil is dry the air\nis pure and delightful.\n\nProperly speaking, there are but two seasons in Palestine,\nappropriately described in that sublime repetition\u2015\u2015\u201cwinter and summer,\ncold and heat, seed-time and harvest;\u201d but on the mountain range the\nfour seasons are distinctly perceptible. Though the loftier summits\nof Lebanon are covered with snow the year round, yet frost and ice are\nonly occasionally seen in the vicinity of Jerusalem. While in summer\na gentle breeze from the Mediterranean plays over the central ridge\nfrom morning till night, at other seasons of the year the winds blow\na tornado. Sand-storms arise, blinding to the eyes, and rendering\nnear objects indistinct; hail-storms are frequent and violent, and, as\nof old, the \u201csouth wind\u201d blows, lasting for many days at a time, and\nfrequently assuming all the dreadful characteristics of the sirocco.\n\nCommencing with the beginning of November, the winter rains continue\nwith short intervals until March, when spring wears her floral mantle,\nand, casting its ample folds over the Land of Promise, hides its\notherwise rougher features; then follows the long rainless summer, with\ntransparent atmosphere and hazy skies alternating, and with intense\nheat, parched soil, and streams few and scanty, which is succeeded by\nautumn, with its red and golden vintage, and atmosphere of unsurpassed\nbalminess.\n\nBut spring is the most delightful season of the year in the Holy\nLand, whether to enjoy the pleasures of the climate or behold the\nmagnificence of the scenery. Then the skies are bright, the air balmy,\nand the vernal sun lights up the landscape with a thousand forms\nof beauty. Then sparkling fountains are unsealed, silver brooks go\nmurmuring by, and wild cascades, leaping from their rocky heights, come\ndashing down the mountain side, scattering in their descent wreaths of\nrainbow spray. Then the valleys and the hills are clothed with verdure,\nthe fields are green with grains and grasses, the fig and palm-tree are\nin blossom, the almond, apricot, olive, and pomegranate are ripening,\nand the cypress, tamarisk, oak, walnut, sycamore, and poplar are\ndecked with the clean fresh foliage of a new year. Then herds of camels\nand buffaloes are browsing on the meadows, and flocks of sheep and\ngoats go gamboling up the mountain sides. Then, in all the glens, on\nall the vast prairie plains, and over all the highest mountains are\nflowers blooming\u2015\u2015anemones, oleanders, amaranths, arbutuses, poppies,\nhollyhocks, daisies, hyacinths, tulips, pinks, lilies, and roses,\ngrowing in unbounded profusion, delighting the senses, and transforming\nthe land into a garden of flowers.\n\nBut whatever is beautiful in the scenery of Palestine is peculiar to\nthe north. In the south there is a sameness of outline and of color\nthat wearies the eye and makes one sigh for variety; but north of the\nmountains of Ephraim the beholder is charmed with green plains and\nfertile valleys, with wooded dells and graceful hills, with rippling\nbrooks and sylvan lakes, with leaping cascades and rushing rivers, with\nsublime chasms and profound ravines; and with lofty mountains, broken\ninto beetling cliffs and craggy peaks, whose higher summits are capped\nwith perpetual snow, and down whose furrowed sides rush a thousand\ntorrents. There the most fastidious taste would be delighted with\nthe wild mountain gorge encircling Tirzah, and the wilder chasm of\nel-Ham\u00e2m\u2015\u2015with the beautiful glen of el-Haram\u00eeyeh, and the more lovely\nVale of Abil\u00een\u2015\u2015with the woodland parks of Carmel and Tabor\u2015\u2015with the\ncrystal lakes of Merom and Gennesaret\u2015\u2015with the foaming, rapid waters\nof the Jordan, the Leontes, and the Adonis\u2015\u2015with Mount Hermon, with\nsummer at his feet, spring in his lap, and winter on his head\u2015\u2015and with\nthe magnificent scenery of Kad\u00eesha, where the Syrian Alps lift their\nawful forms 13,000 feet high, covered with snow 100 feet deep\u2015\u2015where\nthe melting snows feed cascades, which in their descent are beaten into\nspray by the rocks, and which, reflecting the sunlight, seem like the\ninfinite fragments of some gorgeous rainbow\u2015\u2015and where rills from the\nhills and torrents from the mountains unite to swell the river below,\nwhich, after winding through the noblest and wildest of nature\u2019s chasms,\nwhose sides are lined with shrubbery, adorned with hamlets, and dotted\nwith convents high up in the everlasting rocks, and whose solemn bells\nawaken the echoes of Lebanon, pours its accumulated waters into the\nWestern Sea.\n\nIf the standard of landscape beauty be the regular alternation of plain\nand mountain, as in Greece and Italy; the clean meadows, the well-made\nfarms and green hills, as in France and England; or the continent-like\nprairies, the miniature seas, and multiform mountains of America, then\nthe Land of Promise must yield the palm to those more highly-favored\ncountries. But if the combination of all these characteristics on a\nsmaller scale constitute the beautiful and grand in natural scenery,\nPalestine is not unworthily praised by the sacred writers for the\nvariety and magnificence of its landscape.\n\nViewed from such a stand-point, the Holy Land is a world in miniature,\npossessing the three great terrene features of the globe\u2015\u2015sea-board,\nplain, and mountain. Yielding the fruits of every climate, and\ncontaining a population corresponding in their physique to that of\nthe inhabitants of every zone, there is displayed in this variety of\nscenery and climate the wisdom of God. Selected by Providence to be the\nmedium of divine truth to men of all lands, it was necessary that the\nnational home of the Bible writers should open to their imaginations\nthe most wonderful and varied of the works of the Creator. Naturally\ninclined to express our adoration of the Deity in allusions to his\nwisdom and goodness displayed in nature, we experience a unison of\ndevotion with those who were the oracles of inspired truth to us in\ntheir sublime illustrations, drawn from the sea and land, the valleys\nand hills, the climate and fruits, and the beasts and birds of the\ncountry that gave them birth. Had they dwelt at the poles, or on the\nequator, or in the heart of Arabia, or on the banks of the Nile, they\ncould not have given the same universality of expression to the message\nthey were sent to announce. It is evidence of the presence of that\nAll-wise Spirit that the prophets and psalmists, the Savior and the\napostles, drew their simplest, noblest figures from nature, such as can\nnot fail to arrest the attention of the untutored mind in every land,\nand inspire intellects of the highest culture with admiration.\n\nWho of all the great maritime nations of earth can fail to appreciate\nthe Psalmist\u2019s description of his native sea, as from its shore, or\nfrom some mountain-top, he beheld its wonders: \u201cO Lord, how manifold\nare thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full\nof thy riches; so is this great sea, wherein are things creeping\ninnumerable, both small and great beasts.\u201d[24] And who that has ever\ncrossed the ocean, or witnessed a storm at sea, does not realize the\nperfection of his description: \u201cThey that go down to the sea in ships,\nthat do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and\nhis wonders in the deep; for he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind,\nwhich lifteth up the waves thereof: they mount up to heaven, they go\ndown again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble.\u201d[25]\nThe mountaineer feels that the Psalmist sings of\n\n \u201cWhat oft was thought, but ne\u2019er so well expressed,\u201d\n\nwhen he describes, \u201cThe high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and\nthe rocks for the conies.\u201d[26] The dweller at the poles is conscious\nof a fellow-feeling when he reads those sublime words: \u201cHe giveth snow\nlike wool; he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes: he casteth forth ice\nlike morsels: who can stand before his cold?\u201d[27]\n\nThe nomad of the desert finds his own country portrayed in the graphic\nallusions to a \u201cdry and thirsty land where no water is;\u201d[28] to the\n\u201cshadow of a great rock in a weary land;\u201d[29] and feels himself kindred\nto the patriarchs in his predatory life.[30] They that dwell upon the\nequator comprehend that grand but terrific passage descriptive of the\nearthquake and volcano, \u201cHe looketh on the earth, and it trembleth;\nhe toucheth the hills, and they smoke.\u201d[31] And to the denizens of all\nlands are familiar those impressive references to the sun, moon, and\nstars; to the \u201cthunder of his power;\u201d to the \u201clightnings that lighten\nthe world;\u201d to the storm of hail and rain; to the shepherd on the\nmountain, to the husbandman in the field, and to the merchant in the\nmarts of commerce.\n\nBut the correspondence between the prophetic descriptions of the\nseveral tribeships, as given by Jacob and Moses, and the land as\nit now appears, is even more exact; and in recalling the former and\nin surveying the latter, one knows not which to admire most, the\nadaptation of the soil for various products, or the unanswerable\nargument afforded for the inspiration of those who wrote. In the final\nand permanent division of the territory the portion fell to each tribe\nby lot, just as Jacob had foretold in the last moments of his life,\n250 years before, and just as Moses had predicted immediately prior\nto his demise. Though it was not possible for the former, with his\nextraordinary powers of observation and penetration, to have passed\nand repassed through the whole length of the land without observing\nthe peculiarities of each section, and though equally impossible for\nthe latter, with his capacious mind, and with the means of information\nat his command, to have remained ignorant of the chorography of the\nseveral parts, yet the knowledge of those eminent men had no influence\nupon the ultimate settlement of the tribes. Human foresight is never\nequal to the uncertainties of the lot; only superhuman knowledge can\nforetell to whom the lot will fall. In their prophetic visions they\nsaw the Land of Promise mapped out into tribal possessions, and on each\nthey read the name of the future inheritor. Years after, when the lots\nwere drawn by Joshua and Eleazer at Shiloh, each tribe received its\nportion exactly on the spot which had been foretold.\n\nPre-eminently pastoral, Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh\nreceived the vast pasture-fields of Ammon, Gilead, and Bashan,\nextending from the River Arnon on the south to the base of Hermon on\nthe north, and from the Jordan on the west to the desert of Arabia and\nthe Haur\u00e2n on the east. Called by the Arabs Belka, they can pronounce\nno higher praise upon its rich plains and green sloping hills than in\ntheir pastoral proverb to declare, \u201cThou canst not find a country like\nthe Belka.\u201d Deprived of the \u201cexcellency of dignity\u201d\u2015\u2015the priesthood;\nof the \u201cexcellency of power\u201d\u2015\u2015the kingdom; and of the \u201cdouble portion\u201d\nof wealth and temporal blessings which, by the rights of primogeniture,\nbelonged to the first-born son of Jacob, here, between the Arnon and\nthe Jabbok, Reuben was \u201cunstable as water\u201d in the rapid diminution of\nhis numbers, and in being the first of the tribes to be carried into\ncaptivity by Tiglath Pileser of Assyria;[32] and never producing a\ngreat man to honor his name, and never rising to dignity and influence\nin the councils of the nation, here also a father\u2019s curse was fulfilled,\n\u201cThou shalt not excel.\u201d[33] His tribeship extending from the Jabbok to\nthe Sea of Galilee, and from the Jordan to the desert, and harassed by\nthe Arabian plunderers on his eastern border, but in turn driving them\nfrom his dominion, it was said of Gad, \u201cA troop shall overcome him, and\nhe shall overcome at last.\u201d[34]\n\nOccupying the Hills of Bashan, together with the rich and picturesque\nregions along the eastern shore of Gennesaret as far north as Mount\nHermon, and rising to distinction in rank and numbers, and in giving\nto the nation three eminent characters\u2015\u2015\u201cthe pious Gideon, the opulent\nJair, and the valiant Jephtha\u201d[35]\u2015\u2015the prophetical benediction on\nManasseh was here accomplished: \u201cHe also shall become a people, and he\nalso shall be great.\u201d[36]\n\nOmitted by Moses from the list of the blessed, and sentenced by\nhis father to be \u201cdivided in Jacob and scattered in Israel,\u201d Simeon\noccupied with Judah the extreme south; and in one generation after\nthe exodus from Egypt to Canaan his posterity had decreased more than\n37,000 souls.[37] Destined to rule rather than to serve, to be cunning\nrather than brave, \u201cDan shall judge his people; and he shall be a\nserpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse-heels,\nso that his rider shall fall backward.\u201d[38] Unable to subdue the\nPhilistines, whose lands were allotted to them from the Hills of\nJudah to the Mediterranean, the Danites were compelled to conquer new\nterritory for their rapidly increasing numbers. Described by Moses\nto be \u201ca lion\u2019s whelp,\u201d and foretold by him that \u201cDan shall leap from\nBashan,\u201d a colony of the tribe passed northward to the sources of the\nJordan, and, taking the city of Laish by surprise, 600 armed men, like\na young lion pouncing upon its prey, \u201cleaped from Bashan,\u201d captured and\nburnt the town, and upon its ruins founded another city, calling it\n\u201cafter the name of Dan, their father.\u201d Thus, while at a later period\nthe southern branch of the tribe gave to the nation Samson, who \u201cjudged\nIsrael twenty years,\u201d the new colony stamped its tribal name upon the\nutmost limit of Palestine, which has since passed into the proverbial\nsaying, \u201cFrom Dan to Beersheba.\u201d[39] Foretold that \u201chis eyes shall\nbe red with wine, and his teeth white with milk,\u201d to Judah fell that\nmountain region from Jerusalem southward to Arabia, and from the\nDead Sea to the hills which overhang the Mediterranean, and which for\nvineyards and pasturage is unsurpassed in all the Holy Land. Here,\nin the days of his prosperity, he was seen \u201cbinding his foal unto the\nvine, and his ass\u2019s colt unto the choice vine; and here he washed his\ngarments in wine, and his cloths in the blood of grapes.\u201d Selected\nto be the tribe whence the Messiah should come, \u201cJudah, thou art he\nwhom thy brethren shall praise.\u201d Ordained to retain his tribeship,\nhis ensigns, his government \u201cuntil Shiloh come,\u201d his home was amid\nthe fastnesses of the Judean Hills, from which, till the appointed\ntime, when God abandoned him to his enemies, he could not be dislodged.\nAscending to his mountain lair from the swellings of Jordan, \u201cJudah is\na lion\u2019s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up;\u201d and after the\nTen Tribes had been scattered, and the identity of Benjamin lost, and\nwhen the foe approached, the \u201cLion of the tribe of Judah,\u201d confident of\nhis security, \u201cstooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion;\nwho shall rouse him up?\u201d[40]\n\nBy nature a martial people, cruel in war, and ambitious to be free, the\nchildren of Benjamin received that wild highland tract from the Jordan\nto Bethhoron, and from Jerusalem to Bethel. Here, on his impregnable\nheights, with a courage, an independence, a ferocity, at one time\nsuccessfully resisting the combined attack of all the tribes, \u201cBenjamin\nshall raven as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and\nat night he shall divide the spoil.\u201d[41] The Vale of Hinnom being his\nsouthern frontier, Jerusalem originally belonged to Benjamin, but,\nfailing to dispossess the Jebusites, it was reserved for David, with\nthe warriors of Judah, to capture the strong-hold of Jebus, and elevate\nit to the dignity of an imperial city.[42] It was to this proximity to\nthe Holy City that Moses refers in those remarkable words, \u201cThe beloved\nof the Lord shall dwell in safety by him.\u201d The Temple being Jehovah\u2019s\ndwelling-place, \u201cThe Lord shall cover or protect Benjamin all the day\nlong;\u201d and as Zion represents the throne and Moses the church\u2015\u2015God\u2019s\ntwo shoulders\u2015\u2015\u201che shall dwell between his shoulders.\u201d[43] There is an\nair of freedom and an aspect of defiance about the bold, rugged summits\nof Benjamin; and moulded among the crags of Gibeon and Gibeah, of\nRamah and Ophrah, of Geba and Michmash, and the mind partaking of the\nfeatures of the place of birth, it is no marvel that this tribe gave\nto the nation Ehud, the judge;[44] Saul, the king;[45] Jonathan, the\nwarrior;[46] the inflexible Mordecai,[47] the resolute Esther,[48] and\nthe heroic Paul.[49]\n\nRewarded for the most exalted virtues, and possessing the privileges\nof the birthright which had been transferred from Reuben, the powerful\nhouse of Joseph, represented by the tribe of Ephraim and the half tribe\nof Manasseh, received the heart of Palestine\u2015\u2015the garden of the Holy\nLand. Stretching its verdant lines from the waters of the Jordan along\nthe northern boundary of Benjamin to the Mediterranean, and with the\nriver on the east and the sea on the west, it extended northward to the\nPlain of Esdraelon, including the Hills of Samaria. Eminently deserving\nthe benedictions of two worlds, Joseph was blessed with unbounded\ngoodness by his dying father and by the Prophet of Abarim. Promised\na numerous posterity, in two and a half centuries from the time\nJacob placed his hands upon the heads of Ephraim and Manasseh, his\ndescendants had increased to nearly half a million of souls.[50]\n\u201cJoseph is a fruitful bough\u2015\u2015even a fruitful bough by a well, whose\nbranches run over the wall;\u201d[51] and in anticipation of the fact,\nMoses breaks forth in that sublime strain, \u201cThey are the ten thousands\nof Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.\u201d[52] Occupying a\nsection of land on both sides of the Jordan, the present richness of\nwhich is beyond dispute, Joseph had \u201cthe precious things of heaven\nfrom above\u201d\u2015\u2015gentle showers, a serene sky, a sublime atmosphere; \u201cthe\nblessings of the deep that lieth under\u201d\u2015\u2015the springs and wells,[53]\n\u201cthe precious fruits brought forth by the sun,\u201d which come to\nperfection once a year; \u201cthe precious things put forth by the\nmoon,\u201d such as mature in a month; \u201cthe chief things of the ancient\nmountains\u201d\u2015\u2015the forests that cover their summits; \u201cthe precious things\nof the lasting hills\u201d\u2015\u2015the metals and minerals which abound within them;\n\u201cand his glory is like the firstling of his bullocks, and his horns are\nlike the horns of unicorns\u201d\u2015\u2015the inspired symbols of his strength,\nsovereignty, and renown.[54]\n\nAgricultural in his taste and habits, to Issachar fell the immense\nand rich Plain of Esdraelon, including the mountains of Carmel, Gilboa,\nand Tabor. Patient in labor and invincible in war, but weary in bearing\nsuch burdens, like the overloaded ass lying down with the two panniers\non his back, \u201cIssachar is a strong ass couching down between two\nburdens.\u201d Charmed with his possession, and unable to expel the powerful\nCanaanites from all his plains and mountains, but convinced that peace\nwith taxation was better than war, \u201cHe saw that rest was good, and\nthe land that it was pleasant, and he bowed his shoulder to bear, and\nbecame a servant unto tribute.\u201d[55] Valiant in arms when the tyranny\nof Sisera became intolerable, \u201cThe princes of Issachar were with\nDeborah;\u201d[56] and having broken the power of a flaunting foe, \u201cIssachar\nshall rejoice in his tents.\u201d[57]\n\nChosen to be the maritime tribe of the nation, the portion of Zebulun\nextended from the Lake of Gennesaret on the east to the Mediterranean\non the west, and trafficking on both waters, \u201cZebulun shall dwell\nat the haven of the sea, and he shall be for an haven of ships.\u201d[58]\nAs Issachar was to rejoice in his \u201ctents\u201d\u2015\u2015in the abundance of his\nharvests, \u201cso Zebulun was to rejoice in his going out\u201d\u2015\u2015in his\nsuccessful voyages. By a mutual interest in agriculture and commerce,\nboth were to \u201csuck of the abundance of the seas;\u201d and manufacturing\nglass from the vitreous sand found on the Mediterranean coast, or\nexporting it in large quantities to other countries, both were to\ngrow rich from the \u201ctreasures hid in the sand.\u201d Dealing largely with\nthe Gentiles, who were attracted to their shore and inland cities by\ncommercial interests, these favored tribes \u201cshall call the people unto\nthe mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness.\u201d[59]\n\nThough doomed to obscurity in the annals of national greatness, yet,\nas if by way of compensation, Asher obtained the fruitful plain\nof Accho, \u201cthe key of Palestine,\u201d[60] extending from Mount Carmel\nto Zidon on the coast. By the richness of the soil, \u201cHis bread\nshall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties;\u201d[61] and possessing\nluxuriant olive-groves, \u201cHe dipped his foot in oil.\u201d[62] Promised\nto be \u201cblessed with children,\u201d the descendants of Asher numbered, on\nentering Canaan, 267,000 souls;[63] and on the accession of David to\nthe throne, the tribe sent an army of 40,000 troops to acknowledge\nthe new sovereign.[64] Subject to the sudden attacks of the plundering\nPh\u0153nicians, whose territory they occupied, and compelled at all times\nto be upon their guard, armed with their metallic greaves and sandals,\n\u201cThy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy\nstrength be.\u201d[65] Though the Asherites gave Israel neither king, judge,\nnor warrior, yet the names of two illustrious widows shine out from the\ngeneral obscurity\u2015\u2015\u201cAnna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the\ntribe of Aser, which departed not from the temple, but served God with\nfastings and prayers night and day;\u201d[66] and the \u201cwidow of Sarepta, a\ncity of Sidon, unto whom Elijah was sent.\u201d[67]\n\nCelebrated for their activity, bravery, and independence, and\nrepresented in the prophetic symbols by a tree planted in a rich soil,\nand growing to a prodigious size, Naphtali received \u201cGalilee of the\nGentiles,\u201d whose fruitfulness of soil is only excelled by the beauty\nof the scenery: \u201cNaphtali is a spreading oak, producing beautiful\nbranches.\u201d[68] Foreseeing the prosperity awaiting him, in an eloquent\napostrophe Moses addressed the tribe: \u201cOh Naphtali, satisfied with\nfavor, and full with the blessing of the Lord, possess thou the west\nand the south.\u201d[69] Embracing within his possession the green hills\nand valleys of \u201cUpper Galilee,\u201d together with the Sea of Tiberias, his\nposterity grew rich from the fruits of the one and the products of the\nother. But, reserved for a higher glory and assigned a more exalted\ndestiny, the inheritance of Naphtali remained undistinguished for any\ngreat event till the dawn of our own era. Driven from his native city,\nour Lord chose Capernaum as his chief residence, situated within this\ntribeship.[70] Here was his home during the three most eventful years\nof his life; here the Galileans received him gladly; here is the scene\nof his greatest miracles and of his most touching parables; here,\non the shore of its inland sea, were born most of his apostles; here\nhe founded his infant church; and thus enlightened in the persons of\nthe first Christians and earliest teachers of Christianity, Naphtali\npossessed the \u201cwest and the south\u201d by the spread of the Gospel among\nthe southern tribes, and by its more general diffusion over the\n\u201cGreat Sea\u201d through Europe and America. And now, after more than three\nthousand years, each tribal possession retains its ancient physical\ncharacteristics, yields its former agricultural products, while\nprophecy has become history in the fortunes and destiny of the whole\nnation.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER II.\n\n Location of Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Strong defensive Position of the City.\n \u2015\u2015 Surrounding Hills and Valleys. \u2015\u2015 Its Situation compared to\n that of Athens and Rome. \u2015\u2015 True Meaning of the 125th Psalm.\n \u2015\u2015 Tower of Psephinus. \u2015\u2015 The two Valleys. \u2015\u2015 Height of the\n adjacent Mountains. \u2015\u2015 A City without Suburbs. \u2015\u2015 Modern Wall.\n \u2015\u2015 Goliath\u2019s Castle. \u2015\u2015 Immense Stones of Solomon\u2019s Age. \u2015\u2015\n Ancient Portals. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Corner-stone. \u2015\u2015 Pinnacle of\n the Temple from which Christ was tempted to throw himself.\n \u2015\u2015 Golden Gate. \u2015\u2015 Tower of Antonia. \u2015\u2015 Objection to Prophecy\n answered. \u2015\u2015 The Bevel the Sign of Jewish Masonry. \u2015\u2015 Great\n Cave beneath the City. \u2015\u2015 Wanderings by Torchlight. \u2015\u2015\n Solomon\u2019s Quarry. \u2015\u2015 Tyropean Valley. \u2015\u2015 Five Hills of\n Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Mount Zion. \u2015\u2015 Royal Abode. \u2015\u2015 Herod\u2019s three\n Towers. \u2015\u2015 Splendid Church of St. James. \u2015\u2015 House of Caiaphas.\n \u2015\u2015 Scene of the Last Supper and of Pentecost. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of David.\n \u2015\u2015 Royal Plunderers. \u2015\u2015 Proof of its Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Home of the\n Lepers. \u2015\u2015 Sad Sight. \u2015\u2015 Akra. \u2015\u2015 Bezetha. \u2015\u2015 Napoleon\u2019s Church.\n\n\nON the southern section of the Lebanon range, in N. lat. 31\u00b0 46\u2032 45\u2033,\nand in E. long. 35\u00b0 13\u2032 from Greenwich, stands the memorable city of\nJerusalem. Elevated 2610 feet above the level of the Mediterranean,\nand 3922 above the River Jordan, it is thirty-three miles from the\nformer and sixteen from the latter. Situated on a mountain summit,\nthe crown of which is broken into a wilderness of bleak limestone\npeaks, divided by numberless ravines, it is by nature one of the most\nstrongly fortified cities in the world. Occupying the summits of five\nhills, it is encompassed, except on the north, by deep valleys, which\nin the earlier stages of military science must have been formidable\nobstructions to an assailing foe. That well-known passage in the Psalms,\n\u201cAs the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so is the Lord round about\nhis people,\u201d[71] most evidently includes the valleys that circumvallate\nthe platform on which the city is built, as well as the surrounding\nmountains. Indeed, there is but little difference in the altitude of\nOlivet and Moriah, of the Hill of Corruption and Mount Zion. In the\nolden times, when an invading foe approached the walls of a town with\ntowers, battering-rams, ballistas, and catapults, an intervening valley\nwas a more serious obstacle to encounter than a mountain to be scaled,\nespecially as it served as a fosse, in crossing which the besiegers\nwere exposed to the arrows of the besieged, who crowded the ramparts\nabove. Approach Jerusalem from the north, west, or south, and the city\nrises above the hills that environ it, its embattled towers, graceful\nminarets, and swelling domes standing out against the sky as against\na background. In this regard it is not unlike the Acropolis of Athens,\nwhich, rising like a thing of life from the Attic plain, has Lycabettus,\nthe Pnyx, the Museum, and the Areopagus near, and Hymettus, Pentelicus,\nMount Parnes, and \u00c6galeos in the distance; but it resembles more truly\nRome, sitting on a cluster of hills, with an ample plain for future\nexpansion, with hills near and mountains distant, the Janiculum\nanswering to Olivet, and the Apennines to the Heights of Moab.[72]\n\nTo reconcile this passage with the topographical facts as they appear\nto every observer, some have pointed to the white mountains of T\u00eeh\non the south, to the wall-like ridge of Moab on the east, and to the\nrugged summits of Lebanon on the north; but it is simpler and more\nnatural to suppose that the Psalmist had in his mind Olivet, the\nMount of Corruption, and the Hill of Evil Council, rising from the\ntwo valleys which, like some deep moat, circumvallate the city on the\neast, south, and west; referring not so much to the height of the hills\nabove the level of the city, as to their height from their valley beds,\nin which their everlasting bases rest. But on the north there is no\nsuch natural obstruction to impede the advance of an enemy. The ground\nrises gently to the summit of Scopus, which is a western projection\nof the Olivet ridge, a mile distant from the town, and which gradually\ndisappears toward the west. To strengthen by art what nature had left\ndefenseless, the celebrated tower of Psephinus was erected at the\nnorthwest corner of the ancient wall, which, being 70 cubits high,\nwas not only a \u201ctower of strength,\u201d but also afforded from its top\nat sunrise a view of Arabia and of the sea.\n\nLess than two miles to the northwest from Jerusalem are two slight\ndepressions, separated by a rocky swell three quarters of a mile in\nwidth. The one on the north is the head of the Valley of the Kidron.\nAt first a gentle depression, it runs eastward a mile and a half; then\nturning suddenly southward, it contracts and deepens, and becoming\nprecipitous in its course, sweeps round the bases of Bezetha, Moriah,\nand Ophel, joining the Vale of Hinnom at the beautiful Gardens of\nSiloam. Varying in depth and breadth, it is seventy-five feet deep\nat the northeast corner of the city, twenty-five deeper opposite\nSt. Stephen\u2019s Gate, and reaches its greatest depth of 150 feet at the\nsoutheast angle of the Temple area. Varying in breadth from a hundred\nto a thousand feet, it is narrowest opposite the southeast corner of\nthe town, and has its greatest breadth between Moriah and Olivet, on\na line drawn from the Golden Gate.\n\nThe depression south of the rocky swell is the commencement of\nthe Valley of Hinnom, which at first is almost imperceptible; but,\ndeepening and contracting as it winds round the western side of the\ncity, it runs for three quarters of a mile east by south to the Y\u00e2ffa\nGate, where it turns at right angles round the base of Mount Zion,\nhaving broken cliffs on the right, and shelving banks on the left.\nRunning nearly due east for half a mile, it joins the Valley of the\nKidron at the Pool of En-Rogel, where these two famous valleys become\none, pursuing its sinuous course to the Dead Sea. Though but 44 feet\ndeep near the Y\u00e2ffa Gate, and 500 wide, it descends to the depth of\nmore than 500 feet below the southern brow of Zion, and is broadest\nat the point of conjunction with the Kidron. From the beds of these\nvalleys rise the defensive mountains around the Holy City. Though the\nlowest is less than 50 feet above the average level of the town, and\nthe highest not more than 200, yet the triple summit of the Mount\nof Olives is more than 400 feet above the site of \u201cAbsalom\u2019s Pillar\u201d\nin the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the Mount of Corruption is 422 feet\nabove En-Rogel, and the Hill of Evil Council rises 500 feet above the\nscorched rocks that line its base in the Vale of Gehenna.\n\nOccupying the southern portion of its ancient site, and surrounded,\nas in former days, with a massive wall, Jerusalem is a city without\nsuburbs. Unlike the approach to Zidon on the coast, which is in the\nmidst of groves of fig, orange, and mulberry-trees, covering many miles\nin extent; unlike the approach to Damascus, which is inclosed with\ngardens of exquisite beauty, through which the Abana flows in \u201cpearly\nbrightness and perennial music the livelong day,\u201d the approach to\nJerusalem is arrested by high walls and guarded gates, beyond which\nare no habitations excepting the wretched huts of Silw\u00e2n on the\nsouth, clinging to the rocky fastnesses of the Mount of Scandal. Being\na capital city, and situated in the most turbulent district of the\ncountry, such a defense is necessary as a protection against the sudden\nattacks of the wild Bedouins of the Desert and of the Gh\u00f4r. Strongly\nfortified in the time of Jebus, when captured by David, its enlarged\narea was afterward protected by massive walls and towers, on which the\nsacred poets dwell with so much religious pride and delight.[73] In the\ndays of our Lord there were two walls\u2015\u2015one inclosing Mount Zion, the\nnorthern section of which extended a distance of 1890 feet east and\nwest; the other, inclosing Mount Akra, extended from the Garden Gate\nin the first wall to near the present Damascus Gate, and, curving to\nthe southeast, intersected the Tower of Antonia on Mount Moriah. Mount\nBezetha, with the table-land beyond, then formed the suburbs of the\ntown; but after the crucifixion the space was inclosed by a third wall,\nby order of Herod Agrippa. During the bloody wars occurring between\nthe death of Solomon and the Egyptian conquerors, the walls were\nalternately demolished and rebuilt by the respective captors of the\ncity; but it was not till the year 1542 A.D. that, by order of the\nSultan Suleiman I., the present single wall was built. Having been\nconstructed out of the old materials, it contains blocks of stones\nrepresenting every age of the city, from the magnificent reign of\nSolomon to the fluctuating rule of the Crusaders.\n\nThe modern wall is of the common gray limestone of Palestine, formed\nof blocks of different dimensions, and ranging in thickness from ten\nto fifteen feet, and from twenty-five to forty in height, according to\nthe nature of the ground. Being two and a half miles in circumference,\nit is less by two miles than the circuit of the ancient wall. Having\nmany indentations and projections, with salient angles, square towers,\nloopholes, and battlements, it is surmounted with a parapet, protecting\na pathway which is frequently thronged with people enjoying the fine\npromenade and beholding the commanding prospect.\n\nAt the northwest corner of the city, which is 251 feet higher than the\nsoutheast corner of the Temple area, the native rock has been cut away\nto the depth of many feet on the outside of the wall, while within are\nmassive foundations of beveled stones bearing marks of high antiquity,\nand now called \u201cGoliath\u2019s Castle.\u201d At this point the western wall\nbegins, running southeast as far as the Y\u00e2ffa Gate; then, turning\nsouthward, and crossing Mount Zion along the brow of Hinnom to a point\nnearly opposite to the Protestant Cemetery, it joins the south wall,\nwhich, by a series of zigzags, is carried eastward over the level\nsummit of Zion, down its eastern declivities, across the Tyropean\nValley, and up the Hill of Ophel, where it joins the Haram wall\n550 feet from its southeast corner. Here are huge stones as old as\nthe days of Christ, if not as old as the reign of Solomon. At the\nplace of junction where the city wall joins that of the Haram, there\nis a section of an ancient arch, beneath which is a small grated window\nopening into that long subterranean avenue leading up an inclined plane\nand a flight of steps to the Temple area. Here also are three circular\narches, now walled up, twenty-five feet high and fourteen wide, marking\nthe ancient portals leading to those stupendous vaults constructed by\nSolomon to elevate the side of Mount Moriah to a common level. At the\nsoutheast corner of the Haram wall there are sixteen courses of large\nstones, some of them measuring nineteen feet long, four high, and eight\nthick, and bearing on their edge the unmistakable Jewish bevel. From\nthe natural topography of the hill, this corner of the wall must occupy\nthe same spot on which stood the earliest wall, as it stands on the\nvery brow of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and there can be no doubt but\nthat these are the identical stones laid down by Solomon himself. Here\nis to be seen a beautiful specimen of a \u201cprecious corner-stone,\u201d[74]\nthe inspired symbol of a virtuous and lovely woman,[75] and a\nsignificant type of the Messiah.[76] The material employed is a finer\nlimestone and otherwise of a superior quality to that used in the\ncommon wall; the joints are more closely formed; and the finishing of\nthe facing and of the beveling is so clean and fine, that, when fresh\nfrom the hands of the builder, it must have resembled gigantic relievo\npaneling. Surmounting this corner of the wall, no doubt, stood that\npinnacle of the Temple from which Satan tempted Christ to cast himself\ndown, assuring him of the charge of angels over him.[77] According\nto Josephus, \u201ca broad portico ran along the wall, supported by four\nrows of columns, which divided it into three parts, forming a triple\ncolonnade.\u201d The central portico was 100 feet high, which, with the\nheight of the wall and the depth of the valley below its base, gave an\nelevation of 310 feet. \u201cAnd if from the top of the portico the beholder\nattempted to look down into the gulf below, his eyes became dark and\ndizzy before they could penetrate to the immense depth.\u201d[78]\n\n Illustration: IMMENSE STONES OF SOLOMON\u2019S AGE.\n\nFrom this corner to the Golden Gate, a distance of more than 1000 feet,\nis one unbroken line of wall, composed mostly of large rough stones,\ninterspersed with which are fragments of antique columns. Near the top\nof the wall, and projecting several feet, is a round porphyry column,\non which, according to a Moslem legend, Mohammed is to sit astride\nand judge the world, the people having been assembled for judgment in\nthe vale below. Overlooking the Kidron, and facing the Mount of Olives\nbeyond, is the Golden Gate, now walled up, but which attracts the\ntraveler\u2019s attention by its conspicuous location and its uncommon\nbeauty. Being the centre of a projection fifty-five feet long, and\nstanding out six feet, it consists of a double portal, spanned by\ntwo semicircular arches richly ornamented. From what resemble corbels\nspring two Corinthian capitals, sustaining an entablature bending round\nthe entire arch. Within the gate is a noble chamber fifty-five feet\nsquare. The ceiling is divided into flattened domes, supported by\narches springing from side pilasters, and from two Corinthian columns\nof polished marble, adorned with elegant capitals; and beneath the\narches a pretty entablature is carried from pilaster to pilaster,\ngiving an air of exquisite beauty to the entire structure.\n\n Illustration: GOLDEN GATE\u2015\u2015INTERIOR VIEW.\n\nThe origin of this imposing gate is unknown. It may be as old as\nthe time of Herod the Great; it may not be older than the reign of\nConstantine. Impressed with its beauty, some have regarded it as\noccupying the site of the \u201cBeautiful Gate\u201d at which Peter and John\nhealed the cripple. That, however, was a gate of the Temple; this is a\ngate of the city; and the two can be identical only by supposing that\n\u201cgate to the Temple\u201d is synonymous with \u201centrance to the Temple,\u201d which\nis neither supported by fact nor analogy.\n\nNear St. Stephen\u2019s Gate, a distance of less than 500 feet to the north,\nis the northeast angle of the Haram wall, and unquestionably is the\noriginal angle of the wall which inclosed the Temple area. Five courses\nof antique stones distinctly beveled, beautifully hewn, and of great\ndimensions, remain _in situ_, and are as entire as when laid there by\nthe hand of the Jewish mason. The largest of the blocks is twenty-four\nfeet long, three high, and over five wide, at once reflecting the\nwealth and mechanical art of that early age. This section of the wall\nprojects eight feet, forming a corner tower eighty-four feet long; and\nthe five courses of stone, measuring nearly twenty feet from the base\nto the top of the quoins, suggest that this was one of the bastions of\nthe famous Tower of Antonia in which Pilate held his \u201cJudgment Hall.\u201d\nBut to suppose the antiquity of these stones, and that they occupy\ntheir original places, is regarded by some as a confutation of our\nLord\u2019s prediction, \u201cThere shall not be left one stone upon another\nthat shall not be thrown down.\u201d[79] Reference, however, to the prophecy\nin all its scope, will disclose the fact that Christ spoke of the\nstones of the Temple, and not of the stones composing the wall of\nthe city; and both history and research now prove how terribly have\nbeen fulfilled his fearful and exact words. The manner in which these\nlower layers have been preserved intact is simple and natural. In the\ndemolition of the walls of the city by Titus and also by subsequent\nconquerors, the lower courses escaped notice, having been buried up\nin the d\u00e9bris of the upper layers; and in the reconstruction of the\nwall by Suleiman I., he permitted them to remain undisturbed in their\nprimeval beds. The modern portions of the wall are too heterogeneous\nin their character and of too mean a masonry to have any claim either\nto antiquity or to Jewish workmanship, and the upper and lower layers\nno less mark two distinct periods of national history than two eras in\nmural architecture. The former indicate an age of weakness and poverty,\nthe latter of power and wealth; the one discloses haste and confusion,\nthe other deliberation and artistic accuracy; the modern is in keeping\nwith the art and taste of the sensual Moslem, the ancient is in harmony\nwith the pride and genius of the Jew. Nor is there any reason for\nsupposing the lower layers to have been the work either of the Romans\nor of the Saracens, as the bevel is the masonic sign of the Jewish\nbuilders, and, having originated with them, it was a peculiarity of\ntheir architecture[80]. Consisting of a narrow strip along the edge of\nthe stone, cut down half an inch lower than the rest of the surface,\nwhich had been hewn and squared, the bevel was a simple and beautiful\nmural ornament; and when these beveled stones were laid up in a wall,\nsuch as encompassed the city in the days of Solomon, the depressed\nedges must have resembled grooves or lengthened lines, producing the\nappearance of immense panels.\n\nBut of all the objects of interest which met my eye during my tour\nof the walls, none was more thrilling than the \u201cGreat Cave\u201d beneath\nJerusalem, the entrance to which is just east of the Damascus Gate.\nIn constructing the north wall of the city, the Hill Bezetha has been\ncut through the solid rock to the depth of forty feet, the excavation\nhaving been extended 600 feet east and west, and 450 north and south.\nLower down, and near the base of the rock on which the wall stands,\nis what might have been designed for a fosse, but which is now the\nreceptacle of carrion. The existence of a \u201cGreat Cave\u201d beneath the\ncity, and in some way connected with the Temple of Solomon, has been\nthe subject of a legend familiar to the aged, but the entrance to which,\nif known to the living at all, remained a secret with the few till\naccidentally discovered through a missionary\u2019s dog.[81] Attracted to\nthe spot by the scent of the bones of animals destroyed by jackals,\nthe dog pushed away the dirt in pawing to reach his prey, and revealed\nto his master one of the greatest wonders connected with a city whose\nhistory and topography have engaged the attention of the learned in all\nages.\n\nAccompanied by the American consul and a single servant, we entered the\ncave without difficulty, and, lighting our wax tapers, proceeded along\ncarefully for a hundred feet, when we began rapidly to descend. To our\nsurprise, on our right sat an Arab maiden who had become the sibyl of\nthe cavern, surrounded by several natives, to whom she was delivering\nher sibylline oracles. Rapidly descending toward the southeast, we\nsoon found ourselves in a cave three thousand feet in circumference,\nmore than a thousand feet in length, and more than half that distance\nin breadth. The air was damp; the darkness that of a rayless night;\nthe ground on which we walked was strewn with the chippings of the\nquarrier; the walls around us were marred with marks of the chisel, and\nthe ceiling above us adorned with stalactites of a rose-color hue, from\nwhich trickled the percolating waters of the city; while, disturbed by\nour approach, bats screamed their grief and flapped their long black\nwings against their solid nests. Moving southward, we came to the verge\nof a precipice a hundred feet across and fifteen feet deep, on the\nbottom of which the skeleton of some lost explorer had been found.\nThreading a long gallery on the left, we saw a fountain as deep as it\nwas wide, partially filled with water strongly impregnated with lime.\nTurning eastward, we entered a second gallery of greater depth, in\nthe sides of which are immense blocks of limestone, in part detached\nfrom their native bed, just as they were left by the unknown quarrier\nthousands of years ago. Here, as elsewhere, were the unmistakable\nmarks of a broad chisel-shaped instrument, evidently used to detach the\nblocks on either side and at top and bottom, and then by the pressure\nof a lever the mass was broken off from the rock behind. Occasionally\nwe passed huge pillars supporting the ceiling above, and in several\ninstances saw blocks hewn and squared ready to be hoisted to their\ndestination. On the right and left winding passage-ways led us to\nnoble halls, white as snow, and supported by native piers, on which are\nengraven the cross of some Christian pilgrim or knight of the Crusades;\nand on the sides of the chambers are Hebrew and Arabic inscriptions,\nthe memorial of some wandering Jew and some conquering son of the\nProphet.\n\nSeeking in vain for an entrance other than that on the north, we\nreturned to daylight full of curious thoughts. What tales of woe are\nwritten on these walls! and, could we hear their voices, too low for\nmortal ear, what secrets would they reveal! In the time of sieges this\nhas been the retreat of Jew and Christian, of Saracen and knight; the\nlast refuge of helpless womanhood, of tender children, of infirm old\nage, and the death-bed of dying heroes wounded in the fight.\n\nBeing unquestionably a quarry, many facts lead to the conclusion that\nhere were hewn the stones for the construction of Solomon\u2019s magnificent\ntemple. The material, both as to grain and color, is the same as that\nfound in the antique walls and buildings of the city; the extent of\nthe quarry, together with the vast amount of stone removed, and in such\nlarge blocks, suggest the erection of some grand temple; the ancient\ntradition coming down from the days of Jeremiah and pointing to this\nquarry; the remarkable absence of another adjacent to the city; and\nthe important fact that the mouth of the quarry is many feet higher\nthan the surface of the Temple area, which must have facilitated the\ntransportation of those immense blocks of limestone, which were no\ndoubt conveyed on rollers down the inclined plane of the quarry to\nthe site of the Temple, where, hewn and finished, they were silently\nelevated to their destined place\u2015\u2015the magnificent fane of Solomon,\nwith all its courts and porticoes, rising noiselessly into being, as of\nold the world rose from naught, at once explaining and fulfilling the\nwords of sacred history: \u201cThe house, when it was in building, was built\nof stone made ready before it was brought thither, so that there was\nneither hammer nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while\nit was building.\u201d[82]\n\nNothing more impressively indicates the complete destruction of ancient\nJerusalem than the impossibility of identifying with exactitude the\nlocation of its former gates, the scene of so many thrilling events.\nFire and sword, plunder and time, have removed those landmarks of\ngreat historic deeds. These gone, we are left to conjecture as to the\nlocation of the \u201cValley Gate,\u201d through which Nehemiah passed on his\nnocturnal exploration to ascertain the condition of the city;[83]\nof the \u201cEast Gate,\u201d from which Jeremiah went forth with the ancients\nof the people to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to illustrate the\ndestruction of the Jews by breaking in their presence a potter\u2019s\nvessel;[84] of the \u201cHorse Gate,\u201d out of which the ambitious Queen\nAthaliah was led to execution;[85] of the \u201cGate betwixt the two\nwalls,\u201d \u201cwhence Zedekiah and all his men of war fled before the King\nof Babylon;\u201d[86] and of the \u201cGate of Benjamin,\u201d where the king sat when\nthe kind Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian, interceded in behalf of Jeremiah,\nthen in a loathsome dungeon beneath the royal palace.[87]\n\nOf the seven gates which penetrate the walls of modern Jerusalem, the\nnoblest and most ancient of the number is the one standing in the mouth\nof the broad depression sweeping southward through the city, called\nthe Damascus Gate. Surmounted with turrets and battlements, it not\nonly presents an imposing appearance, but its ornamental architecture\nindicates its Saracenic origin and style. Judging from the formation of\nthe ground it occupies, it probably marks the site of an older gateway.\nAs of old, so now, from its portal runs the great northern road to\nNablous; and from it, no doubt, Saul of Tarsus went forth, leading his\nband of persecutors to crush the infant church of Jesus in Damascus.\nConstructed in the form of an elliptical arch, flanked with massive\ntowers of great antiquity, and inclosed with huge doors incased with\niron, it wears the appearance of a prison. Within is a large chamber,\ngrim and gloomy, formed by the arch and towers, and from which a\nsquare-shaped and winding staircase leads to the top of the parapet.\nGuarded by four Turkish soldiers, the traveler has illustrated before\nhim St. Luke\u2019s description of the Roman guard on the night of our\nLord\u2019s trial: \u201cAnd when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the\nhall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.\u201d[88] In\nthe northeast corner of the hall, within the gateway, the soldiers\nbuild a fire of juniper coals when the weather is cold, the smoke of\nwhich deepens the gloom of the already blackened walls.\n\nMidway between this gate and the northeast corner of the city is the\n\u201cGate of Flowers,\u201d consisting of a small portal penetrating a tower,\nbut which is now inaccessible, having been walled up since 1834. In\nthe eastern wall of the city is St. Stephen\u2019s Gate, a simple structure,\nand without ornaments, except the carved figures of two lions over\nthe entrance. From it a path descends the steep sides of Moriah, and,\ncrossing the small stone bridge that spans the Valley of the Kidron,\nleads up to the Garden of Gethsemane and to the Mount of Olives.\nCompelled to fly before the rebellious Absalom, it was out of the\ngate that stood on the site of the present one that David fled, and, a\nthousand years later, a greater than David went forth out of the same\nportal on the night of his betrayal. As it is the chief entrance to the\ncity on the east, streams of pilgrims from the Heights of Benjamin on\nthe north, and from the Valley of the Jordan on the east, incessantly\nflow in and out of this well-known gate.\n\nSituated in the southern wall, nearly in the centre of the Tyropean\nValley, is the \u201cGate of the Western Africans,\u201d which is of inferior\nconstruction, and is opened and shut according to the caprice of the\ngovernor. Fortunately, it was opened when I passed, an event which may\nnot occur again for many years. From it a path descends to the charming\ngardens of Silw\u00e2n. On the summit of a ridge beyond is the Gate of\nZion, the cleanest and most quiet of the seven. But the great and most\nusually thronged portal of the town is the Y\u00e2ffa Gate, located in the\nwestern wall of the city, between Mount Zion and Mount Akra. Consisting\nof a massive square tower, it has a quadrangular hall within. Probably\nstanding on the site of Nehemiah\u2019s \u201cValley Gate,\u201d it is the point to\nwhich all the great thoroughfares converge, from Bethlehem and Hebron\non the south, and from Y\u00e2ffa on the west. Carefully guarded during the\nday by a band of soldiers, all the gates are closed at night when the\nevening gun is fired. From a superstition as suggestive of fear as\nit is precautionary against surprise, the gates are closed on Friday\nbetween the hours of twelve and one, because of an old and prevalent\ntradition that on that day and at that hour the Christians will attempt\nto retake Jerusalem.\n\nRunning north and south through the very heart of the city is a broad\ndepression, and coming up from Siloam, on the south, is the Tyropean\nValley, joining the former at the northeast corner of Mount Zion, where\nthe latter abruptly diverges to the westward, intersecting the Valley\nof Gihon. Upon its divergence hangs the long and fierce controversy\ntouching the topography of the ancient city. Though its upper section\nis filled with rubbish from twenty to fifty feet deep, yet there is\na perceptible ascent from Christian Street to the Hippic Tower, as\nthere is a descent from the Y\u00e2ffa Gate into the valley beyond. If the\nintervening ridge is not accumulated earth, it is difficult to conceive\nhow Mount Zion could ever have been the \u201cstrong-hold\u201d represented by\nsacred and profane writers. The construction of the three famous towers\non the northwest portion of the hill by Herod the Great was not to\nsupply a natural defect, but to honor the king\u2019s favorites, and to\nbe the depositories of his royal treasures. As recent excavations in\nthe vicinity confirm the correctness of the supposition, so future\nexcavations will remove the last doubt that this is the \u201cValley of the\nCheesemongers\u201d described by Josephus, separating the \u201cupper city from\nthe lower.\u201d[89]\n\nAs of old, Jerusalem stands upon five hills, formed in part by valleys\nwithout the city, and by depressions within. Though, when viewed from\nwithin the town, their altitude is not great, yet in their general\noutlines all are distinctly defined. Of these hills, covering an area\nof four and a half miles in circumference and half a mile in diameter,\nZion, Moriah, and Ophel are mentioned by the inspired historians, while,\ntogether with the former, Akra and Bezetha are described by Josephus.\nRising in the form of a parallelogram, Mount Zion is the largest of the\nfive sacred hills. Attaining an average height of more than 500 feet\nabove the surrounding valleys, its southern and western sides are as\nrugged as they are steep. Though lower than the northwest corner of\nAkra, yet, when viewed either from the Tyropean or the Hinnom valleys,\nthe bold brow of Zion is seen to best advantage, justifying the\nconfidence reposed in it as a strong defensive position. Sloping down\ntoward the King\u2019s Gardens, where three valleys meet, its southeastern\nsides are terraced from base to summit, and planted with corn and\nolives, fulfilling the words of the prophet, \u201cZion shall be plowed like\na field.\u201d[90] Directly opposite the Haram, the naked rocks rise from\nthe \u201cVale of the Cheesemongers\u201d more than thirty feet high, and on the\nverge of the precipice once stood the \u201cHouse of the Mighty.\u201d Less than\nhalf the hill is included within the present walls, occupied by the\nCitadel, the English Church, the American Consulate, the Post-office,\nthe Prussian Hospital, the Church of St. James, the Jewish Synagogue,\nprivate residences, and the Lepers\u2019 Quarters; while beyond the walls\nare the Diocesan school-house, the Armenian Convent, the Tomb of David,\nand the Protestant Cemetery.\n\nEmotions of joy and sadness are awakened as one stands upon the site\nof those great historic events which have filled the world with their\nrenown, and impressed their inevitable results, for \u201cweal or woe,\u201d upon\nthe opinions and actions of mankind. As the religious sensibilities\nof our nature are most susceptible of excitement, so no spot on earth\nexcites the mind to the same degree as where the events of sacred\nhistory occurred. Around Mount Zion cluster memories of human shame\nand glory. Here the defiant words of the Jebusites kindled the martial\nsoul of David, who, summoning all his military skill and courage for\nthe attack, captured the \u201cstronghold of Jebus.\u201d Here he reigned for\nthirty-three years in unrivaled wealth and glory, and here he penned\nmany of his sublime psalms. Here the ruder palace of the father gave\nway to the grander palace of the son. Here, in regal magnificence,\nunequaled in the annals of kings, Solomon held his court, displaying a\nwisdom as vast as his wealth was exhaustless, and achieving for himself\na name that was borne to the uttermost parts of the earth in accents\nof praise and gladness. Here, for a thousand years, their descendants\nreigned in power and glory; and here, on the very summit of their\npleasures and greatness, they, with fourteen of their successors to\nthe throne, were entombed. Here stood the palace of Caiaphas, in whose\njudgment-hall Jesus was tried and Peter swore. To gratify personal\nambition, and perpetuate the memory of his royal favorites, here Herod\nthe Great reared those three massive towers which were the pride and\nadmiration of the triumphant Titus. Calling one Mariamne, in honor of\nhis queen, whom he afterward slew in a passion of jealousy, he named\nthe second Phasa\u00eblus, after his friend, and the third Hippicus, in\nmemory of his brother, both of whom were slain in battle, fighting in\nhis behalf.[91]\n\nOf these towers but one remains, that of Hippicus, which is the citadel\nof the modern town. Spanning the moat is an old bridge leading to the\ncastle. Several flights of stone steps lead to the parapet, on which\na number of guns are mounted, fit only for firing occasional salutes,\nand from the top an extraordinary view is gained of Jerusalem and\nits environs. Aside from its dingy appearance, Hippicus is invested\nwith thrilling associations. With an antiquity unquestioned, the most\nreliable authorities agree that it occupies its ancient site. As it\nnow stands, it represents two great eras in the world\u2019s history\u2015\u2015that\nof Herod and that of the Crusaders; the foundations belonging to the\nformer, the superstructure to the latter. Composed of a group of square\ntowers, it resembles a quadrangle, though not a perfect square, its\nsides varying from sixty to seventy feet in length. The tower next to\nthe Y\u00e2ffa Gate is the most interesting, as it is the most ancient. The\nheight of the antique portion, from the bottom of the broad fosse, is\nforty feet, and, being entirely solid, it has for nineteen centuries\nresisted the battering-rams of the Romans, the cannon of the Egyptians,\nand the prying curiosity of the modern explorer. Recent excavations\nhave shown that for several feet upward from its base the foundation\nis formed of the natural rock, hewn into shape, and faced with immense\nstones, distinctly beveled, indicating their Jewish origin, and\nevidently remaining where they were originally placed. In addition\nto its antiquity, this tower is of great importance, as it marks the\nstarting-point of the first and second walls of the ancient city, and\nunmistakably points out their general direction.\n\n Illustration: MOUNT ZION AND TOWER OF HIPPICUS.\n\nLeading from the Hippic Tower to the south wall of the city is a\nspacious and grand avenue. On its western side are the _Caserne di\nSion_ and the residence of the Armenian patriarch; opposite are the\nEnglish Church and the Armenian Convent. The entrance to the convent\nis through a large but simple portal, opening into a court around which\nrise the dormitories, capable of accommodating 8000 pilgrims. Adjoining\nthe monastery is the Church of St. James, the most sumptuous building\nof the kind in the East, and, next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,\nthe largest religious edifice in Jerusalem. Belonging formerly to\nthe Georgians, who failed to pay the enormous tax levied upon it, it\nwas sold to the Armenians in the fifteenth century. The interior is\ngorgeous to a fault. The floor is inlaid with rich mosaics; the pillars\nsupporting the roof are incased with tiles of blue and green porcelain,\nand ornamented with gilded crosses, and the walls are decorated with\npictures of the Byzantine school. The high altar is indescribably\ngrand, adorned with silver vases filled with flowers, with pictures\nrepresenting scriptural scenes, and with golden lamps suspended from\nthe ceiling.\n\nBut the chief attraction of the church is the chapel of St. James,\nmarking at once the scene of his martyrdom and the place of his\nburial. All that affection could suggest, art produce, and wealth\nprocure, adorns this splendid mausoleum. The doors are enameled\nwith a mosaic-work of coral and mother-of-pearl, dazzling with their\nbrilliancy the eye of the beholder, and charming him with their\nextraordinary beauty. The interior is faced with polished marble;\nfrom the ceiling hang golden lamps, ever burning; while from a costly\ncenser incense ascends in perpetual memory of the sainted dead.\n\nAround this sepulchral church are lovely gardens, dressed and\nbeautified by the monks of Armenia, whose love for flowers and\ntrees is only excelled by the taste displayed in training them. From\nthese gardens an iron portal opens toward the Zion Gate, 100 yards\nbeyond which is the traditional House of Caiaphas, dating back in its\nauthentic history to the fourth century, and now a dependency on the\nlarge establishment within the walls. Within this house is a small\ncell, richly decorated with pearl and porcelain, in which Christ is\nsaid to have been kept in durance the night previous to his crucifixion.\nNear the prison is a marble statue of Jesus tied to the pillar of\nflagellation, which devout women were approaching on their knees and\nkissing; and just beyond is the legendary stone which closed the mouth\nof our Lord\u2019s sepulchre.\n\nNot far to the south is the Tomb of David, now a mosque, whose\ngraceful minaret never fails to attract the traveler\u2019s attention as\nhe approaches the Holy City from the south. The edifice was once a\nChristian church, and, besides covering the tomb of the renowned King\nof Israel, contains the \u201cupper room\u201d where Christ ate the Passover\nwith his disciples,[92] and where he washed their feet;[93] where,\nafter his resurrection, the disciples were assembled with closed doors,\nand, Jesus appearing in their midst, said, \u201cPeace be unto you;\u201d[94]\nwhere the doubting Thomas was permitted to thrust his hand into the\nRedeemer\u2019s side;[95] and where, on the day of Pentecost, the apostles\nreceived the Holy Ghost.[96] The \u201cupper room\u201d is a large chamber,\nfifty feet long and thirty wide, with ribbed ceiling and pendents. Its\nappearance indicates great age, and though, through neglect, it wears\na dreary aspect, it is so firmly built that, without violence, it will\nstand for a thousand years to come. In the middle of the fourth century\nit was regarded by Cyril, then Bishop of Jerusalem, as the scene of the\nPentecost, and a few years thereafter it was seen by Epiphanius, who\ndeclared it one of the few buildings which had escaped destruction when\nTitus captured the city. Whether this is the \u201cguest-chamber\u201d where so\nmany great events occurred or not, Zion is the designated place whence\nwere to go forth the conquering forces of the Messiah: \u201cOut of Zion\nshall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.\u201d\nZion was always the place of convocation, and the only one in the Holy\nCity, excepting Mount Moriah, where great assemblies could gather;\nand somewhere on its broad summit the representative Jews out of all\nnations were in solemn convocation when, \u201chearing a sound from heaven\nas of a rushing mighty wind,\u201d the vast multitude came together, unto\nwhom the promise of the Spirit had been made.[97] In the east end of\nthe room is a small niche where it is said Christ sat at the \u201cLast\nSupper,\u201d and where the Latin monk now sits when, at stated periods, he\nis permitted to celebrate mass within its consecrated precincts; and\nhere, in imitation of our Lord, the Franciscan monks wash the worn feet\nof the pious pilgrim, who, from the uttermost parts of the earth, has\ncome to worship at these holiest of earthly shrines.\n\nBeneath this mosque is the reputed Tomb of David. Of its antiquity\nthere can be no doubt, as no historic fact is better attested; of its\nidentity there is no dispute, as Jews, Christians, and Moslem revere\nit as only second in holiness to the site of the Temple. At all hours\nof the day venerable Jews and beautiful Jewesses may be seen there,\nsilently standing at its closed portal, as if half expectant that their\nGreat King will again awake to power, and vindicate their rights. With\nundying affection the Jews have ever regarded the sepulchres of their\nfathers, and Nehemiah assigned as a reason for his sad countenance in\nthe presence of Artaxerxes \u201cthat the place of my fathers\u2019 sepulchres\nlieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire.\u201d[98] And\nwhen that noble prophet returned to his beloved Jerusalem, he completed\nthe wall which Shallum had commenced, extending it \u201cunto the place over\nagainst the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and\nunto the house of the mighty.\u201d[99]\n\nAccording to Josephus, Solomon interred his father here \u201cwith great\nmagnificence, and with all the funeral pomp which kings used to be\nburied with;\u201d[100] and deposited immense wealth within the tomb,\nwhich remained undisturbed through all the revolutions of the kingdom,\ndown to within 150 years of the Christian era. Driven by the stern\nnecessities of war, Hyrcanus, the son of Simon Maccabeus, and successor\nof his father to the high-priesthood, plundered the royal vault,\nextracting therefrom the enormous sum of 3000 talents of silver, which\nhe gave to Antiochus Pius to raise the siege of Jerusalem and grant him\nterms of peace.[101]\n\nFinding the treasure in an adjoining vault, Hyrcanus did not approach\nthe dust of David; but years later, hearing of the success of the son\nof Simon, and wanting means to complete his magnificent works in the\ncity, Herod the Great made a similar attempt; but failing to discover\nthe treasure, he essayed to enter the very chamber which contains the\nbodies of David and Solomon, and was only deterred in the consummation\nof his purpose by the accidental death of two of the guard, who were\nkilled by a flame suddenly bursting upon them.[102]\n\nIn his interpretation of the Messianic prophecies, on the day of\nPentecost St. Peter refers to this venerable monument, declaring\nthat \u201chis sepulchre is with us unto this day.\u201d[103] At the close of\nthe twelfth century, one of the walls of the building covering the\ntomb gave way, and, in order to repair it, the patriarch of the city\ncommanded his workmen to take stones from the original wall of Zion;\nin gathering them, they uncovered the mouth of a cave; on exploring\nit, they reached a large hall supported by marble pillars incased with\ngold, and in it were two tablets, and on each lay a crown and sceptre\nof gold. Near the sarcophagi were iron chests carefully sealed, and,\nwhen they were on the point of opening them, a blast of wind issuing\nfrom the cavern drove them back, throwing them senseless to the\nground. Recovering, they heard a voice commanding them to depart. On\nreporting their adventure to the patriarch, he concluded that what\nthey had mistaken for tables were the tombs of David and Solomon, and\nimmediately ordered the vault to be closed. In 1839, Sir Moses and Lady\nMontefiore were permitted, by paying an immense sum, to look through\nthe \u201clattice of a trellised door,\u201d and behold the tombs of their\nrenowned ancestors.[104] Of the size and appearance of the sepulchre\nit is impossible to speak with accuracy, as the fanatical Moslems,\nwho guard it with religious superstition, only suffer the traveler to\napproach the outer entrance. Like most of the tombs of that age, it\nis probably hewn in the solid rock, and decorated in a manner becoming\nroyalty; but of its proportions and grandeur the world must remain\nin ignorance till the Holy City shall have passed into the hands of\nChristians, when those of every faith shall be permitted to linger\naround the dust of Israel\u2019s great kings, who sleep in death amid the\nscenes of their greatest glory.\n\nA few paces within the wall, and to the east of the Zion Gate, are\nthe \u201cquarters of the lepers.\u201d Though formerly excluded from the city,\nthey are now suffered to build their wretched huts along the wall.\nIn obedience to a law prevalent throughout the East, all lepers are\ncompelled to live together in three colonies, and it is a coincidence\nno less singular than true that the cities in which these colonies\nare located were the residences of three historic lepers\u2015\u2015Naaman\nof Damascus,[105] Gehazi of Nablous,[106] and King Azariah of\nJerusalem.[107] Numbering in all 200, those on Mount Zion are supported\nby charity. Their homes are miserable huts, low, dark, and loathsome.\nAllowed to marry only with each other, their offspring, when born, are\nusually fair, and apparently healthy. Retaining their health and beauty\nup to the period of puberty, the fatal disease, like a scrofulous spot,\nthen makes its appearance on a finger, on the nose, or on the cheek,\nand, spreading over the system, it ultimately reaches some vital organ,\nand the unhappy victim dies.\n\nPreparing their evening meal, men and women moved with feeble step from\nhut to hut, exchanging articles of food, and also their rude cooking\nutensils. Their garments were old and torn, their voices were dry and\nhusky, their faces were red like a coal of fire half extinguished,\ntheir eyes swollen and restless, their hair was gone, their lips and\ncheeks, nose and ears were corroded with ulcers, and the flesh of their\nhands and arms had been eaten away, leaving the bone red and bare.\n\nStanding afar off, as in the days of Christ, they stretched out their\nhands, and begged in tones so piteously that none could resist their\nentreaties. In the plaintive accents of their native Arabic, they\nhailed me, \u201cPilgrim, give me; for the Lord\u2019s sake, give me.\u201d Dropping\na few piastres in the folds of their infected robes, I hastened away,\nhearing their tones of pity, and seeing their horrid forms in memory\ndays after the spectacle had been withdrawn. Alas for them to whom this\nworld is one great hospital, and life the vestibule of the grave!\n\nIn a country where sanitary regulations are ignored, it is not strange\nthat such persons are allowed to marry and propagate their unfortunate\nprogeny. Their marriage, like that of idiots and lunatics, should be\ntreated by the government as a crime against humanity. Were marriages\namong them prohibited, this leprous race would soon become extinct,\nand society would be relieved of one of its worst maladies. In cases of\nspontaneous leprosy the victim is banished from his home, and, becoming\na denizen of the infected quarter, he contracts matrimonial alliances,\nand perpetuates the evil. Though the continuance of the disease is\nmostly hereditary, yet occasionally it is contracted. While only the\nproximate cause of leprosy has been determined, the Scriptures assume\nit to be an evil inflicted upon the guilty for the commission of\nheinous offenses against the divine law; and, if modesty permitted, it\ncould be easily shown that the unmentionable crimes too prevalent in\nthe East justly merit such a condemnation. Retaining all its ancient\ncharacteristics, leprosy still infects the garments worn by leprous\npersons, and also the stones and mortar of the buildings they occupy.\nTwo centuries ago, Calmet made the suggestion that the former was\ncaused by vermin infecting clothes and skins, and the latter was caused\nby animalcul\u00e6 which, like mites in cheese, erode the stones and mortar.\n\nConnected with Mount Zion on the north by a small isthmus is the Hill\nAkra. Though not mentioned in the Bible by a name at present known, it\nholds a conspicuous place in Jewish history as the scene of some of the\nmost fearful struggles between the defenders and the assailants of the\ncity. Called by Josephus the \u201cLower City,\u201d to distinguish it from the\n\u201cUpper City,\u201d situated on Mount Zion, it is described by him as being\nseparated from the latter by the Tyropean Valley, the buildings on the\ntwo hills facing each other, and terminating at the intervening ravine.\nAt present Akra is a long, stony ridge of a gibbous shape. Extending\nfrom the Y\u00e2ffa Gate to the northwest corner of the town, and including\nthe site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, it extends eastward\nto the western wall of the Haram. It is now the Christian quarter of\nthe city, and the site of several fine convents. Though covered with\nbuildings, its gibbous form is perceptible, both in ascending from\nSt. Stephen\u2019s Street, and also from the Y\u00e2ffa Gate. Originally it was\ncrowned with a lofty rock, which proved such a strong position that\nthe Syrians under Antiochus Epiphanes successfully resisted the attacks\nof the Jews for twenty years, and, after the enemy had been dislodged,\nit \u201crequired the constant labor of all Jerusalem during three years to\nlevel it\u201d to its present height.\n\nSeparated from Akra by a valley which the Asmoneans partially filled\nup is the Hill Bezetha, a long, irregular ridge running north by west\nfrom the Temple area. On the east it rises abruptly from the Valley of\nJehoshaphat, on the south it is separated from Mount Moriah by a deep\nfosse, while on the north it has been cut into two parts by a broad\nand deep excavation. When carefully compared, the two parts exactly\ncorrespond. The north wall of the city crosses the southern half of\nthis ridge, and in the face of the opposite section is the famous\nGrotto of Jeremiah. It was to inclose this entire hill, then extending\n1000 yards north and south, and from 500 to 1000 east and west, that\nHerod Agrippa built the third wall of ancient Jerusalem. Up to that\ntime it was the suburb of the city, and, though the last of the five\nhills to become inhabited, it ultimately became the most populous,\nreceiving as its name Bezetha\u2015\u2015\u201cThe New City.\u201d It is now the Moslem\nquarter of the town. On the traditional site of Herod\u2019s palace\nstands the Mosque of the Dervishes. True to their low conceptions\nof architecture, the Mohammedan dwellings are destitute of taste and\ndesign. On the northeast corner of this ridge there is a large area\ndevoted to pasturage, where the pasha\u2019s elegant horses are kept. Not\nfar from St. Stephen\u2019s Gate is the Gothic Church of St. Anne, recently\npresented to the Emperor of the French by the Sultan for services\nrendered during the Crimean War. It has been repaired by order of its\nnew proprietor, and around it the Latins are erecting a nunnery for the\n\u201cSisters of the Sacred Heart.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER III.\n\n Mount Moriah. \u2015\u2015 Site of Solomon\u2019s Temple. \u2015\u2015 Surrounding Walls.\n \u2015\u2015 Great Fosse. \u2015\u2015 Pasha\u2019s Palace. \u2015\u2015 Council Chamber of the\n Jewish Sanhedrim. \u2015\u2015 Jews\u2019 Place of Wailing. \u2015\u2015 Their cruel\n Treatment. \u2015\u2015 Scene on Friday Afternoon. \u2015\u2015 Mournful Spectacle.\n \u2015\u2015 High-priest. \u2015\u2015 Prophecy fulfilled. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s Bridge. \u2015\u2015\n Its Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Temple Area. \u2015\u2015 Tower of Antonia. \u2015\u2015 Shrines\n within the Inclosure. \u2015\u2015 Imposing View. \u2015\u2015 Dome of the Chain.\n \u2015\u2015 Mosque of Omar. \u2015\u2015 Its grand Exterior. \u2015\u2015 Its History.\n \u2015\u2015 Its Portals. \u2015\u2015 Its magnificent Interior. \u2015\u2015 Sacred Rock\n within the Mosque. \u2015\u2015 Traditions. \u2015\u2015 Scene of the Offering of\n Isaac and of other Scriptural Events. \u2015\u2015 Mosque of El-Aksa. \u2015\u2015\n Its Interior and History. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s subterranean Passageway.\n \u2015\u2015 Extraordinary Workmanship. \u2015\u2015 Mosque of Jesus. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s\n great Vaults. \u2015\u2015 They reflect his Genius. \u2015\u2015 Evidence of their\n Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s great Lake beneath his Temple. \u2015\u2015 His\n Work. \u2015\u2015 Vicissitudes of Mount Moriah.\n\n\nGREAT events monopolize great names. Originally the term \u201cLand of\nMoriah\u201d was applied to Jerusalem and its environs, but in the lapse\nof ages the name \u201cMoriah\u201d became more restricted, and is now employed\nto designate the smallest of the five hills on which the Holy City\nstands. Mount Moriah was formerly a continuation of the Bezetha ridge,\nfrom which it is now separated by a deep fosse, traditionally called\nBethesda. Bounded on the west by the Tyropean Valley and the broad\ndepression coming down from the Damascus Gate, it has the Fosse of\nAntonia on the north, the Valley of Jehoshaphat on the east, and Mount\nOphel on the south. Ophel is also a part of the Bezetha ridge. Its\nsummit is 100 feet lower than the top of Moriah, and is separated from\nthe latter by the Haram wall. Having a length of 1560 feet, it is 300\nwide from brow to brow. It is the fifth hill of the city, and is at\npresent terraced like Mount Zion, and planted with fruit-trees. In the\nreign of Solomon it was included within the city walls, and after the\nreturn of the Jews from captivity under Nehemiah it was occupied by the\nNethinims, or Temple servants.\n\nWhat is now known as the Temple area is a beautiful inclosure of\nthirty-six acres, surrounded by a wall nine feet thick at the base and\nthree at the parapet, and ranging from fifty to eighty feet high on\nthe exterior, and from ten to fifteen on the interior, according to\nthe surface of the ground. It is composed of large blocks of limestone,\nmany of which are of great antiquity. The area being inclosed on the\neast and south by the city walls, which have already been described,\nit only remains to consider those on the north and south.\n\nA hundred feet south of St. Stephen\u2019s Gate the north wall of the\nHaram commences, running westward 1060 feet, nearly the whole of which\nis encumbered with buildings clinging to the side and top. Judging\nfrom the description of the extent and form of the Temple area as\ngiven by Josephus,[108] this wall has been carried some 600 feet north\nof the line of its original location. It is now penetrated by three\nportals\u2015\u2015the largest and most beautiful one is reached by a path from\nSt. Stephen\u2019s Gate. Extending from this portal east and west is one of\nthe most remarkable excavations in Jerusalem, supposed to be the fosse\nmentioned by Josephus for the defense of the Tower of Antonia.[109]\nIn length 460 feet, 130 broad, and seventy-five deep, its sides are\nconstructed of small stones covered with cement, suggesting that in\ntimes of peace it served as a reservoir, and in war as a moat. In the\nsouthwest corner are two high-arched vaults, extending side by side\nunder the modern buildings. Whether the water which supplied this\nreservoir came from the clouds, or was conveyed by a subterranean\nconduit from the Pool of Hezekiah, or from the aqueduct of Pontius\nPilate, is an undecided question. The fosse itself is one of the\ngreatest monuments of antiquity, pointing back to the days of national\ngrandeur, and to those sanguinary sieges when Antonia, rising from the\n\u201cabyss,\u201d stood a tower of strength against the assaulting foe.\n\nSurmounting this wall on its western end, and extending a distance of\n370 feet, is the Pasha\u2019s Palace, a pile of irregular and ill-shaped\nbuildings externally, but containing within all the magnificence and\nluxuries of an Oriental abode. From the Governor\u2019s House the western\nwall of the Haram runs southward 1528 feet, and is nearly hidden from\nview by the structures built against it. Seven streets approach the\nsacred inclosure from the west, having at their _termini_ as many\ngates, most of which correspond in their location to the sites of the\nancient portals of the Temple. Attached to this wall, near the Gate\nes-Silsilah, is the Hall of the \u201cTurkish Divan,\u201d which is identical\nwith the council-chamber of the Jewish Sanhedrim. It is a square stone\nbuilding, with arched ceiling and flattened domes, wearing the aspect\nof great age, and without violence will endure for ages to come. Here,\nin all probability, the apostles were arraigned for trial,[110] and\nhere \u201cstood up Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among\nall the people, and advised the council touching these men.\u201d[111]\n\nAdjoining the building on the south is the \u201cJews\u2019 Place of Wailing,\u201d a\nspot no less remarkable for its antiquity than for the touching scenes\nwhich there transpire. It is reached by a narrow lane running out of\nthe Jewish Quarter, and consists of a small quadrangular area 112 feet\nlong, thirty wide, and is inclosed by common dwellings on the west\nand the Haram wall on the east. Well paved and cleanly kept, it is so\nsecluded as to allow the worshipers to lament their departed national\ngreatness undisturbed. The chief attraction of the spot is the five\ncourses of large stones, bearing the well-known bevel, and remaining\n_in situ_ where they were placed thousands of years ago. Time has\ndealt gently with them, and, though slightly displaced by the shock of\nearthquakes, and worn smooth by the kisses of pilgrims, they are well\npreserved.\n\nHere, as before an altar, on each returning Friday the descendants\nof Abraham assemble to bewail their once mighty but now fallen nation.\nProscribed by their Moslem masters, this is the nearest point of\napproach to which they are allowed to come, and even for a boon so\nhumble Mohammedan cupidity demands an exorbitant sum. Unparalleled in\ntheir history, seldom have a people been treated with such unmitigated\ncruelty as the Jews. From the time of Adrian to the age of Constantine\nthey were expelled from Jerusalem, and it was only by the clemency\nof the latter emperor that they were permitted to behold their native\ncity from the neighboring hills; and it was by bribing the Roman guard\nthat they at length gained admission to Jerusalem once a year, on the\nanniversary of its capture by Titus, to weep over the ruins of their\nfallen Temple. Though now suffered to dwell within the walls of the\ncity, it is instant death to a Jew to cross the threshold of the sacred\ninclosure. From the beginning of the twelfth century it has been their\ncustom to linger around these ancient stones and make their complaint\nto Jehovah.\n\n Illustration: JEWS\u2019 PLACE OF WAILING.\n\nIt was two o\u2019clock on a lovely Friday afternoon when, for the first\ntime, I threaded the narrow streets leading to this mournful spot.\nAbout seventy men and women of all ages were engaged in their devotions.\nIn their midst stood the high-priest, whose tall and majestic form\ndistinguished him from those around him, and whose open and intelligent\nface was pale and sorrowful as he mingled his prayers and tears with a\npeople whose ruined fortunes he was powerless to retrieve. Accustomed\nto see him, attended by his two sons, walking thoughtfully the streets\nof what was once the imperial city of his fathers, I had become\nfamiliar with his noble bearing and with the calm expression of his\nJewish countenance; but, moved by the reflections of his own powerful\nmind, and touched with sympathy by the scene before him, he lifted up\nhis voice and wept.\n\nAround him were groups of his people, some of whom were standing,\nsome sitting, some kneeling, while others were lying prostrate upon\nthe stone pavement. Here sat a group of Jewish matrons, whose black\ntresses time had whitened, weeping as if broken-hearted; there stood an\nold man, leaning, like the patriarch Jacob, upon his staff, reciting,\nwith faltering voice, his complaint before the Lord. Nearer the wall\nwere men in the prime of life, absorbed in their recitations from the\nProphets; while along the whole length of the wall, with their sacred\nbooks resting against it, were men and women of all ages, reading,\nweeping, and ever and anon smiting their troubled breasts.\n\nIn the northeast corner of the inclosure, half hidden by the pavement,\nis one stone more sacred than the rest. Around it were gathered the\nrich and elegantly attired mothers and daughters of Israel, waiting to\nbow low and affectionately kiss the relic as a thing of love.\n\nSome, with a copy of Isaiah before them, audibly read, \u201cBe not wroth\nvery sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity forever; behold, see, we\nbeseech thee, we are all thy people. Thy holy cities are a wilderness,\nZion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful\nhouse, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt up with fire, and\nall our pleasant things are laid waste. Wilt thou refrain thyself for\nthese things, O Lord? wilt thou hold thy peace and afflict us very\nsore?\u201d[112] Others, reading from the Psalms, would passionately break\nforth, \u201cO God, the heathen have come into thine inheritance; thy holy\ntemple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. We are\nbecome a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them that\nare round about. How long, Lord? wilt thou be angry forever? shall thy\njealousy burn like fire?\u201d[113]\n\nIt is the opinion of the Jews that this portion of the wall belonged\nto the court of the Temple, and not to the Temple itself; but, in\nconceding with them the great antiquity of these stones, and that they\nremain intact, we do not thereby affect our Lord\u2019s prediction touching\nthe destruction of Jerusalem. Josephus informs us that such was the\nunevenness of Mount Moriah, that in laying the foundation of the wall\nfor the western court of the Temple it was necessary to lay it far\nbelow the general surface of the ground, which is evident from the fact\nthat while the inside of the wall is only twelve feet high, the outside\nis seventy feet high.[114] To this circumstance is due the preservation\nof this wall as it was originally laid, and also to the fact that\nthe Romans, beginning their work of destruction within the area,\nfirst removed the upper layers, throwing the broken fragments over the\noutside, which, accumulating at its base, inhumed the lower courses,\nand literally fulfilled the Savior\u2019s words, \u201cAnd shall lay thee even\nwith the ground.\u201d[115] In every particular that fearful prediction was\nfulfilled. The Romans cast a trench about the devoted city, keeping the\ninhabitants in on every side; and such was the utter destruction which\nfollowed their capture of the city, that, in the words of the historian,\n\u201cthere was nothing left to make those that came thither believe it had\never been inhabited.\u201d[116]\n\nOwing to the rapid descent of the ground in the direction of the\nsouthwest corner of the Haram wall, lower courses of stones are there\nexposed to view. Measuring thirty-one feet in length, seven in width,\nand five in height, the chief cornerstone is no doubt identical with\nthe one placed there by order of Solomon, and now marks the southwest\nangle of the area which inclosed his Temple. Thirty-nine feet to the\nnorth is the foot of the ancient bridge which once spanned the Tyropean\nValley. Viewed casually, these stones appear to have been pushed out\nfrom their places by some violent concussion within, but, when examined\nwith care, they indicate the design of an architect, and the occupancy\nof their original position. Consisting of three courses of huge stones,\nprojecting one over the other as they rise, they form the segment of\nan arch. With their external surface hewn to a regular curve, they each\nmeasure from twenty to twenty-four feet long, and from five to six high;\nand extending along the wall about forty feet, they spring therefrom\nnearly the same distance. From the apparent width of the valley from\nthis arch to the precipitous rocks on the eastern brow of Mount Zion,\nthis bridge was 350 feet long, and consisted of five arches, supported\nby four intervening piers.\n\n Illustration: SOLOMON\u2019S BRIDGE.\n\nWithout giving us the date of its construction, Josephus speaks of this\nbridge as existing in his day,[117] and the colossal proportion of the\nremaining blocks, together with the manner in which they are dressed,\nevince their great age, and also their Jewish origin. It is older than\nHerod, as it is mentioned in connection with Pompey\u2019s siege of the\nHoly City, which occurred twenty years prior to the accession of the\nIdumean.[118] It is not, therefore, unreasonable to suppose it as old\nas Solomon, whose wonderful works have ever been the admiration of\nmankind. Attended by a gorgeous retinue of princes and soldiers, he\noften passed over it from his palace on Zion to the Temple of the\nHighest on Mount Moriah; and to this magnificent structure the sacred\nhistorian probably alludes, who, in describing the effect of Solomon\u2019s\nworks upon the mind of the Queen of the South, declares that when\nshe beheld \u201cthe ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord,\nthere was no more spirit in her.\u201d[119] Centuries later, it was no doubt\nthe way by which the Redeemer frequently passed from the Temple to the\n\u201cUpper City;\u201d and when the day of retribution came, and the hour of the\ndestruction of Jerusalem drew nigh, the triumphant Titus stood upon one\nof its remaining sections and addressed the infatuated Jews, appealing\nto the remnant to spare themselves from farther carnage by submitting\nto Rome.\n\nThese mural examinations awakened a desire to stand, if possible, upon\nthe very site of Solomon\u2019s Temple. This, however, was both difficult\nand expensive. For many centuries the inclosure, together with the\nMosque of Omar, had been closed against all Christians, but, thanks to\nthe civilization of the West, the fanaticism of the East has yielded to\na superior power, and many places hitherto inaccessible are now open to\nthe Christian traveler.\n\nThe Temple area is an oblong quadrangle, extending north and south\n1600 feet, and more than 1000 east and west. Since the reign of Herod\nthe Great it has been enlarged, and now includes the space formerly\noccupied by the Tower of Antonia. It is only on this supposition that\nits present dimensions can be made to correspond with the measurements\nof Josephus, who describes it to have been a square,[120] and such it\nis if the above-mentioned space is excluded. If a line be drawn from\nthe south side of the Golden Gate, and at right angles to it, to a\npoint 150 feet north of the modern gate, called Bal el-Katan\u00ean, an\narea is left for the Temple and its courts 1018 feet long and 926 wide,\nwhich, in popular language, would be called a square, and to the eye\npresents such a figure.\n\nOn the space north of this imaginary line stood the famous Tower of\nAntonia, constructed by Judas Maccabeus, or by some other member of the\nAsmonean family, and which, at a subsequent period, was enlarged and\nrendered exceedingly grand by Herod the Great, who called it Antonia,\nin honor of Anthony, his benefactor. Quadrangular in form, it had a\ntower at each angle, three of which had an elevation of 87\u00bd feet each,\nwhile the one at the southeast corner rose to the height of 122\u00bd feet,\nuniting in this structure the strength of a fortress with the splendor\nof a palace. The interior was adorned with baths, courts, and porticoes.\nIn the very centre of the inclosure was an open space for encampments,\nfrom which extended elegant passage-ways, connecting the tower with the\ncolonnades of the Temple. From a rock eighty feet high, situated in the\nnorthwest corner, rose the Acropolis, seventy feet higher, which was\nincased with polished stones. As this was the fortress of the Temple,\nhere was stationed the military guard; and, during the jurisdiction of\nthe Romans, it was the seat of public justice. On the exterior of the\npresent wall are two arches, now walled up, where the _Scala Santa_,\nor Pilate\u2019s Staircase, which led to his judgment-hall, formerly stood.\nRegarding it with religious reverence, Constantine removed it to Rome,\nwhere it was placed in the Basilica of St. John Lateran; and, believing\nthat it was once pressed by the Savior\u2019s feet, the pious Catholic now\nascends it upon his knees. A few paces to the west of these arches,\nand spanning the Via Dolorosa, is the _Ecce Homo_ arch, traditionally\nmarking the spot where Pilate, having brought forth our Lord, exclaimed,\n\u201cBehold the man!\u201d[121]\n\nYielding to the conquering arms of Titus, the Tower of Antonia was\ntaken by the Romans, who, razing it to its foundation, left it a mass\nof ruins. Cutting away the Acropolis rock, they left but a projecting\nfragment, now the site of the Pasha\u2019s Palace. Removing the elegant\ncourts and porticoes to plant their engines of war against the Temple,\nthey cleared an area 500 feet long and 1000 wide, which is now in part\na scarped rock, and the rest is dotted with patches of grass. Inhumed\nbeneath the ruins lay the deep fosse, the foundation of the northeast\ntower, and the base of the loftier tower at the southeast angle, all of\nwhich remain to our own day, pointing to Antonia as one of the grandest\nof human structures.\n\nEqually superstitious with the Latins and Greeks, the Moslems have\nmany shrines within the Temple area consecrated either to the memory of\ntheir great Prophet, or to that of some eminent saint. Near a graceful\nminaret, which rises from the scarped rock, is a small dome, marking\nthe spot where Solomon, after the completion of the Temple, stood and\nprayed. Along the western side of the Haran are cloisters, with square\npillars and pointed arches, devoted to meditation and prayer, and to\nthe accommodation of dervishes, eunuchs, and serpent-charmers. In a\nsmall room beneath one of the cloisters is the legendary iron ring to\nwhich Mohammed tied his Alborak on the night of his ascension.\n\nIn the centre of the oblong area within the walls is a raised platform\nfifteen feet high, 550 long north and south, and 450 wide east and west.\nIt is paved with Palestine marble, and reached by eight flights of\nstone steps, spanned by light Saracenic arches. Ascending the platform\nby the northern steps, we lingered for a moment to enjoy a scene of\nextraordinary beauty. On either side rose massive walls, with parapet\nand tower; beneath the platform, and extending to the farthest verge\nof the inclosure, were fields of grass adorned with flowers; decked in\nall their vernal beauty were sombre olives, lofty palms, and graceful\nacacias, and near them were marble fountains sparkling in the morning\nlight; beneath the trees white-veiled women reclined, and turbaned\nTurks moved softly through the foliage; around the platform rose airy\narches; on it stood elegant pulpits, carved niches for prayer, and\nminiature cupolas of faultless symmetry; while from the very centre\nrose the Mosque of Omar, enameled with tiles of intricate patterns and\nof variant hues, reflecting the colors of the rainbow, and surmounted\nwith that dome of domes, resplendent with the early light. Secluded\nfrom the outer world, peace reigned within, and no sound was heard\nsave the solitary call of the muezzin from the balcony of a neighboring\nminaret. Among the minor objects of interest within the Haram is the\nKubbet es-Silsilah\u2015\u2015\u201cthe Dome of the Chain.\u201d Situated twenty feet\neast from the great mosque, it is a small fane of rare beauty. From\nseventeen slender marble columns spring semicircular arches, supporting\na dome of great elegance, which is adorned with porcelain of different\ncolors and curious devices. According to the legend, here Mohammed\nobtained his first view of the enchanting damsels of Paradise, and\nhither the faithful now resort to meditate on love.\n\n Illustration: MOUNT MORIAH, WITH A VIEW OF THE MOSQUE OF OMAR.\n\nBut the great attraction within the Temple area is the \u201cMosque of\nOmar\u201d\u2015\u2015the pride of the Mohammedan, the contempt of the Jew, and the\ngrief of the Christian. Though bearing the name of the celebrated\nKhalif Omar, who captured Jerusalem in 636 A.D., yet some Arabian\nwriters suggest the name of Khalif Abd-el-Melek Ibn Marwan as the\nmore probable founder of the present mosque. But so confused are\nthe accounts of historians, and so contradictory are the prevailing\ntraditions touching its origin, that it is difficult to reach a\ncorrect conclusion on the subject. It is stated, however, by the best\nauthorities, that when Jerusalem capitulated to the arms of Omar, the\nkhalif, on entering the city, refused to pray in the Church of the\nHoly Sepulchre, but inquired for the site of Solomon\u2019s Temple. Led by\nthe venerable patriarch Sophronius to the sacred rock which forms the\nsummit ridge of Moriah, Omar, with his own hands, removed the filth\nwhich Moslem contempt for the Jew had heaped upon it, and over it he\nordered the erection of a mosque at once worthy the wisdom of Solomon\nand the conquests of Mohammed.\n\nIn the estimation of devout Moslems, this mosque is next in sacredness\nto the mosques of Mecca and Medina, and, with the exception of a brief\ninterval, it has remained in their possession since its construction.\nIn 1099 A.D. the Holy City yielded to the triumphant arms of the\nCrusaders, whose heroic faith was only excelled by their unwavering\ncourage. Overpowered by their Christian conquerors, the followers of\nthe Prophet retreated within their sacred edifice, from which they were\nat length driven with terrible slaughter. Some, creeping to the summit\nof the dome, and clinging to its gilded spire, were pierced with arrows;\nothers, leaping into the deep cisterns beneath the mosque, were drowned\nor sabred in their attempt to escape; while so great was the number\nslain, that the whole area flowed with blood ankle deep.[122] Having\nremoved the dead, and cleansed the mosque from the stench and stains\nof the slaughtered, the Crusaders consecrated it to Christ. Within they\nerected a choir and an altar, and on the spire which surmounts the dome\nthey substituted the Cross for the Crescent. Receiving authority from\nthe sovereign pontiff, they established a regular chapter of canons,\nendowed with all the immunities belonging to the Catholics of the West,\nand calling the holy house, by way of excellence, _Templum Domini_,\nthey organized a special guard for its protection, to whom they gave\nthe name of Knights Templars.\n\nBut in less than a century thereafter the Mosque of Omar reverted to\nits former masters, and, true to his religious faith, the proud Saladin,\nhaving driven the Crusaders from the city, transferred the mosque from\nChrist to Mohammed. The golden cross gave place to the gilded crescent;\nthe altar and choir were removed; the edifice was cleansed with\nrose-water brought for the purpose from Damascus; and from its lofty\ndome the muezzin announced the hour for prayer, while on his royal mat,\nspread beneath that dome, Saladin performed his devotions.[123] As the\nEgyptian conqueror left it we now behold it.\n\nConsisting of three sections\u2015\u2015the walls, the drum, and the dome\u2015\u2015the\nlower story is a true octagon, forty-six feet high and 170 in diameter.\nPenetrated by fifty-six pointed windows of the Tudor style, the light\npasses through stained glass, rivaling in the beauty and brilliancy of\nits colors that of the famous cathedral windows of Central Italy. From\nthis section rises the drum, thirty-four feet high, pierced by sixteen\nwindows, and on which rests the dome, rising seventy feet higher, and\nhaving a diameter of sixty feet. A graceful spire surmounts the dome,\nsupporting a gilded crescent. The exterior of the first and second\nsections is incased with marbles of different hues and with porcelain\ntiles of intricate patterns, while that of the dome is covered with\nlead.\n\nCorresponding in position to the four cardinal points are as many\ndoorways, three of which have inclosed marble porches, and the fourth\nhas a portico formed of slender columns, with a roof of the same\nmaterial. Two corridors encircle the interior of this noble edifice.\nOne, thirteen feet wide, is formed of eight massive piers and sixteen\nCorinthian columns, connected at the top by a horizontal architrave;\nthe other, thirty feet wide, is formed of twelve columns and four\ninner piers, from which spring the arches that support the dome. These\ncolumns are polished porphyry of a purple hue, and are crowned with\nrichly gilded capitals. The walls and ceiling are covered with gilt\nstucco, on which are traced, in the graceful curves and lines of the\nArabic characters, quotations from the Koran. Rising 150 feet from the\nmarble pavement, the interior of the dome is no less impressive than\nthe exterior is imposing; and though less in altitude than St. Peter\u2019s\nat Rome, it is more symmetrical, and from the dimness of the light the\neye wearies in searching for its loftier portions.\n\nBut the great attraction within the mosque is the celebrated rock\ncalled by the Arabs es-Sukhrah. Situated directly beneath the dome, it\nis unquestionably the summit ridge of Mount Moriah, and consists of a\nnaked limestone rock of a grayish color, sixty feet long, fifty-five\nwide, and rises five feet above the surrounding floor. Over it,\nsuspended from the piers, is the war-banner of Omar, made of the\nrichest crimson silk; around it is an iron railing, with arrow-headed\npoints tipped with gilt, and on it stand metallic candlesticks\nresembling Syrian lilies.\n\nThe fertile imagination of the Asiatic has invested this rock with\npeculiar sanctity. According to a Mohammedan legend, it descended\nfrom heaven when the spirit of prophecy was withdrawn from earth, and\nattempted to return to its native quarry when the Prophet ascended to\nglory, but was only restrained by the powerful arm of Gabriel. Refusing\nto touch the earth again, _it remains suspended in the air seven feet\nabove the top of Mount Moriah!_ Arrogant in their spirit as they are\nlegendary in their taste, the Moslems believe that all the water on the\nearth flows from beneath this rock; and that in one of its unvisited\ncaves are still preserved the armor of Mohammed, the saddle of his\nfavorite beast, the scales for weighing the souls of men at the last\njudgment, the birds of Solomon, the pomegranates of David, and a\nsilver urn which was thrown from its pedestal by Gabriel\u2019s wing on the\never-memorable night of the Prophet\u2019s ascension.\n\nReached by a flight of stone steps is the \u201cNoble Cave,\u201d excavated in\nthe heart of the rock, which is of irregular shape, eight feet high\nand sixty in circumference. To deceive the unwary, and sustain the\nstory that the rock is suspended in the air, a plastered wall incloses\nthe sides of the vault, which, on being struck, emits a hollow sound,\nindicating a vacant space beyond. In the centre of the floor is a\nmarble star, said to cover the mouth of _Hades_. It is more probably\nthe entrance to that great cavern beneath the city, which, according\nto tradition, extends to this point.\n\nRejecting the idle tales of a false faith, the es-Sukhrah has a\nhistory replete with interest to every Christian. Forming the ridge\nof Mount Moriah, here Abraham offered his son;[124] here stood the\ndestroying angel when about to smite Jerusalem for the offense of an\nambitious king;[125] here was the threshing-floor of Ornan, which David\npurchased to offer thereon a sacrifice to stay the hand of the avenging\nmessenger;[126] and on it rested the altar of burnt-offerings in the\nfirst and second temples.[127] Viewed in this light, the \u201cNoble Cave\u201d\nwas no doubt the cess-pool of the altar of burnt-offerings, into which\nthe immense quantity of sacrificial blood was conveyed by the drain\nthat encompassed the altar.\n\nFrom the southern portal of the Mosque of Omar a paved pathway leads\nto the Mosque of El-Aksa, lined on either side with olives, palms, and\nacacias. Near this avenue is the elegant Pulpit of David, from which\nprayers are offered for the health of the Sultan and the triumph of\nhis arms. Extending a distance of 350 feet, the path terminates at\nthe porch of El-Aksa. Standing near the southwest corner of the Temple\narea, and close to the southern wall, this mosque covers an area of\n50,000 square feet. Measuring 280 feet long and 180 wide, its aisles\nand nave are forty-eight feet high, and its dome 130. Though in its\ngeneral appearance the architecture is a compound of the Gothic and\nthe Saracenic, yet, owing to the frequent alterations and numerous\nadditions of the mosque, it is difficult to assign it a classification.\nFacing the north, the imposing porch extends the entire breadth of the\nbuilding, and is divided into seven sections by arches supported by\nslender columns. It is paved with marble, and is reached by eight steps\nworn smooth by the feet of twelve centuries. The fa\u00e7ade is penetrated\nby seven portals opening into the interior, which consists of a grand\nnave, three aisles on either side, and a transept surmounted with a\nnoble dome. The aisles and nave are formed by forty-five marble columns,\nresembling the imposing colonnades in the magnificent basilicas of\nSanta Maria Maggiore and San Paolo fuori le Mura in Rome. Springing\nfrom these columns are arches connecting aisle with aisle, and\nsupporting the roof and dome. The pavement, now of stone, was once\nadorned with beautiful mosaics, the remaining fragments attesting the\npristine grandeur of this ancient temple of Christian worship. Beneath\nthe dome is the elaborately-carved Pulpit of Saladin, and near it is\nthe gallery for the singers. Deriving their name from the daughter of\nthe Prophet, the Fatimites ordered a large section of the mosque to\nbe partitioned off and appropriated for the devotions of women. In the\nwestern end of the transept are two polished marble columns standing\nten inches apart, and designedly arranged to discover the faith of\nhim who essayed to pass between them; no one, according to the legend,\nbut a true believer in the Koran could hope for success. Once regarded\nas an infallible test, the charm, however, is now broken, as many\na Christian has succeeded in the attempt. Within this mosque is a\nfountain called the \u201cWell of the Leaf,\u201d receiving its name from the\ncircumstance that centuries ago, one of the faithful, having descended\nto the bottom to recover a lost bucket, unexpectedly found a door\nopening into the delightful gardens of Paradise, into which he walked,\nand, plucking a leaf from one of its fair trees, returned, bearing with\nhim the celestial memento, which proved its heavenly origin and nature\nby retaining its freshness.\n\nWith the ever-changing fortunes of the Holy City, the Mosque of El-Aksa\nhas passed from master to master. Originally a Christian basilica,\nbuilt by order of the Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, and by\nhim dedicated to \u201cMy Lady,\u201d the Virgin Mary, a hundred years thereafter\nit was converted into a temple of Moslem worship. Four and a half\ncenturies later, Tancred and his brave knights drove out the Arabians,\nand reconsecrated the Church of Justinian to the Blessed Virgin. In\n1119 A.D. Baldwin II. gave it to his followers, whom he was pleased to\ncall \u201cthe poor fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ,\u201d and for whose\naccommodation he erected on its eastern side a dormitory, refectory,\nand infirmary. A gift so humble was the beginning of the wealth, power,\nand glory of the Knights Templars, whose mystic kingdom afterward\nextended to the farthest limits of Christendom, and who received the\nbenedictions of pontiffs, the homage of kings, and the donations of the\npious. Beneath the green sod in front of the venerable basilica were\ninterred, in the year of our Lord 1170, the four knights who, at the\ninstigation of Henry II., assassinated Thomas \u00e0 Becket in the ancient\ncathedral of Canterbury. Remaining in the possession of the Crusaders\nfor eighty-eight years, in 1187 A.D. Saladin marched against Jerusalem,\ncaptured the city, put the Templars to the sword, and reopened the\nportals of the mosque to the children of the Prophet.[128]\n\nWhatever pleasure is experienced in recalling the ever-shifting\nfortunes of Moslem and Christian, and in reciting the legends of the\none and the traditions of the other, the traveler turns away from\nscenes and memories so romantic to explore with deeper interest the\nworks of Solomon.\n\nThirty feet to the east from the Mosque of El-Aksa is the entrance to\na subterranean passage-way. A flight of stone steps leads down to a\nbroad and well-made avenue 259 feet long, forty-two wide, thirty high,\nand having a gentle descent of 200 feet. Extending through the centre\nare two rows of monolithic columns, connected by arches supporting the\nceiling, which is composed of flattened domes. These domes are formed\nof large blocks of limestone, and each one has a circular keystone\nsix feet in diameter\u2015\u2015a style of architecture nowhere else to be found,\nexcept in some of the ancient tombs beyond the city, indicating a\ncontemporaneous age. Guided by the light of our wax tapers, we advanced\na distance of 259 feet to a flight of nine steps leading down into an\nentrance-hall fifty feet long and forty-two wide. In the very centre\nstands a massive column twenty-one feet high and six in diameter,\nconsisting of a single block of limestone, including a foliated capital,\non which is carved a palm-branch. From this central pier, and from\npilasters on the sides of the hall, spring arches on which rests a\nvaulted ceiling of extraordinary workmanship. And corresponding, both\nin its size and grandeur, is the original gateway in the south wall\nof the city, the exterior of which is seen in part where the city wall\njoins that of the Haram. Having a breadth of forty-two feet, it is\ndivided in the centre by a rectangular pier eight feet broad, and,\nextending inward twelve feet, has a pillar-shaped termination. Both the\npier and jambs of the gateway are constructed of bevel stones of great\nsize and well finished. This is evidently one of the approaches to the\nancient city, and no doubt up through this colonnaded avenue Christ and\nhis disciples often passed to the House of the Lord. In some lateral\nvault leading from this covered way, the Jews believe the treasures and\nfurniture of their Temple are now concealed; and so prevalent is this\nopinion, that a breach has already been made in the wall to discover\nthe place of concealment.\n\n Illustration: SOLOMON\u2019S SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGE-WAY.\n\nStanding in the southeast corner of the Temple area is the Mosque of\nIssa (Jesus). It is a small, dome-like building, containing a large\nmarble basin, not unlike in form a sarcophagus, called by some the\n\u201cCradle of Jesus,\u201d by others the font in which the infant Savior was\nwashed previous to his presentation in the Temple. Through this chamber\nis the true and easy entrance to the great substructions of Solomon\u2019s\nday; but, hoping to deter us from exploring them, the guide led us to\nan opening in the area, down which we were compelled to leap more than\nten feet. Nothing daunted, each in turn made the leap, and turning to\nthe right, we stood beneath those grand vaults, unequaled in strength\nand grandeur by any thing of the kind either in Greece or Rome.\n\nOriginally the summit of Mount Moriah naturally and rapidly declined\nfrom the great rock which forms the ridge toward the southeast, leaving\na narrow and uneven surface. To elevate the surface of the hill to a\ncommon level, Solomon constructed vaults supported by piers.[129]\nStanding ten feet apart, and extending east and west 319 feet, and\nnorth and south 250 feet, are fifteen rows of massive columns, composed\nof beveled stones five feet square, and connected by semicircular\narches, on which rest the vaulted ceiling, five feet thick, supporting\nthe pavement above. These piers are from ten to thirty feet high,\naccording to the elevation and depression of the ground, and on some\nof them has been chiseled a mason\u2019s compasses, opened at an angle\nof forty-five degrees, but whether ancient or modern the silent sign\nof the honorable craft gives no response. The eastern wall of these\nsubstructions is the eastern wall of the Haram inclosure, the blocks\nof which are of the same material and of similar finish with those\nseen from without. Through openings in an arched gateway, now closed,\nthe Valley of Jehoshaphat is distinctly seen. Through the thick vaults\nabove some olive-trees have forced their powerful roots, which have\ntaken hold on the soil below, uniting, by ligaments of life, the upper\nand lower surfaces, while the more slender roots hang like graceful\npendents from the ceiling. Running along the wall in the western aisle\nis a large pipe, of similar material to Solomon\u2019s aqueduct, which\nno doubt formerly served as a waste-pipe to carry off the refuse\nwater from the Temple; and near it is an oval well, twenty feet in\ndiameter. In the south corner of this aisle is a triple gate of curious\nworkmanship, consisting of an arched central doorway and two lateral\nones, so arranged as to form an obtuse angle. In the centre is an\noctagonal column two and a half feet in diameter, from which spring\nthe arches of the side gateways. Though well preserved, this beautiful\ngate is now walled up. In the palmy days of Jerusalem it opened to the\nvillages on the south of the city, and there is still a gradual ascent\nto the open area above, up which the victims were driven to the Temple\nfor sacrifice.\n\nWhether we consider the grandeur of these works or the wealth expended\nin their construction, they reflect alike the wisdom and glory of\nSolomon. The original declination of the hill\u2015\u2015the measurements of the\nTemple area as given by Josephus\u2015\u2015the size of the stones of which they\nare constructed, and the manner in which they are dressed, together\nwith the absence of any information that either Herod or any of his\nsuccessors ever touched the foundations of the sacred inclosure,\nsuggest that these substructions are coeval with the Holy House.\n\nReturning to the surface of the area, we turned to the northwest\nto explore the great lake beneath the Mosque of Omar. Any one who\nfor a moment has reflected upon the quantity of water requisite for\nthe frequent ablutions of the priests, and for the other demands of\nthe Temple service, must have concluded that artificial means were\nemployed to meet the demand. Ever fruitful in inventions, the genius of\nSolomon was equal to the emergency, and to the aid of nature he brought\nthe mechanical art of his day. Near the mosque there is an aperture\nresembling the mouth of a well, down which an inclined plane leads to\na flight of forty-four stone steps cut in the living rock. Descending,\nwe found an excavation in the solid limestone rock forty-two feet\ndeep, 736 in circumference, and capable of holding 2,000,000 gallons.\nThe form of the cavern is irregular, and the rudely-arched roof is\nsupported by large piers, which were designedly left at the time of the\nexcavation. These columns are arranged to afford the greatest support,\nwithout regard to regularity or beauty, and an attempt had been made\nto arch the intervening rock, but the work is so crudely done as to\ngive it a craggy appearance. Both the arches and upper portions of the\npillars were formerly incased with brass, but the metallic covering\nhas been removed by the Vandal captors of the city. Formerly there were\neight apertures in the pavement above through which the water was drawn\nup; but only one remains open, admitting the light to the shades below.\nMore than three feet of water now covers the entire bottom, which is\nperfectly clear and of a sweetish taste. Though at present the lake is\npartially supplied with rain-water, which flows through a small tank,\nfrom the Mosque of El-Aksa, yet originally the water was brought from\nSolomon\u2019s Pools at Etham, seven miles to the south of Jerusalem, and\nthe ancient aqueduct through which it flowed can now be traced to the\nwestern side of the reservoir.\n\nStanding in such a cavern, where the light and darkness alternately\nchase each other, where no sound is heard save the measured tramp of\npilgrim feet on the marble floor above, and where History silently but\ntriumphantly points to her works in confirmation of her story, the mind\nis filled with admiration for the past. Of all the works of Solomon,\nthere is nothing remaining which so impressively reflects his wonderful\nintellect, and so truly conveys to the mind an idea of his unbounded\nresources as this lake. Of its antiquity there can be no doubt; as to\nits design there can be no dispute; and of the glory it reflects upon\nthe memory of its founder there can be no diversity of opinion. It was\nseen and described by Aristeas in the century preceding Christ, and it\nis subsequently mentioned by the Mishna, by Tacitus, and the Jerusalem\nItinerary, and it now invites the modern traveler to its cavernous\ndepths to drink of its crystal water, and thereby confirm those\ntraditions which the lapse of time had transformed into fables.[130]\n\nThough permitted to explore the Temple area the second time, yet I\nreluctantly left a spot where of old God had appeared to his people,\nand where the Redeemer often taught as one having authority. And where,\non earth, have occurred events of greater grandeur and of more powerful\ninfluence? Within an area of less than forty acres the history of our\nreligion may be said to have occurred, and there all that is now real\nin our faith was once foreshadowed by the most costly and imposing\nsymbols; and to-day Moriah bears testimony no less to the fulfillment\nof the prophetic judgments demanded against her than to the veracity of\nher historians. In less than forty years after the Savior\u2019s prediction\nof the destruction of the Temple, his words were fulfilled by Titus,\nwho left the holy fane a mass of scorched and smoking ruins; and now\nspanning the Appian Way in ancient Rome, the Arch of Titus remains the\nmonument of his terrible work. After a period of desolation lasting\nseventy years, the Emperor Adrian rebuilt Jerusalem, calling it _\u00c6lia\nCapitolina_\u2015\u2015the former after the family name of the emperor, and the\nlatter in honor of Jupiter Capitolinus. Plowing up the surface of the\narea, he erected on the site of the Jewish Temple one to Jupiter, which\nhe adorned with the colossal statue of himself, placing the equestrian\none on the very site of the \u201cHoly of Holies.\u201d Nearly two and a half\ncenturies later the Jews were permitted, by Julian the Apostate, to\nrebuild their Holy House, but they were deterred in the attempt by\nflames of fire bursting suddenly out from the earth upon them, and\nby other manifestations of the divine displeasure. For more than\n150 years subsequently nothing is recorded of the Temple area till the\nmiddle of the sixth century, when the Emperor Justinian ordered the\nerection thereon of his magnificent church to the Virgin Mary, which,\nin 636 A.D., Omar converted into the Mosque of El-Aksa, and upon\nthe site of Solomon\u2019s Temple and of the Fane of Jupiter he reared\nthe famous mosque which now bears his name. Subject to the sway of\nthe False Prophet for 463 years, it was rescued from the grasp of\nthe Moslems by the brave Crusaders, who converted the mosques into\nChristian churches, and who for eighty years worshiped Christ where\nJupiter and Mohammed had been adored. Yielding to the victorious arms\nof its earlier captors, Saladin retook Jerusalem in 1189 A.D., and the\nCrescent was again in the ascendant on Mount Moriah, where it remains\nthe symbol of Mohammedan power and glory, to give place at no distant\nday to the Cross of a world\u2019s Redeemer.[131]\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER IV.\n\n Valley of the Dead. \u2015\u2015 Tombs of the Judges. \u2015\u2015 Of El-Messahney.\n \u2015\u2015 Of the Kings. \u2015\u2015 Valley of the Kidron. \u2015\u2015 Pillar of Absalom.\n \u2015\u2015 Traditional Tombs. \u2015\u2015 Jews\u2019 Cemetery. \u2015\u2015 Funeral Procession.\n \u2015\u2015 Mount of Offense. \u2015\u2015 Virgin\u2019s Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Gardens of\n Siloam. \u2015\u2015 Bridal Party. \u2015\u2015 Pool of Siloam. \u2015\u2015 Of En-Rogel. \u2015\u2015\n Vale of Hinnom. \u2015\u2015 Burning of Children. \u2015\u2015 Valley of Slaughter.\n \u2015\u2015 Potters\u2019 Field. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s Coronation. \u2015\u2015 Pools of Gihon.\n \u2015\u2015 Pool of Hezekiah. \u2015\u2015 Supply of Water.\n\n\nFROM time immemorial, nations have interred their dead with\nextraordinary care. Along the dividing line separating the Libyan\nDesert from the fertile plains of the Nile, the Egyptians constructed\ntombs of marble and porphyry, and reared the stupendous pyramids\nof Ghizeh, Abooseer, and Sakkara, for mausoleums for their renowned\nkings. Beside their noblest highways the Greeks and Romans placed\nthe sepulchres and funeral pillars of their distinguished citizens.\nAnd the Christian cemeteries of our own day are as remarkable for the\ngrandeur of their cenotaphs as for the beauty of their situation. Not\nless sensibly affected by a passion so tender, the Jews prepared the\nfinal resting-place of their beloved dead with sincere affection. With\nthem it became a religious pride to beautify the sepulchres of their\nancestors, and carefully preserve them from age to age. Though like\nother nations in these particulars, it is a fact no less singular than\ntrue that not a line has ever been found on or in any of the ancient\ntombs in Palestine;[132] hence their identification is now, as it ever\nhas been, by tradition rather than by inscription and epitaph. It is\nnot therefore strange that, with few exceptions, the sepulchres of\nkings and prophets are either entirely unknown, or are identified by\nmere conjecture. Like other works of art, Jewish tombs advanced from a\ncrude beginning to a state of artistic elegance. Originally they were\nnatural excavations in the rocks, as is the Cave of Machpelah;[133] but\nin the advancement of national refinement they were adorned with all\nthat art could invent and wealth procure,[134] as are the Sepulchres of\nthe Kings. With slight variation in the details, there is a similarity\nof construction in those of the latter class.\n\nUsually a chamber was excavated in the living rock below the surface,\nin the sides of which receptacles were prepared large enough to receive\na human form, and arranged in tiers with much regularity; when these\nwere occupied, a door was cut in the perpendicular rock, and other\nchambers were adjoined either on the sides, in the rear, or below.\n\nSelected alike for its seclusion and its rocky sides, the Valley of\nJehoshaphat is a vast cemetery. At its head are located the \u201cTombs\nof the Judges.\u201d Though their origin is involved in mystery, they are\ngenerally supposed to have contained the remains of the members of\nthe Jewish Sanhedrim, and the supposition is confirmed by the seventy\nniches within them, coinciding with the number of members composing\nthat venerable tribunal.\n\nExcavated in the side of a low rock, the entrance is reached by a\ndescending path. The exterior is tastefully ornamented with a pediment\nresting on plain but handsome mouldings, adorned with tracery of leaves\nand flowers, and with a blazing torch in the centre and one at either\nend. Over the fa\u00e7ade a few olives bend down their branches droopingly,\nand before it are the accumulated mounds of many centuries. Descending\ninto the vestibule, which is thirteen feet long and nine wide, we\npassed through a richly moulded doorway into an ante-chamber eight feet\nhigh, twenty long, and nineteen wide. On the sides of the vault are\nthirteen loculi, or receptacles for the dead. In the southern wall a\ndoor opens to another chamber eight feet square, having in its sides\nnine arched recesses. In the east wall a second door leads to a similar\nvault, from which a flight of steps descends to chambers below. Silence\nand darkness now reign supreme in these mansions of the dead, and of\nall that was once human not a bone remains.\n\n Illustration: TOMBS OF THE JUDGES.\n\nLess than two miles to the northeast are the \u201cTombs of el-Messahney,\u201d\ndiscovered by our distinguished countryman of Joppa.[135] Around them\nare the remains of what was once a large town, such as hewn stones\nand broken columns. The rock in front of the tomb has been beveled\nin imitation of Jewish masonry. Formerly an imposing entablature\nsurmounted an open porch, but only a portion of it remains. The\nentrance is through a large doorway spanned by a round arch, and the\nspacious chamber within differs from all others in Palestine by having\na window. Of the seventeen recesses which enter the wall endwise, there\nis one nobler than the rest and twice as large. Here, no doubt, the\nlifeless form of some distinguished person lay in state, under the\nlight of the window, till his successor in office became his successor\nto the tomb.\n\nHalf a mile to the north from the Damascus Gate, and sixty yards to\nthe right of the Nablous road, are the \u201cTombs of the Kings.\u201d In the\nwestern side of a sunken court hewn in the rock, twenty feet deep and\nninety square, is a grand portico fifteen feet high, thirty-nine wide,\nand seventeen deep. Formerly this portal was decorated with two columns\nand as many pilasters, which, however, are now gone, except a fragment\nof one of the capitals depending from the architrave. Over the entrance\nwas a heavy cornice and frieze, adorned with clusters of grapes and\nwreaths of flowers, alternating over a continuous garland of fruit\nand foliage, extending down the sides to the ground. But time and\nplunderers have defaced this elegant fa\u00e7ade, leaving it a wreck of\nformer grandeur. A solitary palm now rears its graceful form near the\nspot, and ferns grow out of the cracked face and sides of the portal,\ncovering the broken entablature.\n\n Illustration: TOMBS OF THE KINGS.\n\nEntering the portico and turning to the right, we found the entrance to\nthe sepulchre to be at once peculiar and complicated. Judging from what\nremains, the doorway was excavated below the floor of the vestibule,\nand was approached by a covered passage-way tunneled through the\nsolid rock. At the commencement of this subterranean way there was a\ntrap-door which was secretly covered with a slab. To secure greater\nsafety against those who would sacrilegiously disturb the repose of the\ndead, there was beneath this trap-door a deep pit so located that none\nsave the initiated, and they only with the greatest caution, could land\nupon its brink as they stepped upon it. The door of the tomb in turn\nwas guarded with the utmost secrecy. It consisted of a heavy circular\nslab which was made to run in a groove. The groove inclined upward,\nand the slab could only be turned by means of a lever. To add to the\ndifficulty of turning the door, both the groove and the slab were\nnearly concealed by the side of the passage-way, and to the left of\nthe end of the passage-way there was a smaller slab sliding in another\ngroove, which, running at right angles with the former, served as a\nbolt, and, when pushed in, was received into an aperture cut in the\nstone door, not only rendering the door immovable, but defying all\neffort to open it except by the initiated. Though to all appearance\nthese precautions were sufficient to protect this mansion of the\ndead from the hand of the despoiler, yet, to render the repose of\nthe departed doubly sure, there was an inner door of great weight,\nso arranged as to fit exactly in the deeply-recessed doorway, and so\nhung on pivots that it yielded to the slightest pressure from without,\nwhile it immediately fell back to its place as soon as the pressure\nwas withdrawn, sealing the doom of the unfortunate one who had entered,\nas it fitted so exactly in its place that it was impossible to open it\nagain from the inside. The peculiar construction of the door and its\nrolling in a groove explains the anxious inquiry of the Marys, \u201cWho\nshall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?\u201d\n\nCreeping through the low entrance, we lit our candles, and found\nthe interior to consist of five chambers, connected by narrow aisles,\nand in the sides of the chambers are arched recesses for the dead.\nThe largest of these chambers is nineteen feet square. Its walls are\nof solid rock, hewn smooth. On its south side are two low doorways\nwhich lead to as many chambers, and on the north side a third doorway\nopens to another vault, which is strewn with fragments of elegantly\nsculptured marble. Here was found that magnificent lid of a sarcophagus\nwhich is at present in the Louvre in Paris, where it bears the name\nof \u201cDavid\u2019s Tomb.\u201d Beneath these vaults are two others, reached by\nan inclined plane and a flight of stone steps. Being more concealed\nthan the rest, and containing the most elegant sarcophagi, they were\ndesigned, no doubt, for the final repose of the most distinguished\npersons. But, despite such extraordinary precautions, these tombs have\nbeen plundered, the dust of the dead scattered, the sarcophagi broken,\nand the treasures they contained extracted.\n\nThough by common consent they are called the \u201cTombs of the Kings,\u201d yet\nthere are no sepulchres beyond the walls of Jerusalem as to the origin\nand founder of which there is such a variety of opinions. On these\npoints the tombs themselves are dumb, as they contain neither device\nnor inscription; and, with one or two ambiguous exceptions, history\nis likewise silent. M. de Sauley declares them to be the \u201cTombs of\nthe Kings of Judah;\u201d Mr. Ferguson pronounces their \u201carchitecture to be\nlater than the reign of Constantine;\u201d Mr. Williams asserts them to be\nthe \u201csepulchral monument of Herod the Great;\u201d Dr. Schultz identifies\nthem as the \u201cRoyal Caverns,\u201d mentioned by Josephus as being on a\nline with the Agrippian Wall; Dr. Robinson ascribes them to Helena,\nthe widow of King Monobazus, of Adiabene, who, with her son Izates,\nhaving espoused the Jewish faith, settled in Jerusalem in the reign\nof Claudius C\u00e6sar, and her son, dying in the Holy City, was here\ninterred;[136] while Dr. Thompson and Dr. Barclay regard them as having\nbeen constructed by the Asmonean kings. The latter conclusion is most\nin harmony with the facts of sacred and profane history. The kings\nof Judah were interred on Mount Zion; Herod the Great was entombed\nat Herodium, where there are other vaults for his descendants; other\ncaverns along the Agrippian Wall correspond in location with the\nwords of Josephus better than these; and the thirty loculi within this\nmausoleum are twenty-eight too many for Helena and her son Izates.\n\nPassing down the Valley of Jehoshaphat to the northeast corner of the\ncity wall, we entered the large olive-groves which cover the bed of the\nvalley and the sides of the adjacent hills. Attended by their Nubian\nslaves, the women and children of Jerusalem spent the hours of the day\nhere, reclining beneath these trees. Opposite St. Stephen\u2019s Gate is the\ntraditional rock where Stephen was stoned to death. Above it, to the\nnorth, is the supposed site of Calvary. Below it, to the east, is the\nstone bridge which spans the Kidron. It is 140 feet long, and seventeen\nhigh from the bottom of the vale to the top of the arch. It is firmly\nbuilt, and as it has stood for thousands of years, it will endure\nfor ages to come, if not destroyed by violence. The Brook Kidron is a\nwinter torrent, or the accumulation of streamlets from the hill-sides,\nformed by the rains of winter. Though not seen in the dry season, the\nstream continues to flow several feet below the surface of small loose\nstones, sending up distinctly a low murmuring sound.\n\nA thousand feet below the bridge is \u201cAbsalom\u2019s Pillar.\u201d It is of\nlimestone, cut out of the rock, and detached from the base of Olivet\nby a path excavated in three of its sides. It consists of a square\nplatform, reached by a flight of steps; a basement of solid rock\ntwenty-four feet square, a square attic seven feet high, and a circular\nattic, surmounted with an inverted funnel-shaped dome, the point\nspreading out like an opening flower. Though its apparent altitude is\nless than fifty feet, yet, owing to the accumulation of stones around\nits base, its actual height is not ascertainable. The exterior of\nthe basement is ornamented with columns and pilasters, on the Ionic\ncapitals of which rests a Doric architrave. Above the first entablature\nare two courses of large, well-dressed stones, on which is traced a\nsmall cornice, and on the dome above is a cornice resembling rope-work.\nWithin are two chambers, reached by the original doorway on the east,\nand by a breach on the west, which has been made by the inhabitants of\nthe city, who hold the memory of Absalom in profound contempt. Within\nand around it are heaps of stones, thrown there by Christian, Jew, and\nMoslem, in condemnation of a son\u2019s rebellion against his father, and,\nas a more expressive mark of their disapprobation, they spit upon it\nas they pass. This is probably the pillar which Absalom in his lifetime\nreared up for himself in the \u201cKing\u2019s Dale.\u201d[137] Being a mixture of\nGrecian, Roman, and Egyptian architecture, the style is against the\nsupposition; but as it was customary in the days of Herod to \u201cgarnish\nthe sepulchres of the righteous,\u201d so the admirers of the rebel may have\nreconstructed his \u201cPillar\u201d conformably with the architectural taste of\nthe Herodian age.\n\n Illustration: ABSALOM\u2019S PILLAR (RESTORED).\n\nA little to the north is the reputed tomb of King Jehoshaphat,\nfrom whom the valley takes its name. It is a subterranean sepulchre,\nextending several feet into the mountain. The entrance is through an\nornamental portal, consisting of four columns and a pediment, adorned\nwith foliage, cut in the face of the perpendicular rock. Believing it\ncontains a copy of their Law, and other valuable manuscripts, the Jews\nguard this mansion of the dead with ceaseless vigils. But this can\nnot be the tomb of the king whose memory it bears, as it is distinctly\nrecorded that Jehoshaphat was buried with his fathers in the city\nof David.[138] The false location of his tomb has given a false name\nto the valley itself. Both Josephus and the sacred writers call it\nthe \u201cValley of the Kidron,\u201d which signifies \u201cVale of Filth,\u201d from\nthe refuse matter that flowed into it from the cess-pool in the rock\nbeneath the Temple. Nor can this be the place to which the prophet\nalludes when he declares that God will gather all nations into the\nValley of Jehoshaphat for judgment.[139] Its limits are not equal to\nsuch an assemblage. The name Jehoshaphat meaning \u201cJehovah judgeth,\u201d the\nallusion is metaphorical, the royal name being applied to some unknown\nvalley\u2015\u2015the rendezvous of the arraigned nations.\n\nA few paces to the south of \u201cAbsalom\u2019s Pillar\u201d is the traditional\ntomb of James the Just, where he concealed himself during the interval\nbetween the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord, and where he was\nfinally interred after his martyrdom. It is a cavern fifty feet long,\nfifteen deep, and ten broad, with an entrance high up in the face of\nthe rock consisting of four Doric columns.\n\nJust south of this apostolic tomb is the monument of Zachariah, who\nwas stoned to death in the reign of Joash,[140] and who is alluded to\nby the Savior as having perished between the Temple and the altar.[141]\nUnlike the others, it is solid, designed merely as a sepulchral\nmonument to the memory of the martyr. It is a monolithic, four-sided\npyramid, whose height is equal to its base, each side measuring twenty\nfeet. Separated from the parent rock by passage-ways on three sides,\nit is ornamented with columns and pilasters, each crowned with a plain\nIonic capital, and above which is an entablature of acanthus leaves.\n\nFrom the bed of the Kidron Valley to the Bethany Road on the crest of\nthe hill, and from the \u201cPillar of Absalom\u201d to the village of Siloam,\nis the cemetery of the Jews. Each grave is marked with a plain slab\nimbedded in the earth, and bears a Hebrew inscription. National love\nand religious superstition induce the descendants of Abraham to seek a\nplace of sepulture within this vale. Expecting the restoration of their\nkingdom, they desire to sleep in death beneath the sceptre of their\nposterity. Believing that the final judgment will take place here, and\nthat to have a part in the resurrection of the just they must here be\ninterred, in their old age many come from distant lands to be entombed\nbeside their countrymen. If so unfortunate as to expire in a strange\nland, they die in the faith that their bodies will burrow their way\nthrough the earth to this consecrated spot. Here, morning and evening,\nvenerable men prostrate themselves upon the ground in anticipation of\ndeath, and hither Jewish women come to weep over buried affection.\n\n Illustration: TOMBS IN THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT.\n\nOn the opposite side of the valley, covering all that portion of Mount\nMoriah not included within the Haram wall, is a Moslem cemetery of\ngreat age. The graves are covered with two layers of hewn stone, with\nan open space between them in the centre, and ornamented with two\nupright shafts, one at either end. The material is limestone, and,\naccording to a custom prevalent in Eastern countries, the tombs\nare whitewashed, illustrating the appropriateness of the Savior\u2019s\ncomparison when he likened the Scribes and Pharisees unto \u201cwhited\nsepulchres.\u201d[142]\n\nWhile standing here a funeral procession came out of St. Stephen\u2019s\nGate. The bier was borne upon the shoulders of men, and, in marching\nto the grave, the procession rushed on tumultuously, chanting, in a low\nmonotone, \u201cGod is God, and Mohammed is his prophet.\u201d Believing there\nis virtue in bearing the dead to the tomb, each man in rapid succession\nbecame a pall-bearer. Being persons of different height, the corpse\nrose and fell according to the altitude of the bearer. On reaching the\ngrave a confused circle was formed, a funeral hymn was chanted, and,\nafter the interment of the dead, an almoner, who had been appointed\nby the deceased, distributed paras to the throng of beggars who always\nattend funerals.\n\nNear the grave stood a group of women, swinging their arms, striking\ntheir breasts, and howling in the most frantic manner. They were the\nhired mourners so frequently alluded to in the Bible. When a Moslem\ndies these mourning women are sent for, who recount, in an extempore\nchant, the virtues of the dead. They are persons past the pride and\nbeauty of womanhood, and are held in high esteem by the community.\nWeeping being their profession, tears are at their command at the\nshortest notice. Their wail is the harshest sound that ever fell on\nmortal ear, and the habitual contortions of the face render them the\nimpersonation of ugliness. As in all other vocations, the woman who\nweeps the freest, howls the loudest, and contorts the ugliest, is the\nchief mourner, and has the most extensive and lucrative practice. To\nthese persons Solomon alludes in his description of death\u2015\u2015\u201cand the\nmourners go about the streets;\u201d[143] and St. Matthew refers to them in\nhis account of our Lord\u2019s visit to the ruler\u2019s house, \u201cWho, when he saw\nthe minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them, Give\nplace, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.\u201d[144]\n\nThis cemetery is a place of frequent resort, where, at all hours of\nthe day, groups of females may be seen lamenting some departed friend.\nAs of old, they carry a tear bottle, consisting of two small vials\nincased in a cushion, and so adjusted that the necks of the vials touch\nthe eyes to catch the falling tear. Though as extensively used by the\nMohammedans as they were by the Greeks, yet they are not so graceful\nas the tapering lachrymaries of the latter. The material is coarser,\nand the manufacture cruder, indicating a lower civilization. To these\nlachrymaries David alludes in those tender words of his, \u201cThou tellest\nmy wanderings; put thou my tears into thy bottle.\u201d[145]\n\nDescending the dry and stony bed of the Kidron, the path soon\ndiverged, leading to the wretched town of Siloam, clinging to the rocky\nsides of the Mount of Offense. In the hill are natural and artificial\ncaves, used in former times for sepulchres, but now inhabited by 200\nTroglodytes, who dwell in poverty, filth, and crime. As a befitting\nbackground to such homes of woe, the Hill of Scandal rises up behind\nthem. It is long and high, rocky and barren. On its summit Solomon\nreared altars to Chemosh and Moloch, and burnt incense and offered\nsacrifices to strange gods.[146] From an offense so abominable the hill\ntakes its name. Unable to express their detestation for the idolatrous\nacts here performed, topographers call it \u201cMount of Corruption,\u201d \u201cMount\nof Offense,\u201d and \u201cHill of Scandal;\u201d and, as if to typify the moral\ndesolation of that great man\u2019s heart, Nature has planted neither shrub,\nnor flower, nor grass thereon, but on all its sides, and over all its\nsummit, her sterile hand has scattered fragments of flint.\n\nDirectly opposite the village of Siloam is the famous Fountain of the\nVirgin, situated at the base of Mount Ophel. It derives its name from\nthe monkish legend that here the mother of Jesus was accustomed to wash\nher linen. The Turks, however, call it the \u201cFountain of the Dragon,\u201d\nfrom the superstition that, as it is a remitting fountain, a dragon\nlives within it, who stops the water when awake, but when he sleeps the\nwater flows. The reservoir is a tunnel-like cavern, twenty-five feet\ndeep, excavated in the southern side of Ophel. Sixteen steps lead down\nto a platform twelve feet wide, over which a chamber has been built of\nold stones ten feet high and eighteen long. From this platform there is\na flight of fourteen steps, from beneath the lowest of which the water\nissues, which, after rising to the height of three feet, flows over a\npebbled bed, and, passing through a channel, mingles with the waters of\nSiloam. Penetrating the mountain, this winding channel is two feet wide,\nfrom four to twenty high, and more than 1750 long.\n\n Illustration: FOUNTAIN OF THE VIRGIN.\n\nThe source of this fountain is unknown. Though subterranean\nwater-courses, which penetrate Zion, Ophel, and Moriah, have been\nexplored, yet it has never been ascertained whether the water flows\nfrom a fountain beneath the Temple area, or from some great central\nreservoir in the heart of one of the hills, from which are supplied, by\nlateral conduits, the numerous wells, cisterns, and fountains that here\nabound. For ages it has been a remitting fountain, flowing at intervals\ntwo or three times a day, and suggesting to the mind of some that this\nis the Pool of Bethesda. Its location, however, is more in harmony\nwith Nehemiah\u2019s description of the King\u2019s Pool.[147] For centuries the\ntaste of the water varied at different seasons of the year, being at\nintervals sweet, bitter, brackish, and tasteless, which arises from the\nmineral and vegetable substances through which it flows, or from the\nwaters of the bath, coming down from above and mingling with that of\nthe fountain.\n\nWinding round the foot of Ophel, we entered the delightful gardens of\nSiloam, called in Scripture the \u201cKing\u2019s Dale.\u201d[148] They extend from\nKefr Silw\u00e2n to the Pool of En-Rogel, and cover an area a mile in length\nand 150 yards in breadth. Unequaled in fertility, these gardens surpass\nin beauty any other spot in the environs of Jerusalem. Irrigated by\nrills from the neighboring fountains, they yield abundantly the most\ndelicious figs, almonds, and olives, together with many varieties of\nSyrian vegetables. Rented by many tenants, the land is divided into\nsmall plots; and when viewed from an adjacent hill-side, where is seen\nto best advantage the deep green of the herbs, the maroon color of the\nsoil, and the bright hues of the flowers, it has the appearance of an\nelegant carpet.\n\nAs in happier days, so it is still the scene of festivity and delight.\nHere children frolic in all the freedom of Arab life, and here the\nveiled beauties of the city recline in sweet repose beneath the shade\nof fruit-trees. On the green slopes of Ophel a group of Jewish maidens\nwere dancing to the sound of the timbrel and song. It was a bridal\nparty celebrating the nuptials of a happy couple on their ancient hills,\nand in the golden light of their ancestral sun. The scene recalled the\ntriumphal song and dance of Miriam and her women on the shores of the\nRed Sea.[149] One charming creature, more beauteous than the rest,\nled the song and dance, while her fair and joyous maidens responded\nin chorus with voice and instrument, and followed in the merry dance.\nUnlike the veiled and seclusive Moslem women, these fair daughters of\nAbraham were exceedingly affable, and with open, happy faces bade us\nwelcome to the festive scene.\n\nLess than 500 yards from the Fountain of the Virgin, the Tyropean\nValley descends, dividing Mount Zion from Mount Ophel, and intersecting\nthe Vale of the Kidron. Its mouth is fifty feet higher than the bed of\nthe latter, and is reached by verdant terraces. Two hundred and fifty\nfeet up the valley, and situated in a nook in the mountain, is the Pool\nof Siloam. The water flows from Mary\u2019s Fountain, through an irregular\nand semicircular stone conduit, conducting it into a rectangular\nreservoir fifty feet long, fifteen broad, and nineteen deep. The\npool is constructed of masonry, now green with the moss of ages. In\nthe southwest corner a flight of stone steps leads to the edge of the\nwater. Though the western side is much broken, yet time has dealt more\ngently with the opposite portion, in which are six marble columns half\nimbedded in the wall, apparently designed to support an arch or roof\nover the fountain. In the centre of the pool is \u201ca nameless column,\nwith a buried base.\u201d In the northeast end a flight of steps leads down\nto a vaulted chamber excavated in the rock, where the water is gathered,\nflowing in from the Virgin\u2019s Fountain. From this reservoir it flows\nbeneath the steps into the pool, where, having accumulated to the\ndepth of three feet, it falls through an aperture into a subterranean\naqueduct, conducting it to the gardens of Siloam below.\n\n Illustration: POOL OF SILOAM.\n\nWith unusual accuracy the inspired writers refer to this celebrated\npool, leaving us without doubt as to its location and identity. By\na bold metonymy, Isaiah substitutes the \u201cwaters of Shiloah that go\nsoftly\u201d for Jehovah, and the waters of the Euphrates for Rezin and\nRemaliah\u2019s son, reminding the Jews, as they had rejected the former,\nthat those of the latter should overflow their land.[150] Referring\nto repairs made by Shallun, the son of Col-hozeh, Nehemiah speaks\nof the rebuilding of the \u201cwall of the pool of Siloah by the king\u2019s\ngardens;\u201d[151] and hither Jesus sent the blind man to \u201cwash in the pool\nof Siloam.\u201d[152]\n\nSome suppose this to be the Bethesda of the New Testament, and there\nare many circumstances favoring the supposition.[153] Owing to the\ndifficulty of the descent, the impotent man could have justly said,\n\u201cSir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the\npool.\u201d It is certainly the fountain to which the Savior sent the blind\nman, intimating thereby that here the infirm were gathered; and, in\nview of its natural scenery, it is a beautiful place for an angel to\ncome.\n\nA few feet to the south are the remains of a larger reservoir,\nseparated from Siloam by an embankment, and bounded on the south by a\ncauseway extending across the mouth of the Tyropean Valley. It is now\ndry, and used as a garden. On the causeway stands an aged mulberry-tree,\nmarking the traditional spot where Isaiah was sawn asunder by order of\nKing Manasseh. Its trunk is gnarled, bent, and hollow, and supported\nby a circular wall of loose stones. As if tenacious to perpetuate\nthe memory of the greatest of prophets, new limbs have grown from\nthose which are nearly decayed. Here, on a mound of unhewn stones,\nthe villagers of Kefr Silw\u00e2n hold their court, which in derision the\nFranks call \u201cCongress Hall.\u201d The court was not in session when we were\nthere, but the judges, old, ragged, and filthy, were wrapped in their\ncoarse garments, sleeping beneath the prophetic tree. In plucking a\nleaf from this ancient shade, I unfortunately stumbled over one of\nthem, extorting a most uncourtly grunt. Asking his pardon as my only\nreparation, I hastily retreated, leaving him and his companions to\ntheir slumbers.\n\nFrom this artificial mound the path winds round the base of Mount\nZion, and, after rapidly descending into the valley, terminates at the\nFountain of En-Rogel. This fountain is situated at the junction of the\nKidron Valley and the Vale of Hinnom, and is the oldest and largest one\nin the environs of Jerusalem. Quadrilateral in form, and constructed\nof large hewn stones, it is 125 feet deep, and is inclosed with a small\nrude well-house, around which are several watering-troughs. Though the\nusual depth of the water is fifty feet, yet in the rainy season the\nfountain overflows. Its source is unknown. It is the favorite well with\nthe inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thousands of gallons of its sweet\nwaters are daily carried into the city in goatskins on the backs of\ndonkeys.\n\nBy the Arabs it is called the \u201cWell of Job;\u201d by the Franks, the\n\u201cWell of Nehemiah;\u201d but in Scripture it is known as the \u201cWaters\nof En-Rogel.\u201d[154] Neither history nor tradition gives a reason\nfor calling it after the illustrious sufferer of Uz. Job may be\na corruption of Joab, the famous warrior, who, with others, here\nconspired against the king, and the well may have been so named from\nthis circumstance. According to the apocryphal book of the Maccabees\nit is called after Nehemiah, as here he found the holy fire, which\nthe priests had secreted prior to their captivity in Persia.[155]\nIn partitioning the land into tribal possessions, Joshua fixed the\nboundary-line between Judah and Benjamin at this fountain, and called\nit En-Rogel, or the \u201cFullers\u2019 Well\u201d\u2015\u2015the place where fullers were\naccustomed to tread their clothes.[156]\n\nDuring Absalom\u2019s rebellion it was around this fountain that Jonathan\nand Ahimaaz secreted themselves, waiting instruction from Hushai,\nwhich was brought to them by a \u201cwench;\u201d[157] and years after, when the\nvenerable David was sinking into the grave, his ungrateful son Adonijah\nconspired against the youthful Solomon, and was proclaimed king \u201cby the\nstone Zoheleth, which is by En-Rogel.\u201d[158]\n\nAt this well the Valley of the Kidron and the Vale of Hinnom form a\nconjunction, after which the valley passes between the Hill of Evil\nCouncil on the west and the Mount of Offense on the east, pursuing its\ncourse through the wilderness of Judea to M\u00e2r S\u00e2ba, where it takes the\nname of Wady en-N\u00e2r, and thence continues southeastward to the Dead Sea.\nFrom En-Rogel the Valley of Hinnom runs due west for half a mile, when,\nturning abruptly northward, it extends as far as the Y\u00e2ffa Gate, from\nwhich point it gently inclines westward to the Upper Pool of Gihon.\n\nThe generic name of this deep winding gorge is \u201cThe Valley of the\nSon of Hinnom,\u201d so designated by Joshua as bounding Jerusalem on the\nsouth.[159] Who Hinnom was, or why this valley bears his name, are\nfacts on which sacred and profane historians are silent. He is, however,\none of those men who have left to posterity a name without a biography.\n\nHistorically this vale is divided into two sections. From En-Rogel\nto the southwestern spur of Mount Zion it is known in Scripture as\nTophet\u2015\u2015meaning \u201ctabret-drum\u201d\u2015\u2015from the custom of beating drums to\ndrown the cries of those children which were here burnt in sacrifice to\nMoloch. Here, in this deep retired glen, stood the brazen image of the\nidol of Ammon, with the body of a man and the head of an ox. Within the\nstatue was a large furnace, into which, at the appointed time, and amid\nthe wild shouts of the multitude and the beating of drums, the tender\nvictims were thrown. First placed on the burning arms and legs of the\nidol, they were then caused to fall into the devouring fires within.\nSignificantly does the name of this monster imply \u201cHorrid King,\u201d as\nhere, at his shrine, were practiced the most revolting rites ever\nwitnessed under the sun. It is to such scenes Jeremiah refers in his\ndenunciation of the children of Judah: \u201cThey have built the high places\nof Tophet, which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their\nsons and daughters in the fire, which I commanded them not, neither\ncame it into my heart.\u201d[160] Revolting at such a sight, Jehovah sends\nthe same prophet to curse the ground for man\u2019s sake: \u201cTherefore, behold,\nthe days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet,\nnor the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for\nthey shall bury in Tophet till there be no place.\u201d[161] In less than\nfourteen years from the announcement of these fearful words the valley\nwas defiled by King Josiah, who filled it with the bones of the dead,\nand thereby rendered it ceremonially unclean, so that no Jew could\nenter it.[162] But a more terrible doom awaited it, and a more literal\nfulfillment of prophecy was to take place. Here, where the shrine of\nMoloch had stood, the last struggle between the Jews and the Romans\noccurred,[163] and from the carnage of that bloody scene the vale\nreceived the name of \u201cThe Valley of Slaughter.\u201d The dead were here\ninterred till there was no room to bury others, and the historian\nverifies prophecy by this ghastly picture: \u201cManneus, the son of\nLazarus, came running to Titus at this very time, and told him that\nthere had been carried out through that one gate no fewer than 115,880\ndead bodies, in the interval between the fourteenth day of the month\nXanthicus, when the Romans pitched their camp by the city, and the\nfirst day of the month Panemus. This was itself a prodigious multitude;\nand though this man was not himself set as a governor at that gate, yet\nwas he appointed to pay the public stipend for carrying these bodies\nout, and so was obliged of necessity to number them, while the rest\nwere buried by their relatives; though all their burial was this, to\nbring them away and cast them out of the city. After this man there\nran away to Titus many of the eminent citizens, and told him the entire\nnumber of the poor that were dead, and that no fewer than 600,000 were\nthrown out of the gates, though still the number of the rest could not\nbe discovered.\u201d[164]\n\nIt was in view of the detestable custom of burning human beings to\nMoloch in this valley, together with the perpetual fire kept burning\nto consume the filth from the city thrown here, that the latter Jews\nregarded it a fit emblem of hell, and applied the Greek name of the\nvalley\u2015\u2015Gehenna\u2015\u2015to the place of future torments. The receptacle\nof the dead carcasses of beasts and of refuse matter, both animal\nand vegetable, here the worm sought its food, which, together with\nthe perpetual fires of the vale, suggested to the Savior\u2019s mind\nthose solemn words, \u201cWhere the worm dieth not, and the fire is not\nquenched.\u201d[165] And now, as if by appointment, a deep gloom hangs near\nthis doomed spot, and the physical features of the valley reflect its\nhorrid history. The gorge is deep and narrow, the cliffs are broken\nand barren, the hill on the north throws its shadow to meet below the\ndeeper shades of the hill on the south, while the rocks are red as if\nscorched by eternal fires. The sides of the Hill of Evil Council, which\nrises from its southern side, are perforated with tombs, now the abode\nof shepherds and homeless wanderers. Midway up this hill is Aceldama,\nthe \u201cPotter\u2019s Field,\u201d the price of \u201cthirty pieces of silver.\u201d[166]\nUnmarked by boundaries, the field contains a gloomy vault, sixty feet\nsquare and thirty deep; over it is a long massive building of stone,\nwith an arched roof, but open at each end, and on the bottom lay the\nbones of some poor stranger. Strangely inclined to invest all things\nconnected with New Testament history with the supernatural, the monks\nassert that the soil of this field possesses the rare power of reducing\ndead bodies to a perfect mould in the brief space of twenty-four\nhours; and, according to early writers, the Empress Helena caused\n270 ship-loads of it to be removed to Rome, where it was deposited in\nthe Campo Santo, and where it preserved the bodies of the Romans, but\nconsumed those of strangers dying in the Eternal City. On the summit\nof the hill is a small Latin chapel, standing on the legendary site\nof the \u201ccountry house of Annas,\u201d in which the Jews conspired against\nJesus, and from their \u201cevil council\u201d the hill takes its name. Within\nthe court of the chapel is the traditional olive-tree on which \u201cJudas\nhanged himself.\u201d[167] It is gnarled, pealed, and split, and is the most\nvillainous-looking tree that ever offended human sight.\n\nThe second section of the ravine is called \u201cThe Valley of Gihon.\u201d\nRunning north and south, its sides and bottom are tilled, covered with\npatches of wheat, barley, and lentils, and dotted with olive and other\nfruit-trees. Situated in the broadest part of the vale, and directly\nopposite the Tomb of David on Mount Zion, is the Lower Pool of Gihon.\nIt is a reservoir 600 feet long, 260 broad, and forty deep, and, when\nfull, contains a sheet of water of more than three and a half acres\nin extent. Its sides are formed by the opposite hills, which have been\nexcavated for the purpose, and the ends are inclosed with walls forty\nfeet high. It is now dry, and the flat ledge of rocks on its eastern\nside is used by the peasants for a threshing-floor. Seventy-three yards\nto the west is Solomon\u2019s Aqueduct, which, first running parallel with\nthe western side of this pool, crosses the valley at its northern end,\nand, after winding round the base of Zion, gradually ascends the mount,\nand enters the Temple inclosure at the southwest corner. It was from\nthis aqueduct that the Lower Pool was formerly supplied with water. At\nthe southern end of the pool there is an embankment sufficiently broad\nfor a road, leading from the Gate of Zion to Bethlehem and Hebron.\nIn the centre of the path is an artificial fountain, into which water\nwas conducted from the aqueduct by means of a branch pipe, and thence\ndistributed into troughs for the accommodation of man and beast.\n\n Illustration: LOWER POOL OF GIHON.\n\nIt was at this pool the youthful Solomon was anointed king in the\nroom of his father David, and up the slopes of Zion he ascended, \u201cand\nall the people came out after him, and the people piped with pipes,\nand rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of\nthem.\u201d[168]\n\nFrom this point the Valley of the Gihon gradually ascends. Opposite\nthe Y\u00e2ffa Gate it is forty feet deep and 500 wide. Here in its ancient\nbed three roads meet, one leading to Bethlehem, a second to the home\nof Samson, a third to the \u201chill country of Judea.\u201d From here the\nhills recede on either side, and the valley becomes broad and shallow,\ncovered with grain and planted with olives. Seven hundred yards above\nthe gate is the Upper Pool of Gihon. It is situated at what may be\nproperly called the head of the valley, which spreads out into an\nalmost level plain. Around it is the oldest Moslem cemetery in the\nenvirons of Jerusalem. Like its companion, it is a large tank, 300 feet\nlong, 200 wide, and twenty deep, formed of hewn stones laid in cement,\nand coated with the same. The bottom is reached by two flights of stone\nsteps. Near the top a stone spout projects from the northern wall,\nthrough which the waters that come down the inclined plains around it\nflow into the pool. As there are neither springs nor the remains of\nancient conduits adjoining the reservoir, the original source of its\nsupply is a matter of conjecture. It probably had some connection\nwith the Fountain of Gihon, located on the same side of the city, and\nwhich was sealed by King Hezekiah when the Assyrians threatened an\ninvasion.[169]\n\nAhaz was standing here when the intelligence reached him that Rezin,\nking of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, were approaching Jerusalem\nto war against him; and in that critical moment the Lord said unto\nIsaiah, \u201cGo forth now to Ahaz, thou and Shear-jashub, thy son, at the\nend of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller\u2019s\nfield;\u201d[170] and, thirty years later, here Rabshakeh, with a great army,\nstood and delivered the haughty message of Sennacherib to the ministers\nof Hezekiah.[171]\n\nFrom the bottom of the southern wall of this pool there is now a stone\nconduit of rude workmanship, which conducts the water to the Pool of\nHezekiah within the city. It is formed of large stones carelessly laid\ntogether, and for some distance it is subterranean, but rises to the\nsurface on approaching the town.\n\nThe Pool of Hezekiah is just within the Y\u00e2ffa Gate, surrounded with\ndwellings, and is the oldest fountain in the Holy City. Adjoining\nit are the Greek Convent, the residence of the Protestant Bishop of\nJerusalem, the Monastery of the Copts, and the Mediterranean Hotel.\nMeasuring 250 feet long, 150 wide, and eighteen deep, it is capable of\nholding water enough to supply half of the city. The bottom is formed\nof the native rock, leveled and coated with cement, and its sides are\nwalled with solid masonry similarly covered. Though designed to supply\nthe citizens with drinking-water, it is now a Moslem bath, called\nBerket el-Hamm\u00e2n, and usually contains six feet of water. In laying\nthe foundation for the Coptic Convent, the builder discovered an\nancient wall, two feet thick, constructed of large hewn stones, located\nfifty-seven feet from the north wall of the reservoir, and running\nparallel to it, proving that the pool is less in dimensions than when\nfirst made, and also attesting its great antiquity. This pool is among\nthe unquestionable landmarks of the city, and the allusions to it in\nthe Bible are numerous and explicit. Of Hezekiah it is said, \u201cHe made a\npool and a conduit, and brought water into the city;\u201d[172] and that \u201che\nstopped the upper water-course of Gihon, and brought it straight down\nto the west side of the city of David.\u201d[173] Threatened by the fierce\nSennacherib, whose powerful army was marching against his capital,\n\u201cHezekiah took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the\nwater of the fountains which were without the city, and they did help\nhim. So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the\nfountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying,\nWhy should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?\u201d[174] To\ndeprive his enemies of water, and, at the same time, provide a supply\nfor his own subjects, he sealed the fountains outside of the city, and,\nby constructing subterranean channels, conducted the water into large\ntanks within the walls, among which is the pool that bears his name.\nSo secretly was the work accomplished, that the fountain of the Gihon\nremains a secret with the dead to this day, awaiting the skill and\npatience of the explorer to uncover its hidden waters, and trace its\nburied channels to their fountain-head.\n\n Illustration: POOL OF HEZEKIAH.\n\nIn digging to lay the foundation of the English Church on Mount\nZion, the architect came to a vaulted chamber, resting on the living\nrock, twenty feet below the surface of the ground, constructed of fine\nmasonry, and remaining in perfect repair. Entering it, he descended\na flight of stone steps, and at the bottom found an immense conduit,\npartly hewn out of the solid rock, and partly built of even courses of\nmasonry, lined with cement an inch thick. He traced it east and west\nfor 200 feet, finding, at intervals of several feet, openings in the\nupper side, through which buckets could be lowered to dip the water\nup. Had permission been granted, he might have traced it to one of the\nnumerous sealed fountains of the ancient city.\n\nOne thing strikes the student of Jewish history as no less marvelous\nthan true, that, in all the sieges to which Jerusalem has been\nsubjected, the citizens never suffered from a destitution of water,\nwhile the besieging armies suffered severely, and were frequently\ncompelled to bring it from afar. For the want of it, Antiochus Pius,\nand after him the Crusaders, were delayed in their attacks upon the\ncity, while, through all the long and horrid siege by Titus, no citizen\nwas known to have died of thirst, though thousands perished of hunger.\nLying in a limestone region, Jerusalem contains but few wells and\nliving fountains, and in its immediate vicinity but little if any\nliving water is found. To obviate the difficulty, it was necessary to\nresort to artificial water-works to supply the demand of the Temple\nservice, and also of the vast population which thronged the ancient\ntown.\n\nAmong the public works of Solomon which he himself enumerates\nare \u201cpools of water,\u201d[175] constructed not so much to gratify\nroyal ambition and adorn an already glorious reign as to meet a\nreal necessity, and confer a genuine benefaction upon his subjects.\nSeven miles south of Jerusalem, and two miles south of Bethlehem, are\nthe \u201cPools of Solomon.\u201d Collecting the water from one of the largest\nsprings in Palestine into reservoirs, he conveyed it to his capital\nby means of an aqueduct, which still remains, a distance, including\nthe windings, of more than twelve miles. Following his example, his\nsuccessors either completed the works which he had projected, or\noriginated new ones as occasion demanded. With a climate unchanged,\nand a soil as hard as ever, the people of the modern city depend\nupon living fountains and the clouds of heaven for their supply of\nwater. As of old, the most delicious water is brought from a distance,\nprincipally from the fountains in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which\nis brought into the city in goatskins carried on the back of camels\nand asses. But attached to each dwelling are one or more cisterns,\nexcavated in the limestone rock, and measuring from fifteen to thirty\nfeet long, from eight to thirty broad, and from twelve to twenty\ndeep. The rain-water is conducted, by means of small pipes from the\nflat-roofed buildings, during the rainy season, into these reservoirs,\nwhere it remains pure and sweet for consumption during the dry months\nof summer and autumn.\n\nHow beautifully this scarcity of water illustrates many passages of\nthe Bible, imparting to them a freshness and a reality inconceivable\nby one who is a stranger to life in the East. In the nomadic life of\nthe patriarchs, many were the sharp quarrels and fierce fights over\na well of water. \u201cAbraham reproved Abimelech\u201d because the servants\nof the latter had violently driven the herdmen of the former from the\nwell of Beersheba;[176] the King of Edom refused to allow Moses to\nlead the Israelites through his dominions lest his fountains might be\nexhausted;[177] the churlish Nabal enumerates water with the articles\nhe withheld from David;[178] anticipating the feuds that might arise\nfrom drinking of another\u2019s fountain, Solomon advises, \u201cDrink water out\nof thy own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well;\u201d[179]\nand, ever drawing his figures from nature and the customs of society,\nand recalling the value and deliciousness of water, the Savior compares\nsalvation to a \u201cwell of water springing up unto everlasting life,\u201d and\nthe perennial joy of piety to the happiness of one who \u201cshall never\nthirst.\u201d[180] An Oriental can appreciate such an ineffable delight!\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER V.\n\n Laws of the Credibility of Tradition. \u2015\u2015 Dean Trench on Words.\n \u2015\u2015 Scenes of the historical Events of Christianity not well\n defined. \u2015\u2015 Palm Sunday in Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Crossing the Mount\n of Olives. \u2015\u2015 Journey to Bethany. \u2015\u2015 Site of the City. \u2015\u2015 Home\n of Mary and Martha. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of Lazarus. \u2015\u2015 Christ frequented\n Bethany. \u2015\u2015 To his Visits is due its Significance. \u2015\u2015 Touching\n Legends. \u2015\u2015 Resurrection of Lazarus. \u2015\u2015 Scene of Christ\u2019s\n triumphal March to Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Garden of Gethsemane. \u2015\u2015 Old\n Gardener. \u2015\u2015 Walls and Iron Gate. \u2015\u2015 Place of Sweet Repose.\n \u2015\u2015 Flowers. \u2015\u2015 Pictures. \u2015\u2015 Aged Olive-trees. \u2015\u2015 Overwhelming\n Emotions. \u2015\u2015 Ascent of the Mount of Olives. \u2015\u2015 Three Paths.\n \u2015\u2015 David\u2019s Ascent. \u2015\u2015 Connection of the Mount with the two\n Dispensations. \u2015\u2015 Scene of the Ascension. \u2015\u2015 True Place. \u2015\u2015\n Commanding View from the Summit of Olivet. \u2015\u2015 Passion Week\n in Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Footsteps of our Lord. \u2015\u2015 Good Friday in\n the Holy City. \u2015\u2015 Visit to the Garden. \u2015\u2015 Lord\u2019s Supper.\n \u2015\u2015 Sleepless Night. \u2015\u2015 Calvary. \u2015\u2015 True Location. \u2015\u2015 Its\n Appearance. \u2015\u2015 Appropriate Place. \u2015\u2015 Via Dolorosa. \u2015\u2015 Pilate\u2019s\n Judgment-hall. \u2015\u2015 Ecce Homo Arch. \u2015\u2015 Legendary Stations. \u2015\u2015\n Crucifixion of Christ dramatized by the Latin Monks. \u2015\u2015 The\n Procession. \u2015\u2015 Ascent to Calvary. \u2015\u2015 Tumult. \u2015\u2015 Spectators.\n \u2015\u2015 Sermons. \u2015\u2015 The Cross. \u2015\u2015 Church of the Holy Sepulchre.\n \u2015\u2015 Architecture. \u2015\u2015 Scene in the Court. \u2015\u2015 The Fa\u00e7ade. \u2015\u2015\n Imposing Interior. \u2015\u2015 Chapel of the Greeks. \u2015\u2015 Rotunda. \u2015\u2015\n Dome. \u2015\u2015 Holy Sepulchre. \u2015\u2015 Magnificent Decorations. \u2015\u2015 Its\n Interior. \u2015\u2015 The Tomb. \u2015\u2015 Holy Shrines. \u2015\u2015 Not the Tomb of\n Christ. \u2015\u2015 Difficulties of the Question. \u2015\u2015 Evidence for its\n Identity. \u2015\u2015 Objections. \u2015\u2015 Argument against the Site.\n\n\nSOME general laws are yet to be deduced touching the credibility of\ntradition as to biblical topography. At present, the traditional sites\nof many important events in sacred history are accepted or rejected\naccording to the taste, creed, or judgment of the traveler. There is a\nlack of harmony among chorographers upon the localities where occurred\nthe great facts of our religion, and not unfrequently eminent scholars\nare found maintaining opposite theories. The inspired writers were too\nmuch absorbed in recording the stupendous facts of their history to\ndefine, at all times, with accuracy the boundaries of those places\nwhere such events transpired. Facts, not places, are the burden of\ntheir record. They tell us of the deed, and fearing lest, by adoring\nthe spot, we might fail to reap the full advantage of the transaction,\nthey leave the localities subject to inference. Yet they never ignore\nthe sacredness of places consecrated by memorable deeds, nor could they\nhave been unconscious of the important relation which frequently exists\nbetween the natural features of the scene and the fact they commend\nto our belief. Indeed, the proof of many of their statements depends\nupon the exact position of mountain and plain, of valley and river, of\ndesert and sea, which we are left to gather from close investigation\nand comparative induction. Tradition, therefore, has its claims upon\nour faith no less than written history.\n\nThe traveler is guided, in his search for sacred places, by the\ninformation derived from three general sources: prevailing tradition,\nthe language of the common people, and the Bible. The first is reliable\nin proportion to its approximation to the event the memory of which\nit perpetuates, and to the unity of the rival sects in the land upon\nthe subject. But, owing to the fact that the prevailing traditions\nwere first collated and recorded by Eusebius and Jerome in the fourth\ncentury, the absence of any authentic record of such legends during\nthe three preceding centuries requires us to receive the testimony of\nthose eminent fathers with due precaution. It is of little moment how\nlong these traditions have since been received; the question of greater\nimportance is, How nearly can they be traced to the events the memory\nof which they transmit? While with pleasure we accord to those early\nfathers varied learning and superior advantages to acquire information,\nyet it is due to an intelligent faith to accept what they record only\nso far as it is supported by contemporary history and by the harmony\nexisting between the physical features of the locality and the inspired\naccount.\n\nDean Trench has said that \u201clanguage is fossil history.\u201d[181] With\nslight alterations, the familiar names of the Bible have been preserved\nin the Arabic language, which derived them from the Aramean, the\nvernacular language of the country when invaded by the Arabs.[182] In\nsome instances the proper names of large cities have been changed, but\nthe ancient appellations of rural places are retained, and this not\nunfrequently is the only hint to identify some renowned site. But the\nmarvelous minuteness and accuracy of the Bible constitute it the great\nguide-book in the Holy Land, and, when read with care and reflection\nupon the spot, in connection with the light derived from other sources,\nnever fail to lead to right conclusions, and at the same time they\nafford the reader the satisfaction of treading in the footsteps of\nthose illustrious men whose words and deeds are the enduring glory of\nour race.\n\nThere is less difficulty in identifying those places connected with\nJewish history than in determining those sites forever sanctified by\nthe acts and teachings of our Lord. For more than fifteen centuries\nthe Jews were permanent residents in the land, and during that long\nand prosperous period they reared monuments commemorative of historic\nevents, which the spoliations of war have not been sufficient to efface,\nnor the attritions of time able to destroy; hence, without a doubt, the\ntraveler of to-day stands with delight within their ancient cities, or\nlingers with melancholy interest amid their ruined towns.\n\nIt is otherwise, however, with Christian antiquities. The Founder of\nour faith was but a sojourner in the land, and his followers failed\nto become a distinct and ruling people till the early part of the\nfourth century. Always oppressed, and never respected, till the son of\nHelena bore the Cross in triumph to the gates of Jerusalem, they were\nwithout the rights and destitute of the means to perpetuate by enduring\nmonuments the memory of those places hallowed by the presence of the\nGreat Teacher of mankind. Driven from the city in the year 69 A.D.,\nthey were compelled to seek an asylum at Pella, on the eastern bank of\nthe Jordan, near Jabesh Gilead, and for seventy years thereafter, from\nits capture by Titus to its rebuilding by Adrian, Jerusalem ceased to\nbe the home of the Christians. It is not, therefore, surprising, that\nduring the exile of so many years hallowed sites should have passed to\nthe shades of oblivion, and that any attempt to recall them now should\nbe attended with some uncertainty.\n\nThough unable at all times to stand with confidence where Jesus stood,\nand walk where he walked, it is nevertheless a source of unspeakable\ndelight to know that Jerusalem is the city in which he taught; that\nthere are the skies he sat beneath; there the hills and vales he\ntraversed; there the garden of his agony; and that rising above is\nOlivet, whose flowers were moistened with his tears, whose echoes were\nawakened by his prayers, and whose summit was the last spot of earth\npressed by his adorable feet.\n\nPalm Sunday dawned upon the Holy City in all the beauty of a Syrian\nspring. A sweet repose pervaded earth and sky; the very air was at rest,\nand a vernal sun shone softly from skies of a purple tint. It was the\nanniversary of our Lord\u2019s triumphal entry into the city of David, and\nI was in the spirit to join the imaginary throng on the same highway,\nand shout, \u201cBlessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna\nin the highest.\u201d From early dawn, through all the lanes and streets of\nthe city, pilgrims were hastening to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,\nthronging the spacious aisles, rotundas, and lateral chapels of that\nvenerable edifice. Differing from the Greeks a moon or a month as to\nthe time of the festival, the Latins were assembled in their Franciscan\nchapel adjoining the rotunda. The altar was decorated with vases of\nflowers, and over it were suspended palm-branches, the symbol of the\nday. The bishop and officiating priests were attired in their elegant\nrobes; a noble organ pealed forth the responses to the intoned service,\nand in the vast audience were monks and nuns, officers of the state and\nof the army, and pilgrims and strangers from all lands.\n\nThe scene of our Lord\u2019s triumphal march from Bethany to Jerusalem is no\nless distinctly marked by a universally received tradition than by the\neverlasting hills and valleys whose awakening echoes responded to the\nanthems of the rejoicing multitude. The distance from the Holy City to\nBethany is correctly stated by the Evangelist as fifteen furlongs, or a\nlittle less than two miles, counting eight furlongs to the Roman mile.\nThe ancient path leads from St. Stephen\u2019s Gate down the steep sides\nof Moriah, and, after crossing the stone bridge that spans the Kidron,\nascends to the walls of Gethsemane. From the garden three roads lead to\nthe village home of Lazarus. One, winding up a slight depression in the\nwestern side of Olivet, sweeps round the hamlet of Jebel et-T\u00fbr, which\ncrowns the summit, and descends the green slopes on the eastern side.\nThe second branches from the first just above the garden, and, winding\nupward, skirts the valley on the south, intersecting the former a\nshort distance above Bethany. The third, which is the most ancient and\nfrequented of the three, turns to the right below the garden wall, and,\nfollowing the devious base of Olivet on the south, leads to Bethany,\nto Jericho, and to the heights of Moab beyond the Jordan. In the East,\nthe land itself is not older than the great highways of the nation.\nChosen alike for ease and directness, the valleys and mountain slopes\nare the principal thoroughfares, which, to succeeding generations,\nremain the landmarks of the past.\n\nCrossing the Mount of Olives, in less than half an hour I reached\nthe native town of Lazarus. From the numerous date-palms that once\nflourished in its environs the village was called Bethany, or the\n\u201cHouse of Dates;\u201d but, in honor of him who was raised from the dead, it\nbears the name of El-Lazir\u00eayeh.[183] It is situated in a semicircular\nvale, with an opening toward the east to admit the morning\u2019s earliest\nlight. Amid groves of olive, fig, and almond trees are twenty Arab huts,\ncontaining 100 inhabitants. The villagers are quiet and happy, and the\nhalf-nude children leap for joy on the reception of a few piastres for\nthe milk and fruit they sell to strangers. All the Bible memories of\nthe place are cherished by the people, and an old man is in waiting to\npoint out the traditional sites.\n\nIn the absence of positive proof either for or against these legendary\nplaces, the traveler is left to his own conclusions, drawn from history\nand from the probabilities of location. Of the house of Simon but\nlittle remains, and only a fragment of the residence of Lazarus has\nsurvived the waste of ages. The latter occupies a commanding position\non a scarped rock, and in its day was a building of some elegance.\nFormed of large beveled stones, it was twenty-one feet square. From\nthe top of a remaining arch a prospect of singular beauty opens to view\nthrough the ravine on the east, and, no doubt, often was enjoyed by the\nmaster and his three friends.\n\nArch\u00e6ologists have called in question the identity of this ruin,\nand have claimed it as the remains of the Convent of the Black Nuns,\nfounded in 1132 A.D. by Mesilinda, Queen of Fulco of Jerusalem, over\nwhich she placed her sister Ireta as abbess, a matron of approved piety.\nYet it is highly probable that, as Bethany has always been inhabited,\nand as the recollection of the raising of a man from the dead would be\namong those longest and most tenaciously cherished by a people, either\nthis arch is a part of the stone house which tradition asserts to have\nbeen occupied by Lazarus and his sisters, or, if the remains of the\nconvent of Mesilinda, it marks the spot where he resided.\n\n Illustration: BETHANY.\n\nUnder the brow of a hill in the northeast part of the town is the\nsupposed tomb of Lazarus. Twenty-six stone steps lead to a vaulted\nchamber twenty-two feet below the surface of the ground, which is\nexcavated in the rock, and measures eleven feet long, nine wide, and\nseventeen high. On the left a small door opens to a narrow vault where\nthe dead once rested. Bearing marks of great antiquity, there is no\nreason to doubt the identity of this tomb. The saying of those Jews\nwho came to comfort Mary, that \u201cshe goeth unto the grave to weep,\u201d[184]\nwould indicate, at first, that her brother had been interred some\ndistance from the town; this, however, does not necessarily follow,\nas the same remark would be appropriate if the sepulchre was in the\nvillage, whatever may have been the distance from her dwelling.\n\nLike many other Syrian towns, Bethany has risen to importance,\nand inherits an imperishable name from the presence and miracles of\nJesus. It was to Judea what Capernaum was to Galilee\u2015\u2015the scene of\nhis greatest works, and the place where he delivered his most sublime\nlessons of wisdom and love. When the ingratitude of Jerusalem forced\nhim from her gates, he sought repose in Bethany, as, when driven by the\nNazarenes from his native city, he selected Capernaum as the place of\nhis adoption. Bethany was his temporary abode in his frequent journeys\nfrom Moab to Judea. Coming from the land of Moab, \u201ca certain woman\nnamed Martha received him into her house;\u201d[185] and from the same\nregion he came to raise Lazarus from the dead.[186] At a later period,\nhere he dined in the house of Simon the leper;[187] here the grateful\nMary washed his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her\nhead,[188] and from an alabaster box, which \u201cshe had kept against the\nday of his burial,\u201d she poured the precious ointment on his head as he\nsat at meat. From this humble village he made his triumphant entry into\nJerusalem, and here, in the house of pious orphanage, he spent the last\nnight but one prior to his crucifixion.\n\nThere is a touching legend in the East that the father of Lazarus\nwas a pious Levite, and his mother a Jewish matron, after the model\nof Hannah and Elizabeth; that Lazarus himself was a scribe, who\ngained a living by copying the Law and the Prophets for the various\nsynagogues in Palestine, and that Mary and Martha devoted their time\nto needle-work\u2015\u2015embroidering veils for the Temple and garments for the\npriests; that previous to the visits of Jesus to Bethany the parents\nhad ascended to their reward, leaving on earth their three orphan\nchildren; that the native sweetness of their spirit, the purity of\ntheir devotion, and their constant attention to his recurring wants,\nengaged his affection and secured his benediction; that here, in their\nmidst, he laid aside the awful grandeur of Teacher and Judge of mankind,\nand in all the refined amenities of social life he displayed the finer\ntraits of his character, which were hidden from the common eye. And how\nintimate must have been that friendship for the care-burdened Martha to\ncome to him with her little domestic troubles;[189] and how tender the\nattachment for those stricken sisters to think only of him when their\nbrother died. A greater benefactor than beneficiary, he rewarded those\npious sisters with a gift worthy of a God. The brief but sad message\nthey sent him\u2015\u2015\u201cLord, behold, he whom thou lovedst is sick\u201d\u2015\u2015awakened\nall the deeper emotions of his friendship. Though even a melancholy\nrelief to be with those we love in the hour of death, yet, that the\nSon of Man might be glorified, Jesus delayed his coming till after\nthe demise and burial of his friend. Many a time had those sorrowing\nsisters passionately exclaimed, \u201cOh that the Master were here!\u201d Coming\nfrom the fountains of Bethabara, he sought the sepulchre of Lazarus.\nOmnipotence stirred within him; a groan for life escaped his lips,\na prayer entered heaven that knew no denial, a voice was heard in\nthe spirit world calling back a departed soul to earth and to a new\nprobation. That voice was obeyed. Lazarus came forth, and joy filled\nthe hearts of those orphan sisters.[190] And now, after the lapse of\nso many centuries, the inspired story, read upon the spot, has all the\nfreshness of reality; and though time has marred the beauty of that\nmountain home, and borne to the grave the friends of Jesus, yet Mary\u2019s\nalabaster box of costly ointment and spikenard, very precious, is still\nfragrant with the odor of undying love, and \u201cwheresoever this gospel is\npreached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall\nbe spoken of for a memorial of her.\u201d[191]\n\nIn the month of March of the succeeding spring Jesus was again\nin Bethany. The moment of his triumph had come. The shouts of the\npeople awaited the presence of their King. On the previous day he had\ndescended from the Mountains of Moab, crossed the Jordan, traversed the\nPlain of Jericho, restored eyesight to the importunate Bartimeus, and\ndined with Zaccheus.[192] Resuming his journey, he passed round the\nbase of Quarrantania, the scene of his temptation, crossed the Brook\nCherith, where Elijah was fed by the ravens, ascended the Vale of Achor,\nwhere Achan was stoned to death, entered the wilderness of Judea, the\nscene of the parable of the good Samaritan, and, continuing his upward\nmarch, reached Bethany as the sun descended behind the heights of\nGibeon. That night he was entertained in the house of Simon the leper.\nAttracted to Bethany to attend the feast of Simon and behold Lazarus,\nwho had been raised from the dead, a vast multitude were the next\nmorning on their way to Jerusalem.[193]\n\nSolemnly intending to assert his regal rights and fulfill an ancient\nprophecy,[194] Jesus dispatched two of his disciples to secure an ass\nfor the triumphal occasion. A knowledge of his coming had reached the\ncountless strangers who had assembled in the Holy City to celebrate the\nPassover, and who, seized by a sudden inspiration that bore every heart\nupon its resistless wave, hastened to greet their coming King. Passing\nthrough the palm-groves that formerly lined the path, they cut down the\nlengthened branches, and descended toward Bethany with shouts of\ntriumph.\n\nSpreading their loose garments upon the unsaddled ass, the disciples\nhad set their Master thereon, who was slowly approaching the city of\nDavid. At length the descending and ascending processions met, and\nin the rapture of the moment vied with each other in expressions of\ngladness and in tokens of respect. Those who had escorted him from\nBethany threw from their shoulders their loose robes, and, spreading\nthem on the highway, formed a temporary carpet for his triumphal march;\nand those who had come from Jerusalem spread their palm-branches before\nhim, while from that vast multitude arose that more than regal shout,\n\u201cHosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who cometh in the name\nof the Lord! Hosannah in the highest!\u201d[195] It was the hour of the\nexaltation of the Son of God. The people had gathered unto Shiloh;\nthe visions of the past were realized, and prophecy was fulfilled.\n\nThe interruption over, the great procession re-formed. Those who had\ncome from Jerusalem, turning round, led the advance; those who had come\nfrom Bethany brought up the rear; while in the centre Jesus rode in\ntriumph.\n\nMidway the two cities, the ancient path burrows the side of Olivet,\nand, after sweeping round a deep ravine, ascends a shoulder of the\nsacred mount, where the whole city, as by enchantment, bursts upon the\nview. Where now appears the Tomb of David then were seen the palaces\nof Herod, and where now stands the Mosque of Omar then stood the Jewish\nTemple. Charmed by a vision so grand, the people again shouted, but,\nunelated by the praise or view, \u201cJesus beheld the city, and wept over\nit.\u201d While the scenic grandeur of the prospect thrilled the multitude\nwith joy, the view of a doomed city caused him to shed more than human\ntears. Once more the procession advanced. Descending a shelving path,\nwith the groves of Gethsemane on the right and the Tomb of Absalom on\nthe left, the Savior crossed the Kidron, and, mounting the sides of\nMoriah, he entered his Temple amid the astonishment of enemies and the\nacclamation of friends.\n\nAt the junction of the three roads which lead to Bethany is the Garden\nof Gethsemane. It is a quiet spot, and wears the air of sweet repose.\nFormerly it was open and accessible to all, but now it is surrounded by\na stone wall twenty feet high. It is an area of 120 feet east and west,\nand 150 north and south. The entrance is through a low iron gate on the\neastern side, and the keeper is an old Franciscan monk. With a skillful\nhand he has transformed the inclosure into a pretty but not gorgeous\ngarden. On the east are three terraces, adorned with flowers. On the\nfirst is a well of delicious water, covered with trellis-work, on which\nare vines, and in the northeast corner is the monk\u2019s cell. A graveled\nwalk follows the circuit of the walls, and on the interior of the walls\nare pictures representing memorable scenes in the last night of our\nLord\u2019s life. The centre of the area is inclosed with a high picket\nfence, and the ground within is laid out in flower-beds. As memorials\nof the past, he has cultivated the graceful but bitter wormwood, and\nalso the beautiful passion-flower\u2015\u2015the symbol of agony. Near them are a\nfew palms and cypresses. With parental care he has nourished the eight\nremaining olive-trees, beneath which he thinks the fearful struggle\noccurred. They bear marks of great age, and are now the oldest on the\nface of the earth. Their trunks are gnarled and hollow, their foliage\nscanty, and, true to their species in old age, their roots are far\nabove the ground, but at present covered with an artificial soil. One,\nmore venerable than the rest, is seven feet in circumference, and has\nseparated into four parts from the roots upward to the branches; a\nsecond is twisted with age; and a third is hollow. But the branches\nare strong, the leaf green, and from the aged roots young trees are\nsprouting\u2015\u2015successors to these patriarchal shades.\n\n Illustration: GETHSEMANE AND THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.\n\nGethsemane is the only place in all my travels I hesitated for a\nmoment to visit. I had passed it many times before, but always felt\nunwilling to disturb its solemn repose. But, unattended by companion\nor guide, I determined to enter. Rapping on the low gate, the venerable\nFranciscan bade me welcome. His countenance was pale with watchings,\nand a pensive smile played over his dry and wrinkled face. Entering\nhis solitary cell, he left me alone. Not a sound disturbed the quiet\nof the hour. Kneeling beneath an aged olive, I gave myself up to the\nundisturbed reflections and hallowed memories of the place. The story\nof our Lord\u2019s agony had a reality I had never before experienced.\nThis lonely vale, these ancient hills, these serene skies, heard the\nSufferer\u2019s cry. Here the compassionate Redeemer lay prostrate upon the\nground, and, yielding to his Father\u2019s will, accepted the cup of death.\nHere descended that kind angel who strengthened the fainting Savior.\nHere resounded the horrid tramp of that ruffian band, whose huge staves\nsmote the earth, and whose swords glittered in the starlight. Here\nthe betrayer\u2019s signal-kiss polluted the cheek of innocence, and the\nMaster\u2019s words of surprise startled the dull ear of night. Here the\nimpetuous spirit of Peter, gaining the mastery of his discretion, moved\nhim to smite off the ear of Malchus; and, losing sight of the dangers\nthat threatened him, and unmindful of the hatred of his foes, the\nbenevolent Savior asked as an unselfish favor, \u201cSuffer ye thus far, and\nhe touched his ear and healed him.\u201d Here the Shepherd was smitten and\nthe flock scattered. Here John fled, leaving the linen cloth in the\nhands of the ruffians, and Jesus was led to judgment. It was passing\nstrange to be in such a place.\n\nAt every station where Israel had encamped _en route_ for the Mount of\nthe Law; on the awful summit of Sinai; beside the cave of Machpelah and\nthe tomb of Rachel; in the stable of the Nativity at Bethlehem; along\nthe Jordan; on Zion, Moriah, and Olivet; and on Gibeon, where Solomon\nreceived a wise and understanding heart, I had offered my devotions to\nGod; but Gethsemane seemed the nearest to heaven in the hour of prayer.\n\nGathering a few flowers and olive leaves for loved ones at home, I\nleft the garden with impressions as blessed as they are imperishable,\nand began the ascent of Olivet. The Mount of Olives is no less\nmemorable in the annals of Jewish and Christian history than its aspect\nis impressive to the eye of the beholder. Rising 2800 feet above the\nMediterranean, its base is 1000 feet from the city, and its summit half\na mile from St. Stephen\u2019s Gate. Having an elevation of more than 400\nfeet above the bed of the Kidron Valley at \u201cAbsalom\u2019s Pillar,\u201d it is\n104 feet higher than the crown of Zion, and rises 127 feet above the\nsummit-level of Mount Moriah. Owing to its irregular outline, both its\nform and cardinal points are difficult to define. Its general direction\nis north and south, with spurs shooting out toward every point of the\ncompass, and its location agrees with the description by the prophet,\nwho places it before Jerusalem on the east.[196] Including the Hill\nof Scandal, it may be said to have three peaks, though with equal\npropriety Scopus might be enumerated among them. Topographically\nthis may be correct, but historically the Hill of Scandal is too\nfar southwest to be included as a part of Olivet, as Mount Scopus is\ntoo far north. The two adjacent peaks are distinct, the northern one\nbearing the name of Galilee, from the supposition that there the angels\naddressed the Galileans, and the southern one, called by the Arabs\nJebel et-T\u00fbr, but by the Christians the Mount of Ascension.\n\nThe sides of the mountain gently descend east and west, and are\nstreaked horizontally with stripes of green and gray. From base to\nsummit it is terraced and planted with olives, from which the mount\nderives its name. Though rough and stony, yet in spring-time and summer\nflowers bloom upon it luxuriantly. On its broad and level summit is\nthe small village of Jebel et-T\u00fbr, clustering around the Church of\nthe Ascension, and, in turn, is surrounded by fields of grain. From\nGethsemane three paths lead to this Arab town; one strikes up boldly\nalong a projecting cliff, a second winds up more gradually to the south,\nwhile the third follows a gentle ravine, and is the most ancient of\nthe three. It was up the latter path David fled from the rebellion of\nAbsalom, \u201cweeping as he went up, with his head uncovered, and his feet\nbare.\u201d On the summit, where he lingered to worship, he was met by the\nfaithful Hushai, who, by the king\u2019s command, returned to the city to\ndefeat the counsels of Ahithophel. Just over the hill-top the kind Ziba\nmet the royal fugitive with refreshments. And not far down the eastern\ndeclivities is Bahurim, where the cowardly Shimei cursed the king,\nand where the heroic Abishai was impatient to vindicate his insulted\nmaster.[197]\n\nThis is, no doubt, the path Jesus frequented when returning to\nBethany after the thankless labors of the day in the Holy City. And how\nsignificantly do these two reverent names recall the history of Olivet,\nas associated with the two great dispensations of our religion. On its\nsummit was the Luna Station, from which the first appearance of the new\nmoon was announced by torch-light signals to the priests of the Temple,\nwhich had been previously seen and communicated in the same manner by\nthose stationed on the loftier peaks of Moab. Somewhere on its upland\nslopes stood two cedar-trees, beneath which pigeons were sold as\nofferings for purification. In one of its depressions was the lavatory,\nwhere unclean persons washed preparatory to presenting themselves\nbefore the Lord. At its base the red heifer was burnt, the ashes of\nwhich were preserved for the purification of the people,[198] and\ncrowning the summit the Shekinah rested, like a cloud of glory,\nwhen forced from the Holy of Holies by the ingratitude of a fallen\npeople.[199]\n\nBut, contemplated in its connection with the private life and public\nministry of our Lord, Olivet has a higher significance to the Christian,\nand awakens within him profounder emotions. It was his house of prayer,\nwhere he ofttimes resorted with his disciples.[200] From some of its\nshaded slopes, with the city full in view, he predicted the final\noverthrow of Jerusalem.[201] With a matchless purity of thought\nand diction, he delivered to his disciples the parables of the \u201cTen\nVirgins,\u201d of the \u201cFive Talents,\u201d and concluded his marvelous discourse\nby a description of the \u201cLast Judgment.\u201d[202] At its base he was\nbetrayed,[203] and from its summit he ascended to glory.\n\nCharmed with the purity of his life, convinced of the divinity of his\nperson, and conscious of a debt of gratitude for his vicarious death,\nthe Christian seeks the exact spot where for the last time he touched\nour earth. But, wisely neglecting to designate any particular portion\nof the Mount, the Evangelists point us to Olivet as the place of\nascension. According to Eusebius, the traditional site is directly\nopposite St. Stephen\u2019s Gate, and, prior to the visit of St. Helena, was\nvisited by pilgrims from all lands. To honor the spot and commemorate\nthe event, the mother of Constantine ordered the erection of a church\nupon the site, which, in the waste of time, has given place to a\nhumbler structure. By a singular amalgamation, it stands connected with\na Mohammedan mosque, whose solitary minaret is seen from afar.\n\nThe tradition, however, does too much violence to the text to claim for\na moment the intelligent faith of the present age. He led them out as\nfar as to Bethany,[204] and they returned unto Jerusalem from the Mount\ncalled Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath-day\u2019s journey,[205]\nare the only authentic intimations we have of the place, and the only\ndata from which we can draw our conclusions. Though \u201cas far as to\nBethany\u201d is indefinite, it is sufficiently explicit to throw doubt\nupon the traditional site, and to lead us to search for another more\nin harmony with the spirit and letter of the text. To the southeast of\nthe village there is a narrow isthmus, connecting the peak on which it\nstands with one of less altitude and more retired. It is one mile, or\na \u201cSabbath-day\u2019s journey,\u201d from St. Stephen\u2019s Gate, and overlooks the\nlittle town of Bethany, lying 500 yards below the cliff. From the ruins\nwhich lay scattered on the rocks beneath the isthmus, it is evident\nthat Bethany once extended farther to the northwest than at present,\nwhich more completely corresponds with the distance as stated by\nSt. Luke. But it is enough that Olivet extends toward the home of\nLazarus a \u201cSabbath-day\u2019s journey\u201d from Jerusalem, and that from its\nsummit Jesus ascended to glory, leading captivity captive, and giving\ngifts to men. It is enough that these hills saw the Prince of life and\nglory rise, and leaped for joy; that these valleys beheld him ascend,\nand swelled with delight; and these skies reached down their ethereal\narms to bear him on high. It is enough that earth is linked to heaven,\nhumanity is the abode of divinity, and a descendant of Adam is on the\nthrone of the universe. Let us adore!\n\nIn all the Holy Land there is not a nobler panoramic view to be enjoyed\nthan the one which greets the eye from the Mount of Olives. Owing to\nthe extreme transparency of the atmosphere, and to the absence of that\npeculiar haze which lends such an enchanting perspective to the Italian\nlandscape, distance at times seems annihilated, and remote objects\nappear to view with extraordinary distinctness of form and outline.\nSweeping over an area of more than twenty miles, the prospect is as\nvaried as it is grand. Turning to the north, the eye rests on Mizpeh,\nwhere Samuel held his court and Israel gathered for judgment; hard by\nare Gibeon and Ajalon, where the sun and moon paused in their brilliant\ncourse; while far to the northward is Michmash, the scene of Jonathan\u2019s\nexploits; and nearer are Gibeah of Saul and \u201cpoor little Anathoth,\u201d\nwhere the weeping eyes of Jeremiah first saw the light. Looking\neastward, desolation and beauty compose the landscape. From Bethany to\nJericho, and for many miles north and south, is the wilderness of Judea,\nsinking down to the verdureless shore of the Dead Sea, whose shining\nwaters are seen through the opening cliffs. Far down in the deep chasm\nthrough which the Jordan flows appear the green banks of the sacred\nriver, and beyond rise the Mountains of Moab, vast and craggy, and\ncolored with \u201cchatozant tents of azure-red.\u201d On the south is the rich\nPlain of Rephaim, where Daniel heard the \u201csound of a going in the\ntops of the mulberry-trees,\u201d[206] and farther on are seen the Convent\nof Elias, the domes of Bethlehem, and the Frank Mountain\u2015\u2015the \u201cTomb\nof Herod the Great,\u201d while to the west and at your feet is the \u201cCity\nof the Great King;\u201d and to no other city does distance lend such\n\u201cenchantment to the view.\u201d In walking its streets and in mingling in\nthe careless throng who share not in the grateful memories of the place,\nthe charm of its hallowed associations is broken; but when viewed from\nthe summit of Olivet, the spell of history entrances the soul, the\nattention becomes serious and fixed, the eyes dreamy and motionless.\n\nThe interest experienced in standing on any historic site is increased\nby being present on the anniversary of the event which has given\nsignificance to the place. There is in such a coincidence somewhat of\nreality at no other time realized, and the emotions excited on such an\noccasion are no less tender than real; and to read a description of the\ngreat transaction as written by an eyewitness amid the scenes of its\noccurrence invests the present with the actuality of the past, and one\nfondly imagines he beholds what transpired centuries ago. It is in view\nof such apparent facts that \u201cPassion Week\u201d in Jerusalem has an interest\nto the Christian traveler not common to any other period of the year,\nand, conscious of such an advantage, pilgrims from all lands assemble\nin the Holy City at that time to recall in imagination the memorable\nevents which occurred during the last week of our Lord\u2019s earthly career.\nIndebted to the Evangelists for our knowledge of what Jesus said and\ndid on the six days preceding his death, we could wish the narrative\nmore consecutive and the description more complete.\n\nOn Sunday he made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem as King of the\nJews.[207] On Monday he cursed the barren fig-tree,[208] drove the\nmoney-changers from the court of the Temple for the second time,[209]\nand asserted his authority in the presence of his enemies.[210] On\nTuesday he entered the Temple for the last time, was questioned again\nas to his authority, delivered in reply several impressive parables,\nwarned the people against the corruptions of the age, pronounced\nthe most fearful woes on Scribe and Pharisee, and foretold the last\njudgment and his second coming.[211] On Wednesday Judas contracted\nwith the chief priests for the betrayal of his Master, while our Lord\nhimself spent the day, either at Bethany or on the Mount of Olives,\nin preparation for the solemn events that were crowding upon the heel\nof time.[212] On Thursday he kept the Passover,[213] instituted the\nsacramental supper in commemoration of his death,[214] laid aside\nhis vestments and washed his disciples\u2019 feet; foretold his own death,\nhis betrayal by Judas, and Peter\u2019s denial of his Lord; comforted his\napostles, and exhorted them to mutual love; promised them the Holy\nGhost, offered the customary sacerdotal prayer, and, having sung a\nhymn, in the darkness and stillness of that night, attended by a few\nchosen friends, he passed over the \u201cBrook Kidron,\u201d entered the Garden\nof Gethsemane to endure the agony for the world\u2019s redemption; was there\nbetrayed, arrested, forsaken by his disciples, led into the city for\ntrial before Annas and Caiaphas, denied by Peter, and imprisoned till\nmorning.[215] In the gray of the dawn on Friday he was accused before\nPilate, \u201cset at naught by Herod and his men of war,\u201d and at midday,\nbearing his own cross, he was led out to Calvary, where, at the ninth\nhour, he expiated by his death the sins of the world.[216]\n\nFollowing in the footsteps of the Master, on Good Friday eve I\ndescended the acclivities of Moriah, crossed the same stone bridge over\nwhich he had passed,[217] and, entering the Garden of Gethsemane, I sat\ndown beneath the aged olive-trees, and read the touching story of his\npassion. Returning to the city, in an \u201cupper room,\u201d in company with\na few friends, I partook of the Lord\u2019s Supper. That night I could not\nsleep. Walking out upon the house-top, I looked down upon Gethsemane.\nUnbroken silence reigned. The city slumbered. The lights around the\nbalcony of the minaret burned dimly. The night wind blew softly from\nover the deep sea. The paschal moon was descending in the west. A\nsilvery haze, like a gauze of purity, overspread the serene heavens.\nIt was four o\u2019clock in the morning. From an adjacent court-yard a cock\nannounced the dawn of day. The distant east began to glow with the\nmorning\u2019s earliest light. It was Good Friday in Jerusalem\u2015\u2015the hour\nand the event of all time. Well may Christian affection ask, \u201cWhere is\nCalvary?\u201d Who would not approach such a place in silent prayer? Wisely\nits identity is unknown to earth. Though its location is the first\nobject of research by the Christian traveler when he enters the Holy\nCity, yet it is the last to be determined with satisfaction. Tradition\ndesignates a rock, inclosed within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,\nas the Mount of Crucifixion; but the site involves a controversy so\ncomplicated, that the mind prefers the recollection of the event to\nthe examination of the argument. Rejecting this legendary Calvary of\nthe monks, I sought for one more in harmony with the topography of the\ncity and with the casual allusions of the Evangelists. Though it is\nnow impossible to identify Golgotha with certainty, yet topographical\nfacts and sacred history are so concurrent that the mind is left almost\nwithout a doubt as to the direction of the place.\n\nAs the final scene in our Lord\u2019s trial occurred in the Tower of Antonia,\nwhich was near St. Stephen\u2019s Gate, it is more than probable that the\nexecutioners, instead of leading Jesus through the crowded and excited\ncity, led him out of this, the nearest gate. And as at that time there\nwas no place suitable for capital executions either on the south,\nwest, or north side of Jerusalem, we must search for one on the east\nside of the city. According to St. John, \u201cThe place where Jesus was\ncrucified was nigh unto the city,\u201d[218] and St. Paul assures us that\nChrist suffered without the gate.[219] As the priests of old were\naccustomed to drive the red heifer to sacrifice, and the scapegoat to\nthe wilderness, out of the eastern gate of the Temple inclosure, so it\nwould be only another instance of the remarkable correspondence between\nthe types of the Old Testament and the life of Jesus if the Jews,\nthough unwittingly, led the Savior to execution out of St. Stephen\u2019s\nGate. Where, then, should Calvary be sought for but in the environs of\nJerusalem on the east?\n\nToward the northeast corner of the city wall the sides of Bezetha\nare steep, rocky, and broken. There desolation is complete, and\nthe seclusion profound. The Kidron Valley winds around those rugged\ndeclivities, and the opposite sides of Olivet are barren and cheerless.\nMidway the hill there is a projecting rock, not unlike in form a human\nskull; on the north of it, a small ravine descends into the vale below,\nand just beneath it, on the east, the highway passes to the Heights\nof Benjamin. The sides are steep and covered with black moss. The term\nCalvary neither implies, nor is it used to designate a mount, but,\ncoming from the Latin _calvaria_ or _calva_, means a skull. If Golgotha\nis descriptive of a place where skulls lay uninterred, then this\nlocation agrees well with the sense of the word, as the dead that were\nhere interred were so slightly covered with earth that the bones of\nsuch now lay scattered upon the ground; or if, as is more probable, it\nis the designation of a place where violent deaths occurred\u2015\u2015the place\nfor the capital punishment of criminals, whose bones, after the flesh\nhad been devoured by wild beasts, lay bleaching in the sun, then\nthis, of all other portions of the environs of the city, is singularly\nadapted for such a melancholy purpose.\n\nReason and Scripture alike point to this spot as the scene of that\ngreat death, which has no parallel in suffering as it has no equal in\nresults. Reading the four Evangelists from the brow of this desolate\nrock, all the details of the inspired account appeared fulfilled\nwith an exactitude not unworthy an intelligent faith. Coming out of\nSt. Stephen\u2019s Gate, the mournful procession proceeded along that\nancient road on which Simon of Cyrene was returning from the country,\nto whom fell the honorable part to bear the cross of the fainting\nSon of God.[220] Reaching this desolate scene, the horrid tragedy was\nenacted. The place was no less appropriate to the mind of the Divine\nSufferer than to those who were the instruments of his death. It is\nnigh unto the city that had rejected him.[221] Before him rose Olivet,\nhis bower of prayer; beneath his eye lay Gethsemane, the scene of his\nagony; while, as if to mitigate the sorrow of the final struggle and\nlight up the darkest hour of his life, the Mount of Ascension rose\nin grandeur before him, crowned with the glory of his exaltation.\nAround the cross, both on the summit of Bezetha and on the slopes of\nOlivet beyond, is room for the multitude who had assembled to witness\nthe melancholy spectacle, and for those women who, \u201cbeholding afar\noff,\u201d[222] \u201cbewailed and lamented him.\u201d[223] From the adjacent walls\nof the city the chief priests, scribes, and elders beheld him, and\nmockingly said, \u201cHe saved others, himself he can not save.\u201d[224] On the\nroad which passed beneath the cross came those Jewish travelers who,\non reading Pilate\u2019s superscription, wagged their heads in disdain, and\ntauntingly greeted him, saying, \u201cThou that destroyest the Temple and\nbuildest it in three days, save thyself.\u201d[225] Here the rocks are torn\nand riven; for when he gave up the ghost, \u201cthe earth did quake and\nthe rocks were rent.\u201d[226] In the hill-side are tombs, which probably\nare \u201cthe graves that were opened, and from which the saints who slept\narose.\u201d[227] Down in the sequestered vale of the Kidron are gardens,\nwhere some old sepulchres still remain, any one of which answers well\nthe description of the Savior\u2019s tomb\u2015\u2015\u201cNow in the place where he was\ncrucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre.\u201d[228]\nWhere else in the environs of the Holy City should Joseph, a rich\nman of Arimathea, have his own new tomb but in the renowned Valley\nof Jehoshaphat, where sleep in death his ancestors, whose sepulchral\nmonuments continue to this day? And where within the circuit of the\ncity of his rejection should Jesus rise triumphant from the grave but\nin sight of the garden of his sorrow, the rock of his crucifixion, and\nthe mount of his ascension?\n\nThe Via Dolorosa is a lane-like street, narrow and crooked,\nleading from St. Stephen\u2019s Gate to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,\nand its dolorous name is no less significant of the tragical events\nwhich, according to tradition, occurred along its course, than of\nits forbidding and gloomy aspect. Like the \u201cstreet which is called\nstraight\u201d in Damascus, and the Via Sacra in ancient Rome, the Via\nDolorosa has a world-wide renown. Its windings, its rough pavement, its\nprison-like walls\u2015\u2015penetrated with low doorways and grated windows\u2015\u2015its\nrude arcade, excluding the sunlight and casting a deeper gloom within,\nsadden the mind, and are in keeping with the monkish legends that\nhave given to it universal notoriety. Along this dreary walk, amid its\nshadows and solemn memories, a wounded spirit finds companionship. As\nthe industrious shrine-makers of this and of other ages, the monks have\nconsecrated eight stations in this narrow street, commemorative of as\nmany events in our Lord\u2019s journey from the dungeons of Antonia to the\nsite of Calvary. In the northern wall of the Temple area are the two\narches, now walled up, where stood Pilate\u2019s staircase, down which\nour Lord descended after his sentence was pronounced, and directly\nopposite is the Church of Flagellation, marking the place where he was\nscourged. Not many paces to the west is the _Ecce Homo_ arch, where\nPilate exclaimed to the infuriated mob, \u201cBehold the man!\u201d At the bottom\nof a gentle descent the lane turns to the left, and then to the right.\nBeyond this angle is shown a deep impression in the solid stone wall,\nmade by the shoulder of Jesus when he leaned against it at the time he\nfainted. Near it is the house of St. Veronica, the illustrious woman\nwho presented the Savior with a handkerchief to wipe his bleeding brow.\nFrom her residence to the terminus of the street the gloom and silence\nare painful; and at well-apportioned intervals are indicated, by broken\ncolumns, the places where Simon was compelled to bear the Redeemer\u2019s\ncross, where Jesus addressed the weeping daughters of Jerusalem, and\nwhere his tragical death occurred.\n\n Illustration: VIA DOLOROSA AND THE ARCH OF THE ECCE HOMO.\n\nThroughout Good Friday groups of pious pilgrims were threading the\nVia Dolorosa and offering their prayers at its legendary shrines.\nThat night the Latin monks dramatized the crucifixion of Christ in the\nChurch of the Holy Sepulchre. At an early hour the venerable Church\nof St. Helena was thronged with natives and strangers, consisting\nof Greeks, Latins, Copts, Armenians, Turks, and Franks. To prevent a\ndisturbance, the military governor of the city had ordered a detachment\nof Turkish soldiers to be present. Among the dignitaries in attendance\nto witness the fictitious tragedy were foreign consuls attended by\nliveried cawasses, a hundred French officers, with their orderlies, who\nhad that day arrived from Be\u00eerut, and prominent among the distinguished\npersons was Lessep, the famous canal-digger, who had ascended from\nEgypt in an improvised chariot drawn by a pair of the noblest camels,\nand was the first who had crossed that ancient road since the day of\nRoman chariots.\n\nIt was past eight o\u2019clock when the solemn drama was opened with the\nrecitation of prayers in the sacristy of the Latin chapel. The light of\na hundred gold and silver lamps, fed by olive-oil, scarcely dispelled\nthe darkness of the hour. At 9 P.M. the pageant was fully commenced,\nand the long procession began its march, each person bearing a wax\ntaper that shone dimly on the air of night. First came Augustine friars,\nattired in brown cowls and cassocks; then followed a stalwart monk,\nbearing an immense cross of light-colored wood, curiously figured. On\nthe cross was nailed the carved figure of a man, covered with thorns,\nfrom whose side the life-blood was flowing, and around whose loins\nwas drawn a white linen cloth. Behind the crucifix came two choirs of\nmonks and catechumens robed in white, chanting a funeral dirge, with\nresponsive chorus; following the singers was Rome\u2019s eminent prelate,\nthe patriarchal Bishop of Jerusalem, crowned with a gold mitre, wearing\na black velvet cloak richly trimmed with gold lace, and bearing in his\nright hand a gold crucifix adorned with jewels; following in his train\nwere priests of lesser rank in dark robes, and barefooted friars with\nshaven heads, to imitate the crown of thorns, and nuns in blue and\nblack garments and white linen bonnets; and next came the French\nconsul, the military officers, the common soldiers, poor pilgrims, and\nstrangers from all nations, whose devotion or curiosity prompted them\nto join the imposing procession.\n\nWithin the church are lateral chapels, regarded as shrines by the pious,\nsuch as the prison of Christ, the chapel where he was bound, where he\nwas mocked, and where his vestments were divided by the Roman soldiers.\nAt the chapels the procession halted to listen to sermons preached\nin the Italian, French, German, Arabic, and English languages. It was\nnear midnight when the procession reached the foot of Calvary. Slowly\nascending the rude steps cut in the solid rock, the heavy cross was\nset in its original resting-place on the summit. In imitation of the\nsupernatural darkness, every light was extinguished. At that moment a\ntumult occurred. The rough voice of derision rose above the universal\nclamor, and echoed through the aisles and arches of that ancient\nbuilding, as the Turkish soldiers charged upon the people. Enraged at\nthe insult offered to his religion, the French consul drew his sword,\nthreatening death to Turk or Christian who should crowd upon him. In\na moment quiet was restored and the scene went on. Accident gave the\ncharm of reality to the occasion. There stood the captain of the guard,\nwith the smile of scorn upon his attractive though stern features;\naround him were his troops, and near them were fanatical Moslems\nreviling the spectacle; standing afar off were Christian women, robed\nin white sheets, concealing their person except their soft dark eyes,\nwhich peered out above their veils; and surging to and fro, like\nmighty waves, was a motley throng eager to behold the drama. Amid the\nsolemnities human nature was revealed. A magnificent French priest,\nwho had been appointed to preach at the cross of the unrepentant thief,\nso far forgot his duty as to pronounce a glowing eulogium upon France,\nand the part she had taken in supporting the Catholic faith in the\nEast. His commanding eloquence touched alike the pride and vanity of\nthe French, and the otherwise decorous officers, forgetting the time\nand place, applauded the time-serving priest.\n\nThe three sermons at the several crosses ended, the lights burn dimly\nagain. And now began the descent from the cross, after the style of\nRubens\u2019s great picture. Three venerable monks, impersonating Joseph of\nArimathea, Nicodemus, and St. John the Evangelist, approached the cross\nto take the body down. One, climbing up behind the cross, and throwing\na sheet around the body and under the arms of the image, held it fast,\nwhile another tenderly drew out the nails, kissing each one in turn\nas he laid them upon a silver plate; then receiving the body into his\narms, with the head resting on his shoulder, wrapped it in fine linen,\nplaced it upon a bier, and to the chant of another dirge the procession\ndescended to the pavement of the church, where the image was placed\nupon the stone of unction for anointing, and hence borne to the tomb of\nJoseph, to await the joyous notes of Easter Sunday.\n\nSuch is a brief description of a scene which annually occurs in\nJerusalem; and though producing a transient impression on the common\nmind, darkened by error and deluded by superstition, the sublime\nfarce is as irreverent as it is offensive to the enlightened Christian.\nDebased must be the intellect and vitiated the moral sensibilities of a\npeople who delight in such mournful tragedies, and corrupt must be the\nchurch which sanctions ceremonies so degrading to earth and repugnant\nto heaven. With equal propriety, the murder scene of a beloved friend\nmight be yearly re-enacted, harrowing the soul with the bloody memories\nof the past, and imitating in fiction the ghastly deeds of veritable\nmurderers. Who could be induced to witness a sight so mournful? The\nlast request of the Redeemer to his people was to remember his death,\nand not to re-enact it; to cherish his memory, and not perpetuate the\ntriumph of his foes. Devotion attains its greatest purity, and piety\nits highest form of spirituality, as pompous ceremonials are displaced\nby the simple aspirations of the heart for God, and by the practical\nembodiment of faith, hope, and charity.\n\nFor fifteen hundred years the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been the\nshrine of devout worshipers from all lands, and the antiquity of its\ntraditions, together with the profound reverence in which it is held\nby the Christian world, render it an object worthy of consideration.\nWhether considered as a work of art, or as a historic site around which\ncluster the most sacred legends of the Eastern churches, it awakens a\nthrilling interest in the thoughtful and intelligent mind. Such are the\nnumber and complications of the added apartments, a delineation of the\nstructure is as tedious as it is difficult. Though, as a whole, the\narchitecture is of the Romanesque order, yet in its different parts it\ncombines a greater variety of styles than any other edifice of equal\nnotoriety extant. Standing on the eastern slope of Mount Akra, in\nthe most populous part of the Holy City, its approaches are from the\neast and west through low, narrow doorways leading into a spacious\ncourt ninety feet long and seventy wide, formed laterally by the two\nprojecting wings of the church, by the fa\u00e7ade of the basilica on the\nnorth, and by a stone wall on the south, inclosing the green plateau\nonce adorned by the palace of the Knights of St. John. A more novel\nsight is not to be seen on earth than is daily presented in this stone\ncourt-yard during Passion Week. Lining three of its sides, with now\nand then one in the centre, sit the hucksters of pious wares, recalling\nthe money-changers in the court of Solomon\u2019s Temple. It is the great\nreligious mart for holy trinkets in Jerusalem, and the most auspicious\nplace for the ethnologist to study human varieties, for the costumer to\nexamine diversities of dress, for the traveler to witness the manners\nof many nations, and for the artist to sketch the most picturesque of\nliving scenes. There are Turks, with lofty turbans and flowing robes;\nwild Bedouins of the Desert, clad in capotes of camel\u2019s hair, and\ngirt about the loins with leathern girdles, or attired in their gay,\nfantastic riding costume, brandishing the polished spear; Franciscan\nfriars in coarse brown cowls, and ivory crucifix dangling at their side;\nGreek monks in long black flowing garments, high square hats, with\nmagnificent beards, and hair long as a woman\u2019s, twirling a rosary of\nmother-of-pearl or of beautiful agate; French and Italian nuns in black,\nwith white linen bonnets, and rosary and crucifix falling from their\nwaist; beggars in rags, the lame with crutches, the blind protected\nby a dog, invoking the charities of the rich; and pilgrims from every\nnation\u2015\u2015Syrians, Turks, Arabs, Nubians, Egyptians, Algerines, Armenians,\nCopts, Greeks, Jews, Italians, French, Russians, Germans, English, and\nthe ubiquitous American. Passing through this motley throng, beggars\nimplore your charities and the venders of pious wares solicit your\npatronage. Here are for sale sandal-wood beads from Mecca, bowls of\nbitumen from the shores of the Dead Sea, glass rings and bracelets from\nHebron, olive-wood rosaries from Olivet, crosses of mother-of-pearl\nfrom Bethlehem, and shells on which are rudely carved representations\nof the birth and resurrection of Jesus, small tin cans in which water\nfrom the Jordan is carried to the ends of the earth, wax tapers to be\nlit at the sacred tomb, and shrouds of cotton cloth or fine linen to\nbe laid in consecration on the Holy Sepulchre, and then borne to the\nuttermost parts of the earth by the faithful, to be wrapped in in death\nas a pledge of their resurrection.\n\n Illustration: CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE\u2015\u2015FRONT VIEW.\n\nAround the court are the ruins of antique and nobler edifices. Along\nthe southern side are the broken bases of a colonnade once supporting\na cloister or arcade. Running along the western side is an immense\nstone structure, from the northern end of which rises the grand\nunfinished tower of the Basilica of St. Helen; and on the opposite\nend stands a solitary column, crowned with a beautiful Corinthian\ncapital, supporting the foot of a broken arch. Within this projecting\nstructure are two Greek chapels, older than the days of the Crusaders;\none dedicated to St. James, the other to the blessed Trinity. On\nthe opposite side of the court is a plain stone building, the Greek\nMonastery of Abraham, through which entrance is had to the Armenian\nChurch of St. John, to the Coptic Convent, and to the Chapel of\nSt. Michael. Along the base of the building is a stone bench, where\nmonks and priests spend their idle hours playing with their rosaries.\n\nThe best view of the face of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is to\nbe had from this court. It is the chief entrance to the interior, and\nconsists of the southern end of the transept, presenting to the eye a\ngrand old fa\u00e7ade of Romanesque composition, now dingy with the dust of\nages and the wear of time. It is divided into two stories. In the upper\none are two corresponding windows, arched and slightly pointed, massive\nin mouldings and rich in sculpture. In the lower story is a double\nportal, surmounted by noble arches, supported by clustered columns,\nformed of layers of stone resting on heavy bases, and over the doorway\nare richly-sculptured architraves, representing our Lord\u2019s triumphant\nentry into Jerusalem. Only the western section of the portal is now\nopen, the other having been walled up since the reign of the Crusaders.\nOn the right of the fa\u00e7ade are the remains of that grand tower, once\nconsisting of five stories, only three of which remain. In each of the\nthree sides of the second story is a massive pointed window, and in\nthe third, rising proudly above the domes of the church, are plain and\narched windows. Though conjointly owned by the Greeks and Latins, the\nArmenians and Copts, the church is now subject to the control of the\nTurkish governor of the city, who holds the keys, and levies a heavy\ntax upon the rival sects worshiping at its sacred shrines. On the\nleft in entering this ancient edifice, the traveler\u2019s attention is\nattracted by the lordly Turkish guard and his friends, lounging on\nsoftly-cushioned divans, where the hours are idly spent drinking\nMocha coffee and whiffing the best Stamboul from chibouks of elegant\nconstruction.\n\nExcept St. Peter\u2019s in Rome, there is no religious edifice now\nstanding more imposing than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Owing\nto the addition of chapels and the numerous partitions within for\nthe accommodation of the several sects, it is not easy to give the\ndimensions and form of the interior. It may be said, however, to\nconsist of a nave 300 feet in length east and west, and of a transept\nextending north and south 180 feet. The ceiling is eighty feet high.\nExcepting the rotunda, the nave contains the magnificent chapel of the\nGreeks, measuring ninety-eight feet in length and forty in width, which\nis a church within a church. The walls are of wood, carved and gilded,\nreaching to the lofty ceiling above. The entrance is in the western end,\nbeneath a pointed arch, now filled with a heavy screen, serving as a\nmassive door. From four large piers within, fifty-two feet high, spring\nnoble arches, supporting the central dome. In the eastern end is the\ngorgeous high altar, the throne of the Greek patriarchs, and on either\nside are stalls for the choral singers. Behind the throne, formed by a\nwooden screen, is the robing-room for the priests, those ecclesiastical\nactors of a corrupted Christianity. Nothing can excel the gorgeous\ndecorations of the interior, which is adorned according to the barbaric\ntaste of the Greeks. The sides of their chapel are elaborately carved\nand gilded; from column and ceiling depend lamps and chandeliers of\ngold, and ostrich eggs curiously ornamented; while on pier and screen\nare rude pictures of the Byzantine style. Rising from the marble floor,\nin the very centre of the chapel, is a marble column, inclosed with an\niron railing, marking the centre of the earth, and the identical spot\nfrom which was taken the red clay for the formation of Adam\u2019s body.\n\nAt the western end of this chapel is the great rotunda of the church,\nmeasuring ninety-nine feet in diameter, encircled by eighteen colossal\npiers, supporting a clere-story pierced with windows, above which\nis the majestic dome, a hundred feet from the pavement below, with a\ncircular opening in the top for light and ventilation, similar to the\naperture in the dome of the Pantheon in Rome. In the very centre of\nthis rotunda, and directly beneath the dome, is the reputed sepulchre\nof our Lord. In form it is not unlike a miniature temple, ten feet\nin breadth, twenty in length, and of equal height. The exterior is\nornamented with semi-columns and pilasters, with rich cornices and\nmouldings; with a dome resembling an imperial crown, and with a\nthousand lamps of gold and silver, interspersed with wax tapers and\nvases of flowers. The entrance is on the east, through a small inclosed\narea, along which are rows of candles perpetually burning. Over the\nportal floats the banner of the Cross, and beneath its silken folds is\na magnificent picture of Christ\u2019s resurrection. It is the most spirited\nrepresentation of that grandest of all events ever thrown upon the\ncanvas. The Redeemer\u2019s form is drawn with all the harmony of parts\nand the grace of action of an Apollo Belvidere. With one foot resting\non the tomb, he is leaving the sepulchre with an air of triumph as\nmajestic as it is natural.\n\n Illustration: VIEW OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE.\n\nThe interior is divided into two small chapels; the first is where\nthe angel was seen, and contains the throne on which he sat, and in the\nsecond is the Holy Sepulchre. The vault is seven feet long and six wide,\nsurmounted with a small dome. The tomb occupies the whole length of the\nnorth side of the chamber, incased with marble, and is three feet above\nthe floor; the upper slab is cracked through the centre, and its edges\nare worn smooth by the kisses of pilgrim lips. Forty-two gold lamps\nburn continually before the tomb, and from a golden censer clouds of\nincense ascend as a memorial offering. Whether accepting or rejecting\nits traditional identity with the sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathea,\nno one can approach this revered shrine without profound emotions. For\nfifteen centuries Christians have guarded it with a solicitude no less\ntender than constant. To rescue it from the hands of infidel Moslems,\nPeter the Hermit and the Pontiff Urban roused all Europe to war against\nthe Turk; to restore it to the Church, kings and princes, bishops and\nnobles, gave their treasure, and the millions of Christendom flew to\narms to perish in the daring crusade; to it longing eyes in all lands\nturn, and he whose lips have pressed its cold marble in devotion is\nesteemed a saint with a charmed life. Such is the religious reverence\nwith which it is held, that none are allowed to approach it till hat\nand shoes have been removed, while the more devout drag themselves\nalong the marble floor and fondly kiss the unconscious stone. Impelled\nby a superstitious faith and a tender affection for their offspring,\nmothers come from afar to lay their children on the tomb, and many an\ninvalid is only too happy if he may be laid beside his Master\u2019s\nsepulchre.\n\nOn leaving the tomb I fortunately met a young Irish monk whose\nacquaintance I had previously formed, and who on this occasion\nkindly offered to be my guide in the more thorough exploration of\nthis renowned church. With singular infatuation for holy places, the\nshrine-makers both of the Greek and Latin Churches have identified\nwithin this venerable building the sites of nearly all those solemn\nevents attending the death and resurrection of our Lord. In the\nnorthern end of the transept is the Latin chapel, which has been in\nthe possession of the Franciscans since 1257 A.D.; though unpretending\nboth in its proportions and ornaments, it traditionally marks the spot\nwhere Christ appeared to Mary, and bears the name of the Chapel of the\nApparition. Passing down the dark northern aisle, we lingered for a\nmoment in the legendary prison of Jesus, at the altar of Longinus, the\nrepentant soldier who had pierced the Savior\u2019s side, and in the Chapel\nof the Division of the Vestments. A few feet beyond, we descended a\nflight of twenty-nine steps leading into the crypt or Chapel of St.\nHelena, containing the marble chair she occupied while superintending\nthe search for the Holy Cross. A descent of twelve steps more leads\nto the cavern where the mother of Constantine found the three crosses,\nwith the title Pilate wrote detached. From the sides of the rock drops\nof water were dripping down which had percolated the surface above,\nbut which the young monk assured me were holy tears, the rocks still\nweeping for the dead. Ascending to the floor of the church, and\nthreading the southern aisle, we came to the foot of the traditional\nCalvary\u2015\u2015a natural rock thirty feet long, fifteen high, and as many\nwide, reached by eighteen steps cut in the living rock. The summit is\nreached by two flights of steps, one used exclusively by the Greeks and\nthe other by the Latins, for, like the Jews and Samaritans, the former\nhave no dealings with the latter. On the summit is the Chapel of the\nElevation of the Cross, measuring forty-five feet in length, the floor\nof which is paved with marble, the walls draped with silken velvet, and\nfrom the ceiling gold lamps depend, dimly burning. At the eastern end\nis a raised platform ten feet long, two high, and six wide, supporting\nan altar; and directly before it is a hole in the rock, two feet\ndeep by one and a half square, in which once rested the foot of the\nRedeemer\u2019s cross. On either side is a similar hole for the crosses of\nthe two thieves, and near them is the rent in the rock caused by the\nearthquake at the moment the Lord expired. Reverently regarding it as\nreal, the Christians of the East approach this shrine upon their knees,\nfondly kissing what they believe to be the summit of Golgotha. Covered\nas it is with a marble floor, it is impossible to determine whether the\nelevation is masonry or living rock; if the latter, it is remarkable\nthat such a rocky eminence should be left in this portion of the city;\nand if a natural rock, its sides and top should be exposed to view.\nDescending the Greek staircase and turning to the right, we came to a\ngloomy vault called the Tomb of Adam, near where once stood the tombs\nof the chivalrous Godfrey and the heroic Baldwin. Returning to the\ntransept, we passed a yellow marble slab, inclosed with a low railing\nwhich pilgrims fondly kiss, and over which lamps burn continually.\nIt is the legendary Stone of Unction, on which the body of Jesus was\nanointed for his burial. Passing through the rotunda, we descended\ninto the tombs of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, together with two\nothers, excavated in the living rock, and which, if ancient, are the\nmost remarkable antiquities within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.\nReturning again to the rotunda, my good Franciscan gave me his\nbenediction, and, parting from me, left me to the reflections of the\nhour.\n\nWhether this church covers the Golgotha of the crucifixion and the\nplace of our Lord\u2019s sepulture remains an open question. No subject\nwithin the range of sacred arch\u00e6ology presents greater difficulties,\nand none has been contested with a more brilliant display of acute\nargumentation and varied learning. Pre-eminently it is a question of\ntwo sides, and the contest is sometimes so evenly balanced that an\nassumed victory by the advocates of either theory is one of doubtful\ncertainty. To argue against the supposition, one is forced to reason\nagainst his inclination to stand on the site of the Redeemer\u2019s death\nand sit within the shadow of his tomb; to reject it is to leave the\nworld without a substitute, and consign the remembrance of those grand\nevents which it commemorates to the memory of man, without a knowledge\nof the scene of their occurrence; to deny the identity of the spot is\nto call in question the traditions of fifteen centuries, to which the\nChristians of Europe and of the East have fondly clung, and for which\nthe brave have died; to accept it is to argue against the unbroken\nsilence of three hundred years\u2015\u2015against equivocal history\u2015\u2015against\ntopography\u2015\u2015against analogy\u2015\u2015against eminent scholarship\u2015\u2015against the\nBible. The argument for it is tradition and history; the proof against\nit is the Bible and topography.\n\nTraditionally considered, the argument in its favor runs thus: Such was\nthe popularity of Jesus, and such the publicity of his death, burial,\nand resurrection, as to stamp the place of their occurrence with\nimperishable memory; that the descent of the Holy Ghost, the conversion\nof three thousand, the early founding of his Church in the city of his\nrejection, and the maintenance of its unity for thirty-seven years,\ncombined to cherish in the public mind the recollection of the place;\nthat though, just previous to the siege of the Holy City by Titus,\nhis followers fled to Pella, beyond the Jordan, it was but a temporary\ndeparture, and that, after the storm of war had spent its fury, they\nreturned to the city of their choice; that the desolation of seventy\nyears which followed the conquest of the Romans was partial, and that,\nwhile the more wealthy of the population were sold into captivity, many\nof the common people retained their humbler homes; that, from the year\n130 A.D. to the present time, Jerusalem has been an inhabited city, and\nthat the Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the city, and, to dishonor alike the\nJew and Christian, he reared a fane in honor of Jupiter on the site of\nSolomon\u2019s Temple, and covered the tomb of Jesus with a temple to Venus;\nand that this temple to Venus remained standing for two hundred years\nafter its erection, and was seen by Eusebius in the year 326 A.D.\n\n Illustration: GROUND PLAN OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE.\n\nSuch is the evidence for the identity of the Holy Sepulchre as the tomb\nof Jesus, from his resurrection down to the commencement of authentic\nhistory. It is unwritten tradition, and, at best, presumptive proof.\nExtending through a period of three hundred years of wars, revolutions,\nand desolations, it is the most unreliable period of all the centuries\nsubsequent to the Christian era. Whatever may have been the temporary\ninterest attached to Golgotha and to the tomb of Joseph to the idle\nand curious, to the friend and foe of Jesus, it is evident, from\ntheir inspired narrative, that the sacred writers neither shared\nthe excitement, nor considered it incumbent on them to describe with\nminuteness the scene of their Master\u2019s death and burial. They were too\nmuch absorbed in recording the stupendous facts of our Lord\u2019s expiatory\nsufferings, and the glory of his resurrection, to entertain their\nreaders with an accurate account of the rock on which he expired, and\nof the sepulchre from which he arose triumphant. The place is forgotten\nin the significance of the event; the actor, and not the stage, is the\nburden of their history. Their simple story is, They led him away to\ncrucify him;[229] When they came to the place which is called Calvary,\nthere they crucified him;[230] The place where Jesus was crucified was\nnigh to the city;[231] Now in the place where he was crucified there\nwas a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man\nyet laid.[232] This is the sum of their record. They must have been\nfamiliar both with the place of execution and of interment, but, from\nMatthew to Revelation, the apostles are silent to indifference as\nto the one and the other. Had they deemed it important, they might\nhave intimated out of which gate the mournful procession passed, and\non which side of the city the Son of God was slain; but, regarding\nsuch information as unworthy their sublime narrative, or fearing\nour idolatry, they leave us to the uncertainty of conjecture. The\ninvitation of the angels to the devoted Marys, Come, see the place\nwhere the Lord lay, was not to enshrine the tomb, but to unshrine it,\nby convincing them by their own sight that he is not here, for he is\nrisen, as he said; and, dear as the spot might be, they were not to\nlinger, but to go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from\nthe dead.[233] We never read of their return to that tomb. Convinced\nof his resurrection, they sought him among the living and not among the\ndead. From the summit of Olivet they watched his ascending form, till\na cloud received him out of their sight, and then returned with great\njoy, not to the tomb, but to an \u201cupper room,\u201d waiting the \u201cpromise\nof the Father.\u201d[234] In his wondrous sermon on the day of Pentecost,\nSt. Peter declared the resurrection of Christ, but made no allusion to\nhis tomb, while he reminded his hearers that David\u2019s sepulchre is with\nus unto this day.[235] In all the subsequent apostolic letters, neither\nthe zealous Peter, nor the beloved John, nor St. Paul, that devoted\nworshiper of our Lord, ever alluded to those memorable places.\n\nHistory is comparatively silent as to the return of the Christians\nfrom Pella. Many of the first followers of Christ were strangers in\nJerusalem, who had come to the Holy City from distant countries to\ncelebrate the annual festivals of their nation. Such must have been\nmost of the three thousand converted on the day of Pentecost, who,\nreturning to their far-off homes, spread the glad tidings of a risen\nSavior as they went.[236] And although all who \u201cbelieved were together\nand had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and\nparted them to all men as every man had need, and continued daily with\none accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house,\u201d[237]\nyet in a brief time thereafter St. Stephen was martyred, \u201cand at that\ntime there was a great persecution against the church which was in\nJerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions\nof Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.\u201d[238] The number who fled\nto Pella, which was but a small town on the eastern bank of the Jordan,\nmust have been exceedingly small. Those who found refuge there remained\nfor seventy years, during which time Jerusalem was a desolation; and,\nexcepting the military towers on Mount Zion, \u201cthe rest of the wall was\nso entirely thrown down even with the ground by those who digged it up\nto the very foundation, that there was left nothing to make those who\ncame thither believe it had ever been inhabited.\u201d[239] By some this\naccount is regarded as exaggerated, and at most it can only refer to\nthe walls of the city. Granting the correctness of such a supposition,\nand that some of the poorer inhabitants clung to the ruins of the\ncapital, yet historians agree that the Christians did not return to\nJerusalem till about the year 130 A.D., which was after the town had\nbeen rebuilt by the Emperor Adrian, and by him called _\u00c6lia Capitolina_.\nAnd, at best, only the descendants of those who had fled returned, as\nduring the lapse of seventy years most of the fugitives had ascended to\ntheir reward. It is also difficult to conceive how those who had never\nvisited Jerusalem before, and especially after it had been rebuilt by\nthe Romans, could have identified an obscure tomb which had remained\nunmarked by any enduring monument.\n\nThe historic accounts which have come down to us that Adrian\ndesecrated the tomb of Jesus by erecting over it an idol monument, are\nas contradictory as they are inconsistent. As the emperor was the enemy\nof the Jew rather than of the Christian, it is impossible to conceive\nwhat motive impelled him to dishonor an humble shrine held sacred by a\nhandful of harmless religionists. The erection of a proud fane on the\nsite of Solomon\u2019s Temple is in keeping with the character of the man\nand his hatred for the Jews, but the desecration of Golgotha and of\nthe Holy Sepulchre is inconsistent with his reign in the East, and with\nthe admission of the Christians to his new colony and city. But the\nearly Church historians are not agreed as to the name and character of\nthis idol monument. Writing after the death of Constantine, Eusebius\nspeaks of a temple to Venus covering the Holy Sepulchre, ascribing\nits erection to impious men; writing sixty years later than Eusebius,\nJerome ascribes it to the Emperor Adrian. Eusebius declares it was\na temple, Jerome affirms it was a statue; Eusebius asserts it was in\nhonor of Venus, Jerome informs us it was dedicated to Jupiter.\n\nThere are similar discrepancies in the writings of these fathers as to\nthe discovery of the Holy Sepulchre, and as to the founder of the first\nChristian church reared in honor of our Lord\u2019s resurrection. According\nto Eusebius, \u201cimpious men, or rather the whole race of demons through\nthe agency of impious men, had labored to deliver over that illustrious\nmonument of immortality to darkness and oblivion. They had covered the\ncave (or tomb) with earth brought from other quarters, and then erected\nover it a sanctuary to Venus, in which to celebrate the impure rites\nand worship of that goddess. Moved by a divine intimation made by\nthe Spirit of the Savior himself, the Emperor Constantine ordered\nthe obstructions removed, the holy tomb purified, and a magnificent\nchurch to be erected in commemoration of the event.\u201d In this miraculous\ninterposition to discover the veritable tomb of Christ, Eusebius\nconcedes that there was no existing tradition identifying its locality.\nEither the place of our Lord\u2019s burial was known to Eusebius, or it was\nnot. If it was certainly known to him by a pagan temple standing on\nthe spot, no miracle was necessary for its recognition; if it was not\nknown to him, then there was no unbroken tradition extending through a\nperiod of three centuries, and the question turns upon the credibility\nof the pretended miracle. The \u201cFather of History\u201d can only be saved\nfrom palpable contradiction by supposing that after the tomb had been\nsupernaturally discovered he found over it a pagan temple. But what\nproof have we that such a miracle was wrought? What good to mankind\nhas resulted from such an interposition? In all Bible miracles, the\ngreat moral purposes to be attained justified the departure from\nthe established course of nature. The history of this church, from\nConstantine to our own times, has been a series of religious rivalries,\nof bitter contentions between opposing sects, of wars between\nChristians and Turks, of weary and inefficacious pilgrimages from the\nsnows of Russia and the sands of Africa, of useless expenditures of\ntreasure, of relic worship, and of the utter absence of moral influence\non Moslem and Jew.\n\nSuch a miraculous intimation given to the apostles would have been\nmore appropriate than to a warrior whose piety is as questionable as\nthe results of his conversion have proved disastrous to mankind. To\nan enlightened Christian mind it would afford a melancholy pleasure to\nstand on Calvary and sit in the Savior\u2019s tomb, but the temptation to\nidolatry would be too strong for the common mind to brook. Duped by a\nmercenary priesthood for fifteen centuries, millions of Greek and Latin\npilgrims have bowed in idolatrous veneration before the reputed tomb of\nJesus; and for a boon so humble, immense donations have been demanded\nfor the support of ecclesiastical establishments. The genuineness\nof this divine intimation is affected by the character of the age of\nConstantine. It was the age of pious frauds. Monkery had existed for\ntwo centuries; heresies had taken deep root; saints were worshiped,\nmartyrs canonized, relics adored; and, sanctioned by imperial example,\nthe people were ripe for any deception. Either the theory of an\nunbroken tradition coming down from the apostolic age to the time of\nEusebius, and the existence of a pagan temple upon the well-known tomb\nmust be abandoned, or the pretended miracle for its recognition must be\nrelinquished, as the one supersedes the necessity of the other. Both\ncan not co-exist; one or the other is without foundation in truth.\n\nJerome and his contemporaries, together with his successors, give a\ndifferent version of the identification of the Holy Sepulchre and of\nthe founder of the first church over the consecrated spot; and, what\nmust appear as a little remarkable to every intelligent mind, these\nlater historians, who wrote in succeeding centuries, are far more full\nand minute in their details than Eusebius, who was an eyewitness of\nwhat he wrote. According to them, the Empress Helena, the mother of\nConstantine, moved by a pious desire to worship at those shrines sacred\nto the memory of our Lord, visited Palestine in the year 326 A.D., at\nthe advanced age of eighty. Having identified the sites of the principal\nevents connected with our Lord\u2019s history, she determined to rescue them\nfrom oblivion by the erection of enduring monuments, no less expressive\nof her own gratitude than for the guidance of those devout pilgrims\nwhose devotions might lead them in future years to the Holy Land.\nDiscovering to her satisfaction the stable and manger of the nativity\nat Bethlehem, and the exact spot of the ascension on Olivet, she\nordered the erection of monumental structures on the site of such\nextraordinary events, at once worthy the Redeemer\u2019s glory and the\nmagnificent reign of her imperial son. Naturally desiring to supply the\nintermediate link, and perpetuate the memory of the Savior\u2019s death and\nresurrection, she earnestly sought for Calvary and the reputed tomb of\nJoseph. Whether the recollection of these most sacred places had been\nlost, or whether to confirm her faith in the traditional sites, she\ndiligently inquired of the oldest Jewish and Christian inhabitants of\nthe city as to their location, who pointed her to the area at present\ninclosed within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. But the accumulation\nof rubbish during the lapse of so many years rendered the search\ndifficult and uncertain. Intent, however, on the consummation of an\nobject so laudable, and guided by a divine intimation, she at length\ncame to the sepulchre of Jesus, and near it discovered the three\ncrosses, with Pilate\u2019s tablet, still bearing his superscription. The\njoy experienced by the unexpected discovery of the crosses was lessened\nby the tablet being detached from its original cross, precluding the\npossibility of determining to which of the three it had belonged.\nEver fruitful in expedients, Macarius, then Bishop of Jerusalem,\nsuggested the happy thought that the three crosses should be presented\nin succession to the person of a noble lady at that moment afflicted\nwith an incurable disease, and the one which should impart healing\nvirtue should be regarded as the cross on which the Lord of life and\nglory suffered. Singly each cross was presented, the first and second,\nhowever, without effect, but on the touch of the third she immediately\nrecovered. Content with the accomplishment of a work so grand, and\nsincerely grateful for the honor Heaven had conferred upon her, she\nordered the erection of a magnificent basilica over the Redeemer\u2019s tomb,\nand, full of holy joy, the venerable Helena returned to Constantinople,\nwhere she expired in her eighty-second year. Nine years subsequent\nto her visit, and seven years after her demise, the Church of the\nHoly Sepulchre was completed, and with unrivaled pomp dedicated to\nJesus in the year 335 A.D. With these additional facts and palpable\ndiscrepancies, it is impossible to determine to which belongs the honor\nof the work\u2015\u2015to the Emperor of the West or to his imperial mother.\nIn both accounts there is the incompatible mingling of tradition and\nmiracle, mutually destroying the force of each other. An intelligent\nChristian, visiting Jerusalem for the first time, and remembering his\nLord expired and was interred \u201cnigh unto the city,\u201d would not be a\nlittle surprised to find Golgotha and the tomb of Joseph in the heart\nof the modern town. At the time of those great events the city was\nencompassed on the north with two walls. The first, beginning at the\nTower of Hippicus on Mount Zion, ran along its northern brow, and,\ncrossing the Tyropean Valley, terminated at the western wall of the\nTemple inclosure, a distance of 630 yards. As the third wall was not\nbuilt till after the Crucifixion, a description of it is not material\nto the argument; but on the direction of the second wall hangs the\ndecision of this long-contested question. According to Josephus, the\nsecond wall commenced at the Gennath Gate, which signifies \u201cgarden,\u201d\nand was used as a means of ingress either to a royal garden on Mount\nZion, or of egress to the gardens in the Valley of Hinnom. In either\ncase the gate would have been located near the western wall of the city,\nat which point the second wall commenced, and, running northward over\nthe level portion of Mount Akra to the Damascus Gate, and thence coming\ndown over Mount Bezetha, terminated at the northwest corner of the\nTower of Antonia, including in its course the traditional Golgotha.\nTo the most unpracticed eye such a line of wall would be in harmony\nwith good sense, with correct civil engineering, and with the approved\nprinciples of military defensive works. To locate the Gennath Gate\nat the north base of Mount Zion, and run the second wall along Bazar\nStreet up to the Damascus Gate and thence back to the Tower of Antonia,\nwould certainly exclude the present site of the Holy Sepulchre, but\nwould also exclude the large Pool of Hezekiah, give but a narrow space\nto the \u201cLower City\u201d of ancient Jerusalem, and leave the whole of Mount\nAkra uninclosed. Such a line of wall would have left a large part,\nand the weakest portion, of the northern wall of Zion unprotected, and\nskirting, as it must have done, the steep sides of Akra, been entirely\nunavailing as a defensive structure. No sane engineer would have\nconstructed a wall so as to expose to the use of an attacking enemy the\nlarge fountain of Hezekiah; and, if the second wall did not run north\nand south, it is impossible to understand Josephus, who informs us that,\nin his assault upon this part of the city, Titus stationed troops in\ntowers along the southern part, and dispatched others to throw down the\nnorthern portion.\n\nThe remains at the Damascus Gate of an ancient gateway with towers,\nthe masonry of which is of equal antiquity with that in the northeast\ncorner of the Temple area, are no doubt the ruins of the northern gate\nof the second wall; and the traces of an ancient wall between the old\ngateway and the Latin convent clearly indicate that the second wall\ninclosed Mount Akra on the west, and therefore included the Calvary\nand Holy Sepulchre of the monks.\n\nThough the legendary claims of this renowned church are rejected,\nand its pretended rights to the affections of mankind denied, yet the\nantiquity of its origin and the romance of its history can not fail\nto awaken a momentary veneration in the most indifferent spectator.\nDedicated to Jesus in the year 335 A.D., it remained standing in all\nits primal grandeur for two hundred and seventy-nine years, when, in\n614 A.D., it was ruthlessly destroyed by the Persian, Chosroes II.,\nwho, after the capture of the city, massacred thousands of the citizens,\nincluding many monks and nuns, and, as the crowning act of his\nvengeance, carried the Patriarch of Jerusalem, together with the \u201ctrue\ncross,\u201d into captivity. Sixteen years later the church was rebuilt,\nunder the superintendence of Modestus, superior of the convent of\nTheodosius, and the exiled patriarch returned, entering the city\nin triumph with the \u201ccross\u201d on his shoulder. Destined to the most\nremarkable vicissitudes, it was again destroyed in 969 A.D. by the\nFatimites, who, in the madness of their retaliation, committed the aged\npatriarch to the flames of the burning building. Remaining a heap of\nruins for more than forty years, the revengeful Khalif el-H\u00e2kim, the\nspiritual and fanatical Prince of the Druses, caused it to be entirely\ndemolished, plowing up its very foundations, and attempting the utter\ndestruction of the tomb itself. With an energy as untiring as their\ngifts were munificent, the Christians rebuilt their favorite sanctuary\nwithin thirty-eight years after their cruel persecution by El-H\u00e2kim,\nand it remained standing till 1099 A.D., when the Crusaders captured\nJerusalem; the church was enlarged and beautified by them; and during\nthe lapse of more than seven centuries it continued unimpaired till\nthe year 1808 A.D., when, on the night of the 12th of October, a fire,\noriginating in the Armenian chapel, consumed the noble pile. So intense\nwas the heat that the massive walls suffered immensely; the cupola\nwas rent in two; the roof of the nave and of the triforium gallery,\ntogether with all the altars, images, and pictures, were consumed; the\nmarble piers in the rotunda were calcined, and the lofty dome above\nfell in with a tremendous crash upon the Holy Sepulchre. Inheriting\nthe zeal and benevolence of an earlier age, the Christians of our\nown century determined to reconstruct their holiest of shrines,\nand selecting Commones, a Greek of the island of Mitylene, for the\narchitect, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was rebuilt in the year\n1810 A.D., and remains standing to this day, the pride of the East and\nthe most imposing of Christian monuments.[240]\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER VI.\n\n Forty Days and forty Nights in the Holy City. \u2015\u2015 Inside View\n of Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 Streets. \u2015\u2015 Buildings. \u2015\u2015 Commerce. \u2015\u2015 A\n Cosmopolitan City. \u2015\u2015 Government Officials. \u2015\u2015 Taxation.\n \u2015\u2015 Population. \u2015\u2015 Turks. \u2015\u2015 Dervishes. \u2015\u2015 Fast of Ramadan.\n \u2015\u2015 Feast of Beiram. \u2015\u2015 Moslem Sects. \u2015\u2015 Their Creeds.\n \u2015\u2015 Quarter of the Jews. \u2015\u2015 Their wretched Condition. \u2015\u2015\n Their Nationalities. \u2015\u2015 Pensioners. \u2015\u2015 Jewish Passover. \u2015\u2015\n Ceremonies witnessed. \u2015\u2015 Jewish Sabbath in Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015\n Synagogue. \u2015\u2015 Education. \u2015\u2015 Mr. Touro and Sir Moses Montefiore.\n \u2015\u2015 Religious and Industrial Institutions. \u2015\u2015 Christian Sects\n in the Holy City. \u2015\u2015 Armenians. \u2015\u2015 Their Wealth. \u2015\u2015 Greeks.\n \u2015\u2015 Their Influence. \u2015\u2015 Latins. \u2015\u2015 Their Edifices. \u2015\u2015 Monastic\n Quarrels. \u2015\u2015 Curious Scene. \u2015\u2015 Rivalry between France and\n Russia. \u2015\u2015 Russian Gold. \u2015\u2015 Protestant Christianity in\n Jerusalem. \u2015\u2015 English Church. \u2015\u2015 House of Charity. \u2015\u2015 The\n two Slave Girls.\n\n\nFORTY days and forty nights in the Holy City gave me ample time to\nthread its streets, examine its architecture, study its politics,\nconsider its religion, and form an opinion of the social customs of\nits citizens. The attritions of time and the physical changes incident\nto war have marred the beauty of this once imperial city, and the\nJerusalem of to-day holds no comparison in wealth and elegance with\nthe Jerusalem of Solomon or of Herod the Great. Less than twelve feet\nwide, the streets are paved with small flag-stones, and, being without\nside-walks, are the thoroughfares for man and beast. Excepting the\nmosques and churches, the buildings are constructed in accordance with\ncheapness and convenience rather than in harmony with a costly and\nelegant architecture. They range in size from a one-story bazar-shop to\na three-story dwelling. Wood being scarce and expensive, they are built\nof the common gray limestone of Palestine; the windows are small and\nbarred with iron; in the centre of the edifice is an open court; and\nthe flat roof of each is adorned with a small dome, adding not a little\nto the general appearance of the structure and to the comfort of the\ninmates. The arrangement of the interior depends upon the nationality,\ntaste, and wealth of the occupant. Usually the furniture is of the\nsimplest kind, consisting of low stools for tables, on which the food\nis placed, and a series of divans encircling the room, which are used\nfor seats in the daytime and for beds at night. The floor, walls, and\nceiling are of stone, and are whitewashed as a substitute for carpets,\npaint, and paper. The bazars are in the most frequented streets, and\nare in either a small building or on the ground floor of a dwelling.\nThe articles for sale are displayed on a shelf in front of the shop,\nor around the casement of the door. In addition to the more common\nnecessaries of life, the principal commodities of traffic are the\nseveral kinds of Persian and Turkish tobacco, the fruits of the country,\nsome rude silk and cotton fabrics manufactured in the city, together\nwith beads, trinkets, and jewelry, of which the ladies are very fond.\nThe commerce of the modern town is not equal to that of the ancient\ncapital, when the merchants were princes, and when the caravans of the\nEast brought to her gates the fine linen of Egypt, the steeds of Arabia,\nthe carpets of Persia, the shawls of Cashmere, and the marvels of\nBagdad.\n\n Illustration: VIEW OF MODERN JERUSALEM FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.\n\nJerusalem is a cosmopolitan city, where the representatives from all\nnations congregate and live. Amounting to 20,000 souls, the present\npopulation is divided into classes according to their religious\nopinions, and each sect occupies a separate portion of the town called\n\u201cQuarters.\u201d The Turk is now in power, swaying his iron sceptre, which\nhe has held for more than six hundred years. The city having been\nelevated to the dignity of a distinct pashalic, the Pasha is appointed\nby the Sultan, and comes from Constantinople. The municipal government\nis civil and military. The civil governor is assisted by a delegated\ncouncil of Moslems, of which one Jew and one Christian are members by\nsufferance, to represent the interests of their respective churches.\nCriminal and civil justice is administered by a city judge, called the\n\u201cCadi,\u201d who is judge and jury, and whose decisions are law, whether\nthe dictates of an impartial judgment or the sentence of a bribed\nmagistrate. The military department is under Bim-Pasha, the most\ndreaded of all the government officials. His troops perform the double\nduty of garrison and police, guarding the gates during the day and\npatroling the streets at night. Destitute of courtesy and the finer\nfeelings of our humanity, they are the most brutal class of men on the\nglobe, who are respected because they are dreaded, and feared because\nthey are vindictive. The palaces of the civil and military governors of\nthe city are in the northwest corner of the Haram; the common council\nholds its sessions in what was once the hall of the Jewish Sanhedrim,\nand the soldiers have their barracks in the Hippic Tower and in the\nTower of Antonia, where is still the city prison.\n\nThe government is supported by taxation, which is as heavy as the\nmilitary collectors are exacting. Every expedient is resorted to to\navoid the payment of a tax which is imposed with rapacity and gathered\nwith rigor. Under the pretense of poverty, rich Jews live in filth and\ngo through the streets in rags; and to escape the system of espionage\nwhich the grasping Turk has established, both Arabs and Christians\nsecrete their treasures in fields and cellars.\n\nThe Moslem population is estimated at 7556 souls, and their \u201cQuarter\u201d\nextends from the southwest corner of the Haram to the central bazar,\nthence up to the Damascus Gate, including a portion of Mount Akra, the\nwhole of Mount Bezetha, as far down as the northern wall of the Temple\ninclosure. Mount Moriah is exclusively their own; and, besides the\nfamous mosques of Omar and El-Aksa, they have several others within\nthe limits of their districts. Five times a day from their graceful\nminarets the muezzins call the faithful to prayers.\n\nMany of the Turks, especially those of foreign birth, are men of noble\nbearing, and in their way are polite; but the Arab Moslems are the most\ndespicable of beings, guilty of all the crimes forbidden in the Five\nBooks of Moses. Among the most idle, reveling, and villainous class of\nmen in the city are the Dervishes, the embodiment of fanaticism and the\ncause of nearly all the religious troubles which occur within the town.\nIn their devotions they are the Pharisees of modern times. Whether at\nthe corner of the streets, or in the crowded bazar, or on the house-top,\nwherever the hour of prayer overtakes them, they count their rosaries,\nperform their genuflexions, and recite their Koran prayers. During\nour stay in Jerusalem the Mohammedan fast called \u201cRamadan\u201d occurred,\nlasting from moon till moon. At four o\u2019clock P.M. on the eleventh of\nMarch the commencement of the fast was announced by a cannon from the\nTower of Hippicus. All that night long the balconies of the several\nminarets were brilliantly illuminated, and amid the glory of a thousand\nlamps the sonorous voice of the muezzin was heard chanting, \u201cGod is\ngreat; Mohammed is his prophet; rise up and offer prayer; prayer is\nbetter than sleep.\u201d Throughout that month no faithful follower of the\nProphet ate from sunrise till sunset, but the booming of the evening\ngun was the signal for a night of rioting and feasting. On the evening\nof the 7th of April seven guns from Hippicus announced the joyful\nintelligence that the \u201cFast of Ramadan\u201d had ended, which was received\nwith shouts that awakened the solemn echoes of Olivet, and was\nimmediately succeeded by the \u201cFeast of Beiram,\u201d at which gluttony is\nthe prevailing sin.\n\nLike other religious bodies, the Mohammedans are divided into sects,\nwhich have originated in the different interpretations of the Koran\nby certain doctors whose names they bear. Deriving their faith from\nfour principal sources\u2015\u2015the Koran, the traditions of the Prophet,\nthe Concordance of his primitive disciples, and from analogy, they\nhold to two cardinal truths: \u201cThere is no God but God, and Mohammed\nis his prophet.\u201d Believing their religious system, like the Mosaic\ndispensation, to be a part of the scheme of the Gospel, and not\nan antagonism to it, they regard their sacred writings to be the\nrestoration of the Pentateuch, the Psalms of David, and the Four\nGospels to their original purity. Revering Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses,\nand Jesus as great prophets, to each of whom was delivered a portion\nof a grand system of laws and morals, they believe each succeeding\nrevelation superseded the preceding one, and that the honor of\nreceiving the last and grandest of all the Divine communications of God\nto man was reserved for Mohammed, whose name the pious Moslem always\nassociates with that of Jehovah. They also hold to the existence of\ngood and bad angels, to the immortality of the soul, the resurrection\nof the dead, a general judgment, and to heaven and hell. They believe\nin the miraculous birth of Christ; that he was the Messiah and the Word\nof God; that, after he had accomplished his mission on earth, he was\nreceived up into heaven without suffering the pain of death\u2015\u2015another\nperson on whom God had stamped the likeness of Jesus was crucified in\nhis stead; and, finally, that Christ is to come again to establish\nthe _Mohammedan religion_ in the earth, and his advent will be the\npre-intimation of the world\u2019s destruction and the consummation of\ntime.[241]\n\nOppressed by their haughty masters, the Jews of Jerusalem reside in\nthe empire city of their ancestors in the most abject poverty, despised\nby the Turk and lamented by the Christian. Numbering more than 7700\nsouls, their wretched homes cling to the eastern declivities of Zion,\nextending down into the Tyropean Valley. Here, where in happier days\neach man was a prince and each home a palace, they dwell as pensioners\nupon the charities of their brethren abroad. As in London and Paris,\nRotterdam and Rome, Constantinople and Cairo, the Jewish Quarter is\nremarkable only for squalidity, and the redolence of old clothes and\nsecond-handed wares in general. Induced by patriotism, by devotion,\nby charity, most of the Jewish population are foreign born, and have\nsought a home and a tomb in the city of their fathers.\n\nAs in the days of Christ, the Jews are divided into rival sects\u2015\u2015the\nSephardim and the Askenazim. The former are of Spanish origin, and\nare the descendants of those whom Ferdinand and Isabella banished in\n1497 A.D., presenting the rare instance of persons having been exiled\nto their native land. Their language is a mixture of Spanish and Arabic;\nand, though subjects of the Sultan, they are suffered to maintain a\ndistinct community, governed by their Rabbinical laws. Numbering about\nfour thousand, they have four synagogues, and are subject to a council\nof seven rabbis, and a high-priest called \u201cthe Head in Zion.\u201d Their\npoverty is the most abject, their filth the most indescribable, their\nwretchedness the most complete imaginable. Their brethren of the\nAskenazim order are principally of German and Polish extraction, and\nnumber in all less than four thousand souls. Having been readmitted to\nPalestine in the beginning of the present century, they remain subject\nto the consuls of their respective countries. Being mostly paupers,\nthey are allowed six dollars per annum for support, which is the\namount _per capita_ drawn from the contributions remitted to them\nfrom the rich Jews in other lands. Hoping to enlighten their minds and\npreserve a knowledge of their religion, thirty-six reading-rooms have\nbeen opened for their instruction, in which teachers are employed to\ninstruct them in the Talmud and other religious works. With becoming\nregularity they keep the feast of the Passover, observe their Sabbath,\nand assemble on Friday in their \u201cplace of reading\u201d to recite the\nlamentations of their prophets.\n\nOn the Monday night succeeding Palm Sunday was celebrated the Jewish\nPassover, which I was invited to witness by a Christian merchant of\nJerusalem, whose reputation among the Jews made him a welcome guest.\nThe paschal moon shone softly as we threaded the narrow streets winding\nup the steep acclivities of Zion. Calling first on a family of moderate\ncircumstances, we found them already seated around the table, engaged\nin the preliminary devotions of the feast. Since the loss of their\nnationality the Jews celebrate this festival at their homes, and in\nan unpretending manner observe as far as possible the requisitions\nof their law. In obedience to the command, all the members of the\nhousehold were present, including parents, sons and daughters, and\ndaughters-in-law. The dwelling had been carefully cleansed of old\nleaven by the father of the family; and, that his search into every\nnook and cranny might not seem fruitless, the busy housewife had\npurposely placed bits of old bread in such parts of the building where\nthey would certainly meet his eye, and which he destroyed with much ado.\nThe apartment in which the family were enjoying their annual feast was\na large square room with vaulted ceiling. The table had been prepared\nwith great neatness and care. On each plate was a bit of lamb, a piece\nof unleavened bread, a few bitter herbs, and for each person there was\na glass of wine. Three lamps were burning on the table, and as many\nwere suspended from the ceiling directly above\u2015\u2015symbols of the Trinity.\nObserving a vacant chair and a well-filled plate, with a goblet of wine\nbefore it, I was informed the vacant place was for the Prophet Elias,\nwhom they expected would come, and for whom they wished to be prepared\nat any moment. To represent the hasty departure of their fathers from\nEgypt, and in obedience to the paschal law, each person was attired as\nfor a journey: \u201cWith your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and\nyour staff in your hand; ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord\u2019s\npassover.\u201d To illustrate how their ancestors had spoiled the Egyptians\nin borrowing \u201cjewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment,\u201d they\nhad attired themselves in their best apparel, adorned their persons\nwith their most costly ornaments, and decorated the table with whatever\nsilver and gold ware they possessed. The father, who was a man in the\nprime of life, sat at the head of the table, the mother, a neat-looking\nwoman, sat at the opposite end, the three daughters were arranged on\none side, and the two sons on the other. In a chanting tone the eldest\nson read from the book of Exodus the story and deliverance of the\nIsraelites, while the whole family recited portions of their history\nin concert. Alternately they were jubilant and indignant: when Moses\ntriumphed they shouted; when Pharaoh was cruel they cursed him, and in\ntheir rage they dipped their finger in the wine, and, allowing it to\ndrop upon the floor, they enumerated therewith the plagues of Egypt,\ndeclaring Pharaoh should not have a drop of wine to cool his parched\ntongue. The Scripture recitation over, they began to eat, exclaiming,\nas they tasted the herb, \u201cBitter, bitter!\u201d[242]\n\nAscending a pair of winding stairs, we entered another apartment,\nwhere, beside a Jewess and a little girl, three venerable Jews were\npartaking of their annual feast with much good cheer. The story of the\nancestral sufferings had been recited, and they were engaged in common\ntable-talk. The lady of the house was affable, and her little daughter\nso clean and pretty as to excite affection and merit a present.\nContrary to expectation as well as to the law, they offered us a piece\nof unleavened bread\u2015\u2015which was made of flour and water, and baked in\nthe form of a thin cake\u2015\u2015and a bit of herb, not unlike American lettuce,\nand exceedingly bitter to the taste. The three old Jews were advanced\nin years beyond the allotted time of human life, and their white hair,\nwith their long flowing beards, gave them a patriarchal appearance.\nThey conversed freely as to their national and religious condition,\nregarding themselves under the Turks as degraded and oppressed as their\nfathers were under the oppressive domination of Pharaoh. Yet they were\nnot without hope; \u201cElias would soon come; the proud Moslem would be\noverthrown, their land delivered, and their ancient capital restored to\nall its primal glory.\u201d\n\nAgain winding through the lane-like streets, into which the pale\nmoonlight came struggling through the broken arcade that spanned the\nthoroughfare, we reached the residence of a rich Jewish banker, and\nrapped at the court-yard gate, but received the scriptural reply,\n\u201cI know you not.\u201d From the street we could see the brilliantly-lighted\nroom where the paschal feast was held\u2015\u2015the elegantly-robed Jewesses,\nas they passed by the window\u2015\u2015and heard the voices of joy and devotion\nwithin. The lateness of the hour, and the banker\u2019s fear lest the\ndisplay of his plate and jewels might expose him to the rapacity of\nthe Turk, were the probable causes of his refusal to admit us. Standing\nwithout in the chilly air of night, the time and scene recalled the\nSavior\u2019s parable of the Strait Gate: \u201cWhen once the master of the house\nis risen up, and hath shut-to the door, and ye begin to stand without,\nand to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he\nshall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are.\u201d[243]\n\nRetracing our steps, we followed a narrow alley, on whose rough\npavement our lantern threw a flickering light, and came to a dwelling\noccupied by two families. In a small room there lived a poor but\nindustrious Jew and his wife, whose inability to keep the Passover\nalone induced him to invite to his abode a widow and her two daughters.\nExpressing surprise at her absence from home on that important festival\nnight, the kind-hearted Jew reminded me of the provision of the paschal\nlaw that, \u201cif the household be too little for the lamb, let him and\nhis neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of\nthe souls.\u201d[244] In the adjoining room lived the banker\u2019s clerk, who\nexplained why his master did not receive us. Unwilling to allow a\nstranger to see the immense amount of gold and silver in his possession,\nhis cautiousness was the reason assigned for the seeming discourtesy,\nas his external poverty must be the safeguard of his valuable\npossessions. Restrained by no such fears, the clerk received us with\ngreat cordiality. His sons and daughters, and all his grandchildren,\nhad gathered beneath the parental roof, and, forgetting Israel\u2019s\nancient sorrows and present misfortunes, they gave themselves up to the\nfreedom and unbounded joy of home. They laughed and talked, sang and\nshouted, ate and drank, as their emotions rose or appetite demanded.\n\nThe day succeeding Good Friday was the Jewish Sabbath, and was a\n\u201chigh day\u201d with the Hebrews. Hastening to their large plain synagogue,\nI found them already thronging their altars. _En route_ I met the\nhigh-priest, accompanied by his two sons, successors to his priestly\noffice. His bearing was noble, his face calm and intelligent; and\nhis lofty checkered turban and flowing robes of yellow Syrian cloth\nimparted to him an air of dignity and rendered him an object of\nattraction. Whatever may be their reputed poverty, those who crowded\nthe synagogue were well attired. Behind a lattice-work the Jewesses\nwere engaged in their devotions, while the men occupied the centre\nof the edifice. Most of the latter were aged, and wore an intelligent\ncountenance; but there was one whose fiendish aspect and quarrelsome\nmanner recalled the rabble whose cry against the Innocent was, \u201cCrucify\nhim! crucify him!\u201d Nature had qualified him for an executioner, and\nhis depravity had fitted him for the worst of deeds. He was a short,\nthick-set, powerful man, his face round and compact, his nose broad and\nflat, his mouth large and compressed, his eyes black, and burning with\nrage. Displeased at every person in his presence, he cursed each who\npassed him, and was the terror of the old men, who dreaded his fury.\nHis ugly face haunts my memory still. He was possessed. He represents\nthe murderers of our Lord. At the door stood two venerable Jews, one\nholding a lemon and the other a herb, and, as the people came out, they\nkissed the one and smelled the other.\n\nWith a view to dispel the ignorance which, like the pall of death,\nenshrouds the Jewish mind, generous efforts have been made within\nthe last quarter of a century to ameliorate the condition of those\nwhose temporary or permanent abode is in Jerusalem. By a munificent\ndonation from Mr. Touro, of New Orleans, a new Jewish hospital has\nbeen erected just beyond the Y\u00e2ffa Gate, on the right of the road\nleading to Bethlehem. Constructed of stone, with a handsome exterior,\nand containing forty beds, it is governed by a manager, a steward and\nstewardess. Attached to it is a farm and a fruit nursery, which in\ncoming years will be of great value to the institution. It is the most\nhome-like looking building either in the city or in its environs, and\nthe inmates who lounge beneath its spacious portico are immeasurably\nhappier than those who reside in stone hovels within the town. Though\nit is the gift of an American citizen, Sir Moses Montefiore bears\nthe honor of being the founder of the hospital. Acting simply as\ndisbursing agent or trustee for the fund, Sir Moses should have had\nthe magnanimity to disabuse the public mind, and render honor to the\ndistinguished benefactor.\n\nWithin Jerusalem there are several institutions for the religious\nbenefit of this fallen people. The School of Industry for Jewesses,\nunder Miss Cooper, of England, is not far from the Church of the Holy\nSepulchre, on the street leading to the Damascus Gate. Nearly forty\nJewesses, between the ages of ten and fifty, are there employed. Their\nchief work is embroidery and needle-work, some of which is so excellent\nas to adorn the garments of the Pasha. The inmates labor four days in\nthe week; in summer from seven o\u2019clock till twelve, and in winter from\neight till one. The building is divided into three departments\u2015\u2015the\nwork-room, bazar, and school-room. Twelve Jewesses attend the\nday-school, eleven the boarding-school; and seven, who are proselytes,\nbetween the ages of five and fifteen, are permanent boarders. Strong\nin their traditional faith, and because of the influence of the morning\nand evening service in the institution, the parents of these children\ngive the governess no little trouble in attempting to regain them to\nthe faith of their national church.\n\nTo the west of the female school is the House of Industry for Converts\nand Inquirers, under the auspices of the \u201cLondon Society for promoting\nReligion among the Jews.\u201d The inquirers are maintained gratuitously\nfor two years, though required to labor at some mechanical trade. Most\nof the inmates are cabinet-makers, manufacturing useful and curious\narticles out of olive-wood and other kinds indigenous to the country.\nAll the beneficiaries are males, ranging from sixteen to forty-five\nyears of age. A portion of each day is devoted to such religious\ninstruction and devotion as may lead these sons of Israel to Christ.\nSince the establishment of the institution in 1848, forty-two\nconverts have been baptized in the name of the adorable Trinity, and\na proselyte-meeting is daily held and well attended. With a clearness\nworthy of maturer Christians, some of the converts answered our\nquestions touching their religious experience, and, if faithful to\ntheir high calling, will be lights to their brethren in the Holy City.\n\nAmong the Christian sects in Jerusalem, the Armenians are the most\nwealthy, aristocratic, and influential. Their chief establishment is\non Mount Zion, consisting of the gorgeous Church of St. James, and a\nspacious convent capable of accommodating eight thousand pilgrims. Here,\nin a new and magnificent apartment, their patriarch resides, whose\nepiscopal jurisdiction includes all Palestine and the beautiful island\nof Cyprus. Their communicants number about five hundred, who are mostly\nforeign born, and are among the chief merchants in the metropolis.\nTheir hundred priests are fine-looking men, attired in neat black\nrobes, and high hats of the same color without brims. They employ\ntheir time in conducting two theological schools for the education of\nneophyte priests, in running a printing-press, and in clerical duties.\nIn doctrine the Armenians are Monophysites; in ritual, pompous; in\npractice, \u201cgood livers.\u201d\n\nPriding themselves on the power of their royal patrons, the Greek and\nLatin Christians are contesting their respective claims to superiority.\nTogether with their patriarch, who is head of the Church, the Greeks\nhave three hundred bishops, priests, nuns, and theological students.\nThe patriarch resides in elegant style in a convent attached to the\nChurch of the Holy Sepulchre, in which there is a fine library of two\nthousand volumes. Extending his episcopal sceptre over fourteen sees,\nhe also controls with absolute authority the twelve convents for monks\nand nuns within the city, to which are connected as many churches.\nIn addition to a theological seminary and three common schools, they\nhave a college of a high grade in the Convent of the Cross, a mile and\na half west of the city, where one hundred young men have entered a\ncollegiate course of seven years, maintained and educated gratuitously\nby Russian gold. Not less than four thousand people are under their\npastoral care, most of whom are native born. Their ancient rivals, the\nLatins, are rising rapidly to affluence and power in the Holy City.\nOccupying conjointly with the Greeks and Armenians the Church of the\nHoly Sepulchre, they hold exclusive possession of the Chapel of the\nApparition, their principal place of worship in Jerusalem. Numbering\nnot less than fifteen hundred communicants, who are mostly Syrian\nborn, they have a patriarch, a hundred monks, and ten nuns. Subject to\ntheir control are a number of churches, schools, and convents. Among\nthe latter is their famous _Terra Santa_ Convent on Mount Akra. It is\ncelebrated for its immense treasures, the gifts of European royalty,\nand no traveler should leave Jerusalem without seeing those munificent\ndonations. A hundred Franciscan friars here abide, living in luxury,\nand, though moderately temperate themselves, are only too happy\nto offer their guests a glass of the choicest arrakee. Here is the\nresidence of the superior of the convent, who is always an Italian,\nappointed by the Pope every three years. For the maintenance of this\nmonastic establishment a sum not less than $45,000 is annually expended.\nConnected with it is the Casa Nuovo, for the entertainment of pilgrims\ngratuitously for two weeks, though a gift is never refused; and here is\nthe grand bazar of pious wares, where the curious traveler may purchase\nrosaries, crosses, and crucifixes to any amount.\n\nA monastic life leads to indolence and contention, and the Greek\nand Latin monks of Jerusalem are ignorant and idle, domineering and\nquarrelsome, and unworthy representatives of the Christian name. No\none familiar with their character and devotion can regard them as the\ntrue successors of the apostles, or that the faithful missionary spirit\nunderlies their zeal for temporal and spiritual conquest. It is the\nancient love of power, and the perpetuation of the controversy which\nrent the Church of God in the ninth century. Watching the movements\nof each other with a jealousy as persistent as it is revengeful, their\nrivalries engender bitter contentions, which, culminating in a quarrel\nand a riot, the infidel Turk is compelled to suppress by force of arms.\nBy a conventional arrangement, they visit in procession the sacred\nshrines in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at stated hours on ordinary\ndays, and also on festival occasions. The Greeks have the precedence,\nand the Latins follow. Occasionally their festivals occur on the same\nday and at the same hour, when their sectarian virulence gaining the\nmastery of their piety and reason, they aim to silence each other by\nlouder vocal and instrumental sounds. Such was the case on Easter\nSunday. Though not their Easter, it was a high day with the Greeks. As\nin all basilicas, a broad aisle encircles the interior of the church,\nserving as a path for the march of the procession. The chapel of the\nLatins opens into this aisle on the west, and at that time they were\nintoning the Easter service. Attired in their most gorgeous robes, and\nfollowed by an immense concourse of people, the Greeks had made the\ncircuit of the church, and, turning their faces toward the open chapel\nof the Latins, chanted a barbaric hymn with such force that for a\nmoment the Catholics were unable to proceed. Fortunately, the organist\ncame to the rescue of his bishop, and, opening the stops of his\nmagnificent organ, so thundered with his instrument as to compel the\nGreeks to beat a retreat.\n\nWith all their admiration for the Church of St. Helena, their mutual\njealousies are allowing the building to fall to ruin for the want of\ntimely repairs. The rain, beating in through the circular aperture in\nthe dome, has so far detached the plastering as to leave the lathing\nexposed. After every storm large quantities of the plaster fall, and,\nwhile present on one occasion, a piece fell to the injury of a personal\nfriend. Supposing it would be a concession of the right of possession\nto allow either sect to repair the dome and save the church from ruin,\nboth parties refuse to do it conjointly, and neither will allow the\nother to do it separately.\n\nFrance and Russia would confer an unspeakable benediction upon the\nworld, and remove a scandal from the Christian name, by stopping\nsuch petty feuds, and demanding a reconciliation no less humane than\nChristian. But it is to be feared the emperors of those great nations\nhave political designs in the East to be consummated which are promoted\nrather than retarded by such ecclesiastical broils. Both aspire to\nempire in the Holy Land. More fortunate than the Emperor of the North,\nNapoleon III., as the imperial patron of the Latin Church, has received,\nas a consideration for the services rendered the Turkish government in\nthe Crimean war, the venerable Church of St. Anne, near St. Stephen\u2019s\nGate, and the beautiful green square opposite the Church of the Holy\nSepulchre, which was once the possession of the Knights of St. John.\nRussian gold, however, has purchased what Turkish liberality had\nwithheld. In the East, \u201cmoney answereth all things.\u201d A Turk will sell\nhis soul for gold. Under the auspices of the Russian government, a\npiece of ground beyond the city walls on the northwest side has been\npurchased, and sixteen thousand square yards have been inclosed by a\nstone wall, not unlike, in strength and appearance, the wall of a fort.\nWithin the inclosure four water-tanks have been constructed, several\nbuildings erected, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, a large house for\nthe ecclesiastical mission, a hospital containing sixty beds, and an\nasylum capable of receiving three hundred pilgrims. For the completion\nof this extraordinary work on the Meidan the Russian pilgrims to the\nshrines of the Holy City have contributed 660,000 rubles, and a farther\nsum of 350,000 is required to complete the original design. Within the\ncity the Russians are erecting an asylum for female pilgrims, which\nin every way will be worthy of the wealth and power of their nation.\nIn excavating to lay the foundation of this building, the workmen\ndescended through the rubbish thirty-five feet, when they came upon\nthe remains of porticoes and pillars which once formed part of the\nprincipal entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the time\nof Constantine the Great. It is an event of thrilling interest to the\narch\u00e6ologist and Biblical scholar; and were a commission appointed\nby the several Christian nations of the earth to secure the consent\nof the Turkish government, and to superintend the excavation, ancient\nJerusalem might be uncovered, the palaces of her kings exhumed, and the\npaths trodden by the world\u2019s Redeemer pressed by the willing feet of\nhis devoted followers.\n\nFor more than forty years the light of a pure Christianity has\nbeen shining upon the city of David, dispelling the mists of error,\nrevealing new forms of moral beauty, and lighting up the path of life.\nIn 1841, the European mission to Jerusalem was modified and its several\nbranches united under a common head, whose episcopal supervision\nincludes Mesopotamia, Chaldea, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Abyssinia.\nUniting in this religious compact, England and Prussia agreed that the\ndiocesan bishop should be nominated alternately by the sovereigns of\nthe two kingdoms, with the right of veto invested in the Archbishop\nof Canterbury as to the Prussian nominee. The only stipulations in\nthe contract are the right to alternate with the British sovereign\nin appointing the incumbent of the Episcopal see, and the use of the\ncathedral when not occupied by the English Christians. True to her\ntraditional policy to gain all things and lose nothing by her treaties,\nEngland consented, and the treaty was ratified. To support the bishop,\nthe late Frederick William of Prussia funded $75,000, and England\ncontributes annually a sum equal to the interest on the above amount.\n\nThe foundation stone of the new Protestant Cathedral was laid by Bishop\nAlexander in 1842, on Mount Zion, and consecrated to God on the 1st of\nJanuary, 1849. To comply with the exacting conditions imposed by the\nTurkish government, the church was built in connection with the English\nconsulate. It is now called \u201cChrist Church,\u201d and is an elegant Gothic\nstructure of yellow limestone, capable of accommodating 300 persons.\nAttached to it is a large plat of ground, occupied by residences and\noffices for the clergy and agents of the mission. Bishop Gobart, the\npresent incumbent of the see, is a man of genuine Episcopal dignity;\nhis face is kind and intelligent; his heart has the pathos of a woman\u2019s.\nHis Easter sermon was simple, tender, evangelical. He enlists your\nattention by the tenderness of his tones, and melts you to tears by the\ndepth of his emotion. He is a Christian of large charities, maintaining\nout of his ample income several schools in different parts of Palestine.\nHe is assisted by the Rev. Mr. Hefter, an eminent scholar and a\nthorough gentleman, and by the Rev. Dr. Sandriczki, who has the general\noversight of the literature of the mission. Near the church on Mount\nZion is the Bible House, well supplied with the precious Word of Life.\nNot far from it is the female school, containing thirty native pupils;\nand beyond the wall on Zion, in a substantial stone building, is the\nmale department, in which eighty boys were being educated for Christ by\nfive Christian teachers.\n\nIn connection with the Prussian consulate is Pastor Valentiner,\nchaplain to Dr. Rosen, one of the most learned men in Palestine. Under\nthe auspices of the consulate is a school for children and a hospital\nfor poor pilgrims. The building is pleasantly situated on Mount Zion,\nand contains forty-one girls and as many boys, who are taught five\ndifferent languages, with other branches of knowledge. These children\nare required to remain, by contract, from five to eight years, and,\nif the contract is broken by their parents, they are to pay the amount\nof expense incurred. The pupils represent nearly every nation, whose\npilgrim parents have either abandoned them in a strange land, or died\nfar from home. The \u201cHouse of Charity\u201d is governed by six deaconesses,\nprincipally Prussians. They dress in a simple blue gown and a clean\nwhite cap. They are excellent women and efficient teachers. The rules\nof their order require them to remain single during a fixed term\nof years, at the expiration of which most of them marry. Their home\nis often the scene of the most thrilling events. Shortly prior to\nour arrival in Jerusalem, a Turk had reached the city, and having\nsquandered his money in pleasure, was compelled to abandon his two\nslave girls\u2015\u2015one a beautiful Circassian, the other a dark Abyssinian.\nTouched with their sad condition, the kind deaconesses received them\nto their \u201cHouse of Charity.\u201d The former, after a brief time, embraced\nreligion, was baptized, and died happy. The latter appeared stupid, and,\nwhen addressed on the subject of religion, declared herself \u201ca donkey.\u201d\nShe had attained her fourteenth year, and, after six months under the\ntuition of those Christian women, who watched her last moments with the\nfondness of sisters, she died of scrofula. Every effort to enlighten\nher mind had been unavailing, eliciting her only reply, \u201cI am a donkey.\u201d\nBut, to the surprise of all, on the night of her death she requested\nbaptism at the hands of Pastor Valentiner, to whose inquiry why she\ndesired the holy rite administered to her, referred him to the death of\nthe Circassian slave, whose experience she had watched, and whose last\njoyful accents she had carefully cherished. Expressing as her last wish\non earth to go where slaves are free and where woman is loved, she\npassed from earth to heaven.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER VII.\n\n Road to Jericho. \u2015\u2015 Delay. \u2015\u2015 Caravan. \u2015\u2015 Robbers. \u2015\u2015 Ladies.\n \u2015\u2015 Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Waters of Enshemesh. \u2015\u2015 Wilderness of Judea.\n \u2015\u2015 Scene of Christ\u2019s Temptation. \u2015\u2015 Thieves of Jericho. \u2015\u2015\n Parable of the Good Samaritan. \u2015\u2015 Brook Cherith. \u2015\u2015 Wild\n Region. \u2015\u2015 Elijah fed by the Ravens. \u2015\u2015 First View of the\n Plain of the Jordan. \u2015\u2015 Evening at Jericho. \u2015\u2015 Ruins of the\n ancient City. \u2015\u2015 Historical Events. \u2015\u2015 Fountain of Elisha. \u2015\u2015\n \u2019Ain D\u00fbk. \u2015\u2015 Castle of Doch. \u2015\u2015 Jericho of the New Testament.\n \u2015\u2015 Scene of Herod\u2019s Death. \u2015\u2015 Town of Riha. \u2015\u2015 Site of Gilgal.\n \u2015\u2015 Great Events. \u2015\u2015 Sunrise on the Plain of Jericho. \u2015\u2015\n Richness of the Plain. \u2015\u2015 Quarantania. \u2015\u2015 Description of\n Turkish Soldiers. \u2015\u2015 The Ride. \u2015\u2015 Banks of the Jordan. \u2015\u2015\n Sources of the Sacred River. \u2015\u2015 The ten Fountains. \u2015\u2015 The\n three Lakes. \u2015\u2015 Descent and Sinuosities of the River. \u2015\u2015 Glen\n through which it flows. \u2015\u2015 Flowers and Trees on its Banks.\n \u2015\u2015 Birds in its Shrubbery and Beasts in its Thickets. \u2015\u2015 Its\n Color. \u2015\u2015 Depth. \u2015\u2015 Rapidity. \u2015\u2015 Twenty-seven Rapids. \u2015\u2015 Falls.\n \u2015\u2015 Islands in the River. \u2015\u2015 Roman Bridges. \u2015\u2015 Brook Jabbok. \u2015\u2015\n Jacob and the Angel. \u2015\u2015 War Scenes. \u2015\u2015 Entrance of the Jordan\n into the Dead Sea. \u2015\u2015 Meaning of Jordan. \u2015\u2015 Pilgrim\u2019s Ford. \u2015\u2015\n Charming Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Mountains of Moab. \u2015\u2015 Vision of Balaam.\n \u2015\u2015 Vision of Moses. \u2015\u2015 His Death. \u2015\u2015 Crossing of the Jordan by\n the Israelites. \u2015\u2015 Probable Place. \u2015\u2015 Overflowing of the River.\n \u2015\u2015 Causes. \u2015\u2015 Translation of Elijah. \u2015\u2015 Cure of Naaman. \u2015\u2015\n Baptismal Stations of John the Baptist. \u2015\u2015 Bethabara. \u2015\u2015 \u00c6non.\n \u2015\u2015 Scene of Christ\u2019s Baptism here. \u2015\u2015 The Argument for it.\n \u2015\u2015 Journey to the Dead Sea. \u2015\u2015 Robbers. \u2015\u2015 Features of the\n Sea. \u2015\u2015 Delightful Bath. \u2015\u2015 Dimensions of the Sea. \u2015\u2015 Its Bed\n coeval with the Upper and Lower Valleys. \u2015\u2015 Sea larger than\n formerly. \u2015\u2015 No Outlet. \u2015\u2015 Its Waters evaporate. \u2015\u2015 Peninsula.\n \u2015\u2015 Island. \u2015\u2015 Surrounding Mountains. \u2015\u2015 Hot Springs of\n Callirrhoe. \u2015\u2015 Sublime Chasm. \u2015\u2015 Castle of Machaerus. \u2015\u2015 Wild\n Glen. \u2015\u2015 River Arnon. \u2015\u2015 Scenery. \u2015\u2015 City of Kerak. \u2015\u2015 Ruins\n of Zoar. \u2015\u2015 Location of Sodom. \u2015\u2015 Manner of its Destruction.\n \u2015\u2015 Mountain of Salt, cause of the saltness of the Sea. \u2015\u2015\n Lot\u2019s Wife. \u2015\u2015 Ruins of Masada. \u2015\u2015 Besieged by Flavius Silva.\n \u2015\u2015 Tragical Death of 600 Sicarii, their Wives and Children. \u2015\u2015\n Fountain of the Kid. \u2015\u2015 David and Saul. \u2015\u2015 Maon. \u2015\u2015 The Home\n of Abigail. \u2015\u2015 Journey to Bethlehem. \u2015\u2015 Wilderness of Engedi.\n \u2015\u2015 A Night with the Monks of M\u00e2r S\u00e2ba. \u2015\u2015 The Monastery. \u2015\u2015\n Bethlehem. \u2015\u2015 Its Names. \u2015\u2015 Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Convent\n of the Franciscans. \u2015\u2015 The Stable of the Nativity. \u2015\u2015 Present\n Condition. \u2015\u2015 Pictures. \u2015\u2015 The Manger. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of St. Paula.\n \u2015\u2015 Cell of St. Jerome. \u2015\u2015 Basilica of St. Helena. \u2015\u2015 Evidence\n that this is the Birthplace of Christ. \u2015\u2015 Stable in a House.\n \u2015\u2015 Situation of Bethlehem. \u2015\u2015 Population. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Women.\n \u2015\u2015 Herodium. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of Herod the Great. \u2015\u2015 Cave of Adullam.\n \u2015\u2015 Hiding-place of David. \u2015\u2015 Its Wonders.\n\n\nTHE road from Jerusalem to Jericho leads from St. Stephen\u2019s Gate down\nthe steep sides of Moriah, across the Valley of the Kidron, over the\nsouthwestern shoulder of Olivet, near the village of Bethany, through\nthe wilderness of Judea, and, descending the Mountain of Quarantania,\nterminates on the great Plain of Jordan. It is another illustration of\nthe accuracy of the sacred writers in their topographical allusions,\nand another proof that only those who were familiar with the land\u2015\u2015who\nhad traversed its highways and noted its natural features, could have\nwritten descriptions so minute, and, withal, so incidental. In his\nparable of the \u201cGood Samaritan,\u201d the Savior casually states, \u201cA certain\nman went down from Jerusalem to Jericho;\u201d which not only indicates\nthe relative position of the latter place to the former, but also the\ndescent of nearly 4000 feet from the Jewish capital to the city of\nHerod the Great. To the careful and candid observer, such internal\nevidence of the Bible is ever forcing itself upon his attention,\nand calling forth expressions of wonder and admiration for the\ntruth-telling chroniclers of our Lord\u2019s life and ministry.\n\nThe \u201clatter rains\u201d had delayed our departure for the Jordan, and a\nfarther delay had been caused by the high March winds, which had so\ndried the surface of the earth, and had filled the air with dust to\nsuch an extent, that for the space of a whole day the Mount of Olives\nwas invisible even to one standing upon the wall of the city. But\nthe charms of a Syrian spring morning soon returned, and at an early\nhour we were in the saddle, waiting impatiently for the caravan to\nrendezvous at the Garden of Gethsemane. It was a day peculiar to the\nPromised Land, for the blandness of the sky and the softness of the air.\nThe foliage on shrub and tree wore every shade of green, and the lovely\nflowers that covered vale and hill-side recalled the beautiful lines of\nShelley:\n\n \u201cAnd the spring arose on the garden fair,\n Like the spirit of love felt every where;\n And each flower and herb on earth\u2019s dark breast\n Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.\u201d\n\nOur dragoman had agreed to furnish horses, tents, board, and military\nescort for the journey at six dollars a day _per capita_. The escort\nis indispensable, for he who goes down to Jericho without a guard\n\u201cfalls among thieves,\u201d and, though it is only a question of time\nwhen the traveler is robbed, whether prior to the tour or afterward,\nyet, for the sake of convenience, the former is preferable. He is\nrobbed before the journey by the government, which insists that every\npilgrim must pay for its protection; he is robbed on the journey by the\norganized banditti of the Gh\u00f4r, whose depredations the government winks\nat, if it does not connive with the thieves themselves.\n\nIt was ten o\u2019clock A.M. when the caravan moved. Happily for the social\namenities their society afforded and the smiles of joy their presence\nnever failed to impart, we were joined by the talented and amiable wife\nand daughter of a distinguished New Yorker,[245] who was making the\ntour of Palestine. Mounted on their swift Arabian horses, and tilting\ntheir long burnished spears, the Arab guard led the way, followed by\nthe ladies on gentler horses, while the heavy-laden mules, carrying\ntents, baggage, and cuisine, brought up the rear. On our right lay the\nValley of Jehoshaphat, with its monumental tombs; on our left were the\nterraced slopes of Olivet, green with verdure and bright with flowers;\nwhile before us rose the rugged Hill of Offense. Crossing the shoulder\nof the Mount of Olives, the path sweeps abruptly to the east, and,\nafter winding round the head of the small valley that furrows the\nhill-side, descends eastward past the place where the Redeemer paused\nto weep over Jerusalem, and just beyond skirts the town of Bethany.\nDescending between rough and barren hills, we entered a rocky glen,\nand in half an hour came to the fountain of El-Haud, the \u201cwaters of\nEnshemesh,\u201d[246] marking the boundary-line between Judah and Benjamin.\nIt is the halting-place of caravans, and its cool, sweet water, flowing\ninto a stone trough beneath a Saracenic arch, is alike refreshing to\nman and beast in a region so waste and arid. Continuing down the glen\nfor more than an hour, we turned to the left, and soon began the ascent\nof a wild ravine, the sides of which are limestone, streaked in\ngraceful curves with dikes of porphyry. As the farewells of cultivation,\nand half rebuking Nature for her general sterility, a stray flower\npeeped above the rocks, and a stunted tree stood in silent desolation\non the hill above. Gradually ascending over chalky hills, our path lay\nthrough the bleak Wilderness of Judea. At noon we reached the summit\nof the central ridge between Enshemesh and Jericho. Neither pen can\ndescribe nor pencil sketch the forbidding aspect of this dreary spot.\nThe hills are broken into a thousand rugged, barren peaks, and in color\nare a mixture of yellow and of a dull red and white. The intervening\nvalleys are dry and stony, and on all that blighted soil there is\nneither shrub, flower, blade of grass, nor any living thing to relieve\nthe dreariness of the accursed scene. Fit abode for the devil and his\nangels, the counterpart of Pandemonium, it was hither the Spirit led\nthe suffering Son of God to encounter the Evil One.[247]\n\nFor twenty centuries this region has borne a thievish character, and\nthe lapse of time has not changed its reputation. As in the days of our\nLord, it is still infested with robbers, who, from their undiscovered\ndens, or from behind some craggy bluff or beetling cliff, level their\nlong gun at the unwary traveler. Suggested by the dangers of the route,\nthe desolation of the spot, and the remains of an ancient caravansary,\ntradition has identified it as the scene of the parable of the \u201cGood\nSamaritan.\u201d Hard by the roadside are broken walls, fragments of an\narch, and deep vaults, said to mark the site of that inn to which\nthe \u201ccertain man was brought who went down to Jericho and fell among\nthieves.\u201d[248]\n\nResuming our journey, we began rapidly to ascend, and soon came upon\nportions of an old Roman road dating back to the reign of Herod the\nGreat. Winding downward amid chalky hills and through narrow rocky\ndefiles, we at length reached the brow of that sublime gorge through\nwhich the brook Cherith flows. Like a silver thread, the stream is seen\nflowing between banks bright with oleanders. It is here Elijah was fed\nby the ravens while the famine raged in Palestine. Rising like massive\nwalls five hundred feet high on either side, the mountains cast their\ndeep shadows into the profound chasm below. In their precipitous sides\nthe anchorites have burrowed their solitary cells, and on the loftier\ncrags the Syrian eagle builds his eyrie. Increased by the sombre\nfoliage of the stunted shrubbery clinging to the rocks, there is a\nsolemn grandeur in this mountain gorge, reflecting the sturdy character\nand rugged life of the great prophet of Tishbeh. Skirting the very\nverge of the cliff, the winding path descends five hundred feet to the\nbottom of the glen, where the white rocks reflect the heat like the\nblast of a furnace. Bearing the Arabic name of El-Kelt, we soon reached\nthe verdant banks of the prophetic brook. The waters are clear, cool,\nand sweet, but in early autumn, as in the time of Elijah, the stream\nbecomes dry, and as then, so now, the black-winged raven croaks in its\nflight over the deep ravine.[249] The Cherith flows through the Valley\nof Achor over the Plain of Jericho, and, meandering as it advances,\nis lost amid the shrubbery surrounding the castle of R\u00eeha. Refreshed\nby its delicious waters, we ascended the northern bank of the\nstreamlet, and were soon in the Vale of Achor, where Achan was stoned\nto death.[250]\n\n Illustration: RAVEN.\n\nLike the enchantment of a mirage, the Plains of the Jordan, green\nand well-watered, now burst upon our view, and beyond appeared the\ntrans-Jordanic mountains. Following the sinuous banks of the Kelt, we\nreached the foot of the descent late in the afternoon, and, turning\nnorthward, pitched our tents near the Fountain of Elisha. The sun had\ngone down behind Mizpeh and Gibeon; the shadows of Quarantania lay\ndarkly on the plain; the bleating flocks on the distant hill-side had\ngathered round the shepherd of the Gh\u00f4r; the stars came out one by one\nfrom their empyrean abode, and we lay down to slumber amid the ruins of\nancient Jericho.\n\nTwo cities, neither identical in site nor history, have borne the name\nof Jericho\u2015\u2015one belonging to the age of the prophets, the other founded\nby Herod the Great and visited by our Lord. The remains of the former\nconsist of six mounds of rubbish and two noble fountains, located half\na mile from the foot of the mountain pass. These mounds vary in height\nfrom ten to forty feet, and in like proportions in their circumference.\nAround their bases and on their sides and summits are the d\u00e9bris of\nold buildings, such as heaps of hewn stone and fragments of pottery,\nand within them are the entombed dwellings and palaces of the ancient\ncity, remaining for future excavations to uncover. Situated on this\nmagnificent plain, the walls and towers of the older Jericho attracted\nthe attention of the Israelites, who from the mountains on the other\nside of the Jordan looked down with delight upon this, the first city\nof Canaan which they had seen.[251] Hither came the spies to \u201csearch\nout the country;\u201d here lived the friendly Rahab, who secreted the\ntwo Israelites under the \u201cstalks of flax which she had laid in order\nupon the roof;\u201d to the west are the mountains whither she sent them\nto elude pursuit;[252] and around these mounds stood the walls which\nwere miraculously thrown down.[253] Dooming the city to perpetual\ndestruction and infamy for the gross idolatry of the inhabitants,\nJoshua pronounced a curse upon him who should attempt to rebuild it,\nwhich 550 years thereafter was singularly fulfilled in the days of\nAhab.[254] Here the embassadors of David, whom Hanun, king of the\nAmmonites, so shamefully treated, were ordered to remain \u201ctill their\nbeards were grown.\u201d[255] Subsequently to the reconstruction of the city\nby Hiel, it became the seat of the famous school of the prophets.[256]\nFrom it Elijah and Elisha passed over the plain to the Jordan, and,\ncrossing the river by a miracle, the former was translated, and the\nlatter, returning to the city, reluctantly consented that fifty of the\nsons of the prophets should ascend the mountains of Moab to search for\nElijah.[257] Delighted with its pleasant situation, and desiring to\nmake it their permanent abode, the young prophets requested Elisha\nto heal the fountain and restore fertility to the land; and after the\nmiracle, the effects of which are apparent to this day, the successor\nof the renowned Tishbite left Jericho for Bethel.[258]\n\nThe fountain which the prophet healed is now called \u2019Ain es-Sult\u00e2n,\nand gushes forth from the base of a double mound. The water is cool and\nsweet, and, after pouring into a large semicircular reservoir, flows in\nrandom streamlets to the Jordan. Less than three miles to the northwest\nis the more copious fountain of \u2019Ain D\u00fbk, supplied from two springs\nbursting out of the southern bank of Wady en-Narwaimeh. The water is\nconducted by an aqueduct along the base of Quarantania to sugar-mills\nhalf a mile distant from \u2019Ain es-Sult\u00e2n; but, as the mills are now in\nruins, this fine stream performs no higher work than to water a few\ngardens of cucumbers in the vicinity of its source and along its course.\nAround these springs are strewn the remains of the celebrated Castle\nof Doch, in which Simon Maccab\u00e6us was murdered by his son-in-law\nPtolemy.[259] Abandoning the site of the ancient city, Herod the Great\nfounded the Jericho of the New Testament on the banks of the Cherith,\na mile and a half to the south. Around it were the palm-groves and\nbalsam-gardens which Antony presented to Cleopatra, and which the\nIdumean farmed of the Egyptian queen.[260] Selecting it as one of his\nroyal cities, Herod adorned it with a palace, a hippodrome, and other\nmagnificent buildings. Here he entertained Cleopatra in a sumptuous\nmanner, and here he terminated his life. From this palace he was borne,\namid unrivaled funeral pomp, over the southern plain, and up to the\nwild pass of Nukb el-Kuneiterah, to be interred on the summit of\nHerodium, in the splendid mausoleum which he himself had constructed\nat great expense during his reign.[261] More than thirty years after\nthe death of this royal monster, Jericho was visited by Christ, in\nhis frequent tours from the Land of Moab to Judea. Here resided the\nrich publican Zaccheus, with whom Jesus lodged; by the side of some of\nits thoroughfares blind Bartimeus sat, whom the compassionate Savior\nrestored to sight; and from scenes so tender he ascended to Jerusalem,\nto make his triumphal entry into the Holy City.[262]\n\nNot two miles to the southeast is the Arab town of R\u00eeha. It is small\nand filthy, and contains a few hovels occupied by from fifty to one\nhundred inhabitants, who are guilty of the sins of Sodom. Within a rude\ncourt-yard is the only reservoir of the village, and near it stands a\nrough stone tower thirty feet square and forty high. It is the barrack\nof the Turkish garrison, stationed here for the protection of the\ngovernment lands, for the defense of the peasants of the Gh\u00f4r, to\ncollect the taxes imposed upon the miserable villagers, to punish\noffenders, and to serve as the escort of travelers _en route_ for the\nJordan and the Dead Sea. Though bearing the name of Jericho, it is\nmore probably the site of ancient Gilgal. In view of the silence of\nhistorians on the point, it is impossible now to decide whether Gilgal\nwas the name of a city or the designation of a tract of land, though\nthe former is more in harmony with the scriptural account of the place.\nAccepting Josephus as authority, Gilgal was ten stadia, or less than\na mile and a half, from Jericho, and fifty stadia, or more than six\nmiles, from the Jordan.[263] The old Tower of R\u00eeha coincides in its\nlocation with this description, and may be regarded as indicating with\nsufficient accuracy the scene of so many memorable events. Few names in\nsacred history recall scenes more thrilling and momentous than Gilgal.\nRemoving the twelve monumental stones from the bed of the Jordan,\nJoshua caused them to be placed here as the memorial of the miraculous\ndividing of the river;[264] around them the Israelites first pitched\ntheir tents within the Promised Land;[264] here they rolled away the\nreproach of Egypt by the renewal of the rite of circumcision;[265]\nhere they kept the Passover for the first time in Canaan;[266] here\nJoshua saw, in a day-vision, the captain of the Lord\u2019s host \u201cstanding\nover against him with his sword drawn in his hand;\u201d[267] and here\nthe tabernacle was first set up in Palestine, where it remained till\nremoved to Shiloh.[268] Four centuries later Samuel held his court\nnigh unto this ruined tower, and offered sacrifices for the people then\nassembled.[269] Here Saul of Gibeah was made King of Israel,[270] and\ntwo years thereafter, upon the very spot of his coronation, he lost\nhis kingdom by acting \u201cfoolishly.\u201d[271] After the death of Absalom the\ntribe of Judah assembled here to hail the return of David.[272] And\nhere, in the reign of Jehoram, Elisha healed the poisoned pot,[273]\nrestored Naaman to health, and cursed Gehazi with leprosy for his\ncupidity.[274]\n\nThe sun rose upon the Plains of Jericho after our first night\u2019s\nslumber among the Arabs of the Gh\u00f4r, reflecting a pale yellow light\nthrough dense masses of mist which obscured from view the summits of\nthe distant mountains. Ascending the loftiest spur of Quarantania, a\nlandscape of extraordinary character lay before me. Stretching from\nthe northern shore of the Lake of Tiberias to the southern coast of\nthe Dead Sea, the valley of the Lower Jordan unfolded to the eye its\nmanifold and marvelous features. A hundred and twenty miles in length,\nten in breadth, and 1312 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, it\nis among the greatest geological wonders of the globe. From sea to sea\nlofty mountains bound this great chasm on either side. Rising thousands\nof feet above the river terrace, the Moab range forms the eastern wall\nof the great valley, while the Heights of Galilee, the Mountains of\nSamaria, and the Hills of Judea run along its western border. Broken\nand barren, the sides of these mountains are furrowed with deep ravines,\nthe frequented passes to the plains below. As far as the eye can reach,\nthe deep, tortuous bed of the Jordan is seen along its eastern side,\nthe turbid waters of which remain unseen till viewed from the second\nterrace of the stream. The broadest portion of the Jordan valley,\nthe Plain of Jericho is not unlike in form a vast semicircle. Not ten\nmiles long, it is less than eight broad from the roots of the western\nmountains to the banks of the river. On the south is the Dead Sea,\non the east the Jordan, on the north are the Hills of Judea dipping\ninto the rushing river, and on the west is Quarantania rising 2000\nfeet above its base. Level in the centre, but gently undulating toward\nthe north and south, it has a soil of inexhaustible fertility; and\nabundantly watered by its numerous fountains, its groves of zukk\u00fbm,\nits beautiful willows, its verdant meadows, its flowers and rank weeds\ngrowing luxuriantly, sustain the scriptural allusion to \u201cJericho, the\ncity of palm-trees,\u201d[275] and the prophetic blessing, the promise of\nperennial fruitfulness.[276] Such was its fertility in the \u201cMiddle\nAges,\u201d that the cultivation of the sugar-cane, with other products,\nyielded the nuns of Bethany an annual revenue of $25,000,[277] and by\nthe application of scientific agriculture, would again become, in the\nlanguage of Josephus, a \u201cdivine region.\u201d[278]\n\n Illustration: PLAIN OF JERICHO AND VIEW OF THE DEAD SEA\n FROM THE NORTH.\n\nCalled Quarantania to indicate the forty days during which the Son\nof God endured the assaults of the Evil One upon its summit, the Mount\nof Temptation is sterile and gloomy. The rocks are white and naked;\nthe sides are perforated with the cells of hermits, who, retiring from\nsociety, hope by the rigors of a solitary life to obtain a better world;\nand the summit is crowned with a small chapel, the only monument of the\nRedeemer\u2019s triumph over the Prince of Darkness. In the lower caves some\nwild Bedouins, with their families, had taken refuge, and near them\nwere shepherds keeping their scanty flocks.\n\nThe sun had mounted high above the thick mists, which at an earlier\nhour had veiled his brightness, when I returned to the encampment.\nWeary in waiting my return, the caravan had moved, and I was left alone\namong the \u201cthieves of Jericho.\u201d The sight of a revolver extorted from\na skulking Arab the direction the party had taken, and applying whip\nand spur, I dashed through the jungle on the banks of the Cherith, and\nin half an hour rejoined it. On reaching R\u00eeha we obtained an additional\nescort. Our military guard now consisted of six soldiers\u2015\u2015five Bedouins\nand their sheikh. Though wild in their exterior, there was a rude\ngrandeur in the soldiers of R\u00eeha. Each wore a loose garment of camel\u2019s\nhair, with openings in the side for the free play of the arms, a pair\nof rough sandals on his otherwise naked feet, and a bright-colored\nshawl of Broosa silk thrown carelessly on the head, and held firmly\nby an elastic cord, the ends of the shawl hanging loosely down. Each\ncarried a brace of pistols and a pair of daggers in his girdle; over\nthe shoulder was slung a long gun, by the side dangled a Damascus\nblade, and in the hand was borne a lance fifteen feet long. The saddle\nof each was large, with the bow terminating front and rear in a pommel.\nThe stirrups were of sheet iron, fourteen inches long and seven wide,\ngently curving, the lateral edges turned upward. Each was mounted on\na small but swift and spirited horse, and the captain of the band was\nfollowed by a pack of hounds used for hunting gazelles. Their speed\nwas wonderful. Proud of their splendid horsemanship and willing to\nexcite our admiration, these rude soldiers of the Desert gave proof of\ntheir marvelous skill and daring, darting forward with the suddenness\nand celerity of the thunderbolt over hill, through gully, over rocks,\nthrough briers, over streams, through thickets, tilting the spear as\nthey rode, as if to plunge it into some advancing foe.\n\nFor half an hour our path lay through a jungle of thorny shrubs, beyond\nwhich was an open plain. The day was glorious; the air balmy; the sun\nshone through a gauze-like haze; the leafy songsters, from their sylvan\ncoverts along the streamlets, \u201ccaroled the melody of their song.\u201d Our\nhorses were fleet, our spirits buoyant, and over that noble plain we\nrode with unbounded delight. Both in kind and richness the soil varied\nas we advanced. Now it was barren and covered with a thin, smooth,\nnitrous crust, through which we sank as in ashes; again it was rich,\nbearing groves of fruit-trees, tufts of the feathery tamarisk, and\nbeautiful oleanders, with their finger-like leaves and tulip-shaped\nflowers. At ten A.M. we reached the first terrace, or highest bank of\nthe Jordan, composed of irregular hills of clay, and measuring twenty\nfeet deep. Here our soldiers sallied forth, plunging into the dense\nthickets and sweeping like lightning around the hills to discover\nthe robbers and save us from surprise. In fifteen minutes more we had\ndescended to the second terrace, and five minutes thereafter we stood\non the banks of the most sacred and renowned river in the world. Other\nrivers are deeper, broader, longer, but the Jordan is unsurpassed in\nthe peculiarities of its source, the sinuosities of its channel, the\nglories of its history. Springing from the heart of anti-Libanus, ten\ncrystal fountains pour their eternal waters into its descending current.\nFrom the base of snow-capped Hermon three noble fountains send their\nunited contributions southward, feeding the River Hasb\u00e2ny. Situated\nforty miles to the north from the head of Lake Tiberias, the first is\nthe Fountain Fuarr, at Hasbe\u00eeya, and is the remotest perennial source\nof the Jordan; the second is called Sareid, located south of Kefr\nShubah; the third is Luisany, near El-Ghujar. Eighteen miles to the\nsouth from Hasbe\u00eeya is the largest permanent fountain in the world,\nknown as El-Ledd\u00e2n. Its pure waters gush forth from the foot of the\ngreen hill of El-K\u00e2dy, and, after forming a pool, they flow southward\nin a broad stream, increased in its course by many rills creeping\nfrom beneath noble oaks, and at length it joins the Hasb\u00e2ny seven\nmiles north of Lake Merom. Four miles to the east from El-K\u00e2dy is\nthe Fountain of Banias, next in size to that of El-Ledd\u00e2n, but which,\nunlike the latter, originates in many rivulets, which, uniting, rush on\nto a confluence with the Ledd\u00e2n, and, a mile below the junction, join\nthe Hasb\u00e2ny. Farther to the south the fountains of Derdara, Ruahiny,\nand those of Bel\u00e2t, Bl\u00e2ta, and El-Mell\u00e2hah, unite with the same stream,\nwhich, after flowing southward for six miles over the lovely Plain of\nH\u00fbleh, spreads out into Lake Merom, on whose shores Joshua achieved\nhis final triumph over the banded kings of Canaan.[279] Four and a half\nmiles in length and three and a half in breadth, this gem of the lakes\nis the first gathering together of the waters of the Jordan from their\nperennial springs. The lake having a triangular form, the river issues\nthrough the apex, and, after running nine miles with a fall of 650\nfeet, expands into the Sea of Galilee, which is thirteen miles long and\nsix wide. The inlet to the sea is seventy feet broad, and the waters,\nflowing between alluvial banks, are lazy and turbid. Purified in their\npassage through this second reservoir of the Jordan, they find an\noutlet in the southwest corner of the sea. Here the river is more than\nninety feet wide, the banks are high and round, and the contiguous\nmountains rugged and barren. Half unwilling to leave the parent waters\nto take the headlong leap over twenty-seven rapids to the Sea of Death,\nthe Jordan turns back upon itself; but, forced at length to return by\nthe unyielding rocks, it cuts a channel westward, then west by south,\nwhen, impelled by the unchanging law of gravitation, it rushes madly\nsouthward, foaming and leaping downward 700 feet in less than sixty\nmiles. Though, between the seas as the crow flies, the actual distance\nis not more than sixty miles, yet, owing to the infinite multiplication\nof its windings, it is more than 200 miles in length. The tortuous glen\nthrough which it flows varies in breadth from 200 to 600 yards, and in\ndepth from fifty to eighty below the surrounding plain. The sides of\nthe glen are abrupt and broken, composed of marl and clay intermixed\nwith limestone. Where it is widest, the bottom is mud covered with\nreeds; where it is narrowest, it is rock and sand. Along its banks\ngrow in rich profusion the scarlet anemone, the yellow marigold,\nthe water-lily, the feathery tamarisk, the pink oleander, the Syrian\nthistle with its gorgeous purple blossom, and cane-reeds, oaks,\nwillows, and wild pistachios. Amid foliage so rich and rare are birds\nof exquisite plumage and variant song. Disporting in the water are\nherons and ducks; dancing from bower to bower are sparrows, swallows,\nand nightingales; wheeling their tireless flight over stream and shrub\nare eagles, partridges, hawks, and snipes, while storks spread their\nvast wings along the banks, and\n\n \u201cThe moping owl does to the moon complain\n Of such as, wandering near her secret bower,\n Molest her ancient solitary reign.\u201d\n\nIn the deep, impenetrable jungle, extending for miles in depth along\neither bank, is now, as formerly, the hiding-place of the leopard, the\nwild boar, and tiger.\n\nIn color the Jordan is not unlike the Tiber. In breadth it varies from\neighty to 240 feet; in depth it is from two to sixteen feet; in motion\nit flows from two to twelve knots an hour, bearing on its yellow bosom,\nas it rolls to the sea, the d\u00e9bris of northern forests. In its descent\nthere are wild cascades, down which the foaming torrent leaps eleven\nfeet, at the rate of twelve miles an hour. Throughout its sinuous\ncourse there are twenty-seven rapids, some of which are 900 feet long,\nand the shallow waters foam as they pass over the large boulders of\nsandstone and trap. Below the longest rapid there is a series of five\nfalls, having a descent of eighteen feet, with rapids between them; and\nat El-B\u016dk\u2019ah there is a whirlpool grand and dangerous. At intervals,\nwhere the channel is deep and free from rocks, a boat might glide\nwith ease and pleasure. In the broader portions of the river bed there\nare islands, some barren, others verdant and flowery. Near the four\nwell-known fords are the remains of old mills, with their sluices,\nand the ruins of ancient bridges of Roman construction, pointing us\nback to a better civilization, and reflecting the genius, industry,\nand utility of a former age. At Semakh, a mile south of the Lake of\nTiberias, are the abutments of a fine bridge of ninety feet span, and\nat Zurka are the remains of a nobler structure.\n\n Illustration: SHOOTING THE RAPIDS.\n\nMidway the two seas the Brook Jabbok flows into the Jordan. Descending\nthrough a deep ravine, amid the loftiest of the Ajl\u00fbn range, its volume\nis swelled by the mountain torrents, rendering it at times impassable.\nIts banks are fringed with tamarisks and oleanders, the clustering\nflower of the latter imparting a gorgeous aspect to the scene. As three\nthousand years ago the Jabbok was the boundary between the kingdoms\nof Sihon and of Og,[280] so this modern Zurka is the dividing line\nbetween the province of Belka and that of Ajl\u00fbn. Somewhere on its banks\noccurred one of those thrilling events so common in the patriarchal\nhistory. Coming from the distant home of Laban, enriched with the\nrewards of twenty years\u2019 industry, and blessed with a numerous family\nof children and servants, the patriarch Jacob halted on the northern\nbank of the Jabbok, and that night wrestled with an angel. And as\nthe light of the coming day dawned, down the glens and sides of the\nsouthern mountain the chieftain of Seir came, with his four hundred\nwarriors. Hoping to appease Esau\u2019s anger by the gentleness of his\nmanner, Jacob crossed the brook, and, forgetting the enmities of\nboyhood, the twin brothers embraced and were reconciled. Parting, Esau\nreturned to his mountain home, and, fording the Jordan here, Jacob\nascended by the beautiful Tirzah, and dwelt in the Vale of Shechem.[281]\n\nCenturies later, this brook was the scene of events less peaceful.\nObeying the heroic Gideon, the men of Ephraim took possession of\nthis ford and slew the fugitive Midianites;[282] and ninety years\nthereafter the Gileadites under Jephthah, descending from their native\nmountains, held the passage of the stream, and slew every Ephraimite\nwhose betraying tongue could not correctly pronounce the password\nShibboleth.[283]\n\nThe Pilgrim\u2019s Ford, opposite Jericho, is no less enchanting in its\nnatural scenery than it is memorable for its sacred associations. A\nhundred feet wide and twelve deep, the Jordan sweeps by at the rate of\nsix knots an hour. From this point to the Dead Sea the river retains\nits general peculiarities of sinuosity, of color, of rapidity, of banks,\nand foliage. The inlet to the Asphaltic Lake is three feet deep and 540\nwide, and here is the third and largest reservoir of the Jordan\u2015\u2015its\nfirst and only stage of rest. Here it ends.\n\nThis being an ancient ford, the western bank is worn down to the\nwater\u2019s edge by the tread of many generations. On either side willows\nbend their graceful limbs to touch the rapid stream, tamarisks wave\ngently in the soft zephyrs, oleanders bloom amid foliage of lighter\nand deeper green, and the crystal streamlet from R\u00eeha flows into the\nturbulent Jordan among trees of statelier form. A little to the south\nthe banks are steep, and the bottom is soft and covered with weeds and\nlacerating briers. Directly opposite, the Mountains of Moab rise in\nall their rugged grandeur, with their sides broken by deep ravines and\ntheir summits veiled in a purple haze. Forgotten in the lapse of time,\nyet somewhere on those loftier peaks were the high places of Baal,[284]\nthe \u201cfield of Zophim,\u201d[285] and the \u201ctop of Peor,\u201d[286] whither Balak\nled Balaam to curse Israel. From those summits of vision the prophet of\nPethor looked down upon the Lord\u2019s chosen people, but could not \u201ccount\nthe dust of Jacob.\u201d[287] He beheld them \u201ccrouching like a lion,\u201d[288]\nand, in the rapture of his song, exclaimed, \u201cHow goodly are thy tents,\nO Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel.\u201d[289] Under more auspicious\ncircumstances, a greater than Balaam surveyed the Land of Promise from\nPisgah\u2019s top.[290] Turning northward, \u201chis eye that was not dim\u201d swept\nthe land of Gilead unto the icy crown of Hermon; turning westward,\nhe beheld the distant hills of Naphtali standing out against the sky;\nnearer, he saw the possessions of Ephraim and Manasseh; directly before\nhim was the Land of Judah and Benjamin, the City of the Great King, and\nthe blue waters of the Mediterranean beyond; while at his feet lay the\nrich plain of Jericho, the \u201ccity of palm-trees,\u201d the first conquest of\nthe triumphant arms of Joshua. In his tent, or in some retired glen,\nor on some solitary peak, the son of Amram wrote most of his inspired\nhistory; and yonder, when the work of his wondrous life was finished,\nwhen the farewell view of the goodly Canaan had been completed, when\nhe had given his final blessing to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the\nwarrior, \u201cMoses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of\nMoab, according to the word of the Lord; and he buried him in a valley\nin the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor; but no man knoweth of\nhis sepulchre unto this day.\u201d[291] A tomb so vast was worthy of the\nworldwide influence of his life, and the Mountains of Moab are the\nappropriate monument of a character so pure and a name so great.\n\nThe tradition that identifies this ford as the place where the\nIsraelites crossed the Jordan is supported by the clear and simple\nstatement that they \u201cpassed over right against Jericho.\u201d[292] The\ncrossing, however, could not have been confined to this limited space.\nHere probably the priests crossed, while the multitude sought a passage\nat every feasible point between the city of Adam, thirty miles to\nthe north, and the Dead Sea, five miles to the south. To facilitate\nthe crossing, this long section of the river-bed became dry, which\nwas necessitated both by the millions of people to cross, and also by\nthe impassableness of many portions of the banks. The rendezvous was\nopposite Jericho, and as the swarming millions came up the western bank,\nthey turned northward and southward toward a common centre. Bearing the\nark of the covenant, the priests led the van, and as their feet touched\nthe water, \u201cthe waters which came down from above stood and rose up\nupon an heap very far from the city of Adam, that is, beside Zaretan;\nand those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt\nsea, failed and were cut off, and the people passed over right against\nJericho.\u201d[293] Unlike the dividing of the Red Sea, this was the cutting\noff or damming up of the waters on the north; and the miracle is the\nmore wonderful, as at that time the river was more than ordinarily full.\nThe incidental allusion that the \u201cJordan overfloweth all his banks all\nthe time of harvest\u201d[294] is equally true at the present day. In the\ntropical climate of the Jordan Valley the harvest is many weeks earlier\nthan on the mountains 1300 feet above it. Barley harvest occurring\nhere in the middle of March and wheat harvest about three weeks later,\nit is evident that the allusion refers to the harvest-time of the\nJericho plain. At this time of year the Jordan annually rises to\nthe fullness of its banks, and not unfrequently overflows them; and,\nthough occurring in the dry season of the year, the rise is owing\nto the melting snows on Mount Hermon, and also to the heavy winter\nrains, which, having previously fallen on the Hermon range, and by\nMarch having percolated the sides of the mountains, begin to swell\nthe springs within them, which, being the sources of the Jordan, then\ncommence and for weeks continue to pour an increased volume into the\nriver channel, permitting the traveler of to-day to behold the filling\nup and overflowing of the sacred river as it overflowed all its banks\nthree thousand years ago.\n\nMore than five centuries later, the Jordan was here twice divided in\none day\u2015\u2015once for the safe passage of Elijah and Elisha to the land of\nMoab, and again for the return of the latter to Jericho;[295] and, two\nyears subsequently, here the proud Naaman bathed his leprous person and\nwas made whole. To one unacquainted with the three rivers mentioned in\nconnection with his cure, there is the appearance of pride and contempt\nin his language; but in recalling, in the moment of disappointment\nand chagrin, the clear waters of the Abana and Pharphar, in contrast\nwith the yellow, turbulent waters of the Jordan, the Syrian warrior\nbut indicated the correctness of his taste in preferring the \u201crivers\nof Damascus to all the waters of Israel.\u201d[296] But after a cure so\nmiraculous, notwithstanding its inferior beauty, the Jordan must have\nbeen to him the noblest and most sacred of rivers.\n\nAs the baptismal station of John the Baptist, and the scene of our\nLord\u2019s baptism, the Christian contemplates this traditional spot with\ndeeper, sweeter interest. But, however sincere and intense may be the\ndesire to identify the scene of an event so hallowed, it is difficult\nto ascertain with certainty where that greatest of all baptisms\noccurred. In general terms, St. Luke describes John as coming into\n\u201call the country about Jordan;\u201d[297] but, with great precision,\nSt. John designates two stations of the great Baptist: \u201cBethabara,\nbeyond Jordan,\u201d[298] and \u201c\u00c6non, near Salim.\u201d[299] Signifying \u201cThe House\nof Passage,\u201d Bethabara may have been the name of some well-known ford;\nbut the most eminent critics agree that Bethany should be inserted\nin the text in the place of Bethabara.[300] Finding it difficult to\ndiscover a Bethany beyond the Jordan, Origen, in the early part of the\nthird century, changed the reading, and others, following his version,\nplace Bethabara near the Brook Jabbok, on the east, and \u00c6non on the\nwest, eight miles southeast from Bethshean.[301]\n\nSuch locations, however, leave Southern Palestine without a baptismal\nstation. Born in the south, and from his Judean home called to the\ngreat work of his mission, John\u2019s ministry was commenced in the\n\u201cwilderness of Judea.\u201d[302] His first hearers were those of the Jewish\ncapital and of its adjacent towns: \u201cThen went out unto him Jerusalem,\nand all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan.\u201d[303] Preferring\na journey of six hours to one of two days, the people of the south\nwould naturally descend to this traditional ford, where the Baptist as\nnaturally would be waiting to receive them. And where else should Jesus\nbe baptized but where his ancient people had crossed the \u201cswellings of\nJordan,\u201d and nigh unto the capital of his kingdom, whose citizens had\njust received his forerunner?\n\nHaving prepared the way of the Messiah in Judea, and to accommodate\nthe multitudes of the north, and prepare them for the reception of the\npromised Christ, John ascended the river to the mouth of the Jabbok,\nwhere he baptized the inhabitants of Samaria; and ascending thirty\nmiles farther, to the ruined bridge of Semakh, he baptized the people\nof Galilee. His mission accomplished in Southern, Central, and Northern\nPalestine, and compelled to leave the Jordan at that season of the year\nto seek water suitable to drink, John removed to the fountains of \u00c6non,\neight Roman miles southeast from Scythopolis, where there was \u201cmuch\nwater,\u201d and where he baptized \u201cstrangers,\u201d and those who had failed\nto attend his ministry at the river. His latter days were spent in\nthe north, and mostly in Tiberias, the royal city of Galilee, where,\ntrue to his high calling, he reproved Herod Antipas for his connubial\ninfidelity, for which he was imprisoned and beheaded in the Castle of\nMachaerus, near the scene of his earlier labors.\n\nThe sun was rapidly approaching the zenith when we left the ford for\nthe Dead Sea. To avoid a detour, and also to shun the banks of the\nriver, which, from their softness and steepness, are never safe, we\ncrossed diagonally the great plain extending to the sea. The heat was\nintense; not a breath of air was stirring; neither shrub nor flower\nappeared to gladden the eye; no fountain was nigh to moisten our\nparched lips. A deep purple haze veiled earth and sky, obscuring the\nview of Moab and the peaks of Engedi; and over that vast plateau of\nunrelieved desolation was spread a white sulphurous crust, reflecting\nthe light and heat. Near the mouth of the Jordan a band of Bedouin\nruffians were holding an ominous consultation, and keenly watching our\nmovements. From the head of the caravan came the shrill voice of the\nsheikh to \u201cclose ranks,\u201d while two soldiers dashed into the jungle\nto ascertain the design of the council. Intimidating the robbers by\nthreats, they returned, assuring us that no attack would be made, but\nadvising us to keep close together. At noon we stood upon the northern\nshore of the Dead Sea. Owing to the thick haze that obscured the\nmountains, it seemed shoreless. The smooth waters lay like molten\nsilver, silent and motionless, sparkling in the sunlight and dazzling\nto the sight. It was death robed in light. The waters are clear as\ncrystal and exceedingly brilliant, and, though intensely salt, they\nare so soft that a bath in them is like bathing in oil. When midway\nmy person I began to rise, and yielding to the soft hands that bore\nme up, I reclined as upon the softest down. To sink was impossible; to\nfloat required no effort; to read, converse, sleep, was easy. Where the\ncuticle was bruised or broken a smarting sensation was experienced, and\nfor ten hours after the bath the hair remained stiff and the body felt\nas if it had been lubricated with oil. Gently sloping toward the sea,\nthe northern coast consists of sand and blackened pebbles, and over\nits entire breadth are strewn quantities of drift-wood, such as willow\ntwigs, broken canes, and poplar branches, thrown up by the violence\nof the waves when the sea is in commotion. Higher up is a terrace\nof bitumen, soft and slippery, and not unlike black clay. Neither\nshrub, flower, nor blade of grass, nor shell, can be found on all that\nlengthened beach.\n\n Illustration: DEAD SEA.\n\nOccupying the lowest portion of the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea\nis forty miles long, from five to nine wide, and from two to 1308\nfeet deep. Its greatest depth is 2620 feet below the level of the\nMediterranean, and 5220 below the site of Jerusalem. Having its\ngreatest width midway the sea, from Ain Jidy to the River Arnon, it\nis most shallow at its southern extremity, and deepest in its northern\nsection, southwest from the thermal waters of Callirrhoe. Not many\nyards from the eastern cliffs it is more than one hundred and seventy\nfathoms deep.\n\nGeologically considered, the profound cavity containing this inland sea\nmust be coeval with the conformation of the Jordan Valley on the north\nand the Valley of \u2019Arabah on the south. This mighty chasm must always\nhave been the bed of a great lake, receiving the waters of the Jordan\nand the mountain torrents, together with those of the living springs\nwhich abound along the margin of the vale. Though much smaller then\nthan now, both Abraham and Lot must have looked down upon its waters.\nOriginally confined within its deeper bed, it has passed its primal\nlimits by some convulsion or atmospheric phenomena as yet unknown. The\ngreat difference in its depth, from a third of a fathom to two hundred\nand eighteen fathoms, together with the record of Moses that the\n\u201cplain of Jordan was well watered every where before the Lord destroyed\nSodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of\nEgypt as thou comest unto Zoar,\u201d[304] sufficiently indicates that the\nmore shallow portions now overflown were once the rich green fields\nso tempting to the eyes of Lot.[305] According to authentic history,\nthis vale was one of the cradles of the earliest civilization, not\nonly containing the five royal cities that were destroyed, but also the\ncities of the Ph\u0153nicians, who, afterward removing to Tyre and Sidon,\nrose to greatness in art, science, and commerce. Its present desolation\nis due to natural causes, some of which are still apparent, and though\nits waters must always have been more or less salt, and its coasts must\nalways have abounded in bitumen pits, yet these are not inconsistent\nwith the richness of its plains, as attested by sacred and profane\nwriters.\n\nThough the receptacle of the perennial Jordan and of springs that\nnever fail, and though without an outlet its mighty caldron is never\nfilled to overflowing, and its waters have but a slight perceptible\nrise and fall. Situated 1312 feet below the level of the Mediterranean,\nand shut in by high barren mountains of limestone, its supply never\nexceeds the demand made by its rapid evaporation. With the Gulf of\nAkaba thirty-five feet above the Mediterranean, it is inconceivable how\nthe Dead Sea could ever have flowed southward over the plain of \u2019Arabah\nto mingle its waters with those of the Red Sea; and this impossibility\nis the more apparent from the fact that the waters of \u2019Arabah flow\ninto the Dead Sea from a water-shed midway between the two seas. Such\ncurious facts at once disprove the hypothesis either that there is a\nsubterranean outlet on the south, or that, prior to the fall of Sodom,\nthe waters of the Jordan flowed in a river channel through the \u201cVale of\nSiddim\u201d to mingle with those of the Indian Ocean. Evaporation was then,\nas now, the only outlet.\n\nWith the exception of a few semicircular plains, the \u201cSalt Sea\u201d covers\nthe entire breadth of the vale, in many places the mountains dipping\ninto the waters without a footpath along the shore. At the northwest\ncorner there is a neck of land extending into the lake, which, when\nthe water is low by increased evaporation, is a peninsula, but at high\nwater its extreme point is a small island, covered with ruins of great\nantiquity, consisting of heaps of unhewn stones, some of which retain\ntheir original position in the foundation of a building whose history\nis unknown; and at the southeast angle of the sea, near the ravine of\nKerak, is a low, broad promontory or cape, extending four miles to the\nnorth up the centre of the lake. Wherever a brackish fountain trickles\ndown the hill-side, and flows over those little plains formed by the\nreceding mountains, there shrubs grow, flowers bloom as in more genial\nclimes, birds sing sweetly as in more enchanting bowers, and the Arab,\nwith the traveler, pitches his tent, unaffected by the fancied deadly\nexhalations from the poisonous sea, which only exist in the stories of\npoet and romancer.\n\nThe mountains that bound the Asphaltic Lake on the east and west\nare as remarkable for their native grandeur as for their historic\nassociations. Those on the east are portions of the Moab and Edom\nranges; the one descending from the north and the other ascending\nfrom the south, are separated midway the sea by the sublime chasm\nof El-M\u00f4jib. The former is composed of sandstone, with sections of\nlimestone, and with dikes and seams of trap rock, over which are\nscattered quantities of post-tertiary lava, pumice-stone, and volcanic\nslag; the latter is in part sandstone with strata of limestone; while\nat the extreme south there is a post-tertiary deposit of carbonate\nof lime, with sandstone disintegrated, and with a mixture of sulphur\nand gypsum. Rising from 2000 to 3000 feet high, the eastern range\nis rugged and barren, and, from a peculiarity in the atmosphere, is\nperpetually veiled in a purple haze. The sides are broken by twelve\nravines desolate and wild. Less than ten miles from the northeast angle\nof the sea, at the mouth of Wady Z\u016drka Ma\u2019in, are the warm springs of\nCallirrhoe, sending forth, between grand and lofty sandstone cliffs, a\ncopious stream, in whose thermal waters Herod the Great sought, in vain,\nrelief from his loathsome disease. It is twelve feet wide, ten inches\ndeep, and has a temperature of 95\u00b0 Fahrenheit. Its banks are lined with\ncanes and tamarisks, and the pebbles are tinged with the sulphurous\nwaters. The chasm is 112 feet wide, and from eighty to 150 high,\nthrough which the torrent sweeps to the sea at the rate of six knots an\nhour. High up the ravine is a pretty cascade, with a perpendicular fall\nof six feet, and below it the foaming waters rush over a succession\nof rapids. In this sublime glen purple flowers bloom, and ravens\nand butterflies wing their tireless flight. On the very brow of the\nnorthern cliff stood the famous fortress of Machaerus, where John the\nBaptist was beheaded.[306] Two miles to the south, on the borders of\na little streamlet, is a grove of thirty date-palm-trees; three miles\nfarther is a bright cascade, whose sparkling waters leap into the sea\nfrom the very mountain summit; and five miles beyond is the ancient\nriver Arnon, on whose banks Balak met Balaam,[307] and which was the\nsouthern boundary-line of the Amorites, whose dominion ran northward\nto the Jabbok. This tract of land Moses conquered from Sihon,[308] and\nfor it the Ammonites fought with Jephthah[309] while it was possessed\nby the tribes of Reuben and Gad.[310] The Arnon is a tributary to the\nsea, eighty-two feet wide, four deep, and one hundred wide at its mouth.\nThe vast fissure through which it falls is ninety-seven feet wide,\nand varies from 100 to 400 feet high. The cliffs are red, yellow, and\nbrown sandstone, and, worn by the winds and rains, resemble Egyptian\narchitecture. In graceful curves the ravine winds inward, and in its\nprofound depths are huge boulders, which have fallen from the summit\nabove. Along the border of the torrent a few shrubs grow, and gazelles\ndescend to drink of its limpid waters. Fifteen miles to the south, on\na summit 3000 feet above the sea, stands the ancient city of Kerak,\ncontaining more than 3000 inhabitants, about equally divided into\nChristians and Moslems, which is renowned in the history of Jewish\nwars as the city whose king, in a moment of desperation, rather than\nsurrender to King Jehoram, offered up his eldest son upon the town wall\nas a burnt-sacrifice, so disgusting the Israelites as to compel them\nto raise the siege.[311] From the mountain of Kerak a wild ravine leads\ndown to the reputed ruins of Zoar, near the shore, to which Lot fled\nwhen commanded to fly to the mountains above.[312]\n\nTo the southwest from the ruins of Zoar stood Sodom and Gomorrah,\nwith their companion cities of the plain. Covering a large area of what\nwas once dry land, the sea is here exceedingly shallow, and the plains\nbordering on the southern coast give evidence of their former fertility.\nThese cities must have occupied this section of the vale, or it would\nhave been impossible for Abraham to have seen the conflagration from\nHebron, sixteen miles to the northwest.[313] But not a vestige of\nthose renowned cities remains to designate the scene of their glory and\nshame. The \u201crain of fire\u201d was probably a shower of nitrous particles\nignited by the electric flash, which, as it fell, kindled to a flame\nthe buildings of the cities, constructed of bituminous stones and\ncemented by green asphalt. Formed of such combustible materials, the\nconflagration of the towns must have raged with unwonted fury, and the\ndescending fire, wrapping vale and mountain in a winding-sheet of flame,\nmust have precluded the possibility of escape. But the preservation\nof Zoar amid the general burning was a miracle of the highest order.\nStanding within the vale and hard by the neighboring towns, but\nwithout the smell of fire about its dwellings, it must have presented\na singular spectacle, surrounded by an invisible wall against which the\nburning waves madly dashed in vain.\n\nThe mountains on the western side of the Dead Sea, like the hills of\nJudea, are limestone, of a white, red, and yellow hue, and, rising from\n1000 to 2000 feet high, their sides are barren and rugged, and broken\ninto wild ravines. At intervals the hills recede, forming on the shore\nsemicircular plains, which, being watered by brackish fountains, are\nconverted into salt marshes. Along the western coast large quantities\nof pure sulphur, asphalt, and pumice-stone abound. In the southwest\ncorner of the vale, extending five miles to the northwest, is a rugged\nridge of hills composed entirely of mineral salt. From a marshy delta,\ncoated with salt and bitumen, a grand ravine leads up to this saline\nridge, called by the Arabs Jebel Usdum. The winter torrents have cut\ndeep furrows in its sides from summit to base, and the combined action\nof the rains, and the burning siroccos that sweep over mountain and\nplain, have rounded the faces of the cliffs. The peaks rise in tiers,\nwhile their roots, in lesser hills, project toward the sea. Far up\nthe ravine, between two higher cliffs, is a lower ridge, not unlike a\npedestal, on which is a singular pillar of pure solid salt, round in\nfront and angular behind. Resting on a pedestal sixty feet high, the\nsolitary column rises forty feet higher, connected with the hill behind\nby an immense bar of salt. This is the only resemblance to \u201cLot\u2019s\nwife\u201d in the vale, but can not be her, as its position is in the wrong\ndirection from Zoar. But the presence of such a mountain of salt, whose\nbase beneath the surface is washed by the waves, and from whose summit\nlarge blocks of salt are carried down by the rains into the water,\nsufficiently accounts for the extreme saltness of the sea. On the\nmarshy flats at its base is the \u201cValley of Salt,\u201d where David slew\n\u201ceighteen thousand Syrians,\u201d[314] and where Amaziah, at a later period,\nslew \u201cten thousand Edomites.\u201d[315]\n\nSituated on the brow of a lofty cliff 1500 feet above the sea, and\ntwelve miles north from Usdum, is Masada, the last refuge of the Jews\nafter the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, and the scene of the\nnoblest heroism and of the most bloody tragedy in the annals of war.\nSeparated by a deep ravine from the surrounding mountains on the north\nand south, and attached to them on the west by a narrow ridge two\nthirds its height, is a naked rock, having a perpendicular face toward\nthe sea, and rising 700 feet high. Standing two miles from the shore,\nit is not unlike a pyramid in form. Though the summit is jagged and\npeaked, it contains a level area for building purposes 3000 feet in\nlength and 1200 in width. Portions of four buildings are standing. On\nthe south are the remains of an ancient gateway with a pointed arch;\non the north stands a tower with a double wall of great strength, and\nnear it is a quadrangular ruin. Within the ancient wall, which once\ncompletely encircled the rock, are three large cisterns, hewn in the\nsolid rock, and covered with white cement. The largest of them is forty\nfeet broad, 100 long, and fifty deep. Adjacent to the wall are the\nremains of the old Roman camps, constructed by the besieging army of\nFlavius Silva, apparently as complete as when abandoned centuries ago.\n\nReared in the second century B.C. by Jonathan Maccab\u00e6us as a strong\ndefensive work, the fortress of Masada was enlarged and rendered\nimpregnable by Herod the Great. Designed by him at once for a palace\nand a fortress, he strengthened the position, and connected with\nhis royal apartments baths, adorned with porticoes and colonnades.\nConfident of its impregnability, here the Idumean king deposited his\nrarest treasures against the day of danger.\n\nPrior to the fall of Jerusalem, the Sicarii, who had sworn never to\nsubmit to the Roman arms, obtained by treachery the possession of this\nfortress. Commanded by the bold and skillful Eleazar, 600 of these\npatriots, with their wives, children, and servants to the number of\n967, retired to Masada as the last refuge of the Jewish nation. The\nstrong-holds of Machaerus and Herodium had yielded to the powerful arms\nof Lucilius Bassus, and now Flavius Silva, his successor, laid siege to\nMasada. Cutting off all hope of succor from without, and of escape from\nwithin, by circumvallation, the Romans reared for the intended assault\na mound of earth and stones, on which they planted an iron-cased\ntower commanding the walls of the fortress, and from which they drove\nthe Jews from their ramparts. Successful in gaining a position so\nadvantageous, the Romans retired for the night with the intention of\nstorming the fortress the following morning.\n\n Illustration: MASADA.\n\nConscious of his inability to continue a successful defense\u2015\u2015convinced\nthat any attempt to escape would prove disastrous\u2015\u2015satisfied that\ndeath awaited the garrison, ravishment their wives, and slavery their\nchildren, that night Eleazar called his faithful band around him, and\nproposed self-destruction as the terrible alternative. Appalled by\nthe thought of murder and suicide, the heroic Sicarii, whose souls\nhad never known the sensation of fear, for a moment hesitated; but,\nupbraided for the want of true courage by their leader, a frenzy seized\nthem, and, each one grasping his wife and children in his arms, after\nlavishing upon them the fondest tokens of affection, they plunged their\ndaggers to their hearts, leaving the bleeding bodies lifeless upon\nthe ground. Resolved not to survive a calamity so insupportable, they\nprepared for their own destruction. Gathering the immense treasures of\nthe palace together, they consigned them to the flames; then, choosing\nby lot ten of their number to dispatch the rest, each soldier threw\nhimself down by his wife and children, and, grasping them in his arms,\noffered his neck to the sword of his companion. Drawing lots who should\nbe the last survivor of the ten and the executioner of the nine, the\nlot fell on one who in turn was to dispatch himself. The nine slain,\nall the victims were examined to ascertain whether life was extinct;\nthen, applying the torch to the palace, and surveying for a moment\nthe raging flames and the dead, in families, stretched upon the ground,\nhe lay down beside his wife and child, and the last of the Sicarii\ndispatched himself.\n\nThe morning dawned; the command was given; the Romans rushed to the\nassault; but, on scaling the ramparts, no foe appeared, no sound was\nheard, and, lifting a shout of triumph, they rushed to the palace.\nTheir approach had startled from their retreat a sister of Eleazar,\nan elderly woman, and five children, who, learning of the intended\nslaughter, had secreted themselves in the vaults of the fortress.\nWhen they refused to credit her story, the sister of Eleazar led the\nconquerors within the court-yard of the palace, and pointed them to\nthe dead who were too brave to be Roman slaves.[316]\n\nFifteen miles to the north from the Plain of Masada is the Fountain\nof the Kid. This beautiful spring is four hundred feet up the mountain\nside. Bursting from a limestone rock, and rushing down over precipitous\nrocks, and amid acacias and flowers, it fertilizes a small plain\nextending to the beach, and cultivated by the Bedouins of the Gh\u00f4r.\nNear this fountain David was secreted when pursued by Saul, and in\na cave near by he \u201ccut off the skirt of Saul\u2019s robe privily.\u201d[317]\nUp this pass the children of Ammon ascended to attack Jerusalem in\nthe days of Jehoshaphat.[318] Originally celebrated for its vines\nand aromatic plants, Solomon compares his beloved to a \u201ccluster of\ncamphire[319] in the vineyards of Engedi.\u201d[320] Around this fountain\nnow grow the \u201capples of Sodom.\u201d The fruit grows in clusters upon a\ntree fifteen feet high and two in girth, is of a yellow color, and has\nsuch a blooming appearance as to tempt the traveler\u2019s appetite; but,\non being pressed, it explodes like a puff-ball, leaving in the hand\nnothing but the rind and a few dry fibres.\n\nOn the summit of an adjacent hill are the ruins of Maon, the residence\nof the churlish Nabal and his beautiful wife Abigail, and a mile to the\nnorth is the large fountain where this \u201cson of Belial\u201d held his annual\nfeast, to whom David sent his famishing troops to ask permission to\nenjoy the festival as a reward for services which he had previously\nrendered to the ungrateful Nabal.[321]\n\nThe shrill call of the Bedouin sheikh roused me from my reverie as\nI sat on the small island in the sea recalling the past and receiving\nimperishable impressions of the changeless features of the \u201cVale of\nSiddim.\u201d That night we were to sleep with the monks of M\u00e2r S\u00e2ba, and\nthe journey thither was long, toilsome, and dangerous. Filling a can\nwith seawater, and gathering mineral specimens from the beach, we\nmounted. The path lay across an undulating plain to the right of Ain\nJeh\u00e2ir, whose brackish waters nourish a thicket of canes and a few pale\nflowers. Ascending the rugged pass of Nukb el-Kuneiterah, one skirted\nfor an hour the verge of a yawning ravine, the precipitous sides of\nwhich were as dangerous as the view below was grand and awful. Reaching\nin less than two hours the summit of the highest ridge, the Wilderness\nof Engedi lay before us, and through openings in the distant cliffs we\ncaught farewell glimpses of the Dead Sea. Passing an encampment where\nthe children were nude and the women unveiled, we were glad to drink\nof Arab _leben_, or soured milk, a beverage similar to that which\nJael gave Sisera,[322] which was brought to us in a goatskin bottle.\n\nDescending hills gray and barren, and crossing verdureless plains,\nwe reached the Vale of the Kidron as the last rays of the sun were\ntipping the higher peaks of Moab. Wild and grand, the perpendicular\nsides of the gorge are more than 300 feet high. The limestone rocks\nare blackened with age, and perched on the highest portion of the\nridge is the famous Convent of M\u00e2r S\u00e2ba. Approaching night had now\nthrown a deeper shadow in the ravine below; the skies reflected subdued\nlight, and from the transparent blue the stars began to shine. The\nfatigue of the day had left the mind pensive, and the silence of the\nhour was unbroken except by the chirping of some invisible songster.\nWinding round the brow of a bold cliff, the gray towers of the ancient\nmonastery stood out against the evening sky, and from the uppermost\nturret a solitary monk in dark flowing robes was watching our approach.\nThe ponderous iron gate of the convent was thrown open, and, led by\none of the fraternity through an interior court-yard, where orange and\nlemon trees scattered their rich perfume, we entered the \u201cPilgrim\u2019s\nRoom.\u201d\n\nLike many other religious establishments, the monastery of St. S\u00e2ba\nrose from the devotion of a single hermit. Attracted by the solitude of\nthe spot and the wild grandeur of the situation, some time in the year\n483 A.D., St. S\u00e2ba, a native of Cappadocia, and a man of extraordinary\nsanctity, founded the convent which bears his name. His triumph over\nthe \u201cLion of the Kidron\u201d attracted his fellow-anchorites to the glen,\nto the number of 14,000, to share his glory and devotion. From the\ncells which they excavated in the rocks gradually rose the walls,\ntowers, chambers, and chapels of the edifice; and so curiously are\nthe several parts arranged, that it is difficult to determine the\nmasonry from the native rock. Crowned with a dome and clock-turret, the\nchurch stands on the brink of the highest cliff, supported by enormous\nbuttresses rising from the bed of the Kidron. The interior is after the\nByzantine order, adorned with pictures, ornamental lamps, and sacred\nbanners. Near the church is the charnel-house, where the bones of the\npious have been carefully preserved from the time of the patron saint\nto the last brother deceased. The bodies of the dead are deposited in\nvaults till the flesh has wasted away, when the skeleton is broken to\npieces, and the bones are piled up in ghastly array, arm with arm, leg\nwith leg, skull with skull.\n\n Illustration: CONVENT OF SANTA SABA.\n\nThough enlarged and beautified by monkish industry, the cave in which\nSt. S\u00e2ba lived still retains its native rudeness. Among the pictures\nwhich adorn the walls is one representing the beheading of John the\nBaptist. The artist has transferred to the canvas the horror of the\nmurder and the turpitude of the crime which led to the execution. In\nthe background is seen the martyr\u2019s cell, with barred window and iron\ndoor. Robed in green garments, the headless body of John lies prostrate\nupon the marble pavement, while over it stands the fierce executioner,\nholding in one hand his sword still dripping with blood, and in the\nother the bleeding head. With an air of triumphant revenge Salome is\napproaching, attired in ermine and adorned with a coronet of jewels,\nand bearing on her hands a charger to receive the dissevered head of\nthe faithful minister of truth and purity.\n\nThe morning was far advanced when the iron gates of M\u00e2r S\u00e2ba opened\nfor our departure. The day was charming, and the ride to Bethlehem was\none of extraordinary delight. The spring clouds, like softest gauze,\nscreened us from the otherwise burning rays of a Syrian sun, and a\ngentle breeze from the Mediterranean came over the hills of Judea\n\u201cfresh as the breath of morn.\u201d It being early spring-time, Nature\nsmiled in all her virgin beauty. Grasses and grains were ripening;\nflowers every where were in bloom; herds of cattle and flocks of sheep\nwere feeding on the hills, and high up in mid air three eagles screamed\nas they soared above us.\n\nIn an hour from the monastery Jerusalem was seen to the north, and\nhalf an hour beyond I for the first time saw Bethlehem nestling among\nthe Jud\u00e6an hills. A flood of childhood\u2019s memories rushed back to mind,\nunsealing the fountain of emotion as when in boyhood I was accustomed\nto read the story of the new-born King. On the south lay the Plains of\nBethlehem, where shepherds were watching their flocks\u2015\u2015some chanting\na pastoral song, others playing upon their rude flute. The sterility\nof the wilderness had given place to cultivated fields, and along the\nwayside grew a pretty blue flower, of a stellar form, called by the\nmonks the \u201cStar of Bethlehem.\u201d Passing through the small village of\nBeit Sah\u00fbr, we turned westward, and, ascending a well-made road, in\nhalf an hour we passed beneath the ancient portal of the City of the\nNativity. The streets were crowded with people, and along the main\nthoroughfare were merchants selling fruits, flowers, grains, vegetables,\ncutlery, saddlery, clothing, furniture, and ornaments, and mechanics of\nall kinds were pursuing their respective vocations.\n\n Illustration: VIEW OF BETHLEHEM.\n\nSo long as childhood continues, Bethlehem will be cherished by the\nyoung, and recalled with delight by those of riper years. The synonym\nof helpless infancy, mothers will revert to it with hope, and the\nchildren of each generation will claim it as their common heritage.\nAs here the young mother pressed her tender offspring to her bosom\nfor the first time, Bethlehem must ever remain the symbol of domestic\naffections and privacies.\n\nOriginally called \u201cThe House of Bread,\u201d and now \u201cThe House of Flesh,\u201d\nits Arabic name, Beit Lahm, contains the significance of its wondrous\nhistory. To distinguish it from Bethlehem belonging to the tribeship\nof Zebulun,[323] it is called by the sacred historian \u201cBethlehem of\nJudah;\u201d[324] to preintimate its fruitfulness, it was prophetically\ndesignated Ephratah;[325] to illustrate its rising glory \u201camong the\nthousands of Judah,\u201d it was announced as the birthplace of Him \u201cwhose\ngoings forth have been from of old.\u201d[326] In antiquity coeval with the\noldest cities in the world, its identity is unquestioned. Stretching\nbackward thirty-six centuries, its authentic history opens with the\nmournful death and burial of the beautiful Rachel;[327] and rendered\nimperishable by the sepulchral monument to that beloved wife, 600 years\nlater it was the scene of the touching story of Boaz and the youthful\nwidow of Chilion.[328] Giving birth to Obed, the father of Jesse,\nBethlehem, less than 100 years subsequent to the marriage of Ruth and\nBoaz, was the birthplace of David,[329] where, at the tender age of\nseventeen, he was anointed king over Israel; and, in honor of events so\nillustrious, it thereafter was called the \u201cCity of David.\u201d During the\nreverses which befell Saul of Gibeah it was captured by the Philistines,\nand David, having been declared a public enemy, was compelled to fly to\nthe cave of Adullam.\n\nAfter 1000 years of comparative oblivion, Bethlehem suddenly emerged\nfrom obscurity into brighter and more enduring glory. Summoned by the\nEmperor Augustus to their native city to be taxed, Joseph and Mary\ncame from the hills of Nazareth, and, reaching the town at the close\nof the day, after a journey of eighty miles, the mother of the Messiah\nwas compelled to lodge in the stable, \u201cbecause there was no room for\nthem in the inn.\u201d[330] That night the Prince of Peace was born; the\nrace commenced its life anew; angels sang the song of the nativity;\nwondering shepherds hastened to pay homage to the new-born King; a lone\nbut marvelous star arrested the attention of the magi of Arabia Felix;\nand Bethlehem rose to be \u201cgreatest among the thousands of Judah.\u201d\n\nAn event so great and memorable has rendered the city of the Savior\u2019s\nbirth a holy shrine, at which the devout of all ages and countries\nhave bowed with unspeakable delight. And, in commemoration of the\nevent, and to rescue the site from oblivion, the Emperor Constantine,\nin the commencement of the fourth century, ordered the erection of a\nmagnificent basilica over the \u201cGrotto of the Nativity,\u201d which is now\nthe oldest monument of Christian architecture in the world. Separated\nfrom the town by a long esplanade, the church occupies the eastern brow\nof the hill on which the city is built, and, together with the three\nconvents abutting from its sides, forms an enormous pile of limestone,\nvast in dimensions, irregular in outline, and, though it is destitute\nof external architectural grandeur, the size, strength, and commanding\nposition of the edifice render it the chief attraction of the place.\nThe Greeks, Latins, and Armenians hold joint possession of the basilica,\nand adjoining it are the monasteries for the entertainment and devotion\nof their respective orders.\n\nIt was late one evening in the month of April that I rapped for\nadmission at the iron door of the Latin convent. The Franciscans\nreceived me kindly, and, after a generous meal, an aged monk led me to\nmy apartments for the night. The convent bell called me early from my\nslumbers, and, ascending to the broad, flat roof of the monastery, I\nenjoyed an extensive view of the surrounding country. The sky was soft,\nthe air pure, and the sun was just rising above the mountains of Moab.\nThe shepherd\u2019s shrill voice mingled with the tinkling of bells as he\nled his flock in search of pasture, and the leaves of orange, fig, and\nolive trees shone like jewels as the dew-drops thereon reflected the\nmorning light. Far away to the east are the Plains of the Jordan, the\nmountains of Gilead, Moab, Ammon, and Seir; on the north the Hills\nof Judea are bleak; on the west they are green as far as the eye can\nreach toward the \u201cGreat Sea;\u201d on the south are the Gardens of Urt\u00e2s and\nthe Pools of Solomon. With a mind attuned by such a scene, I read the\nromantic story of Ruth and Boaz, the history of David\u2019s coronation, and\nthe more tender narrative of the Savior\u2019s birth. The past returned with\nall the reality of the present, and history repeated its wondrous deeds\nbefore the eye of a sublime faith. But the charm was broken in a moment\nby the chant of a funeral dirge. Just beneath me, and near the convent\nwall, a long procession of women was approaching, following to its\nfinal rest the lifeless form of some daughter of Bethlehem. It was a\nsingular hour for a burial. Except the men who bore the corpse, there\nwere no others present. Fifty women robed in white gathered about the\ngrave, and, as a symbol of the abundant happiness of departed spirits,\neach one bore upon her head a basket of bread, and, leaving it upon the\ntomb, they all retired.\n\nDescending through the long halls of the monastery, we found the\nmonks differently engaged; some were arranging their scanty toilets,\nothers repeating their prayers. On each door is a rude picture\nillustrating the faith of the inmate, and the subject he desired to\nbe most frequently reminded of. On one is a coffin; on another are the\nlambent flames of Purgatory; but on most is the serene face of Mary.\nMy guide rejoined me in the hall of the refectory, and led me to the\nstable of blessed memory. Passing through the Latin chapel, where a\npriest was celebrating mass, we descended a flight of narrow winding\nsteps, cut in the native rock, at the foot of which is the sacred\ngrotto. Thirty-eight feet long, eleven wide, and two deep, it has\nthe appearance of having been the cellar of a Syrian house, which,\naccording to a custom still prevalent, serves as a stable. Near the\neastern end is the supposed place of our Lord\u2019s birth, marked by a\nwhite marble slab, in the centre of which is a large silver star,\nencircled with an inscription in Latin, \u201cHere Jesus Christ was born\nof the Virgin Mary.\u201d Sixteen silver lamps shed a perpetual light upon\nthe shrine; from golden censers incense unceasingly ascends, while\nthe walls are covered with silk embroidered with gold. To the south is\nthe substituted manger, the original having been carried to Rome and\ndeposited in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Above it is a fine\npicture of the birth-scene by Maello, and near it is a better one of\nthe Magi. A narrow passage leads to the small grotto where Joseph is\nsaid to have stood at the moment our Lord was born, and in it is a\npicture representing the angel warning him to take the young child and\nhis mother and escape into Egypt. The angel\u2019s face is expressive of\nintense earnestness; the countenance of Joseph is calm and thoughtful;\nwhile Mary tenderly but firmly clasps her infant to her bosom.\n\n Illustration: CAVE OF THE NATIVITY.\n\nFollowing a glimmering light, we entered a large sepulchral vault\ncontaining the dust of the departed members of the fraternity, and\nfrom it passed to the \u201caltar of the infant martyrs\u201d slain by Herod. A\npicture above it commemorates the death of \u201ctwenty thousand innocents,\u201d\nand the old monk groaned as he looked upon it. In an adjoining oblong\nchamber are altars dedicated to the memory of St. Paula and her\ndaughter Eustachia, two eminent Roman ladies, who spent their days\nhere in charity and devotion; and near the altars are their tombs, over\nwhich are the portraits of the saints. Their features are represented\nas sharp, their expression pensive, and over their heads an angel holds\na wreath of glory. Not far from these sepulchres is the tomb of Jerome,\nand in the north end of the same chamber is the study of that eminent\nscholar. Here, in a cell twenty feet square and nine deep, around which\nruns a stone seat, he spent most of his life, producing those great\nworks which have given immortality to his name. Here, in the severities\nof monastic life, he smote his body with a stone while imploring the\nmercy of the Lord. It was here he fancied he heard the peals of the\ntrump of the last judgment incessantly ringing in his ear. On the wall\nhangs a portrait of this great man. The head is round and bald, the\nface beams with intelligence, by his side hangs a crucifix, and behind\nhim stands an angel sounding in his ear the trumpet of the last day.\n\nReascending the narrow staircase, we passed into the magnificent\nBasilica of St. Helena. In length 120 feet by 110 wide, the interior\nconsists of a central nave and four lateral aisles, formed by four rows\nof twelve Corinthian columns in each row, twenty feet high and two and\na half in diameter, supporting a horizontal architrave. According to\ntradition, these pillars were taken from the porches of the Temple at\nJerusalem. Originally the roof and rafters were formed of cedar from\nthe forests of Lebanon, but at present they are of oak, the gift of\nKing Edward IV. when the church was last repaired. The gold, marble,\nand mosaics which once adorned the walls of this noble edifice have\nbeen removed, and by the mutual jealousies of the rival sects this\ngrandest of Eastern basilicas is in a neglected state. The aspect of\nthe interior is greatly injured by a partition wall separating the\nchoir from the body of the church, which in turn is divided into two\nchapels, one belonging to the Greeks and the other to the Armenians; on\nthe north side of the choir is the Chapel of St. Catharine, occupied by\nthe Latins.\n\n Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.\n\nThough we reject the unwarrantable grouping together in a single\ngrotto of so many \u201choly places\u201d as unfounded in fact, and especially\nthe particular spot where Christ was born, there is no reason for the\nrejection of the cave itself. Its history runs too far back to have its\nidentity affected by the flood of monastic legends which followed the\nconversion of the empire, and the historical chain is unbroken from the\ndeath of the Apostle John to our own day. A native of Nablous, and born\nin the beginning of the second century, Justin Martyr describes the\nbirthplace of Jesus \u201cas a grotto in Bethlehem;\u201d one hundred years later,\nOrigen refers to the fact as recognized by Christians and pagans; and,\na century after him, Eusebius mentions it as an accepted traditional\nspot, and as so regarded prior to the time of St. Helena\u2019s visit.\nCrediting the tradition, the mother of Constantine caused to be erected\nthe present basilica in the year 327 A.D., and fifty years after its\nerection, Jerome of Dalmatia, with Paul and Eustachia, settled in\nBethlehem, where the great \u201cFather of Church History\u201d expired, in\n420 A.D., in his ninetieth year. Though the city fell into the hands\nof the Moslems at a later period, and the church was stripped of its\nornaments, yet the cave remained undisturbed; and, on their approach to\nJerusalem, the Crusaders retook Bethlehem, and in 1110 A.D., Baldwin I.\nelevated it to the dignity of an episcopal see; and, notwithstanding\nthe vicissitudes through which it has passed, it is now a thoroughly\nChristian town. Unlike the tradition identifying our Lord\u2019s tomb, the\ntraditional history of his birthplace is unmixed with monkish miracles,\nand the preservation of the site is as simple as it is natural.\n\nIn a land where the customs of the people never change, all the\nincidents of the story of the birth of the Savior are confirmed by\nmodern usage. It is no evidence of the poverty of Joseph and Mary that\nthey failed to obtain lodgings in the inn, as the decree of Augustus\nhad called home all citizens belonging to the town, which, being small,\nwas filled to overflowing; nor is it proof of the humbleness of the\nholy family that they were compelled to lodge in the stable, as to this\nday, both in Bethlehem and in other Syrian cities, kitchen, parlor,\nand stable are frequently under the same roof, and often without a\npartition between them. In going from Jerusalem to Nablous, I stopped\nwith a Christian at Beeroth, near Bethel. His dwelling was a one-story\nhouse. Within was a raised platform not two feet high, on which was\narranged the furniture of his home; at the foot of the platform was\na space four feet wide, and extending the whole depth of the building,\nwhich was the stable, and in one corner stood his ass. And in a\nneighboring house a woman was kneading dough on the platform, and a\nlittle girl was holding an infant, and two feet from them stood the ass,\nwith his elongated head thrust into a stone manger excavated in the\nsolid rock. This order of domestic architecture throws light upon the\napparent discrepancies of Matthew and Luke. The former mentions a house\nin connection with our Lord\u2019s birth;[331] the latter a manger, thereby\nsupposing a stable.[332] But the historians refer to two distinct\nevents\u2015\u2015St. Luke, to the night of the Savior\u2019s birth; St. Matthew, to\nthe visit of the Magi, which occurred some time later. Mary and her son\nmay then have found room in the inn; or, if the visit of the wise men\nwas simultaneous with that of the shepherds, St. Matthew alludes to a\nhouse with a stable under the same roof, and the entrance to which was\nthrough the main door of the dwelling.\n\nBethlehem may be viewed with a pleasing confidence as the city where\n\u201cGod was manifested in the flesh,\u201d and that from a place so humble\ninfluences have gone forth affecting the present condition and future\nhopes of the entire race. Since that wondrous child was born, empires\nhave passed away and generations have descended to the grave. Of that\nrenowned empire, whose proud emperor summoned Mary to perform a journey\nof eighty miles in the rains of December, not a fragment remains; and\nof the Herods who waylaid his infancy and persecuted his manhood, not\na descendant reigns over an inch of the broad earth. But the kingdom\nof Christ endures, his subjects people both hemispheres, and the song\nof the Bethlehem songsters is yet to be the anthem of a redeemed world.\n\nThe situation of Bethlehem is peculiar. Located on a narrow ridge\nprojecting eastward from the central mountain range, and breaking down\nin the form of terraced slopes, it is bounded on the east, north, and\nsouth by deep valleys. Constructed of white limestone, well built,\nsquare in form, and crowned with small domes, the buildings rise above\neach other in somewhat regular gradations. The streets are few and\nnarrow, and though the city is not surrounded with a wall, it has\ntwo gates, which are closed at night. Sweeping in graceful curves\naround the ridge, and regular in their ascent as stairs, the well-kept\nterraces are adorned with the vines of Eshcol, and with fig and\nolive-trees. Extending from the base of the hill toward the south and\neast are the fertile plains where Ruth gleaned, and where the glory of\nthe Lord shone around the peaceful shepherds.\n\nNumbering over three thousand souls, the modern Bethlehemites are\nsuperior in their appearance to the citizens of any other town in\nPalestine. The men are of light complexion, with finely developed\nforms, and, in their affable demeanor and noble bearing toward the\n\u201cstranger within their gates,\u201d are not unworthy descendants of Boaz.\nIn the regularity of their features, the freshness of their complexion,\nand the sweetness of their countenance, the women are not unlike those\nof America; and as if the Savior had bequeathed the beauty of his\nchildhood to the children of his native city, they are exceedingly\nfair. So thoroughly Christian in sentiment are the inhabitants,\nthat no Moslem is allowed a residence within the town. The Cross is\nunrivaled by the Crescent, and Christ reigns supreme where he was born.\nWhile most of the people are either peasants or shepherds, others are\nthe manufacturers of \u201cpious wares,\u201d such as beads, crosses, rings,\ncrucifixes, and models of the Holy Sepulchre, wrought out of olive-wood\nand mother-of-pearl.\n\nFive miles to the southeast from Bethlehem is Herodium, the tomb\nof Herod the Great. Cherishing an ambition that knew no bounds, and\nrivaling Solomon in the magnificence of his reign and in the splendor\nof the cities of his kingdom, Herod sought renown in life by the power\nof his name and the perpetuity of his fame in death, by rearing for\nhimself a mausoleum which he vainly hoped would have continued complete\nto the latest generation. Conscious of the vicissitudes to which his\nempire city was subject, and knowing that as he himself had rifled the\nsepulchre of David, his in turn might be plundered, he prepared for\nhimself a tomb of great strength, far from human habitation. A ride\nof more than an hour brought us to the grave of this most execrable of\nmonarchs. Being the last position held by the Crusaders after the fall\nof Jerusalem, the hill bears the traditional name of \u201cFrank Mountain;\u201d\nbut, from the supposed luxurious life of Herod, the Arabs call it Jebel\nFureidis, or \u201cLittle Paradise Hill.\u201d Josephus, however, designates\nit Herodium, after the founder of the city which crowned its summit.\nAccording to him, it is sixty stadia from Jerusalem, and was designed\nby Herod to be a military outpost, protecting the inhabitants of the\ninland towns from the depredations of the Bedouins of Engedi, and\nalso to serve as a palatial retreat for the king and his court. Having\nsubserved the double purpose of war and pleasure, it at length fell\nbefore the powerful arms of Lucilius Bassus.[333]\n\n Illustration: TOMB OF HEROD THE GREAT\u2015\u2015HERODIUM.\n\nRising in the form of a truncated cone 400 feet from the crest of a\nround isolated ridge, it resembles, when viewed from the plain below,\nsome grand catafalco. The ascent is up a circular path, and the view\nfrom the summit imposing. Through openings in the cliffs the Dead Sea\nis seen to the east; two miles to the southwest is the small town of\nTekoa, the home of the wise woman whom Joab called to plead before\nDavid in behalf of Solomon,[334] and the birthplace of the Prophet\nAmos;[335] and to the northwest are the white walls and domes of\nBethlehem. At its northern base is a reservoir 200 feet square, from\nthe centre of which rises a mound of earth like an island in a lake,\nand near it are traces of the aqueduct, which conveyed the water from\na great distance. The summit is an area 750 feet in circumference,\nsurrounded by a ruined wall of large hewn stones, with a massive square\ntower at each angle. Within this inclosure are many vaults, and the\nwalls of what appears to have been an amphitheatre. The latter is in\nthe form of a three-quarter circle, and on the south side are three\nlarge blocks of limestone, so arranged as to suggest the idea that\nthey were the royal seats from which Herod and his courtiers beheld\nthe dramatic and equestrian feats so pleasing to Oriental kings. To\nthe northwest of this structure is a large vault, which I succeeded in\nentering by creeping through a narrow opening. The roof is a beautiful\nraised dome, with a circular keystone in the centre, and on the sides\nare doors leading to other chambers. On the very summit of the hill is\nthe Tomb of Herod. It is a vaulted chamber of hewn limestone, fifteen\nfeet long, twelve wide, and ten deep. Dying at Jericho, the royal\nmonster was here interred, amid the scene of his crimes and folly.\nProfound silence now reigns where once the noise of revelry was heard,\nand, unhonored and unlamented, the dust of the proud Idumean is trodden\nby the foot of the transient traveler and the wild Arabs of Engedi,\nwhile in sight of his sepulchre the domes and towers of the city in\nwhich he sought to slay the \u201cyoung child\u201d rise up toward the throne\nof the world\u2019s Redeemer as the monuments of the birthplace of Him who\n\u201cliveth for evermore.\u201d\n\nOne of the wildest, roughest roads in Palestine leads from Herodium to\nthe Cave of Adullam, where David and his men were secreted when pursued\nby Saul, and where \u201cevery one that was in distress, and every one that\nwas in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves\nunto him, and he became a captain over them, and there were with him\nabout four hundred men.\u201d[336] From this cave his three \u201cmighty men\u201d\nbroke through the lines of the Philistines who garrisoned Bethlehem,\nand, drawing water from the well that David loved so much, and which\nstill exists, brought it in triumph to their chief;[337] and from here\nhe took his parents across the Jordan, to place them in the care of his\nkinsmen of Moab.[338]\n\nDescending over ledges of rocks to the bottom of a deep ravine, dry\nand barren, and walled in by perpendicular mountains 1000 feet high,\nwe found ourselves in one of the grandest gorges in the Wilderness\nof Judea, where the solitude is unbroken by human habitation. In the\nface of the rocks are vast caverns, partly excavated by the winds and\npartly by the band of robbers whose dens they were. Winding round rocky\nprojections and crossing wilder ravines, we reached at noon the foot\nof the ascent of the opposite mountain range, in the side of which,\n400 feet above us, was the cave of Adullam. Compelled by the intense\nheat and the impossibility of finding a path to leave our horses, we\nadvanced single file, now leaping yawning gulfs, now clambering over\nsmooth-faced rocks, and again skirting some dangerous precipice.\n\nIt was past noon when the advanced guide cried out \u201cKureit\u00fbn!\u201d In front\nof the cave were three immense boulders, over whose smooth slanting\nsides only goats could apparently pass; but we had endured too much\nto be thwarted by such obstacles. One leap brought us flat upon the\nfirst rock, another on the second, a third into the mouth of the cave.\nTurning round, I looked down upon a scene of complete desolation.\nNo mountain pine waved its green foliage as in Alpine solitudes; no\nwaterfall delighted the ear with its music; no feathered songster\nawakened the slumbering echoes of the glen. Entering the cave through\na passage-way six feet high, four wide, and thirty long, but which soon\ncontracted to such dimensions as to compel us first to stoop and then\nto creep, we at length found ourselves in the hiding-place of David.\nOwing to the curve in the entrance, no sunlight ever penetrates this\ndismal abode. Lighting our candles, we began to explore. We found\nthe interior divided into chambers, halls, galleries, and dungeons,\nconnected by intricate passage-ways. The chief hall is 120 feet\nlong and fifty wide; the ceiling is high and arched, ornamented with\npendents resembling stalactites, and from the walls extend sharp\nprojections, on which the ancient warriors hung their arms. The effect\nwas grand as our tapers revealed each irregular arch, graceful pendent,\nand sharp projection, giving the whole the appearance of a grand Gothic\nhall. Lateral passages radiate in every direction from this chamber,\nbut ultimately converge in a central room. Threading one by one these\nlabyrinthian alleys, I became separated from the guide, and felt no\nlittle trepidation till I heard him respond to my call. The darkness\nand silence were oppressive, and the seclusion and intricacies of the\ncave would have baffled any attempt of Saul to capture the object of\nhis pursuit. From the side of the first chamber we reached a pit ten\nfeet deep, and from it a low, narrow alley, 210 feet long, leads to\nanother hall, the inner _sanctum_, where David held his secret councils.\nOn the walls are the names of a few explorers, and among them that of\na romantic Irish lady. Though this appeared to be the end of the great\ncave, yet the guide spoke of a secret passage to Tekoa and Hebron.\n\nThe only difficulty in identifying this cave with the one David\noccupied is the fact that two Adullams are mentioned in the Bible\u2015\u2015one\non the borders of Philistia, and the other among the cities of Judea.\nA hundred feet above the cavern are the ruins of a city, probably the\nsite of the Jud\u00e6an Adullam, from which the cave takes its name. And\nthree scriptural facts seem to place the question beyond dispute:\nDavid\u2019s escape from Gath,[339] the reception of his father\u2019s house,\n[340] and the draught of water which his \u201cmighty men\u201d obtained for him\nat the peril of their lives,[341] all of which favor this location\nrather than the one in an enemy\u2019s country.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER VIII.\n\n En Route for Hebron. \u2015\u2015 Travelers. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Scenery. \u2015\u2015\n Ancient Travelers. \u2015\u2015 Evening. \u2015\u2015 Gray\u2019s Elegy. \u2015\u2015 Search\n for Lodgings. \u2015\u2015 Hebron. \u2015\u2015 Its Name. \u2015\u2015 Origin. \u2015\u2015 Home of\n Abraham. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Location of the City and its Environs.\n \u2015\u2015 Pools. \u2015\u2015 Cave of Machpelah. \u2015\u2015 The Mosque over it. \u2015\u2015\n Tombs of the Patriarchs and their Wives. \u2015\u2015 Prince of Wales.\n \u2015\u2015 Isaac still Lives. \u2015\u2015 Identity of the Cave. \u2015\u2015 Evidence.\n \u2015\u2015 United in Death. \u2015\u2015 Beersheba. \u2015\u2015 Its ancient Wells. \u2015\u2015\n Events of the Past. \u2015\u2015 Changeless Customs. \u2015\u2015 Abraham and the\n Angels. \u2015\u2015 Dining with an Arab Sheikh. \u2015\u2015 Grapes of Eshcol. \u2015\u2015\n Abraham\u2019s Oak. \u2015\u2015 Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Pool of Solomon. \u2015\u2015 His Aqueduct.\n \u2015\u2015 Plains of Rephaim.\n\n\nIT was four o\u2019clock, one Friday afternoon in the month of March, when\nwe issued from the western portal of Bethlehem on our way to Hebron.\nWe had dined at a small German inn within the town, and from the\nproprietor I had obtained a spirited horse, though at an exorbitant\nprice. The descent from the hill on which the city stands is rapid and\ndifficult. In less than half an hour we reached the Pools of Solomon,\nbut the day was too far advanced to examine them with care. Many\ntravelers were on their way to northern cities, some on camels, some on\nasses, some on foot. Salutations were exchanged as we passed each other,\nand their appearance indicated both kindness and thrift. The men were\nattired in loose flowing robes, with sandals and turbans; the women in\nblue garments, and a white sheet enveloping their person; a thin veil\nwas drawn closely around the lower part of the face, just above which\ntheir black lustrous eyes were peering. It was a strange sight to an\nAmerican to see men riding and women walking; but in the land of Sarah,\nRachel, and Mary, where the highest honor ever bestowed upon our race\nwas conferred upon a woman, her degradation is no less true than sad.\n\nBeyond the Pools the country rapidly improved in fertility and beauty.\nThough hilly, the land was not mountainous; and though the relative\nposition of hill and valley was not regular, yet this confusion added\ninterest to the scene. The vales were green with grains and grasses;\nthe hills were covered with groves of fruit-trees; and along the\nhighway were wells and fountains of cool water. As we advanced the\nscenery became picturesque. Now the valleys ran tortuously between\nthe mountains; now ridges of Jura limestone rose on either hand;\nnow dwarfed oaks and wild flowers covered hill and vale, while every\nwhere were visible ancient terraces and ruined towers, the evidence of\nformer cultivation and of a larger population. But the pleasures of the\njourney were lessened by the condition of the roads, which were crooked\nand uneven, broken and stony. Sections of the old Roman highway remain,\nbut by the neglect of twelve centuries this once famous road, over\nwhich the Roman chariot rolled, has been so damaged that those \u201croyal\nroad-makers\u201d would now disown it as the work of their hands. Yet even\nan inconvenience so great was forgotten in the recollection that over\nthis same road Abraham had passed with Isaac to the Land of Moriah,\nJacob had fled from the face of Esau, David had ridden in triumph to\nJerusalem, and the Holy Family had hastened to Egypt to escape the\nmurdering minions of Herod.\n\nThe day was far gone as we neared the home of the Patriarchs. The sun\nwas fast sinking into the blue waters of the Mediterranean; the Hebron\nHills were casting their lengthening shadows over the vineyards of\nEshcol, and the wild flowers, blooming along the path, were closing\ntheir tiny petals \u201cbeneath the kisses of night.\u201d It was such an hour\nand such a scene as the plaintive bard has embalmed in immortal verse:\n\n \u201cThe lowing herd winds slowly o\u2019er the lea,\n The plowman homeward plods his weary way,\n And leaves the world to darkness and to me.\n\n * * * * *\n\n \u201cNow fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,\n And all the air a solemn stillness holds,\n Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,\n And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds.\u201d[342]\n\n Illustration: HEBRON.\n\nA solitary light shone from the minaret of Hebron as we entered its\nancient portal. \u201cStrangers in a strange land,\u201d we sat down upon the\nstone pavement, waiting the return of our dragoman, whom, in the\nabsence of a hotel, we had dispatched to search for lodgings in a\nprivate dwelling. Weary and hungry, we waited till nine o\u2019clock for\nhis return, being closely watched by the Hebronites, and, in turn, we\nwatched the progress of a little courtship between a pretty Jewess and\na young Israelite\u2015\u2015she coquettishly peeping through a latticed window,\nhe standing beneath it, catching the smiles and accents of love.\n\nA Polish Jew had been persuaded to receive us into his house, but as\nit was Friday night, the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, the family\nrefused to prepare us food, or do any thing for our comfort which\nrequired work. Our host\u2019s name was Jonah, a most unpromising fact.\nAccording to the style of Polish Jews, he wore yellow robes trimmed\nwith fur, and a high round fur cap. His wife was elegantly attired, and\nwas a person of more than ordinary beauty, which was not true of the\nother ladies of the family. Their house was near the Cave of Machpelah,\nand built of gray limestone. The room we occupied was in the second\nstory; the ceiling was arched, and on the sides of the apartment was a\nraised platform, which served us as a couch. We had eaten nothing since\nwe left Bethlehem; our host\u2019s religion would not allow him to relieve\nour hunger, and, while we sent for a little Mohammedan maid to prepare\nthe meal, I thought on our Lord\u2019s parable of the ass in a ditch on the\nSabbath-day.\n\nHebron comes from Kirjath-Arba\u2015\u2015city of Arba\u2015\u2015from Arba, who was\nfather of Anak, and progenitor of the giants called Anakims. At a\nlater period it received the name of Mamre, in honor of Mamre, the\nAmorite, the friend and ally of Abraham. It now bears the Arabic name\nof El-Khul\u00eal, \u201cThe Friend of God,\u201d evidently referring to the \u201cFather\nof the Faithful.\u201d Hebron is older than the oldest authentic history.\nAccording to Moses, Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in\nEgypt.[343] But when was Zoan built? Seven years after Hebron! This\nindefinite answer leaves us to infer that Hebron is among the oldest\ncities in the world, having a greater antiquity than Damascus. Though\nits earliest history is obscure, its identity with the home of the\npatriarchs is unquestioned. Subsequently to his separation from Lot at\nBethel, Abraham pitched his tent on the Plains of Mamre.[344] Hither\ncame the fugitive from the battle of the kings, and informed him of the\ncapture of his nephew.[345] From these peaceful pasture-fields he went\nforth with 318 trained servants, born in his own house, and, pursuing\nthe victors unto Dan, there retook his relative.[346] It was here,\nwhile sitting in his tent door, as old men are accustomed now to sit,\nthat three angels in human form came to his tent, one to promise him a\nson, the others to pass on and destroy the \u201ccities of the plain;\u201d[347]\nand, ascending the eastern hill early the next morning, he saw the\nsmoke of the country that went up as the smoke of a furnace.[348] Here,\nin harmony with the renewal of a covenant previously formed, and in\nobedience to the Lord\u2019s command, he and all the males of his house\nwere circumcised. Here is the scene of the unhappy story of Hagar and\nIshmael,[349] and, years later, of the birth of Isaac. Here Sarah died,\nand in the cave of Machpelah Abraham interred his beloved wife.[350]\nYears after, the prince of patriarchs was laid by her side; and, in the\ntermination of generations, Isaac and Rebecca,[351] Leah and Jacob,[352]\ndescended to this abode of death. Two and a half centuries subsequent\nto the demise of Jacob, the good Caleb rested in peace and honor in\nHebron;[353] and, 400 years later, David here inaugurated a long and\nprosperous reign, and held his court during seven and a half years.[354]\nBut in less than 1000 years thereafter the home of the patriarchs and\nthe seat of royalty became the theatre of the most horrid tragedies of\nwar. Here, beside the graves of their fathers, and beneath the noble\noaks on the ancestral plain, thousands of Jewish captives were brought\nfrom Jerusalem by the victorious Romans and sold into slavery.\n\nHaving an elevation of 28,000 feet above the sea, the modern town of\nHebron is beautifully situated in the Valley of Eshcol. Extending north\nand south, and spreading out over the slopes of the neighboring hills,\nthe city is divided by gardens into two sections, the main portion\nlying on the eastern slope, surmounted by the lofty wall of the Haram.\nTo the north, on the declivities of the western hills, is a large\ncemetery. The graves of ordinary persons are marked by a circle of\nstones, while the tombs of distinguished individuals are designated\nby heaps of small stones, thrown together by friends and admirers to\nperpetuate their memory. The hills that bound the city on the east\nand west are not high, but graceful and rolling. To the northwest they\nare thickly covered with olive-groves, orchards of fruit-trees, and\nvineyards, each with a watch-tower for shelter and protection. There\nis nothing in the architecture of the town to awaken admiration. Like\nthe buildings in the suburbs of Damascus, the dwellings are of gray\nlimestone, with flat roofs, and surmounted by one or two domes. Unlike\nJerusalem, the city has no walls, though at the entrance of the chief\nthoroughfares there are gates, which are closed at night, and carefully\nguarded during the day. The streets are nothing more than paved\nalleys, and would be vastly improved by an occasional cleansing.\nThough subject to Mohammedan control, Hebron is a thoroughly Jewish\ncity. The population is estimated at 10,000, 500 of whom are Polish\nJews. There is not a resident Christian in Hebron. The citizens live\nby cultivating fruit-groves and vineyards; by a small mercantile trade;\nand by the manufacture of water skin-bottles and colored glass trinkets,\nsuch as rings and bracelets, which find a ready market among this\nsimple-hearted people.\n\nIn a country where water is scarce, and the mechanical art is in a\nrude condition, the pools and fountains of the wiser and more opulent\nancients are preserved with care. The traveler is therefore not\nsurprised to find himself standing beside fountains as old as the reign\nof David. In the southern part of the vale, where the buildings stretch\nacross the valley from east to west, is the pool over which were hanged\nthe murderers of Ishbosheth.[355] It is a square tank, solidly built\nof large hewn stones, measuring 130 feet on each side and fifty deep;\nand in the northern section of the town there is another reservoir,\neighty-five feet long, fifty-five broad, and eighteen deep.\n\nBut the chief attraction in Hebron, alike to the Christian, the Jew,\nand the Moslem, is the cave of Machpelah, now bearing the Arabic name\nof El-Khul\u00eel\u2015\u2015\u201cThe Friend of God.\u201d Approaching it with a reverence\nalmost religious, with head uncovered, and with emotions excited by\nthe hallowed associations of the place, I had hoped to have entered\nits precincts, and to have read the Bible story of its purchase and\nof the interment of the patriarchal families, but a Moslem fanaticism,\nas inhuman as it is irreligious, drove me from the sacred inclosure.\nWhat a stinging rebuke to such conduct is found in the courtesy, the\njustice, the goodness displayed by Abraham in the purchase of the field\nfrom the sons of Heth! His memory should soften religious asperities;\nhis character should pacify the rage of fanaticism; his spirit should\nharmonize the discordant elements of sectarian strife; but a Moslem\nis too selfish, too bigoted, too depraved to rise to such sublime\nconceptions.\n\nThe field containing the cave of Machpelah is located on the higher\nslope of the eastern hill, and is now inclosed by a massive wall fifty\nfeet high, the lower portion of which, to the height of forty feet,\nis of Jewish construction, and the upper part is of Saracenic origin,\nwith a minaret at each angle. The wall has an ancient appearance, being\nconstructed of large beveled stones hewn smooth, and extends north and\nsouth 200 feet, and 115 east and west. The exterior is ornamented with\nsquare pilasters, sixteen on each side, eight at each angle, which,\nwithout capitals, support a cornice extending the whole length of the\nstructure. The wall is solid, without window or aperture except at the\nangles of the northern end, where are the chief entrances, reached by\nbroad flights of steps, of gentle ascent, leading to the court within.\nWithin this mural inclosure stands a mosque, once a Byzantine church,\nwhich, like the Church of St. Sophia in Constantinople and the Church\nof Justinian in Jerusalem, has been essentially altered and dedicated\nto Mohammed. Beneath it is the cave of Machpelah, and within it are the\nmonumental shrines of the patriarchal dead. Within a small chapel, on\nthe right, is the cenotaph in honor of Abraham, and directly opposite,\nin a similar recess, is the shrine of Sarah. Each is inclosed by an\niron railing, and guarded by a silver gate. That of the father of the\nfaithful consists of a coffin-like-structure, six feet high, built\nof plastered marble, draped with three carpets of a green color,\nembroidered with gold, while over that of Sarah is spread a pall. On\nthe sides of the mosque, midway the building, and immediately opposite\neach other, are the monumental tombs of Isaac and Rebecca. Like those\nof their parents, they are placed within chapels, in the walls of which\nare windows, protected by iron bars. In a separate cloister, opposite\nthe entrance of the mosque, in corresponding recesses, are the tombs of\nJacob and Leah. Over that of the former are green-colored carpets of a\ncoarse texture; against that of the latter recline two war-banners of\nthe same hue.\n\nRegarding these tombs with a superstitious veneration in keeping with\nthe spirit and teachings of their religion, and with a fanaticism that\nwould lead to the instant death of an intruder, the Moslems reverence\nthem as among their holiest shrines. Until the year 1862, admittance\nwas absolutely refused to Jew and Christian, except to architects,\nwho were allowed to enter to repair the structure; but, thanks to\nthe intelligence, the power, and perseverance of the Prince of Wales,\nthe bar of seclusion from this most sacred and interesting place has\nbeen removed; and though at present the relaxation is slight, yet\nthe ultimate effect of the prince\u2019s visit must be the removal of all\nrestraint, at least so far as to admit the ordinary traveler to the\nsacred inclosure, as he is now admitted to the Mosque of Omar, for a\nsmall fee, which formerly was as sacredly guarded. Moslem cupidity can\nnot brook the temptations of gold.\n\nCanon Stanley, who accompanied the prince, has recorded, with his usual\nelegance of diction, some thrilling illustrations of the superstition\nand almost religious awe with which the guardians of the Mosque regard\nthese patriarchal shrines. \u201cThe princes of any other nation,\u201d said\nthe chief santon, \u201cshould have passed over my dead body sooner than\nenter; but to the eldest son of the Queen of England we are willing to\naccord even this privilege.\u201d And, as the party entered the silver gate\nguarding the tomb of Abraham, the priest ejaculated, \u201cO Friend of God,\nforgive this intrusion.\u201d Maintaining even in death their rigid rule\nof the exclusion of male visitors from the society of their females,\nnot even the Crown Prince of England was permitted to approach the\ncenotaphs of Sarah and her female descendants. The patriarchs being\nregarded as still existing in a state of suspended animation, and\ncapable of resenting any indignity offered to their sepulchres, or\nthe presence of any unwelcome visitor, the prince\u2019s party was denied\nadmittance to the tomb of Isaac, who, according to the santon, being\nunlike his kind-hearted father, and more easily exasperated, would\narise and drive out any but those congenial to his spirit.\n\nBeneath the Mosque is the sacred cave where rest in peace the remains\nof the eminent dead, and where to this day may still repose intact\nthe embalmed body of Jacob. Machpelah signifying \u201cdouble,\u201d the cave\nconsists of two compartments, separated by a wall of native rock. To\nits sepulchral vaults there are three entrances\u2015\u2015one in the northwest\ncorner, close to the western wall; a second in the court, opposite the\nentrance-gate of the Mosque; and a third near the shrine of Abraham.\nBelieving, like the Catholics, in the intercession of saints, the\nMoslems throw their petitions to the patriarchs[356] through the latter\naperture.\n\nOf the identity of this spot with the cave of Machpelah there can\nnot be a reasonable doubt. In the days of Josephus it was marked by\na memorial erected by Abraham himself, and from his time both Jews,\nChristians, and Moslems have in turn been the faithful guardians of\nthe patriarchal tomb. Its identity is avouched by the belief of the\nJews themselves, and around its venerable walls the despised descendant\nof the illustrious patriarchs now chants his prayers, and laments the\ndeparted glory of the once mighty kingdom of his renowned ancestors.\nThreatened with instant death should his devotion or temerity lead him\nto cross the threshold, he is only permitted, on certain occasions, to\nlook through an aperture in the massive wall upon the spot where rest\nin peace those who were mighty in their day and generation, but who, in\nthe helplessness of death, can bring no relief to a posterity who have\nabandoned their altars, and rejected the long-promised and now exalted\nMessiah.\n\nThere was something touching in the thought that I stood beside the\nfamily vault of those who had long lived together in the happy estate\nof matrimony, and there was even enjoyment in the reflection that God\nhad vindicated the duality and unity of marriage in the grave. Here,\nside by side, sleep Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and\nLeah. Hagar and Keturah are not with Sarah, and Rachel is not with her\nsister Leah. Is this separation in death God\u2019s reproof to Jacob for\nhis dissatisfaction with Leah? Though the reasons that determined him\nto inter his beautiful Rachel in a common field by the roadside are\nunknown to us, and though Hebron is less than twenty miles distant from\nEphrath, yet it is somewhat remarkable that in after years she was not\nexhumed and laid in the family tomb of Machpelah. Was Jacob unwilling\nto divide his grave with the daughters of Laban? or, conscious of the\npurity and singleness of his affection for Rachel, would he have her\nalone even in death? By the highway her solitary tomb remains, and, as\nif impressed with the patriarch\u2019s wish, his descendants have made no\ninterments on the spot.\n\nInseparably connected with Hebron is Beersheba, which is less\nthan forty miles to the south. The road thither is hilly, and the\njourney toilsome; but, on approaching the well that Abraham dug, the\npasture-fields of the patriarchs stretch out before the eye in all\ntheir native beauty and richness. Covering an area half a mile in\nlength and a quarter of a mile in breadth are fragments of pottery,\nremains of foundations, and traces of a stone wall, the date of which\nis unknown, called by Moses Beer-sheba, \u201cWell of the Oath,\u201d because\nof the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech, and by the Arabs B\u00eer\nes-Seb\u2019a, \u201cWell of the Seven,\u201d because of the seven ewe-lambs the\nformer gave the latter: the modern name corresponds with the Bible\ndesignation. Having a diameter of twelve and a half feet, and a depth\nof forty-four feet to the surface of the water, this well is excavated\nin the living rock, and contains an abundance of pure fresh water.\n\nAround this well what thrilling memories cluster! Departing from Hebron\nafter the conflagration of Sodom, Abraham planted here a grove, whose\nfruit he gathered, and beneath whose shade he worshiped.[357] Here\nIsaac spent his happy youth, rejoicing in the smiles of honored parents,\nand here his father received the command to offer the child of promise\nas a burnt-offering.[358] After the demise of his mother, here Isaac\nreceived his bride Rebekah; and Beersheba became the scene of that\nsad episode in domestic life, the fraud of Jacob in obtaining Esau\u2019s\nbirthright.[359] Here, in manhood, those brothers were estranged by a\nmother\u2019s folly, and from this ancestral abode Jacob fled to Haran.[360]\nAfter the lapse of seventy-five years he was here again, and offered\nsacrifices prior to his departure into Egypt, whence he was brought\nback with funeral honors such as only kings receive.[361] Threatened\nby the infatuated Jezebel, hither Elijah fled, and, sitting beneath\nthe shade of a juniper-tree, requested for himself that he might\ndie.[362] And here was the southern boundary of the Promised Land,\nwhose uttermost limits, in the earlier history of the nation, were\nfrom \u201cDan to Beersheba.\u201d\n\nIn a land where social and domestic customs never change, the scenes\nof historic associations possess an interest that never fails. The\nadvanced civilization of Europe has there left to the traveler the\nruins of renowned cities, without perpetuating the customs of their\ncitizens. The temples, palaces, and dwellings of the Greeks and\nRomans remain, attesting the genius, elegance, and wealth of their age,\nbut the social habits of the inhabitants of Athens and Rome bear no\nresemblance to those of their superior ancestors. In Italy and Greece\none feels himself in an ancient country surrounded by a modern people,\nand, to re-live the past, he must forsake the present. But in the East,\nwhere a \u201cthousand years are but as one day\u201d\u2015\u2015where the stereotyped life\nof the patriarchs is the every-day life of the Arabs\u2015\u2015where intonations\nof voice, peculiarities of gesture, modes of salutation, styles of\ndress, habits of business, customs of domestic life, and where the\ntent, the meal, the fold are the same, the only difference is in the\nchange of the persons who now occupy the homes of those whose memory\nwe cherish, whose examples we imitate, and whose faith we aspire\nto attain. Accustomed to the slow and regular processes of nature,\npossessing power rather than capacity, and clinging to experience as\nsomething immutable, those who live by the cultivation of the soil\nlook with suspicion upon novelties, regard innovations with dread,\nand are the last to change. The incoming of Franks into Eastern cities\ninsensibly affects the manners of society; but here, on the patriarchal\npasture-fields of Mamre and Beersheba, the domestic life of to-day is\nthe same as it was 4000 years ago.\n\nIn crossing the great Plain of Wady esh-Sheikh, in Arabia, _en route_\nfor Mount Sinai, Sheik Hassan, the chief of a tribe of Tawarahs,\ninvited us to dine at his tent. It was noon when, from the backs of\nour camels, we espied the encampment to the southward. Nine tents of\ncamel\u2019s hair were arranged in a line, supported by rude poles. Those\nfor the females were impenetrable to the eye of strangers, while those\nfor the males consisted merely of a roof, with the sides and ends open.\nOn reaching the tent prepared for our reception, our camels knelt, we\ndismounted, and the sheikh\u2019s father, a man of eighty years, rose to\ngreet us, and bowed himself to the ground in an attitude of profound\nrespect.[363] Mats were spread for us to sit upon, and water was\nbrought to wash our hands and feet.[364] To the east of this tented\nhome Hassan\u2019s daughters were keeping his flocks, as Rachel had kept\nthose of Laban nearly forty centuries ago.[365] A young man was sent\nto the fold to fetch a kid, tender and good, and, having dressed it,\ncarried it into the tent to Hassan\u2019s wife, who cooked it with milk\nand rice. The rice and meat were brought on two large wooden plates\ninto our tent, and set before us on a small stool less than a foot\nhigh. Without knife, fork, or spoon, we returned to the days before\nthe invention of such instruments, and with our fingers begun to eat,\nwhile the sheikh respectfully stood up, attentive to our wants.[366] It\nbeing a breach of Arab etiquette to inquire after the health of a wife,\nwe were not permitted to ask for Sarah as the angels did.[367]\n\nHad the dinner Abraham prepared for the three angels on the plains\nof Mamre been dramatized, the correspondence could hardly have been\nmore exact. The tent-life; this distant field; the pressing invitation\nto dine; the water for the ablution of our hands and feet; the going\nto the field for a kid; handing it to a servant to dress it; the meal\nitself; the sheikh standing up while we ate; the seclusion of the\nfemales gave a lifelike reality to the sacred story.\n\nLike the patriarchs of old, these Bedouin sheikhs lead a predatory life,\nmoving their tents from place to place, according to the climate, and\nthe demands of their herds and flocks. But in wealth, in hospitality,\nin reputation, in purity of character, in devotion, in intellect, in\nnobility of nature, the modern Arab chief holds no comparison with the\nexalted nature, the high-toned character, and the Christian-like piety\nof the prince of the patriarchs.\n\nAs in the days of the Hebrew spies, the Vale of Hebron is still famous\nfor the delicious grapes of Eshcol.[368] Extending up the valley for\nmore than a mile, and covering the sloping hills on either side, these\ncelebrated vineyards are cultivated with care, and are a source of\nconsiderable revenue to the proprietors. Unlike our vineyards, those\nof Eshcol have no arbors. The vines are planted in rows, from eight to\nten feet apart in each direction. When they attain a height of six feet\nthey are attached to a stake, placed in a sloping position, and the\nshoots extending from vine to vine form a long and graceful festoon.\nOccasionally two opposite rows are purposely inclined toward each\nother, forming with their branches a natural arbor. After vintage, in\nlate autumn, all the shoots are pruned off, and the stocks are cut down\nwithin a few feet of the ground, leaving an ungainly and apparently\ndead trunk; but the returning spring brings forth again the tender\nleaf, and the coming summer matures the luscious grape for the autumnal\nvintage. In each vineyard there is a lodge, or stone tower, from which\nthe watchman keeps guard against the depredations of beasts and the\nincursions of robbers. During the vintage season the town is deserted;\nthe people retire to these towers, each one sitting beneath his own\nvine and fig-tree,[369] and dividing the time between the gathering of\nthe fruitage and the enjoyments of the annual festival. As the Moslems,\nwho are the principal proprietors, are not allowed by their Koran to\nmake wine, the grapes are either dried into raisins, or they are first\npressed, and the juice is then boiled down into a sirup called d\u00eebs,\nnot unlike molasses, but of a more delightful flavor and delicious\ntaste. It was to these vineyards the spies came, and from them they\ncarried bunches of the grapes to Moses and their brethren as evidence\nof the fruitfulness of the Promised Land. Their journey was long,\nfatiguing, and perilous. Leaving Kadesh Barnea, in the Desert of Paran,\nthey entered the Jordan Valley, and followed the river northward to\nLake Tiberias, and, winding round its northern shore, entered the upper\nvalley of the Jordan, pursuing their journey as far as Rehob, near\nDan, as men come to Hamath; thence returning through the midst of the\nland by Tabor, across the great plain of Esdraelon, over the hills of\nSamaria, through the vale of Shechem, by Jacob\u2019s well, over the heights\nof Benjamin and Judah, by Shiloh, Bethel, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, to\nHebron. Here flows the brook Eshcol, from which they drank, and from\nthe vines along its banks they cut down a branch with one cluster of\ngrapes, \u201cand they bare it between two upon a staff.\u201d To those who live\nin more northern climates, this story of the enormous size and great\nweight of a single bunch of grapes must seem incredible; but, whatever\nmay be the degeneracy of the Syrian grape, through centuries of neglect,\nthe proof is abundant that in southern latitudes grapes grow to an\nenormous size. According to Pliny, a bunch of African grapes was larger\nthan an infant. Paul Lucas mentions bunches which he saw in Damascus\nweighing forty-five pounds each, and in Naples I have eaten grapes\neach one as large as a plum. The mode, however, adopted by the spies to\ncarry the bunch from Eshcol to Kadesh Barnea was probably not rendered\nnecessary by the size of the cluster so much as by the desire to\npreserve it entire for the benefit of their brethren.[370] Watched by\nthe keen eye of the vine-dresser, we entered the vineyard, and were\nimpressed with the exact correspondence between the one before us and\nthe one described by our Lord: There was a certain householder, which\nplanted a vineyard, hedged it round about, digged a wine-press in it,\nbuilt a tower, and let it out to husbandmen.[371] There were the vines;\naround them was the hedge; within it was the press; yonder stood the\ntower, and by my side toiled the husbandman. Within the same vale are\ngroves of olives, and orchards of figs, and apricots, and quinces,\nand pomegranates. The latter fruit, so frequently referred to in the\nBible, is as sweet to the taste as it is pleasant to the eye. In form\nand size it is not unlike an orange, and in color inclines to a pale\nyellow, tinged with a red blush. They grow upon a thorny bush, with\na tulip-shaped flower of a brilliant red color, and form one of the\nluxuries of the East both to the native and to the stranger. But the\nnoblest of all the trees of Hebron is the remarkable oak of Abraham. It\nstands in the midst of the vineyards, in a clean, smooth spot, covered\nwith soft, fresh grass, and near a well of cool water. It is an oak of\nthe evergreen species, measuring twenty-three feet in girth, and its\nmagnificent branches spread out over a circle ninety feet in diameter.\nSix feet from the ground the trunk separates into four huge branches,\nand, higher up, these in turn spread out into many more. Standing alone,\nit appears to greater advantage, and its lengthened arms, loaded with\nexquisite foliage, affords delightful shade to the weary traveler. Here,\non their festive days, the Jewish maidens and the young men of Hebron\nassemble beneath this ancestral tree to enjoy the rural pleasure of the\nsong and dance. Though of great age, it is still sound and majestic,\nand with it tradition associates many thrilling memories. Standing\non the Plain of Mamre, it probably marks the spot where Abraham\npitched his tent and entertained the angels. Though hardly credible\nthat this terebinth should have remained green and vigorous during the\nlapse of nearly forty centuries, yet it may be cherished as the last\nrepresentative of the sacred forest of Mamre. Fond of contrasts, and\nnever happier than when the extremes of fortune and the ends of time\nmeet in the same scene, the Oriental legendaries point to this noble\noak as the slave-mart where the descendants of Abraham were sold by\ntheir Roman masters into captivity.\n\nPlucking a leaf from the famous oak and a sprig from the vines of\nEshcol, we mounted our horses, and in less than an hour reached the\nruins of Remit el-Khul\u00eel, the house of Abraham. Occupying the summit\nof a mountain ridge, from which the blue waters of the Mediterranean\nwere distinctly seen, they consist of massive stone walls, of rounded\ncolumns now broken, of arched vaults now in ruins, and of a noble well\nhewn out of the solid rock. The two remaining walls are constructed of\nwell-dressed stones, measuring fifteen feet in length, and are in good\ncondition. The wall facing the south extends east and west 290 feet,\nwhile the other, running at right angles with the former, is 160 in\nlength. The well is a perfect circle, with a diameter of ten feet.\nIts sides are faced with smooth dressed stones, from out the joints of\nwhich exquisite ferns were growing. The water is deep, clear, and sweet,\nreflecting the sun by day, and the moon and stars by night. An unsolved\nmystery still hangs over the ruins of Remit el-Khul\u00eel, if ruins they be.\nTheir founder and their age are alike unknown. The Jews point to them\nas marking one of the halting-places of Abraham; the Latin fathers\nof church history ascribe them to Constantine the Great; while others\nattribute them to some unknown person, who would have reared for\nhimself a castle and a palace, but was unable to finish the designed\nplan.\n\nResuming our journey, in half an hour we passed on our right a mosque,\nwhose solitary minaret rose gracefully in honor of the Prophet Jonah,\nwhile to the left, a mile beyond, was a crumbling tower with pointed\narches, and near it an immense fountain, where shepherds were bathing.\nOn either side of the road were excavated tombs, now the haunt of the\nhyena and jackal. The mosque probably marks the site of Halhul, and the\ntower the site of Beth-zur, enumerated by Joshua as among the cities of\nJudah.[372] Fifteen miles to the north from Hebron the valley of Urt\u00e2s\ncrosses the road at right angles, and to the right of the highway are\nthe celebrated Pools of Solomon. To these, and to the lovely gardens\nwhich once environed them, he refers in Ecclesiastes, ii., 5, 6: \u201cI\nmade me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds\nof fruits. I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that\nbringeth forth trees.\u201d Nowhere in the environs of Jerusalem could\nthe wise king have attained the consummation of his wishes to greater\nadvantage than here. Under the horticultural care of a Christian Jew,\nthe valley of Urt\u00e2s has been transformed into a charming garden. What\nwere once rocky hills are now terraced from base to summit, covered\nwith olives, figs, and almonds, while in the bed of the valley are\ngrains and grasses, flowers and vegetables, growing in rich abundance.\nWith his inexhaustible resources, what a scene of beauty must the\nvale of Etham and the neighboring hills have presented in the days\nof Solomon\u2019s strength and glory! But Time, that inexorable destroyer\nof human works, has effaced every trace of his wonderful genius save\nthe pools that bear his name. Both history and tradition point with\nunmistakable accuracy to the imperial founder of these great fountains.\nWith his accustomed love of detail, Josephus refers to the rivulets and\ngardens of Etham, situated fifty stadia to the south from the Holy City,\nwhither Solomon was wont to retire for rural delights; and the Rabbins,\nwith even greater minuteness, describe the aqueduct which conveyed the\nwaters of Urt\u00e2s to Jerusalem.\n\n Illustration: URT\u00c2S.\n\nThese pools consist of three immense reservoirs, situated in a straight\nline one below the other, and so constructed that the bottom of the\nfirst is higher than the top of the second, and the second than that of\nthe third. They are in part excavated in the rocky bed of the valley,\nand in part built of square hewn stones covered with cement, and are\nentered by stone steps excavated in the rock. Measuring 380 feet in\nlength, 236 in breadth, and twenty-five in depth, the upper pool is\nthe smallest of the three. A hundred and sixty feet to the east is the\nmiddle pool, which is 423 feet long, thirty-nine deep, and varies from\n160 to 250 wide. Two hundred and forty-eight feet farther east is the\nlowest and largest reservoir, being 582 feet in length, from 148 to 207\nin width, and fifty feet in depth, and, when full, capable of floating\none of our largest men-of-war. The eastern end of the lowest pool is\nsupported by immense buttresses, in one of which is a chamber, and in\nthe north wall of the first tank is a filter\u2015\u2015a wise precaution. Forty\nrods to the northwest, in an open field, are the perennial sources of\nthese great fountains. Twelve feet below the surface are two vaulted\nchambers, the larger of the two being thirty-seven feet long and twenty\nwide. Springing up at four different places through the bottom of these\nchambers, the water is conducted by little ducts into a large basin,\nfrom which it flows through a subterranean canal to the northwest\ncorner of the first pool, where it is divided, a portion of it flowing\ninto a deep vault near the old castle, and thence being conducted into\nthe first pool, while the remainder is carried by an aqueduct along the\nhill-side, which is so arranged as to send a portion of its water into\nthe second and third pools, and then, descending rapidly, joins the\naqueduct leading from the lowest pool, from which point the water is\nconducted, via Bethlehem, by a sinuous channel to Jerusalem. I know not\nwhich to admire more\u2015\u2015the genius of the architect that conceived such\na complicated work, or the public spirit of the king who supplied the\nmeans for its execution. The original design was to supply the Holy\nCity with pure cool water, and also the Temple service, which demanded\nsuch large quantities. And to obtain a constant and unfailing supply,\nthese tanks bore to each other a mutual relation. When the fountain\nyielded more than was necessary, the surplus was carried into the pools,\nand when the yield was not equal to the demand, the deficiency was\nsupplied from the pools themselves.\n\nThe wind blew hard from the northwest as I traced up the hill-side\nthe ancient aqueduct, repeating those impressive words of the great\nproverbialist, \u201cVanity of vanities, all is vanity.\u201d Like the melancholy\nstrains of a dirge, the winds moaned as they swept round the mountain\nbrow, and the waters sighed as they languidly fell from pool to pool.\nWas it not the requiem of his departed glory? A solitary descendant\nof his mighty kingdom now grubs a living where once his royal gardens\nstood, of whose beauty he sang in all the tenderness of the Canticles;\nand the robber of the desert and the wild Bedouin of the hills now\nbathe in those fountains which once sent murmuring streamlets along\nverdant banks and flowery beds, and supplied the imperial table with\nthe cooling beverage.\n\n Illustration: SOLOMON\u2019S POOLS.\n\nThe aqueduct is constructed of red earthen pipes, covered, for\nprotection, by common limestone flagging. In many places the flagging\nis removed and the pottery broken, to accommodate the traveler with\nwater. To preserve a proper level, it sweeps around the hills and heads\nof the valleys; and, though fatiguing to follow its windings, it repaid\nthe toil, as illustrating the fact that, while the ancients could\nconstruct the most complicated works of masonry, they were ignorant\nof the simple method of conducting water over a level higher than its\nsource. Having followed the aqueduct two miles, we crossed the wild\nvalley of Ta\u2019\u00e2mirah, and reached Bethlehem in time to enjoy a Christian\nwedding. Ten pretty maidens had assembled at the door of the bride, and\nwere singing a simple but sweet melody, accompanied with the clapping\nof hands. Unlike the music of the Moslems, there was a warmth in these\nbridal songs thrilling and joyous. From a scene so happy we passed\nthrough the town, and, a mile from the ancient gateway to the northwest,\nwe came to the tomb of Rachel. \u201cAnd they journey from Bethel; and there\nwas but a little way to come to Ephrath; and Rachel died and was buried\nin the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon\nher grave; that is the pillar of Rachel\u2019s grave unto this day.\u201d[373]\nThe pillar reared to the memory of a beloved wife has given place to a\nsmall white square building, surmounted by a dome. It is a Mohammedan\nwely. Standing by the side of the great road from Jerusalem to Hebron,\nthe site has never been lost, its identity never questioned. Jew,\nChristian, Moslem, equally revere it, and never pass it without some\ntoken of affectionate remembrance. Gathering a few wild flowers growing\nnear the dust of Rachel, we resumed our journey toward Jerusalem. In\nhalf an hour we reached the convent dedicated to Elijah, called M\u00e2r\nEli\u00e2s, and here came upon the new and noble macadamized road, extending\nfrom Bethlehem to Jerusalem, constructed by the monks of M\u00e2r Eli\u00e2s,\nwhich is the first of the kind in Palestine, since the construction\nof a similar road by the French, running from Be\u00eerut to Damascus. The\nwind had increased to a tornado as we swept by the Plain of Rephaim. It\nwas the last object of Biblical interest to heighten the joy of a long\nand interesting tour. Stretching from the rocky brow of Hinnom to the\nConvent of Elias, it gradually declines to the narrow Valley of Roses.\nA mile in length, it is one of the richest plains in the Holy Land. It\nis remarkable in sacred history as the camp of the Philistines in the\ndays of Saul, and as containing a mulberry-grove, now gone, in the tops\nof the trees, of which David heard a \u201csound of a going,\u201d[374] which to\nhim was the signal of war and the p\u00e6an of victory.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER IX.\n\n Land of the Philistines. \u2015\u2015 Its Limits. \u2015\u2015 Fell to the Lot of\n Simeon and Dan. \u2015\u2015 Origin of the Philistines. \u2015\u2015 The meaning\n of the Name. \u2015\u2015 Their royal Cities. \u2015\u2015 Their God and Goddess.\n \u2015\u2015 Journey thither. \u2015\u2015 Valley of Roses. \u2015\u2015 Baptism of the\n Eunuch. \u2015\u2015 Home of John the Baptist. \u2015\u2015 Slaughter of the Jews\n in the City of Bether. \u2015\u2015 Site of Bethshemesh. \u2015\u2015 Home of\n Samson. \u2015\u2015 Village of Zorah. \u2015\u2015 Field where the Angel appeared.\n \u2015\u2015 Town of Timnath. \u2015\u2015 Lair of the Lion. \u2015\u2015 Home of Delilah.\n \u2015\u2015 Oriental Weddings. \u2015\u2015 Valley of Shochoh. \u2015\u2015 Scene of the\n Conflict between David and Goliath. \u2015\u2015 Correspondence between\n Scripture and the natural Features of the Place. \u2015\u2015 The Valley.\n \u2015\u2015 The Brook. \u2015\u2015 The smooth Stones. \u2015\u2015 The Sling. \u2015\u2015 The\n Mountains. \u2015\u2015 The Champions. \u2015\u2015 The Victory. \u2015\u2015 Home of\n Goliath. \u2015\u2015 Gath. \u2015\u2015 David\u2019s feigned Insanity. \u2015\u2015 Road to\n Eleutheropolis. \u2015\u2015 Its Location. \u2015\u2015 Great Caves. \u2015\u2015 Site\n of Lachish. \u2015\u2015 Its great Battle-field. \u2015\u2015 Sennacherib and\n Hezekiah. \u2015\u2015 Byron\u2019s Hebrew Melody. \u2015\u2015 Gaza. \u2015\u2015 Palm-groves.\n \u2015\u2015 Direction of the Road. \u2015\u2015 Site of the City. \u2015\u2015 Modern City.\n \u2015\u2015 Ancient Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Christian Church. \u2015\u2015 Home of Giants. \u2015\u2015\n Gates that Samson carried away. \u2015\u2015 His Prison. \u2015\u2015 The great\n Feast. \u2015\u2015 Samson called. \u2015\u2015 His Presence alarms the Multitude.\n \u2015\u2015 Feats of Strength. \u2015\u2015 Death Scene. \u2015\u2015 He is a Failure.\n \u2015\u2015 Alexander the Great wounded at Gaza. \u2015\u2015 A Moslem City. \u2015\u2015\n Ascalon. \u2015\u2015 Route thither. \u2015\u2015 Stood near the Sea. \u2015\u2015 Ruins. \u2015\u2015\n Desolation. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Adorned by Herod. \u2015\u2015 Captured by\n the Crusaders. \u2015\u2015 Road to Ashdod. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Gardens. \u2015\u2015 No\n Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Dagon and the Ark. \u2015\u2015 Road to Joppa. \u2015\u2015 Villages.\n \u2015\u2015 Joppa on the Sea. \u2015\u2015 Its Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Floats of Pine and\n Cedar. \u2015\u2015 House of Simon. \u2015\u2015 Substantial Structure. \u2015\u2015 Peter\u2019s\n Vision. \u2015\u2015 Appearance of the Town. \u2015\u2015 Gate of the City.\n \u2015\u2015 Population. \u2015\u2015 Jews. \u2015\u2015 Nubian Magician. \u2015\u2015 Magnificent\n Orange-groves. \u2015\u2015 Ramleh. \u2015\u2015 Franciscans. \u2015\u2015 Traditions.\n \u2015\u2015 Antiquities. \u2015\u2015 Tower. \u2015\u2015 View. \u2015\u2015 Ludd. \u2015\u2015 Eneas cured\n of Palsy. \u2015\u2015 Church of St. George. \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Ruin. \u2015\u2015\n Nether Bethhoron. \u2015\u2015 Wretchedness. \u2015\u2015 Upper Bethhoron.\n \u2015\u2015 Battle-field of Gibeon. \u2015\u2015 The Battle. \u2015\u2015 Wonderful\n Correspondence. \u2015\u2015 Testimony of the Rocks. \u2015\u2015 Ajalon. \u2015\u2015 Sun\n and Moon stand still. \u2015\u2015 City of Gibeon. \u2015\u2015 Modern Town. \u2015\u2015\n Gibeonites. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Death of the Gladiators. \u2015\u2015 Pool\n of Gibeon. \u2015\u2015 Murder of Amasa. \u2015\u2015 Solomon\u2019s Dream. \u2015\u2015 \u201cThe\n Look-out.\u201d \u2015\u2015 Mizpeh. \u2015\u2015 National Rendezvous. \u2015\u2015 Ebenezer\n Stone. \u2015\u2015 Saul chosen King. \u2015\u2015 Minaret. \u2015\u2015 Vast and\n magnificent Prospect.\n\n\nPHILISTIA is among the richest sections of Palestine, and is scarcely\nsurpassed in fertility by any other portion of land upon the globe.\nConsisting of that vast maritime plain extending from Joppa on the\nnorth to Gerar on the south, it is washed by the Mediterranean on the\nwest, and is bounded on the east by the Mountains of Judea. Originally\noccupied by the Avims, the descendants of Cush,[375] it subsequently\nbecame the possession of the Philistines. In the division of the land\nit fell to the tribes of Simeon and Dan, who, however, were never fully\nable to subdue their allotted provinces. At present it is inhabited\nby Moslem Arabs, whose humble towns occupy the sites of more renowned\ncities. On the origin of the Philistines the learned are not agreed.\nIn the absence of authentic records and of distinctive customs, it is\ndifficult to decide whether they came from the hills of Cappadocia,\nthe islands of Cyprus and Crete, or from Lower Egypt. Their national\nname, signifying \u201cstrangers,\u201d implies their foreign birth. Nor is it\ndefinitely known whether they came in possession of their new territory\nby conquest, or by alliances formed with the aborigines of Canaan,\nwho, in process of time, were absorbed by the more rapid increase and\nsuperior strength of their allies. Rising to greatness from an humble\nbeginning, their history forms part of the inspired narrative, and\nthe whole country now bears the name of Palestine, or \u201cthe Land of\nthe Philistines.\u201d Dividing their possession into five lordships, they\nfounded as many royal cities, which are known in Scripture by the\nnames of Gaza, Ashdod, Askelon, Gath, and Ekron. Idolaters in faith\nand practice, their chief divinity was Dagon, the \u201cFish-god,\u201d whose\ndominion over men, beasts, and fowls was represented by the triple\nformation of his body. He had a human head, a horse\u2019s neck, and trunk\nand limbs covered with the feathers of different birds. His wife\nDerceto, \u201cthe Fish-goddess,\u201d or Syrian Venus, had the form of a\nbeauteous maid from her waist up, and thence downward resembled a fish.\n\nAs the home of Samson, and the scene of many a romantic story,\nPhilistia has a history of thrilling interest. It was therefore with no\nordinary delight that we left the Holy City to explore a region where\nhave occurred so many grand historic events. Skirting the northern\nborder of the Plain of Rephaim, we were soon under the shadow of the\nConvent of the Cross. Turning to the right, we entered the Valley of\nRoses, called by the Arabs Wady el-Werd. For more than half a mile\nthe bottom of the glen is covered with rose-bushes, cultivated for\nthe manufacture of rose-water, which is used in the East in large\nquantities. Descending Wady el-Werd, we soon reached Philip\u2019s Fountain,\nwhere, according to a recent tradition, the Evangelist baptized the\nEthiopian eunuch.[376] \u2019Ain Han\u00eeyeh is a pretty fountain gushing out\nfrom a semicircular apse, ornamented with pilasters, and is situated in\na wild glen by the wayside, on the ancient road to Gaza. On the summit\nof a neighboring hill to the north stands the quiet hamlet of \u2019Ain\nK\u00e2rim, the birthplace of John the Baptist. It is in the \u201chill country\nof Judea,\u201d and is the scene of the meeting of those pious cousins,\nthe destined mothers of the Messiah and his harbinger.[377] High up on\na wild ridge to the south is the city of Bether, where the pretended\nChrist, called Bar-cochba, the \u201cSon of a Star,\u201d made his last and fatal\nstand against the Romans under Adrian. It was then a Jewish city of\nwealth and learning, and, after a siege of three and a half years, was\nforced to surrender. Eighty thousand of its unfortunate citizens fell\nbeneath the conqueror\u2019s sword; and such was the dreadful slaughter,\nthat, according to the historian, the horses waded in blood up to their\nbridles.\n\nFollowing the Sult\u00e2ny, or \u201cQueen\u2019s Highway,\u201d our path lay among the\n\u201chills of Judea,\u201d clad with vines and covered with corn. Approaching\nthe large town of Beit \u2019Abab, we turned to the west, and at high noon\nreached the ancient city of Bethshemesh. Thistles and marigolds now\ncover the ruins of the Philistine village, to which the Ark of the Lord\nwas brought from Ekron, and where fifty thousand people were slain for\ntheir temerity in looking into the ark, contrary to the Lord\u2019s express\ncommand.[378] We were now in the country of Samson. Around us rose his\nnative hills, and beneath us stretched the valleys of his childhood,\nwhile here and there appeared the scenes of many memorable deeds of his\nriper years. On the summit of a neighboring hill to the right, which\nrises steeply from the Valley of S\u00fbr\u2019ah, is the village of Zorah, where\nhe was born,[379] and adjoining it is the field where the angel of the\nLord appeared unto Manoah and his wife. Beyond an intervening ridge,\nand less than two miles to the westward, is Timnath, situated on a\nplain, the place where Samson married his Philistine wife.[380] It was\nin one of the vineyards in the adjacent glen that, as he hastened to\nhis betrothed, he turned aside to slay the lion of Timnath who roared\nagainst him,[381] and from whose dead carcass, on a subsequent occasion,\nhe took the honey which, on his wedding-day, was the subject of that\nperplexing riddle, \u201cOut of the eater came forth meat, and out of the\nstrong came forth sweetness.\u201d[382] It was there the wife of his bosom\nwas afterward given to another, and, to avenge himself, he went forth\nto destroy the corn-fields of his enemies, which dotted the Plain of\nPhilistia.[383] From the base of his native hill extends the Valley of\nSorek, the home of Delilah,[384] and where the man with a divine secret,\nyielding to the entreaties of a woman, fell asleep in the lap of false\naffection, to awake to weakness and to shame. Along this same vale\nthe road leads to Gaza, whither the blind captive was led, bound with\nfetters of brass, to grind in the prison-house of the Philistines.[385]\nAnd now, after the lapse of so many centuries, all the incidents\nof his wedding are illustrated by existing customs and confirmed by\nfacts. Wives are procured now, as then, by the intervention of parents;\nmarriages are attended by the same display; and on such occasions\nriddles are propounded by the bridegroom, and other sports practiced.\nIn the wild glens of this region, and on the rugged hills, are foxes or\njackals, and through the corn-fields on the rich plains below another\nSamson might send them on their burning mission.\n\nPassing on toward the scene of his death, we turned to the southeast\nin search of the Valley of Shochoh, where David slew Goliath. A ride of\nsix miles brought us to Beit Nett\u00eef, a small village crowning a lofty\ncliff. Impelled by curiosity, the people gathered around us in crowds\nto examine our garments and riding equipage. Compelled to take a guide\nto the romantic valley, we secured the services of a white-turbaned\nArab, who, after tenderly kissing his child and bidding his wife\nadieu, led us through the town, and, to save a detour, up the roughest,\nsteepest mountain in the Holy Land. Skirting the verge of a dangerous\nprecipice on the north, we turned southward, and in less than an hour\nentered one of the most picturesque ravines in Southern Palestine.\nRising grandly on either side, the rocks were festooned with delicate\nshrubs, and from a thousand rills the water glided, forming a brooklet\nbelow. Midway the ravine there is a fountain gushing out of the\nmountain\u2019s side, around which are a few Arab huts. The glen contracted\nas we ascended, and at its terminus the country opened and declined\ntoward the south. Rapidly descending a mountain path, we were soon\nin the Valley of Elah, where David achieved his celebrated victory.\nHere, as elsewhere in our travels, we had proof of the harmony existing\nbetween the inspired narrative of the event and the topography of the\nscene of its occurrence.\n\nRunning north and south, the bed of the valley measures a mile in width,\nand was covered with grain and flowers. Through its centre extends a\ntorrent bed, lined with smooth pebbles, and fringed with acacia-trees.\nThough not high, the mountains on either side are bold and well defined.\nOn their summits the contending armies were drawn up in battle array,\nwatching each other\u2019s movements. To make an assault, the intervening\nvalley must first be crossed, which would give to the defense an\nimmense advantage. Unwilling to lose a good position and invite\nsuch a fearful slaughter, the armies were disinclined to make an\nattack. Impatient at the delay, there was one brave spirit among\nthe Philistines who offered to stake the issues of the war upon a\nsingle-handed combat. Descending, day after day, for forty days, the\nleft bank of the valley, Goliath of Gath threw down the gauntlet and\ncried out, \u201cI defy the armies of Israel; send me a man, that we may\nfight together.\u201d His giant form, his proud, defiant tone, his powerful\nweapons, sent dismay to the heart of Israel, and neither the once\nheroic Saul, nor any of his warriors, had the courage to accept the\nchallenge. With all the appearance of an accidental event, David that\nday reached the camp with provision for his three brethren who were in\nSaul\u2019s army. Rising above the contempt of Eliab, rejecting the king\u2019s\narmor, but trusting in that higher power which had led him to the scene\nand ordained him for the fight, David went forth to retrieve the honor\nof his country, and vindicate the supremacy of Jehovah over the idol\nDagon. Like Syrian shepherds of to-day, he carried a staff, a scrip,\nand sling, for the defense of his fold. Confident of his ability to\nemploy with success the instruments which he had been accustomed to\nall his life, David descended, in the presence of the embattled hosts,\nand from the flowing brook he stooped to gather five smooth stones for\nthe conflict. The apparent advantages were with the Philistine; but\nthe Unseen, who was with David, was more than he who was against him.\nGoliath had size, strength, experience, armor, and weapons. David was\nyoung, small, and armed only with a sling; but he had spirit, courage,\nand faith. What to him would forever have remained the romantic stories\nof a shepherd\u2019s life, now suddenly becomes the source of inspiration\nand the ground of hope. Among his native mountains a lion and a bear\nhad attacked his fold, and when, in attempting to rescue the lamb, the\nwild beasts rose up against him, he smote the one and the other, \u201cand\nthis uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has\ndefied the armies of the living God.\u201d Those champions met, one in the\npride of his strength and military prowess, the other in the name of\nthe Lord of hosts; one full of contempt for his antagonist, the other\nconscious of a just cause. The polished armor, the brazen shield,\nthe burnished helmet, and immense spear of Goliath, glittered in the\nsunlight; the ruddy cheeks of the shepherd boy glowed with a heroic\nspirit, which was his only helmet, and a brave heart within him,\nbeating calmly, was his only shield. Swung by unerring skill, and\nguided by an invisible hand, the smooth stone from the Brook Elah\npenetrated the brain of the giant, and David stood in triumph upon his\nfallen body, amid the shouts of victory and the benedictions of his\ncountrymen.[386]\n\nSeven miles to the northwest, on the same road over which the routed\nPhilistines fled, is Gath, the native city of Goliath. The conspicuous\nhill on which it stood rises 200 feet above the Plain of Philistia, and\nis now crowned with an old castle, a Mohammedan tomb, and a few huts,\nwhich compose the modern town. Besides being the birthplace of the\nfamous warrior, it is also the scene of a singular episode in the life\nof David. Compelled to fly from the presence of Saul, he stopped at Nob,\nwhere, having obtained from Abimelech a supply of food and the sword of\nGoliath, he came to Gath, either in the hope of not being recognized,\nor, as a fugitive from Saul\u2019s court, of receiving a welcome from the\nPhilistines, with whom the king was then at war. Disappointed in both,\nand discovering that his fate was sealed, \u201che feigned himself mad\nin their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his\nspittle fall upon his beard.\u201d Madmen being privileged characters then,\nas they are now in the East, he was permitted to roam at large; and,\nembracing a favorable moment, he fled to the cave of Adullam, where he\ngathered a small army around him, and resisted the repeated attempts of\nSaul to take his life.[387]\n\nFrom Gath the road runs toward the southeast, and the next important\nplace is Eleutheropolis, six miles distant. The path is rugged,\nand alternately crosses stony ridges and small valleys. The village\noccupies a nook in a green valley, and is surrounded by low hills.\nThough the ancient city is destitute of special Biblical interest, yet\nits ruins are extensive and unique. Within an inclosure 600 feet square\nare the remains of a castle, filling one third of the entire space.\nThe interior contains arches, vaults, and marble shafts. Two hundred\nyards up a ravine, extending eastward, are massive foundations, and a\nfine well, more than seventy feet deep; but the chief attraction is the\ngreat caves, unequaled in extent by any in Syria. The largest of these\ncaverns is 100 feet high and sixty-five in diameter. Lateral galleries\nconnect it with adjoining caves, which are surmounted with domes,\nand ornamented with cornices. In another portion of the town is a\nvast range of bell-shaped chambers, connected by arched doorways and\nsubterranean passages. While a few of them are entirely dark, most of\nthem are lighted by a circular aperture in the top. Some regard these\ncaverns as the work of Idumean Troglodytes, while others suppose them\nto have been excavated for cisterns; the former is the more probable\ntheory.[388]\n\nThirteen miles to the southwest is the site of Lachish, called by the\nArabs Um L\u00e2kis. The intervening country is rocky and undulating, and\noccasionally dotted with deserted villages. The hill on which the city\nstood is low and flat, and is strewn with fragments of marble columns\nand blocks of hewn stones. Lachish was among the cities of Judah\ncaptured by Joshua,[389] but derives its chief significance from having\nbeen fortified by Rehoboam,[390] and afterward besieged by Sennacherib.\nIt was while the latter was encamped here that King Hezekiah sent unto\nhim, saying, \u201cI have offended; return from me; that which thou puttest\non me I will bear.\u201d To meet the demand for 300 talents of silver and\nthirty talents of gold, Hezekiah emptied his own treasure and that of\nthe house of the Lord; and, to supply a deficiency that remained, \u201che\ncut off the gold from the doors and pillars of the Temple.\u201d But, not\nsatisfied with a sum so large, Sennacherib sent three of his generals\nto Jerusalem to demand the immediate and unconditional surrender of the\ncity. One of the three was Rabshakeh, whose blasphemous speech offended\nHeaven, as his proud and defiant words had overwhelmed the king with\nconsternation and fear. That night God heard Hezekiah\u2019s prayer, and\nvindicated his own insulted majesty. From his throne \u201cthe angel of\nthe Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred\nfourscore and five thousand.\u201d The next morning Sennacherib departed for\nNineveh, where he was assassinated by two of his sons while worshiping\nin the temple of Nisroch, his god.\n\nIn one of his noblest odes, Byron has described the destruction of the\nAssyrian host:\n\n \u201cThe Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,\n And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;\n And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,\n When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.\n\n \u201cLike the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,\n That host with their banners at sunset were seen;\n Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,\n That host on the morrow lay wither\u2019d and strown.\n\n \u201cFor the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,\n And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass\u2019d;\n And the eyes of the sleepers wax\u2019d deadly and chill,\n And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still.\n\n \u201cAnd there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,\n And through it there roll\u2019d not the breath of his pride;\n And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,\n And cold as the spray of the rock-beaten surf.\n\n \u201cAnd there lay the rider distorted and pale,\n With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail;\n And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,\n The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.\n\n \u201cAnd the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,\n And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;\n And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,\n Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!\u201d\n\nThe bleakness of the scenery from Lachish to Gaza is relieved by groves\nof palms, olives, and willows, together with the gardens which surround\nthe half dozen intervening villages. The peasants of these towns are\nindustrious, and the glee of the children indicated their happiness,\nnotwithstanding their nudity. The road crosses diagonally several deep\ntorrent beds, which drain the upland country, and which continue their\ncourses through the white sand downs to the sea. The approach to Gaza\nis among sand-hills and through olive-groves, and, after a ride of\ntwelve miles from Lachish, the traveler finds himself in this renowned\nPhilistine city. Situated three miles from the sea, Gaza is a city of\n15,000 inhabitants, 300 of whom are Christians and the rest Moslems.\nAround it, like a green belt, are gardens of apricots, mulberries, and\npalms. On its western side runs the same road which was trodden by the\nPharaohs thousands of years ago, and which leads to the pasture-fields\nof Gerar. Between the town and the sea is a range of hills, of drifting\nsand, two miles wide. On the east of the city are barren hills, the\nhighest of which is crowned with a Mohammedan wely, and is probably the\nhill to the top of which Samson carried the gates of Gaza.\n\nRising from amid the rude buildings of the town is the great mosque,\nwhich was once a Christian church, and dedicated to John the Baptist.\nIt has a peaked roof and an octagonal minaret. The interior is 130 feet\nlong, and is divided into a nave and two aisles by rows of Corinthian\ncolumns. Modern Gaza has neither walls, gates, nor fortifications of\nany kind. Though thus exposed to the attacks of the predatory bands of\nBedouins, yet the inhabitants are seldom molested, for no other reason,\nperhaps, than the fact that they themselves in part are freebooters.\n\nWith an antiquity that ranks it among the oldest cities in the\nworld,[391] Gaza was originally inhabited by the Hivites, the\ndescendants of Canaan,[392] who in the lapse of time were dispossessed\nby the Philistines, who elevated it to the dignity of a royal city. In\nthe days of Moses it was the home of those giants known as the Anakims,\nwhose formidable stature and warlike character alarmed the Hebrew\nspies, and, though subsequently captured by the tribe of Judah, it\nwas repossessed by the sons of Anak, who enslaved the Israelites.[393]\nBut Gaza appears most prominent in sacred history as the scene of many\nremarkable events in the life of Samson, and from him it has derived\nan imperishable name. In his happier days he here performed one of the\nmost astonishing feats of his supernatural strength. Besieged by his\nenemies, he arose at midnight and carried the gates of the city upon\nhis shoulders to the top of a hill that is before Hebron.[394] It was\nprior to his alliance with Delilah, and when in full possession of\nhis marvelous strength, that he thus bade defiance to a whole race\nof giants. But, deceived by the duplicity of an unworthy wife, he\nafterward became, in the very city of his triumph, a blind, fettered,\nimprisoned captive, the sport of woman, and the ridicule of man.\n\n Illustration: GAZA.\n\nDreading him more than an army with banners, the Philistines had taken\nevery precaution to secure their powerful and determined foe. Having\nconsigned him to eternal darkness by the destruction of his eyes,\nthey fastened his limbs with fetters of brass, and, thrusting him into\na loathsome dungeon, appointed him to the menial work of an Eastern\nwoman.[395] But He who had chosen him to be the champion and avenger\nof his people restored his strength, and with its restoration the\nday of vengeance returned. Deeming his capture a public good, the\nPhilistines assembled to offer thanksgiving to their god Dagon. The day\ndawned without a cloud, and the sun rose in beauty upon the Plains of\nPhilistia. At an early hour the streets of ancient Gaza were thronged\nwith an excited multitude, who were hastening to the great sacrifice,\nand rejoicing in the capture of the giant of Zorah. The grand temple of\ntheir idol crowned the loftiest of their hills. Its broad flat roof was\nsupported by arches resting on pillars. Two central columns, massive\nand strong, and standing near each other, were the key to the whole\nsupport. On the roof of the spacious temple, and also within the sacred\nfane, the lords of the Philistines, with their wives, had assembled to\nhonor their god and enjoy the sports of the occasion. Though it was no\npart of their original purpose that Samson should add to the joy of the\nday by exhibitions of his strength, yet, as one pleasure never fails to\nexcite a desire for another, and as a succession of pleasures demands\nthe most extravagant delights, so, in the delirious excitement of the\nmoment, the blind captive is called to make them sport. They had heard\nof the return of his strength, and he being now sightless, they could\nwitness exhibitions of his power without fear of injury to themselves,\nas in former days, so long as they remained beyond his reach. Josephus\nsupposes they made him a laughing-stock, and insulted him in their\ncups; but, rather, they forced him to perform prodigious exploits of\nphysical strength, which accounts for his weariness, and his excuse to\nlean against the pillars. Led by a little Philistine boy, he came from\nhis gloomy dungeon. The transition from darkness to light had no effect\nupon his sightless eyeballs. Recalling the havoc he had made among\ntheir countrymen at Lehi, and not knowing what plans of revenge were\nthen the subject of his thoughts, many ran at his approach, while all\nsought to avoid his grasp. As he advanced he was greeted with shouts\nof ridicule and peals of laughter. Removing the brazen fetters to give\nfull play to his mighty limbs in the contemplated performance, a guard\nof Philistine giants encircle him, to pierce him with spear and javelin\nshould he attempt to avenge his misfortune. Without knowing the manner\nin which he acted, we are left to imagine how he made sport for his\nenemies. What massive block of marble did he lift? what new lion of\nTimnath did he grapple with? what gate with posts and bar did he carry\non his shoulders? what new cord or green withes did he snap asunder,\nas \u201ctow is broken when it toucheth the fire?\u201d what new Delilah wove\nhis fresh-grown \u201clocks with the web, and fastened them with a pin to\na beam,\u201d that he might bear away web, pin, and beam?\n\nDeceived by the docility of his spirit and the obedience of his\nbehavior, he is called within the temple itself. At length, wearied\nwith the great exertions he had been required to make, he unsuspectedly\nrequested of the lad that led him, \u201cSuffer me that I may feel the\npillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.\u201d\nSweating, panting, weary, the captive leans for rest against the marble\ncolumns, while, in fancied security, the people shout, joke, laugh,\nrending his very soul. A blind man\u2019s eye reveals no heart-secret.\nSamson repents a misspent life, and, conscious that his strength was\nHeaven\u2019s gift, he prays, \u201cO Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and\nstrengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at\nonce avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.\u201d Then, seizing the\ntwo pillars, \u201che bowed himself with all his might,\u201d and in a moment\nthe roof fell in, precipitating those on the top into one broken, dying\nmass with those within, and, slaying more in his death than in his life,\nthe victor and the vanquished slept the sleep that knows no waking.\n\nI wept when I remembered the son of Manoah. He was a child of\nProvidence. His was a miraculous birth. Chosen to punish idolatry,\nto deliver his country, and judge a nation, Samson was an army of\n_one_. God had purposed to accomplish through him what he had done\nby the mighty forces of Joshua, Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah, and to\nillustrate his own divine power in subduing the enemies of his church\nby the arm of a single man. It was a thought worthy of a God. As in\nother ways of the Almighty, the secret of Samson\u2019s power was hidden.\nUnlike Goliath, he was an ordinary man in stature: there was nothing\nin his physique that indicated his wondrous strength. It was this that\nconfounded his foes, and impelled them to solicit Delilah with a bribe\nto ascertain the secret of his power. As his strength was not in his\nmuscles, so it was not in the seven locks of his hair. When asleep and\nat ordinary duties he was as other men, but when the Philistines were\nto be punished, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. So long as he\nretained the solitary virtue of secrecy, and allowed his beard and hair\nto grow untrimmed, it pleased the Lord to use him as he did Jephthah\nand Cyrus, and as he does a thunderbolt or a volcano, to punish the\nwicked; but when he preferred the smiles of a woman to the benedictions\nof heaven, he became as other men. Though a failure in life, he was\nfaithful in death; and for the faith of his dying act, St. Paul records\nthe name of Samson among the illustrious believers.[396]\n\nThe subsequent history of Gaza is replete with memorable events. Being\nthe key to Palestine to those on the south, and the key to Egypt to\nthose on the north, it has been frequently subjected to the calamities\nof war. Besieged by Alexander the Great, its defenders surrendered\ntheir city with their lives; and in the fearful conflict the great\nwarrior received a wound in the shoulder, which threatened to terminate\nhis eventful career. In the first century of our own era it was twice\ndestroyed, and, though subsequently rebuilt, it never attained its\nancient splendor. Though early visited by the teachers of Christianity,\nyet in the fifth century it contained eight temples dedicated to the\nworship of heathen gods. In 634 A.D. it yielded to the conquering arms\nof Mohammed, and afterward became the birthplace of Esh-Sh\u00e2fa\u2019y, the\nfounder of one of the largest of the Mohammedan sects. In 1152 A.D. the\nCrusaders found the city deserted, and, erecting a strong fortress on\nthe highest hill, intrusted its defense to the Knights Templars.[397]\nCaptured and sacked by Saladin in 1170 A.D., with the exception of a\nbrief interval, it has remained, as it is now, a Moslem city.\n\nAskelon is on the sea, twelve miles to the north from Gaza. The great\nroute thither runs along the eastern side of the sand downs which\nseparate it from the shore, and, continuing northward, passes through\nseveral Arab towns, surrounded with orchards of figs and groves of\npalms. Despite the incessant efforts of the villagers, the drifting\nsand is annually approaching their homes, and, if not resisted by a\nmore formidable barrier, will completely destroy their gardens and\noverwhelm their dwellings. It is not uncommon to see trees so buried\nthat only a green twig is visible, indicating the position of the tree,\nwhile the branches of those not yet entombed are dusted with the flying\nsand.\n\nAs one of the five royal cities of the Philistines, Askelon was\ncelebrated for the grandeur of its architecture. It occupied an area\nnot unlike in form an amphitheatre. Along the shore extend a series of\nbold cliffs, a mile in length and eighty feet high. From the northern\nend of this range a lofty ridge sweeps round like a semicircle, first\nto the eastward, then to the southward, and finally, bending westward,\nruns to the sea. Within this space are the ruins of the city, and on\nthe top of this curving ridge the wall was built, defended by strong\ntowers, the immense fragments of which, thrown together in confused\nheaps, suggest a destroying angel more powerful than the hand of man.\nOn the east are the remains of a large castle, and near it is the chief\nentrance to the city. Not far from a ruinous wely are the traces of a\nnoble avenue, which was once lined with columns, and within 200 yards\nof it is a low excavated area, on which are thirty large granite and\nmarble shafts. Beneath mounds of sand there must be other remains,\nperhaps of temples and palaces, but at present not even the outlines\nof a building can be traced. Whether viewed in its ruins, or as\ndefenseless against the encroaching waves of sand, Askelon wears an\nair of dreariness as indescribable as it is sad. On her rests the\nburden of prophecy: \u201cAskelon shall be a desolation.[398] Askelon shall\nnot be inhabited.\u201d[399]\n\n Illustration: RUINS OF ASKELON.\n\nThough it was allotted to the tribe of Judah, the Philistines held\npossession of their city throughout the whole period of the Jewish\nmonarchy. Its significance in sacred history is derived from its\ngross idolatry, and the fearful judgments denounced against it by the\nprophets, rather than from any great events having occurred within\nits limits. But, beyond the inspired record, it has a history in which\nfigure many illustrious characters. Regarding its maritime location\nas invaluable, Herod the Great adorned the city with baths, porticoes,\nand fountains, and after his death his sister Salome resided there\nin a palace which her brother had built. Suffering greatly in the\nwars between the Jews and the Romans, the original citizens became the\nallies of the latter, and Askelon was the scene of a horrid massacre,\nin which 2500 Jews were put to death. In after years the Christians\nand the Moslems lost and won in turns this important sea-port town.\nCaptured by Baldwin III. in 1152 A.D., it subsequently reverted to the\nMoslems, but yielded again to the Crusaders, under Richard C\u0153ur de Lion,\nin 1191 A.D., who compelled Saladin to abandon this stronghold; and\nwhen, in turn, the Christians were expelled, Askelon began to wane, and\nto-day it is an uninhabited town.\n\nLess than 100 yards to the northeast stands the wretched village of\nEl-J\u00fbrah, the modern representative of the royal city. Through its\ngardens the road leads to Ashdod, eight miles to the north. Two miles\non the way is the town of Mejdel, the largest and most flourishing of\nall the villages on the Plain of Philistia. The buildings are large\nand well constructed, the streets are wide and clean, and the scenery\nand gardens around it are exceedingly beautiful. Passing through the\nvillage of Ham\u00e2meh, the path runs along the sandy downs, and after\nascending a low ridge, enters Ashdod on the south. Its mud houses are\nlocated on the declivity of a hill, and near it is a lake 500 yards\nin circumference. Though once the capital of a lordship, yet Ashdod is\nwithout antique ruins, and the traveler is left to record its history\namid the beautiful gardens, without the remains of temples and palaces\nto aid his recollection. It was here the Ark of the Lord was brought\nafter the battle of Aphek, and the Philistines, deeming it a religious\ntrophy, placed it in the temple of their idol, \u201cAnd when they of\nAshdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face\nto the earth before the Ark of the Lord.\u201d Elevating their deity to\nhis place, the Philistines found him in the dust again on the second\nnight. Smitten by the Lord with pestilence for their impiety, in their\ndistress they sent the Ark to Gath.[400] Three centuries later Ashdod\nwas dismantled by King Uzziah;[401] and it is afterward mentioned by\nNehemiah, who reproaches the Jews for having there married heathen\nwives after their return from captivity.[402] Called by the Greeks\nAzotus, it was here that Philip the Evangelist was found after the\nbaptism of the eunuch.[403] But Ashdod is conspicuous in profane\nhistory for having withstood a siege of twenty-nine years, when\ninvested by Psammetichus, king of Egypt, which is the longest siege\non record.\n\n Illustration: ASHDOD.\n\nTwenty miles to the north, situated on the coast, is ancient Joppa.\nFrom Ashdod thither the route lies through one of the richest sections\nof the Plain of Philistia. It is a gentle depression coming down from\nthe east, three miles wide, through the centre of which runs a deep,\nwinding torrent bed. The soil is loamy, and yields the finest grain\nraised in Syria. Among the large and prosperous villages that dot its\nfertile sides are Bat\u00e2neah and El-Burka; but beyond this oasis the\nland is stony and barren, and the wretched hovels of which the towns\nare composed, together with the squalidity of the peasants, recall the\nprophetic denunciation, \u201cA bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will\ncut off the pride of the Philistines.\u201d[404] Passing through Yebna, the\nJabneh of the Bible,[405] and leaving Ekron,[406] five miles to the\neast the road crosses diagonally the great Wady Sur\u00e2r, which drains the\nwestern section of the Judean Hills from Hebron to Bethel. Less than\ntwo miles from the sea are the remains of a Roman bridge which once\nspanned the torrent, and from this ruin the path declines westward to\nthe coast, when, turning northward, it follows the beach to Y\u00e2fa.\n\nStanding upon a rock whose western base is washed by the Mediterranean,\nJoppa is one of the oldest cities in the world. Though its authentic\nhistory begins with the partitioning of Palestine into tribal\npossessions, yet, according to Pliny, it existed prior to the Flood.\nCalled by Joshua Japho,[407] by Luke Joppa,[408] by the Arabs Y\u00e2fa,\nand by the Franks Jaffa, it was originally allotted to the tribe of\nDan,[409] but remained in comparative obscurity till the reign of\nSolomon, when it became the chief maritime city of his kingdom. Being\nthe nearest harbor to Jerusalem, the floats of pine and cedar from\nLebanon for the building of the first and second temples were landed\nhere,[410] and hence transported to the Holy City on the back of camels.\nCenturies later, Jonah here embarked for Tarshish,[411] and in our own\nera here lived the benevolent Tabitha, whom Peter restored to life,[412]\nand here was the home of Simon, with whom the apostle lodged.[413]\n\nThe only antiquity to detain the traveler a single hour is the\ntraditional house of Simon. Like all Eastern dwellings, it is\nconstructed of stone, square in form, with a flat roof, and may have\nstood for centuries, as, without violence, it will endure for hundreds\nof years to come. Standing near the seaside, both the location and\nstructure of the building are in harmony with the inspired narrative,\nand a venerable tradition points to it as once the residence of\na tanner. The entrance is through a low gallery, before which the\nservants of Cornelius stood inquiring for Peter. Within is a small\ncourt-yard, containing a well of excellent water, and from the court\na stone staircase leads to the roof, from which I enjoyed a commanding\nview of the sea, over whose blue waters had glanced the apostolic eye\nas Peter sat beneath those clear expanded heavens from which descended\nthe symbolic sheet, opening to his Jewish understanding the purposes\nof the divine mind. Plucking a leaf from the solitary tree adorning the\ncourt, I entered the interior, which is now occupied by the Moslems as\na place of prayer, and by whom it is revered no less for its antiquity\nthan for its traditional sacredness. Excepting its gardens, Joppa is\nneither clean nor beautiful. The streets are narrow and irregular, and\nthe best buildings have no claim to architectural elegance. Inclosed by\na stone wall, the city has a single gate, opening toward the east. Near\nit, and around a pretty Saracenic fountain, are the famous fruit-bazars\nof Jaffa, where are sold the finest oranges and lemons in the world.\nHere also is the seat of justice, where the cadi[414] tries all civil\nand criminal suits, sitting, as in Bible times,[415] in the gate of\nthe city. As of old, Joppa is a sea-port town of considerable trade,\nand, if possessed of a good harbor, would be the most flourishing\nmaritime city of Palestine. The products of its immense fruit-orchards,\ntogether with the silk and soap here manufactured, are exported in\nlarge quantities to the cities on the Mediterranean coast.\n\n Illustration: JAFFA FROM THE NORTH.\n\nPossessing a population of 5000 souls, a fifth of whom are\nChristians, 200 Jews, and the rest Moslems, the basis of social\nand political distinction is religion rather than nationality. The\nMohammedans have several mosques, the Jews a synagogue, the Latins,\nGreeks, and Armenians have each a convent, for the entertainment of\npilgrims _en route_ for the Holy City.\n\nUnder the direction of Dr. Barclay, who combines the two professions\nof physician and missionary, a society has here been formed called the\n\u201cAbrahamic Coalition,\u201d the object of which is the gathering together in\none large community all the indigent Jews in the East, and locate them\non the Plain of Sharon, securing to each a small piece of land, and\notherwise aiding the colonists in practical agriculture.\n\nAs illustrating the changeless character of Eastern customs, before\nthe door of our inn stood a magician performing astonishing feats with\nserpents. A Nubian by birth, his face was black and glossy, his eyes\nsmall and snakish, and his countenance expressive of great cunning.\nWith a smile, he drew from the ample folds of his bosom three large\nblack serpents, which had been nestling next his naked breast; and\ncaressing them in the fondest manner, he lifted them up to his neck,\nand allowed them to entwine themselves about his head. Subject to the\nwill of their charmer, they obeyed his magical words, and the magician\nof Joppa vividly recalled the magicians of Egypt.[416]\n\nOnce more our faces were turned toward the Holy City. On leaving Joppa,\nour path for half an hour lay between enormous hedges of the cactus\nplant, inclosing orange and lemon groves, which cover an area of many\nmiles in extent. The air was surcharged with the fragrance of those\ndelicious fruits, and beneath the ladened trees lay heaps of lemons\nand oranges, like apples in an American orchard. Charmed with a ride\nso delightful, we were soon upon the Plain of Sharon, stretching\nfar to the northeastward, to the white and purple Hills of Benjamin.\nPassing the hamlet of Yas\u00fbr on our left, in thirty minutes we entered\nthe pine-groves of Beit Dej\u00e2n. The declining sun forewarning us of\napproaching night, we gave loose rein to our horses, and bounded over\nthat glorious plain. As far as the eye could reach, crimson anemones,\ntufts of lily leaves, and white and yellow daisies covered the ground\nlike a carpet of many colors, while here and there stood the shepherd\u2019s\nblack tent, with herds and flocks around it, and on the evening air\ncame the soft notes of his flute. In the starlight away to the east,\nlike a dark column standing out against the sky of night, appeared the\nsolitary tower of Ramleh. At seven P.M. we were knocking at the iron\ngate of the Latin Monastery, and, with a courtesy for which others have\nnot given them credit, the Franciscan brothers received us to their\nretreat, while their tall and graceful superior entertained us with\nan ease and dignity worthy a Christian gentleman. After an excellent\ndinner in the refectory, a quiet-looking friar led us, by the light\nof a single wax taper, across a dark court-yard to a small chamber\ncontaining four beds, neat and clean, as if the work of a woman\u2019s hand.\n\nRamleh is nine miles to the southeast from Joppa, and is one of the\nbest-built towns on the Plain of Sharon. It is environed for miles\nwith fig-orchards and orange-groves. Containing a population of 3000\ninhabitants, the majority of whom are Greek Christians, tradition\nidentities Ramleh with the Ramah of Samuel, the birthplace of Nicodemus,\nand the native city of Joseph of Arimathea. Chosen by the Crusaders to\nbe their southern rendezvous, it became the head-quarters of Richard\nof England in 1191 A.D. Its chief architectural attraction is a noble\nsquare tower 120 feet high, built of hewn stone, and standing a mile\nto the west from the town, amid the ruins of a large quadrangular\ninclosure. There is nothing, either in its construction or in history,\nto indicate whether it it is the campanile of a Christian church or the\nminaret of a mosque. A flight of stone steps, narrow and spiral, leads\nto the top, from which is obtained a view of surpassing beauty. In all\nits amplitude and richness, the Plain of Sharon spreads out before the\neye, extending from the roots of Carmel on the north, to the promontory\nof Joppa on the south, and from the hills of Samaria and Judea on the\neast, to the Mediterranean on the west; while on every hand appear\nfields of grain, groves of fruit-trees, and towns, whose white domes\nshine in the sunlight like diamonds in a circlet of emeralds.\n\n Illustration: RAMLEH, OR THE \u201cLOOK-OUT.\u201d\n\nA ride of forty minutes through an embowered avenue brought us to Ludd,\nthe Lod of the Old Testament,[417] and the Lydda of the New.[418] It is\nan Arab town of 2000 inhabitants, and, though unsurpassed by the beauty\nof its environs, it is neither remarkable for the elegance of its\nbuildings nor the regularity of its streets. To the Christian, Lydda\nis interesting as the place where Peter cured Eneas of palsy, and where\nhe was stopping when he was informed of Tabitha\u2019s death. To Englishmen\nit is memorable as the birthplace of St. George, England\u2019s patron\nsaint, and as containing his tomb, in which he was interred near the\nclose of the third century, after his martyrdom in Nicomedia, under\nthe relentless Diocletian. According to William of Tyre, the Emperor\nJustinian reared a noble church over the ashes of the saint and martyr,\nwhich, at a later period, was destroyed by the revengeful Moslems.\nRebuilt by Richard C\u0153ur de Lion, it was partially destroyed again by\nthe troops of Saladin. The walls and a part of the vault of the eastern\nniche of this monumental structure remain, adorned with pilasters,\ncapitals, and cornice. On the south side of the grand aisle is a\npointed arch of great elegance, supported by massive clustered columns\nwith marble Corinthian capitals, forming one of the most picturesque\nruins in Palestine.\n\n Illustration: CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE.\n\nForty minutes from Ludd we passed the town of Jimzu,[419] and just\nbeyond the road branched, one path diverging to the right, running\nthrough Wady Suleim\u00e2n, and the other ascending the steep acclivities\nof Bethhoron the Nether. Though it is exceedingly rugged, yet, as\nit passes over one of the grandest battle-fields in sacred history,\nwe chose the latter. Now began the toil of the journey. The verdure\nhad disappeared, and the white limestone rocks protruded above the\nscanty soil, leaving only intervening patches of tillable land, which\nwas being plowed as we passed. Disobeying the divine command, and\ndisregarding the fitness of nature, a peasant was plowing with an ox\nand an ass,[420] and another with an ass and a camel. Passing Um Rush\nin two hours from Jimzu, we toiled up a mountain path, and at noon\nreached Lower Bethhoron. Memorable in Bible history as the second\nstage of the flight of the five kings of the Amorites, the roughness\nof the scene is in harmony with the horrors of war. The surface of\nthe land is broken into circular rocky hills, around the base of which\nequally stony valleys wind. From the hill-sides the rocks protrude like\nterraces, rising with much regularity one above the other. The modern\ntown is perched on a rocky ridge, and called by the Arabs Beit \u2019Ur\net-Tahta. Amid its sterility a few half-naked peasants lay basking in\nthe genial sunshine of spring, who greeted us as we passed with a lazy\nsmile. Though located on the northwest border of Benjamin, the city\nbelonged to Ephraim, and from that tribe it was taken and allotted to\nthe Levites.[421] Passing over the roughest tract of land above the sea,\nin less than an hour we reached Upper Bethhoron. Bearing the Arabic\nname of Beit Ur el-F\u00f4ka, it is a small village, the huts of which\nare composed of large hewn stones once belonging to more pretentious\nbuildings. Sturdy men sat smoking on the rocks, and near them women\nwere playing with their children. Among the maidens were the sheikh\u2019s\ndaughters, who wore about the head a circlet of silver coins. These\nornaments are a maiden\u2019s dowry.\n\nSurveying the surrounding country from the roof of the sheikh\u2019s house,\nthe famous battle-field of Gibeon lay before me. Seven miles to the\nsoutheast is Gibeon, whose conical summit is just hidden by the loftier\npeaks of Benjamin. Less than three miles to the northwest is Lower\nBethhoron, and five miles to the south, on the summit of a long, low\nridge, is the small hamlet of Y\u00e2lo, the traditional site of Ajalon.\nBetween the two hills is the green valley of Ajalon, now called Merj\nIbn \u2019Omeir, expanding, as it opens, into the Plain of Philistia. Having\nformed a powerful coalition, the chiefs of the Amorites, with the King\nof Jerusalem at their head, had besieged the city of Gibeon. On the eve\nof the battle the Gibeonites sent to Joshua for relief, whom they had\npreviously deceived into an alliance, and found him on the Plain of\nJericho. Though despising a treaty founded in craft, yet appreciating\nthe obligations of an oath above a temporary inconvenience, and guided\nby the faint light of the stars, the Israelitish chieftain passed up\nthe Plain of Jericho to Wady F\u00e2rah, and, turning westward, he reached\nthe scene of the conflict, after a forced march by night, in the early\ndawn of the next morning. Falling with irresistible surprise and power\nupon the confederate kings, \u201che slew them with great slaughter at\nGibeon.\u201d Flying before his victorious arms, the remnant went \u201calong\nthe way that goeth up to Bethhoron.\u201d Outstripping their pursuers,\nthe Amorites continued their flight \u201cin the going down to Bethhoron.\u201d\nReaching the ridge on which we stand with all his \u201cmighty men\u201d around\nhim, Joshua beheld the valley through which the fugitives were escaping,\nand, despairing of overtaking them if the day was not prolonged, he\ninvoked the divine interposition in his behalf. Moved by a sublime\nfaith, he stretched forth the arm that bore the conqueror\u2019s spear,\nand, in the presence of all Israel, said, \u201cSun, stand thou still on\nGibeon, and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.\u201d Respecting the faith\nof his servant and answering his prayer, Jehovah interposed; \u201cand the\nsun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged\nthemselves upon their enemies; and there was no day like that before\nit or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man; for\nthe Lord fought for Israel.\u201d Receiving more than he had asked for,\na hail-storm came to his assistance, and after it had accomplished\nits terrible work, killing foes but sparing friends, Joshua and his\nwarriors descended the declivities of Bethlehem, and pressed the\nremnant of a once proud foe so hard as to compel the five kings to\ntake refuge in the great cave of Makkedah, around which he encamped\nfor the night, and on the morrow hung the royal fugitives.[422]\n\n\u201cGod\u2019s testimony is in the rocks.\u201d The correspondence between the\ninspired account and the facts as they now appear, after the lapse of\ntwenty-three centuries, illustrates the accuracy of sacred history.\nThe night\u2019s march from Gilgal to Gibeon, a distance of less than\ntwenty-five miles, was not only possible, but can now be accomplished\nby any ordinary pedestrian. The going up to Bethhoron the Upper, and\nthe going down to Bethhoron the Nether, correspond with the altitude\nof the former from Gibeon, and the depression of the latter from Beit\nel-F\u00f4ka. The relative locations of Gibeon and Ajalon to Upper Bethhoron,\nand the probable position of the sun and moon in the heavens at that\ntime, agree with the statement as to where Joshua was when he invoked\nthe prolongation of the day; and his subsequent pursuit of the foe in\nthe direction of Azekah, Makkedah, and Jarmuth is confirmed by the\nidentification of those places.\n\nThere is nothing in the text indicating that the prayer of Joshua\nwas offered late in the afternoon, and that, as Gibeon is on the east\nof Upper Bethhoron and Ajalon on the west, therefore the sun could\nnot have stood still on the former nor the moon on the latter. It was\nprobably not noon when he invoked the lengthening of the day. The sun\nhad not yet passed the meridian of Gibeon, while over the western vale\nof Ajalon the faint crescent of an old moon still lingered, just as\nit appeared to me. Hence, standing between the two planets as they\nrode high in the heavens above him, and between the two cities on the\nearth, he gave forth his miraculous command with the utmost accuracy;\nwhile from the western sea came that fearful hail-storm driving up the\nvalleys below, killing more than had been slain by the sword, and from\nthe eastern border of the otherwise dark storm-cloud was reflected the\nlight of the motionless sun and moon.\n\nLeaving Upper Bethhoron, our path lay for some time along the old\nRoman road, sections of which remain as perfect as when the chariot\nof the proud Cestius was driven over it. Turning to the southeast, in\ntwo hours we reached the celebrated city of Gibeon. Like most Oriental\ntowns, it crowns the summit of a conspicuous hill, which, being\nseparated from the surrounding hills, rises in isolation from a noble\nplain. The encircling plains are unsurpassed in Southern Palestine\nfor the richness of their soil, and their meadow-like smoothness and\nverdure. Covering many acres are vineyards, olive-groves, and almond\norchards. Such is the peculiar formation of the hill on which the town\nis built, that the rocks protruding from the sides serve the double\npurpose of steps and terraces. Over the summit are scattered the small\nstone buildings of El-Jib, which in part are composed of materials\nof great antiquity. Without walls and gates, the city is destitute\nof fortifications, and the crooked, unpaved streets are accessible to\nall. The present inhabitants are an illustration that character, like\nnames, is transmitted from one generation to another. In their address\nand shrewdness they resemble their ancestors. The Sheikh of Gibeon\nis a man of medium height, and, unlike his countrymen, is emotional,\ncommunicative, and exceedingly gracious. Pressing us to enter his\nkhan,[423] he refreshed us with coffee, and, failing to persuade us\nto remain during the night, he accompanied us through the village,\nand received our gifts with flowing eyes and many bows. Nor are the\nchildren less crafty. Boys kissed our hand for paras, and for a piastre\nthe maidens at the fountains let down their pitchers from their heads\nthat we might drink. Reading the story of their ancestral cunning on\nthe spot, we could easily fancy their fathers gathering together the\nemblems of deception to decoy the Israelites into an alliance that\nbrought protection to themselves, but war to their allies; and with\nless difficulty their descendants could collect tattered garments,\nclouted shoes, rent wine-skin bottles, musty bread, and jaded asses,\nand with equal confidence declare themselves to be \u201cembassadors from a\nfar country.\u201d\n\n Illustration: GIBEON.\n\nFalling to the tribe of Benjamin in the division of the land,[424]\nGibeon afterward became a Levitical city.[425] Subsequently to the\ndestruction of Nob by Saul, it was the seat of the tabernacle till the\ncompletion of the Temple.[426] On the eastern side of the hill is a\nlarge well of delicious water. Springing up in a cave excavated in the\nsolid rock, the water was originally conducted to a reservoir below,\nwhich measures 120 feet in length and 100 in breadth. Formerly it\nwas called the \u201cPool of Gibeon,\u201d and around its peaceful waters the\nrival armies of Israel and Judah met in battle. It was here that\nAbner challenged Joab to terminate the strife by a gladiatorial fight\nbetween twenty-four chosen men\u2015\u2015twelve representing David, and twelve\nrepresenting Ishbosheth. But so equal were the champions in skill and\npower, \u201cthat they caught every man his fellow by the head, and thrust\nhis sword in his fellow\u2019s side, so they fell down together.\u201d[427] The\ndeath of all the combatants leaving the issue of the contest undecided,\nthe two armies sprang to the fight on the adjoining plain, and, after a\nsore battle, Abner was defeated, and the claims of David to the kingdom\nof all Israel were confirmed by a decisive victory.[428] Thirty-three\nyears after, by the \u201cgreat stone which is in Gibeon,\u201d in the same\nhighway now trodden by the feet of careless pilgrims, \u201cJoab took Amasa\nby the beard with the right hand to kiss him,\u201d and, with a sword in the\nother, treacherously slew his cousin.[429]\n\nBut the glory of Gibeon is the dream and prayer of Solomon. Sanctifying\nthe morning of a long and eventful reign by acts of devotion, he came\nfrom Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Upon a great altar which he had\nreared he offered a thousand burnt sacrifices, and that night in a\ndream he communed with the God of his fathers, and asking wisdom to\ngovern his kingdom rather than wealth and honor, he received a wise\nand understanding heart.[430]\n\nA mile to the south, beyond a green and lovely plain, is Mizpeh\u2015\u2015\u201cThe\nLook-out\u201d\u2015\u2015one of the oldest watch-towers in Southern Palestine. With\nit stand connected many of the most thrilling events in Jewish history.\nChosen in the infancy of the nation for the advantages it afforded\nas a point of observation in times of war, it subsequently became\nthe national rendezvous, where the tribes were accustomed to meet to\nworship Jehovah, to make war, to conclude peace, and elect a king.\nJustly aggrieved at the insult offered the whole country by the\ncitizens of Gibeah in refusing to surrender the young men who had\ncommitted the horrid crime on the person of the Levite\u2019s concubine,\nthe eleven tribes here assembled, and, having vowed never to return to\ntheir homes till the inhabitants of Gibeah were punished, they marched\nforth to that series of battles in which thousands fell, and in which\nthe tribe of Benjamin was well-nigh exterminated.[431] Two hundred\nand eighty-six years later, Samuel gathered the armies of Israel at\nMizpeh to fight against the Philistines, and after their return from\nthe slaughter of the foe he set up a memorial-stone and called it\nEbenezer.[432] A quarter of a century thereafter the nation reassembled\nto choose a king; and here, for the first time in Israel, when the\npeople beheld the majestic form of Saul, the son of Kish, on whom the\nlot had fallen, their loyal exclamations awakened the echoes of the\nsurrounding hills\u2015\u2015\u201cGod save the king!\u201d[433] Fortifying it for the\nprotection of his frontier, King Asa removed from Rama the materials\nwith which Baasha had constructed his battlements, and with them built\na strong fort. Five centuries after the coronation of Saul, Ishmael,\nof the royal family of Judah, here surprised and assassinated Gedaliah,\nthe Chaldean governor, who, during the Jewish captivity, resided at\nMizpeh.[434]\n\nCalled by the natives Neby Samw\u00eel, after the honored son of Hannah,\nthe hill has an altitude of 600 feet above the surrounding plain. On\nits evenly-terraced sides the fig and vine grow luxuriantly. The summit\nis dotted with a few rude dwellings, composed of the remains of nobler\nedifices. The ruins of departed greatness are every where visible, and\nin the wall of a caravansary are imbedded shattered capitals and broken\ncolumns. In rude mimicry of happier days, the peasants have excavated\nsmall courts to the depth of several feet in the native rock in front\nof their unpretending homes. Rising, as if by way of contrast, from\namid these hovels is a large but deserted mosque. Erected by the\nCrusaders, it was originally a Christian church. Constructed in the\nform of a Latin cross, the interior is ornamented with Saracenic arches.\nWithin is the traditional tomb of Samuel, which, unlike the sepulchres\nof other prophets, has neither altar nor ornaments. Attached to the\nmosque is a graceful minaret, which rises 100 feet above the summit\nof the hill, from the balcony of which I obtained an extraordinary\nview of Southern Palestine. As far as the eye could reach, the land of\nJudea was spread out before me, broken by deep ravines and dotted with\nconical hills. To the north was Gibeon, and beyond appeared Alaroth,\nBeeroth, the dark peak of Ophrah, and the famous rock of Rimmon; lining\nthe distant horizon to the northeast were Gibeah of Saul, Michmash\nof Jonathan, and the Hills of Gilead; over a forest of summits to the\neast were the Mountains of Moab\u2015\u2015that ever-visible wall of limestone;\nbeyond, the small hamlet of Han\u00eena; to the southeast rose the domes and\nminarets of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and the tomb-like form of Herodium;\nto the south were the vine-clad hills of Hebron and the home of Samson;\nwhile due west, and as far as the eye could penetrate north and south,\nwas the white shore of the Mediterranean, with the blue waters of the\nsea mingling with the mists of the western sky. Such was the prospect\nfrom Mizpeh, which, in the mighty past, often met the eye of Samuel,\nSaul, and Solomon; and, though he occupied a stand-point a few miles to\nthe eastward, but of greater altitude, such must have been the vision\nof Moses from the summit of Pisgah ere he entered into glory.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER X.\n\n Northern Palestine. \u2015\u2015 Gibeah. \u2015\u2015 Birthplace of King Saul. \u2015\u2015\n Historical Events. \u2015\u2015 Thrilling Story of Rizpah watching her\n Dead Sons. \u2015\u2015 Identity of the City. \u2015\u2015 Field of the Arrow.\n \u2015\u2015 Parting of David and Jonathan. \u2015\u2015 Nob. \u2015\u2015 Massacre of the\n Priests. \u2015\u2015 The View. \u2015\u2015 Birthplace of Jeremiah. \u2015\u2015 Geba. \u2015\u2015\n Pottage. \u2015\u2015 Benighted. \u2015\u2015 Yusef Shang, of Beeroth. \u2015\u2015 A Night\n of strange Experience. \u2015\u2015 Town of Beeroth. \u2015\u2015 Ancient Bethel.\n \u2015\u2015 Its Desolation. Site of the City. \u2015\u2015 Abraham\u2019s Altar. \u2015\u2015\n Parting of Abraham and Lot. \u2015\u2015 The Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Jacob\u2019s Flight\n and Dream. \u2015\u2015 Idolatry. \u2015\u2015 Prophecy fulfilled. \u2015\u2015 Route to\n Shiloh. \u2015\u2015 Romantic Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Robbers\u2019 Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Wild\n Glen. \u2015\u2015 Robbers. \u2015\u2015 Their Dance. \u2015\u2015 Sinjil. \u2015\u2015 Shiloh. \u2015\u2015\n Remains. \u2015\u2015 Site discovered in 1838. \u2015\u2015 Tower. \u2015\u2015 Damsels\n of Shiloh carried off. \u2015\u2015 Death of Eli. \u2015\u2015 Approach of the\n Robbers. \u2015\u2015 An Attack. \u2015\u2015 Resistance. \u2015\u2015 Again assailed. \u2015\u2015\n Again resist. \u2015\u2015 Revolvers drawn. \u2015\u2015 Escape. \u2015\u2015 Overtaken.\n \u2015\u2015 Third Attack. \u2015\u2015 Revolvers in demand. \u2015\u2015 Sixteen against\n Four. \u2015\u2015 Serious Moment. \u2015\u2015 One of the Party whipped. \u2015\u2015 Narrow\n Escape. \u2015\u2015 Lebonah. \u2015\u2015 Ride to Nablous. \u2015\u2015 Grand View. \u2015\u2015\n Evening on the Plain of Mukhrah. \u2015\u2015 Antiquity of Nablous. \u2015\u2015\n History. \u2015\u2015 Its beautiful Situation. \u2015\u2015 Population. \u2015\u2015 Inside\n View of the Town. \u2015\u2015 Character of the People. \u2015\u2015 Christian\n School. \u2015\u2015 Origin of the Samaritans. \u2015\u2015 Remnant of the Nation.\n \u2015\u2015 Their Creed. \u2015\u2015 Their religious Peculiarities. \u2015\u2015 Their\n High-priest. \u2015\u2015 Their sacred Writings. \u2015\u2015 Vale of Shechem.\n \u2015\u2015 Its Length and Beauty. \u2015\u2015 Cursings and Blessings of the\n Law. \u2015\u2015 The Scene. \u2015\u2015 Great Congregation. \u2015\u2015 Twin Mountains.\n \u2015\u2015 Jacob\u2019s Well. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Sweet Water. \u2015\u2015 Evidence of\n its Antiquity. \u2015\u2015 Jesus at the Well. \u2015\u2015 Woman of Samaria. \u2015\u2015\n Accuracy of its evangelical History. \u2015\u2015 Well Sold. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of\n Joseph. \u2015\u2015 Symbol of his Life. \u2015\u2015 Ascent of Mount Ebal. \u2015\u2015\n Twenty Lepers. \u2015\u2015 Ascent of Mount Gerizim. \u2015\u2015 Almond-groves.\n \u2015\u2015 Ruins on the Summit. \u2015\u2015 Holy of Holies of the Samaritans.\n \u2015\u2015 Traditions. \u2015\u2015 Not the Scene of the Offering of Isaac. \u2015\u2015\n Samaritan Passover. \u2015\u2015 Impressive Moment. \u2015\u2015 Lambs slain. \u2015\u2015\n The Feast.\n\n\nTHE day was all that the most romantic tourist or thoughtful traveler\ncould have desired, when, at three o\u2019clock on Monday afternoon, in\nthe month of April, we left Jerusalem for the last time, on our long\ntour through Northern Palestine. Passing out of the Damascus Gate, I\nascended the rocky ridge over the grotto of Jeremiah, and looked down\nupon the Holy City with the fondness of one bidding adieu to the scenes\nof his childhood. A gentle breeze was blowing from the Western Sea, and\nthe flag of our country floated from the summit of Zion. The clattering\nof horses\u2019 hoofs on the pavements below told me my companions were\ncoming, and, turning to the northwest, the \u201cCity of the Great King\u201d\nfaded forever from my view. Crossing the hill Scopus, we were soon\non the great caravan route leading from Egypt to Damascus. For half\nan hour our path lay through an open and undulating country, when it\npassed between two conical hills\u2015\u2015Sh\u00e2f\u00e2t on the west, and Nob on the\neast. Less than a mile beyond the latter is Gibeah, the birthplace of\nKing Saul.[435] Called by the Arabs Tuleil el-F\u00fbl\u2015\u2015\u201cthe Hill of the\nBeans\u201d\u2015\u2015it resembles a perfect cone when viewed from a distance. Rising\nfrom a rich plain, it is an object of universal attraction. Terraced\nfrom base to summit, it presents to the eye a beautiful appearance, as\nthe green circles of corn mingle with the white limestone soil. On the\nsummit are the remains of a tower or palace, fifty-six feet long and\nforty-eight wide, and by some unknown force the huge blocks of stone\nhave been thrown together in a form not unlike a pyramid.\n\nFew places in the Holy Land fill so large a space in the inspired\nvolume as Gibeah. Coming from Bethlehem on his way to Mount Ephraim,\nthe unfortunate Levite at nightfall turned in hither, and was received\ninto the house of a peasant. That night was committed an offense by\nthe young men of the city, which resulted in one of the most terrible\nbattles on record. To punish the offenders and avenge the insult,\naround this hill all Israel gathered for battle against the Benjamites,\nand, though the former were repeatedly repulsed, they at length\ntriumphed and well-nigh exterminated the tribe of Benjamin.[436] Three\ncenturies later, after the death of all the actors in that mournful\ntragedy, Gibeah rose to royal significance. Here resided Kish, unto\nwhom was born Saul, than whom \u201cthere was not among the children of\nIsrael a goodlier person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was\nhigher than any of the people.\u201d[437] From here his father sent Saul to\nrecover the strayed asses, and, while looking for the asses, he found\na kingdom. Returning from Rameh after his coronation, he chose Gibeah\nas the seat of his new government.[438] From this first royal city in\nPalestine he went forth to fight his first battle, which was against\nthe Ammonites, who had besieged Jabesh-gilead.[439] After his rejection\nby Samuel at Gilgal, hither Saul returned in disgrace;[440] and it\nwas here, in those dark days of disappointment which followed, that\nan evil spirit came upon him, and, to soothe his troubled soul by the\nsoft music of his harp, the shepherd-boy of Bethlehem was summoned to\nthe king\u2019s presence.[441] Here the high-minded Jonathan conceived his\nmore than woman\u2019s love for the son of Jesse.[442] Forgetting earlier\nattachments and David\u2019s well-earned renown, here, in a fit of passion,\nSaul threw his javelin at the youthful warrior.[442] Here he gave his\ndaughter Michal in marriage to David;[442] and here the true-hearted\nwife rescued her persecuted husband from the murderous hand of her\nfather, and deceived the king by placing an image in her bed.[443] Here\nthe unwilling Michal was given to Phalti,[444] and from Gibeah Saul and\nhis sons went forth to the fatal battle of Gilboa.[445]\n\nForty years after the death of the king the tragical history of Gibeah\nclosed, as it had commenced, in a scene of blood. For an offense, the\nhistory of which is neither recorded by sacred or profane writers, the\nAlmighty sent a famine of three years\u2019 continuance upon the land, and\nwhen David inquired of the Lord the cause, he was informed, \u201cIt is for\nSaul and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.\u201d[446]\nJosephus supposes that Saul had violated the treaty which Joshua had\nmade with the men of Gibeon, and had attempted to slay the entire\npopulation of the city. Wishing to relieve his kingdom from the\nmiseries of a famine, David summoned the Gibeonites to his presence,\nto ascertain the nature of the redress they demanded. They demanded the\nsurrender of seven of the descendants of Saul to be hung in Gibeah, and\ntheir request was granted. Five of the victims were the sons of Merab,\nwhom Michal had brought up after her sister\u2019s death, and the other\ntwo were the sons of Saul by his wife Rizpah.[447] On the same day the\nsons and grandsons of Israel\u2019s first king were executed together, to\nexpiate the offense of a father long since dead. Less fortunate than\nthe offspring of Merab, the sons of Rizpah left a mother to mourn\ntheir untimely end. For tenderness of affection, for the depth of\nmaternal grief, and for the lengthened period of watching and mourning,\nthe story of Rizpah has no parallel in the literature of any nation.\nDavid\u2019s sorrow for Absalom was sincere, keen, and overwhelming, but the\ngrief of Rizpah was the sorrow of a mother. \u201cAnd Rizpah, the daughter\nof Aiah, took sackcloth and spread it for her upon the rock, from the\nbeginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and\nsuffered neither the birds of the air to rest upon them by day, nor\nthe beasts of the fields by night.\u201d Such was the mournful spectacle\nthat that broken-hearted mother presented to all who passed by, sitting\nbeside the bones of her dead sons all through the long Syrian summer,\nfrom April till October, neither permitting the vulture to prey upon\nthem by day nor the hyena by night. Time had assuaged her grief, and\nDavid ordered that the bones of her sons should be interred with those\nof Saul and Jonathan, in the country of Zelah, in the sepulchre of\nKish.[448]\n\nThe identity of Gibeah as the scene of so many important events\nis sustained by evidence no less abundant than indubitable. In his\ndescription of the march of Titus to Jerusalem, Josephus informs us\nthat the Roman general halted at Gibeah, thirty stadia from Jerusalem,\nwhich exactly corresponds with the distance between this hill and the\nJewish capital. During the night a Roman legion, coming from Emmaus,\njoined the main army here, where is the point of junction between the\ntwo great routes from the north and west, and on the following morning\nthe combined forces moved on to Scopus, from whence they beheld the\nHoly City. Three centuries later, Jerome, in describing the journey of\nLady Paula to Jerusalem, represents her as coming up from Joppa _via_\nthe two Bethhorons, with Ajalon and Gibeon on the right, and stopping\nat Gibeah, where \u201cshe called to mind the old story of the Levite and\nhis concubine.\u201d Thus the crimes of a city perpetuate the memory of its\nsite.\n\nSouth of Gibeah is the field which contained the stone Ezel, where\noccurred the affecting interview between David and Jonathan, and where\nthe latter discharged the signal arrow for the escape of the former.\nBehind one of the many jutting rocks which here lift their naked crowns\non high the fugitive found a hiding-place, where he remained till,\naccording to a previous agreement, Jonathan came, shot an arrow beyond\na little lad, and cried, \u201cIs not the arrow beyond thee?\u201d which was\nthe signal that Saul was intent on killing David. The two friends\nmet, embraced, and wept; and, after renewing their covenant, Jonathan\nreturned to Gibeah, and David fled to Nob. His presence excited the\nfears of the priest Abimelech, which he soon, however, allayed by a\nplausible story, and from his hand received the sword of Goliath, and\nthe shew-bread to which our Lord alludes.[449] It was because of this\nkindness to a public enemy that Abimelech was summoned to the presence\nof the enraged king, and sentenced to death by him, with all of his\nfather\u2019s house. Revering the sacred person of a priest, no Israelite\nwould execute the royal sentence. The work of executioner fell to the\nlot of Doeg, the stranger, the shepherd, and the spy. Unappeased by\nthe slaughter of eighty-five innocent priests, Saul smote the city of\nNob with the edge of the sword.[450] Two places are designated as the\nprobable site of this ancient Levitical city\u2015\u2015one containing the famous\ntomb of El-Messahney, near the Tombs of the Judges, and the other a\nconical peak less than a mile to the south from Gibeah. The former has\nthe advantage of an acknowledged Jewish sepulchre, while the latter has\nthat of location.\n\nThe view from the summit of Gibeah is as interesting as it is\ncommanding. Three miles to the southeast is An\u00e2ta, the Anathoth of the\nBible and the birthplace of Jeremiah. Never large, it still retains\nits diminutive proportions. Standing on a low, broad ridge, surrounded\nby green fields, twenty huts occupy the site of this once priestly city.\nOf the ancient town all that now remains are portions of an old wall,\na spacious cistern, and fragments of marble columns. It was hither\nSolomon banished Abiathar for attempting to raise Adonijah to the\nthrone of his father David.[451] But Anathoth is chiefly significant\nas the native city of the greatest of prophets, whose courage was equal\nto his danger, whose fortitude never forsook him, and whose zeal for\nGod was only excelled by the terribleness of his persecutions. In the\ndarkest hour of his country\u2019s history, Jeremiah was called to lament\nthe desolations of Zion, to reprove kings, and to die for the truth.\nOffended at the severity of his denunciations, his townsmen drove him\nfrom the place of his birth, and, flying to Jerusalem for refuge, his\nfidelity to God, his unblanched courage in reproving royal crimes, and\nhis horrid pictures of coming ruin, evoked the angry passions of those\nwhom he would have reformed, and the plaintive bard of Israel was added\nto the long but honored list of martyrs.\n\nTurning to the northwest, the tower of Geba of Benjamin was\nvisible,[452] and three miles beyond were the rocks of Michmash, where\nJonathan surprised and defeated the Philistines, and where are still\nto be seen the famous rocks Bozez and Seneh.[453] After glancing at\nother memorable places, which, together with those mentioned, we had\npreviously visited, we descended from the summit of the hill, and at\nits base entered a noble field of lentiles or pottage, such as Esau\nsold his birthright for.[454] When young it resembles a pea-vine. It\ngrows to the height of eight inches, and when harvested it is pulled\nlike flax. It is cooked like beans, with the exception that the water\nis allowed to evaporate, when the softened grain is stewed with butter\nand onions, making a delicious dish, and one worth a birthright to a\nfamishing hunter.\n\nThe sun was setting, and the shadow of the mountains darkened the\nplains when we resumed our journey. The lateness of the hour required\ndispatch, and Beeroth, the place where we were to spend the night, was\nsix miles to the north. Unfortunately we were without a guide, and our\npath was simply a camel track, devious, stony, and uncertain. Though\nwe knew the general direction of Beeroth, yet the number of small\nvillages in the vicinity, the growing darkness, and the uncertainty\nof the road, baffled all effort to find the place. Overtaking an Arab\nbelonging to Beit Unt\u00e2h, he agreed for a present to serve us as guide.\nNot suspecting deception, we followed him nearly to his own town, which\nhe assured us was the desired place. But knowing from our maps that\nBeeroth was to the right of the path, and Beit Unt\u00e2h to the left, we\nrefused to follow him farther. Truth is an unknown virtue in the Arab\ncharacter, and he who confides in it leans upon a broken reed. For the\npaltry sum which a night\u2019s lodging would bring, this man was leading us\nastray.\n\nA solitary light shone from a hut in Beeroth, when, turning eastward,\nwe traversed plowed fields, leaped ditches, crossed ravines, and rued\nthe day we had presumed to travel without a guide. Reaching a fountain,\nthe waters of which sparkled in the starlight, we regained the path.\nHaving a letter of introduction from Dr. Sandreczki, of Jerusalem,\nto one Y\u00fbsef Shang, a Christian Arab, and the scribe of the town, we\ninquired for him; but, to add to our mishaps, Y\u00fbsef was not at home.\nThere we were, homeless, foodless, friendless, and in the dark. An\nold Arab dame, however (heaven pity her homeliness and reward her\nkindness!), knew where Y\u00fbsef was, and called him to our aid.\n\nY\u00fbsef Shang was a noble specimen of the Arab race. He was of medium\nheight, well built, of full habit, with towering brow, large black eyes,\nhandsome nose, a large, joyous mouth, and a heavy, flowing beard, which\nwas white as snow, and beautifully contrasted the deep olive hue of\nhis manly face. His countenance was at once benignant and intelligent.\nBesides, Y\u00fbsef was a clean Arab\u2015\u2015a rarity worth a pilgrimage to see.\nHis red boots, light-colored petticoat-trowsers, embroidered jacket,\nbroad girdle, flowing robes of yellow Broussa silk, and a bright\ncheckered turban, were neat enough for a picture. In his silken girdle\nhe wore a brass inkhorn, a foot in length, with a small square bulb of\nthe same material on the side near the end, rendered perfectly tight by\na thin plate of the same metal, and containing in the long part a case\nfor the reed pens, which are secured by a brass cap. His appearance\nrecalled Ezekiel\u2019s description of the man clothed with linen, with a\nwriter\u2019s inkhorn by his side.[455]\n\nIn the East there is a class of men, called scribes, who write for\nthe common people. They sit at the corners of the streets, and persons\nwishing a letter written dictate the matter, while the scribe performs\nthe penmanship. Deeming it an inelegance to write upon a table, the\npaper is placed upon the left hand, and the writer forms the graceful\ncharacters of the Arabic language, writing from right to left. Y\u00fbsef\nwas such a scribe, and had risen to eminence in his profession. Having\nread our letter with an air of great consideration, he saluted us\nin the most gracious manner, and invited us to his abode. Following\nhim through a narrow lane to the gate of his court, we dismounted,\nand, after removing saddles and saddle-bags, led our horses through\na covered stone passage-way to the entrance of his dwelling. Y\u00fbsef\u2019s\nsuperb dress and elegant bearing had prepared us to expect an\nentertainment not unlike the festive scenes so wondrously described in\nthe Arabian Nights. But never were two things more unlike, and never\nwas the outside of the plates cleaner nor the inside filthier. His\nhouse was a wretched stone hut, entered by a low doorway. The interior\nconsisted of a single room, divided into two apartments by a raised\nplatform a foot high. The platform served the triple purpose of kitchen,\nchamber, and parlor, the walls and ceiling were dingy with smoke and\ndirt, and a few old mats spread upon the floor were the only furniture\nof his home. At the foot of the platform, beneath the same roof, was\nhis stable, and in one corner stood Y\u00fbsef\u2019s favorite ass.\n\n\u201cCome in, come in, gentlemen,\u201d cried our host, \u201cand bring your horses\nwith you; there is plenty of room, and you are welcome.\u201d Leading my\nhorse, I entered; but the ass brayed so furiously, and kicked with\nsuch rapidity and violence, that I was compelled to retreat. Despite\nmy protest, Y\u00fbsef refused to turn his ass into the cold, and calmly\nsuggested that I could take my horse on the platform with me. Refusing\nto turn Arab, I declined, and turned to procure quarters elsewhere.\nThe power of money upon an Arab\u2019s soul is above calculation. Fearing\nthat he might lose the customary present in return for his hospitality,\nY\u00fbsef led his ass forth, braying and kicking as it went. Our host had\npreviously sent the female members of his family away, lest the eye of\na stranger should fall upon them, and left us the sole occupants of his\ndwelling. Spreading our blankets upon the platform, we commenced our\nfrugal repast, but the fleas of Beeroth came upon us in such numbers\nas to force another retreat. We were again houseless. The sky was clear\nand the stars shone softly upon us, and we determined to sleep beneath\nthe pure starlit heavens. Y\u00fbsef, however, succeeded in procuring\nfor our use the council-room of the town, which was a large square\napartment, with heavy arched ceiling, fireplace, and niche. The walls\nwere black with the smoke of years, and the atmosphere stale and\nnoisome. Here we spread our mats, and, with a saddle for a pillow,\nspent the night. The ground floor of the building was occupied by a\nfamily, who, for a few piastres, sheltered my horse. It was here I\nhad an illustration of the story of Bethlehem. The same room served\nas a dwelling and a stable, divided by a platform, on which an Arab\nwoman was kneading bread and a lad was tending an infant child. The\noccupants\u2019 ass having been turned out, I led my horse in. In one corner\nof the stable was a large stone manger, excavated in the living rock.\nSuch, probably, was the internal arrangement of the inn at Bethlehem;\nand as the platform was occupied by other guests, Joseph and Mary\nlodged in the stable, and cradled the infant Savior in the stone manger.\n\nBeeroth is situated on a rocky ridge, and contains a population of\n800 Moslems and thirty Christians. It is mentioned in connection with\nthe league formed between the embassadors of Gibeon and Joshua, but\naside from this it has no scriptural significance. During the reign of\nthe Latin kings it rose to importance, and the remaining ruins attest\nthe antiquity of the site and the former elegance of the place. In the\nnorthwest part of the village is the old Gothic church, built by the\nKnights Templars centuries ago. It is a beautiful ruin, and reminds\none of the ruined abbeys of Southern Scotland. The walls, the eastern\napse, and the sacristy are standing, and inclose an area 100 feet\nlong and sixty-three wide. The material is limestone well dressed,\nand the interior may have consisted of a nave, two lateral aisles,\nand three recesses in the eastern end. The finish of the architecture\nis exquisite. The apses are crowned with beautiful domed roofs, and\nthe partition walls are ornamented with pilasters, the capitals of\nwhich are well preserved. The side walls are divided into sections by\npilasters, and are decorated with a rich cornice. But it is now a green\nruin. The grass grows where, of old, knights knelt in prayer, and where\nrobed priests chanted their Ave Marias.\n\nOn leaving the church I witnessed a beautiful illustration of our\nLord\u2019s parable of the \u201cgood shepherd.\u201d Three shepherds were leading\ntheir flocks to pasture, and, though near each other, there was\nneither confusion nor intermingling. Such is the richness of the native\nlanguage in adjectives, that a shepherd gives to each member of his\nflock a name descriptive of some characteristic, which is as familiar\nto the sheep as to himself. A lamb had lingered behind picking the\nfresh grass of spring, and, though other voices were sounding at the\ntime, the truant lamb heard its shepherd\u2019s voice and ran to the fold.\n\u201cThe sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name.\u201d[456]\n\nThree miles to the north is ancient Bethel. As we advanced the country\ngrew in richness and beauty, reminding us that we were approaching the\nfavored inheritance of Ephraim. Passing a small fountain gushing from\nthe foot of a cliff, in less than half an hour we knelt in prayer where,\ntwenty-five centuries ago, Jacob slept to dream of angels. The silence\nof desolation now reigns where once was heard the voice of gladness.\nQuietly a few maidens came to the fountain, as in the days of the\npatriarchs, whose homes stand amid the d\u00e9bris of former glory. The\nancient city occupied a low ridge between two small valleys, which\nconverge on the southeast and run into Wady Suwein\u00eet, the great\nthoroughfare to Ai and Jericho. Portions of foundations, fragments\nof walls, and heaps of hewn stone cover an area of four acres. On the\nsummit of the hill are the remains of a square tower, and to the south\nof it are the walls of a Greek church. Beyond the town, to the east, is\nthe mountain on which Abraham pitched his tent and built an altar unto\nthe Lord, having Bethel on the west and Ai on the east;[457] and there,\nthree years later, he and his nephew stood, choosing different portions\nof the land for their respective flocks.[458] From the summit of that\nridge, the whole plain of the Jordan, which so charmed the eyes of Lot,\nis seen; and the possessions of six of the tribes lay before the vision\nof Abraham, to whom the Lord on that occasion repeated the promise to\ngive the whole land to his servant.\n\nA few feet from the hill, located in the western valley, is the great\nFountain of Bethel. It is inclosed with an oblong basin 314 feet long\nand 217 wide, which is constructed of large stones, many of which are\nyet _in situ_. The southern wall is still entire, but, owing to long\ndisuse, the others are nearly gone. Grass now covers the bottom of the\nreservoir, and beautiful flowers bloom around the crystal spring.\n\nIt was probably in this lovely valley that Jacob had his wondrous\nvision. He had come from Beersheba, a distance of seventy miles. This\nlong journey, however, is not in harmony with the common belief that\nthe dream occurred on the first night after leaving his father\u2019s house.\nUrged on by the dread of an injured brother, he slept the first night\nbeside the graves of his ancestors at Hebron, thirty-six miles from\nthe patriarchal groves of Beersheba; rising early and passing through\nthe vineyards of Eshcol, he rested at noon the next day at Bethlehem,\nseventeen miles from Hebron, and near the spot where, twenty years\nlater, he buried his beautiful Rachel; six miles beyond he passed\nJerusalem on the right, the future capital of his mighty posterity; and\nlate in the evening of the second day, the stranger and weary traveler\nreached Bethel, eleven miles farther northward. The gates of the city\nwere closed, and, like the pilgrim Arab of to-day, he selected a stone\nfor his pillow, and, wrapping his capote or cloak about him, lay down\nto peaceful slumber. In a land where customs never change, such beds\nand pillows are not uncommon now, and thus are explained not only the\nstory of the fugitive, but also our Lord\u2019s command to the sick of the\npalsy, \u201cArise, take up thy bed, and walk.\u201d[459] The bed was simply a\ncoarse thick cloak of camel\u2019s hair.\n\nIn this retired vale, and beside this same fountain, Jacob dreamed of\nthe Invisible, and awoke exclaiming, \u201cHow dreadful is this place! This\nis none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.\u201d\nHere the shining ones came down, and here Jehovah calmed the troubled\nspirit of the sleeper by the promise of protection. Cheered by the\ngracious promises of the Almighty, Jacob awoke, and, as a memorial\nmonument, set up the stone that had served as a pillow, and anointed\nit with oil to seal the covenant he had made. Whether he was the first\nto conceive of building a church to God, and whether that is the sense\nof the text, Bethel became a sanctuary for his descendants.[460] When\nhe returned after an absence of twenty years, here the faithful Deborah\ndied, and he buried her under an oak, to which he gave the name of\nAllon Bachuth\u2015\u2015\u201cthe oak of weeping.\u201d[461] Destined to live in history\nin all coming time, Bethel became the scene of many great and thrilling\nevents. It was the place where Samuel held his circuit court, in\nconnection with Mizpah and Gilgal.[462] Subsequently to the death of\nSolomon, and the rending in twain of his vast empire, Bethel became the\nimperial rival of Jerusalem, and was polluted with an idol temple, in\nwhich Jeroboam placed a golden calf. It was against this abomination\nthe prophet cried: \u201cO altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold, a\nchild shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon\nthee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense\nupon thee, and men\u2019s bones shall be burnt upon thee.\u201d[463] Offended\nat the boldness of the seer, the king sought to smite him, but in the\nattempt his arm was smitten with paralysis.[464] On this slope lived\nthe old prophet who over-persuaded the Lord\u2019s servant to enter his\nhouse, contrary to the divine injunction, and by the wayside is the\ntomb in which both were interred.[465] Chosen for its central location,\nyears later Bethel became a school for the prophets, and hither Elijah\ncame on the day of his translation.[466] And three centuries and a half\nafter the utterance of the prediction, Josiah destroyed the temple and\naltar of Jeroboam, but spared the tomb of the Jud\u00e6an seer.[465]\n\nTo-day Bethel is a witness against herself. Her hills and valleys are\nbarren, and her ruins are the evidences of her decay. God has forsaken\nher; his will is done; his word is fulfilled. \u201cSeek not Bethel, nor\nenter into Gilgal; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and\nBethel shall come to naught.\u201d[466] The roll of twenty-five centuries\nhas confirmed the prophetic announcement, and time and ruins are the\ncredentials of the prophet. In vain we searched for the memorials of\nthe past. Neither Abraham\u2019s altar, nor Jacob\u2019s pillar, nor Deborah\u2019s\noak, nor Jeroboam\u2019s temple, nor the school of the prophets, could be\nfound. These all have perished, and Bethel mourns her departed glory.\nThe heavens are sealed; the ladder is withdrawn; the angels descend no\nmore; and faith, hope, and charity are the only remaining steps by\nwhich to reach the heavenly world.\n\nFrom the brow of a western hill, and through the dim distance of\ntwelve miles, I saw the dome of Omar\u2019s Mosque, the lofty minaret of the\nHaram, and the Tower of Hippicus. With this last and unexpected view\nof Jerusalem we resumed our tour to the north. For a mile the country\nwas broken, but beyond were olive-groves and fig-orchards, extending\nfor miles on either hand. The path soon descended a steep, narrow, and\nrough torrent-bed, and, after an hour\u2019s ride, it entered the charming\nvalley of El-J\u00eeb. Unsurpassed for the beauty and romantic character\nof its scenery, it abruptly contracts into a wild gorge, and, two\nmiles from its mouth, it contains a gem of a fountain, called \u2019Ain\nel-Haram\u00eeyeh, or \u201cThe Robbers\u2019 Fountain.\u201d Here the glen is as lovely\nas it is wild, and as bloody in its history as it is dangerous to the\nunwary traveler. The mountains rise in solemn grandeur on the right\nand left, shutting out the world, and casting a melancholy shade on the\nscene below. High up on a jutting cliff is an old castle, gray with age,\nand covered with moss and creeping vines. Through the bottom of the\nglen a fierce winter torrent has cut a deep and narrow channel, leaving\na broad level space on either side. On the right runs the road to\nShiloh; on the left is a small plateau, level and green, and extending\ninward to the mountain\u2019s base. Down the sides of the western cliff\nthe water trickles, through trails of fern and over beds of velvet\nmoss, into an artificial basin. The plateau is covered with grass, and\nbeneath it is a large reservoir, now a garden. Charmed with the spot,\ndesire inclined us to linger, but prudence warned us to depart. The\nwaters of El-Haram\u00eeyeh have washed the bloodstained hands of many a\nhighwayman, and the native of to-day hurries on conscious of danger\nnigh. A band of robbers were encamped upon the lawn when we reached\nthe fountain. Some were whiffing their narghilehs; others were testing\ntheir strength in gymnastic sports, while around the captain of the\nband two girls were dancing to the music of timbrel and castanets.\nThey returned our salutations, and, after drinking of the cool, sweet\nwater, and plucking a few ferns as mementoes, we recrossed the channel,\nand began to ascend toward Shiloh. As we advanced the scenery assumed\nhigher forms of sublimity. The mountains approached each other, and\nrose to the clouds; but when, in turn, the hills receded and the\nvalleys opened, the former were terraced and clad with vineyards,\nand the latter planted with wheat and corn. Attired in gay costumes,\npeasant-girls were at work on the terraces, singing merrily; shepherds,\nwith long guns thrown across their shoulders, were winding with their\nflocks around the loftier cliffs; while far away to the northwest,\nfollowing the devious mountain-paths, were trains of camels and asses,\nwhose tinkling bells awakened the echoes of the everlasting hills. More\nthan once we dismounted to gather the tempting wild-flowers, and press\nthe pretty anemones, poppies, amaranths, and white-thorn roses.\n\nReaching the head of the valley, we left Sinjil on the west to visit\nancient Shiloh. Before us lay a broad fertile plain, running toward the\nJordan, and in the midst of which stands the Arab town of Turmus \u2019Aya.\nTo the north of the village the path leads up a gentle acclivity, and\nthen, descending into a narrow valley, it gradually ascends through\ncultivated fields to the hill on which the renowned city of Samuel\nstood. At the southern base of the hill stands an old square tower,\noriginally a mosque, and over it a large oak spreads its ample branches.\nThe surrounding hills are round and naked, the valleys narrow and stony,\nand the landscape featureless and forbidding. Covering a low ridge,\nprojecting from the central chain of mountains, are the scattered ruins\nof Shiloh. Consisting of heaps of hewn stone, with now and then a\nbroken column, the remains are embedded in rank weeds and tall grass,\nand destitute of the ordinary attractions of a fallen city. Near them\nis an old ruined church, which, in the age of the Crusaders, served as\na fortress. The walls, four feet thick, are supported by buttresses.\nOver the entrance is a sculptured _amphora_, between two wreaths, and\nwithin the inclosure are a few fallen Corinthian columns. Half a mile\nto the east, in a wild glen, is the famous fountain of Shiloh, issuing\nfrom the rocks, and flowing into a deep reservoir, where shepherds\nwater their flocks.\n\nFrom the days of Jerome to the year 1838 the site of Shiloh\nremained unknown, when the analogy between the ancient and modern\nnames, together with a single verse in the Book of Judges, enabled a\ndistinguished American traveler[467] to determine its long-lost site.\nCalled by the Arabs Seil\u00fbn, he judged it the Arabic rendering of the\nmore euphonious name of Shiloh, and, guided by the minute and accurate\ndescription of the location by the elders of Israel, he succeeded in\nidentifying the place. Nothing can be more artless and correct than\nthat remarkable passage, \u201cBehold, there is a feast of the Lord in\nShiloh yearly, in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the\neast side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on\nthe south of Lebonah.\u201d[468] Though destitute of those monuments which\nhave given historic significance to its name, the pleasures of a visit\nto this celebrated city are to be derived from the recollections of the\npast rather than from the grandeur of its antiquities.\n\nMemorable as the place where the Tabernacle was first permanently set\nup in Canaan, and where the Ark remained from the days of Joshua till\nnear the close of Eli\u2019s life, it was here the Israelites assembled\nto divide the land into tribal possessions according to lot.[469] To\nfulfill a solemn vow, hither the pious Hannah brought her infant Samuel\nfrom Ramah to serve in the Tabernacle.[470] As the custodians of the\nArk, from here Hophni and Phinehas went forth to the fatal battle\nof Ebenezer, and here by the wayside the venerable Eli expired when\nhe heard of the capture of that Ark and the death of his sons.[471]\nHere the son of a mother, overwhelmed with grief at such calamities,\nreceived the name of I-chabod, \u201cThe glory is departed from Israel.\u201d[471]\nIn a glen to the east of the town was held that feast at which the\ndaughters of Shiloh were dancing when the 200 Benjamites rose suddenly\nfrom the encircling vineyards, and, rushing on the unsuspecting damsels,\ncaptured each man a bride, whom he bore in triumph to his home.[472]\nDisguised like a peasant, hither came the wife of Jeroboam from Tirzah\nto inquire of the Prophet Ahijah concerning the life of her son.[473]\n\nHaving become the seat of impiety, the city fell under the curse of the\nAlmighty, and, in the words of Jeremiah, it was doomed to its present\nshapeless and desolate condition: \u201cGo ye now unto my place which was in\nShiloh, where I set my name at first, and see what I did to it for the\nwickedness of my people Israel.\u201d[474]\n\nIt was amid the recollection of such events that the robbers of\nShiloh made their appearance and commenced an unprovoked assault upon\nour party. We had been forewarned of the turbulent character of the\npeople, and of the danger a visit involved. At Sinjil we had discussed\nthe prudence of a detour to this place, and, though it was a bold\nand hazardous step, as the sequel proved, yet we resolved to advance.\nWe were in search of the most important knowledge, and, trusting\nto a gracious Providence, we felt justified in making the attempt.\nUnfortunately, our servant at the time was at Nablous, awaiting our\narrival there, and, being without escort or guide, we were compelled\nto employ a peasant whom we had chanced to meet in a neighboring field.\nHe was a simple, inoffensive, unarmed man, and was of no advantage to\nus except to guide us to the site of Seil\u00fbn. Having seen us from their\nmountain fastnesses, the robbers rapidly congregated around the old\nstone tower, where, at the moment, we were reading the inspired story\nof the place, and recording those reflections suggested by the hour.\n\nSuch another band of villainous-looking men Nature has scarcely ever\nsuffered to dwell upon the earth. Some were without a nose, others\nwithout an eye, while all bore scars of previous fights, and wore a\nvicious countenance which promised us no good. Each ruffian was armed\nwith a long gun and a missile not unlike an Indian tomahawk. One, more\nreckless than the rest, began the fray by plundering my saddle-bags;\nbut, seeing with what determination I drew my revolver, he immediately\ndesisted. Wishing, if possible, to avoid another collision, we\nattempted to cross a corn-field to the hill on which Shiloh\u2019s ruins\nlay scattered, but they seized us and drove us back. Knowing that every\nmoment\u2019s delay diminished our chances of escape, we concluded to resume\nour journey\u2015\u2015peaceably if possible, but forcibly if we must. But we\nhad no sooner mounted our horses than the brigands seized the bridles\nand demanded our money. Another exhibition of our well-conditioned\nrevolvers\u2015\u2015which by them is a dreaded weapon\u2015\u2015again saved us from their\nhands, and, putting spurs to our horses, we descended a narrow valley\non the south of Shiloh, keeping an eye upon the robbers, who were after\nus at full speed. But the bottom of the valley soon became so rough\nthat it was impossible to proceed faster than a walk. Having overtaken\nus, they still clamored for money, and evinced their purpose to renew\nthe attack. At that moment my horse stumbled, throwing me on his head;\nbut, springing back into the saddle, and jerking the reins with all\nthe strength at my command, I saved him from going down. My haversack,\nhowever, had fallen off, and one of the ruffians, having picked it up,\nrefused to return it without a reward. Fortunately, the small amount\nI gave him satisfied him, and to that man I owe my life. Among the\nplants I had gathered at Shiloh was one of curious structure, which I\ndesired to preserve. Its large bright green leaves were so folded as to\nresemble an embossed star, but it was a deadly poison. Having dropped\nit, I called to the Arab to pluck another, but he refused, assuring me\nin Arabic that it was poisonous.\n\nWe now dismissed the peasant previously employed, giving him the\npromised sum. This proved our misfortune, as the robbers, becoming\nexasperated at the favor shown their neighbor, came upon us with\nrenewed fierceness in a solitary mountain pass. They had the advantage\nin numbers, and a base indifference to human life. Sixteen against\nfour gave us but little hope of successful resistance; but, unwilling\nto yield even against such odds, we determined to resist to the last.\nRushing upon us with the utmost fury, they seized our bridles, and,\nraising their tomahawks over our heads, demanded our money or our lives.\nRefusing to give the former, we resolved to protect the latter. Having\nnever seen the countenance of a bandit in the act of violence, I shall\nnever forget the expression of the ruffian who assailed me. His face\nwas livid with rage, and his solitary eye blazed with murderous intent\nas he grasped the bridle firmly with one hand and with the other raised\nthe weapon of death over me. Undaunted either by his rage or threats,\nI held a parley with him for several minutes, he demanding, and I, in\nturn, refusing. Trying the power of religious fear, I pointed him to\nheaven, and repeated the sacred name of \u201cAllah,\u201d but he smiled like a\ndemon, and fiercely replied, \u201cGive me your money!\u201d\n\nOur firmness would have saved us from violence had not a member of\nour party, in an unguarded moment, struck one of the brigands with a\nriding-whip, which precipitated the assault, and it was now baksheesh\nor death. Aware that by this act we had become the aggressors, we\nconcluded to give each a few piastres. Happily for myself, I had not\na piastre in change, but, borrowing half a one (two cents) from a\ncompanion, I gave it to the villain, whose fury had been cooled by firm\nlooks, strong words, a Damascus blade, and a good revolver.\n\nGrouping together, they counted the spoils, but, finding the booty\nless than they had expected, they attempted another pursuit, but we\nhad eluded their grasp. Dashing down the glen, we reached in safety the\nsmall village of Lubb\u00e2n\u2015\u2015the Lebonah of the Judges,[475] grateful to\ndivine Providence that, through Arab cowardice and Christian grace, no\nblood had been shed.\n\nThe day was now far spent. Three hours of hard riding were before\nus, and it was necessary to reach Nablous before sundown or the gates\nwould be shut. Riding through ancient towns, over plantations of figs,\nand amid the most enchanting scenery, we passed, in less than half an\nhour, the hamlet of S\u00e2wieh, perched on a lofty ridge on the left, and\na short distance beyond we came to an old castle on the right, shaded\nby a noble oak, whose vast dimensions and majestic form recalled the\nfamous oaks of Mamre. Descending into a deep valley running at right\nangles with the great northern route, on the north was Kubal\u00e2n, and\non the south Yetna, high up in the eternal hills, amid gardens of\nfigs and olives, as if suspended in the air. Such a view is worth a\npilgrimage to see. Toiling up the opposite side of the valley, in half\nan hour we gained the summit, and the beauties of Ephraim lay like a\nlandscape of glory before us. Interjections were faint symbols of the\njoyous emotions awakened by the scene. The white limestone rocks and\nverdureless mountains of the south had given place to the vine-clad\nhills of the north, crowned with the benediction of the dying patriarch,\n\u201cGod make thee as Ephraim.\u201d[476] At our feet lay the great plain of\nEl-Mukhnah, unbroken by fence or tower, dotted with groves, and rich\nin fields of wheat and corn. Spreading out more than a mile and a half\nin breadth, and extending more than seven miles north and south, it is\nbounded on the east by a range of low, dark hills, and from its western\nborder rise Gerizim and Ebal, the former crowned with a small white\nchapel reflecting the setting sun. Far away to the northeast, rising\nlike a column of alabaster against the calm blue sky of Damascus, was\nMount Hermon, the symbol of a purer world. Rapidly descending into\nthe plain below and turning northward, we soon passed the large town\nof Haw\u00e2ra, built on the mountain slope, and inhabited by a turbulent\ncommunity. Just beyond the village the road branches; the path to\nthe left, after winding round the base of Gerizim and crossing a\nmountain spur, enters the Vale of Shechem near Nablous; the other path,\ncontinuing up the plain, leads to the city by way of Jacob\u2019s Well.\nChoosing the latter, we found it the best road in Palestine. After\nfollowing the base of the mountain for a while, the path diverges to\nthe centre of the plain and passes through the most enchanting scenery.\nLike a thing of beauty, the memory of that evening\u2019s ride still\nlingers in my mind. The deepening shadows of Gerizim had thrown their\nlengthened forms over the plains; shepherds were returning with their\nflocks; peasants were plodding homeward their weary way; and in the dim\ntwilight of departing day, and amid that solemn silence which awakens\nprofound reflections, we reached the patriarchal well. Intending to\nvisit this interesting spot again, we ascended the Vale of Nablous\nand entered the ancient city of Shechem just as the old gate-keeper\nwas turning the ponderous key. Gladly dismounting after the exploits\nof such a day, we led our jaded horses over the flag-paved streets of\nthe city, exciting the curiosity of an idle crowd of Shechemites, and\naffording them fresh materials for village gossip. It was nine o\u2019clock\nwhen we found our host, who was the Christian school-teacher of the\nProtestant Mission. Receiving us with great politeness, he led us up\na long flight of stone steps into a large clean room, where, after a\nsimple repast, we spread our mats and blankets for the night.\n\n Illustration: NABLOUS.\n\nRanking with Damascus, Hebron, and Jerusalem in the antiquity of\nits origin and the importance of its history, Shechem, or the modern\ntown of Nablous, is among the oldest cities in Palestine. Coming from\nChaldea, Abraham pitched his tent on the fertile plains of Mukhnah, \u201cin\nthe place of Sichem, in the plain of Moreh.\u201d[477] Nearly two centuries\nlater his grandson Jacob came from Mesopotamia to \u201cShalem, a city of\nShechem, and pitched his tent before the city, and bought a parcel of a\nfield, at the hand of the children of Hamor, for one hundred pieces of\nmoney, and erected there an altar, and called it El-Elohe-Israel.\u201d[478]\nHere Simeon and Levi plotted the murder of the whole male population\nof the town to avenge their dishonored sister, and, exposed by this act\nof indiscretion to the insults and attacks of the adjacent villagers,\nJacob was compelled to remove to Hebron.[479] Retaining possession of\nthese pasture-fields, hither he sent Joseph to search for his brethren,\nwhom \u201ca certain man found wandering in a field,\u201d and directed him to\nDothan.[480]\n\nFour hundred years afterward, having achieved the conquest of Ai,\nJoshua led his triumphant hosts over the Jordan into this vale; upon\nEbal he reared the first Jewish altar in Samaria; and from this and its\ncompanion mountain caused to be read the blessings and cursings of the\nLaw.[481] Two and a half centuries later, Abimelech seized this city\nand was proclaimed king, which gave rise to the beautiful parable of\nJotham.[482] Hither came Rehoboam to be crowned king of Israel; and\nin the same year here occurred the coronation of Jeroboam, under whom\nthe twelve tribes revolted, and Shechem became the royal city of the\nnew monarchy.[483] During the long captivity of the Jews in Assyria,\nNablous rose to be the chief city of the Samaritans, who were destined\nto act such a conspicuous part in sacred history. Being instructed\nin the Jewish religion, they reared upon the summit of Mount Gerizim\na rival temple to that in Jerusalem, and became the religious and\npolitical enemies of the Jews. Four hundred and fifty years after\nthe erection of this temple, the Vale of Shechem was hallowed by the\npresence and teachings of Jesus and his twelve apostles. In the year\n89 A.D. it was the birthplace of Justin, the philosopher and martyr,\none of the earliest and most learned of the Christian fathers. From the\ndays of the Roman conquest to the present time it has shared the varied\nfortunes of the Crescent and the Cross, and to-day is subject to the\nsceptre of the False Prophet.\n\nNablous is situated in one of the most delightful vales in Palestine.\nA garden-like valley opens from the Plain of Mukhnah and runs nearly\neast and west, with Ebal on the north and Gerizim on the south.\nStanding less than two miles up the vale, the city covers the roots\nof Gerizim, extending toward the opposite mountain. Of its 8000\ninhabitants, 50 are Jews, 150 Samaritans, 500 Christians, and over\n7000 Moslems. Its narrow streets, thronged with a busy multitude\u2015\u2015its\nstone dwellings, crowned with small domes\u2015\u2015its mosques, with their\ngraceful minarets\u2015\u2015and its numerous bazars, filled with fruit and\nother commodities, remind the traveler of Jerusalem; but the streets\nare less light and airy than those of the Holy City, as the buildings,\nprojecting over them, supported by arches, impart to them a tunnel-like\nappearance. Except a spacious Saracenic doorway, now the portal of a\nmosque, a marble sarcophagus, now a water-trough, and a few prostrate\ncolumns of granite, limestone, and marble, there are no antiquities\nworthy of a moment\u2019s attention. The modern Shechemites are the chief\ncotton-growers, oil-makers, and soap manufacturers of Palestine. The\nvalleys and hill-sides are covered with olive-trees, from the berries\nof which is extracted the precious oil. In the adjacent fields cotton\nis raised in large quantities for home consumption and exportation.\nRegarded as the best quality grown in the dominions of the Turkish\nempire, thousands of bales are yearly exported to Europe. The present\ncitizens of the town afford another illustration that the character of\na people, no less than their names and social customs, are handed down\nfrom generation to generation. They are infamous for their turbulent\nand fanatical reputation in the past, and more street-fights occur in\nNablous than in any other Syrian city. The rebellious spirit that rose\nthree thousand years ago against the government of Rehoboam is still\ndominant, and the Shechemites are among the most troublesome of the\nsultan\u2019s subjects, obeying or rebelling as interest dictates or passion\ninclines. It required the powerful and cruel arm of Ibrahim Pasha\nto crush them, though not without a long and bloody struggle. Jews,\nSamaritans, and Christians live among those turbulent children of\nthe Prophet only by sufferance, and the crimes of theft and murder\nperpetrated on them are seldom punished by the weak and timorous\nTurkish officials.\n\nThe Jews have a small synagogue within the walls, the picture of\npoverty and wretchedness. Of the 500 Christians, most are of the\nGreek Church, and worship in an edifice at once old and filthy. The\nProtestant Christian Mission is under the protection of the English and\nRussian governments, and is accomplishing much good in the education\nof the young. The mission school, under the care of our host, was held\nin a room adjoining the one we occupied. Accepting his invitation, we\nspent an hour with his pupils: there were present from forty to fifty\nboys, from three to fifteen years of age. Attired in Syrian costume,\nthey were clean and pretty in their appearance, and modest and obedient\nin their behavior. Sitting on their heels, they were engaged in writing\nwith a reed not unlike, in form and size, our common pencils. Calling\nup one by one, from the least to the greatest, the master exhibited\nspecimens of penmanship which, as far as I was capable of judging of\nthe graceful Arabic characters, were creditable to the young penmen. As\nthey seemed anxious to know about the schools and children of America,\nI made them a brief speech, which was interpreted by our polite host.\n\nFrom their wealth, social position, and historic importance, the\nSamaritans are by far the most interesting religious body in Nablous.\nThe Bible account of their origin and history invests them with\na peculiar charm, and imparts to the seat of their ancient empire\nan interest seldom equaled in the stories of romance. Hoping to\neffectually subdue Palestine to their powerful sway and restore it\nto the rites of idol worship, the Assyrian conqueror led the Jews of\nSamaria into captivity, and repeopled their depopulated cities with\ncolonists from the distant East. During the long period that intervened\nbetween the captivity and the colonization, the bears, panthers, wolves,\nand jackals from the Heights of Hermon and the jungles of the Jordan\nhad so far penetrated into the heart of the country, and had multiplied\nto such a degree, as to endanger the lives of the colonists. Being\npolytheists themselves, they ascribed the evil to the local divinities,\nwhose worship they knew not how to perform. Complaining to their king,\nhe sent them a Jewish priest, who taught them the name and worship of\nJehovah. With a curtness that savors of irony, the inspired historian\nadds, \u201cThey feared the Lord and served their own gods.\u201d[484] National\npride, and contempt for their origin and mixed religion, led the Jews,\nin after years, to despise the colonists, and being thus scorned by\nthose from whom they had reason to look for truth and righteousness,\nthe Samaritans in turn became exclusive. Multiplying in numbers and\nincreasing in wealth, in process of time they erected a temple on\nthe summit of Gerizim. To them this mount became their Moriah, and in\nthe lapse of ages an invented tradition designated it as the scene of\nthe offering of Isaac. By a better title it shared the solemnity and\nsignificance of Mount Sinai, as from its slopes Joshua proclaimed the\nLaw; and the vale beneath became a second R\u00e2hah, since the hosts of\nIsrael gathered there to hear the blessings and cursings of the divine\ncommandments. With honest pride they contemplated their surrounding\nplains as the camping-ground of the patriarchs prior to their\npilgrimage to the south, and as the scene of the coronation of the son\nof Solomon. Turning their attention to commerce, they became merchants\nin Egypt, and, traveling westward, in the fifth century they had a\nsynagogue in Rome. Continuing to live under the varied fortunes and\nvicissitudes of empire, the existence of this present remnant is one of\nthe most remarkable instances of the tenacity of national life in the\nannals of the world. Numbering 130 souls\u2015\u2015the sum of all that remain\nof a once proud and mighty kingdom\u2015\u2015they cling to their ancient seat of\nempire with undying fondness. Adhering to the Jewish law, which forbids\nmarriage with foreigners, and numbering more males than females, not\nless than twenty men are doomed to involuntary celibacy. Industrious\nand thrifty, they dwell in their own houses, pursuing their vocations\nand maintaining their community with comparative ease. In their\nphysique and apparel, in their intelligence and morals, in their\nsocial happiness and general behavior, they are the superior class\namong the citizens of Nablous. Possessing a solitary synagogue in\nthe western part of the town, they observe their religious rites with\nmuch regularity. They have a school, under the direction of a shrewd,\nintelligent Samaritan. Their high-priest is a venerable man, who is\nassisted in the duties of his sacred office by two sons, the elder\nof whom will succeed his father to the office and rank he now holds.\nBesides a collection of hymns, they have in their possession the Book\nof Joshua in manuscript, with commentaries on the Law, and a copy of\nthe Pentateuch in the original character. They claim for the latter\nthat it is 3300 years old, and was written by \u201cAbishua, the son\nof Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron.\u201d Regarded as a\ntreasure of incalculable value, it is preserved in a metallic case,\nand deposited in their synagogue under the care of the high-priest. The\ntattered, patched, and soiled parchment forms an immense scroll, the\nends of which are attached to two rollers. Such is their superstitious\nreverence for this antique manuscript, that they deem it a pardonable\noffense to exhibit a duplicate as the veritable one, and many a\ntraveler has left with the impression of having seen the five books\nof Moses written by the son of Phinehas. Though destitute of a temple,\nthey ascend their sacred mount three times a year, and celebrate with\nmuch display the Feast of the Passover, the Day of Pentecost, and the\nFeast of Tabernacles.\n\nThe clouds that had overcast the sky, and the fogs which had hung upon\nthe mountains like floating curtains in the morning, had been lifted up\nby noon, and Nature smiled in all the beauty of spring. Passing out of\nthe eastern gate of the city, I entered the Vale of Shechem. It extends\nfrom the Plain of Mukhnah on the east to the city on the west, and is\ntwo miles in length and something over 200 yards in width. It gently\nascends from Jacob\u2019s Well, and for half a mile its entire breadth is\none vast and glorious grove of olive, fig, and almond trees, presenting\nat times the density of a forest. Beyond the orchards are vineyards\nand fields of grain, through which flows a crystal brooklet. Rising\nlike massive walls from this garden valley are Mount Gerizim on the\nsouth and Ebal on the north, attaining an altitude of nearly 1000 feet.\nStanding midway the vale, and looking upon these celebrated mountains,\none is impressed with their singular companionship. Of equal height,\nwith rugged sides and flattened summits, they remind one of twin\nbrothers. Equally renowned in sacred history, the honor bestowed\nupon the one was only equal to the glory conferred upon the other. If\nGerizim was the mount of blessing and Ebal the mount of cursing, it was\nupon the latter that Joshua reared the first altar to the living God in\nCentral Palestine. But, less impartial than history, Nature symbolizes\nthe benedictions and maledictions of the law by causing flowers to\nbloom on Gerizim and thorns to grow on Ebal. Midway the vale are\ncorresponding nooks in the mountain sides, resembling well-formed\nrecesses, and increasing its breadth to nearly 400 yards. Standing out\nfrom the base of the mountains are perpendicular ledges of rock, not\nunlike grand pulpits, from which the whole vale is distinctly seen.\nSomewhere in this expanse the hosts of Israel assembled to hear all\nthe words of the Law. Divided by the centre of the vale, the tribes of\nSimeon and Levi, of Judah and Issachar, of Joseph and Benjamin, were\ngathered around the base of Gerizim, and the tribes of Reuben and\nGad, of Asher and Zebulun, of Dan and Naphtali, were congregated over\nagainst Ebal. Standing above the people on these great pulpits, which\nthe Creator had reared for an occasion so august, the priests read\nthe Law, while to each blessing and to each cursing the vast multitude\nresponded their assent.[485] So firmly does Nature retain her ancient\nfeatures, and so exact is the correspondence between the inspired\naccount and the scene as it now appears, that, standing within this\nvenerable church of God\u2019s own construction, thirty centuries unfold\ntheir mighty scroll, and the past comes back with the actuality of the\npresent. Before the eye of a sublime faith the tribes reassemble, the\npriests take their stand, and in sonorous tones slowly and distinctly\nread, one by one, each command and each prohibition, while from either\nside, in alternate responses, beginning at the mountain base and\nrolling outward to the centre, rises the full, deep, responsive \u201cAmen!\u201d\nlike the sound of many waters breaking in alternations of musical\nthunder against the opposite wall of the everlasting mountains. The\narea was sufficient for that grandest of human assemblies; and such is\nthe profound silence of the vale, the human voice was heard then, as it\nis heard now, from mountain to mountain.\n\nViewed from this point, Gerizim is not unlike a cone with ridged sides\nand a broken base, while Ebal seems not so high nor steep, but rougher,\nwith its top receding with gentle slope. In the centre of the vale\nopposite the nooks is the cool, clear, sweet fountain of \u2019Ain Depneh,\nwhither, as of old, the maidens come for water, and around which\nshepherds linger with their flocks. In numberless rills the waters flow\nto the eastward, in pearly brightness and perennial music, the livelong\nday. From the fig and almond bowers birds of elegant plumage awaken\nthe gentler echoes of the vale. Less than half a mile to the east of\nthe fountain is the wretched hamlet of Bel\u00e2t, presenting a melancholy\ncontrast between the beauty of nature and the deformity of man. Two\nhundred yards beyond, situated on the point of a spur from Gerizim,\nis Jacob\u2019s Well. On a mound of shapeless ruins, 20 feet above the\nPlain of Mukhnah, are fragments of granite columns, the remains of\na Christian church. Measuring 75 feet in depth and nine in diameter,\nthis patriarchal well is excavated in the solid rock with regular and\nsmoothly-hewn sides. Originally, a vaulted chamber, 10 feet square and\nas many deep below the surface of the ground, formed the entrance to\nthe well, the walls of which have fallen in, rendering access difficult.\nLeaping down into the ruined vault, I found two openings into the well\nthrough heaps of limestone blocks. Attaching a cord to a small tin\nbottle, I lowered it to the depth of 65 feet, but found no water;\non lowering it, however, through the other aperture to the depth of\n75 feet I reached the water, which was from three to five feet deep.\nImagine my joy in drinking from the Well of Sychar, whose waters were\nsanctified by the lips of the gracious Redeemer! It is clear like unto\ncrystal, having the softness of oil and the sweetness of honey.\n\n Illustration: JACOB\u2019S WELL.\n\nReturning to the surface of the ground, and sitting beside the well\nwhither the sons and daughters of the patriarchs had often come for\nwater, and perchance where the Master had sat, I read its thrilling\nhistory as recorded by Moses and by John. With an accuracy that must\nclaim the faith of every candid mind, all the facts of the sacred\nnarrative are in harmony with the physical features of the scene.\nStretching out to the north, east, and south is the parcel of a field\nJacob bought of Hamor for a hundred pieces of money,[486] and on its\nwestern border is the well. The three great religious sects agree as\nto its identity, and its site has been preserved in the memory and\naffections of man through an unbroken tradition to our own time. To one\nnot conversant with Eastern customs it would appear improbable that a\nman as shrewd and prudent as Jacob would be at the expense and labor of\nexcavating a well so near the living springs in the upper valley, which\nhave always poured their irrigating waters down the Vale of Shechem.\nBut the reflection on the prudence and economy of the patriarch is\nremoved by the consideration of the well-known fact that in the East\nwater is more valuable than land, and a higher value is set upon a\nwell or spring than upon fields of pasture. \u201cPasture your flocks on\nmy hills and plains, but let my wells alone,\u201d is the only request\nthe Oriental makes of the stranger. In a land where water is scarce,\nevery proprietor aims to have a well of his own, which he guards with\npeculiar vigilance. The custom of digging wells on a newly-purchased\nestate is as old as Abraham and Isaac; and as in their times, so now,\nthere are more quarrels over wells of water than over fields of grain.\nSubject to the same social laws, Jacob but indicated his wisdom and\nconformed to an acknowledged usage in first purchasing a field and then\ndigging a well. Accepting a tradition so venerable, I yielded to the\nfull enjoyment which such a scene is calculated to afford, and the week\nI spent at Nablous I never wearied in my journeyings to drink of these\ndelicious waters.\n\nInteresting as were the patriarchal associations of the place,\nit was with unmingled delight I read the beautiful story of our\nLord\u2019s conversation with the woman of Samaria. Had St. John written\nthe incidents of the Savior\u2019s journey from Jerusalem to Sychar with\na previous knowledge that his narrative would be subjected to a\nsearching criticism by the enemies of Divine truth, he could not have\nwritten with greater accuracy. As the facts of topography on which the\ntraveler relies for the credibility of the story are recorded merely as\nincidents to the story itself, the correspondence between the statement\nand the fact is the more wonderful and convincing. Deeming it prudent\nto escape the snare of the Pharisees, \u201cJesus left Judea and departed\nagain into Galilee.\u201d To reach his destination \u201che must needs go through\nSamaria.\u201d Reaching Jacob\u2019s Well at noon, he rested, it being on the\ndirect road to Galilee by way of Tirzah, while his disciples, turning\nto the left, passed up the Vale of Shechem to the city to purchase\nrefreshments. During their absence came the \u201cwoman of Samaria,\u201d with\ncord and pitcher, to draw water. He who had made the fountains of earth\nand sky requested, \u201cGive me to drink.\u201d As at most Eastern wells there\nis neither wheel, chain, nor bucket, and surprised at his promise to\ngive living waters, her reply was no less natural than truthful: \u201cSir,\nthou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.\u201d Hoping to divert\nhis attention from the irregularities of her life, she introduced the\nrelative claims of the Jews and Samaritans to religious superiority.\nRising up before them was Mount Gerizim, to which in turn each pointed\nin their allusions to the noble sanctuary crowning its summit. Looking\nwith compassion upon the Samaritans, anticipating the great work to\nbe wrought among them, and impressed with the necessity of immediately\nlaboring in their behalf, he pointed to the ripe Plains of Mukhnah,\nwarning his disciples not to say, \u201cThere are yet four months and then\ncometh harvest; behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on\nthe fields, for they are white already to harvest.\u201d[487]\n\nWhile Jews and Samaritans, Christians and Moslems, agree that this is\nthe Well of Sychar, the ever-restless skepticism of modern times has\ncalled in question its otherwise undisputed identity. Because it is two\nmiles from the city of Shechem, it is judged too far away for the woman\nto have come for water. Nothing, however, is said in the text to cause\nus to suppose she came from the city; and if she had come from what is\nnow known as Nablous, there are reasons for supposing that the ancient\ncity extended farther east than the present one. Like the village of\nBel\u00e2t, her native town might have been adjacent to the spot; or at\nthe noon hour she might have come from an adjoining field, where,\nwith other peasant women, she had spent the morning in the toils of\nhusbandry.\n\nBut, in the unmistakable fulfillment of our Lord\u2019s prophecy, time has\nfurnished even a stronger proof of Bible inspiration than the exact\ncorrespondence between the narration of the event and the description\nof the scene. The woman of Samaria is dead; the disciples, one by one,\nhave all passed to their reward; the Redeemer has ascended to glory;\nGerizim is a desolation; Moriah is the shrine of Mohammed; and the\nprophetic words of Jesus, that first fell from his lips on the soft air\nof the Vale of Shechem, and were whispered back by the winds from Ebal\nand Gerizim, are now heard in all the valleys and on all the mountain\nsummits in two hemispheres.\n\nThe tomb of Joseph is in sight of his father\u2019s well, around which he\nwas wont to play when young. When dying in the palace of Pharaoh, he\nhad taken an oath of the children of Israel that they should \u201ccarry up\nhis bones from hence;\u201d[488] and, true to their solemn vow, \u201cthe bones\nof Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of the land of\nEgypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought\nof the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.\u201d[489] Crossing a stream\non which stands an old mill belonging to the village of Bel\u00e2t, we\ndescended into the plain, and, passing through rich corn-fields half a\nmile to the north, we came to a small square area inclosed by a white\nplastered wall, marking the spot where sleeps in peace he who was the\ndarling son, the wandering shepherd, the captive youth, Potiphar\u2019s\nslave, Asenath\u2019s betrothed, Pharaoh\u2019s prime minister, the preserver of\nhis country, the joy of a dying father, the exemplary saint, and the\nmodel man. How strangely the lines of human actions cross each other\nin the orderings of Providence! What beautiful coincidences transpire\nbeneath his benign sway! The parcel of land his father purchased\nof Hamor is now the place of Joseph\u2019s sepulchre, and in the very\nfield where he was lost he now rests in death. And though the spot is\nunmarked by stately granite or marble shaft, Ebal, the mountain of his\nboyhood, is his imposing tomb-stone, and over the whitened wall a vine\nis now creeping, the symbol chosen by his dying father to preintimate\nthe prosperity of a beloved son: \u201cJoseph is a fruitful bough, even a\nfruitful bough by a wall, whose branches run over the wall.\u201d[490]\n\nIt was five o\u2019clock on a bright spring morning when, attended by a\nsolitary guide, I descended the Vale of Nablous to where the valley\nwidens, and began to ascend the Mount of Cursing. The sun was just\npeering over the hills of Ephraim, transforming the dew-drops into\nsparkling jewels, and awakening the matin notes of unnumbered songsters.\nIn an hour we gained the summit; and though the horizon was misty,\nlimiting the view, the familiar peaks of Moab rose above the fog-clouds\nlike islands in the ocean. The sides of Ebal are rough, and its summit\nbroad and stony. A solitary goat-path leads over the mountain to\nthe valleys beyond. Shepherds were roving with their flocks in quest\nof pasture, and peasants were hastening to their daily toil. The\nattritions of time and the sacrilegious hand of plunder have destroyed\nthe altar Joshua reared to Jehovah. From its highest peak a noble\nview is obtained of the fertile hills and valleys to the east, and of\nthe lofty Tell\u00fbzeh, the renowned Tirzah, whose beauties Solomon has\nembalmed in immortal song,[491] and which was once the rival of Shechem\nas the seat of royalty.[492]\n\nReturning to Nablous, we passed out of the western gate to ascend the\nMount of Blessings. At the portal stood a group of lepers, perhaps the\ndescendants of Gehazi, who was cursed with the leprosy of Naaman.[493]\nPoor creatures, how sad they looked! Their ulcered faces, dull,\nrestless eyes, languid, husky voices, and tattered garments presented\na mournful spectacle of fallen humanity. Excluded from society like\nthose of Jerusalem, they live distinct, to grieve, rot, and die in\ntheir wretched hovels. Standing afar off and arranging themselves in a\nsemicircle, twenty men and women, in tones of pity, asked our charities.\nNo sight among living things that meets the traveler\u2019s eye recalls the\ndays of the benevolent Savior so vividly as the appearance of lepers.\nPerhaps it was in this same city that \u201cthere met him ten men that were\nlepers, which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said,\nJesus, Master, have mercy on us.\u201d[494] Distributing bread among the\npoor creatures, we turned to the left and began the ascent. Our path\nled up a glen of rare beauty, and from a ridge to the south of the town\nwe looked down upon the noble site of the city stretching nearly across\nthe valley, and from amid palms and trees of exquisite foliage rose\ndomes and minarets. Just above the ridge, in a sequestered spot, is\nthe large fountain of \u2019Asal. Its clear waters, being first gathered\ninto immense troughs, are then conducted by an aqueduct to a mill, from\nwhich they flow down the hill-side into a quiet dell rich with shrubs\nand flowers. Crossing the stream, we followed the path trodden by many\nancient pilgrims, and passed through groves of figs and almonds, in the\nbranches of which birds were singing merrily. Here the hill-sides were\nterraced, supporting groves of fruit-trees and also vineyards. Beyond\nthe orchards the path was steep and stony, and turning abruptly to\nthe left, after half an hour\u2019s hard climbing we reached the summit of\nGerizim. The top is a broad, irregular plateau, covered with heaps of\nstones and the remains of vast structures. Crowning a rocky knoll is\nthe white wely seen from the Heights of Ephraim. From the roof a view\nis obtained rivaling that from Neby Samw\u00eel in the extent and variety\nof the prospect. Far to the east, like a massive wall, stand the\ntrans-Jordanic mountains; on the south a succession of green hills\nappear as far as the eye can reach; on the west are seen patches of the\nPlain of Sharon, and through openings in the hills are caught glimpses\nof the Mediterranean; while dimly in the hazy northern sky Hermon rises,\ncovered with snow and tinged with a purple hue. In all its wealth and\nbeauty, at the mountain base lies the Plain of Mukhnah, stretching\neastward a broad green arm amid the dark hills of Ephraim. Indistinctly\nthe modern town of S\u00e2lim appears on its western border, supposed to\nmark the site of Shalem, where Jacob pitched his tent. Seen in the\nrays of the setting sun, the plain resembles a magnificent carpet\nof vast dimensions, of curious figures, and of variant hues, the\nchocolate-color of the soil, the light green of the corn, the sombre\nhue of the olive, the dull gray of the protruding rocks, and the purple\nand azure tints of the hills harmoniously blending.\n\nOf the nature and origin of the immense ruins covering the summit\nof Gerizim but little is known. There is one vast structure, now in\nruins, consisting of two adjacent parts, measuring 400 feet in length\nand 250 in breadth, with the remains of square towers at each corner.\nConsisting of blocks of limestone with beveled edges and rough centres,\nthey are regarded by some as the remains of the once grand temple of\nthe Samaritans, and by others as portions of the great fortress here\nerected by the Emperor Justinian. Though the Samaritans reject these\nruins as part of their temple, yet they point to many of their sacred\nplaces. Beneath the western wall of what is now called the castle are\ntwelve flat stones, and under them are said to be the veritable twelve\nstones that Joshua brought up out of the Jordan as memorials of the\nmiraculous dividing of the water. A few yards to the south is their\n\u201cHoly of Holies.\u201d Irregular in form, it is a smooth-faced natural rock,\nmeasuring 45 feet in diameter, and gently declining toward a deep-hewn\npit called their _sanctum sanctorum_. Regarding it as holy ground, they\nalways remove their shoes before stepping upon it; and as truly as the\nMoslem turns toward Mecca in the moment of prayer, and the Jew toward\nJerusalem, so truly do the Samaritans turn toward this rock-hewn cavern\nin the time of devotion. Contrary to all history and to all tradition,\nthey claim it as the scene of the offering of Isaac, of Jacob\u2019s vision,\nas the place where the Tabernacle was first set up, and where the\nArk rested. Sacred and profane history is too explicit to countenance\neither of these assumptions; and, besides the unanimous voice of\nhistory, the distance from Beersheba to Gerizim is too great to have\nbeen accomplished in three days by Abraham and his son. Even had the\nFather of the Faithful followed the Plain of Philistia, and on the\nmorning of the third day from the Plain of Sharon seen Gerizim, the\ndifficulty of distance would not have been obviated by such a route, as\nit would have required him to travel thirty miles a day for the first\ntwo days and twenty miles of heavy mountain-climbing for the third; and\nas he and Isaac returned to the young men the same day, the distance\nwould have been much greater. Not far from these ruins is a rectangular\narea, surrounded with a low stone fence, called the Temple of the\nSamaritans. Here they annually assemble, pitch their tents, and eat the\nPassover. Near the inclosure is a circular pit, three feet in diameter\nand ten deep, in which the paschal lambs are roasted. I was fortunate\nenough to be present on the 23d of April to witness the celebration of\nthe feast of the Samaritan Passover. According to their custom, their\nwhole community, to the number of 130 souls, consisting of men, women,\nand children, had ascended the mount and pitched their tents, some of\nwhich were white and others of variegated colors, upon its broad summit.\nThe day being regarded by them as a gala-day, all were attired in their\ngayest costumes, and all rejoiced in the historic significance of the\noccasion. Occupying an elevated position, the ceremonies were conducted\nby the venerable high-priest, assisted by his two sons. The male\nportion of the congregation stood in a group on a small mound, chanting\npsalms and reciting portions of the Pentateuch, while the females\nremained in and around the tents. In a group stood seven Levites clad\nin white garments, each holding by the head a lamb without spot or\nblemish; near them were large caldrons of boiling water, to scald the\nsheep like swine, instead of flaying them, as in the ordinary way; and\nbeyond was the circular furnace, already heated, to roast the offering.\nThe going down of the sun was the appointed time to slay the paschal\nlambs. As the day declined, each face was turned toward the west,\neagerly watching the last ray of the setting sun. At length the solemn\nmoment came; the high-priest waved his hand as the signal for the\nslaughter; in an instant each lamb was slain and lay bleeding at the\nLevite\u2019s feet. Not a sound was heard. Each worshiper bowed his face\nto the earth, his forehead touching the ground. After an interval of\nsilent prayer, all arose, greeted each other with a holy kiss, and\nparents sprinkled the blood of the victims upon the forehead of their\nfirst-born. The scalding of the sheep followed, and after the fleece\nhad been removed, the seven lambs were suspended on heavy oaken spits,\nand with much ceremony placed in the heated furnace. It was night\nbefore the feast was ready. The paschal moon had risen in unclouded\nbeauty upon the rugged summit of Gerizim, and many a one had fallen\nasleep, like the three disciples in Tabor. At length a shout is\nheard\u2015\u2015the feast is ready! The lambs being removed from the furnace,\nthe priest\u2019s portion was first presented to him, and then the whole\ncompany, except those women ceremonially unclean, ate the flesh with\nbitter herbs and with unleavened bread, in haste, with their loins\ngirded, their shoes on their feet, and their staffs in their hand.[495]\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER XI.\n\n A Price for Politeness. \u2015\u2015 Escort. \u2015\u2015 Picturesque Scenery. \u2015\u2015\n Samaria. \u2015\u2015 Its Founder. \u2015\u2015 Its Vicissitudes. \u2015\u2015 Residence\n of Elisha. \u2015\u2015 Famine. \u2015\u2015 City beautified by Herod. \u2015\u2015 Its\n Location. \u2015\u2015 Hill of Omri. \u2015\u2015 Grand Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Tomb of John\n the Baptist. \u2015\u2015 Temple of Augustus. \u2015\u2015 Prediction fulfilled.\n \u2015\u2015 Departure for C\u00e6sarea. \u2015\u2015 Night on the Plain of Sharon. \u2015\u2015\n The Sick brought out. \u2015\u2015 Plain of Sharon. \u2015\u2015 The Lost Lake. \u2015\u2015\n C\u00e6sarea uninhabited. \u2015\u2015 Dangers. \u2015\u2015 History. \u2015\u2015 Imperial City\n under Herod the Great. \u2015\u2015 Grand Ruins. \u2015\u2015 St. Paul a Prisoner.\n \u2015\u2015 Death of Herod Agrippa. \u2015\u2015 Athl\u00eet. \u2015\u2015 Mount Carmel. \u2015\u2015\n Scene of the Sacrifice. \u2015\u2015 Great Event. \u2015\u2015 Abode of Elisha.\n\n\nSAMARIA, the ancient capital of Israel, is seven and a half miles to\nthe northwest from Nablous, and 25 miles beyond, in the same direction,\nis C\u00e6sarea, on the Mediterranean coast. Intending to encamp that night\namid the ruins of the latter city, we ordered our horses at nine A.M.\nAt the appointed time their solid iron shoes were heard on the pavement\nbelow, and the impatient Arab servant was crying, \u201cHorses ready, sir.\u201d\nBut we had met with an unexpected delay. Judging from the magnanimous\nmanner in which the schoolmaster of Nablous had received us at our\narrival, and his affable deportment during our stay, he seemed above\nthe tricks and meanness of other Orientals; but an Arab is an Arab\nthe world over\u2015\u2015selfish, money-loving, and untrue, whether Christian,\nJew, or Moslem. Eastern hospitality always means an equivalent to be\nreturned for whatever has been received. Gifts are presented with the\ntacit understanding that presents are to be given in return. Even the\nmerchant assures the buyer that all he has is his, well knowing that in\nthis unbounded generosity he is protected by the customs of the East,\nwhich are invested with all the sanctity and authority of law. More\nthan once our host had said, \u201cAll I have is yours\u2015\u2015my house, my food,\nmy service.\u201d To the uninitiated this is equal to his ideal of Oriental\nhospitality; but when the day of departure comes, the deceptive curtain\nis lifted, and his Arab host stands before him a persistent creditor.\nHaving paid our host for his apartments and for the entertainment he\nhad furnished, I saw that he wore an expression of disappointment.\n\u201cWhat is the matter, my friend? Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou\nart not sick? It is nothing else but sorrow of heart.\u201d \u201cAh! my dear sir,\nyou have paid me for my room, for my food, and for my service, but you\nhave not paid me for my politeness.\u201d \u201cHow much do you charge for your\npoliteness?\u201d A thoughtful moment followed, and he replied, \u201cTwo dollars\nand a half.\u201d[496]\n\nWaving him an adieu, we sprang into our saddles, and in a few moments\nissued out of the western portal of the city. Intending to visit\nC\u00e6sarea, which is now a desolation and a den of thieves, we had taken\nthe precaution to engage two Turkish soldiers as a guard, for whose\nservice the governor had demanded an exorbitant sum. They were to\nhave met us at the gate of the town, but, true to their traditional\nindolence, they did not arrive till long after the appointed hour.\nThe sun was high, a long journey was before us, many places of deep\ninterest were to be visited, and we felt impatient at the delay. To\nwait was the only remedy. At length one came, informing us that his\ncompanion had lost his horse. Refusing to linger longer, we ordered\nhim to advance, leaving word with the guard at the gate to hasten the\ntardy soldier, who overtook us after half an hour\u2019s ride.\n\nOur cavalcade now presented a picturesque appearance as we wound\nround the southwestern spur of Gerizim and descended into the upper\nend of the Vale of Shechem. Leading the way, our guard were mounted on\nspirited horses fantastically caparisoned, while they themselves were\nattired in costumes of the gayest colors. Each was armed with a long\ngun thrown across the shoulders, a Turkish sword dangling by his side,\nand a brace of old-fashioned cavalry pistols sticking in his girdle. As\nwe advanced the scenery became surpassingly lovely. Terraced hills rose\non either side, casting a grateful shade in the vale below; groves of\nfigs and olives, apples and pomegranates, apricots and almonds, covered\nthe plain and mountain sides. As we rode on, our ears were saluted with\nthe sound of running waters and the song of birds. In less than thirty\nminutes we passed on our right a noble fountain, covered with a Roman\narch, around which were groups of peasants and droves of asses. An hour\nbeyond we came to an arched mill-race, not unlike a Roman aqueduct,\nconsisting of twelve pointed arches, gray with age and festooned with\ngraceful ferns. It is used for carrying the water to the south side\nof the valley, where it falls headlong into the heart of an old mill,\namid the whirr of wheels, mingling an air of civilization with the\ncrude mechanics of the East. Leaving this terrestrial elysium, our\npath diverged northward over bleak hills whose limestone ribs had\nburst through the scanty soil, intensely reflecting the light and heat\nof a Syrian sun. The path is cut into the solid rock, in some places\nresembling steps, but now worn smooth by the tread of man and beast.\nNear the summit of the ridge is the \u201cShepherds\u2019 Spring,\u201d where maidens\nwere drawing water for their flocks. Now the royal city of Samaria\nrose to view. Its unique hill, like a truncated cone, adorned with\ncircular terraces; its marble porticoes, now in ruins; and its hut-like\ndwellings, rising from amid the remains of more pretentious edifices,\nformed a picture of singular beauty. Descending through magnificent\ngroves, the path followed the valley, and, after passing beneath an\nold arched gateway, it abruptly turned to the west up the hill of the\nSamaria of Omri, the Sebaste of Herod, and the Sebustieh of modern\ntimes.\n\nThe history of Samaria is among the most thrilling and romantic\nportions of the Sacred Volume. It dates back to 900 years B.C. \u201cIn the\nthirty and first year of Asa, king of Judah, began Omri to reign over\nIsrael, twelve years; six years reigned he in Tirzah. And he bought the\nHill of Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the\nhill, and called the name of the city which he built after the name of\nShemer, owner of the Hill Samaria.\u201d[497] Up to this time the revolted\nten tribes had no capital city as the object of their pride and the\ncentre of their affections. Originating in rebellion, the kingdom\nof Israel had been governed by adventurers, who had reared sumptuous\npalaces as fancy or luxury inclined. From Shechem, the original seat\nof empire, Jeroboam removed to the enchanting Heights of Tirzah, a\nmagnificent mountain six miles north from Nablous, projecting from the\ntable-land of Ebal. Solomon had praised its beauty in his immortal song:\n\u201cThou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah;\u201d[498] and for forty years it\nwas the seat of royalty. Ambitious for an imperial city near Jerusalem,\nBaasha, the successor of Jeroboam, abandoned Tirzah for Ramah; but,\novertaken by misfortune, he was compelled to return to the mountains of\nEphraim. More successful, however, than his predecessor, after a reign\nof six years Omri finally exchanged Tirzah for the strength, wealth,\nand glory of Samaria. Succeeding his father Omri to the throne of\nIsrael, and marrying the Sidonian Jezebel, Ahab removed his court to\nJezreel, on the slopes of Gilboa. To him belongs the shame of having\nfirst erected an idol temple to Baal on the summit of Samaria, which\nsecured for him the divine verdict that \u201cAhab did more to provoke\nthe Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that\nwere before him.\u201d[499] The city was a tempting prize to the military\nplunderers of that distant day. In the reign of Ahab, Benhadad, king of\nDamascus, besieged it with a strong and boastful army, but, through the\ncourage and celerity of the young men of the provinces, he was repulsed\nwith terrible slaughter.[500] Long the residence of the Prophet Elisha,\nSamaria was the scene of many of the most interesting events in his\nmarvelous career. Benhadad, regarding him the cause of the discomfiture\nof his army, dispatched a detachment of troops to Dothan, six miles to\nthe north, to capture the man of God. Conscious of his danger, Elisha\ninvoked the divine aid, and the Lord smote the men with blindness, and\nthe prophet, whom they had been sent to capture, led them as captives\nback to Samaria. Forgetting that mercy is due to the vanquished, the\nking of Israel, in a paroxysm of revenge, cried out, \u201cMy father, shall\nI smite them? shall I smite them?\u201d More humane than his royal master,\nthe kind-hearted Elisha replied, \u201cThou shalt not smite them: wouldst\nthou smite them whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with\nthy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink,\nand go to their master.\u201d[501] Benhadad, enraged at his failure to\ncapture the man whom he supposed was the cause of his ill success,\nsought to accomplish by famine what he had failed to do by the sword.\nInvesting the city on every side, he reduced the citizens to the\ngreatest necessity. It was during the horrors of the long and fearful\nfamine which followed that, as the King of Israel passed along the wall,\n\u201cthere cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. And he\nsaid unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto\nme, Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son\nto-morrow. So we boiled my son and did eat him; and I said unto her on\nthe next day, Give thy son that we may eat him; and she hath hid her\nson.\u201d Rending his clothes at a spectacle so mournful, and erroneously\nattributing the famine to Elisha, the king swore, \u201cGod do so, and more\nalso to me, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall stand\non him this day.\u201d Conscious of his innocence and undaunted at the\nthreat, the prophet sat calmly in his house; and, contrary to all human\nprobability, but knowing what would befall the enemy that night, he\nsaid to the executioner, \u201cTo-morrow about this time shall a measure\nof fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a\nshekel, in the gate of Samaria.\u201d Terrified by a supernatural noise,\nthat night the Syrians abandoned their well-provisioned camp and fled\nfor safety. Four lepers, who had lingered outside of the city, dying\nof hunger, in the desperation of despair resolved to enter the enemy\u2019s\ncamp and ask for bread; but, to their surprise, the camp was empty\nof men, but full of the spoils of war. Lepers though they were, they\nhastened back to the city with the glad tidings of plenty, and that day\nwere fulfilled the prophetic words of Elisha.[502]\n\n Illustration: SAMARIA.\n\nNo important event occurred in connection with Samaria for 700 years,\ntill the reign of the Emperor Augustus, who bestowed it as a gift\nupon Herod the Great, by whom it was enlarged and beautified, rivaling\nBaalbec and Palmyra in the magnificence of its architecture. Herod\nreared a temple on the summit of the hill in honor of his patron, and\ninclosed its base with a colonnade, consisting of two ranges of columns\n50 feet apart, and extending 3000 feet in length. Such was the splendor\nof Samaria in the apostolic age, when Philip, together with Peter and\nJohn, preached the kingdom of heaven to the Samaritans, and encountered\nSimon Magus, the sorcerer of Sebaste.[503]\n\nThe ancient city was located on one of the most imposing and\npicturesque hills in Palestine. Situated in a basin-like plain six\nmiles in diameter, it rises in an oval shape to the height of 300 feet.\nConnected with the mountains on the east by a gentle swell of land, it\nhas the appearance of a noble promontory. Midway its sides is a broad,\nirregular terrace, the site of the modern town, while its summit is\na long, level plateau. On the north and south are valleys, converging\non the west into the Valley of Nablous and running to the sea, bounded\non either side by higher mountains, dotted with villages, and fertile\nin groves of fruit-trees and fields of grain. Nothing evinces the\nrefinement and elegance of Omri\u2019s taste more than the selection of this\nhill to be the site of his imperial city; but, under the degenerating\ninfluences of Mohammedanism, the beautiful in nature and the grand\nin art sink into insignificance. The footfalls of the Prophet are\nthe pitfalls of civilization. Here, as every where else in the East\nwhere he sways his sceptre and lifts his sword, shame succeeds glory.\nFilth and rags, indolence and turbulence, crime and misery, are\nthe chief features of the 400 inhabitants of the modern town. Their\nsixty wretched huts are constructed of mud, in which are imbedded\nthe polished but now broken columns of costlier edifices. In a region\nwhere plenty waits on ordinary industry, they are but little above the\ncondition of common beggars. In such a land indolence is a crime and\npoverty a dishonor.\n\nGrand amid its ruins and conspicuous in its desolation is the Church\nof John the Baptist, reared to the memory of that great man some time\nduring the reign of the Crusaders. Standing on the very brow of the\nbroad terrace on the east, its broken arches and crumbling walls recall\nthe beautiful ruins of Melrose and Dryburg Abbeys. In form it resembles\na Greek cross. The finish of the interior is of the Corinthian order,\nand exceedingly beautiful. Measuring 153 feet in length and 75 in width,\nthe interior consists of a nave and two grand aisles, formed by rows of\nclustered columns ornamented with Corinthian capitals. In the eastern\nend is the chancel, with pointed arches elegantly adorned, resembling\nthe segment of a circle. But the Gothic roof is gone, and in the aisles\ngrass grows where once cowled monks and mail-clad knights knelt in\nprayer. On white marble tablets set in the wall are sculptured crosses\nof the Order of the Knights of St. John, now mutilated by the hand of\nMoslem ignorance.\n\nThe southern half of the interior has been inclosed for a mosque, and\nunder a wely in this inclosure is the reputed tomb of St. John, called\nby the Arabs \u201cNeby Yahya.\u201d It is a small chamber excavated in the solid\nrock, reached by the descent of 21 steps. Here pious tradition points\nto the final resting-place of his headless body, brought hither by his\nfriends from the castle of Machaerus, on the east of the Jordan, where\nit was originally interred. When the brave Crusaders took possession of\nthe Holy Land, they guarded with affection and veneration the sepulchre\nof their patron saint, and reared over his ashes this church as his\nfuneral pile. Though impossible to determine the correctness of the\ntradition that here urns the dust of the greatest of prophets, it is no\nless a tribute to his memory, and a dishonor to the memory of his royal\nmurderer, that the name of John and that of Herod are the only two\nconspicuous names perpetuated by the ruins of Samaria.\n\nPlucking a memorial leaf from the tomb, we followed the broad, level\nbelt of land to the southwest side of the hill, where are the remains\nof Herod\u2019s colonnade. It is impossible to speak with accuracy of\nits vastness and magnificence. According to Josephus, Herod enlarged\nthe city, surrounded it with a wall 20 furlongs in circumference,\nin the midst of which he left an open area a furlong and a half in\ncircumference, where he erected a temple to Augustus, remarkable alike\nfor the vastness of its dimensions and the exquisite beauty of its\nfinish.[504] To rival the renowned city of Palmyra, he constructed\na colonnade 50 feet wide and 3000 long, consisting of two rows of\npolished limestone columns 16 feet high and two feet in diameter,\nornamented with Corinthian capitals. Through this imposing colonnade\nthe royalty, the beauty, and military of Sebaste passed up to the\ntemple of Augustus, which crowned the hill of Omri; but, like the grim\nskeleton of departed beauty, it is now a ruin. For more than 200 feet\nthis avenue is marked by prostrate columns and broken bases. A hundred\nshafts still stand erect as when reared eighteen centuries ago, but now\nmarred by the rude plowshare of the equally rude Arab. Ascending to the\nsite of the temple, 200 feet above the colonnade, we found 17 columns\nwithout capitals, two of which were lying prostrate, overgrown with the\nripening grain. Half a mile distant to the right were 15 columns, which\nare all that remain of that famous quadrangle composed of 170 columns.\nWhere marble walks once ran and exquisite statuary stood, venerable\nNature, outliving the monuments of human greatness, has resumed\nher ancient sway, bearing on her fertile bosom clustering vines and\nripening grains. From the summit the prospect is no less extensive than\ncaptivating. Unrivaled by any other hill as a site for a capital, the\nposition of Samaria is strong and central, its environs are fertile,\nand its summit is fanned with breezes from the distant sea. The\nvineyards, the cotton-fields, the circlet of mountains green with corn,\nand the rich Plain of Sharon beyond, bounded by the blue waters of\nthe Mediterranean, form a picture of more than ordinary beauty, and\none which Elisha and Herod, Philip, and Peter, and John must have\ncontemplated with delight.\n\nAs we descended from the ruins of Sebaste, whose citizens were\ngreat in crime as they were great in wealth and power, the prophetic\ndenunciations against the city and their fulfillment were recalled to\nmind: \u201cI will make Samaria as an heap of the field and as plantings of\na vineyard; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley,\nand I will discover the foundations thereof.\u201d[505] \u201cSamaria shall\nbecome desolate, for she hath rebelled against her God.\u201d[506]\n\nIt was two P.M. when we mounted our horses for C\u00e6sarea. Reapers were\nthrusting the sickle into the ripe barley, and maidens were gleaning\nafter them, as we rode over the Plain of Sebaste. Soon we turned\nwestward and again entered the Valley of Nablous, here known as Wady\nSh\u2019a\u00eer, \u201cThe Valley of Barley.\u201d Through its centre flows a brook, which\nincreases in width and rapidity as it approaches the sea. Following the\nnorthern bank of the stream, we passed, at intervals of several hundred\nyards, Roman aqueducts, near which are mills driven by water power.\nReaching the small hamlet of \u2019Anebta, the road to C\u00e6sarea branches,\none continuing down the valley to the Plain of Sharon, while the\nother, striking across the barren ridges of Wady Muss\u00een, enters the\nplain by the village of B\u00e2kah. Choosing the latter, we traversed a\nbarren and cheerless region. Night came on apace as we neared the large\nand flourishing town of Shuweikeh, situated on a lofty hill. Passing\nthe village of Kak\u00f4n, we mistook Zeita for the town of B\u00e2kah. Riding\nthrough its silent streets, we learned from a peasant that the place of\nour night\u2019s encampment was still to the westward. Regaining the road,\nwe lingered for a moment to examine the remarkable Hill of Z\u00eet, marking\nthe eastern border of the Plain of Sharon. Its sides are scarped and\nregular, and its summit is level; around its base are hewn stones and\nfragments of columns belonging to some unknown city. It was here we had\na despicable instance of the military tyranny of the Turks. One of our\nsoldiers rode into a field and cut down grain enough to feed his horse\nthat night, while the owner, who was a poor man, besought him, in the\nmost respectful manner, to spare his grain, as it was all his property.\nBut neither age, prayers, nor poverty touched the heart of that\nmilitary ruffian.\n\nAnxious, hungry, and weary, we pitched our tents, at eight P.M., in\nthe environs of B\u00e2kah, a small straggling town on one of the richest\nplains in the world. The mules unloaded, the horses tethered, supper\nover, prayers offered, my companions asleep, I walked out upon the\nmagnificent Plain of Sharon. A dreamy haze, like gossamer gauze, veiled\nthe skies of night, through which moon and stars softly peered. A scene\nso lovely recalled the tender strain of one of our finest poets:\n\n \u201cOh! sweet and beautiful night,\n When the silver moon is high,\n And countless stars, like clustering gems,\n Hang sparkling in the sky:\n While the breath of the summer breeze\n Comes whispering down the glen,\n And one fond voice alone is heard\u2015\u2015\n Oh, night is lovely then.\u201d\n\nThe horse and his rider lay side by side, and the watch-fires, burning\ndimly, shed a livid glare upon the sleepers. The moon, growing brighter\nas she ascended, silvered each spear of grass and blade of corn, while\nfar away to the east, amid the mountain glens of Samaria,\n\n \u201cShadows wandered free,\n But spoke not o\u2019er the idle ground.\u201d\n\nIt was now midnight, and I was alone, a stranger in a strange land,\nwithout one near me whose face I had seen beyond the ocean. The heavens\nonly were familiar; the moon and stars of my childhood were as old\ncompanions; but, rising above the one and the other, I sought communion\nwith Him who is enthroned on high.\n\nThe morning dawned inauspiciously; the gossamer veil of the previous\nnight had been folded into thick clouds, which obscured the summits\nof the distant hills. While we were waiting for our muleteer to load\nhis beast, there occurred a scene illustrating the tenacity of Eastern\ncustoms. In our party was Dr. Barclay, the eminent American physician\nof Joppa. His fame had preceded him, and, learning of his arrival,\nthe villagers brought out their sick of all ages, and for a time our\nencampment became a hospital. Among the number was a young girl, who\nwith faltering step came leaning upon the arm of her mother. She was\npale and emaciated, and apparently in the last stages of consumption.\nThe doctor examined her symptoms, questioned her mother, and prescribed\nfor the patient, who long since, I fear, has passed to another world.\nSuch was a faint illustration of the days of the Savior, when \u201cthey\nbrought unto him those having all manner of diseases, and he cured\nthem.\u201d In a country where science is neglected, _materia medica_ is\nunknown, the barber is the physician, bloodletting is the panacea\nfor all diseases, and the \u201cmedicine-man\u201d of more enlightened lands is\nrevered next to God.\n\nThe sick had scarcely found shelter within their hovels when the storm\nbroke upon us in all its fury. Protected by a thick burnous and a\nMackintosh coat, we waited patiently the return of fair weather. The\nrain ceasing, we advanced, but had not reached the southern limits of\nthe town when the storm was renewed with tenfold violence. Deeming it\nprudent to halt, we remained upon the plain for an hour, amid a\ndrenching rain and exposed to a raging wind; but when the rain ceased a\nrainbow spanned the heavens such as seldom appears in Western skies.\n\nHoping to reach C\u00e6sarea by noon, we dashed over the plain, and in less\nthan two hours came to the Nahr Abu Zab\u00fbra, which was so swollen as to\nrender fording dangerous. Exploring the banks for a ford, but failing\nto find one, we plunged in with a shout, and with difficulty gained\nthe opposite bank. Safely \u201cbeyond the floods,\u201d the Plain of Sharon lay\nbefore us in all its wealth and beauty. It extends like a vast prairie\nfrom the base of Carmel on the north to the sea-girt cliffs of Joppa\non the south. Eastward the Hills of Samaria look down upon it, with\nEbal and Gerizim rising above their fellows. Westward is the sea, whose\nwaters roll their ceaseless waves against its \u201cempire shores.\u201d It has\na shore line of 50 miles in length, and varies from one to 15 miles\nin breadth. Undulating in long and graceful swells, it is at intervals\ndotted with low hills crowned with the ruins of unknown towns.\nRetaining its ancient character, it is the best pasture-land west of\nthe Jordan valley. Three thousand years ago here Shitrai the Sharonite\nkept the flocks of David,[507] and over its ample fields the shepherd\nof to-day might wander with his herds. Of the \u201crose of Sharon\u201d neither\npeasants nor scholars have any knowledge at present; if it exists, it\nis not recognized by its inspired name. There grows upon the plain the\n\u201cimperial thorn,\u201d by some regarded as the thorn of which the Savior\u2019s\ncrown was made. Growing to the height of four feet, it has a gorgeous\npurple blossom, with a long, lancet-like brier, and would well compose\na mock imperial crown.\n\nThere are no paths over this great plain, which is seldom trodden\nexcept by those who till the soil, and the compass or a peasant is\nthe traveler\u2019s only guide. Though ordinarily this is a disadvantage,\nyet to us it proved advantageous, as in our wanderings we discovered a\nlake that had been lost since the days of the Crusaders. Though it is\nnot large, its waters are pure, of a bluish tint, and abound in fish.\nFlocks of wild ducks were floating on its placid bosom. Its waters\nnever fail, though they are sensibly increased by the rains in the wet\nseasons. Its shores are clean and sandy. On the north it is bounded\nby a high sand-bank of many miles in extent. The sand is of an orange\ncolor, like that found on the Debbet er-Ramleh in Arabia. On the south\nand west there is a meadow rich in rank weeds, and covered with acres\nof white and yellow daisies. On the north and east there is an oaken\ngrove, lovely as an English park.\n\nCrossing the large sand-hill, we soon entered a tract of country\nremarkable only for the quantity of thorns and brambles, which scratch\nboth man and beast in the most painful manner. An hour\u2019s ride from\nthe lake brought us to the outer walls of C\u00e6sarea, and at one P.M.\nwe encamped within its massive ruins. Fearing an attack, our soldiers\nimmediately left us to return to Nablous, assigning as the cause the\nworst of military reasons\u2015\u2015that they were afraid to remain. An Arab\nsoldier is rarely to be trusted in danger. His convictions of right\nand wrong, his sense of obligation, his want of personal courage, his\nhabitual meanness of soul, and his traditional hatred of the Christian,\ndisqualify him to be a trusty guard. He is of advantage to the traveler\nin saving him from the petty annoyances of the common people, by whom\nhe is dreaded because he is tyrannical and brutal, but it is his nature\nto cower in the presence of a superior and courageous foe. There is\nnothing so mean as an Arab soldier.\n\nIt was a dangerous experiment to visit C\u00e6sarea, and especially to\nremain there during the night without a guard. For many years there\nhas been a standing feud between the Fellah\u00een who dwell in the villages\non the plain and the Haw\u00e2ra Arabs who hover along the coast. It was a\nnovel sight, as we crossed the fields, to see farmers engaged in the\npeaceful pursuits of husbandry armed to the teeth. Men were threshing\nwith guns slung upon their backs; women were gleaning with heavy clubs\ndangling at their side; and patrol-men, with sword and pistols, gun\nand lance, were on the alert to give the alarm at the first appearance\nof the foe. With brief intervals, such has been the condition of\nSharon since the earliest ages, and Isaiah gives it as a sign of\nthe restoration of the Jews, that \u201cSharon shall be a fold of flocks,\nand the Valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my\npeople that have sought me.\u201d[508] Discouraged by such dangers, but\nfew travelers attempt this interesting tour; but there is so much of\nreligious and political importance connected with this renowned city,\nthat we felt justified in making the journey and remaining during the\nnight, after we had been abandoned by our military escort.\n\nThe authentic history of C\u00e6sarea commences with Strabo, in the reign\nof Augustus, who describes it as an insignificant landing-place, marked\nby \u201cStrato\u2019s Tower.\u201d From this solitary tower C\u00e6sarea became the most\nmagnificent city in Palestine, under the auspices of Herod the Great.\nThe subject and friend of Augustus, he sought to perpetuate the favor\nof his royal master by founding an imperial city and giving to it the\nfamily name of C\u00e6sar; and, impelled by an unbounded ambition, he aimed,\nif possible, to make it rival Rome in the elegance of its architecture\nand in the extent of its commerce. Abandoning the traditions of his\nfathers, he transferred the capital of his empire from its mountain\nfastnesses to this inhospitable coast, which exposed it alike to the\ncorruption of Western nations and to the attack of their naval galleys.\nBut in removing the sceptre of empire from Judah he unconsciously\nbecame the accomplisher of prophecy, and in inviting the civilization\nof the West to his shores he unintentionally opened a highway for\nthe nations to hear from apostolic lips the sublime lessons of\nChristianity. Sparing neither art nor treasure in founding his new\ncity, he surrounded it with a wall of many miles in circumference, and\nwithin the inclosure erected on a commanding hill, which he encompassed\nby a second wall, a splendid temple of white marble, and dedicated it\nto C\u00e6sar. According to Josephus, he adorned it with two statues, one\nrepresenting Rome, and the other his patron Augustus. To attract the\ncommerce of the West, he constructed in front of the acropolis a harbor\nequaling the Athenian Pir\u00e6us both in elegance and extent. Sinking\nhuge stones to the depth of 20 fathoms, he constructed an immense and\ngently-curving breakwater to protect vessels in port from the southern\nand western gales, but left an open channel on the north for the\nentrance and departure of ships. To strengthen and beautify the mole,\nhe reared large towers, containing vaulted chambers adorned with arched\nceilings, mosaic pavements, polished columns, and sculptured capitals,\nfor the accommodation of naval officers, and connected the towers\nand the shore by a long quay, designed for the landing of merchandise\nand the pleasures of a promenade. To tempt the wealth and fashion\nof Greece and Rome, he erected on the east and south a vast theatre\nand circus; and to secure the health and comfort of the citizens, he\nbuilt aqueducts extending miles in length, and large enough to admit\na mounted cavalier.[509] But the history of C\u00e6sarea was as brief as it\nwas splendid; its decline was as rapid as its rise was sudden. Forsaken\nby men, it is now an uninhabited desolation. An unbroken silence reigns\nwithin its palaces, the wild Arab refuses to pitch his tent within the\ncrumbling walls, and the shepherd declines to lead his flock amid its\nwild flowers and rich grasses. Rank weeds grow where royal feet trod,\nthe shy fox barks and the hungry jackal wails where kings reigned,\nand sobbing winds sigh responsive to moaning waves where the voice of\nrevelry was heard. As the ancient population of the city, consisting of\n200,000 souls, could not have resided within the walls of the acropolis,\nour first attempt was to ascertain the location and direction of the\nouter wall. Riding to the east of the town, we could trace a regular\nmound sweeping from shore to shore in the form of a semi-circle, now\ncovered with rubbish, and overgrown with high weeds. Returning, we\nascended the second or inner wall, which is well preserved, and is\nexceedingly strong. On the south, east, and north it is surrounded by\na deep moat, and is flanked on three sides by bastions surmounted with\ntowers 120 and 150 feet apart. Commencing on the shore, the north wall\nruns inland a distance of 900 feet; forming an angle at this point\nwith the eastern wall, the latter extends southward 1728 feet, where\nit joins the south wall, which runs to the sea, a distance of 657 feet.\nHaving an altitude of more than 70 feet, this wall is supported by 17\nbastions. To increase its defensive power, the eastern wall is double,\none portion being perpendicular and the other oblique. Near the\nnortheast angle is a large gateway, the chief entrance to the town on\nthe east; and in the southern wall, near the shore, there is another\ngate, surmounted by one of the watch-towers of the olden city.\n\nMeasuring half a mile in length and a quarter in breadth, the whole\narea within this inclosure is covered with heaps of rubbish, with deep\nintervening pits; and on the one and in the other grow marigolds, white\ndaisies, chess, thistles, and brambles. Not a fragment of C\u00e6sarea\u2019s\ntemple remains to be identified, and on its site are the ruins of\nthe Cathedral of C\u00e6sarea, in which the learned Eusebius officiated as\nbishop of the diocese for more than a quarter of a century. Of this\nnoble edifice four large buttresses are standing, which, from their\nheight, are seen from afar, presenting an imposing appearance to the\ntraveler, whether his approach is from the plain on the east or from\nthe sea on the west. Though a complete ruin, the outline of this early\nChristian church can be traced without difficulty. Constructed of\nbeveled stones, the interior consisted of a nave and two lateral aisles.\nOriginally extending 143 feet in length, 121 feet of the south wall\ncontinue _in situ_, 13 feet in thickness. In the eastern end is the\nchancel, which, consisting of three semicircular apses measuring 60\nfeet in all, is the breadth of the cathedral. Standing from 16 to 20\nfeet apart, and being from five to seven feet thick, the four remaining\nbuttresses formed the grand portico to this Christian temple. Judging\nfrom the projection of the arch, the doorway was 12 feet high, as it\nis nine wide. Beneath the church is a dark and loathsome vault 77 feet\nlong, gradually declining toward the east. It is now the den of jackals\nand hyenas.\n\n Illustration: ANCIENT C\u00c6SAREA.\n\nIf any work of art is worthy to be called grand, it is the\nHerodian harbor of C\u00e6sarea. The breakwater described by Josephus is a\ncontinuation of the southern wall of the acropolis, more than 300 feet\nof which are still visible above the sea. Some of the stones in the\nlower courses are 20 feet long, six wide, and as many thick. In the\nsoutheast corner of the mole are the remains of a tower, reached by 20\nstone steps, and commanding a view of the entire port. The ceiling was\nformerly arched, and a portion of an old arch projects from the side,\nresting on the figure of a human head. Connected with this tower, and\non a level with the shore, were the apartments for the officers of\ncustom, the mosaic floors of which remain in excellent condition. On\nthe very extremity of the mole is another tower, containing a square\nroom 20 feet high, 30 wide, and 35 long, but the waves are fast wearing\nit away. On the northern side of the harbor, flanked by stones 15 feet\nlong, seven wide, and six thick, are three immense gateways for the\nentrance of vessels. Following the shell-strewn shore of a small bay,\nwe reached the end of the northern wall of the acropolis. The noble\nmarble pier, once extending into the sea 170 feet, is now a ruin. Its\nhundred prostrate columns lie as they fell, most of them parallel to\neach other, with now and then one lifting its head in silence above\nits fellows, worn by the tireless surges which roll over it, careless\nof its former grandeur. To me, sitting on one of those columns far\nout into the sea, time passed unconsciously. The day had declined, the\ngolden sun was sinking into the distant ocean, and, as if an angel had\nled me back into the past, I thought of the fall of empires and the\nvanity of human glory.\n\nHailing the first blush of returning day, I sat on the desolate shore\nand read the inspired history of C\u00e6sarea. Excepting Jerusalem, no city\nin Palestine is more intimately connected with the early Christian\nChurch. Coming from the interior, the apostles sought the great centres\nof commerce, where they preached to men of all nations their catholic\nfaith. Having baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, Philip the Evangelist\nfollowed the coast, and, preaching Jesus to the inhabitants of all\nthe maritime cities thereon, he came to C\u00e6sarea.[510] Thirty years\nthereafter, here, with his four daughters, he resided as one of the\nseven deacons of the infant church, when St. Paul and St. Luke were\nhis guests. It was in his house that Agabus took Paul\u2019s girdle, and,\nbinding his own hands and feet, foretold the arrest and imprisonment\nof the apostle to the Gentiles.[511] Arrested in the Holy City, here\nPaul was brought a prisoner by order of Claudius Lysias, and somewhere\namid these ruins was the dungeon in which he was confined two years.\nIn obedience to Roman law, hither came Ananias the high-priest, with\nthe orator Tertullus, to accuse him before the governor. Here stood\nthe palace of the sordid Felix and his adulterous Drusilla, where\nhe \u201creasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come;\u201d\nand where he made that marvelous defense before Agrippa and Festus,\nprovoking the taunt from the latter, \u201cPaul, thou art beside thyself;\nmuch learning hath made thee mad;\u201d and extorting the concession from\nthe former, \u201cAlmost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.\u201d And from\nthis harbor, now the wreck of earlier grandeur, that apostle entered\nthe ship Adramyttium, under Julius, a centurion of Augustus\u2019s band,\nto prosecute his appeal before C\u00e6sar, and at last to die a martyr at\nIre Fontana, beneath the walls of Rome.[512] Here was the home of the\ndevout Cornelius, to whom Peter came from Joppa on the coast, 33 miles\nto the south, with the keys of the kingdom of heaven, to open its gates\nto the Gentiles and baptize the first heathen convert. Here, in the\nyear 270 A.D., Eusebius Pamphili was born, and subsequently this was\nthe birthplace of Procopius the historian.\n\nSending the baggage to Athl\u00eet, our party separated to explore the\ndifferent parts of the city, agreeing to rendezvous at night at the\nabove-named place. Riding down the coast with a single companion, we\nfirst examined Herod\u2019s amphitheatre. Located a little south of the\nacropolis wall, it occupies a commanding position. Judging from the\nshape of the ground, it was originally semicircular in form. Much\nof the masonry has survived the waste of time, and among the broken\ngranite columns is one nine feet in circumference. The arena has an\neastern and western diameter of 69 feet, and a northern and southern\ndiameter of 78 feet. The seats are of stone, arranged in tiers, and\nrecede as they ascend, giving a slope from the bottom of the arena to\nthe outside of the uppermost seat of 90 feet. The width of the eastern\nwall, from the highest tier of seats to its outer edge, is 75 feet,\nforming a grand promenade. It was not possible to determine whether\nthis is an embankment of earth faced with masonry or a solid wall. It\nis penetrated with arched passage-ways, like those in the amphitheatres\nof Capua and Pompeii, which lead to the dens and stalls of the animals\ndesigned for the entertainment of the spectators. On the south side\nis one of the principal vomitories leading to the arena; it is 11 feet\nwide, 48 long, and is the only one now open. High up in the southeast\npart of the building is a solitary seat, just as it was left by the\nlast spectator by whom it was occupied. The shape of the mounds on the\nsouth indicates that the southern wall of the theatre served as part of\nthe city wall, as on its extreme western end are the remains of an old\nwatch-tower containing a circular chamber, and not far to the north are\nthe ruins of another, occupying a narrow neck of land commanding the\napproaches to the coast. It is evident, from the present appearance of\nthe mounds, that originally the walls extended to the shore, agreeing\nwith the description of Josephus that \u201cit was conveniently situated for\na prospect to the sea.\u201d[513]\n\nWith this theatre stands connected one of the most mournful tragedies\nof Bible times. Having murdered the Apostle James and attempted the\nlife of Peter, Herod Agrippa came from Jerusalem to C\u00e6sarea to call\nto account the citizens of Tyre and Sidon, who had incurred his royal\ndispleasure. Arrayed in robes of gold and silver texture, Herod entered\nthe theatre on a festive day to deliver an oration to his subjects.\nAccording to an ancient custom, it was early in the morning, and the\nsun\u2019s rays, falling upon his resplendent garments, dazzled the eyes of\nthe beholders, who, in a delirium of joy at the brilliant spectacle,\nand at the same time affected by the eloquent tones of his voice, rose\n_en masse_ and cried out, \u201cIt is the voice of a god and not of a man.\nBe thou merciful to us; for, although we have hitherto reverenced thee\nonly as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal\nnature.\u201d In this moment of divine homage he looked up and saw above\nhim, on a rope, an owl, a bird of ill omen. It was the messenger of his\ndeparture. Refusing to rebuke this impious flattery, \u201cthe angel of the\nLord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten\nup of worms, and gave up the ghost.\u201d[514] Looking upon his flatterers\nas he expired, the dying king exclaimed, \u201cI, whom ye call a god, am\ncommanded presently to depart this life, while Providence thus reproves\nthe lying words you have just said to me; and I, who was by you\ncalled immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death.\u201d[515] The\nconstruction of the theatre is in harmony with these serious facts. The\nimperial throne being on the west side of the edifice, toward the shore;\nthe auditors sitting with their backs toward the east; and the building,\nlike all structures of the kind in Eastern countries, having no roof,\nthe rising sun shone with dazzling brightness upon the monarch\u2019s robes,\ntransforming him into an object of indescribable magnificence, and\nawakening the acclamations of the people.\n\nRiding eastward through lacerating thorns and briers, we saw a red\ngranite block, 35 feet long, five wide, and four thick, lying upon\nits broad surface, and near it another of less dimensions. Beyond them,\nto the north, is Herod\u2019s circus for chariot racing. It consists of\nan oblong basin with embanked sides. The three conical shafts of red\ngranite, averaging from eight to ten feet in length, which marked the\ngoal of the ancient course, are still standing; and in the midst of\na field not far to the northwest is a deep well, 20 feet in diameter,\nwith circular mouthpiece and arched roof.\n\nThe ride from C\u00e6sarea to Mount Carmel is less remarkable for its\nBiblical antiquities than for the pleasures of the tour. It was\n11 A.M. when we regained the shore, and I rejoiced in the mysterious\ncompanionship of the sea. The aqueducts of Herod extended for miles on\nour right, and, though dry, are in a good condition. The coast is here\nlined with low black rocks, against which the waves dash wildly, the\nspray reflecting the rainbow. At midday we came to the Nahr Zurka, or\nthe Crocodile River of Strabo and Pliny, which is a clear and fordable\nstream. Having its source among the hills on the east, it flows down\na pretty glen, amid wild flowers and dense shrubbery. To the left is\na low promontory, jutting into the sea, and covered with the shapeless\nremains of some unknown light-house. To the right the Samarian Hills\ncreep down to the shore. The beach soon widened, and was strewn for\nmiles with white and purple shells to the depth of several feet. In two\nhours we passed Tant\u00fbra, the Dor of the Scriptures, whose king was the\nally of Jabin of Hazor.[516] It is a small village of 30 houses; and on\nan islet to the west is an old tower, which, like an ancient landmark,\nis seen from C\u00e6sarea to Carmel. Passing the small towns of Kefr Naum\nand Surafend on the right, we reached Athl\u00eet at six P.M. on Saturday,\nand pitched our tents on a beautiful lawn, beneath the walls of the\n_Castellum Peregrinorum_. This is the second most interesting city of\nPh\u0153nicia, but the date of its origin and the name of its founder are\nunknown. With ruins as vast and grand as those of C\u00e6sarea, the style\nof the architecture is superior to that of the city of Herod. Unnoticed\nby sacred and profane historians, its name remained in obscurity\ntill the twelfth century, when the Crusaders selected it as the chief\nlanding-place for pious pilgrims _en route_ for the Holy City, calling\nit the \u201cPilgrims\u2019 Castle.\u201d It occupies a rocky promontory, and is\nbounded on the west by the ever-majestic sea, and on the east by green\nhills and fertile plains. Crossing the headland from bay to bay are\nthe remains of an outer wall, which once inclosed a quadrangular area\na mile in extent. Within this inclosure stood the citadel, inclosed by\na wall 15 feet thick and 30 high. It was constructed of pure Ph\u0153nician\nstones, and was penetrated by three gates, two on the east and one on\nthe south, which were reached by stone steps. Opposite the southern\ngate is a massive pier 12 feet wide and 150 long, most of which is\nstill above the water. Here the shore is covered with prostrate columns,\nfallen pendentives, broken entablatures, and marred cornices. Rising\nout of the sea are sections of the western wall, the southern end of\nwhich is formed of circular stones 12 feet in circumference. Originally\nthere sprang from this wall a lofty arcade 35 feet wide, and beneath\nit ran an arched passage-way across the entire promontory. In the\nnorthwest corner is a large room, to the very door of which vessels\ncame to land their passengers and discharge their cargoes. To the\nnortheast of this arcade is a plain Gothic church 20 feet wide and\n133 long. The ceiling is supported by 12 arches, springing from as many\nplain brackets, each arch culminating in an elegant embossed flower.\nThe interior is reached by a single door, and its one square and two\npointed windows look upon the sea.\n\nConsisting of a few huts, occupied by inhabitants as filthy as they\nare wretched, the modern town of Athl\u00eet is piled upon the ruins of the\nancient acropolis. Beneath the citadel are immense vaults, supporting\nthe formidable fortress above. In the midst of these huts stands the\nonce magnificent Gothic church of the Crusaders. The remaining wall\nis 80 feet high, and is divided into sections by ribs, which rest upon\nthe heads of human figures. These arches, no doubt, spanned the eastern\naisle of the church in the days of its glory. Such are the splendid\nruins of Athl\u00eet. Impressed with its greatness, I experienced the novel\nemotions of gazing upon a decayed city whose powerful citizens are\nwithout a record in history. Enumerating Dor and its towns, Joshua may\nhave included Athl\u00eet; or, if it existed at that time, it may not have\nbeen possessed by Issachar.\n\nTwo roads lead from the \u201cPilgrims\u2019 Castle\u201d to Mount Carmel, one\nalong the coast to Haifa, the other through the Vale of Dor. We took\nthe latter: the path leads over rich plains, where reapers and gleaners\nwere gathering the ripened grain. To the east the trees and blades of\ncorn seemed to rise out of water, but we soon discovered that it was\na mirage. In an hour we reached the mouth of a narrow mountain defile.\nTo the south of the entrance are two remarkable caves, which some time\nhave been human habitations. The larger of the two is 300 feet long\nand 50 wide. The sides and top are formed into sections by 13 natural\narches, resembling the ribbed ceiling of a Gothic church. The bottom\nof the cave declines inward, and near its termination the percolated\nwater drops from the fretted roof. Entering the mountain gorge, the\nlofty hills on either side are covered with oaks, hawthorn, myrtle,\nand acacias, and flowers bloomed along the grassy vale. The Sabbath\nsilence that reigned within was unbroken save by the cooing of the\ndove in its mountain home, and the scream of the eagle as he flew from\nhis inaccessible eyry. The hills soon receded, and the broad valley\nwas dotted with oaken groves and fields of pasture, where herds of\ncattle and flocks of sheep and goats were browsing. Passing through the\nvillage of Asifriah, we descended a steep path leading into a ravine\nof extraordinary grandeur. Descending the glen, between mountains which\narose thousands of feet above us, we turned to the north and began\nthe ascent of Carmel. For two hours we ascended a mountain path steep\nand rugged, lined with oaks, acacias, and flowers, when we gained\nthe summit of the sacred mount, and stood with Elijah of Tishbe, and\nElisha, the son of Shaphat.\n\nBranching off from the northern portion of the mountains of Samaria,\nCarmel is a bold and grand promontory projecting into the sea. Running\nin a northwesterly direction, it is the boundary-line between the Plain\nof Sharon on the south and that of Ph\u0153nicia on the north. Rising 2000\nfeet above the sea, it is 18 miles long and five wide. Covered with\nevergreen oaks, it is appropriately called \u201cThe Fruitful Field.\u201d As\nthe type of natural beauty, Isaiah compares the returning glory of his\nnation to the \u201cexcellency of Carmel,\u201d[517] while Amos predicts that\n\u201cthe top of Carmel shall wither,\u201d[518] as descriptive of the utter\nruin of his country. From the summit the eye rests upon one of the\nnoblest landscapes in the world. To the west is that \u201cgreat sea\u201d seen\nby the prophet\u2019s servant; to the south are the Mountains of Samaria;\nto the north the Hills of Nazareth; while to the east is the Plain of\nEsdraelon, stretching far away to the Jordan in vast undulations, and\ndotted with Gilboa, Little Hermon, and Mount Tabor.\n\nBut the glory of Carmel is its sacred associations. In the darkest\nhour in Jewish history, when Jehovah\u2019s altars were thrown down and his\nprophets slain, hither Elijah invited the priests of Baal to test by\nfire the superiority of their respective gods. The priests conceding\nthe existence of Elijah\u2019s God, the contest was to decide whether\nJehovah or Baal should be the supreme divinity of the land. Chastened\nby the evils of a long drouth, the people were prepared for a procedure\nso extraordinary. Ahab, over whom the infamous Jezebel had gained the\nascendency, was upon the throne of Israel; and, while lost to all the\nbetter feelings of woman\u2019s nature, and irreclaimably abandoned to the\nworst forms of idolatry, there remained no hope in the case of the\nqueen, yet such a divine interposition might act for good on the mind\nof the king.\n\nMidway the mountain there is an upland plateau, commanding a view of\nthe entire plain. In this recess there is a noble fountain, three feet\nsquare, shaded by oaks, and rising above it is that bold and rocky peak\nwhich the prophet\u2019s servant ascended to watch the rising cloud. Here,\nin full view of Ahab\u2019s palace, the sacrifices were offered. From the\nloose rocks that here abound were taken the stones to build the altars.\nFrom these forests was hewn the wood on which the offerings were placed.\nFrom this mountain spring, either miraculously preserved from becoming\ndry during the long drouth, or created by a divine power for the\noccasion, were drawn the twelve barrels of water to fill the trench\naround the altar of Elijah. From the pasture-fields below, up these\nslopes, came the bullocks to be sacrificed; while, covering the gentle\ndeclivities, and extending in vast concentric circles to the plain\nbeneath, and clinging to every crag and tree above, the people were\ngathered to witness the most interesting of all sacrificial scenes.\nAround their altar stood the king and priests of Baal, while, wrapped\nin his mantle, Elijah stood alone. From morning till noon, and thence\ntill evening, the prophets of idolatry implored their god in vain. With\nan irony that was biting as it was confusing, the prophet of Tishbe\nurged them to cry aloud. It was the dawn of his triumph. Sublime in his\nsimplicity and strong in his isolation, Elijah invited the people near.\nRepairing the Lord\u2019s altar, he prepared the sacrifice, and, in answer\nto a prayer no less brief than fervent, the fire descended and the\nsacrifice was consumed, amid the acclamations of the people, \u201cThe Lord,\nhe is the God!\u201d As the defamers of religion and the enemies of God and\nman, the priests of Baal were led down to the banks of the Kishon, from\nwhich they had so recently come in such pomp, and were slain. Ahab and\nElijah reascended the Mount, the former to eat and drink, the latter\nto pray. Hearing, in his prophetic ear, the sound of abundance of rain,\nElijah sent his servant up to the loftiest of the mountain peaks to\nwatch the rising cloud from the bosom of the sea. The heavens grew\ndark, the rain began to fall; and in fear lest the Kishon might not be\nfordable, Ahab was commanded to hasten to his palace; while, careless\nof his age, and in the spirit of a loyal subject to a king whom he had\nhumbled in the presence of his people, Elijah girded up his loins, and\nran before the chariot of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.[519]\n\nConsecrated by an event so remarkable, Carmel subsequently became the\nabode of Elisha. It was while looking down, one afternoon, upon this\nsame great plain he saw the \u201cwoman of Shunem\u201d coming in behalf of her\nonly son. He sent Gehazi to inquire the object of her visit; but she\npassed him by, and, pressing up this hill, laid her complaint before\nhim. Descending from his mountain retreat, he hastened to her home of\nsorrow and restored her child to life.[520]\n\nIn after years Carmel was regarded with a superstitious veneration even\nby the learned heathen. Here Pythagoras passed some time in solitary\nmeditations, and hither Vespasian came to consult the oracle which\nbecame so famous.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER XII.\n\n Plains of Palestine. \u2015\u2015 No Farm-houses. \u2015\u2015 Great Plain of\n Esdraelon. \u2015\u2015 Its Fertility. \u2015\u2015 Topography. \u2015\u2015 River Kishon.\n \u2015\u2015 World\u2019s Battle-field. \u2015\u2015 Waters of Megiddo. \u2015\u2015 Deborah and\n her Victory. \u2015\u2015 Jeneen. \u2015\u2015 Bethshean. \u2015\u2015 Encampment. \u2015\u2015 Modern\n Sheikhs and ancient Patriarchs. \u2015\u2015 City of Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Jabesh\n Gilead. \u2015\u2015 Pella. \u2015\u2015 Gideon\u2019s Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Mount Gilboa. \u2015\u2015\n Battles. \u2015\u2015 Jezreel. \u2015\u2015 Napoleon and the Turks. \u2015\u2015 Shunem.\n \u2015\u2015 Nain. \u2015\u2015 Endor. \u2015\u2015 Witch\u2019s Cave. \u2015\u2015 Saul and Samuel. \u2015\u2015\n Witches. \u2015\u2015 Mount Tabor. \u2015\u2015 Its Form. \u2015\u2015 Woods. \u2015\u2015 View. \u2015\u2015\n Misnomer. \u2015\u2015 Transfiguration. \u2015\u2015 It occurred at Night. \u2015\u2015\n Argument. \u2015\u2015 Benighted Party.\n\n\nTHERE are two classes of plains in Palestine\u2015\u2015those upon the sea-board,\nas the Plains of Philistia, Sharon, and Ph\u0153nicia, and those of the\ninterior, as the Plains of Rephaim, Jericho, El-Mukhna, the Buk\u00e2\u2019a, and\nEsdraelon. They differ from each other chiefly in location, the former\nbeing maritime, and consequently more or less affected by the action of\nthe sea; the latter being inland, and subject to the influences of the\nlofty mountains by which they are encompassed. Though equally beautiful,\nfertile, and historically important, yet at present those upon the\ncoast are less cultivated and less inhabited than the others, as the\nwild Bedouins, dreading the sea, prefer to pitch their tents in the\ninterior. Nothing evinces the degeneracy of the Syrian Arabs more\nthan the neglect of these vast garden-plains. Perhaps it is not so\nmuch a proof of their degeneracy, as the Turk in Syria has never been\notherwise than what he now is\u2015\u2015indolent as he is overbearing, the\nenemy of all improvements, and the destroyer of whatever is elegant in\narchitecture or beneficial in good government. The proverbial richness\nof the soil of Palestine is evinced by the abundance of grain annually\nraised at the expense of the least possible labor. Without ever\nreceiving, the land is ever giving. The superficial process of plowing\nresembles our mode of dragging, and the application of mineral and\nother kinds of manure is a thing unknown. One often and heartily\ndesires to see an American farmer occupying these noble plains, with\nhis enlightened views of agriculture and his improved implements of\nhusbandry. What golden harvests, in more senses than one, would repay\nhis toil! He would realize the prophetic blessings pronounced on Asher,\n\u201cHis bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.\u201d\n\nThe custom of dwelling in villages, and not upon the land cultivated,\nis fatal to the thorough development of the natural resources of any\ncountry. You may travel for miles through the richest portions of\nPalestine without seeing a human habitation. In going from Etham\nto Hebron, a distance of 15 miles, and through a fertile region, we\nfailed to see a single dwelling, though occasionally we observed a\nsmall village perched on a mountain top. The traveler never meets\nwith the clean, comfortable farm-house so common in the agricultural\ndistricts of America. Here the people dwell in towns, and there is\na matter-of-fact meaning in the Savior\u2019s words, \u201cA sower went forth\nto sow.\u201d If we except its eastern branches, there is not a single\ninhabited dwelling on the whole Plain of Esdraelon, and not more than\none sixth of its soil is cultivated. Occasionally are seen the black\ntents of the nomadic Bedouin, who, despoiler-like, feeds his flocks\ntill the crop is exhausted, and then removes to another section of rich\npasturage, or, mounted on his fleet steed, scours the plain in search\nof plunder.\n\nWhether considered as to the extent of its area, the fertility of\nits soil, the beauty of its scenery, or the political and religious\nimportance of its history, the Plain of Esdraelon is the first of\ninland plains. The southern frontier of Zebulon, it fell to the lot\nof Issachar, \u201cwho saw that rest was good, and the land that it was\npleasant;\u201d and, rather than abandon his possession, \u201che bowed his\nshoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.\u201d[521] Extending\nfrom the Mediterranean to the Jordan Valley, it is not unlike a vast\nrent in the heart of the land. Resembling in form an irregular triangle,\nits base extends a distance of 15 miles from Jen\u00een to the mountains\nbelow Nazareth; and with one side measuring 12 miles long, formed\nby the Hills of Galilee, the other runs along the Samarian range a\ndistance of 18 miles. Serving as the channel-bed of the ancient Kishon,\nits apex is a narrow pass half a mile wide, opening into the Plain of\n\u2019Akka. From its base three arms branch out toward the east, divided\nby Gilboa and Little Hermon. With Tabor on one side and Little Hermon\non the other, the northern branch has Nain and Endor on its southern\nborder, and was the path taken by the troops of Deborah and Barak when\non their way to the battle of Megiddo. Lying between Gilboa and Jen\u00een,\nthe southern branch terminates among the hills to the eastward. But,\nexcelling the others in extent and richness, the great central branch\ndescends in green and gentle slopes to the banks of the Jordan, having\nJezreel on the south and Shunem on the north, and is known in Scripture\nas the \u201cValley of Jezreel,\u201d where Gideon triumphed, and Saul and his\nsons were slain. Having its most distant perennial source in the great\nfountain of Jen\u00een, the famous river Kishon flows through this plain in\na northwesterly direction, and pours its brackish waters into the sea.\nCalled by the Arabs Nakr el-Mukuttah, it is ordinarily a clear and\nrapid stream, lined on either side with flowers and dense shrubbery.\nIncreased in the rainy season by numberless mountain torrents, and\nby springs from the base of Carmel and from the bases of the Hills\nof Nazareth, it varies in depth from four to eight feet, and from 10\nto 40 in width. It is evident that it must have been swollen by some\nextraordinary means to have swept away the fugitive army of Jabin. \u201cThe\nstars in their courses fought against Sisera\u201d may indicate a tremendous\nstorm that swept over mountain and plain, sending down torrents of\nwater from the mountain streams, overflowing the steep banks of the\nKishon, and sweeping on to the sea with irresistible force, bearing on\nits rapid current the routed foe, who, in the confusion of defeat and\nflight, had become entangled in the dense thickets that line its banks.\n\nBut the significance of Esdraelon is its marked history. It is the\nbattle-field of nations. The hosts of Israel and the wild tribes of\nthe ancient Canaanites have met in death-grapple upon its soil, and\nin later times the powerful armies of Europe contended on the fields\nof El-F\u00fbleh with the barbarous hordes of the Orient. Here Deborah and\nBarak marshaled their hosts against Sisera; here Gideon encountered\nthe Midianites; here the Philistines fought against Saul and Jonathan;\nhere Benhadad put the battle in array against Ahab; here Jehu slew\nAhaziah and Joram; here the knights of medi\u00e6val times grappled with the\nsoldiers of the Crescent, and Napoleon and Kleber led their splendid\ncolumns against the relentless Turks. It was a memorable day when\nwe traversed this plain, recalling the clamor of war, and in fancy\nbeholding the onset, the retreat, and fierce pursuit of mighty armies.\nAnd equally gratified were we that those scenes of death are past, and\nthat flowers now bloom and harvests ripen where belligerent hosts once\nfought.\n\nDescending from the heights of Carmel, we followed a winding path\nthrough wooded dells to the southwest corner of Esdraelon, and in half\nan hour reached Wady el-M\u00ealhor, \u201cThe Salt Valley,\u201d which forms the\nboundary-line between Carmel and the Mountains of Samaria. Up this\nravine the French marched in 1799 to attack Ramleh. Fording the Kishon,\nour path lay along the base of the Samarian Hills, which are furrowed\nby deep gorges, eleven of which are the channels of as many streamlets\nflowing into the sacred river. Seven miles beyond is the battle-field\nof Megiddo. Here, sweeping along the base of a high mound, are the\n\u201cwaters of Megiddo,\u201d running northward into the Kishon. On the banks of\nthis stream is the scene of that great battle between Barak and Sisera.\nRoused by the call of a woman, the former had assembled the northern\ntribes of Israel on the summit of Tabor, where he was joined by Deborah,\nwho led to the fight the tribes of Central Palestine. Choosing Taanach\nas his rallying-point, the latter had concentrated his host with 900\niron chariots. Approaching from different points of the plain, the\ncontending foes met hard by the \u201cwaters of Megiddo.\u201d Then it was that\n\u201cthe stars in their courses fought against Sisera,\u201d as at that moment\na storm of sleet and hail gathered from the east, and, bursting over\nthe plain in the face of the advancing Canaanites, threw them into\nconfusion, and \u201cthe torrent swept them away.\u201d[522] Springing from his\nchariot, Sisera fled on foot into the neighboring mountains, where the\nnail of Jael awaited him who had escaped the sword of Barak. Then, in\nthe moment of triumph, Deborah sang her wondrous song.[523]\n\nSix centuries later, here Josiah, king of Judah, fought against\nPharaoh-necho of Egypt, who was advancing to attack the King of Assyria,\nand here, in the \u201cValley of Megiddo, the archers shot at King Josiah,\nand he said, Have me away, for I am sore wounded.\u201d[524]\n\nFollowing the southern border of Esdraelon, we reached Jeneen at\nsundown, where we encamped for the night upon its beautiful lawn.\nTaking an Arab guide, we started the next morning for the Beis\u00e2n of\nthe Arabs, the Scythopolis of the Romans, and the Bethshean of the\nBible, on whose ancient walls the dead bodies of Saul and Jonathan were\nfastened after the fatal battle of Gilboa. Our path lay up a low ridge\nof limestone hills which overhung the valley of the Jordan on the west,\nand, crossing the summit, we descended to a noble plain, well watered,\novergrown with rank weeds and briers, and dotted with the black tents\nof wandering Bedouins. Pausing for a moment, we examined, as far as\nmodesty and safety would allow, the encampment of these nomads. Around\ntheir tents flocks and herds were grazing, watched by the faithful\ndog and guarded by mounted patrolmen, who scoured the plain for a mile\nin circumference, to discover, if possible, the lurking-place of some\nneighboring plunderer. In an open tent \u201ctwo women were grinding at a\nmill,\u201d while others were kneading bread and spinning flax. Every thing\nabout the encampment wore the aspect of a semi-barbarous state, and\nthe question rose in our minds more than once as to the tent-life of\nAbraham and his sons. In many points there is an evident similarity.\nLike the nomads of the present day, the patriarchs wandered from place\nto place; their property consisted of herds of cattle, and flocks of\nsheep and goats; their women, to whose lot it fell to grind, spin, and\ncook, occupied separate tents, as in modern times; and, like them, they\nwere constantly liable to be surprised and plundered; hence then as now,\nall the males went armed for the protection of their property. But here\nthe parallel ends. There is no comparison as to personal excellence,\ndomestic refinement, and social dignity. If the words and acts of a man\nreveal his heart and manifest his condition, then the history of those\nvenerable patriarchs bespeaks a purity of character, a refinement of\nsocial life, and a dignity of private and public behavior not unworthy\nthe best state of society in this Christian age.\n\n Illustration: WOMEN GRINDING AT A MILL.\n\n Illustration: ARAB ENCAMPMENT.\n\nReaching Bethshean at noon, we found a wretched modern village of\n500 Egyptians, whom Ibrahim Pasha had colonized there to protect his\nfrontier, but who are now cruelly oppressed by the wild nomads of the\nGh\u00f4r. The ancient city was one of the strong-holds of Palestine, which\nthe Israelites were never able to take. It lies in the line of the\ngreat caravan route from Damascus to Egypt, and is the same traveled\nby the Ishmaelites who bought Joseph. Like most of the cities of that\ndistant age, it was built upon a hill, with a walled acropolis crowning\nthe summit. Increasing in wealth and population, the limits of the town\nwere extended to the plain below. Covering a space of more than three\nmiles in circumference, the piles of massive ruins which remain no less\nindicate the strength of the position than the elegance and affluence\nof the city. The religious temples of Bethshean were the boast of its\ncitizens, and, judging from the number and finish of the remaining\nmarble columns, they must have equaled in magnificence those of more\nrenowned places. But time has wrought what the marshaled hosts of\nIsrael could not accomplish. Bethshean is a desolation; its site and\nenvirons are covered with acres of thorns and brambles; the famous\nRoman arch, that spanned the streamlet on the east, is broken; the\nimpregnable wall, upon which the lifeless bodies of Saul and his sons\nwere suspended in derision, has fallen; the proud temples of Ashtaroth,\nthat resounded with songs of triumph over the slain, are no more, and\nsolitary columns rise up amid weeds and thistles, like spectres in the\nsilent vales. The only remaining building is the amphitheatre, having\na diameter of 180 feet. Though comparatively well preserved, with all\nthe interior passages and doors nearly perfect, it is so overgrown\nwith weeds and lacerating briers that we examined it with the greatest\ndifficulty.\n\nFrom the summit of the acropolis we obtained a view which was as\ninteresting as it was commanding. Four hundred feet below us lay the\nValley of the Jordan. Measuring more than three miles in width, it is\nevery where well watered, green, and fertile, and dotted with thickets\nof tamarisk. Directly opposite rose the Mountains of Gilead, in the\nside of which stood the town of Jabesh Gilead, whose valiant men, under\ncover of the night, rescued the remains of Saul and his sons, and,\nrecrossing the Jordan, interred them in their own town, beneath a\nvenerable oak.[525] And in the same direction is the site of ancient\nPella, the first city of refuge under the Christian dispensation.\nCalled by the natives T\u016db\u016dkat Fahil, it is a plateau in the mountain\u2019s\nside 1000 feet above the Jordan. More than a mile in length, it is half\na mile in width. The soil is a bright red, and the terrace is bordered\nwith verdure, and so singularly formed that the mountains seemed to\nhave receded to give place to the persecuted sons of God.\n\nOn leaving this city of ruins we crossed a stone bridge 35 feet wide\nand 75 long, and entered the \u201cValley of Jezreel.\u201d It is the central\nbranch of the great plain of Esdraelon, and is bounded on the north by\nLittle Hermon and on the south by Mount Gilboa, both of which ridges\nrun eastward and overhang the Jordan valley. This vale is three miles\nwide, and through its centre flows the Jal\u00fbd to the Jordan, which is\na clear and noble stream. Extending from its banks to the base of the\nhills on either side are fertile fields, on which, at intervals of\ntwo miles, were Arab encampments. To distinguish it from Mount Hermon\nproper, the ridge on the northern border of this vale is called Little\nHermon, having received this appellation from the ecclesiastics of the\nfourth century, who erroneously supposed, from its contiguity to Mount\nTabor, that the Psalmist referred to it in that sublime passage: \u201cThe\nnorth and the south, thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon shall\nrejoice in thy name.\u201d[526] Shapeless and barren, it has neither natural\nbeauty nor historical interest. It has its greatest height toward the\nwest, and its eastern end gradually slopes down into a broad plateau of\ntable-land. But its companion ridge, known as Mount Gilboa, is at once\nremarkable for its appearance and its historical associations. It is\nneither high nor rugged, but low and rolling. At a distance it appears\nsmooth and shadowy, but a nearer view reveals the slight gullies that\nfurrow its sides and the bolder ledges projecting from its summit. In\nits northern base, less than two miles from Zer\u2019in, is the large and\nfamous fountain of \u2019Ain Jal\u00fbd, where Gideon\u2019s men evinced their courage\nby lapping water. Without exception, it is the most beautiful fountain\nin Palestine. Issuing from two deep caves at the base of Gilboa, the\nlimpid water spreads out into a basin of solid rock 50 feet in diameter.\nThe water is clear and delicious. From the sides and tops of the\ncaverns depend trails of fern, maiden\u2019s hair, and other water-plants.\nAround the border of this basin, and on the banks of the stream that\nflows from it, is ample room where Gideon\u2019s men might have tested and\nproved their courage. Called by the inspired writer \u201cthe Well of Harod,\u201d\nor the \u201cSpring of Trembling,\u201d it evidently derives its name from\nthose decisive words of Jehovah: \u201cWhosoever is fearful and afraid,\nlet him return and depart early from Mount Gilboa.\u201d[527] For centuries\nthis was the rendezvous of many a hostile army. From its pure waters\nGideon crossed the plain at dead of night, and with his pitchers, and\nlights, and trumpets, surprised the Midianites;[528] and, years after,\nSaul encamped at the \u201cFountain of Jezreel.\u201d[529] Clad in disguise, he\ndescended the southern border of the plain, and, crossing Little Hermon\nbelow Shunem, he went to consult the Witch of Endor as to the fortunes\nof the coming day. A little to the northwest from the spring the\nmighty army of the Philistines lay encamped before Shunem, and when\nthe morning came they descended the gently-sloping plain and began the\nonset; and the fierce Amalekites drove the army of Saul up the rocky\nacclivities of Gilboa, where, on the favorite battle-field of the king\nand his sons, \u201cThe shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, even the\nshield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.\u201d[530]\n\nIn less than half an hour\u2019s ride from \u2019Ain Jal\u00fbd we stood amid the\ndesolations of Jezreel, the empire city of Ahab, and the residence\nof his cruel and impious queen. Situated on the crest of a low spur\nprojecting into the plain from Gilboa, it is but little higher than the\nplain itself, except on the north side, where there is a descent of 100\nfeet. Twenty miserable huts compose the modern town of Zer\u2019in, together\nwith a square antique tower called an \u201cinn.\u201d Excepting a few sarcophagi,\nwith sculptured ornaments and heaps of rubbish, there is nothing to\nremind the traveler of the royal city of Jezreel. Here the infatuated\nJezebel planned the destruction of the Lord\u2019s prophet; and here, having\nfirst accomplished his death, she confiscated the property of Naboth,\nreserving for her weak-minded husband the long-coveted vineyard. Though\nno sign for its identification remains, it must have been to the east\nof her palace, as the two kings met the relentless Jehu coming from\nRamoth Gilead, which is on the east, \u201cin the portion of Naboth.\u201d Here,\nin the conflict that ensued, Joram was slain on the spot; the queen\nwas trampled under the hoofs of Jehu\u2019s horses, while King Ahab, hoping\nto escape by flight over the plain to En-gannim, was overtaken by his\npursuers, and died of his wounds at Megiddo.[531] Here all the sad\ndetails of the fearful judgments pronounced against the house of Ahab\nhave been fulfilled, and, were it not for the imperishable places\naround, it would be impossible to identify the site of Jezreel, where\nJezebel held her murderous orgies.\n\nThree miles to the northwest, on the direct road to Nazareth,\nstands the tower of El-F\u00fbleh, where Napoleon, with 3000 Frenchmen,\nsuccessfully resisted the attack of 30,000 Turks during a period of\nsix hours, and finally routed his powerful foe. But we had lingered too\nlong on the heights of Zer\u2019in, as night had set in, and we were an hour\nhunting for our encampment. Riding through fields of wheat and barley,\nwe crossed the Valley of Jezreel, and, after a journey of three miles,\narrived at the small village of Shunem, called by the inhabitants S\u00f4lem.\nThough destitute of architectural elegance, its environs are beautified\nwith large and fruitful gardens. Occupying the lower slope of Little\nHermon, it consists of a few Arab huts, without a single vestige of\nantiquity. Belonging to the tribe of Issachar, it was the home of that\n\u201cgreat woman\u201d who built a \u201clittle chamber on the wall\u201d for the Prophet\nElisha, and here she \u201cembraced a son\u201d as a reward for her hospitality,\nand received that son from the dead as a farther expression of the\ndivine regard. Her house, with the \u201clittle chamber on the wall,\u201d is\ngone, but yonder is the field whither the child of promise \u201cwent to his\nfather to the reapers,\u201d where he received the fatal _coup de soleil_,\nand from which he was carried back to his mother. Fifteen miles to\nthe southwest, but in full view, is the blue ridge of Carmel, where\nthe prophet and his servant Gehazi lived in solitude, and over this\nintervening plain the disconsolate mother rode to lay her complaint\nbefore the \u201cman of God,\u201d who, yielding to entreaties, returned with her\nto Shunem, and called back the spirit of her departed son.[532] Behind\nthe town is the \u201cHill of Moreh,\u201d along the base of which the Midianites\nlay when surprised by Gideon, and where the Philistines were encamped\nthe night preceding the battle of Gilboa.\n\n Illustration: JEZREEL.\n\nWinding round the western base of Little Hermon, in less than an\nhour we came to Nain, whose name is suggestive of the most tender\nassociations. Situated on a low mountain spur, its dwellings are small\nand its inhabitants are few. Directly opposite, standing forth in\nall its beauty, is Mount Tabor, and rising up beyond, far away on the\nhorizon, is the white cone of Hermon. Though fortune has lavished no\nfavor on this quiet hamlet, yet Christ has linked its memory with one\nof his most touching miracles. To the east of the village are tombs\nin the hill-side, where the people now, as of old, bury their dead.\nIt was probably to one of these ancient sepulchres that his neighbors\nwere bearing the \u201cyoung man\u201d to his burial when Jesus, coming from the\nnorth, met the funeral procession, and in tones of divine compassion\nsweetly whispered to the disconsolate mother, \u201cWeep not,\u201d while, with\nan authority that knew no barrier, he touched the bier and commanded,\n\u201cYoung man, I say unto thee, Arise.\u201d[533] Three miles to the northeast,\nlocated on a rocky acclivity, is the small village of Endor. The path\nthither crosses the northern shoulder of Jebel ed-Duhy, and, entering\nthe Plain of Esdraelon, diverges to the right up the hill on which the\ntown stands. The transition between Nain and Endor is too sudden to\nbe pleasant. Tender-hearted mothers and beguiling old witches are too\nunlike to be grouped together in the same picture or visited the same\nday. Endor is a wretched place of 30 huts, and the noble view afforded\nfrom its rocks is the only natural charm of the village. The sides\nof the hills that rise above it contain many large and curious caves,\nsome of which are used for human habitations. Tradition has designated\nthe most remarkable one of the number as the sibylline home of the\nfamous witch of Endor. It is a deep and solemn cave. The entrance is\nguarded by two massive rocks, between which there is a large fig-tree,\nimparting an air of secrecy to the spot. Within the cavern is a spring\nof crystal water, and from the rocks above and on either side trails\nof maiden\u2019s hair depend like curtains of Mechlin lace. From its inner\nchambers come deep and mournful echoes, and the alternate light and\ndarkness within gives to the cave an air of witchery. Placed under\nthe ban of the kingdom, with a price set upon her head, it is not\nunreasonable that the Pythoness of Endor should have sought a retreat\nso difficult of access in which to perform her necromantic feats.\nCelebrated for her skill, it was to her the troubled Saul repaired,\nin the darkness of an ever-memorable night and in the disguise of\na peasant, to revive, if possible, his broken spirit by hopeful\ndisclosures of the coming day. With a duplicity only equaled by her\ndepravity, she evoked the venerable Samuel. Not in obedience to her\ncall, but to forewarn the heart-broken king, the venerable prophet,\n\u201ccovered with a mantle,\u201d appeared, and announced with more than Delphic\nauthority, \u201cTo-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.\u201d[534]\n\n Illustration: NAIN.\n\nThe witch of Endor has left to her female descendants the impress\nof her brazen-facedness. There is an archness in their countenances\nand a boldness in their behavior not characteristic of woman in\nany other part of Palestine. Mounting a horse like a man, they ride\nwith a swiftness and daring hardly excelled even by the plundering\nBedouin. Destitute of all those finer virtues which belong to Christian\nwomanhood, they are as vicious as they are uncouth. Not suspecting\ntheir honesty, I had left a leather pouch upon the ground which\ncontained many valuables while I pressed a few ferns from the sibyl\u2019s\ncave. Returning to the spot, it was gone. All swore by the beard of\nthe Prophet they had not seen it. Threats made no impression upon\ntheir fears, and they smiled in scorn at being reported to the Pasha.\nIn a moment the town was aroused, and our threats were returned with\na shower of stones; but, revolver in hand, we commenced the search\nof every hovel. Descending a narrow pass in the rocks, I saw a woman\nstanding in the mouth of a cave whose countenance excited my suspicion,\nand, offering her a _baksheesh_, she drew from the ample folds of her\nbosom the stolen pouch, with a shamelessness not unworthy Endor\u2019s elder\nwitch.\n\nThree miles to the north, diagonally across the northern branch of\nEsdraelon, stands the Mount of Transfiguration. Whether considered\nfor its natural beauty or as the scene of many thrilling historic\nevents, Tabor is second only to Olivet in religious interest among\nall the sacred mountains. Separated from the surrounding hills except\non the northwest, it stands out alone, having its base swept by the\nmagnificent Plain of Esdraelon. Its shape changing with the stand-point\nof the beholder, it is not easy to define its graceful form. Having\nseen it from every point of the compass, its variant forms added not\na little to my impressions of its extraordinary beauty. Viewed from\nthe Heights of Carmel, it resembled a truncated cone; seen from the\nnorthern Hills of Galilee, it reminded me of the Pyramids of Egypt;\nfrom the Mountains of Samaria it appeared like the segment of a great\ncircle; while from the summit of Jebel ed-Duhy and from the plain below\nit was not unlike a terraced mound or woodland park. More than two\nthirds of its sides on the east and north, up to its very summit, are\ncovered with noble oaks and beautiful terebinths, not densely like a\nforest, but with open glades between oaken groves, adorned with grass,\nand strewn with pheasant-eyes, anemones, and amaranths. Its summit\nis an oblong area half a mile long and a quarter wide, broken into\ncharming vales and hillocks, enhancing the delights of the spot. In\nascending to the top the path resembled the threads of a screw, winding\nin gentle acclivities up to the highest peak. Now it led through groves\nof terebinths, now over flowery beds, now verging on the edge of a bold\nprecipice, now entering dells sombre with the thick foliage of stately\noaks, and anon opening into glades where the grass was green and the\nflowers fragrant. Though the heat was intense without, the path was so\nsmooth and shady that we gained the loftiest point in less than an hour,\nwhere we were refreshed alike by the unbroken silence of the scene and\nthe unrivaled glory of the view.\n\n Illustration: MOUNT TABOR.\n\nTabor rises 2000 feet above the level of the sea, and the prospect\nfrom its summit is one of extraordinary grandeur. The eye sweeps over\nthe Mountains of Samaria, the long ridge of Carmel, the Bay of Haifa,\nthe Plain of \u2019Akka, the Hills of Galilee, the lofty peak of Safed, the\n\u201cHorns of Hatt\u00een,\u201d the majestic form of Hermon, the gray walls of Moab,\nthe dark line of verdure defining the banks of the Jordan, while nearer\nare the slopes of Gilboa, the rocks of Duhy, and the glorious Plain of\nEsdraelon, like one unbroken sea of verdure, with its borders dotted\nwith the hamlets of Jezreel, El-Fuleh, Shunem, Nain, and Endor. And\nno less significant is the thrilling history of Tabor. Tabor was the\nnorthern boundary-line of the tribe of Issachar;[535] here the heroic\nDeborah and Barak assembled the children of Zebulon and Naphtali to\nfight against Sisera;[536] years later it was the rendezvous of the\nbrothers of Gideon\u2015\u2015\u201ceach one resembled the children of a king\u201d\u2015\u2015whom\nZebah and Zalmunna slew;[537] and at a later period it became the scene\nof Israel\u2019s idolatry, whose priests Hosea denounces for having \u201cbeen\na snare on Mizpah and a net spread on Tabor.\u201d[538] Bold in its outline\nand firm upon its everlasting base, the inspired writers chose it as a\nsymbol of glory\u2015\u2015\u201cTabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name,\u201d[539] and\nas typical of the Lord\u2019s unchangeable word, \u201cSurely as Tabor is among\nthe mountains, and as Carmel is by the sea, so shall Pharaoh come.\u201d[540]\nNaturally one of the strong-holds of the land and the key of the\nplain, it became in our own era the head-quarters of Josephus, as it\nhad been in the year 218 B.C. the strong-hold of Antiochus the Great.\nBut there is one historic honor which does not belong to Tabor, and,\nif it did, would not enhance the glory of its associations. Proverbial\nfor the application of real or fancied names to the scenes of the great\nevents in their martial annals, and ever fond of a high-sounding name,\nthe French have designated the conflict which occurred on the Plains of\nEl-Fuleh as the \u201cBattle of Mount Tabor.\u201d But as the village of El-Fuleh,\nwhere Kleber met the advanced guard of the Turks, and which afterward\nbecame the central point of attack, is ten miles to the southeast from\nTabor, with equal propriety it might have been called the battle of\nMount Carmel, and with greater consistency the battle of Mount Gilboa.\nThe simple fact of Napoleon\u2019s army coming from Nazareth and sweeping\nround the northeastern base of Tabor is not sufficient to justify the\nmisnomer, nor warrant the application of the name of this most sacred\nof \u201cmountains\u201d to a battle fought by a chieftain who had invaded the\nHoly Land on an ambitious crusade.\n\nBut the glory of Tabor is the transfiguration of our Lord. Anxiously\nI sought to identify the spot of that wondrous scene, that I might look\nup into the same serene heavens from which came the voice of approval,\nand in which appeared Moses and Elias. High up on the northern slopes,\nfar away from the ruins of the ancient village, is a lovely glade,\ninclosed with oaks and adorned with flowers. Shut in from the world,\nall nature breathes a sense of repose, and a holy quiet reigns within\nundisturbed. The view of the blue skies is unobstructed, and here in\nthe \u201cstilly night,\u201d watched only by the stars, the Son of God held\nconverse with Moses and Elias touching \u201chis decease which he should\naccomplish at Jerusalem;\u201d and, as a pre-intimation of his glorified\nbody after his ascension, \u201cthe fashion of his body was altered, and\nhis raiment was white and glistening.\u201d\n\nFor nearly sixteen centuries Tabor has been regarded as the\nveritable scene of this great event, and not till within a few years\nhas its claim been called in question. The chief argument against this\nvenerable tradition is drawn from the itinerary of the Evangelists,\nin which C\u00e6sarea Philippi is mentioned as the last place where Christ\nhad taught previous to his transfiguration. It has been suggested that\nthe probable scene of the event is somewhere on the southern ridge of\nHermon. More than once, while on its noble summit, I had occasion to\nregret that the doubt of its identity had been suggested to my mind,\nand the more so as the author of the suggestion had nothing better\nto offer; but the examination which I felt compelled to make not only\nremoved all reasonable doubts, but, proving entirely satisfactory,\nconfirmed the impression of earlier years, and added to the joy of the\nmoment. If our Lord had been transfigured immediately or on the next\nday after the conversation with his disciples touching men\u2019s opinions\nas to himself, there would be some force in the objection; but two of\nthe evangelists inform us that the event occurred six days[541] after\nthis conversation, and St. Luke assures us it took place \u201cabout eight\ndays after these sayings.\u201d[542] The distance between C\u00e6sarea Philippi\nand the summit of Tabor is less than 18 hours, or less than 54 miles,\nwhich, on foot or otherwise, can be accomplished in less than three\ndays, thus giving sufficient time for the journey between the two\nplaces. And it is a fact equally significant, that immediately after\nour Lord had been transfigured we find him in the vicinity of Tabor\nat Capernaum, which is but 21 miles over an excellent road to the\nnortheast; thence crossing the Jordan at the head of the lake, \u201che\ndeparted from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond\nJordan;\u201d[543] all of which is consistent with the location of the\nseveral places in leaving Mount Tabor for the north, but which would\nnot be true if our Lord came southward from the slopes of Hermon. It\nhas also been objected that, from the days of Joshua to the time of\nAntiochus the Great, Tabor has been an inhabited mountain, and, as\nsuch, would have been inappropriate for the retirement of Christ and\nhis three disciples; but history simply intimates that during fifteen\ncenturies the mount had been the rendezvous of belligerent armies, and\nthat, in process of time, its summit was fortified; but in the times\nof Josephus the defenses had fallen into decay, and he caused them to\nbe rebuilt about thirty years subsequent to our Lord\u2019s ascension. If\ninhabited at all when Christ ascended its verdant slopes, it was only\nby a few wretched villagers, such as may be seen in their mud huts, or\nclinging to ancient ruins in other parts of Palestine; and, though its\nsummit were inhabited, yet, owing to the peculiar configuration of the\nmount, its high northern acclivities are singularly retired. It is a\nremarkable fact, that, though accustomed to withdraw from the world for\nmeditation and prayer, Christ never chose a \u201chowling wilderness\u201d as the\nplace of his devotion, but always an inhabited mountain. Even the Mount\nof Olives, rendered doubly sacred by the frequency of his presence,\nwas in his day, as now, a populous mountain, but in some of its wooded\ndells was his bower of prayer. Jesus sought the haunts of men, and,\nlike a great warrior sleeping in the midst of his camp, he was ever\nwith his people. St. Luke more than intimates that the transfiguration\noccurred during the darkness and silence of the night. Referring to the\nmiracle wrought immediately after the descent, he states, \u201cAnd it came\nto pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill,\nmuch people met him.\u201d[544] Such an hour for the display of the divine\nmajesty was singularly appropriate. During the day he would have been\nsubject to intrusion from wandering shepherds and strolling hunters on\nany mountain in Palestine; but under the cover of the night he would\nhave been unmolested by either, as the former are stationary in the\nmidst of their flocks at that time, and the latter are unable to pursue\ntheir vocation. If the vision transpired in the daytime, why were\nthe disciples overcome with sleep? The suggestion of Peter to build\nthree tabernacles or booths, or provide some temporary shelter made\nof branches of trees, according to a custom still prevalent in the\nEast, is more than an intimation that night had overtaken them, and,\nsupposing their heavenly guests would tarry with them, they desired to\nshelter them from the dews of the night.\n\nIt was two o\u2019clock on Saturday afternoon when we left the small village\nof Deb\u00fbrieh, at the base of Mount Tabor, for the Sea of Galilee. Riding\nup a fruitful valley, in an hour we came to a branching road\u2015\u2015one\nbranch leading directly to Tiberias, and the other to the mouth of\nthe Jordan. Either from ignorance or villainy, an Arab directed us to\nfollow the latter path, which caused us to be benighted, and greatly\nendangered our safety. The mistake, however, was to our advantage\nin the end, as we passed through a tract of country rarely visited\nby travelers, owing to the turbulent and thievish character of the\npopulation. Turning eastward, the path lay along the crest of a\nmountain ridge, where the peasantry of both sexes were engaged in\nhusbandry. Occasionally we passed the extensive ruins of unknown\ntowns, and now and then entered villages remarkable only for their\nwretchedness and filth. Whether to display their horsemanship or test\nour courage, three mounted Arabs, armed with Bedouin swords, pistols,\nand lances 20 feet long, issued from one of those miserable hamlets,\nand, singing a war-song, dashed by us at a furious speed, when,\nsuddenly wheeling, with their lances leveled at our breasts, they\nrushed toward us as if to plunge us through. Finding their equestrian\nfeats neither awakened our fears nor inspired our admiration, they\nreturned to their village and allowed us to pursue our unfrequented\npath. From the summit of the mountain we were crossing we gained a\nnoble view of the Vale of Tiberias and its circlet of green hills.\nCheered by the prospect of reaching our destination at an early hour,\nwe rapidly descended 1000 feet into the wild gorge of Fejas, flanked\nby lofty mountains, and followed the banks of a beautiful stream lined\nwith shrubbery and gorgeous oleanders. Charmed with the surrounding\nscenery, and confiding in our Arab guide, we passed the hours happily,\nnor were our suspicions aroused that we had been misdirected till it\nwas too late to retrace our steps. Referring to our maps, we found\nourselves in the wild and uninhabited Vale of Fejas, which terminates\nin the valley of the Jordan, 10 miles to the south from Tiberias.\nStraining our eyes, as we wound round each jutting cliff, to catch\na glimpse through the opening hills of the vale we had seen from the\nheights above, at length, in the dusk of the evening, we reached the\nupper terraces of the Jordan. Under other circumstances we would have\nsurveyed the new landscape with delight; but we were now benighted,\nmiles from a human habitation, in a country notorious for its robberies,\nand with skies already black with the coming storm. Closing up\ntogether so as to form a circle with our horses, we held a council,\nand discussed the question of advancing or encamping for the night. Far\nto the east, beyond the rushing river, we could discover, by its faint\nlights, the solitary village of Kan\u00e2tir, but were not near enough to\nreach it before we should be overtaken by the darkness and the storm.\nTiberias was 10 miles to the north; night was now upon us; the skies\nwere cloudy; the rain began to fall; the path to the ancient capital\nof Galilee was unknown, and we were without a guide. Against remaining\nwhere we were were the serious facts that our cuisine was empty, and we\nwere without provender for our mules and horses. Deciding to proceed,\nwe forded several torrents, and, on ascending a broad upland plateau,\nin the darkness of the hour plunged into a marsh, into which our horses\nsank to their haunches. Crossing a barley-field which had been reaped,\nwe met two mounted Arabs, whom we understood to say that Tiberias was\nbut half an hour to the north. Cheered by the good news, we urged on\nour jaded beasts to their utmost speed, now stumbling over rocks, now\nfloundering in the soft, marshy soil. But, as we advanced, the darkness\nincreased; each friendly star had withdrawn its guiding ray, and the\nrain fell in torrents. Part of the company made directly for the shore,\nwhile two of us continued on the upland to report the first glimmer\nof the distant lights of Tiberias. Onward we rode; the hours dragged\nheavily by. Near midnight the clouds dispersed, and familiar stars\ncame out one by one, and looked softly down upon the lost and weary\ntravelers. The beautiful lake lay quietly in its mountain bed, and the\nrepose of night rested on all nature, undisturbed save by the rippling\nwave breaking faintly on the pebbled shore, or the sudden leap of the\njackal or flight of the stork, startled by the sound of our coming.\nBeguiling the weary hours by the recollections of the past, hunger and\nfatigue were forgotten as the visions of other years rose up before\nmy mind, and, by the realization of a sublime faith, I beheld the\nRedeemer treading the troubled bosom of Gennesaret in the darkness and\nstorm of night, as in the days of old. It was now past midnight; we\nhad failed to reach Tiberias; we knew not the distance to be traveled;\nand, determining to encamp, we pitched our tents upon the sandy beach,\ntethered our hungry horses, and, contenting ourselves with a little\nrice and mish-mish, we laid down to fitful slumber.\n\nThe peaceful Sabbath dawned without a cloud. While yet the night\nstruggled with the morn, I ascended a bold bluff, commanding a glorious\nview. The skies were soft and warm; the mellow light of day lined the\neast; the sea was placid as an embowered lake, and the surrounding\nhills were yet dreamy with the haze of night. The impressions of that\nhour were as hallowed as their memory is imperishable. It was the\nfirst time, by the light of day, that I looked upon that most sacred of\nlakes. Returning to the tent, we learned, to our happy surprise, from\na passing Arab, that we were within half an hour\u2019s ride of Tiberias.\nCompelled by the necessities of the case, we passed quietly up the\ncoast and encamped within the walls of the ancient city just as the\nJewish population, attired in their most costly robes, were hastening\nto their devotions around the sepulchres of their fathers.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER XIII.\n\n Jerusalem and Capernaum the great Centres of our Lord\u2019s\n Ministry. \u2015\u2015 Christ a limited Traveler. \u2015\u2015 Judea and Galilee\n contrasted. \u2015\u2015 Provinces of Galilee. \u2015\u2015 The Herods. \u2015\u2015 Meaning\n of Galilee. \u2015\u2015 Sea of Galilee. \u2015\u2015 Its Characteristics. \u2015\u2015\n Hallowed Associations. \u2015\u2015 Imperial City of Tiberias. \u2015\u2015 Founded\n by Herod Antipas. \u2015\u2015 His Crimes. \u2015\u2015 John the Baptist. \u2015\u2015 It\n became a Jewish City and the Metropolis of the Race. \u2015\u2015 Home\n of eminent Scholars. \u2015\u2015 Now an Arab Town. \u2015\u2015 Citizens. \u2015\u2015\n Miraculous Draught of Fishes. \u2015\u2015 Jesus never visited it.\n \u2015\u2015 Warm Baths of Tiberias. \u2015\u2015 Site of Tarichea. \u2015\u2015 Naval\n Engagement. \u2015\u2015 Bridge of Semakh. \u2015\u2015 River Jarmuk. \u2015\u2015 City\n of Gadara. \u2015\u2015 Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Tombs. \u2015\u2015 Not the Scene of the\n Destruction of the Swine. \u2015\u2015 Argument. \u2015\u2015 Ruins of Gamala. \u2015\u2015\n Near here was the Scene of the Miracle. \u2015\u2015 Mouth of the Jordan.\n \u2015\u2015 Bethsaida Julias. \u2015\u2015 Feeding of the Five Thousand. \u2015\u2015 Our\n Lord Walking on the Sea. \u2015\u2015 Home of Mary Magdalene. \u2015\u2015 Rich\n Plain of Gennesaret. \u2015\u2015 Parables. \u2015\u2015 Site of Capernaum. \u2015\u2015\n Fountain of the Fig. \u2015\u2015 Thrilling History of the City as\n connected with Christ. \u2015\u2015 The Woe. \u2015\u2015 Desolation. \u2015\u2015 Bethsaida.\n \u2015\u2015 Birthplace of Peter, James, and John. \u2015\u2015 Not Bethsaida\n Julias. \u2015\u2015 Influence of natural Scenery upon the Formation\n of Character. \u2015\u2015 Chorazin. \u2015\u2015 Sudden Gale upon the Sea. \u2015\u2015\n Extensive Remains of the City. \u2015\u2015 Without an Inhabitant. \u2015\u2015\n Upper Jordan. \u2015\u2015 Waters of Merom. \u2015\u2015 Tell el-K\u00e2dy. \u2015\u2015 City of\n Dan. \u2015\u2015 Its Fountain. \u2015\u2015 C\u00e6sarea Philippi. \u2015\u2015 Town of Hasbeiya.\n \u2015\u2015 Fountain. \u2015\u2015 Highest perennial Source of the Jordan. \u2015\u2015\n Mount Hermon. \u2015\u2015 Vast and grand Prospect from its lofty\n Summit. \u2015\u2015 Scriptural Allusions. \u2015\u2015 \u201cValley of the Pigeons.\u201d\n \u2015\u2015 Sublime Ravine. \u2015\u2015 Mount of Beatitudes. \u2015\u2015 Battle of Hattin.\n \u2015\u2015 Defeat of the Crusaders. \u2015\u2015 Triumph of Saladin. \u2015\u2015 Route\n to Nazareth. \u2015\u2015 Its authentic History is not older than the\n Christian Era. \u2015\u2015 Its Valley and Mountains. \u2015\u2015 Population.\n \u2015\u2015 Schools. \u2015\u2015 Legendary Sites. \u2015\u2015 Scene of the Annunciation.\n \u2015\u2015 House and Shop of Joseph. \u2015\u2015 Pictures. \u2015\u2015 Fountain. \u2015\u2015\n Beautiful Girls of Nazareth. \u2015\u2015 Mount of Precipitation. \u2015\u2015\n True Mount. \u2015\u2015 View. \u2015\u2015 Scene of our Lord\u2019s Childhood and\n Manhood.\n\n\nGALILEE and Judea share the mutual honor of having been the principal\nspheres of our Lord\u2019s public life. Indeed, those spheres may be reduced\nto two central points, Jerusalem and Capernaum. Occasionally we trace\nhis footsteps to the Mediterranean\u2015\u2015\u201cto the coasts of Tyre and Sidon\u201d\nin the west, and among the mountains of Gilead, beyond the Jordan, on\nthe east; but it is an extraordinary fact that he never went south of\nJerusalem, not even to the city that gave him birth, and only as far\nnorth as C\u00e6sarea Philippi. Though a limited and infrequent traveler,\nhe chose the great centres of life in which to unfold the doctrines\nhe came to announce, and to perform the miracles he offered to mankind\nin attestation of his divine mission. As the scene of his death,\nresurrection, and ascension, Jerusalem will ever stand pre-eminent\nin Christian affection; but Capernaum will ever be memorable as the\ncity of his adoption after his rejection by the ungrateful Nazarenes.\nSpending most of his public life on the shores of the Galilean Sea,\nhe called his apostles from the fisheries of Gennesaret; from its\nteeming population he founded his infant Church; among its inhabitants\nhe performed his grandest miracles; to them he delivered his most\nimpressive parables; and overhanging the sea is the \u201cMount of\nBeatitudes,\u201d the pulpit from which he preached his incomparable \u201csermon\non the mount.\u201d In contrast to the cruel treatment he received in Judea,\nthe Galileans ever welcomed him to their cities, and \u201cgreat multitudes\nfollowed him whithersoever he went.\u201d And after the lapse of so many\ncenturies, it is while passing through a region of associations and\nmemories so hallowed that the traveler of to-day realizes the presence\nof the Lord more than in other parts of the Holy Land.\n\nAt the death of Herod the Great his kingdom was divided into three\nparts, over which his sons reigned. With his accustomed precision and\naccuracy, St. Luke not only recognizes this historic fact, but defines\nthe territory of each division.[545] To Archelaus was assigned Idumea,\nJudea, and Samaria, which embraced all that portion of Palestine from\nthe Jordan to the Mediterranean, and from Beersheba to the northern\nborder of Esdraelon. Ancient Idumea included that district of country\nlying south of Judea, and extending from the southern end of the Dead\nSea to the Gulf of Akabah; but the Idumea of the Herodian era embraced\nonly the northern section of the Desert of T\u00eeh, together with several\ntowns of Southern Palestine, with Hebron as the capital city. Though\nsubdued by the warlike Maccabees, and by them subjected to the rule\nof Jewish prefects, the Idum\u00e6ans of this latter period rose to favor\nunder C\u00e6sar, who appointed Antipater procurator of all Judea, and\nsubsequently his son, Herod the Great, became \u201cKing of the Jews.\u201d\n\nTo Herod Antipas was allotted all Galilee, together with the district\nof Perea, which includes that part of Palestine east of the Jordan to\nArabia, and south of Pella to Machaerus, and which in the New Testament\nis called the \u201ccoasts of Judea beyond Jordan.\u201d[546]\n\nTo Herod Philip were given Iturea and Trachonitis. The former\nextends from the northern border of Jaul\u00e2n[547] to the banks of the\nJenn\u00e2ny, and from the eastern base of Hermon to the great caravan road\nto Mecca; and the latter, adjoining Iturea on the east, includes the\nlesser provinces of Batanea,[548] Gaulonitis,[549] and Auranitis, or\nthe modern Hauran.\n\nSt. Luke also mentions the province of Abilene, which is north of\nIturea, and extends within 12 miles of Damascus. \u201cIt originally\nincluded Heliopolis and Iturea, with the mountain region lying\nbetween,\u201d[550] and had Chalcis as the capital city, the ruins of which\nremain. According to Strabo, Ptolemy, the son of Menneaus, was ruler\nof the province, who, after the annexation of Syria by the Romans,\ncontinued to hold his possessions till succeeded to the throne by his\nson Lysanias. Transferring the seat of his government to Abila, on\nthe banks of the ancient Abana, he reigned till murdered through the\nartifices of Cleopatra, to whom the kingdom was given by Mark Antony.\nSubsequently passing into the hands of the tyrant Zenodorus, the\nprovince ultimately reverted to a descendant of Lysanias, bearing the\nsame name, and who was \u201ctetrarch of Abilene.\u201d[551]\n\nThe term Galilee is as old as Joshua.[552] Signifying a \u201ccircle\u201d or\n\u201ccircuit,\u201d it was originally applied to the region about Kadesh, \u201ca\ncity of refuge.\u201d[553] In the reign of Solomon it designated the area\ncontaining the twenty cities he gave to Hiram of Tyre, which were\nafterward known as the \u201ccoasts of Tyre and Sidon,\u201d and which, in the\nlapse of time, having become colonized by strangers, received the\nname of \u201cGalilee of the Gentiles,\u201d or of the \u201cnations.\u201d[554] Under\nthe jurisdiction of the Romans, Galilee was the designation of all\nthat magnificent region embracing the ancient tribeships of Issachar,\nZebulun, Asher, and Naphtali, which extended from the Plain of\nEsdraelon to Mount Hermon, and from the Jordan to the Mediterranean.\nAccording to Josephus, this vast section of Palestine was divided into\ntwo parts, \u201ccalled the Upper Galilee and the Lower.\u201d[555] The latter\nwas bounded on the south by a line drawn from Carmel to Scythopolis,\nand on the north by a line extending from the Bay of \u2019Akka to Tiberias,\nand the former extended from this latter line on the south to Hermon on\nthe north, and from this point westward to the sea.\n\nWhether considered geographically or historically, the Sea of\nTiberias is the most remarkable feature in the physical geography\nof Galilee. Either from a town upon its ancient shore or from its\nharp-like shape, it was early called \u201cthe Sea of Chinnereth.\u201d[556] At\nlater periods it was successively called the \u201cSea of Tiberias,\u201d[557]\nfrom the imperial city of that name standing on its western coast; the\n\u201cSea of Galilee,\u201d[558] because it belonged to the province of Galilee;\nand, finally, the \u201cLake of Gennesaret,\u201d corrupted from Cinnereth,\nthe title of a noble plain on its northwestern shore.[559] With a\ndepression of 650 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, it is 13\nmiles long, six wide, and 165 feet deep. Lying in a volcanic basin, its\nform is oval and its sides are shelving. Unlike the lofty and rugged\nmountains which encompass the Scotch and Italian lakes, the surrounding\nhills are neither high nor uniform. On the eastern coast they are steep\nand barren, and rise to the height of 2000 feet; on the west they are\nnot so lofty, but smooth, more sloping, and are dotted with trees and\ntufts of grass, and are furrowed by gentle ravines. At either end the\nwestern hills retire, permitting the Jordan to enter the sea on the\nnorth and to find an exit on the south. The shores are alternately\nsmooth and rocky. The smoother portions are strewn with beautiful\nshells, while at intervals the everlasting hills plant their dark\nfeet upon the whitened beach. Through an open cliff and between grassy\nslopes numberless streamlets pour their crystal waters into the sea,\nand on their green banks gorgeous oleanders bloom and tropical flowers\nfill the air with their perfume. The water is clear, cool, and sweet,\nand abounds with fish, as in the days of Bethsaida\u2019s fishermen. Though\nit is almost uniformly calm, there are times when the winds rush\ndown the mountain gorges and up the Jordan valley, lashing the placid\nwaters into foam, and causing the waves to roll high and furiously. Its\nbeauty is most apparent in the freshness of the morning, or amid the\ngolden tints and purple shadows of evening; or in the sweet repose\nof a summer\u2019s moonlight night, when the serene skies, with moon and\nstars, are mirrored on its quiet bosom; or during the solemn grandeur\nof a thunderstorm, when the heavens scowl, the wild winds rage, the\nlightning darts through the gloom in bars of fire or in sheets of light,\nand along the trembling mountains the thunder rolls responsive to the\nwaves that madly break upon the rock-bound shore.\n\n Illustration: TIBERIAS AND THE SEA OF GALILEE.\n\nOther lakes are more exquisitely beautiful; others present to the\neye loftier forms of grandeur; but as it is impossible for the mind\nto dissociate the historical from a scene like this, so the presence\nof that Divine One has imparted to the \u201cSea of Galilee\u201d an unparalleled\nbeauty, and his divine works have rendered it the most sacred of\nearthly lakes. On its northwestern shore stood the city of his adoption;\nfrom the deck of one of its fishing-boats he taught the multitude; over\nits calm waters he often sailed on a voyage of mercy, or to a \u201cdesert\nplace\u201d for prayer; on its troubled bosom, as on a pavement of adamant,\nhe walked in the \u201cfourth watch of the night;\u201d twice he rose in majesty,\n\u201crebuked the winds,\u201d and said to the waves, \u201cPeace, be still;\u201d and on\nits shores he met his disciples after his passion and resurrection.\n\nFour miles from the southern end of the lake, and occupying a\nplain two miles long and less than half a mile wide, stands the once\nimperial city of Tiberias. Though only mentioned by the sacred writers\nin connection with the sea, it fills no inconsiderable portion of\nthe political history of Galilee. Whether built upon the site of the\nancient city of Chinnereth or not, it evidently covers, in part, the\nsite of some old town, as sepulchres of great antiquity are on the\nsloping plain. Coming in possession of Galilee, Herod Antipas founded\nthe new city, made it the capital of his kingdom, and named it after\nhis friend and patron, the Emperor Tiberius. Inviting citizens from\nall parts to take up their residence within its walls, he granted them\nextraordinary privileges, and spared neither art nor treasure to render\nit worthy of his throne and palace. Here, in the day of his pride and\nluxury, he so far forgot the respect due the marriage covenant and the\nobligations of consanguinity as to marry Herodias, his brother Philip\u2019s\nwife. For an offense so grave and notorious the faithful and courageous\nJohn the Baptist reproved the king, who, under the pretense of fearing\nlest John might take advantage of his own popularity and instigate\na rebellion, ordered his arrest, and imprisoned him in the tower of\nMachaerus. It was here in his royal palace, while holding a feast in\nhonor of his birthday, that Salome, the daughter of his incestuous\nwife, danced before him, and pleased him to such a degree that he swore\nto give her whatever she should ask, \u201cto the half of his kingdom.\u201d\nInfluenced by her infamous mother, Salome asked for \u201cJohn\u2019s head in\na charger.\u201d Bound by his promise, the king reluctantly yielded, and\ndispatching one of his guards, the noblest and purest of prophets fell\na victim to the revenge of a woman smarting under rebuke, and to the\ncowardice of a prince whose mortified pride was only excelled by the\nfears that tormented the dreams of his nights and the vision of his\ndays. Whether intentionally or otherwise, Josephus has given us the\npretense of John\u2019s death rather than the true cause, in asserting that\nAntipas feared lest he might cause a revolt; but, as if half conscious\nof the injustice he had done the character of so eminent a prophet,\nthe Jewish historian tells us that the Jews attributed the subsequent\nmisfortunes of Herod to the death of John the Baptist. Retributive\njustice was speedily visited upon the son of Herod the Great. Having\ndivorced his first wife, who was the daughter of a celebrated Arabian\nprince, that he might marry Herodias, Aretas, the father of the\ndivorced wife, resolved to avenge the affront offered to his daughter,\nand declared war against Herod, and in a single battle vanquished his\nungrateful son-in-law, and literally destroyed his army.\n\nJealous of the prosperity of her brother Agrippa, who from a private\ncitizen had become king of Judea, Herodias persuaded Antipas to visit\nRome and request the same dignity from the Emperor Caius. Learning of\nthe conspiracy, Agrippa anticipated the arrival of his uncle, and\naccused Antipas of conspiracy against Tiberius, and asserted that he\nwas then carrying on a correspondence with Artabanus, king of Parthia,\nagainst the Romans. Convinced of the justness of the accusation, the\nemperor banished him to Lyons, and afterward to Spain, where he and his\nwife Herodias died in exile.[560]\n\nTiberias subsequently bore a conspicuous part in the wars which\nterminated in the destruction of Jerusalem, and especially during\nthe command of Josephus in Galilee, who fortified the city; but it\nafterward capitulated to the victorious Vespasian. By this act of\nvoluntary submission Tiberias escaped destruction, and remained\nundisturbed during those commotions ending in the overthrow of the\nJewish commonwealth. Regarding it, with Hebron, Jerusalem, and Safed,\nas one of their four holiest cities, it became the chief city of the\nJews after the destruction of their renowned capital; and, subsequently\nto their expulsion from Judea, they removed the Sanhedrim first to\nJamnia, on the Plain of Philistia, then to Sefforis, and finally,\nin the middle of the second century, to Tiberias, which for three\ncenturies continued the metropolis of the race. Here, amid those\ncenturies of comparative repose, the most eminent of rabbins of the\nnation taught in the synagogues, and founded a school for the study\nof their law and language. As the head of this academy, Rabbi Judah\ncollected and committed to writing the great mass of Jewish traditional\nlaw now known as the Mishnah, which was completed about the year\n200 A.D. A century later, Rabbi Jochanan here compiled the Gemara\nas a supplement and commentary to the former work, and which is now\nusually called the Jerusalem Talmud. And from the same school, at a\nlater period, emanated that critical work called the Masorah, at once\ndesigned to preserve the purity of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament\nand of the language in which it was written.[561]\n\nSharing the fortunes of other Syrian cities, Tiberias is now an Arab\ntown. Occupying a plain on the shore, formed by the mountains receding,\nit is encompassed by a wall 20 feet high, 100 rods long, and 40 wide.\nDescribing an irregular parallelogram, the wall is supported by 10\nround towers on the west, five on the north, eight on the south, and\nthree on the east. Only one half of the space within the inclosure is\noccupied by the present population. Most of the buildings are small\nand filthy, and the streets are neither clean nor straight. The pasha\u2019s\nhouse and a Mohammedan mosque are the only edifices worthy of attention.\nThe Moslems, who are in the ascendant, number about 1200. The Jews,\nwho are estimated at 800, have a distinct quarter, which is in the\ncentre of the town. Like those in Jerusalem, they are divided into two\nsects\u2015\u2015the Sephardim, who are chiefly from Northern Africa and Spain,\nand the Askenazim, who are fugitives from Russia. As a class they are\nintelligent, well dressed, and of more comely appearance than those\nfound in other portions of Palestine. The young men are athletic and\nmanly in their bearing, and many of the younger Jewesses are more than\nordinarily beautiful. As we entered the gates of the city at an early\nhour on a charming Sabbath morning, crowds of white-veiled Jewesses\nand of venerable Jews, with long gray beards, were slowly winding\ntheir way up the mountains that rise steeply behind the city, to offer\ntheir prayers at the sepulchres of Rabbis Jochanan, Akabi, Maimonides,\nand others of their ancestors. Still looking for the Messiah, they\nentertain a prevalent tradition that he will rise from the sea, land\nfirst in the city of Tiberias, and thence proceed to establish his\nthrone on the summit of Safed, a lofty and imposing mountain situated\n15 miles to the northwest. Christianity in Tiberias is represented by\na solitary Latin monk. On the shore, to the north of the Jews\u2019 Quarter,\nis a small convent, traditionally marking the spot where the Savior\nmet the disciples after his resurrection, and where was landed the\nmiraculous draught of fishes.[562] But, judging from the silence of all\nthe evangelists, it is probable our Lord never visited this renowned\ncity. The population was composed of strangers and slaves, unto whom\nhe was not sent, and the city was built in part upon a cemetery,\nwhich, according to a Jewish law, rendered whoever entered therein\nceremonially unclean; therefore the chief object of his mission and the\nlaw of Moses justified him in not entering its gates. It is, however,\nas remarkable as it is inexplicable that Christ should have spent so\nmuch of his public life in the vicinity of this lake, where he was\nuniversally known, and never have been seen by Herod Antipas till they\nmet in Jerusalem. St. Luke informs us that \u201cHerod the tetrarch heard\nof all that was done by him, and he was perplexed, because that it was\nsaid of some that John was risen from the dead, and of some that Elias\nhad appeared, and of others that one of the old prophets was risen\nagain. And Herod said, John have I beheaded; but who is this, of whom I\nhear such things? And he desired to see him.\u201d[563] Our Lord having been\nreared in Nazareth, \u201che belonged unto Herod\u2019s jurisdiction;\u201d and having\nresided at Capernaum, which is less than eight miles to the north from\nTiberias, he was a \u201cpolitical subject\u201d in the tetrarchate of Antipas.\nWhy did not Herod send for him? But, knowing the unscrupulous character\nof the tetrarch and his wife, together with the reasons assigned above,\nthe Savior wisely avoided his presence; not from fear, for the pure\nand exalted nature of the Redeemer never knew such a base emotion, but\nrather to teach his messengers to yield to the storm rather than expose\nthemselves to destruction, when, from known circumstances, the case was\nevidently hopeless. But the king and the Savior met at last. The former\nwas a guest, and the latter a prisoner in Jerusalem. Finding no fault\nin Jesus, but willing to subject him to a more searching trial, Pilate\n\u201csent him to Herod.\u201d \u201cAnd when he saw Jesus he was exceeding glad, for\nhe was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many\nthings of him, and he had hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.\u201d\nToo wise and holy to display his power to gratify the curiosity of an\nunprincipled king, our Lord neither performed a miracle nor answered\nthe senseless questions propounded to him by a vain and trifling judge.\nOffended at his silence and majestic bearing, \u201cHerod and his men of war\nset him at naught, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe,\nand sent him again to Pilate; and the same day Pilate and Herod were\nmade friends.\u201d[564]\n\nA mile to the south from Tiberias, and situated on the shore, are\nthe \u201cWarm Baths of Emmaus,\u201d consisting of four springs. The water has\na temperature of 144\u00b0 Fahrenheit. It emits a sulphurous smell, and\nis exceedingly salt and bitter to the taste. It is considered by the\nnatives efficacious in rheumatic complaints and in cases of debility,\nand the baths are visited by invalids from all parts of the country.\nOver one of the springs is a bath-house, and near the shore is another,\nboth of which are rapidly going to decay. As we passed, persons of all\nages and of both sexes were applying the medicinal waters, and some\nwere bathing in water at over 140\u00b0 Fahrenheit.\n\nThree miles to the south of these thermal springs is the site of\nancient Tarichea. Here, on a narrow peninsula formed by the River\nJordan as it leaves the lake, are venerable ruins, around which are\nthe few huts of the modern town of Kerak. Being a town of considerable\nimportance in the Jewish wars, Tarichea was fortified by Josephus,\nbut stormed and taken, with great slaughter, by Titus. Having the only\nlarge and safe harbor on the whole lake, the Jewish chieftain made it\nhis great naval station. With a foresight worthy of better fortunes,\nJosephus here collected 230 ships, in which to escape if beaten on\nland, or in which to engage the Romans in naval combat. Yielding to the\npowerful arms of Titus, Tarichea fell, and the inhabitants took refuge\nin their ships, and anchored in the middle of the lake. Resolved on\nthe utter destruction of the Jewish army, Vespasian, who was present,\nimmediately ordered the construction of a sufficient number of vessels\nto attack the enemy, and, having completed his navy, he launched his\nships and engaged the foe. The engagement was long and sanguinary.\nThe sea was turned into blood, and on its discolored waters floated\nthe bodies of the dead. Not a Jewish vessel escaped; and for many days\nsucceeding the fight the shores were strewn with shipwrecks, and with\nthe swollen forms of the slain.[565] Thus ended the first and last\nsea-fight between the Jews and Romans. Like their mighty empires, their\nnavies are also destroyed, and instead of that vast fleet which floated\non its bosom, there is but one boat now upon the Sea of Galilee; and,\nexcepting a long causeway resting on arches, through which the water\nflows into the Jordan when the lake is high, there is nothing entire\nremaining to mark the site of Tarichea and perpetuate its naval glory.\n\nA mile to the southeast from Jericho is the mouth of the Jordan, which\nis ninety feet wide, with high rounded banks. Less than a mile to the\nsouth is the old bridge of Semakh, which once spanned the sacred river,\nbut is now a ruin. Near it is the modern ford, the present highway\nbetween the east and west. Through shrubberies of hawthorns, tamarisks,\nand oleanders, the path runs to the small village from which the bridge\nderives its name. Six miles to the south is the Jarmuk of the Hebrews\nand the Hieromax of the Greeks, called by the Arabs Mandh\u00fbr: it drains\nthe whole plain of the Haur\u00e2n and Jaul\u00e2n, with a large section of the\nmountain range eastward. Flowing through a wild ravine, the sides of\nwhich are rugged cliffs of basalt 100 feet high, it enters the Jordan\nfour miles below the lake, and at the point of junction is more than\n130 feet wide. During the Jewish commonwealth it was the boundary\nbetween Bashan and Gilead, and during the dominion of the Romans it\ndefined the limits of the provinces of Perea and Gaulonitis. In the\ngloomy valley through which it flows, bearing the Arabic name of\nSheri\u2019at el-Mandh\u00fbr, are the famous \u201cBaths of Amatha.\u201d Consisting of\neight warm springs, they were esteemed by the Romans as second only to\nthose of the Italian Bai\u00e6. Around them are clumps of dwarf palms and\nthe remains of arched buildings. The largest of the eight bubbles up\ninto a basin 40 feet in circumference, and five deep, which is inclosed\nby dilapidated walls. The boiling water deposits on the stones a yellow\nsulphurous crust, regarded by the natives a sovereign remedy in certain\ndisorders to which their camels are subject.\n\nThree miles to the south from the banks of the Jarmuk is the\ncelebrated city of Gadara. With an authentic history not older than the\nthird century B.C., it was captured in the year 218 B.C. by Antiochus\nthe Great. Regaining possession of it twenty years later, the Jews\nheld it till destroyed during their civil wars. To gratify one of his\nfreedmen, who was a Gadarene, it was rebuilt by order of Pompey, and\nduring the proconsulate of Gabinius it was the capital of one of the\nfive districts into which he had divided Judea. Considered one of the\nmost important cities east of the Jordan, it was captured by Vespasian\nin the first outbreak of the war with the Jews: all of its inhabitants\nwere massacred, and the town itself was reduced to ashes.\n\n Illustration: RUINS AND TOMBS OF GADARA.\n\nThe ruins of a city more significantly reflect its grandeur than the\nrecords of the historian or the descriptions of the traveler. Gadara\nis in ruins. Occupying a projecting spur at the northwestern extremity\nof the mountains of Gilead, it is bounded on the north by the Jarmuk,\non the south by the valley of El-Arab, and on the west by the Jordan.\nOn the crest of the ridge, covering a space two miles in circumference,\nare the remains of the fallen city. On the northern side of the\nhill there is a theatre, the seats of which remain entire. Near\nit originally stood one of the great gates of the city, from which\ncommenced a noble avenue extending through the town, and flanked\non either side by a splendid colonnade. On the western side of the\nridge there is another theatre, the walls, seats, and vaulted chambers\nof which are in good condition. Between these two theatres lay the\nprincipal part of the city, on an even piece of ground. But the\ndesolation of Gadara is complete. Neither dwelling, palace, nor column\nremains standing, and the only work of art, besides the theatres,\nwhich has come down to our own age well preserved, is the pavement\nof the main street, which is as perfect as when laid down, and bears\ndistinctly the traces of the chariot wheels which once proudly rolled\nalong this magnificent thoroughfare.\n\nWhether regarded as works of art or as associated with the history of\nthe Gospel, the tombs of Gadara are replete with interest. Excavated\nin the limestone rock on the east and northeast sides of the hill,\nthey consist of chambers, some of which are more than 20 feet square.\nConsisting of massive stone slabs, ornamented with panels, many of the\ndoors remain in their places, and swing upon their hinges with ease,\nnotwithstanding their great weight. Along the hill-side are ancient\nsarcophagi, ornamented with sculptured garlands and wreaths, gods\nand genii. As in the days of our Lord, these tombs are inhabited, and\nthough not by maniacs, yet by Troglodytes, who at times are no less\ndangerous to the traveler. When it is remembered that Gadara is nine\nmiles from the extreme southeastern shore of the Sea of Tiberias, its\nclaim of having been the scene of the Savior\u2019s miracle in curing the\nmaniacs who \u201cdwelt in the tombs\u201d may be called in question. The miracle\nis recorded by three of the evangelists. They all agree as to where\nthe Savior landed, viz., \u201cto the other side;\u201d \u201cover unto the other\nside of the sea,\u201d \u201cwhich is over against Galilee;\u201d that, on landing,\nhe was immediately met by the demoniacs; and that the place was in the\n_country_ or region of a certain people; but Matthew calls this people\nGergesenes, while Mark and Luke call them Gadarenes. The reconciliation,\nhowever, is not difficult. Either Gergesa was located near the lake\nshore, and under the jurisdiction of the larger city, Gadara, and\ntherefore could be properly described as in the \u201ccountry of the\nGadarenes,\u201d or, as is more probable, St. Matthew, being a resident of\nthis region, wrote the name correctly, and wrote it primarily to those\nwho were familiar with all the smaller places of the country, while\nSt. Mark and St. Luke, who were strangers here, and who wrote for the\nbenefit of distant Greek and Roman readers, who were only familiar\nwith the well-known district and city of Gadara, simply point out\nthe vicinity of the place where the miracle occurred. Some eminent\ncritics suppose that, as the name of the place given by St. Matthew\nis variously pronounced Gergesa, or Gerasa, or Cehersa, the close\nresemblance between Gergesa and Gadara led to the substitution of\nthe latter for the former in transcribing the manuscript.[566] But,\nwhatever may have been the cause of the discrepancy, topographical\nfacts are against Gadara, or any of its dependencies, as having been\nthe scene of the miracle. In addition to the fact that Gadara is nine\nmiles to the southeast from the sea, there is no mountain at this point\nof the shore adapted to the conditions of the miracle. The intervening\nspace between these two points, even if the last-mentioned difficulty\ndid not exist, would present an insuperable objection. It would have\nbeen a miracle in itself if 2000 swine had run down the mountain-side\nfor an hour and a half, then forded the deep Jarmuk, and, having gained\nthe northern bank, crossed a plain five miles wide before they reached\nthe nearest margin of the sea. And as the scene of the miracle could\nnot have been in the immediate neighborhood of Gadara, neither could\nit have been north of the Jarmuk, as the \u201ccountry of the Gadarenes\u201d lay\nsouth of that great river.\n\nSomewhere midway the lake we must look for the scene of this\ninteresting event. Not two miles to the north from the small village\nof Semakh is the site of ancient Hippas, which was an important place\nin the days of Josephus, and four miles farther on are the ruins of\nthe renowned city of Gamala. The ridge on which the city stood is not\nunlike a camel\u2019s back, from which geological formation the town derived\nits name. So strongly was Gamala built, that the younger Agrippa\nbesieged it seven months in vain, and it only yielded to the assailants\nwhen assaulted by a more powerful army under Vespasian. Four thousand\nperished by the sword, and, rather than surrender themselves captives\nto the victor, five thousand other citizens threw themselves from\nthe walls of their city and were dashed to pieces in the deep ravines\nbelow. Whether this was the city of the Gergesenes it is impossible to\ndetermine with accuracy, but the topography of the shore, from Hippas\nto Wady Semakh, is in harmony with all the facts of the miracle. Here,\nin the face of the bold cliffs, are many ancient tombs, out of one of\nwhich the demoniacs rushed to meet Jesus the moment the boat touched\nthe shore, and on the mountain summit, \u201ca good way off from them, an\nherd of swine was feeding.\u201d Seized with a sudden panic, the maddened\nherd rushed headlong down the steep mountain side, and as there was\nneither time nor space to arrest their descent on the narrow shelving\nshore between the base of the cliff and the sea, they were borne by the\nvelocity of their own motion into the waters and perished. Thus, by a\nmiracle as humane as it was godlike, our Lord condemned the vocation\nof the swineherds of Gergesa, and restored to reason and happiness two\nunfortunate men.[567]\n\nTen miles north from Gamala is the mouth of the Upper Jordan. The\npath first runs along a rich plateau, separating the shell-strewn beach\nfrom the base of the hills, and then passes over a triangular plain\nof surpassing richness. Three miles beyond this rich field the Jordan\nenters the Lake of Gennesaret. Southerly winds have driven up an\nimmense bank of sand before the mouth of the river, causing the water\nto flow through a channel some distance from the eastern shore. Being\n70 feet wide, the Jordan is here a lazy, turbid stream, flowing between\nlow alluvial banks. Droves of buffaloes and herds of cattle were\nstanding in the shallow water, while along the banks were flocks of\nsheep and goats.\n\nTwo miles from the mouth of the Jordan, and covering a conspicuous\nhill, are the remains of Bethsaida Julias. Originally a small village\ninhabited by fishermen, it was enlarged and beautified by \u201cPhilip,\ntetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis,\u201d[568] who made\nit the imperial city of his kingdom, and called it Julias in honor of\nJulia, the daughter of the Emperor Augustus;[569] and here, after he\nhad reigned 37 years, he died and was interred with great pomp in a\nmagnificent mausoleum which he had previously prepared for himself.\n[570] But this eastern Bethsaida is chiefly interesting to the\nChristian traveler as associated with the life of our divine Lord.\nSailing from Capernaum, hither he retired with his disciples \u201cinto\na desert place apart.\u201d[571] This \u201cdesert place\u201d was probably one of\nthose uninhabited mountains which overhang the lake on the south, and\nwhich, owing to the scarcity of springs and the nearer approach to\nthe Bedouin tribes, were not dotted with towns as were the opposite\nhills, and which naturally became a refuge from the active life of the\nwestern shores. Attracted by his miracles and charmed by his presence,\n\u201cwhen the people heard thereof they followed him on foot out of the\ncities,\u201d[572] and sweeping round the head of the lake, while he himself\nsailed across it, they reached the place where he had landed. Having\n\u201chealed their sick\u201d and taught them lessons of divine wisdom, the\ncompassionate Savior finished the labors of the day by feeding that\nmultitude of over 5000 souls with five loaves and two fishes.[573] The\nscene of this extraordinary miracle is the noble plain at the mouth of\nthe Jordan, which during most of the year is now, as then, covered with\n\u201cgreen grass.\u201d[574] Dismissing the multitude with his blessing, and\n\u201cconstraining his disciples to get into a ship\u201d and return to Capernaum,\n\u201che went up into a mountain apart to pray.\u201d The imagination dwells\nwith delight upon this parting scene\u2015\u2015the thousands of people scattered\nalong the beach absorbed in deepest thought, and moving homeward with\nlingering step, turning ever and anon to gain another glance at the\nblessed Savior; the ship upon the sea, containing the twelve disciples,\nreturning to Gennesaret; while, slowly moving up the mountain side, the\nMaster is retiring into solitude for meditation and prayer.\n\nThe multitude had reached their homes and were wrapped in slumber; the\nSavior had finished his devotions and had descended to the shore, but\nthe disciples were in the \u201cmidst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the\nwind was contrary.\u201d \u201cIn the fourth watch of the night,\u201d leaving this\nbeautiful plain, \u201cJesus went unto them, walking on the sea.\u201d Calming\ntheir fears by that sublime salutation, \u201cBe of good cheer; it is I,\nbe not afraid,\u201d he allowed the impulsive Peter to \u201cwalk on the water,\u201d\nwhich no less evinced the weakness of the apostle\u2019s faith than it\ndisplayed the compassion and power of his Lord.[575]\n\nHaving described a part of the western and the whole of the eastern\nshore of the Sea of Galilee, it only remains to follow the shore\nnorthward from Tiberias to Capernaum, and thence eastward to Chorazin.\nIt was seven A.M. when we left the ancient capital of Antipas to visit\nthe cities upbraided by our Lord. The morning sun had risen upon the\nHills of Galilee in cloudless beauty, the surface of the lake was\nrippled by a soft breeze from the south, and far to the north rose the\nsublime form of Hermon, its snowy summits reflecting the early light.\nTwo paths were before us, one mounting the uplands on the left, the\nother following the coast. Choosing the latter, our course was to the\nnorthwest. The beach gently declined toward the clear blue waters, and\nwas strewn with shells, and with white and black pebbles of basalt and\nlimestone. In half an hour we passed the wild ravine of Arbela, opening\ninto the interior, and flanked by bold, precipitous cliffs. Travelers\nwere approaching from the north, mounted on fine Arabian horses, and\nseated on chair-back saddles. As we advanced the banks became steep and\nrocky, and the mountains above us rose in jutting peaks. In less than\nan hour we came to Magdala, the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. Standing\non the shore, it bears the modern name of Mejdel. Eighteen centuries\nago it was a large and thriving town, but at present it contains only\n20 huts, on the flat roofs of which children had built booths of reeds.\nAround the hovels are old foundations and heaps of rubbish, and near\na half-ruined tower stands a solitary palm. Attracted by our presence,\nthe women rushed from their wretched homes and gazed at us wildly, and,\njudging from their frightful appearance, they might be dispossessed\nof as many demons as was their ancient sister. At Mejdel begins the\ncelebrated Plain of Gennesaret. Formed by the mountains suddenly\nreceding inland, it is an open and level plain two and a half miles\nwide and five long. Having the form of a crescent, it is encompassed on\nthe west by rugged mountains, and on the east it is washed by the sea.\nEqualing in fertility the Plains of Jericho, it is well watered, and\nits soil is in part a rich black mould. No less than four streams flow\nthrough it to the lake, and, wherever cultivated, it yields abundantly.\nPortions of its shore-line consist of a thick jungle of oleander, in\nwhose branches birds of variant forms and of brilliant colors carol\nthe melody of their song. In his description of this plain Josephus is\nas correct as he is eloquent. Referring to the various kinds of trees\nwhich grew thereon, \u201che calls the place the ambition of nature, where\nit forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to\nagree together.\u201d[576] Were it cultivated with intelligence and taste,\nit would be the Paradise of Northern Palestine, producing the choicest\nfruits luxuriantly, and possessing an eternal spring. Even now,\nnotwithstanding its neglected state, it is dotted with magnificent\ncorn-fields and with groves of dwarf palms; and while from our feet\nquails sprang up at almost every step, the voice of the turtle-dove was\nheard on every side. In the days of our Lord it was the most densely\npopulated part of the Holy Land, and through its beautiful gardens\nhe was wont to pass, and in its thriving towns to teach his wondrous\ntruths. Somewhere on its whitened beach he and his disciples landed\nafter he had walked upon the water;[577] and from that beach he stepped\ninto one of the \u201ctwo boats\u201d standing on its gradual slope, and, praying\nPeter \u201cthat he would thrust out a little from the land, he sat down\nand taught the people out of the ship.\u201d[578] Taking advantage of the\npromiscuous audience which hung with rapt attention upon his words, he\nhere delivered the remarkable parables of the \u201cSower and the Seed,\u201d of\nthe \u201cWheat and Tares,\u201d of the \u201cMustard-seed,\u201d and of the \u201cLeaven which\na woman took and hid in three measures of meal.\u201d[579] It is highly\nprobable that the first three of these parables were suggested to his\nmind by the fields of vegetation which dotted this plain. As in his day,\nso now, the wheat and tares grow together, and all the facts of the\nparable are illustrated to the modern traveler. Tares abound throughout\nthe country, and in many respects they resemble the American _cheat_.\nThe stalk stands perfectly erect, and the small grains are arranged\ncompactly one above the other. Having a bitter taste, they produce\ndizziness when eaten, whether by man or beast, and are regarded as\na strong soporific poison. If the Savior designed to represent the\nexistence of the _good_ and _bad_ in his Church, no illustration\ncould have been selected more appropriate and impressive. The \u201cwheat\nand tares\u201d derive nourishment from the same soil; they are so much\nalike before the grain is _headed out_ that it is quite impossible\nto distinguish the stalk of the one from that of the other, even to\nthose accustomed to weed their fields; and so intertwined are the roots\nof both, \u201cthat they must grow together until the harvest\u201d before the\nwheat can be gathered into the garner and the tares collected to be\nburnt. And here, no doubt, was growing then, as it grows now, the\nmustard-plant, which formed the basis of a second parable. Attaining\nthe height of ten feet, its trunk is slender, the leaves are broad, and\nthe blossoms yellow. Though this _wild_ and perennial shrub may aid our\nconceptions of the tree which our Lord describes, yet it is probable\nthat the variety to which he alludes was _cultivated_, and was the\n_\u201cleast of all seeds\u201d sown by the husbandman, and when grown was \u201cthe\ngreatest among herbs\u201d in all his garden_.\n\n Illustration: PLAIN OF GENNESARET AND HOME OF MARY MAGDALENE.\n\nOn the northern horn of this crescent plain is the site of the renowned\ncity of Capernaum. Plucking an anemone in memory of the devoted Mary,\nwe passed up the coast, and found the distance to be scarcely four\nmiles. In attempting to ford one of the mountain streams which pour\ntheir turbid waters into the lake, our horses sank into the soft clay\nbottom, leaving us no alternative but to dismount and wade ashore.\nAccustomed to such incidents in Oriental traveling, we remounted, and,\nhastening over the plain, reached Capernaum at ten A.M.\n\nThough its early history is involved in much obscurity, and though\nit is not mentioned in the Old Testament, it was probably built by\nthe Jews after their return from Babylon. At the commencement of the\nChristian era it was a large and prosperous town, but it is indebted to\nthe presence and works of Jesus for its present renown. As the history\nof its origin is obscure, so the time of its destruction is unknown.\nBut whether the evidence of the identity of the site is drawn from the\nincidental allusions of the evangelists,[580] or from the history of\nJosephus,[581] or from the writings of the fathers, or from eminent\ntravelers down to the 17th century,[582] or from the topography of the\nspot, the argument is no less clear than satisfactory. Judging from\nthe heaps of ruins covering portions of the plain, the city stood near\nthe base of a bold bluff, which rises in the form of a truncated cone\n300 feet high, and which dips its eastern end into the sea, while its\nwestern extremity is bounded by a green meadow stretching along the\nshore. At the foot of the cliff is the large \u201cFountain of the Fig,\u201d so\ncalled from a noble fig-tree that shades the cave from which the stream\nissues. The water is clear, cool, and sweet, and flows over a broad\npebbled bed into the lake. Near the fountain are the remains of a tower,\nto which is attached a portion of an arched gateway, and south of it\nis a low mound of shapeless ruins, overgrown with thorns and thistles.\nNearly 1000 feet to the northwest from \u2019Ain et-T\u00een is the old Khan\nMinyeh, lying under the western brow of the hill, which, standing on\nthe great caravan route between Egypt and Damascus, is designed for the\naccommodation of pilgrims.\n\nAscending the bold cliff behind the city, we found the sides terraced,\nand the flattened summit covered with wheat and barley, ripe for the\nharvest. From this lofty position we obtained a delightful view. At our\nfeet lay the lake, smooth and bright, like polished silver, and beyond\nthe broad valley of the Jordan opened before us. On the east the eye\nglanced over the Plains of Bashan and the Mountains of Gilead; on the\nnorth, Safed rose in solitary grandeur; while on the west were the\nLand of Gennesaret, and, over lower hills, the \u201cMount of Beatitudes.\u201d\nCharmed with the view and overwhelmed with the recollections of the\npast, I sat down and read the eventful history of Capernaum. Rivaling\nJerusalem in the number and sacredness of its hallowed associations,\nit is to the north what the former is to the south. Not excepting\nOlivet, it stands pre-eminent in evangelical history as the scene of\nour Lord\u2019s most instructive discourses and most astonishing miracles.\nDriven from Nazareth by his ungrateful townsmen, \u201che came and dwelt\nin Capernaum,\u201d[583] which from that time forward became \u201chis own\ncity.\u201d[584] Returning hither from journeys to other parts, here he was\nreceived with affection and revered as divine. Here, in the synagogue,\non the Sabbath day, having astonished the people by the authority with\nwhich he had enforced his doctrines, he healed the demoniac.[585]\nPassing from the synagogue, \u201che entered the house of Simon and\nAndrew,\u201d and finding the mother of Peter\u2019s wife \u201csick of a fever,\u201d\nhe immediately restored her to health,[585] and that night the people\nthronged the door of the dwelling, \u201cand he healed many that were\nsick of divers diseases.\u201d[585] Returning from the \u201ccountry of the\nGergesenes,\u201d he cured the paralytic;[586] and passing by the receipt\nof custom, he called Matthew to the apostleship.[586] Descending from\nthe \u201cMount of Beatitudes,\u201d he here restored the servant of the devout\ncenturion.[587] Yielding to the paternal entreaties of Jairus, he\nentered the ruler\u2019s house, and, taking the dead damsel by the hand,\nuttered those life-giving words, \u201cTalitha-cumi,\u201d and \u201cshe arose and\nwalked.\u201d It was while going on this errand of mercy that, as he passed\nthrough the thronged streets of Capernaum, a daughter of Israel \u201ccame\nin the press behind and touched his garment,\u201d and was made whole.[588]\nComing from the visions and glory of Tabor, he was here met by those\nwho \u201creceived tribute-money,\u201d and sent forth Peter, who miraculously\nobtained from the mouth of a fish a coin bearing the image and\nsuperscription of C\u00e6sar.[589] It was here, in a house no longer\nstanding, that, after delivering from the deck of a fish-boat the\nmemorable parables of the \u201cSower,\u201d the \u201cTares,\u201d the \u201cMustard-seed,\u201d\nand the \u201cLeaven,\u201d he gave forth the parables of the \u201cHidden Treasure,\u201d\nthe \u201cMerchant seeking goodly Pearls,\u201d and of the \u201cNet cast into the\nSea.\u201d[590]\n\nHere, in the home of St. Matthew, and around his well-spread board, our\nLord discoursed on \u201cfasting.\u201d[591] At a subsequent period he reproved\nthe Scribes and Pharisees for their \u201cformality;\u201d[592] and on the\nmorning after he had calmed the storm he taught the people the nature\nof \u201cfaith;\u201d[593] and here, either in the house of Simon or Levi, in\nthe privacies of social life, and surrounded only by his disciples, he\nchided their ambition, rebuked their sectarianism, and unfolded to them\nthe beauty and power of humility, forbearance, and brotherly love.[594]\n\nWho can wonder at the judgments pronounced upon a city so highly\nfavored, whose citizens refused to be enlightened by such words of\nwisdom, and convinced by such acts of mercy? Rejecting him, he in turn\nhas rejected them. The \u201cwoe\u201d has fallen heavily upon the ungrateful\ncity, and time has proven the fulfillment of prophecy. \u201cAnd thou,\nCapernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell;\nfor if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in\nSodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto thee, it\nshall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment\nthan for thee.\u201d[595] Whether this exaltation denoted the lofty site of\nthe city, or its pride and prosperity, the abasement is equally true.\nThe desolation is universal; the ruin is complete. There is a dispute\namong the learned whether the town stood upon the high hill above the\nfountain, or on the plain below. In all probability the hill served\nas the acropolis, commanding the entire plain, on the northeast end\nof which the larger portion of the city was built. As there is no\npath along the northern shore, we wound up the sides of a precipitous\npromontory dipping into the sea, and found a path excavated in the\nrock 20 feet above the water-line, and measuring three feet deep and\nas many wide. Descending to the shore of a beautiful bay, and riding\nnortheastward, in 20 minutes from Capernaum we came to Bethsaida, the\nhome of Peter and his brethren. Bearing the Arabic name of Et-T\u00e2bighah,\nthis city of the holy apostles stands in a charming little nook in the\nmountain side. The hills rise around it in graceful gradations, and\non the west is a small but lonely bay, encircled by a beach of fine\nsand, and just such a place as fishermen love to ground their boats and\nspread their nets upon. Unoccupied except by a few _millers_, the chief\nattraction of the place is its pools, fountains, and aqueducts. No city\nof its size in Palestine has so many and valuable water facilities as\nBethsaida. The larger fountains burst out from the base of the mountain\n300 yards to the north, and around the principal one is a large\noctagonal reservoir, with two circular holes designed as drains. A\nflight of steps in the southwest corner leads down to the water, which\nis warm and sulphurous, and about eight feet deep. From the bottom of\nthe reservoir there were canes growing to the height of 20 feet. Nearer\nthe shore is a circular well, called \u2019Ain Ey\u00fbb, or \u201cJob\u2019s Fountain.\u201d\nThis reservoir, together with several mills, were constructed by Dh\u00e2her\nel-Omer, and now belong to the government, by whom they are farmed out\nto villagers from the neighboring towns.\n\nOriginally called the \u201cHouse of Fish,\u201d as significant of the\nvocation of its ancient inhabitants, Bethsaida will ever live in the\nrecollection of the pious as the birthplace of five apostles, who have\nstamped the world with their influence, and affected the opinions and\ndestiny of mankind in all countries. Here Peter, and Andrew, and James,\nand John, and Philip spent their childhood, and here they engaged in\nthe humble but honest calling of fishermen. It was probably on the\nshore of the small bay previously described that Jesus, walking by the\nSea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his\nbrother, casting a net into the sea, and said unto them, \u201cFollow me,\nand I will make you fishers of men. And going on from thence, he saw\nother two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother,\nand he called them, and they followed him.\u201d[596] And here, no doubt, is\nthe scene of that miraculous draught of fishes, which astonished the\ndisciples, and convinced them of the divine character of our Lord.[597]\nBut this Bethsaida must not be confounded with the one east of the\nJordan, and which has already been noticed as having been enlarged and\nbeautified by Philip the tetrarch. The latter being in Gaulonitis and\nnot in Galilee, it could not have been the native city of the apostles,\nwho were _Galileans_; and though it may appear unusual to find two\ncities of the same name in such close proximity, yet the singularity\ndisappears when it is remembered that they belonged to separate\nprovinces, and that Bethsaida Julias is not on the lake shore, but on\nthe eastern bank of the Jordan, two miles from the mouth of the river.\nThis distinction sheds much light upon a somewhat obscure passage by St.\nMark. After our Lord had learned of the execution of John the Baptist,\nhe left Capernaum, and, with his disciples, \u201cdeparted into a desert\nplace by ships privately.\u201d[598] St. John, with greater exactitude,\nsays that \u201cJesus went over the Sea of Galilee.\u201d[599] The \u201cdesert place\u201d\nis on the northeastern shore of the lake, where he fed the 5000, and\nis \u201cover the sea.\u201d Having dismissed the multitude, \u201che constrained his\ndisciples to get into a ship, and to go to the other side before unto\nBethsaida,\u201d which is on \u201cthe other side;\u201d and as it is only a mile from\nCapernaum, agrees with St. John, who records that \u201cthey went over the\nsea toward Capernaum.\u201d[600] They embarked for Bethsaida, but the \u201cwind\nwas contrary,\u201d and they were driven from their course to the southward.\n\u201cAbout the fourth watch of the night\u201d Jesus came \u201cwalking on the sea,\u201d\nand, entering the ship, \u201cthe wind ceased.\u201d With a minuteness that\nleaves us without a doubt, St. Matthew and St. Mark say, \u201cThey came\ninto the land of Gennesaret;\u201d[601] and St. John designates which\nportion of Gennesaret they came to in saying that \u201cwhen the people\nsaw that Jesus was on the other side, they took shipping and came\nto Capernaum seeking for Jesus, and that they found him there.\u201d[602]\nHad the disciples sailed for Bethsaida Julias, it would have been\nimpossible for them to have sailed \u201c_over the sea toward Capernaum_,\u201d\nas the former is not \u201cover the sea,\u201d and is not in the same direction\nwith the latter, Capernaum being southwest and Julias northeast. Nor\nis the difficulty relieved by supposing that Tell Hum is the true site\nof Capernaum, as the argument drawn from the direction of the place\nremains in full force.\n\nHaving satisfied his mind touching the identity of a place, the\ntraveler lingers about the spot with no ordinary delight. Such were\nthe pleasing emotions I experienced as I stood amid the ruins of the\nhome of Peter, James, and John, and watched the crystal waters flowing\ninto the sea through banks lined with oleanders in full bloom. And the\nimpression was overwhelming as the great fact rose up before my mind\nthat in this retired quarter of the globe\u2015\u2015in this Galilean village of\nhumble pretensions, five inspired apostles were born, who from their\nfish-boats went forth commissioned to evangelize the world, and to\nbe the biographers of the Son of God. It is an ancient suggestion,\nthat the scenery of childhood gives tone to the character of a man\nand direction to his coming years. Few men whose acts fill so large\na portion of the world\u2019s history have evinced traits of character so\nopposite, and transitions in their emotional natures so remarkable as\nthe \u201cfishermen of Bethsaida.\u201d Pure as they were simple, benevolent as\nthey were sincere, they loved and hated, hoped and despaired; they were\nbold and fearful, joyful and sorrowful, firm and inconstant, as the\nsurrounding circumstances were favorable to the development of their\nbetter natures, or to disclose the weaknesses of our common humanity.\nLooking out upon the scene before me, I fancied that their finer\nfeelings and gentler traits were evoked by the deep blue skies, the\ntransparent atmosphere, the mellow dawn, the golden sunset, the placid\nlake, the flowing fountains, the blooming flowers and shell-strewn\nshores, while the rugged mountains and boisterous storms at sea aroused\ntheir fiery and impetuous spirits. When composed they resembled their\nembowered lake, whose placid waters mirror the overhanging foliage\nalong its banks; but when agitated, they were like their native sea\nduring a storm, when the deep was troubled, when thunder answered\nthunder, and the roar of the waters responded to the howl of the winds.\n\nThree miles to the northeast are the remains of the city of Chorazin.\nIn the intervening space the hills approach the shore, exposing at\nintervals a rough bank, lined with a tangled thicket of a thorny shrub.\nIn the spring-time the black tents of the predatory farmers dot the\ntable-land, only one of which now remained, and around it a solitary\nshepherd was keeping his flock. It was while riding over this broad\nplateau that we were startled by one of those squalls peculiar to this\ninland sea. The air had been quiet, the lake calm, and the heavens were\ncloudless, but within five minutes the wind blew a gale, the sea became\ntroubled, the waves rolled high and dashed wildly on the shore. It was\na repetition of that scene when the disciples were sailing over the sea;\nwhen \u201cJesus was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow;\u201d\nwhen \u201cthere arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the\nship, so that it was now full;\u201d and when, in the moment of danger, they\nawoke the Divine Sleeper, \u201cwho arose and rebuked the wind, and said\nunto the sea, Peace, be still.\u201d[603] The natural causes operating and\nproducing such effects in that distant age are still in force. The sea\nis 600 feet lower than the ocean; the mountains on the east and north\nrise to a great height, and their sides are furrowed with deep and wild\nravines; and the temperature of this volcanic basin differing from that\non the mountains above, these profound gorges serve as vast conductors,\nthrough which, at certain periods, the cold winds from above rush\nsuddenly down, causing a tempest in an unexpected moment.\n\nThe ruins of Chorazin lie upon the shore, covering a level tract half\na mile long and a quarter of a mile wide. Consisting chiefly of the\nfoundations and prostrate walls of dwellings, they are overgrown with\na thicket of thistles eight feet high, and so dense that it is almost\nimpossible to penetrate and examine the remains. The walls of a square\ntower 10 feet high are standing, and are composed of fragments of\ncolumns, capitals, and friezes, mingled with hewn stone of different\ndimensions. To the east of the tower we entered a structure, the\nobject of which can not now be determined. Portions of the northern\nand western walls remain, the former measuring 105 feet long, and the\nlatter about 80. Within this inclosure are strewn, in utter confusion,\nlimestone columns, Corinthian capitals, sculptured entablatures,\nornamental friezes, double columns, and immense blocks of stone nine\nfeet long and five wide, with panels sculptured in their sides. This\nmay have been a magnificent Jewish synagogue, a substitute in part\nfor the noble Temple of Jerusalem. In the days of our Savior and five\ncenturies after, Chorazin was a populous and wealthy city. Driven\nfrom their ancient capital, the Jews settled on the shores of this\nlake. Their Sanhedrim found a resting-place at Tiberias, and Magdala,\nCapernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin became their chief towns. In the\nwealth of her citizens, the grandeur of her architecture, and the\ninfluence of her religious institutions, the latter appears to have\nbeen as influential as magnificent. But the \u201cwoe\u201d has fallen on\nChorazin. What the \u201cmighty works which were done\u201d in her were we are\nnot informed, but evidently they were of such a character as to give\nlight to her people, in the rejection of which was involved her ruin.\nRejecting that light, she has fallen with her sister towns; and without\na single habitation, the most beautiful site for a city on all these\nshores is now a thorn-bed, where adders crawl and jackals hide. \u201cWoe\nunto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works\nwhich were done in thee had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would\nhave repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.\u201d And if the present\nsmall but thriving towns of Tyre and Sidon be compared to this \u201chowling\nwilderness,\u201d this \u201cperfection of desolation,\u201d the contrast can not fail\nto suggest to every impartial mind the marvelous and strangely exact\nfulfillment of our Lord\u2019s solemn predictions.[604] Indeed, the Lake\nof Gennesaret is a beautiful desolation. Her villas are in ruins,\nher fisheries have failed, her ship-yards are silent, her commerce is\ndestroyed, her manufactories are abandoned, and her waters, which were\nthe rich possession of Naphthali, are without a keel to divide them, or\na sail to fly before their mountain gusts.\n\nTurning inland and following a path along the base of the mountain,\nan hour\u2019s ride brought us to the mouth of the Jordan. Forty miles to\nthe northeast, up the broad ravine through which the most illustrious\nof earthly rivers flows, appeared Mount Hermon, with his icy crown\nbrilliant in the midday sun. For nine miles the path follows the\nriver bank to \u2019Jisr Ben\u00e2t Yak\u00fbb, the \u201cBridge of Jacob\u2019s Daughters.\u201d\nIt is the only bridge which at present spans the Jordan, and its three\narches, with its well-paved roadway, are in good condition. Though\ntraditionally marking the site where Jacob, staff in hand, crossed the\nstream, yet it is not easy to determine why the word \u201cdaughters\u201d should\nbe added. The Jordan is here a rapid stream, 25 yards wide and 10 feet\ndeep, flowing between alluvial banks fringed with thickets of reeds\nand rank grass. From the bridge on the eastern bank of the river, a\nbeautiful level tract of land extends northward for three miles to the\nfoot of Lake H\u00fbleh. Four and a half miles in length and three and a\nhalf in breadth, this charming lake is the first gathering together\nof the waters of the Upper Jordan as they descend from their perennial\nsprings. Known in the Bible as the \u201cWaters of Merom,\u201d and called by\nJosephus Samochonitis,[605] it was on the shore of this lake that\nJoshua \u201csmote Jabin, king of Hazor.\u201d[606] Passing the probable site\nof Hazor, two miles to the west from the fountain of Mell\u00e2hah, and\ncrossing the deep glen through which the Hasb\u00e2ny flows to the Jordan,\nthe path runs over undulating ground to Tell el-K\u00e2dy, \u201cThe Hill of the\nJudge,\u201d or the Dan of Scripture, situated 12 miles from the northern\nend of Lake H\u00fbleh. Rising from the midst of a level plain, the hill\non which the ancient city stood is 80 feet high and three quarters of\na mile in circumference. It is covered with trees and bushes, which\nconceal the ruins of the old town. Placed by Josephus at the fountain\nof the Jordan, and located by Eusebius a quarter of a mile from Paneas,\non the way to Tyre, there can be no question as to the identity of the\nplace. Its history is as sanguinary as it is romantic. Captured by the\nprinces of Mesopotamia, hither Lot was brought after the pillage of\nSodom; and, inspired by a courage that was never blanched with fear,\nhere Abraham overtook the captors of his nephew, and dividing his 318\n\u201ctrained servants born in his own house,\u201d he fell upon the foe by night,\n\u201cand smote them and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left\nhand of Damascus; and he brought back all his goods, and also brought\nagain his brother Lot,[607] and his goods, and the women also, and the\npeople.\u201d[608] Called in the days of the Judges Laish, its capture by\nthe Danites forms one of the most romantic stories in the Old Testament.\nUnable to expel the more powerful Philistines who occupied a large part\nof their tribeship, 600 armed men from the cities of Zorah and Eshtool\nwent up and smote the rich and careless Sidonians who inhabited the\ntown, and, taking possession of the city, they called it \u201cDan, after\ntheir father.\u201d On their way northward they had stopped at Mount Ephraim,\nwhere they pillaged the house of Micah of the holy symbols of his\nreligion, and compelled a young Levite to accompany them, \u201cto be to\nthem a father and a priest.\u201d[609] Though a trifling conquest when\ncompared to the grand achievements of Joshua and David, the capture\nof Laish and its occupation by the Danites was the fulfillment of\nan ancient prophecy: \u201cDan is a lion\u2019s whelp; he shall leap from\nBashan;\u201d[610] and from that time the city was regarded as the northern\nborder of the Promised Land, and gave rise to that household expression,\n\u201cFrom Dan to Beersheba.\u201d[611]\n\nBut the city of Dan is no less celebrated for its waters than for\nits interesting history. At the western base of the hill there is the\nlargest fountain in Syria, and among the largest in the world. Bursting\nforth from the rocks, the water first forms a small lake, from which it\nrushes southward a rapid river, called the Ledd\u00e2n. Four miles below it\nforms a junction with a large stream from Bani\u00e2s, and a mile beyond the\nconfluence it is joined by the River Hasb\u00e2ny, which gives its name to\nthe stream down to the Lake H\u00fbleh. Thus gradually the Jordan is formed.\n\nWinding through oaken groves, and lined with myrtle and oleanders,\nthe road diverges to the northeast, and four miles from Dan is C\u00e6sarea\nPhilippi. Occupying a broad terrace in the mountain side, it is bounded\nby two sublime ravines, one on the north and the other on the south,\nbetween which, and in the rear of the site, rise the castellated\nheights of Subeibeh 1000 feet high. The terrace is adorned with groves\nof oaks and olives, and carpeted with the richest verdure. A site so\nremarkable for its Alpine scenery did not fail to attract the earlier\nPh\u0153nicians, and, at a later period, the Greeks and Romans. Supposed\nto be the \u201cBaal Gad\u201d of Scripture, it was early consecrated by the\nCanaanites to the idolatrous worship of one of their Baals.[612] Chosen\nby the Greeks to be the shrine of Pan, it retains the name of B\u00e2ni\u00e2s,\nthe Arabic form of Paneas. Coming into the possession of \u201cPhilip,\ntetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis,\u201d it was rebuilt and enlarged by\nthe son of Herod the Great, who named it C\u00e6sarea, in honor of Tiberius\nC\u00e6sar; and to distinguish it from C\u00e6sarea on the Mediterranean coast,\nand to perpetuate his own name, he called it C\u00e6sarea Philippi. Among\nits mighty ruins is a citadel of quadrangular form covering four acres,\nand surrounded by a massive wall with heavy towers at the angles and\nsides. Guarded on the east by a deep moat, it is washed on the north\nand west by a large stream, and on the south it is protected by a\nprofound chasm, which is spanned by a bridge, from which a noble\ngateway opens into the citadel. Within this inclosure, and surrounded\nby granite columns and limestone shafts, are the 40 dwellings of the\nmodern town. To the north of the ruins, and at the base of a cliff of\nruddy limestone 100 feet high, is a cave of vast dimensions, and as\ndark as vast. Within are the fragments of noble edifices, and around\nits mouth are heaps of broken rocks and portions of ancient buildings.\nIn harmony with Grecian mythology, this deep cavern was selected\nas the temple of the sylvan Pan, and on the face of the cliff a\nGreek inscription records the sacred history of the cave. The Romans\nsucceeding the Greeks, Herod the Great erected a splendid temple of\nwhite marble to Augustus near the place called _Panium_.[613] Destroyed\nby some unknown power, the ruins of this temple are entombed in\nthe cave, excepting a fragment clinging to the rocks above, and now\ndedicated to a Moslem saint. Near this spot is the great fountain of\nB\u00e2ni\u00e2s, which is one of the principal sources of the Jordan. Bursting\nforth from beneath heaps of rubbish, the water flows in a rapid,\nfoaming torrent over a rocky bed, and, plunging over a precipice,\nfalls into a dark ravine, through which it runs southward and joins\nthe Hasb\u00e2ny.\n\nAs the northern limit of our Savior\u2019s wanderings, C\u00e6sarea Philippi\nwas the scene of one of the most interesting incidents in our Lord\u2019s\nlife. Having restored a blind man at Bethsaida Julias, he and his\ndisciples passed up this same route, and, coming into the towns of\nC\u00e6sarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, \u201cWhom do men say that I\nam?\u201d Receiving their reply, he tested their faith by the more personal\nquestion, \u201cBut whom say ye that I am?\u201d Ever ready with an answer,\nand acting as the mouth-piece of his brethren, St. Peter uttered that\nextraordinary confession, \u201cThou art the Christ, the son of the living\nGod.\u201d Satisfied with an answer no less satisfactory than true, he\nreturned southward, and \u201cafter six days\u201d he was transfigured on the\nsummit of Tabor, commanding a view of his native hills.[614]\n\n Illustration: UPPER JORDAN.\n\nPassing on the east the castle of Subeibeh, the road to Hasbeiya is\nthrough a region as wild as it is picturesque. Eighteen miles from\nC\u00e6sarea Philippi is the fountain of Hasb\u00e2ny, the principal source of\nthe Upper Jordan. At the foot of a volcanic bluff the waters burst\nforth, and by means of a strong and permanent dam are collected into\na pond, from which they are turned into a wide mill-race. Escaping\ntherefrom, they commence their long descent, and, augmented by vast\ntributaries, they flow on through two successive lakes, to be received\ninto a third, where they are evaporated by the intense heat of the\nVale of Siddim. Thus formed, the River Jordan is at once remarkable\nfor its length and descent. Though, as the crow flies, it is not more\nthan 120 miles long from its highest source at Hasbeiya to the point\nwhere it enters into the Dead Sea, yet, owing to its tortuous channel,\nit can not be less than 300 miles in length; and it is an equally\nextraordinary fact that in its descent from Lake Huleh to its southern\ntermination, which in a straight line is but 80 miles, it has a fall of\nmore than 1300 feet.\n\nThe village of Hasbeiya is situated on both sides of a deep glen, which\ndescends from a side ridge of Hermon westward into Wady et-Teim. The\nhead of the ravine being but a little east of the town, the latter is\ninclosed on three sides by high hills, which are regularly terraced\nand planted with vineyards, olive-groves, and fig-orchards. Of its 5000\ninhabitants, 4000 are Christians, and the remainder Druzes. Aside from\nits great fountain, the only object of interest is a group of Druze\nchapels, the most celebrated of all the sanctuaries belonging to that\nsect. Crowning some of the lofty summits, they are strongly built, and\nthe only architectural peculiarity they possess is the smallness of\nthe windows. Constituting a secret society, the Druzes select the most\nsolitary places for their temples, to which no stranger may intrude.\n\nBut the commanding feature in the natural scenery of this region is\nMount Hermon. From Hasbeiya it requires six hours of hard climbing to\nreach its lofty summit. The path first ascends a high wooded ridge;\nthen, crossing a deep ravine, it winds upward over loose stones and\namid tufts of coarse grass. A part of the anti-Lebanon range, Hermon\nis a vast limestone mountain, consisting of three principal summits.\nThe northern one is the highest, and has the appearance of an obtuse\ntruncated cone; the ascent is but 900 feet south from the parent range,\nand directly beneath its summit, some 5000 feet, in a basin-like glen,\nare the sources of the River Pharpar, near a small village called \u2019Arny.\nThe third peak is a quarter of a mile to the west from the latter, and\nis the lowest of the three.\n\nThe second highest mountain in Syria, Hermon is 10,000 feet high. From\nits loftiest summit the eye sweeps over a landscape of extraordinary\ngrandeur. The two parallel ranges of Lebanon and anti-Lebanon stretch\nfar away to the \u201centering of Hamath\u201d in the north, with the great\nvalley of the Buk\u00e2\u2019a between them. Turning southward, the eye follows\nthe sacred river, now resting in the basin of H\u00fbleh, now expanding into\nthe Sea of Tiberias, and beyond pursuing its infinite windings through\nthe Jordan valley to the shining waters of the Dead Sea. Along its\neastern banks appear in regular succession the rich pastures and \u201coaks\nof Bashan\u201d, the Mountains of Gilead, and those of Ammon and Moab,\nand opposite, the Hills of Samaria, of Benjamin, and Judah. Turning\nwestward, there is Carmel and Tabor, and the Hills of Galilee; and\non the white coast-line, \u2019Akka, Tyre, and Sidon; and far out into the\n\u201cgreat sea,\u201d its waters mingling with the western horizon, is the Isle\nof Cyprus\u2015\u2015the Chittim of the Ph\u0153nicians, and the scene of the ministry\nof Paul and Barnabas. Turning eastward, there is the Hauran, with its\nunvisited cities; and beyond, the Arabian Desert, from whose burning\nsands the sun comes forth, to descend at night into the cooling waters\nof the Mediterranean.\n\nThe southern peak of Hermon is crowned with curious ruins. Around the\nrocky crest is a circular wall, some of the large stones of which are\nbeveled, while others have a plain moulding around the edge. Here are\nthe remains of some grand but unknown temple, one of the columns of\nwhich stands upon the brow of a steep declivity. It is supposed that\nthe ancient inhabitants of the land, being worshipers of the sun, here\nbuilt their altar to that shining orb who is seen running his course in\nthe heavens from the desert to the sea.\n\nAround the base of this noble mountain vegetation is luxuriant, and\non the lower ridges radiating from it are forests of oaks, interspersed\nwith mountain shrubs; but the peaks are naked, and are covered with\nsmall limestones, rendering them smooth and bleak. Perpetual winter\nreigns upon their summits. The snow never disappears. All through the\nspringtime to early summer, they resemble white domes standing out\nagainst the purple skies. In midsummer and in autumn the intense heat\nmelts the snow from the tops of the ridges, but, owing to its greater\ndepth, does not affect that portion which fills the ravines. And\nthus Hermon appears, alternately streaked with light and dark lines,\ntill hoary winter comes again to weave his mantle of white, and cover\ntherewith those majestic summits, the symbols of a purer world.\n\nIn every age it has had a name significant of some physical\npeculiarities. Its \u201clofty conical peak\u201d suggested the name of Hermon;\nits rounded top, covered with snow and ice, and glittering in the\nsunlight, appeared to the Sidonians and Amorites like a massive\n\u201cbreast-plate,\u201d and by the former it was called \u201cSirion,\u201d and by the\nlatter \u201cShemr.\u201d[615] Towering above its fellows, it is named by Moses\n\u201cSion\u2015\u2015the Elevated;\u201d[616] and, impressed with its majesty, the Arabs\ncall it \u201cJebel esh Sheikh\u2015\u2015the Chief Mountain.\u201d\n\nIn the poetry and geography of the Bible it is the image of grandeur\nand the landmark of national domain. Joshua conquered all the land\neast of the Jordan, \u201cfrom the River Arnon unto Mount Hermon.\u201d[617]\nVisible from almost every tribe\u2019s possession, Hermon was not only\nthe terminating point of view northward, but to the inspired writer,\nwhether prophet or poet, it was \u201cthe image of unearthly grandeur, which\nnothing else but perpetual snow can give, especially as seen in the\nsummer, when the firmament around it seems to be on fire.\u201d[618] In\nhis exaltation of the Creator the Psalmist exclaims, \u201cThe north and\nthe south, thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in\nthy name.\u201d[619] The summit snows, condensing the vapors which, during\nsummer, float around it in the higher regions of the atmosphere,\nproduce abundant dew, which is a source of unfailing moisture to the\nadjacent country, while other portions of the land remained dry and\nparched. As the source of perpetual verdure and refreshing coolness,\nit was the image to the Hebrew poet of the enduring blessings of unity\namong brethren to the whole community. \u201cAs the dew of Hermon, and as\nthe dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion;[620] for there the\nLord commanded his blessing, even life for evermore.\u201d[621]\n\nReturning to Magdala _en route_ for Nazareth, we entered \u201cThe Valley of\nthe Pigeons,\u201d one of the wildest glens in Northern Palestine. Bearing\nthe Arabic name of Wady el-Ham\u00e2n, it leads up from the Plain of\nGennesaret to the Mount of Beatitudes. Its mouth is a mile to the west\nfrom the home of Mary of Magdala. At its entrance the ravine is broad,\nbut contracts to a narrow mountain defile. The cliffs on either side\nare naked and broken, and rise to the height of a thousand feet. The\none on the north is not as high as it is massive; the one on the south\nis bolder and more precipitous. Far up the gorge, and directly in front\nof the path, is a perpendicular bluff, terminating in a triangular\npoint, and not unlike in appearance a venerable castle. Near its\nancient base is a small but pretty spring, sending forth a soft murmur\non the quiet air of Ham\u00e2n. In the face of the rocks are immense natural\nand artificial caverns, the resort of pigeons, from which the vale\ntakes its name. During the reign of Herod the Great these caves were\nfilled with robbers, who were the scourges of the whole surrounding\ncountry. After the battle of Sepphoris Herod besieged this strong-hold.\nFailing in his attempt to scale the cliffs, he let boxes filled with\nsoldiers down the face of the precipice, and landed them at the\nentrance of the caverns. Attacking the bandits with fire and sword,\nhe succeeded in dislodging them, killing some, and dragging others out\nwith long hooks, and then dashing them down on the rocks below.[622]\n\n Illustration: \u201cVALLEY OF THE PIGEONS.\u201d\n\nAt the western end of this wild glen is the green plateau of Hatt\u00een. Of\nirregular form, it is a mile in its greatest breadth. Every where well\ncultivated, it is bounded on the east, north, and south by low hills,\nand on the west by the Mount of Beatitudes. Ascending the \u201cMount,\u201d I\nfound it to consist of two low summits, which suggested its present\nname, Kur\u00fbn Hatt\u00een, \u201cThe Horns of Hatt\u00een,\u201d from a fancied resemblance\nto the two horns of a camel\u2019s saddle. Being a quarter of a mile long,\nthe adjacent ground rises gradually to its base, and the hill forms a\ncrest less than 100 feet high. Relying upon an earlier tradition, the\nCrusaders revered Kur\u00fbn Hatt\u00een as one of the sacred mountains, and, so\nfar as they furnish any proof on the subject, the evangelists confirm\nthe earlier and later traditions. Their simple story is that \u201cJesus\nwent about all Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and\nhealing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the\npeople. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee,\nand from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond\nJordan. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when\nhe was set, his disciples came unto him; and he opened his mouth and\ntaught them.\u201d[623] The region of country, the distance from the sea,\nthe magnificence of the surrounding scenery, the city of Safed \u201cset\nupon a hill,\u201d the sloping sides of the mountain, and the lovely Plain\nof Hatt\u00een at its base, combine to render this a befitting place for the\ndelivery of our Lord\u2019s \u201cSermon on the Mount.\u201d Around it are the Hills\nof Galilee, to the east is seen the sea, and beyond it are Bashan and\nBozrah; while to the north, surmounting one of the highest and grandest\nof the Galilean mountains, is the old Jewish city of Safed, to which,\nno doubt, the Savior pointed when he compared his Church on earth to\n\u201ca city that is set upon a hill, that can not be hid.\u201d Only those who\nhave seen Safed can appreciate the beauty and appropriateness of our\nLord\u2019s allusion. From its moss-grown castle is not only obtained a\nview of the most glorious panorama in Palestine, stretching from the\n\u201cMountains of Samaria\u201d to the Arabian Desert, but the allusion amounts\nto almost absolute truth that the \u201ccity can not be hid.\u201d Through all my\njourneyings for a week it followed me, and the \u201ccity set upon a hill\u201d\nwas ever suggesting the sublime lessons of the \u201cBeatitudes.\u201d Whether on\nthe shores of Tiberias, or on the Plains of Hatt\u00een, or on the Hills of\nNazareth, or by the Fountain of Seffurieh, or on the green fields of\nEl-Buttauf, the city of Safed was before me, rising up from earth like\na beacon-light, at once the confirmation of the Savior\u2019s words, and the\nimpressive symbol of a living Church.\n\nBut Kur\u00fbn Hatt\u00een has a history other than that of having been the\nscene of the mild and life-giving teachings of Christ. It has a record\nof blood. On its heights and around its base was fought one of the\nsaddest and most bloody battles in medi\u00e6val times, and the one which\nsealed the fate of the Crusaders in Palestine, and opened the gates of\nthe Holy City to the profane and tyrannical rule of the Turks. Here, on\nthe fifth of July, 1187, the flower of the Christian army, under Guy of\nLusignan, met the barbarous hordes of Mohammedans, led on by Saladin,\nthe mighty prince.\n\nThe Christians had succeeded to the full occupation of the Holy Land\nfrom ancient Gaza to the venerable city of Antioch. The weak-minded\nGuy of Lusignan had been elevated to the throne of Jerusalem as the\nsuccessor of Baldwin V.; and as the powerful vassals of the king,\nRaynald of Chatillon was Lord of Kerak, and Count Raymond was Lord of\nTiberias and Galilee. The Christians were enjoying a period of repose,\nunder a truce which had been concluded with Saladin, the nephew of\nNourreddin, and the new Sultan of Egypt. But Raynald of Chatillon,\nproving faithless to the compact, had plundered a caravan of merchants\npassing from Damascus to Arabia, and had even threatened the distant\ncities of Mecca and Medina. Saladin condescended to remonstrate, and\ndemanded the release of the prisoners whom the Lord of Kerak held\nin chains. His demand rejected, the sultan swore to dispatch the\nperfidious Raynald with his own hand should he ever fall into his power.\nTo revenge this breach of faith, Saladin lost no time in marshaling a\nmighty army. Damascus was the appointed rendezvous, and the warriors\nof the Crescent assembled in thousands, not only from the Assyrian\nprovinces, but also from Egypt, Arabia, and Mesopotamia.\n\nAlarmed by such stupendous preparations, the Crusaders in turn\nprepared to resist the foe and defend the sacred soil. Five miles to\nthe southwest from Hatt\u00een is the large fountain of Seffurieh, which\nwas the gathering-place of the Christian army. As if impressed with the\nfinality of the struggle, the defenders of the Cross came from their\nmountain castles and their most distant fortresses to conquer or to\ndie. From the banks of the Kad\u00eesha and of the Orontes, and from the\nshores of Tiberias, Raymond came with his faithful followers; from the\nfortresses of Kerak and Shob\u00eak, Raynald led his well-trained knights;\nlesser barons advanced from Ascalon, C\u00e6sarea, and Sidon, while the King\nof Jerusalem led in person a numerous army of Templars and hired troops.\nTo add significance to the hour, the venerable bishops of Ptolemais\nand Lydda brought the Holy Cross which St. Helena had recovered, and\nelevated it amid the embattled host as the symbol of their faith and\nthe inspiration of their courage.\n\nMore than a month had elapsed before the Moslems appeared. At length\nSaladin, with 80,000 horse and foot, swept around the head of the\nLake of Tiberias, and took possession of the heights above the town.\nEncamped upon the Plains of Hatt\u00een, and hoping to bring on a speedy and\ngeneral engagement on his well-chosen field, the sultan sent out light\ndetachments to lay waste the country from Jezreel to Tabor, and thence\nto Nazareth, within four miles of the enemy\u2019s camp. Unsuccessful in\nthis attempt, he then seized Tiberias, and compelled the wife of Count\nRaymond to retire with her children to the castle of the city.\n\nThe intelligence of the capture of the capital of Galilee, and of\nthe imminent danger of the wife and children of the Count of Tripolis,\nreached the camp of the Christians on the 3d of July. That night a\ncouncil of war was held to decide upon the action of the coming day.\nInspired by the misfortunes of a woman and confident of success,\nthe king and his barons resolved to march in close array for the\ndeliverance of Tiberias. Though unquestionably the most interested\nparty, yet, from motives which have never been explained, Count Raymond\nopposed the decision of the council, and, having shown the folly of\noffensive movements in the heat of midsummer, in a region destitute\nof water and far from the base of their supplies, his policy was\nunanimously approved of by the king and the other members of the\ncouncil. But, regarding the decision as unworthy the army of the\nCross, the Grand Master of the Templars repaired to the royal tent, and\noverwhelmed the king with reproaches for having listened to the advice\nof a traitor, and conjured him not to suffer such a stain of cowardice\nto rest upon the Christian name. Overpersuaded, the king gave orders to\narm, and at midnight the trumpet sounded, while heralds flew throughout\nthe startled camp proclaiming the royal decree.\n\nAt dawn on the 4th of July the Christian army was in motion. His scouts\nhad brought Saladin intelligence of the movement, and immediately he\ndispatched his light troops to harass the Crusaders on their march,\nwhile with consummate skill he posted his main army on the plain and\nalong the crest of Hatt\u00een. His ardent wishes were about to be gratified,\nand his long-maturing plans were on the point of consummation. Late in\nthe afternoon of the same day the King of Jerusalem reached the field\nof El-Lubieh, two miles to the southwest from the \u201cHorns of Hatt\u00een,\u201d\nwhere a desperate battle occurred. Night closed around the belligerent\narmies without decisive result. That was a dreadful night. The wisdom\nof Raymond\u2019s advice now became apparent. The heat was intense; and,\nbesides being harassed by the fierce Arabs, the Christians were\ndying for the want of water. Too weak-minded to take advantage of the\ndarkness and order a midnight attack, and at least gain the shores\nof the lake, the feeble Guy determined to defer the conflict till the\nmorrow. Whether to revenge the insult offered to his prudent counsels,\nor conscious of the impossibility of success in attempting to force the\nranks of the foe, Raymond of Tripolis advised the course pursued. But\nit was the fatal step.\n\nAt length the morning came. It was the 5th day of July, 1187 A.D.\nThe sky was cloudless, and the sun rose amid a fiery haze\u2015\u2015the presage\nof consuming heat. It was a Syrian midsummer day, and the heavens\nwere on fire. Led by their mighty prince, the followers of the Prophet\nwere no less hopeful than brave. But, posted on a rocky plain without\nwater, and with their tormenting thirst increased by the smoke and\nheat arising from the shrubs and trees which the enemy had set on fire,\nthe Christians received the first shock of battle with a despondency\npreintimating the defeat that terminated that dreadful struggle. Yet\non no previous field had they displayed a truer devotion, nor evinced\na loftier courage. With varied fortunes, the battle raged from early\ndawn till late in the day. Now the Holy Cross was raised in momentary\ntriumph, now the banner of the Crescent waved in transient victory. But\nin vain did the Knights of St. John launch their burnished spears at\na foe they justly hate, and with equal courage receive in return the\narrows and javelins of the Saracens. At length, driven to the highest\nsummit of Hatt\u00een, the king and a handful of Templars gathered around\nthe Holy Cross. Again and again they drove back the enemy, and as\noften repulsed the terrible attacks of Saladin\u2019s cavalry. Manfully the\nbravest of the knights fell wounded around the symbol of their faith,\nand the Bishop of Ptolemais, who bore the Cross, was pierced with an\narrow, and, falling bleeding to the ground, for a moment the sacred\nensign disappeared, but, springing forward, the Bishop of Lydda grasped\nthe Cross and bore it on high. But the battle was lost. The Crescent\nof Mecca shone triumphant. Saladin was the victor. The fields of\nLubieh and the hill-sides of Hatt\u00een were covered with the dying and the\ndead; Count Raymond, with the remnant of his followers, had fled, and\nsafely reached \u2019Akka; while the defeated king, the Grand Master of the\nTemplars, Raynald of Chatillon, and the Bishop of Lydda, with the Holy\nCross, fell into the hands of the Moslems.\n\nConducted to the pavilion of Saladin, the distinguished prisoners\nwere received with the respect due their rank, and with a kindness of\ndemeanor worthy a great warrior. Glancing at each as the group stood\nbefore him, he seemed to pity their misfortunes, till his eye fell\non Raynald, on whom he bent a look of mingled rage and scorn. Having\nordered sherbet, cooled with ice, to be presented to the king, and the\nlatter having passed it to Raynald, Saladin said, \u201cThou givest him to\ndrink, not I;\u201d which proverbial saying was equivalent to a sentence\nof death. Fixing his eye on the doomed count, and reminding him of his\nperfidy, he offered him pardon if he would embrace the doctrines of the\nProphet; but, on Raynald refusing to renounce his Christian faith, the\nsultan drew his cimeter, and, piercing him through, the guards rushed\nupon him and dragged him lifeless from the imperial tent. Guy, with the\ncaptive princes, was sent to Damascus for imprisonment, and 230 knights,\nboth of the Hospital and the Temple, were beheaded in cold blood and\nwithout mercy. Taking advantage of the destruction of the Christian\narmy and of the capture of the king, Saladin advanced, and, after\ncapturing the larger sea-port towns from Ascalon to Beirut, excepting\nTyre, in less than three months from the battle of Hatt\u00een he was master\nof all Palestine, and on the 3d of October, 1187, he entered the Holy\nCity in triumph.[624]\n\nFrom a scene so ghastly, yet so lovely, we journeyed from the Mount\nof Beatitudes to Nazareth. The path mounts the northwestern shoulder\nof Hatt\u00een, and descends to the Plain of Lubieh, where, on the summit of\na low hill, is a village of the same name. Passing to the southwest, we\nentered a larger and richer plain, opening into El-Buttauf, and forming\none of those fine plateaus which distinguish the mountain scenery of\nGalilee. A mile in width, it is a vast field of wheat and corn, and\nthrough its centre runs a noble road, which was thronged with pilgrims.\nFrom its western edge a path leads up to Kefr Kenna, the monkish \u201cCave\nof Galilee.\u201d Reaching the summit of the ridge at sunset, the Carmel\nrange was overspread with a pink haze, while the castellated heights of\nSeffurieh reflected the last rays of the setting sun. Nazareth lay at\nour feet, surrounded with its ancient hills, and, descending the steep\ndeclivity, we entered the town amid the deepening shadows of evening,\nand were kindly received by the monks of the Latin convent.\n\nIt is a fact no less true than remarkable, that Nazareth is without\nan authentic history older than the Christian era; and though, at the\ntime of the occurrence of the great event which has given immortality\nto its name, it was a considerable village, it is neither mentioned by\nJosephus nor the writers of the Old Testament. That it was known and\ngenerally held in contempt by the people prior to the Annunciation is\nevident from the significant question of Nathaniel, \u201cCan there any good\nthing come out of Nazareth?\u201d[625] Encompassed by 15 naked hill-tops,\nit occupies the western side of an oblong basin, which is a mile long\nand a quarter of a mile wide. Here, filling portions of the three\nravines which penetrate the highest of the hills, the town is built.\nConstructed of limestone, the buildings are cleaner and neater than\nthose of any other Syrian village. Out of a population of 4000 souls,\nmore than three fourths are Christians. Under their enlightened\ninfluence Nazareth is increasing in wealth and numbers, and is now\nthe capital of the district. As if conscious of their superior numbers,\nintelligence, wealth, and piety, the Christians assert and defend\ntheir rights. In nearly all other parts of Palestine the Christians\nare cringing and fearful, but the Nazarenes are not afraid either to\nmeasure swords or creeds with the followers of the Prophet. The whole\ntown wears an aspect of genuine thrift and business prosperity, and the\nnumber of thriving schools, filled with pupils, is the best evidence\nof a free and enlightened Christianity. Supported by the Protestant\nMission of Jerusalem, these schools are furnished with all the\nappliances requisite to success; and the hundreds of children annually\neducated can not fail to change the sentiments of the public, and\nheighten the tone of morals and piety in the city of our Lord\u2019s\nchildhood.\n\n Illustration: NAZARETH.\n\nThe chief objects of interest in Nazareth are the legendary sites\nconnected with the history of the holy family. Strangely enough, the\nGreeks and Latins contend for separate and rival localities as the\nscene of the Annunciation. In the southeastern portion of the town is\nthe Latin convent, covering the traditional grotto where Mary stood\nwhen she received the salutation of the angel. The monastery is a\nsquare, heavy building, encompassed by a high stone wall, and is\nentered through a massive gate. Along the sides of an interior court\nare the school-rooms, the pharmacy, and the apartments of the superior.\nThe interior of the church is a square of 70 feet, and consists of\na nave and aisles formed by four large piers, on which rests the\nvaulted roof. The columns and walls are covered with canvas, painted\nin imitation of tapestry, and illustrative of Scripture scenes. Among\nthe pictures is one representing the marriage of Joseph and Mary, and\nanother portraying the appearing of the angel to the husband of the\nVirgin. A flight of 15 steps leads down to the sacred grotto, which\nis 20 feet long, as many wide, and 10 deep. The sides are incased with\nmarble, and on the altar, which is of the same material, are seven\nvases of flowers, and over it are nine silver lamps, which are kept\nperpetually burning. Behind the altar is a large and excellent picture\nof the Annunciation, a gift of the Emperor of Austria. To the right of\nthe altar a small door opens into the remaining portion of the grotto,\nwhich has been left in its natural state, and from this apartment a\nstaircase leads up into a low rude cave, called the \u201cVirgin Mary\u2019s\nKitchen.\u201d This grotto is said to have been beneath the house and home\nof Mary.\n\nNot content with the possession of a site so precious, the Franciscan\nmonks pretend to have rescued from oblivion the \u201cWorkshop of Joseph.\u201d\nIt is a small arched chapel, plain and neat, and, though a modern\nstructure, is sanctified by a fragment of an old wall, a portion of\nthe veritable \u201cshop.\u201d Above the altar is a good painting representing\nJoseph at work. He is represented as leaning upon the handle of his\naxe; the youthful Savior is sitting near him reading from the Prophets,\nwhile Mary occupies a less conspicuous place. Still another picture\nadorns the walls of this humble chapel. Joseph is at work at his bench;\nJesus is assisting his father by holding one end of the chalk-line\nwhile the latter is snapping it; and Mary is sitting opposite them,\nindustriously at work with her needle.\n\nAs the rivals of the Latins, the Greeks have identified the site\nof the angelic salutation on the eastern side of the town, and\nover the \u201cFountain of the Virgin\u201d have erected their \u201cChurch of the\nAnnunciation.\u201d Without exterior elegance, it is a low structure, with\narched ceiling supported by small square piers. In the east end is an\naltar-screen of wood, elaborately carved, on the panels of which are\npainted Bible scenes. In the opposite end is a large latticed screen,\nseparating that portion of the church which is allotted to women from\nthe main part of the edifice. In the north end is a recess occupied\nby the nuns, and over the entrance is a splendid picture of the\nAnnunciation. Mary is represented as standing by a fountain, modest and\nattentive, and of a lovely form; near her is the Angel Gabriel, in the\nact of salutation; while above them is the august form of the Divine\nFather, with outspread hands, bestowing his gracious benediction.\n\nNear this church, and at the base of a hill, is the outlet of the\nsacred fountain, which the Greeks claim to be the veritable spring\nto which Mary was accustomed to come for water, and where she was\nsaluted by the angel. Having its source beneath the church, the water\nis conducted to this spot through a stone aqueduct, where, from under\na rude arch, it flows into a marble trough. Though not perennial, yet,\nas this is the chief fountain of the city, and as it probably existed\nduring the residence of the holy family, it was, no doubt, often\nvisited by the mother of our Lord. The legend that the salutation was\ngiven at a spring is derived from the apocryphal Gospels, especially\nthe one bearing the name of St. James. Following the example of Mary,\nthe beautiful maidens of Nazareth resort to this famous fountain not\nonly for water, but for the more agreeable objects of conversation and\ncourtship.\n\nComing from the \u201cChurch of the Annunciation\u201d at the hour of vespers,\nI witnessed a scene here as novel as it was interesting. From twenty\nto thirty maidens were waiting to fill their long earthen pitchers from\nthe crystal spring. Attired in a style as neat as it was elegant, they\nwore close-fitting jackets of different colors, long pointed veils of\nperfect whiteness, and head-dresses of silver coins. Their forms were\nstraight and symmetrical, their features regular and handsome, their\nhair full and black, their eyes dark and lustrous, and their complexion\nof a soft brunette. Waiting their turn to the fountain, they laughed\nand chatted merrily together, and, gracefully poising the pitcher on\nhead or shoulder, they seemed to regard the labor a delight rather than\na task. Celebrated for their beauty, an old writer ascribes it to the\nspecial favor of Mary.\n\nThe only other great event connected with our Lord\u2019s life in Nazareth,\nand which could have had \u201ca local habitation and a name,\u201d is his sermon\nin the synagogue, and the subsequent attempt of his townsmen to thrust\nhim from the brow of the hill. Unwilling that any site should perish,\nthe Latins pretend to have identified the one and the other. That which\nis shown as the site of the former may possibly be correct, but the\n\u201cinventors of sacred places\u201d have displayed less discrimination in\nthe selection of the latter than in their choice of other localities.\nSelecting it for its precipitous appearance, as it overhangs the Plain\nof Esdraelon, the monks have designated a rugged mountain two miles\nto the southeast from Nazareth as the \u201cMount of Precipitation.\u201d But\nwhile the height and steepness of this mountain might have answered\nthe murderous purpose of the Nazarenes, yet it is too distant to be in\nkeeping with the letter of the text. With his accustomed minuteness,\nSt. Luke gives a simple narration of the facts of that premeditated\ntragedy: \u201cAnd all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things,\nwere filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust him out of the city, and\nled him unto the brow of the hill whereupon their city was built, that\nthey might cast him down headlong.\u201d[626] The lofty hill to the west of\nthe town corresponds, in its relative location, to that of the city,\nand is more in harmony with the inspired narrative. With Nazareth at\nits base, covering its lower spurs and creeping up its ravines, it\nrises to the height of 500 feet. Its sides are steep and covered with\nwhite limestone rocks, and, though not smooth, it is not sufficiently\nuneven to arrest one\u2019s fall. Once started downward by a violent\npush, no human power could resist the force or avert the catastrophe.\nDesiring to test the difficulty of the descent, I found it impossible\nto descend with safety except by placing my feet in the fissures of\nthe rocks. With a meekness which was the more remarkable because of\nits exalted purpose, the Master suffered the infuriated mob to hurry\nhim through the crowded streets, and up through one of the ravines,\nto the brow of the hill, where, by a display of his wondrous power, he\nreleased himself from their grasp, and, \u201cpassing through the midst of\nthem, went his way.\u201d\n\nFrom the summit of this hill not only is one of the noblest views\nin Palestine obtained, but it is the best place for pious reflection.\nReaching the highest point in half an hour, we found thereon the ruined\nwely of Neby Isma\u2019il, and around it were growing the beautiful amaranth\nand other kinds of Syrian flowers. The wind blew strongly from the sea,\nwhich, together with a hazy sky, lessened the enjoyment of the hour;\nbut the wide and glorious prospect was before us. There was Tabor, with\nits oaken groves; the \u201cMountains of Gilead,\u201d with the brown plateau\nof Pella; the Plain of Esdraelon, with its graceful undulations and\nmemorable cities; the Hills of Samaria, green and rolling; the long\nrange of Carmel, crowned with its wealthy convent, and casting its deep\nshadow into the Bay of Haifa, where the navies of Europe were riding\nat anchor; the Plain of \u2019Akka, where \u201cAsher dipped his foot in oil, and\nyielded royal dainties;\u201d the wide sea, \u201cdotted with many a sail;\u201d the\nintervening hills, all wooded and sinking down in gentle slopes into\nwinding valleys of the richest verdure; the Plain of El-Buttauf, and\nthe Crusaders\u2019 Castle of Seffurieh; the long ridges of the Galilean\nHills running up toward Safed, \u201cthe city set upon a hill;\u201d and rising\nabove them all in grandeur was Hermon, with its mighty dome of snowy\nwhiteness sparkling in the sun like a crown of glory.\n\nContracting the scope of the vision, the wandering eye returned and\nrested on the immortal village, quietly nestling at the mountain\u2019s base.\nIt is Nazareth! How the sacred associations throng the mind! How the\nimagination is tempted to picture scenes which must have occurred, but\nwhich are not recorded! The theme is too divine for fancy. The same\ninfinite wisdom is displayed in what is not written as is manifested in\nwhat is recorded. Lift not the veil that the Father has drawn over the\nthirty years of seclusion of his Son, nor attempt to be wise above that\nwhich is written. It is enough that in this mountain village lived Mary\nand Joseph; that here they loved and were betrothed; that by its spring,\nor in its fields, or in her quiet home, ere came the marriage-day,\n\u201cGabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a\nvirgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David;\nand the virgin\u2019s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her and said\nHail! thou art highly favored; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou\namong women;\u201d that twice after the annunciation Mary ascended from her\nnative vale, and, crossing these same hills, she journeyed southward\ninto Judea\u2015\u2015once to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and again to give a\nSavior to the world; and that, after the presentation in the Temple,\nhither the holy family returned to the duties and enjoyments of private\nlife.[627] With one solitary allusion, the silence of thirty years\nremains unbroken as to the life of Jesus prior to his public ministry.\nSubject to his parents, here he resided, treading these streets,\nwandering over these hills, and from this commanding summit beholding\nthe same panorama which now is before us. The imagination pictures\nhis childhood as lovely, his youth retiring and meditative, his\nmanhood studious, youthful, and devout. Here were spent the years of\npreparation, and from a city without a history he went forth on the\nmost benevolent mission that ever fell to the lot of man\u2015\u2015to teach\nthe sublimest truths, to illustrate the purest character, to die as no\nother man could die, and to establish a kingdom of righteousness, truth,\nand peace. Only twice is he known to have returned to the \u201ccity where\nhe had been brought up;\u201d once when rejected by his townsmen,[628] and\nagain when he was met with the taunt, \u201cIs not this the carpenter, the\nson of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Simon, and Judas?\nand are not his sisters with us?\u201d[629] Unable to do many \u201cmighty works\nthere because of their unbelief,\u201d he abandoned Nazareth forever, and,\nchoosing Capernaum as his \u201cadopted city,\u201d he was received with joy by\nthe delighted people.[630]\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER XIV.\n\n Ph\u0153nicia. \u2015\u2015 Its Extent and Fertility. \u2015\u2015 Origin of the\n Ph\u0153nicians. \u2015\u2015 Their Commerce. \u2015\u2015 Their Learning. \u2015\u2015 Departure\n from Nazareth. \u2015\u2015 Cana of Galilee. \u2015\u2015 First Christian Wedding.\n \u2015\u2015 Beautiful Vale of Abil\u00een. \u2015\u2015 Plain of Accho. \u2015\u2015 City of\n \u2019Akka. \u2015\u2015 Names. \u2015\u2015 Metropolis of the Crusaders. \u2015\u2015 Their\n Destruction. \u2015\u2015 Gibbon. \u2015\u2015 The Moslem Nero. \u2015\u2015 Napoleon\u2019s\n Defeat. \u2015\u2015 Road to Tyre. \u2015\u2015 Summer Palace. \u2015\u2015 Excavations. \u2015\u2015\n Wild and dangerous Pass. \u2015\u2015 Antiquity of Tyre. \u2015\u2015 Three Tyres.\n \u2015\u2015 Stupendous Water-works. \u2015\u2015 Continental Tyre. \u2015\u2015 Sins and\n Judgments. \u2015\u2015 Glory departed. \u2015\u2015 How Prophecy was fulfilled.\n \u2015\u2015 Insular Tyre. \u2015\u2015 Tyre of the Crusaders. \u2015\u2015 Cathedral. \u2015\u2015\n Tomb of Hiram. \u2015\u2015 Wonderful Temple. \u2015\u2015 Sarepta. \u2015\u2015 Zidon. \u2015\u2015\n Gardens. \u2015\u2015 Ancient Glory. \u2015\u2015 Wars. \u2015\u2015 Harbor. \u2015\u2015 Citadel. \u2015\u2015\n Tombs. \u2015\u2015 Interesting Discoveries. \u2015\u2015 Ornaments.\n\n\nHISTORICALLY, the Holy Land is divided into three great\nsections\u2015\u2015Palestine, Philistia, and Ph\u0153nicia. The latter is that long\nmaritime plain stretching for 120 miles from the Promontory of Carmel\non the south to the River Eleutherus on the north. Not exceeding 12\nmiles in its greatest width, it is washed by the Mediterranean on the\nwest, and is bounded on the east by a mountain barrier, through which\nthere is but one practicable pass from the \u201cLadder of Tyre\u201d to the\nisland of Aradus.[631] In addition to numberless streams, it is watered\nwith the Rivers Kishon, Leontes, Aulay, Tamyras, Lycus, Adonis, Had\u00eesha,\nand Eleutherus. Deriving its Greek name from \u201ca palm,\u201d as significant\nof its richness, it is still fruitful where cultivated; and though\nonly occasionally that celebrated tree is seen, yet groves of oranges\nand lemons environ its modern towns. While in its gardens are produced\napricots, peaches, almonds, figs, dates, the sugar-cane, and grapes,\nwhich furnish excellent wine, its mountain slopes are covered with\noaks, pines, acacias, tamarisks, and the majestic cedar. Divided into\nsections by bold promontories projecting far into the sea, its general\nsurface is undulating, and its shore-line is indented with small bays,\nnear which stood those renowned cities which have given celebrity to\nthe whole plain.\n\nOriginally settled by the descendants of Sidon, the son of Canaan,[632]\nPh\u0153nicia was included in the promise to Abraham; but, either from\ninability or unwillingness to expel its powerful and wealthy traders,\nit was only nominally possessed by his posterity. The grandeur of that\npromise, the sublime purpose of Jehovah as to the material greatness\nof his chosen people, together with the religious mission of the Jews,\ndemanded such a maritime possession. Had they had the advantages of\na powerful navy and of a vast commerce, Palestine would have been the\nleading power on earth, and would have held the first rank among the\nmighty nations of antiquity. It is one of those stupendous facts which\nillustrate the infinite wisdom of Providence, and the relations of the\nPromised Land to all the world, that, as Palestine has given to mankind\na religion, Ph\u0153nicia is the primeval seat of commerce and letters.\nFrom their splendid cities of Tyre and Sidon the Ph\u0153nicians launched\nout upon the hitherto unknown Mediterranean, and, having planted\ncolonies on the islands of Cyprus and Rhodes, they sailed into Greece.\nEmboldened by success, and charmed with the excitement of a new life,\nthey turned to the northwest, and, having visited Sicily, Sardinia,\nand the northern coast of Spain, they passed through the Straits of\nGibraltar, occupied the Isle of Gades, penetrated as far northward as\nBritain, and returning, they stretched southward from the Straits and\nfounded Carthage, the formidable rival of Rome, and the only one that\nthreatened her destruction.[633] It is a thought as beautiful as it\nis true, that, while holding commercial relations with all the nations\non the shores of their native sea, and on the western coasts of Europe\nand Africa, and trafficking, by their caravans, with Persia, Arabia,\nand Asia, their intercourse with those distant nations was marked\nby the blessings of the arts of peace rather than by the calamities\nof war. Attaining the summit of their power and glory in the reign of\nSolomon, how changed would have been the moral aspects of the earth\nhad those early mariners been Jews, disseminating a knowledge of\nthe true God wherever they planted a colony, and illustrating a pure\nworship wherever they sold their \u201cTyrian purple.\u201d Celebrated for their\nknowledge of architecture and of various mechanic arts, and also for\ntheir learning, it was from one of these Ph\u0153nician cities that Cadmus\nwent forth, about 15 centuries B.C., and laid the foundation of Grecian\nliterature, the pride of succeeding ages, and the glory of modern\nscholarship. Nowhere upon the globe can be found a tract of land so\nsmall as this, where have originated three such powerful agents for\n\u201cweal or woe\u201d to mankind, and which, still operating, are affecting\nthe opinions and moulding the characters of men in all lands.\n\nSo intimately blended are the events of sacred and profane history\nconnected with all that region extending from the Hills of Nazareth to\nthe Mediterranean, and from the Promontory of Carmel to the mulberry\ngroves of Sidon, that the traveler scarcely realizes the transition\nfrom Palestine to Ph\u0153nicia. Reluctantly leaving those scenes sacred\nto the life and deeds of our Lord, we found ourselves, at the close of\nthe day, in the midst of new associations, dating back to the earliest\nauthentic records. Stopping for a moment at the Fountain of Seffurieh,\naround which Guy de Lusignan gathered the heroic Crusaders on the\nnight previous to the fatal battle of Hatt\u00een, we ascended the hill of\nancient Sepphoris, and, crossing the beautiful plain of El-Buttauf,\ncame to the ruins of Cana of Galilee. Situated seven miles to the north\nfrom Nazareth, it occupies a tongue of land extending into the plain,\nbounded on either side by a small ravine, and behind the town rises\na rocky, barren hill. The home of Nathaniel the apostle,[634] and\nthe residence of the bride of St. John, here was celebrated the first\nChristian wedding on record; and, being present as a guest, here the\nSavior performed his first miracle,[635] when\n\n \u201cThe modest water, awed by power divine,\n Confessed its God, and, blushing, turned to wine.\u201d\n\nHere, at a subsequent visit, the Master was met by the \u201cnobleman of\nCapernaum whose son was sick,\u201d and, though 20 miles distant, he healed\nthe youth, and commanded the father, \u201cGo thy way; thy son liveth.\u201d[636]\n\nIn the southern valley is a noble circular well, four feet in\ndiameter, and probably the same from which the water was drawn for the\nmiracle. An Arab, his son, and two daughters were resting there with\ntheir flocks, and from them we obtained a drink of the delicious water.\nBut Cana is now a ruin, and is deserted. Not a house remains standing.\nHeaps of fallen buildings are overgrown with grass; and where the\nnuptials of the beloved John were celebrated the silence of death\nreigns unbroken, and rank weeds grow luxuriantly where Jewish maidens\nwere wont to gather flowers to form the bridal wreath.\n\nTurning westward, we entered the glorious Valley of Abil\u00een. It is not\nwide, nor are the hills that inclose it high; but it is a scene of\nsurpassing loveliness. Here are rolling hills covered with the richest\nverdure; wooded glens filled with oaks and acacias; soft lawns bright\nwith flowers; running brooks falling over rocks into sparkling cascades,\nand birds of rare plumage singing their sweetest songs. Soon the sea,\nreflecting the sunlight from a smooth surface, burst like enchantment\nupon our view. Now the valley widens, the hills recede\u2015\u2015they die away,\nand we are on the plain of ancient Accho. Carmel is seen to the south,\nthe _Scala Tyriorum_ to the north, while the Hills of Galilee are\non the east, giving to the plain the form of a semicircle, with the\nsea-coast for a diameter. Eight miles wide and 20 long, most of it is\na marsh in winter, but a fruitful garden in spring and summer. Falling\nto the lot of Asher, here \u201che dipped his foot in oil; his bread was\nfat, and he yielded royal dainties;\u201d[637] and \u201chere he continued on\nthe sea-shore, and abode in his creeks,\u201d[638] when Deborah called the\nnations to arms against Sisera.\n\nOccupying a triangular neck of land, with a large bay on the south\nand the sea on the west, the town of \u2019Akka is large and well fortified.\nHaving a population of 5000 souls, four fifths of whom are Moslems,\nit is the residence of the Pasha, whose jurisdiction embraces Nazareth,\nSafed, Tiberias, and Haifa. Regarded as of the first importance as\na military position, it is garrisoned by a strong force. Though its\nmassive fortifications, which were shattered in former wars, have\nnever been repaired, its sea-wall, which is nine feet thick, is\nin a good condition, and is surmounted by several large guns. The\nbuildings of the town are of stone, built square and high; the streets\nare narrow and shaded with matting, and the only structures of note\nwithin the city are the Mosque of Jezz\u00e2r and the Temple of the Knights\nHospitallers. The mosque is high and square, and is surmounted with a\nbalustrade; the fa\u00e7ade is adorned with a fine portico; the open area\nwithin is paved with Syrian marble, and is surrounded with an arcade on\nwhich are small domes. Beneath the palm and fig trees old soldiers and\nvenerable Turks were reclining in silence. Not far from the mosque is\nthe city prison, consisting of an immense cellar, dark and loathsome,\nin which were 180 culprits of different ages, incarcerated for small\nand great offenses.\n\nCalled by Samuel Accho, by the Greeks Ptolemais, after Ptolemy, king of\nEgypt, and by the Arabs \u2019Akka, the Arabic of the scriptural name, the\ncity is mentioned but twice by the sacred writers\u2015\u2015once in connection\nwith the tribe of Asher,[639] and again as the landing-place of St.\nPaul on his way to Jerusalem.[640] But it derives its chief importance\nfrom its relation to modern European history. Napoleon called it the\n\u201ckey of Palestine;\u201d and, during the last 700 years, from Baldwin to\nNapier, it has been grasped by many a rude hand. As it bears three\nnames, so it is remarkable for three historical events\u2015\u2015the destruction\nof the Crusaders, the reign of Jezz\u00e2r, and the defeat of Napoleon I.\n\n\u201cAfter the loss of Jerusalem, Acre[641] became the metropolis of the\nLatin Christians, and was adorned with strong and stately buildings,\nwith aqueducts, an artificial port, and a double wall. The population\nwas increased by the incessant streams of pilgrims and fugitives; in\nthe pauses of hostility the trade of the East and West was attracted\nto this convenient station, and the market could offer the produce of\nevery clime and the interpreters of every tongue. But in this conflux\nof nations, every vice was propagated and practiced.... The city\nhad many sovereigns and no government. The Kings of Jerusalem and\nCyprus, of the house of Lusignan, the Princes of Antioch, the Counts\nof Tripoli and Sidon, the Great Masters of the Hospital, the Temple,\nand the Teutonic order, the republics of Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, the\nPope\u2019s legate, the Kings of France and England, assumed an independent\ncommand; seventeen tribunals exercised the power of life and death;\nevery criminal was protected in the adjacent quarter; and the perpetual\njealousy of the nations often burst forth in acts of violence and blood.\nSome adventurers, who disgraced the ensign of the Cross, compensated\ntheir want of pay by the plunder of the Mohammedan villages: nineteen\nSyrian merchants, who traded under the public faith, were despoiled\nand hanged by the Christians, and the denial of satisfaction justified\nthe arms of the Sultan Khalil. He marched against Acre at the head of\n60,000 horse and 140,000 foot; his train of artillery (if I may use the\nexpression) was numerous and weighty; the separate timbers of a single\nengine were transported in 100 wagons; and the royal historian Abulfeda,\nwho served with the troops of Hamah, was himself a spectator of the\nholy war. Whatever might be the vices of the Franks, their courage was\nrekindled by enthusiasm and despair; but they were torn by the discord\nof seventeen chiefs, and overwhelmed on all sides by the powers of\nthe sultan. After a siege of 33 days the double wall was forced by the\nMoslems, the principal tower yielded to their engines, the Mamelukes\nmade a general assault, the city was stormed, and death or slavery was\nthe lot of 60,000 Christians. The convent, or rather fortress, of the\nTemplars resisted three days longer; but the great master was pierced\nwith an arrow, and of 500 knights only 10 were left alive, less happy\nthan the victims of the sword if they lived to suffer on the scaffold\nin the unjust and cruel proscription of the whole order. The King of\nJerusalem, the Patriarch, and the Great Master of the Hospital effected\ntheir retreat to the shore; but the sea was rough, the vessels were\ninsufficient, and great numbers of the fugitives were drowned before\nthey could reach the Isle of Cyprus, which might comfort Lusignan for\nthe loss of Palestine. By the command of the sultan, the churches and\nfortifications of the Latin cities were demolished: a motive of avarice\nor fear still opened the holy sepulchre to some devout, defenseless\npilgrims; and a mournful and solitary silence prevailed along the coast\nwhich had so long resounded with the world\u2019s debate.\u201d[642]\n\n Illustration: ACRE FROM THE EAST.\n\nFive centuries later \u2019Akka became the royal city of one of the most\ninfamous characters in history, whose name is to be mentioned only with\nthat of Herod, and whose cruelties constitute him the Nero of modern\ntimes. Rising by theft and perjury from the servitude of a common\nslave to the dignity of a pasha, Jezz\u00e2r\u2015\u2015\u201cthe Butcher,\u201d dishonored his\npashalic with the most inhuman deeds, perpetrated without cause upon\neminent citizens and upon the beautiful slave-girls of his harem.\n\nBut the city was destined to witness the exploits of the greatest\nwarrior of our age. To the east of the town is a low mound, where, in\n1799, the great Napoleon planted his batteries, and from the summit of\nwhich, after eight successive assaults, he witnessed the defeat of his\narmy, and with that defeat disappeared forever all his bright visions\nof an Eastern empire.\n\nThe distance from Acre to ancient Tyre is 25 miles, and the journey\nis replete with interest. Mounting our horses at 11 A.M., our path lay\nalong the western border of the Plain of Ph\u0153nicia. In less than half an\nhour we passed beneath the Aqueduct of Jezz\u00e2r, supported by 100 arches.\nThrough the neglect of a people who are indifferent to works of art,\nit is now a ruin, and in part overgrown with weeds. Two miles beyond\nis the summer palace of the late Abdallah Pasha. Sixty cypresses line\nthe road-side, and within an inclosed garden, in the midst of orange\nand lemon trees, is the charming residence. Passing the site of Achzib,\na town allotted to Asher,[643] we reached, in an hour, the _Scala\nTyriorum_, or \u201cTyrian Ladder,\u201d forming the boundary-line between\nPh\u0153nicia and the Holy Land. A bold promontory, with a white base\ndipping into the sea, it is the most southern root of Lebanon, and is\nthe counterpart of Carmel. Sprinkled with shrubs and dotted with tufts\nof grass, its sides are broken and stony. The path over it is zigzag,\nand not unlike a flight of winding steps. The descent down the opposite\nside is exceedingly rough, now over low mountain spurs, and again\nthrough a narrow defile leading to a plain below. Passing over sections\nof an old Roman road, we came to the village of N\u00e2k\u00fbrah, and to the\neast of it, high up in the mountain ravines, was a company of French\nsoldiers excavating a buried city which has neither name nor story.\nThey had succeeded in uncovering one temple and a number of elegant\nsarcophagi, but no inscriptions had been discovered by which to\nascertain the origin of the unknown town. Two miles to the north we\ncame to the white cliffs of Ras el-Abyad, or the _Promontorium Album_\nof the ancients. This is one of the wildest, and, at times, the most\ndangerous passes on the Ph\u0153nician coast. The sides of the bluff are\nperpendicular, and the waves dash wildly against its base. The path is\ncut in the white limestone rocks 500 feet above the level of the sea,\nand in places it skirts the very verge of the precipice. Huge boulders\nhave fallen from the cliffs above, and others seem ready to follow.\nExcited by the grandeur of the scene and the danger of the moment, we\nsuccessfully cleared the pass in half an hour, when we gained our first\nview of the plain and peninsula of Tyre. Descending rapidly to the\nplain below, the dreariness of the journey was relieved by the glorious\nappearance of Hermon, whose snow-capped summits were bright in the\nevening light, while the plain over which we rode was darkened by the\nshadows of the adjacent mountains. Traveling on for hours over the\ndeep sandy beach, we reached Ras el-\u2019Ain in the dusk of the evening,\nand an hour after entered the solitary gate of the renowned city of\nthe ancient Tyrians.\n\n Illustration: LADDER OF TYRE.\n\nFew cities can boast of a higher antiquity, of grander edifices,\nand of greater renown than Tyre. Founded by the Ph\u0153nicians, rebuilt\nby the Romans, and again restored by the Christians, there have been\nthree Tyres, the history of each of which would fill a volume. Called\nby Isaiah the \u201cdaughter of Sidon,\u201d[644] it was a \u201cstrong city\u201d in\nthe days of Joshua;[645] it was the ally of Solomon;[646] and it was\na prize coveted by Shalmanezer, Nebuchadnezzar, and Alexander the\nGreat. The cradle of commerce, Tyre became the mistress of the seas;\nher merchantmen traded in every port in the known world, and from her\nthriving shores she sent forth her sons, dotting the coasts of Europe\nand Africa with flourishing colonies. Nothing can excel the accuracy\nof detail and the elegance of graphic description contained in the 27th\nchapter of Ezekiel on the wealth and glory of Tyre; and now, after the\nlapse of twenty-five centuries, her scattered ruins attest the truth of\nprophecy. Her walls are destroyed, her towers broken down, her stones\nand timber are in the midst of the water, her ancient site is \u201ca place\nfor the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea,\u201d and the remains\nof her marble castles, gorgeous palaces, triple gateways, lofty towers,\nand spacious harbors are now seen half buried beneath the drifting sand\nor washed by the restless waves. Entering a small boat, and passing out\nof the inner basin into the larger harbor, we saw immense columns of\nred granite lying prostrate beneath the surface of the clear water,\nand others imbedded in the solid rock, or cemented together by some\npowerful agent.\n\n Illustration: TYRE.\n\nThe Sidonian colonists who founded Ph\u0153nician or Continental Tyre\nevidently settled on the main land, three miles to the south from\nthe modern city, and a quarter of a mile from the shore. Here, at Ras\nel-\u2019Ain, \u201cthe Fountain-head,\u201d are the most stupendous water-works of\nancient times. They consist of four immense fountains, the water of\nwhich descends through the mountains on the east, and, rising to the\nsurface here, is collected into separate reservoirs, from which it\nwas originally distributed to irrigate the plain. The most southern\nof these fountains is the largest. Octagonal in form, it is 66 feet\nin diameter and 25 high. The lateral walls are eight feet thick, and\ngently slope to their base. Three hundred feet to the eastward are\nthe other cisterns, one 36 and two 60 feet square, constructed of\nwell-dressed stones, joined by a fine cement, and built directly over\nthe places where the water gushes up from the earth. Formerly the\nstream was carried from the lower to the upper pools by an aqueduct\nwhich is now a ruin; and from the upper reservoirs there can now be\ntraced an old Roman aqueduct, resting on arches, to a mound two miles\ndistant, crowned with the remains of a massive building, from which\npoint it turns westward toward the city. Amid a thicket of willows and\ngroves of mulberry-trees are a few wretched huts, and the only use to\nwhich this great water-power is now applied is to drive a single mill\nand slake the thirst of the transient traveler.\n\n Illustration: RAS EL-\u2019AIN.\n\nThough they are unquestionably of a high antiquity, the author and\nfinisher of these great works are unknown. There is an Arab legend\nthat Alexander the Great constructed a subterranean canal through which\nhe brought the water from Bagdad! but a more pious tradition ascribes\nthem to Solomon. Quoting Menander the Ephesian, Josephus informs us\nthat they existed in the days of Shalmanezer, who, in his siege of Tyre,\n\u201cplaced guards at the rivers and aqueducts to hinder the Tyrians from\ndrawing water.\u201d[647]\n\nAround these fountains, and stretching northward over this fertile\nplain, stood the old city of Tyre. Though neither temple nor column\nremains to mark the site, yet beneath the drifted sands of many\ncenturies lie entombed those magnificent ruins which have escaped\nthe hand of the spoiler, and which, of late, have been uncovered in\npart near the hill called Tell Habeish. During the reign of Hiram,\nPalai-Tyrus consisted of two parts, the larger and grander standing\nnear the fountains on the main land, and the smaller on an island\nthree miles to the north and not far from the shore.[648] It was by\nretiring to this island that the inhabitants were enabled to maintain\nthe defense of their insular city against the attack by Shalmanezer\nduring a period of five years.[649] Though subsequently besieged by\nNebuchadnezzar for 13 years, yet it was reserved for the son of Philip\nto be the scourge of Providence, the destroyer of the city, and the\naccomplisher of prophecy. The continental city falling an easy prey\nto the victorious arms of Alexander the Great, he laid siege to the\ninsular town for seven months. To capture this strong-hold, he removed\na large portion of the materials of the former place, and with them\nbuilt a causeway connecting the island with the continent. Advancing\non this new military road, he took the city by storm; and, having slain\n8000 of the citizens in the attack, he crucified 2000 others, and sold\n30,000 more into slavery. Thus terminated the wonderful history of\nPh\u0153nician Tyre, whose wealth was equaled only by her luxury, and whose\npower was excelled only by her pride. Abandoned to the worst forms of\nidolatry, she incurred the displeasure of an offended God; intoxicated\nwith prosperity, she broke her \u201ccovenant\u201d with the Hebrews, and\nconfederated with other nations against them;[650] haughty as she was\nimpious, she scrupled not to demand the wealth and sacred ornaments\nof the Temple at Jerusalem, which the enemies of the Jews had\nsacrilegiously pillaged;[651] forgetting the covenant with David and\nSolomon, she purchased the Jewish captives from their conquerors, and,\nloading her vessels with the human cargo, sold them into slavery in\ndistant countries;[652] and when Nebuchadnezzar had utterly destroyed\nthe Holy City, and had subdued and wasted all the lands of the Jews,\nshe exulted over their downfall, and insultingly exclaimed, \u201cAha! she\nis broken that was the gates of the people; she is turned unto me; I\nshall be replenished now that she is laid waste.\u201d[653]\n\nFor these sins God denounced against Tyre the severest judgments,\nand to-day she is a mournful proof of the accuracy and fulfillment of\nprophecy. Her royal palaces have given place to the abodes of poverty;\nher magnificent navy, with sails of embroidered linen from Egypt and\nivory benches from the Isle of Chittim, has been exchanged for a few\ncrazy fishing-boats; her famous mariners from Sidon and Arvad are\nsuperseded by boatmen whose nautical knowledge is not equal to a cruise\non the Mediterranean five miles from land; and her vast commerce in\nthe precious metals of Tarshish, the slaves of Javan, the horses of\nTogarmah, the coral and agate of Syria, the wheat of Minnith, the wine\nof Helbon, the spices of Sheba, the cassia and calamus of Dan, the\nprecious clothes for chariots of Dedan, and the fine fleeces of Arabia,\nhas dwindled down to an occasional cargo of millstones and juniper\ncharcoal. Even her hill-sides, once rich in olive-groves, are now\nforsaken; and such have been the incursions of the sea, that the once\nfertile plain of Tyre has been transformed into a sandy waste, and she\nwho was the \u201cperfection of beauty is now smitten with baldness;\u201d in her\nunrelieved desolation, her harps of gold and enchanting minstrelsy are\nforever silent, and winds and waves alone lament her departed glory. So\ncomplete is the ruin of the primal city, and so difficult to determine\nwith exactitude the site of the Ph\u0153nician Tyre, that it is still true,\n\u201cThou shalt be no more; though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never\nbe found again, saith the Lord God.\u201d[654] In removing the materials\nof the old town to fill up the arm of the sea between the island and\nmain land, Alexander the Great fulfilled these astonishing words: \u201cThey\nshall break down thy walls and destroy thy pleasant houses; and they\nshall lay thy stones, and thy timber, and thy dust in the midst of\nthe water.\u201d[655] And, as significant of the utterness of her ruin, the\ntraveler of to-day beholds what the prophet saw in the heavenly vision;\n\u201cI will make thee like the top of a rock; thou shalt be a place to\nspread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more.\u201d[656]\n\nWhile the words, \u201cThou shalt be built no more,\u201d are singularly and\nliterally true when applied to Continental Tyre, yet the island city,\nwhich was not included in the prophetic denunciation, rose to great\nelegance under the Romans. Attaining to somewhat of the pristine\nsplendor of the parent city in the first century, it resumed in part\nits ancient sway over the sea. Receiving Christianity at an early\nperiod, it was visited by St. Paul when on his way to Jerusalem, \u201cwho,\nfinding disciples, we tarried there seven days.\u201d[657] Seized by the\nArabs in 638 A.D., it remained in their possession till June 27, 1124,\nwhen it was captured by the Crusaders, who held it for 150 years, when\nit fell again into the hands of the Moslems on the evening of the day\non which \u2019Akka was captured. Declining under their withering sceptre,\nat the close of the 17th century it was without a house, and its vaults\nwere occupied by a few fishermen.[658] Under the fanatical Metawileh,\nin 1766 it was partially restored. Modern Tyre is a village of 4000\ninhabitants, equally divided in their religious faith between Christ\nand Mohammed. What was once Alexander\u2019s causeway is now a sandy isthmus,\nand what was once an island is now a peninsula. Originally extremely\nnarrow, but increased by the action of the winds and waves upheaving\nthe loose sands, the isthmus is half a mile wide, and that which was\nformerly the island is a ridge of rocks parallel to the shore, nearly a\nmile long, three quarters of a mile broad, and half a mile distant from\nthe coast-line. The general surface is uneven, in part strewn by rocks,\nand in part encumbered by the accumulation of rubbish. The present town\noccupies the northwestern portion of the peninsula, and is near the\nancient harbor. A single gate admits the traveler to the city. Around\nit are the remains of old towers, and near it are two deep wells,\nfrom which the inhabitants obtain their principal supply of water.\nWith few exceptions the buildings are mere hovels, the streets narrow\nand crooked, and the citizens filthy and ignorant. As if to hide the\nfallen glory of Tyre, there are a few palms and pride of India trees\ngrowing in the gardens. Within the shattered walls and along the shore\nfishermen were mending their nets, and in the gloomy bazars were a few\nbales of cotton and tobacco, several tiers of millstones, and heaps\nof charcoal. The Moslems have a mosque crowned with two domes, and\nfrom beside it rises a tapering minaret; the Christians have two small\nchurches, which are remarkable neither for their size nor elegance.\nIn the southeast corner of the town are the remains of the famous\nCathedral of Tyre, erected in the fourth century by Bishop Paulinus,\nand consecrated by Eusebius, and by the latter described as the most\nsplendid of all the temples of Ph\u0153nicia. It was 216 feet long by 136\nbroad, and its ruins indicate its great magnificence. The south wall,\nthe east and west ends, together with the chancel, remain standing; but\nthe arched roof, the massive columns which supported the triforium, and\nthe lofty tower, with its spiral staircase, have fallen into a thousand\nfragments. Somewhere within these broken walls reposes the dust of\nOrigen and of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.\n\nFive miles to the east of the town is the Tomb of Hiram, king of Tyre.\nIt is an imposing mausoleum, and one of the most interesting monuments\nin the Holy Land. It is less remarkable for its beauty and ornaments\nthan for its grandeur and durability. Crowning a graceful hill, it\nconsists of a pedestal and a sarcophagus. The former is composed of\nfour layers of immense blocks of limestone, about ten feet high; the\nlatter is hewn out of a solid block, and is twelve feet long, eight\nwide, and six high, and is surmounted with a pyramidal lid five feet\nthick. The ends of the lid are beveled, the top rounded, and it is\nfitted on with such care that it is difficult to remove it. On the\nnorth side of the monument is an arched vault 20 feet square and 12\ndeep, which no doubt served as the place for the final repose of the\nroyal family. Commanding a view of the City of the Great King, and\nof the sea beyond, the country around the tomb is strangely solitary;\nneither ancient ruin nor human habitation is near, but, standing alone,\nit is at once a venerable relic of the past and an impressive monument\nof the loneliness of death.\n\n Illustration: TOMB OF HIRAM.\n\nOn the same road, but some distance to the west, the French have\nexcavated one of the most splendid temples yet discovered in the\nenvirons of Ph\u0153nicia. Consisting of a nave, two side aisles, a chancel,\nand an altar-piece, it is 75 feet long by 36 wide. The roof and\nportions of the walls are gone. Of the 14 columns which formed the\naisles only the bases of 11 of them remain, on each of which is\nsculptured the Maltese cross. But its great beauty consists in its\nmagnificent mosaic pavement, covering more than two thirds of the\nentire area. Formed of small square blocks of white and black marble,\nit is arranged in the most curious manner. In the aisles are circles\n30 inches in diameter, containing figures of sheep, fish, fowls,\nfruits, tigers, elephants, buffaloes, dogs, horses, rabbits, deer,\nlions, antelopes, and leopards, together with ten mythological busts,\nrepresenting the gods and goddesses of Greece and Rome. Before the\nhigh altar is a lengthy inscription in Greek characters; but, owing to\ntheir curious forms and the numerous contractions, it was impossible\nto decipher it without reference to learned works. From all that we\ncould learn from those having the work in charge, it was originally a\nheathen temple, was converted into a Christian church by the Crusaders,\nand, abandoned during the medi\u00e6val wars, it has since remained buried\nbeneath the accumulated sand and rubbish of centuries.\n\nA single historic site breaks the monotony of the journey from Tyre\nto Sidon, a distance of 25 miles. The path follows the coast along\nthe Plain of Ph\u0153nicia, over which \u201ca mournful and solitary silence\nnow prevails.\u201d[659] While the hills which bound it on the east are\ncarefully cultivated, and the summits thereof are adorned with villages,\nthis vast and rich plain is deserted. Less than two miles from the gate\nof Tyre we passed a large fountain, believed by the Arabs to possess\nmedicinal virtues, and four miles beyond we came to the banks of\nthe Leontes of the old geographers, and the Nahr el-K\u00e2sim\u00eeyeh of the\nnatives. The third largest river in Syria, its highest source is not\nfar from the ruins of Ba\u2019albek; and draining the southern section of\nthe Buk\u00e2\u2019a, with the adjoining sides of the Lebanon and anti-Lebanon,\nit bursts the everlasting gates of the former, and, descending through\na wild ravine, crosses the plain to the sea. It is twenty-five feet\nwide; its clear waters flow rapidly through a deep gorge, which is\nnow spanned by a modern bridge, having a single arch. Nine miles to\nthe north is Khan el-Khudr, the Zarephath of the Old Testament and the\nSarepta of the New. On a fine hill overhanging the plain is the large\ntown of S\u016drafend, the Arabic of the Scriptural name. The original city\nstood near the shore; its site is now marked by a Mohammedan tomb and a\nnoble fig-tree. Driven by famine from his retreat by the \u201cbrook Cherith\nthat is before Jordan,\u201d hither Elijah came, and was received into the\nhouse of that poor widow whose \u201cbarrel of meal wasted not, neither\ndid the cruise of oil fail,\u201d and whose son, as a reward of faith and\ncharity, the prophet raised to life.[660] And here an early tradition\nhas preserved the site of that touching scene of the meeting of Christ\nand the woman of Syro-Ph\u0153nicia, whose daughter he healed during his\nfirst and only visit \u201cto the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.\u201d[661]\n\nTen miles to the north appeared the towers and minarets of Zidon,\nsurrounded with the most luxuriant gardens in the world. In the\nintervening distance sections of the old Roman road can still be traced,\nand along the highway are several milestones. On one are inscribed\nthe names of Septimius Severus and his son, M. Aurelius Antoninus,\nbetter known in history as Caracalla. The inscription bears the date of\n198 A.D. Entering the famous gardens of the modern Saida, we rode for\nan hour through lengthened avenues of acacias and tamarisks, and amid\nmulberry groves, and vast orchards of peaches, pears, apricots, plums,\nquinces, oranges, lemons, bananas, and citrons, which filled the\nair with a delightful fragrance, and presented to the eye a variety\nof finely-tinted and exquisite foliage. Interspersed through these\nbeautiful groves are country seats possessing all the charms of an\nearthly paradise. Our rural path terminated at the very gate of the\ncity, which was carefully guarded by Turkish soldiers. Entering the\ntown, we found it situated on a small promontory projecting obliquely\ninto the sea. Thoroughly Oriental in character and appearance, its\nnarrow, shaded streets and groups of trees give it an air of repose.\nWhile many of its buildings are small, like those in most Syrian towns,\nthere are several large and costly. The population is not less than\n10,000, and is composed of Moslems, Maronites, Greeks, and Jews. The\nchief vocations of the citizens are the cultivation of fruits and the\nmanufacture of oil and silk, which are exported into Egypt and to ports\nalong the Mediterranean.\n\n Illustration: SIDON.\n\nWith an antiquity anterior to authentic history, Sidon is among\nthe oldest of known cities. Mentioned by the inspired historian in\nconnection with Sodom and Gaza,[662] it is supposed it was founded by\nSidon, the grandson of Noah.[663] Increasing in wealth and power, the\ncity had achieved such fame at the time the Hebrews entered Canaan\nthat it is designated by Joshua the \u201cGreat Zidon.\u201d[664] As early as\nthe Trojan war the Sidonians were celebrated for their skill in the\narts, especially for the manufacture of gorgeous robes, to which Homer\nalludes:\n\n \u201cThe Phrygian queen to her rich wardrobe went,\n Where treasured odors breathed a costly scent;\n There lay the vestures of no vulgar art,\n Sidonian maids embroidered every part,\n Whom from soft Sidon youthful Paris bore,\n With Helen touching on the Tyrian shore.\n Here, as the queen revolved, with careful eyes,\n The various textures and the various dyes,\n She chose a veil that shone superior far,\n And glow\u2019d refulgent as the morning star.\u201d[665]\n\nIncreasing in population and commerce to such a degree as to demand\nanother city, the Sidonians passed down the coast and founded Tyre,\nwhich is called by Isaiah the \u201cdaughter of Zidon,\u201d and which in\nafter years divided with the parent city the empire of the seas.[666]\nExcelling all other nations of that period in art and science, her\narchitects were employed by Solomon in building his magnificent\ntemple.[667] According to early historians, the Sidonians were versed\nin astronomy, geometry, and philosophy, and the vastness of their\ncommerce evinces their knowledge of navigation. But with them, as with\nall the other great nations of antiquity, the usual vices attended\ntheir prosperity, and the increase of luxury was counterbalanced by\nthe decline of national virtue. Practicing the worst forms of idolatry,\nindulging in the grossest immoralities, and violating the most solemn\ntreaties with God\u2019s people, they drew down upon themselves the severe\ndenunciations of Jehovah\u2019s prophets. Sentenced by the Lord to the\ncalamities of war, the prophetic judgments were executed by Shalmanezer\nin 720 B.C.; by Artaxerxes Ochus four centuries later; by Alexander\nthe Great, who entered the gates of the city without a struggle; and\nsubsequently it has been pillaged and destroyed as often as rebuilt, by\nthe Ptolemies, the Syrian kings, the Romans, the Moslem invaders, the\nCrusaders, until at present its port is without a merchantman, and the\ntown of Beir\u016dt, to the north, has become the successful rival of the\nonce affluent and powerful Sidon.\n\nThe three great objects of interest connected with the modern town\nare the harbor, the citadel, and the tombs. The harbor is formed by a\nlow ridge of rocks running parallel to the shore and extending out from\nthe northern point of the peninsula. On the rocks stands an old castle,\nweather-beaten and much dilapidated, connected with the main land by\na bridge of nine arches. On a commanding hill to the south of the city\nis the shattered tower of Louis IX., which is now the citadel of the\ntown. On the plains and in the hill-sides to the east of Sidon is\nthe cemetery of its ancient inhabitants, called M\u00fbgharet Tubloon. The\nsurface of the rock has been cut away to form a perfect level, and\nhere are the mansions of the dead, arranged in the form of catacombs,\nfrom 10 to 30 feet below the surface of the ground. From a deep, broad\navenue, doors open into lateral halls and rooms, in which are cut\nthe receptacles for the dead. Descending to the depth of 20 feet,\nwe entered a broad avenue 25 feet long, which had just been opened.\nRunning at right angles with the former was a spacious passageway, in\nthe sides of which are six niches, each five and a half feet deep, four\nwide, and ten long. In these niches are magnificent marble sarcophagi,\ntheir sides, ends, and lids being adorned with sculptured lion heads,\nhorns of plenty, and garlands of flowers. On one, which I took to be\nthe sarcophagus of a queen, is carved the bust of a female in relief,\nsurrounded with a wreath of roses. Passing into another chamber,\nmore elegant than the rest, and which is 20 feet deep, I traced the\nbeautiful floral paintings on the sides and ceilings of the vault. Here,\nin the very centre of the floor, are three entire sarcophagi, of equal\ngrandeur with the others, measuring eight feet long, three wide, and as\nmany deep. The largest of the three, which had that day been uncovered\nfor the first time, _was filled with clear water_, and on the bottom\nwere human bones, and what appeared to be a fine sediment\u2015\u2015perhaps the\ndust of the departed. How the water came there remains a mystery. Some\nsuppose it had percolated through the rocks above; but this will hardly\naccount for the equally remarkable fact that the other sarcophagi are\ndry. Neither inscription nor symbol had been discovered revealing the\nname and history of the dead, and I was left to the reflection that I\nwas gazing upon the disorganized forms of those who had lived and died\nnearly 4000 years ago. Several sarcophagi have been removed to a museum\nof antiquities within the city. Male and female figures are sculptured\non them, the faces of the former resembling the facial features of\nNero, and of the latter those of Minerva. Among the relics is a leaden\ncoffin beautifully moulded with beaded work, flowers, and leonine heads;\nand in the \u201cCabinet of Ancient Coins and Curiosities\u201d are a Ph\u0153nician\ntear-bottle, gold rings, gold coins of the age of Alexander, a\nCrusader\u2019s silver cross which was worn in battle, and many rare jewels\nof great intrinsic value.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER XV.\n\n Mountains of Lebanon. \u2015\u2015 Grand Scenery. \u2015\u2015 Sublime View. \u2015\u2015\n Mountain Traveling. \u2015\u2015 Scriptural Allusions. \u2015\u2015 Cedars of\n Lebanon. \u2015\u2015 Their Number, Appearance, and symbolic Character.\n \u2015\u2015 Population of the Mountains. \u2015\u2015 Districts and Peculiarities\n of the Druzes and Maronites. \u2015\u2015 New Road. \u2015\u2015 Crossing the\n Mountains. \u2015\u2015 Plain of the Buk\u00e2\u2019a. \u2015\u2015 Leontes. \u2015\u2015 A swollen\n River. \u2015\u2015 Ancient Cities. \u2015\u2015 Imposing Cavalcade. \u2015\u2015 Wives of\n the Pasha of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 First View of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 Splendor\n and Enjoyments of the Interior of the City. \u2015\u2015 Great Plain\n of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 Abana and Pharpar. \u2015\u2015 Scene of St. Paul\u2019s\n Conversion. \u2015\u2015 City without Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Antiquity and thrilling\n History of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 House of Judas. \u2015\u2015 Home of Ananias.\n \u2015\u2015 \u201cStreet called Straight.\u201d \u2015\u2015 Naaman\u2019s Palace. \u2015\u2015 Tombs of\n the Great. \u2015\u2015 Location of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 Walls and Gates. \u2015\u2015 Old\n Castle. \u2015\u2015 Great Mosque. \u2015\u2015 Gardens of Damascus. \u2015\u2015 Commerce\n of the City. \u2015\u2015 Curiosities in the Bazars. \u2015\u2015 Population.\n \u2015\u2015 Christian Citizens. \u2015\u2015 Origin of the Massacre of 1860. \u2015\u2015\n Its Progress. \u2015\u2015 Terrible Scenes. \u2015\u2015 American Vice-Consul.\n \u2015\u2015 Ruins. \u2015\u2015 Sad Results. \u2015\u2015 Defense of the Christians by\n Abd-el-Kader. \u2015\u2015 Visit to the Chieftain of Algiers. \u2015\u2015 Our\n Reception. \u2015\u2015 Testimonials. \u2015\u2015 His Appearance. \u2015\u2015 Conclusion.\n \u2015\u2015 Political History of Palestine. \u2015\u2015 Its Condition under the\n Turks. \u2015\u2015 It is now in a Transition State. \u2015\u2015 Possessions of\n European Nations. \u2015\u2015 Future of the Holy Land. \u2015\u2015 Christian\n Missions. \u2015\u2015 Decline of Mohammedanism. \u2015\u2015 Religious Liberty.\n \u2015\u2015 Future Glory.\n\n\nBRANCHES of the ancient Taurus chain, the parallel mountain ranges\nof Lebanon and anti-Lebanon, extend from north to south through the\nwhole length of the Land of Promise. Geologically they consist of a\nhard, calcareous, whitish stone, and are disposed in strata variously\ninclined. Varying in altitude from 3000 to 13,000 feet above the sea,\nand skirted with plains at different points, they continually change\ntheir form and appearance with their levels and situation. Their three\nhighest summits are Hermon, Sunn\u00een, and Mukhmel. The first is 10,000\nfeet high, the second 11,000, the third 13,000. Their surface is\ngenerally smooth, bare, and rounded, but in sections it is broken and\nrugged, resembling huge piles of rocks, not unlike, in form, the ruins\nof towns and castles. They abound in springs, which, together with\nthe melting snows covering their higher portions, form torrents, that\ndescend to the plains on either side, refreshing the parched fields,\nand imparting an air of liveliness to the scene. Both their sides and\nsummits are dotted with forests and groves of oak, fir, larch, box,\nlaurel, myrtle, and cedar-trees; and, though the soil is scanty, the\nindustrious peasants have planted vineyards on artificial terraces\nwhich yield the most delicious wines. In the region about the great\nValley of Kad\u00eesha are vast mulberry groves, the leaves of which serve\nas food for the silk-worm, and the villagers in that section are\nchiefly employed in the production of silk in its raw state.\n\nIn crossing the Lebanons the traveler meets with scenes in which Nature\ndisplays beauty or grandeur, sometimes romantic wildness, but always\nvariety. The sublime elevation and steep ascent of this magnificent\nrampart, which seems to inclose the country, and the gigantic masses\nwhich shoot into the clouds, inspire him with astonishment and\nreverence. At times he seems to be traveling in the middle regions\nof the atmosphere; above him the sky is clear and serene, below him\nthe thick clouds are dissolving into rain and watering the plains. On\ngaining the loftier peaks, he is filled with delight by the immensity\nof space which expands around him, and which becomes a fresh subject\nof admiration. On every side he beholds a horizon without bounds, while\nin clear weather the sight is lost over the desert, extending to the\nPersian Gulf, and over the Mediterranean, the waters of which wash\nthe shores of Europe. Apparently his view commands the world; and the\nwandering eye, surveying the successive chains of mountains, transports\nthe mind in an instant from Antioch to Jerusalem. Approaching nearer\nobjects, he observes the white coast of the \u201cGreat Sea\u201d on the west,\nwith a boundless expanse of water beyond, and examines with greater\nminuteness the rocks, the woods, the torrents, the sloping sides of the\nhills, the villages and towns around him, and exults at the diminution\nof objects which formerly appeared so great. He sees the valleys\nobscured by storm-clouds with fresh delight, and smiles at hearing\nthe thunder muttering beneath his feet. The once threatening summits\nnow appear like the furrows of a plowed field or the steps of an\namphitheatre, and he feels himself gratified by an elevation above so\nmany lofty objects, on which he now looks down with inward satisfaction.\n\nOn penetrating into the interior districts of these mountains, the\nroughness of the roads, the steep descents and precipices, strike him\nat first with terror; but the sagacity of the horse he rides, which\ncan traverse them with safety, soon relieves him, and he calmly surveys\nthose picturesque scenes that entertain him in quick succession. He\ntravels whole days together to reach a place which was in sight at\nhis departure; he winds, descends, skirts hills, and climbs their\nprecipitous sides, and in this perpetual change it seems as if Nature\nherself varied for him at every step the decorations of the scenery.\nSometimes he beholds villages clinging to the steep declivities on\nwhich they are built, and so arranged that the terraces of one row\nof houses serve as streets to those above them. Sometimes he espies\nthe habitation of a recluse standing on a solitary height, or a gray\nconvent, whose bell awakens the echoes of the Lebanons. At times he\nsees a rock perforated by a torrent, and which has become a natural\narch, and another worn perpendicular, resembling a high wall. On the\nhill-sides he passes beds of stones, uncovered and detached by the\nwaters, rising up like artificial ruins; and in many places, where the\nwaters meet with inclined beds, the intermediate earth has been washed\naway, leaving immense caverns, or subterranean channels have been\nformed, through which rivulets flow the year round.[668]\n\nIn traversing the Lebanons, the traveler is impressed with the accuracy\nof the allusions of the inspired writers to these wonderful mountains.\nSuch was their fame in the days of Moses that he earnestly prayed, \u201cLet\nme go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly\nmountain, and Lebanon.\u201d[669] Considered wild and dreary, the seat of\nstorm and tempest, Lebanon was the type of national desolation in the\nmind of the prophet; and regarding its restoration to fertility as\nthe symbol of returning national prosperity, he asks the significant\nquestion, \u201cIs it not a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned\ninto a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a\nforest?\u201d[670] Always regarded a strong barrier to the Land of Promise,\nand opposing an almost insuperable obstacle to the movements of\nchariots of war, it was the arrogant boast of Sennacherib, \u201cBy the\nmultitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains,\nto the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof,\nand the choice fir-trees thereof; and I will enter into the height of\nhis border, and the forest of his Carmel.\u201d[671] As of old, so now, the\nless inhabited portions of the range are the chosen haunts of beasts of\nprey, to which the prophet thus alludes: \u201cThe violence of Lebanon shall\ncover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of\nmen\u2019s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all\nthat dwell therein;\u201d[672] and to such ferocious animals that roam on\nits summits and lodge in its thickets, and occasionally descend to the\nplain in quest of prey, Solomon refers, in that animated invitation to\nhis spouse, \u201cCome with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon;\nlook from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from\nthe lions\u2019 dens, from the mountains of the leopards.\u201d[673] In allusion\nto the fragrant odors wafted from the aromatic plants growing upon\nits sides, the poet apostrophizes the same imaginary being in these\nelegant words: \u201cAnd the smell of thy garments is like the smell of\nLebanon.\u201d[674] The large vineyards which adorn the terraced sides of\nthe mountains produce wines of great richness and choice flavor; they\nare of a beautiful color, and so oily that they adhere to the glass.\nIt was to their reviving effect and odor that Hosea refers: \u201cThey\nthat dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the\ncorn, and grow as the vine; the scent thereof shall be as the wine\nof Lebanon.\u201d[675] The rapid growth of the Christian Church, her great\nextent, and the countless number of her converts, was announced in\nthe no less sublime than truthful figure, \u201cThere shall be a handful\nof corn in the earth upon the tops of the mountains; the fruit thereof\nshall shake like Lebanon.\u201d[676] The stupendous size, the extensive\nrange, and great elevation of Lebanon; its towering summits capped with\nperpetual snow or crowned with fragrant cedars; its olive plantations;\nits vineyards, producing the most delicious wines; its clear fountains\nand cold-flowing brooks; its fertile vales and odoriferous shrubberies,\ncombine to form, in Scripture language, \u201cthe glory of Lebanon.\u201d In\npreintimating the conversion of the Gentiles from their idolatry and\ncorruption to the purity and blessings of Christianity, Isaiah employs\nthe majestic figure, \u201cThe wilderness and the solitary place shall be\nglad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.\nIt shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice, even with joy and singing;\nthe glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel\nand Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of\nour God.\u201d[677]\n\nIn all ages the cedar of Lebanon has been regarded as an object\nof unrivaled grandeur and beauty in the vegetable kingdom. It is,\naccordingly, one of the natural images which occur in the poetical\nstyle of the Hebrew prophets, and is appropriated to denote kings,\nprinces, and potentates of the highest rank. In the days of Solomon\nthe cedar forests of Lebanon were extensive, but at present there is\nbut one known group on all the range. At the head of Wady Kad\u00eesha, in a\nvast but secluded recess formed by the loftiest of the Lebanon summits,\nand encircled by a region of perpetual snow, is the small remaining\nforest of 400 trees of all sizes and ages. The axe of the builder\nand the ruthless hands of peasants have done much to reduce the once\ngrand forests to this small clump of trees, to preserve which the\nmountains seem to have gathered round, covering them from the gaze of\nthe destroyer. Their solitude strangely affected me; they stand alone,\nwithout another tree in sight or a patch of verdure on the surrounding\nacclivities. They cover the sides and summits of a pretty knoll, which\nis at the northeastern end of a recess eight miles in diameter, in the\ncentral ridge of Lebanon. The encircling summits are the highest in\nSyria, and streaked with perpetual snow. They are white and rounded,\nand their sides descend in naked, uniform slopes in the form of a\nsemicircle. Some of the trees are in the vigor of their growth, others\nare gnarled and venerable. In form they are perfect images of grace and\nmajesty. They are tall and straight, with fanlike branches, contracting\nlike a cone toward the top. The shag-bark is coarse and heavy; the\nleaves are small, narrow, rough, exceedingly green, of a sombre hue,\nand arranged in tufts along the branches; they shoot in spring, and\nfall in early winter; the cones resemble those of the pine. From the\nfull-grown trees a fluid trickles naturally and without incision; it is\nclear, transparent, whitish, and, after a time, dries and hardens. In\nmost cases the branches shoot out horizontally from the parent trunk,\nforming beautiful pyramidal circles. On the summit of the knoll are\nseveral aged trees 40 feet in girth, and on the northern side is one\nthe very image of strength and grandeur; its branches are larger than\nthe trunks of ordinary trees, and its majestic limbs, stretching out\nover a vast area, afford a grateful shade. In the centre of the group\nis the patriarch of the grove. Measuring 48 feet in circumference, the\ntrunk is gnarled, the stronger branches have fallen off, and its once\nmajestic form bends toward the earth under the weight of many years.\nStanding beneath its patriarchal shade, I could but ask, \u201cHow old art\nthou?\u201d for it seemed to have come down from the days of the ancient\nseers.\n\n Illustration: CEDARS OF LEBANON.\n\nPre-eminently the cedars are \u201csacred\u201d trees. The inspired narrator has\nlinked them inseparably to many of the grandest events of Bible history.\nThese are the \u201ctrees of the Lord,\u201d the \u201ccedars of Lebanon which he hath\nplanted;\u201d[678] here is the remnant of that forest from which the timber\nwas taken for God\u2019s Temple in Jerusalem;[679] these are the inspired\nsimilitudes of grandeur, strength, power, and glory. In denouncing the\njudgments of the Lord upon the proud and arrogant, the prophet declares:\n\u201cFor the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is\nproud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall\nbe brought low; and upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and\nlifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan.\u201d[680] To awaken grateful\nemotions in the hearts of the degenerate Jews, Amos reminds them, \u201cYet\ndestroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height\nof the cedars;\u201d[681] and, as an illustration of Jehovah\u2019s displeasure\nwith royal pride, Ezekiel exclaims, \u201cBehold, the Assyrian was a cedar\nin Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of a\nhigh stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.\u201d[682] To break\nthe cedars, and shake the enormous mass on which they grow, are figures\nselected by the Psalmist to express the awful majesty and infinite\npower of God. \u201cThe voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord\nis full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea,\nthe Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.\u201d[683] The forests of the\nEast, always near the point of ignition under the intense beams of a\nvertical sun, are frequently set on fire by the carelessness of those\nwho have taken shelter in their recesses, and the devouring element\ncontinues its ravages till extensive plantations are consumed. To\nsuch a conflagration the prophet compares the destructive operations\nof the Roman armies under Vespasian and Titus against the Jews, when\nthe nobles and rulers were slaughtered, the city and temple reduced to\nashes, the people either put to the sword or sold into slavery, and the\nwhole country laid waste. \u201cOpen thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may\ndevour thy cedars. Howl, fir-tree, for the cedar is fallen; because the\nmighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the forest of the\nvintage is come down.\u201d[684] And as the noblest of trees, and the most\nperfect symbol of prosperity when in their prime, they contain the\nsignificance of the precious promise, \u201cThe righteous shall flourish\nlike the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.\u201d[685]\n\nThe population of Lebanon is generally estimated at 400,000 souls,\nresiding in more than 600 towns, villages, and hamlets. The inhabitants\nare designated according to their religious faith, and are known as\nMoslems, Jews, Greeks, Latins, Armenians, Maronites, and Druzes. Though\nthe Mohammedans are in power, they are not the ruling class in these\nmountain regions. The Maronites and Druzes form the chief part of the\npopulation, and are the hereditary and inveterate foes of each other.\nThe former occupy chiefly Lebanon, and number about 200,000. They\nderive their sectarian name from John Maron, a monk, who was the great\napostle of the Monothelitic heresy in the seventh century, and who died\nin 701 A.D. Renouncing their Monothelitism in 1180, they submitted to\nthe Pope, and are now devoted to the See of Rome. Though residing in\nvillages from Nazareth to Aleppo, their strong-hold is in the district\nof Kesraw\u00e2n; and their patriarch, who receives his robe of investiture\nfrom Rome, resides in the convent of Kanob\u00een, in the romantic glen\nof Kad\u00eesha, near the cedars. They have 82 convents, in which are\n2000 monks and nuns, who have a revenue of $350,000 per annum. Though\nbrave, independent, and industrious, the Maronites are illiterate and\nsuperstitious, and are subject to the dictation of their clergy in all\nmatters of religion and politics.\n\nThe Druzes occupy the southern half of Lebanon, extending over to Mount\nHermon, and out into the Hauran. They are the descendants of Arabs who\ncame from the eastern confines of Syria about 900 years ago, and now\nnumber 100,000. They believe in the unity of God; the transmigration of\nsouls; in the ministry of H\u00e2kim; in the mutual obligation of veracity\nand protection; and in the renunciation of all other religions, and\ntheir separation from those in error. Their peculiar doctrines were\nfirst propagated in Egypt by the notorious H\u00e2kim, third of the Fatimite\ndynasty, who asserted that the Deity resided in Aly. In 1017 A.D. the\nerror of the Fatimite was embraced by a Persian by the name of Mohammed\nBen-Ismail ed-Derazy, who settled in Egypt, but who, having excited the\ndispleasure of the Egyptians by his fanaticism, was compelled to fly to\nthe base of Mount Hermon, where he became the founder of the Druzes. At\na later period, Hamza, a Persian, asserted that H\u00e2kim was the expected\nMessiah, who is to reign triumphant over all the earth. Secret and\nexclusive in their worship, the sect is divided into two classes, the\n\u201cinitiated\u201d and the \u201cignorant.\u201d Absolute privacy being their object,\ntheir temples of devotion are in remote but conspicuous places\u2015\u2015most\nof them on the summits of hills. Professedly religious, they are,\nnevertheless, a political body, and aim at the conquest of Syria. They\nare thoroughly organized. Their whole country is divided into districts.\nIn each district a weekly council is held, and, by means of delegates,\nconstant communication is maintained between the different branches of\ntheir community. In peace the Druzes are industrious and hospitable;\nin war, daring and ferocious. In their mountain homes they are readily\ndistinguished from all other sects by their trim beards, and their\nneatly-folded turbans of spotless white.[686]\n\nThanks to the civilization of the West, and especially to French\nenterprise, a Macadamized road has been constructed from Beir\u00fbt to\nDamascus. It is a noble highway, 16 feet wide, with deep water-drains\non each side, and with drains, bridges, and buttresses of substantial\nmason-work. Regarding bad roads as barriers to the advance of an\ninvading army, but forgetting that such also impede the retreat of\ntheir own forces, the Turks are the enemies of good roads. And although\nthe antiquary, with the Turk, may deprecate the destruction of the\ncamel-route which had been the great highway from Damascus to the sea\nsince the days of Abraham, yet the interests of commerce and religion\nwill be promoted by this new and grand turnpike.\n\nFollowing the Mediterranean coast from Sidon to Beir\u00fbt, which is the\ncommercial emporium of Syria and Palestine, we passed through the busy\nstreets of the latter town, and, leaving the pine forests and mulberry\ngroves which environ the city to the west, we began the ascent of\nLebanon. Riding rapidly over the newly-made road, we soon mounted the\nwestern spurs of Lebanon, and at midday reached the summit. The skies\nwere lowery, and a dense fog hung upon the mountains. At times the\nfog was impenetrable, and the muleteers were compelled to call to\neach other frequently, and ring the warning bell of their approach.\nTurning to the southeast of Wady Humm\u00e2na, we began to descend amid wild\nand varied scenery. The clouds now were lifted up; the sun shone with\nunwonted splendor; and at our feet lay the glorious Plain of the Buk\u00e2\u2019a.\nThe descent was along the southern side of this magnificent glen, the\nupper part of which is nine miles across; the bottom is dotted with\nvillages, and the rocky sides are sprinkled with pines. The banks are\nshelving, and the new road not having been completed to this point, our\nhorses cautiously picked their way among the rocks. To the north of the\nravine, and on the summit of a lofty spur of the mountain, stand the\nruins of a Druze castle, and to the south of it are a few excavated\ntombs.\n\nMisdirected by a muleteer, our dragoman attempted to cross the Buk\u00e2\u2019a\nin a straight line, avoiding a long sweep over the ordinary path; but\nthe recent rains had flooded the plains to the depth of three feet,\nand the Leontes swept by with increased velocity. Fording one branch\nof the river in safety, we were compelled to ride for several miles\nin water up to our horses\u2019 haunches, and, on reaching the main channel\nof the Leontes, we found the banks too steep and the stream too deep\nand rapid to ford. Night was upon us, and, as our only alternative, we\nrode northward eight miles, and, after crossing four or five bridges,\npursued our journey in the darkness of the hour to the small village\nof Mejdel, where, after having been in the saddle fourteen consecutive\nhours, we obtained lodgings in the humble cottage of a Maronite\nChristian.\n\nNot far from the town is a hill crowned with the ruins of some\nextraordinary but unknown temple, and from its broken walls we obtained\na view of the great Plain of Buk\u00e2\u2019a. The eye followed the mountains on\neach side to the northward till lost to view, and southward to where\nthe chains converge and form the gorge of the Leontes. \u201cThe plain is\nsmooth as a lake, and the artificial mounds which here and there dot\nits surface might well pass for islands.\u201d Three miles to the northeast\nare the remains of the ancient city of Chalcis, and 25 miles beyond\nare the stupendous and splendid ruins of Ba\u2019albek, the Heliopolis of\nAntoninus Pius, and the rival of Athens in the grandeur and proportions\nof its temples and palaces.\n\nMounting our horses, in half an hour we entered the defiles of\nanti-Lebanon. Ascending the long but picturesque glen of Wady Har\u00eer,\nwe met a pompous cavalcade, escorting the wives and female slaves of\nthe Pasha of Damascus to Beir\u00fbt. The ladies rode in sedans, the sides\nof which were of glass, and which were borne on poles by two mules, one\nin front and the other behind. The chief ladies were in the maturity\nof womanhood, and their countenances were exceedingly fair. They were\nattired in the most costly manner, and over their faces were drawn thin\nwhite veils. In the sedans which followed were beautiful Circassian\ngirls, and behind them came Nubian girls, remarkable only for their\nblackness. All seemed happy, and each returned our salutation with\nexquisite grace. The eunuchs were mounted on magnificent Arabian horses,\nelegantly caparisoned, and the Turkish cavalry, well mounted, and each\nbearing a long lance, appeared proud and vigilant.\n\nOn leaving Wady Har\u00eer we ascended a ridge of gray hills, and were\nsoon on the desert plateau of Sahl Judeideh. In all my wanderings in\nArabia and Palestine, I had seen nothing to exceed the sterility and\nforbidding aspect of this upland plain. But, as Nature loves contrasts,\nthe bleak hills and plains of Judeideh only enhance, by way of contrast,\nthe glorious Plain of El-Merj, on which Damascus stands. Reaching the\nsummit of the ridge, the city of Eliezer and Naaman lay before me,\nembowered in gardens of vast extent and of the most enchanting beauty.\nBeholding it for myself, I could no longer wonder at the sublime\nencomiums which Arabian writers and modern travelers have pronounced\nupon this entrancing prospect. On a magnificent plain, bounded by lofty\nmountains, are gardens of olive, apricot, pomegranate, cypress, poplar,\nwillow, walnut, lemon, and orange trees, covering an area of 30 miles\nin circuit, from the midst of which rise tapering minarets, swelling\ndomes, castellated towers, and white-roofed palaces, the abodes of\nmerchant princes. It is this half-opened and half-secluded view of\nthe city that gives power and charm to the vision. Now you see a\ngolden crescent peering above the bright green foliage, sparkling in\nthe sunlight like a diamond in a circlet of emeralds; now appears a\nhalf-ruined castle through an opening glade of cypresses and walnuts;\nand again is seen the white dome of an ancient mosque, embowered with\nstately palms and gracefully drooping willows.\n\nUnlike other Oriental cities, Damascus retains the charm of her beauty\neven when seen from within. There is a fascination in her sparkling\nfountains and golden-flowing Abana, meandering amid bright oleanders\nand tall poplars, and breaking ever and anon into dashing cascades;\nin her marble palaces, with mosaic walls and arabesque ceilings, and\nsplendid mosques, where the khalifs of a thousand years have worshiped;\nand in her long, rich bazars, where are seen the shawls of Cashmere,\nthe carpets of Persia, the silks of the East, and her own Damascus\nblades, jeweled daggers, and gold-embroidered robes.\n\nThe great plain on which Damascus stands is 21 miles wide, and has\nan elevation of 2200 feet above the sea. Triangular in shape, it is\nbounded on the northwest by the anti-Lebanon range, which varies in\nheight from 500 to 1500 feet; along its southwestern border flows the\nRiver Pharpar, beyond which are the Mountains of Haur\u00e2n, which are\ndimly seen upon the horizon; on the east are three lakes, surrounded by\na dense thicket, and bounding the horizon beyond is a range of conical\nhills. On this rich plain, covered with vegetation, are over 100\nvillages, containing a population of 40,000 souls. The eastern portion\nis called El-Merj, while that lying around the city bears the name\nof Gh\u00fbtah. Its perennial fertility is due to the Abana and Pharpar,\n\u201crivers of Damascus.\u201d The highest sources of the latter are near the\nvillage \u2019Arny, in a large basin-like glen in Mount Hermon. Enlarged by\nseveral smaller streams near Sa\u2019sa\u2019, its clear waters sweep along in\na deep, narrow bed, confined on one side by a rugged wall of volcanic\nrock, and on the other by cliffs of limestone. At first a small,\nlively stream, it increases in volume as it flows eastward, and, after\nmeandering through rich meadows, it enters the southern of the three\nlakes, not far from the town of Heij\u00e2ny. The Abana rises in a high\nplain south of Zebed\u00e2ny, on anti-Lebanon. The head of the stream is\ncalled Fijeh, and is one of the largest and most beautiful fountains in\nSyria. Bursting forth from a narrow cave, it leaps, foams, and roars as\nit descends to a confluence with other streams, when at once it becomes\na rapid torrent 30 feet wide and four deep. Cutting its way through the\nmountain, its channel widens and deepens, and from its bed rise cliffs\n1000 feet high, and white almost as the snow of Hermon. Rushing in a\nsoutheasterly direction down the mountain, and issuing upon the plain\nthrough a wild chasm, it turns eastward, and, flowing along the north\nwall of Damascus, takes its way across the plain to the two northern\nlakes. Whether we consider the beautiful blue tinge of its waters, or\ntheir deliciousness, or their fertilizing power, or the sylvan lakes\nand pretty cascades they form, the Abana is deservedly the most\ncelebrated of Syrian rivers. To secure the advantages to be derived\nfrom such a deep, broad stream, its waters are diverted from its\nchannel through not less than nine canals for the supply of the city\nand the irrigation of the plain.\n\nSomewhere on this plain, to the southeast of the city, occurred\ntwo great events\u2015\u2015the meeting of Hazael and the Prophet Elisha,[687]\nand the conversion of St. Paul.[688] Elisha came from Palestine,\nand, when near Damascus, Hazael met him with a present from Benhadad,\nthe then reigning king, who was lying dangerously ill. Ambitious and\nunscrupulous, Hazael returned to his royal master with the prophetic\npromise of recovery; but, taking advantage of the king\u2019s debility,\nHazael murdered Benhadad and mounted the throne of Syria.\n\nNearly a thousand years later, and perhaps upon the same spot,\noccurred the other and grander event. On leaving Jerusalem, Saul of\nTarsus pursued the ancient caravan track to the capital of Syria.\nHaving passed in his journey the most renowned cities in Palestine, and\nthe scenes of the most important events in the history of Christ, he at\nlength drew near to Damascus. It was while his heart swelled with pride\nand hope at the prospect of the speedy consummation of his terrible\nmission that \u201csuddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven,\nabove the brightness of the sun,\u201d and he \u201cheard a voice saying unto\nhim, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?\u201d Though it is not possible\nto identify the exact spot where he fell to the ground, the features of\nthe landscape remain unchanged. There now, as then, the white dome of\nHermon is on the south; the bare ridge of anti-Lebanon is on the north;\nwhile to the east are the gardens, the domes, and towers of Damascus.\nNow, as then, the sky is cloudless, and a Syrian sun shines in his\nstrength; and now, as then, the peasant in the same field drives his\noxen with sharp goads, which illustrate, if they did not suggest, the\nwords of Jesus, \u201cIt is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.\u201d\n\nDamascus is too old to have ruins. She has outlived Nineveh, and\nBabylon, and Thebes, and Palmyra, and Ba\u2019albek, and Greece, and Rome,\nand, retaining the freshness of her youth, seems destined to live\nthroughout all time. Though successively the prize of the Persian, the\nGreek, the Roman, the Saracen, the Christian, and now of the Turk, yet\nby some mysterious law she has resisted the changes of fortune incident\nto the change of rulers, and, prospering under each dynasty, she is\nstill the greatest commercial city of Asiatic Turkey, carrying on, as\nin olden times, an extensive trade with Egypt, Persia, Bagdad, and the\nBedouins of the Eastern desert.\n\nBut her high antiquity and thrilling religious history possess a\npeculiar interest. Coming from Southern Mesopotamia, the cradle of our\nrace, across the Syrian desert, the great grandchildren of Noah settled\non the banks of the Abana. Here, in after years, Abraham found Eliezer,\nthe faithful steward of his household;[689] and in the little town of\nBurzeh, near by, the patriarch lived. Here flow the Abana and Pharpar,\nwhich Naaman thought \u201cbetter than all the waters of Israel;\u201d and here\nwas the captive home of the little maid, whose simple story about the\nLord\u2019s prophet of Samaria induced the proud Syrian to visit Gilgal\nto be \u201crecovered of his leprosy.\u201d[690] Hither came Elijah and Elisha\nto reprove kings and anoint their successors;[691] and hither, but\nparamount in the grandeur of its results to all other events, came\nSt. Paul, to receive his sight and obtain the peace of heaven.[692]\nChristian affection has preserved the memory of the sites of many of\nthese events. The house of Judas, where Paul lodged, and the home of\nAnanias, who baptized the great apostle of the Gentiles, are still\npointed out with affectionate remembrance. The \u201cstreet which is called\nStraight,\u201d into which the repentant persecutor was led, is correctly\nnamed, being a mile long, and running east and west through the centre\nof the town. In the Roman age it was 100 feet wide, and divided into\nthree avenues by rows of Corinthian columns, with corresponding portals;\nbut at present neither the gates nor the colonnades remain. To the\nsouth of the city is the gate Kis\u00e2n, which has been closed for 700\nyears. Near this portal is located the scene of St. Paul\u2019s escape,\nwhere, in his own words, \u201cThrough a window in a basket was I let down\nby the wall and escaped.\u201d[693] In the lapse of time and through the\ndevastations of war the window is gone, but on the east wall of the\ncity are several buildings, with projecting windows, from which many\npersons were let down during the recent massacre; and to the east of\nthe wall is the traditional site of Naaman\u2019s palace, on which has been\nerected a leper\u2019s hospital, probably for his descendants.\n\nThough Damascus has survived the mightiest cities of the past, the\nvast cemeteries in the environs of the town, crowded with the dead, are\na mournful proof that the countless generations, which from the most\nremote ages have dwelt within her gates and reclined in her fragrant\ngardens, have gone down to their graves. Wandering among the monuments\nof those venerable grave-yards, I saw the tombs of three of Mohammed\u2019s\nwives; of Fatima, his granddaughter, the unfortunate child of Aly; of\nMoawyeh, the founder of the dynasty of the Ommiades; and of Salad\u00een,\nthe victor of Hatt\u00een.\n\nDamascus is built on both banks of the Abana, a mile and a half from\nthe base of the lowest ridge of anti-Lebanon. It is encompassed with a\nwall, exhibiting specimens of the masonry of every age from the Roman\nto the present time, and which is penetrated by seven gates occupying\ntheir ancient sites. Of an irregular oval shape, the old city, the\nnucleus of the present town, is on the south bank of the river. Here\nstands the massive castle, a large quadrangular building 840 feet long\nby 600 broad, the foundations of which were laid by the Romans and the\nsuperstructure reared by the Saracens. Through this portion of the city\nruns the \u201cstreet called Straight,\u201d and on its northern side are the\nprincipal buildings\u2015\u2015the churches of the Christians, the Khan As\u2019ad\nPasha, and the Great Mosque. The latter structure is the most imposing\nand magnificent edifice in Damascus. Built in the form of a quadrangle,\nit is 489 feet long by 324 wide. On its northern side is a spacious\ncourt 431 feet long and 125 broad, surrounded by cloisters, with arches\nspringing from granite and marble columns. The interior is divided\ninto a nave and aisles, formed by two rows of Corinthian columns. The\nfloor is of tesselated marble, covered with Persian carpets, and the\nwalls are incased with mosaics and various colored marbles. Beneath\nthe transept is a cave, said to contain, in a gold casket, the head of\nJohn the Baptist. From the centre of the transept rises a noble dome,\n50 feet in diameter and 120 high, resting on four massive piers. The\nexterior is adorned with three minarets, the loftiest of which is\n250 feet high. It is generally supposed that this grand mosque stands\non the site of the temple of the god Rimmon, and that here Naaman\ndeposited the \u201ctwo mules\u2019 burden of earth\u201d which he had brought from\nthe Plains of Jericho;[694] and here probably stood that beautiful\naltar which excited the admiration of King Ahaz, and which served as\nthe model for the altar he caused to be constructed in Jerusalem.[695]\n\nOn the opposite bank of the river is a large suburb, the Turkish\nquarter of the city, containing the residences of the chief officers\nof the government and of the army. To the west are the barracks, and\nto the southward is the Meid\u00e2n, through which runs a broad avenue, the\nordinary route taken by the pilgrim caravan on its way to Mecca.\n\nThe chief resorts of the Damascenes for pleasure are the numerous\nand elegant caf\u00e9s, several of which are on the banks of the Abana.\nHere platforms are erected over the foaming waters, shaded by willows,\npoplars, palms, and cypresses. At night a thousand miniature lamps of\nvaried forms and colors glimmer among the branches of the trees and\nare reflected in the river below, while turbaned Turks while away the\nhours sipping delicious Mocha coffee from thimble-sized cups, whiffing\nthe best Stamboul tobacco-smoke through ornamented chibouks, humming\nsome monotone chant, or listening to the recital of some Oriental tale\nof love, prodigality, or war. Damascus is at once a commercial and\nmanufacturing city. The principal articles manufactured are silks,\nwoolen and cotton cloths, gold and silver ornaments, confections,\nnargilies, boots, shoes, slippers, and pattens worn by the belles\nof the town. The bazars are usually filled with articles of home\nmanufacture, and those imported from Manchester, Birmingham, Lyons,\nParis, Constantinople, Cashmere, and Bagdad. Arranged in open stalls,\nthe bazars are among the most interesting objects to be seen by the\nOccidental. Here he witnesses the activity and trade of the city, and\nbeholds scenes unlike any thing of the kind to be seen in the West. He\nis soothed by the odor of perfumes and spices; his appetite is tempted\nby preserved fruits and confectioneries; he is delighted or offended\nby the scent of various kinds of tobacco; he is bewildered by the sound\nof the hammers of the silversmiths; his curiosity is awakened by the\nodd-shaped boots and slippers; and his admiration is excited by costly\ndiamonds, emeralds, rubies, robes, antique armors, Damascus blades, and\njeweled daggers.\n\nPrevious to the fearful massacre of 1860 the population of Damascus\nnumbered 150,000 souls. Of these, 129,000 were Moslems, 6000 Jews,\nand 15,000 Christians; but the murders, captivities, and dispersions\nincident to that dreadful tragedy have reduced the Christian population\nto less than two thirds its original number. The Christians were among\nthe most wealthy and intelligent citizens; their dwellings and churches\nwere of the most splendid order, and by their thrift and industry they\nhad added largely to the revenues of the city. But the fanaticism of\nthe Moslems culminated in a murderous assault, the results of which are\ntoo well known to the world. The cause was deep-seated and inveterate,\nthe occasion puerile and trifling. Several Mohammedan and Christian\nboys were at play in one of the streets, and the former, evincing the\nspirit of persecution, drew the figure of a cross upon the sand, and\nthen attempted to compel the latter to trample upon it; but, equally\nand strongly attached to the religion of their fathers, they resisted,\nand a scuffle followed. Learning the cause of the trouble, the parents\nof the Christian boys caused the Mohammedan lads to be arrested and\nbrought before the city judge. It was the torch applied to the magazine.\nIndignant and infuriated, the Moslem parents collected their friends,\nwho proceeded to the Christian Quarter and commenced the terrible\nassault. The fathers, sons, and husbands of the Christian families\nwere absent from their residences, absorbed in the business of their\nseveral callings. The attack was made in mid-afternoon, and in an\nhour the whole Moslem population was engaged in the work of death and\ndestruction. Their religious hatred had been long suppressed, but their\npent-up fury now burst forth like the sudden and violent irruption of\na volcano. The tocsin was sounded, and the followers of the Crescent\nhastened to exterminate the adherents of the Cross. Entering their\ndwellings, Christian mothers, wives, and daughters were surprised by\ntheir ravishers and murderers, while their husbands, fathers, and sons\nwere slain in the streets by hundreds while hastening to rescue their\nbeloved ones. Escaping through windows, and leaping from the roofs of\ntheir dwellings, the Christian women sought refuge in their churches\nand monasteries; but, forgetful of the reverence due the sacred\nsanctuaries, the Moslems applied the torch, consuming the edifices\nand the helpless refugees within them. The flames continued to spread\ntill a third of the city, and by far the most elegant portion, had been\nreduced to ashes. Where the house of a Christian adjoined that of a\nMohammedan, it was torn down rather than fired, lest the ungovernable\nflames might consume what had not been doomed to destruction. In\na covered alley not far from \u201cStraight\u201d street, 300 women, the\naccomplished wives and daughters of merchant princes, took refuge; but\ntheir merciless persecutors added death to insult, and sabred them on\nthe spot. The wild Bedouins who chanced to be in the city dispatched\ncouriers to their companions, who, mounted on their fleet horses, came\nas on the wings of the wind to abuse and murder the helpless.\n\nThe third point of attack on that memorably sad day was the residence\nof the American Vice-Consul, Dr. Mashaka, one of the most eminent of\nArabic scholars. His ample fortune allowed him to live in princely\nstyle, and his family is the most accomplished I saw in the East.\nHis daughter was wounded, his son was missing for three days, and the\nperson of his beautiful and excellent wife was barely rescued from\nthe licentious and murderous Moslems by the timely interposition of\na female friend. He himself was wounded, and only escaped death by\nthe heroic behavior of his Mohammedan cawass, and by flight to the\nresidence of Abd-el-Kader.\n\nDay after day the work of death and conflagration went on. Magnificent\ncathedrals, stately monasteries, and splendid private residences were\nreduced to heaps of shapeless ruins. Every where were to be seen broken\nfountains, shattered vases, fragments of mosaic pavements, tesselated\nmarble walls, and arabesque ceilings, with costly furniture strewn\nabout in utter confusion. Even the small stone house which tradition\nhad consecrated as the home of the good Ananias suffered from the\ntorch of persecution. The fine residences of the American missionaries\nwere consumed, and their large and valuable libraries scattered among\nthe d\u00e9bris of their homes. In addition to the slain, 500 of the fair\nsisters and daughters of those who survived the massacre were carried\nto the mountains by the wild Bedouins of the Hauran. Thousands of\nChristian families became fugitives, their homes, fortunes, and hopes\nforever ruined. The Christian Mission was broken up, and their church,\nin which 400 worshipers assembled on the Sabbath in the enjoyment\nof a pure faith, was consumed. Bishops, priests, and monks fled, and\nDamascus was given over to Mohammed and the Devil. The authorities of\nthe city connived with the mob, and the government troops joined in the\nacts of violence. But there was one humane Mohammedan who attempted to\nstay the massacre, and whose home afforded shelter to the defenseless.\nAbd-el-Kader, with 300 Algerian soldiers, who had followed their\ncelebrated chief into exile, stood as a wall of brass against the\nfanaticism and fury of the murderers. At the head of his little band,\nhe drove the mob from places which they had attacked, he pursued those\nwho were bearing off helpless women, and swore the death of any who\nshould invade his home to dispatch those who had taken refuge beneath\nhis roof. Inflexible in purpose as he was invincible in courage, he\nhimself became the object of their revenge. Undaunted by their threats\nand repelling their attacks, he became the enemy of the Moslem, but the\nfriend and benefactor of the Christian. Great as he is humane, he will\nlong be remembered with delight by the civilized world.\n\nIt was in the afternoon of the last day I spent in Damascus that\nI enjoyed an interview with this distinguished man. After waiting in\nthe reception-room, which was plainly furnished, while the servant\nannounced our names, the Emir appeared at the fountain in a spacious\ncourt-yard, and invited us to seats in an elegant apartment, on divans\nof embroidered satin. Small cups of Mocha coffee were passed, according\nto the invariable etiquette of a Mohammedan house. The conversation,\nwhich had been general, now turned upon the recent massacre, and the\nnoble part he had acted in the sad drama. His modesty, however, allowed\nhim to say but little, but he kindly showed us the several national\npresents he had received as testimonials of his generous deeds. Greece\nhad sent him two gold stars, on one of which was a medallion likeness\nof King Otho, and on the other were the words, \u201cThy right hand, O Lord,\nis glorified;\u201d Turkey had presented him with two massive silver stars,\nbearing the appropriate inscription, \u201cProtection, Zeal, and Fidelity;\u201d\nFrance had conferred on him the \u201cCross of the Legion of Honor,\u201d\nencircled with emeralds and diamonds, and surmounted with a gold crown;\nthe \u201cFree and Accepted Masons\u201d had bestowed upon him the symbols of\ntheir Order; Sardinia, and Russia, and Austria, and Prussia had honored\nhim with gold stars set with jewels; and from the United States he had\nreceived a magnificent brace of revolvers, of which he seemed justly\nproud. Though thus honored by all these great powers, he had received\nno gift of remembrance from England; and when assured by an English\ngentleman present that much had been said in his country about a gift,\nthe Emir quietly replied, \u201cI prefer works to words.\u201d This failure on\nthe part of England to recognize the magnanimity of this extraordinary\nman is inexplicable. By the Turks it is regarded as an acquiescence\nin the fearful slaughter. This is unjust; the cause, however, is to\nbe found in her truckling policy toward the Turkish empire, and in\nher unwillingness to offend the religious sensibilities of the inhuman\nMoslem. Abd-el-Kader is now in the prime of life, of full habit,\nabove the medium height, with a full face, large head, high, rounded\nbrow, eyes large, black, and lustrous, beard slight and dark, and the\nexpression of his countenance, when in repose, is that of benevolence\nand kindliness; but the peculiar shape of his mouth, together with\nhis general air, indicate decision, courage, and the capacity of\nbeing, when circumstances demand, impetuous and even desperate. He\nis celebrated for the terrible battles he fought with the French in\nAlgiers, and at present is confined within the limits of Damascus as\ntheir prisoner of war. The protection he extended to the Christians has\nrendered him unpopular with the Moslems of the city of his exile, and\nhe desires another more congenial with his tastes and sentiments. He is\na devout Mohammedan, but, were he a Christian, what a splendid leader\nhe would make to unite and lead the Syrian Christians to victory!\n\n\n CONCLUSION.\n\nSome master-mind is yet to write the political history of the\nHoly Land from the conquest of Titus to the death of the late Sultan\nAbd-ul-Medjid. Such a history would bring to light crusades the most\nchivalrous and ruinous, political schemes the most ambitious and\ndegrading, and religious systems the most fanatical and corrupting\nthe world has ever known. Such a work would advance the science of\ngovernment and the higher purposes of Christianity; it would be the\necho of the prophetic voice uttered centuries ago, and furnish an\nunanswerable argument that the present physical and moral condition\nof the Land of Promise is the result of misrule, and of a stupendous\nsystem of oppression, extortion, and fanaticism. It would especially\nprove the undeniable fact that the Turk is the enemy of good government,\nof national greatness, of social and intellectual refinement, of\ndomestic and individual purity, and demonstrate beyond dispute that the\nreign of the Turk is the reign of ruin. Suited best to the excitement\nof battle, and to the plunder and murder of the vanquished, in times of\npeace the unrestrained passions of the Turk drive him to vices no less\ndestructive of himself than they are blighting to civilized society. In\nthe camp and on the field he has always prospered; but when unimpelled\nby the excitement of war, his vigor has disappeared, and he has been a\nleech on the body politic, and a drone in community. Whether in Europe,\nAsia, or Africa, he has run a regular course of rapid attainment of\npower by bloody and devastating wars, and then as regularly declined\nfrom the moment when, as conqueror, he sat down to reap the fruits of\nvictory. The Turk and Islam are identical; the former is the embodiment\nof the latter, and the latter is exterminating to all who refuse\nsubmission to the sway of the False Prophet, and annihilating to every\nthing which does not subserve the ends of his religion. No country\nhas risen to greatness under his power; and those which were great\nin national resources, in splendor of architecture, in the wealth of\nagriculture, and in the superiority of art and science, have dwindled\ninto insignificance, or utterly perished under his deteriorating\ninfluence.\n\nPalestine is a deplorable instance of national wretchedness, to\nwhich one of the fairest lands upon the face of the globe has been\nreduced since the reign of the Islamitic Turk. From the Arab invasion\nin 633 A.D., headed by the famous generals Kh\u00e2led and Abu Obeidah,\nto the present time, the cultivation of the soil has been neglected,\ncommerce diminishing, and government perverted to the worst of purposes.\nSixteen years subsequent to that invasion the Crescent was the ensign\nof dominion from the shores of the Atlantic to the confines of India.\nOf the then nine flourishing cities in Syria, Damascus alone retains\nits earlier grandeur, and this only in part, as in the conflagration\nand massacre of 1860 a third of its most magnificent edifices were\ndestroyed, and 15,000 of its noblest citizens slain, captured, or\ndispersed. Led by the heroic Godfrey, the Crusaders in 1099 A.D.\nrecovered the much-abused land from the neglect and cruelty of the Turk,\nand for three quarters of a century the Land of Promise was restored to\ncomparative prosperity. Under those Christian rulers the resources of\nthe country were developed to an astonishing degree; the fleets of Pisa,\nGenoa, and Venice traded along its shores, and populous cities sprung\nup as if by magic. But in 1187 the battle of Kur\u00fbm Hatt\u00een decided the\nfate of the Crusaders. Jerusalem was retaken by Salad\u00een; the Franks\nwere expelled from Palestine; and four years thereafter the celebrated\nMelek-ed-Dh\u00e2her replaced all Syria under the domination of the Turks,\nand thenceforward to the present time the Holy Land has been the\nprey of Mohammedan adventurers, and is now a dependency to the Porte,\ndivided into three pashalics.\n\nSix centuries prove that the Moslem is neither the fosterer of the fine\narts nor the promoter of agriculture, commerce, manufactures, or public\nworks of any kind. When, in the 12th century, the Christians were\nexpelled, the large and fertile plains of Sharon, Ph\u0153nicia, Esdraelon,\nand Mukhnah were fruitful fields yielding golden harvests, the reward\nof honest husbandry; but now those plains are the camping-grounds of\nthe wandering Arab, where he feeds his flocks _ad libitum_, and then,\nmounting his fleet horse, scours the adjoining country in search of\nplunder. The Crusaders left to their conquerors large and flourishing\nmaritime cities, with a lucrative commerce with Europe and the Levant;\nbut, under the dominion of the Turks, those commercial towns are poor\nand filthy, without harbors, without vessels, without mariners, without\ntrade. The Koran, forbidding the \u201cmaking of any thing like unto that\nwhich is in heaven above or in the earth beneath,\u201d has not only left\nSyria without a picture and without a statue, but has also led to the\nwanton destruction of the splendid edifices of medi\u00e6val times. The\nknights of that period rivaled the Romans, and even Herod the Great,\nin the erection of costly temples, palaces, and churches. In Jerusalem,\nRamleh, Ludd, Beeroth, Bethel, Samaria, \u2019Akka, Tyre, Sidon, and\nespecially in Athl\u00eet\u2015\u2015the _Castellum Peregrinorum_ of the defenders of\nthe Cross, were structures worthy to adorn any age; but, content with\na shade-tree under which to whiff his nargily, and an ill-formed hovel\nfor the accommodation of his many wives, the Moslem has allowed those\nmagnificent buildings to crumble to ruins, or has ruthlessly destroyed\nthem. With one or two exceptions, the celebrated edifices which\nremain are the work of other hands. The great mosque in Damascus\nwas originally a Christian church, erected by Arcadius, the son of\nTheodosius, and dedicated to John the Baptist; the Mosque of El-Aksa,\nin Jerusalem, was once a church, built by order of the Emperor\nJustinian, and dedicated to \u201cMy Lady,\u201d the Virgin Mary; and the mosque\ncovering the cave of Machpelah was also a Christian temple. Excepting\nthe Mosque of Omar, the Mohammedans have scarcely a structure of any\nimportance of their own erection in the Holy Land, and, unlike the\ndescendants of the Greeks and Romans, the posterity of the Turks will\nnever sit amid the splendid ruins of ancestral greatness.\n\nPalestine is now in a transition state, and there are indications that\ngreat political and moral changes are at hand. Numbering in all more\nthan a million and a half, the present inhabitants are a mixed race,\nthe several portions of which are designated by their religion rather\nthan by their nationality. Their religious appellations are party\nnames, and are the symbols of power, fear, or reproach, according to\nthe comparative strength of the different parties. Three of the most\nnumerous of the sects represent three great powers\u2015\u2015France, Russia,\nand Turkey, and by intrigue, bribery, and fanaticism, will inevitably\ninvolve those mighty nations in a bloody strife for the possession of\nthe Holy Land. Palestine seems destined to be again contended for by\nthe nations of Western Europe, and the Plain of Esdraelon may once more\nbecome the battle-field of nations. At present most of these powers\nhave landed possessions there, and are annually making new purchases.\nOn Mount Akra, to the southwest of the Holy City, the Russians have\ninclosed a large area with high, strong walls; within is a monastery,\nwhich in time of war will serve all the purposes of a fortress, and to\nthe inclosure they have given the name of \u201cNew Jerusalem.\u201d Prussia has\na large hospice within the city, and also several flourishing religious\nand literary institutions. The French hold possession of the ancient\nChurch of St. Anne, and have recently purchased the land adjoining it;\nthey own the large green plat of ground opposite the Church of the Holy\nSepulchre, which was once occupied by the Knights of St. John; they\nhave bought the old castle in Beir\u00fbt, and have constructed a noble\nMacadamized road from that city to Damascus, and have the right of way\nfor 49 years. And on Mount Zion England has a consular building, and a\nchurch of which any nation might be justly proud, and by her diplomacy\ncontrols the policy of the Sublime Porte more than any other European\npower.\n\nBut, whatever may be the political relations of Palestine in the\nfuture, the great and only hope of her regeneration and elevation\nis to be found in her Christian missions. These are established in\nJerusalem, Bethlehem, Joppa, Nablous, Nazareth, Sidon, Beir\u00fbt, Damascus,\nand in several of the larger towns in the Lebanon Mountains. In\nJerusalem the mission is well and thoroughly organized, and is attended\nby the happiest results; the numerous schools are in a prosperous\ncondition, and the places of worship filled with sincere and attentive\nlisteners. But the Beir\u00fbt Mission is really doing the greatest work in\nevangelizing the land. The Bible has been translated into Arabic, and\nis now given to the millions who speak that language. At Abuh, in the\nmountains, there is a seminary for the training of native missionaries,\nand a college of a high order will soon be opened in Beir\u00fbt, liberally\nendowed by American citizens.\n\nSmitten with decay, and retiring before the advance of Western\ncivilization, Mohammedanism is yielding to the superior power of\nChristianity. The Crescent, which for so many centuries was the ensign\nof the conquering Turk, no longer excites alarm. It was once the\nCrescent of the new moon, expanding and brightening till it shone\nresplendent on the plains of Asia, the shores of Africa, and the hills\nof Europe; but it is now the Crescent of the old moon, contracting and\ndim, from the horns of which are slipping the conquering sword of the\nProphet and the diadem of Othman. Demanded by the Christian powers of\nthe earth, and protected by their armies and navies, religious liberty\nin Palestine is offered to the Christian and the Jew. The Land of\nPromise has a glorious past, and an equally glorious future awaits to\ndawn upon it. Prophecy is big with an exalted destiny, the unfoldings\nof which will turn all eyes to the land of sacred song, the cradle of\nour religion, and the scene of our Lord\u2019s incarnation. Thrice happy\nwill be that day when Jerusalem shall be rebuilt and made holy; when\nthe scattered tribes shall be recalled, and go up to worship in a\ntemple more magnificent than that of Solomon; and when, from the Plains\nof Bethlehem to the snow-capped summits of Mount Hermon, and from the\ncoasts of Tyre and Sidon to the Mountains of Gilead, light shall arise\nout of darkness, and the voice of Christian praise, mingling with the\nsong of angels, shall be as sincere as it shall be universal.\n\n\n THE END.\n\n\n\n\n FOOTNOTES.\n\n\n 1 \u2013 Num., xxxiv., 2\u201212; Ezek., xlvii., 15\u201220.\n\n 2 \u2013 Num., xxxiv.\n\n 3 \u2013 2 Sam., iii., 10.\n\n 4 \u2013 Gen., xv., 18; 2 Sam., viii., 3; 1 Kings, iv., 21\u201225.\n\n 5 \u2013 Volney\u2019s Travels.\n\n 6 \u2013 Ex., iii., 17.\n\n 7 \u2013 Ib.\n\n 8 \u2013 Levit., xxvi., 5.\n\n 9 \u2013 Deut., viii., 9.\n\n 10 \u2013 Ib., xi., 10\u201212.\n\n 11 \u2013 Ps. lxv., 13; civ., 14, 15.\n\n 12 \u2013 Gibbon\u2019s Rome, vol. i., p. 27.\n\n 13 \u2013 Stanley\u2019s Palestine, p. 121.\n\n 14 \u2013 Olin\u2019s Travels, ii., p. 429.\n\n 15 \u2013 Barclay\u2019s C. G. K., p. 416.\n\n 16 \u2013 Jer., iii., 3, 4.\n\n 17 \u2013 Amos, iv., 7.\n\n 18 \u2013 Barclay, p. 53.\n\n 19 \u2013 See Milman\u2019s note in Gibbon\u2019s Rome, i., p. 27, 28.\n\n 20 \u2013 Josephus, Anti B., b. xv., c. iv.\n\n 21 \u2013 Milman\u2019s note on Gibbon, i., p. 27, 28.\n\n 22 \u2013 Olin\u2019s Travels.\n\n 23 \u2013 Volney\u2019s Travels.\n\n 24 \u2013 Ps. civ., 24, 25.\n\n 25 \u2013 Ps. cvii., 23\u201226.\n\n 26 \u2013 Ib., civ., 18.\n\n 27 \u2013 Ib., cxlvii., 16, 17.\n\n 28 \u2013 Ib., lxiii., 1.\n\n 29 \u2013 Isa., xxxii., 2.\n\n 30 \u2013 Gen., xx., 1.\n\n 31 \u2013 Ps. civ., 32.\n\n 32 \u2013 1 Chron., v., 26.\n\n 33 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 3, 4.\n\n 34 \u2013 Ib., xlix., 19.\n\n 35 \u2013 Hibbard\u2019s Palestine.\n\n 36 \u2013 Gen., xlviii., 19.\n\n 37 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 7; Deut., xxxiii.; Num., i., 23, and xxvi., 14.\n\n 38 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 16, 17.\n\n 39 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 22; Judges, xviii., and xvi., 31.\n\n 40 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 8\u201212.\n\n 41 \u2013 Ib., xlix., 27.\n\n 42 \u2013 Josh., xviii., 16, 17; 2 Sam., v., 6\u20129.\n\n 43 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 12.\n\n 44 \u2013 Judges, iii., 15.\n\n 45 \u2013 1 Sam., ix., 21.\n\n 46 \u2013 1 Sam., xiv., 1.\n\n 47 \u2013 Esther, ii., 5.\n\n 48 \u2013 Ib., ii., 7.\n\n 49 \u2013 Phil., iii., 5.\n\n 50 \u2013 Hibbard\u2019s Palestine, p. 76, and Clark on Num., xxvi.\n\n 51 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 22.\n\n 52 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 17.\n\n 53 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 25.\n\n 54 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 13\u201217.\n\n 55 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 14, 15.\n\n 56 \u2013 Judges, v., 15.\n\n 57 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 18.\n\n 58 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 13.\n\n 59 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 19.\n\n 60 \u2013 Napoleon.\n\n 61 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 20.\n\n 62 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 24.\n\n 63 \u2013 Hibbard\u2019s Palestine, p. 97.\n\n 64 \u2013 1 Chron., xii., 36.\n\n 65 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 25.\n\n 66 \u2013 Luke, ii., 36.\n\n 67 \u2013 Luke, iv., 26.\n\n 68 \u2013 Bochart\u2019s translation.\n\n 69 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 23.\n\n 70 \u2013 Matt., iv., 13.\n\n 71 \u2013 Ps. cxxv., 2.\n\n 72 \u2013 Stanley\u2019s Palestine, p. 174.\n\n 73 \u2013 Ps. xlviii., 12, 13.\n\n 74 \u2013 1 Pet., ii., 6.\n\n 75 \u2013 Ps. cxliv., 12.\n\n 76 \u2013 Isa., xxviii., 16.\n\n 77 \u2013 Matt., iv., 5, 6.\n\n 78 \u2013 Anti B., xv., c. xi.; Robinson\u2019s B. R., i., p. 290.\n\n 79 \u2013 Mark, xiii., 2.\n\n 80 \u2013 Robinson\u2019s B. R., i., p. 287.\n\n 81 \u2013 Barclay\u2019s C. G. K., p. 459.\n\n 82 \u2013 1 Kings, vi., 7.\n\n 83 \u2013 Neh., ii., 13.\n\n 84 \u2013 Jer., xix., 2.\n\n 85 \u2013 2 Kings, xi., 16\u201219.\n\n 86 \u2013 Ib., xxv., 4.\n\n 87 \u2013 Jer., xxxviii., 7\u201213.\n\n 88 \u2013 Luke, xxii., 55.\n\n 89 \u2013 Book v., chap. iv., p. 528.\n\n 90 \u2013 Jer., xxvi., 18.\n\n 91 \u2013 Josephus, B. J., b. v., c. iv., p. 3.\n\n 92 \u2013 Luke, xxii., 12.\n\n 93 \u2013 John, xiii., 12.\n\n 94 \u2013 Ib., xx., 19.\n\n 95 \u2013 John, xx., 25.\n\n 96 \u2013 Acts, ii., 1.\n\n 97 \u2013 Acts, ii., 2\u201239.\n\n 98 \u2013 Neh., ii., 3.\n\n 99 \u2013 Ib., iii., 16.\n\n 100 \u2013 Anti B., vii., c. xv., s. 3.\n\n 101 \u2013 Ib.\n\n 102 \u2013 Josephus, anti B., xvi., c. vii., s. 1.\n\n 103 \u2013 Acts, ii., 29.\n\n 104 \u2013 Barclay\u2019s City of the Great King, p. 214, 215.\n\n 105 \u2013 2 Kings, v., 12.\n\n 106 \u2013 Ib., v., 27.\n\n 107 \u2013 Ib., xv., 5.\n\n 108 \u2013 Anti B., xv., c. xi., s. 3.\n\n 109 \u2013 B. J., b. v., c. v., s. 8.\n\n 110 \u2013 Acts, iv., 6.\n\n 111 \u2013 Ib., v., 34.\n\n 112 \u2013 Isa., lxvi., 9\u201212.\n\n 113 \u2013 Ps. lxxix., 1\u20125.\n\n 114 \u2013 Anti B., xv., c. xv., s. 3.\n\n 115 \u2013 Luke, xix., 44.\n\n 116 \u2013 Wars of the Jews, b. vii., c. i.\n\n 117 \u2013 Wars of the Jews, b. vi., c. vi.\n\n 118 \u2013 Antiquities of the Jews, b. xiv., c. iv.\n\n 119 \u2013 1 Kings, x., 5.\n\n 120 \u2013 Antiquities, b. xv., c. xi.\n\n 121 \u2013 John, xix., 5.\n\n 122 \u2013 71,000 were slain.\n\n 123 \u2013 Robinson\u2019s B. R., vol. i., p. 298\u2012300.\n\n 124 \u2013 Gen., xxii., 9.\n\n 125 \u2013 1 Chron., xxi., 15\u201220.\n\n 126 \u2013 Ib., xxi., 21\u201227.\n\n 127 \u2013 2 Chron., iv., 1.\n\n 128 \u2013 Robinson\u2019s B. R., vol. i., p. 299.\n\n 129 \u2013 Josephus, anti B., xv., c. xv., s. 3.\n\n 130 \u2013 Barclay\u2019s City of the Great King, p. 525.\n\n 131 \u2013 Josephus, W. J., b. vi., c. iii., s. 4;\n Robinson\u2019s B. R., vol. i., p. 364\u2012405.\n\n 132 \u2013 Stanley.\n\n 133 \u2013 Gen., xxiii., 4.\n\n 134 \u2013 Matt., xxiii., 27.\n\n 135 \u2013 Dr. Barclay.\n\n 136 \u2013 Porter.\n\n 137 \u2013 2 Sam., xviii., 18.\n\n 138 \u2013 2 Chron., xxi., 1.\n\n 139 \u2013 Joel, iii., 2.\n\n 140 \u2013 2 Chron., xxiv., 21.\n\n 141 \u2013 Matt., xxiii., 35.\n\n 142 \u2013 Matt., xxiii., 27.\n\n 143 \u2013 Ecc., xii., 5.\n\n 144 \u2013 Matt., ix., 23.\n\n 145 \u2013 Ps. lvi., 8.\n\n 146 \u2013 1 Kings, xi., 4\u20128.\n\n 147 \u2013 Neh., ii., 14.\n\n 148 \u2013 2 Sam., xviii., 18.\n\n 149 \u2013 Ex., xv., 20, 21.\n\n 150 \u2013 Isa., viii., 6, 7.\n\n 151 \u2013 Neh., iii., 15.\n\n 152 \u2013 John, ix., 1\u20127.\n\n 153 \u2013 Ib., v., 7.\n\n 154 \u2013 Josh., xv., 7.\n\n 155 \u2013 Maccabees, i., 19, 22.\n\n 156 \u2013 Josh., xv., 7.\n\n 157 \u2013 2 Sam., xvii., 17.\n\n 158 \u2013 1 Kings, i., 9.\n\n 159 \u2013 Josh., xv., 8.\n\n 160 \u2013 Jer., vii., 31.\n\n 161 \u2013 Ib., vii., 32.\n\n 162 \u2013 2 Kings, xxiii., 10.\n\n 163 \u2013 Josephus, W. J., b. vi., c. viii., s. 5.\n\n 164 \u2013 Josephus, W. J., b. v., c. xiii., s. 7.\n\n 165 \u2013 Mark, ix., 44.\n\n 166 \u2013 Matt., xxvii., 4\u201210.\n\n 167 \u2013 Ib., xxvii., 5.\n\n 168 \u2013 1 Kings, i., 40.\n\n 169 \u2013 2 Chron., xxxii., 30.\n\n 170 \u2013 Isa., vii., 3.\n\n 171 \u2013 Ib., xxxvi., 2\u201210.\n\n 172 \u2013 2 Kings, xx., 20.\n\n 173 \u2013 2 Chron., xxxii., 30.\n\n 174 \u2013 2 Chron., xxxii., 3\u20124.\n\n 175 \u2013 Eccl., ii.\n\n 176 \u2013 Gen., xxi., 25.\n\n 177 \u2013 Num., xx., 19.\n\n 178 \u2013 1 Sam., xxv., 11.\n\n 179 \u2013 Prov., v., 15.\n\n 180 \u2013 John, iv., 14.\n\n 181 \u2013 Study of Words, p. 13.\n\n 182 \u2013 Robinson.\n\n 183 \u2013 Lazarus.\n\n 184 \u2013 John, xi., 31.\n\n 185 \u2013 Luke, x., 38.\n\n 186 \u2013 John, xi., 7.\n\n 187 \u2013 Matt., xxvi., 6.\n\n 188 \u2013 John, xii., 3.\n\n 189 \u2013 Luke, x., 38\u201242.\n\n 190 \u2013 John, xi.\n\n 191 \u2013 Mark, xiv., 9.\n\n 192 \u2013 Luke, xviii. and xix.\n\n 193 \u2013 John, xii., 1\u201211.\n\n 194 \u2013 Zech., ix., 9.\n\n 195 \u2013 Matt., xxi., 9.\n\n 196 \u2013 Zech., xiv., 4.\n\n 197 \u2013 2 Sam., xv. and xvi.\n\n 198 \u2013 Num., xix., 2\u201210.\n\n 199 \u2013 Ezek., xi., 23.\n\n 200 \u2013 John, xviii., 2.\n\n 201 \u2013 Matt., xxiv., 3\u201241.\n\n 202 \u2013 Ib., xxv.\n\n 203 \u2013 John, xviii.\n\n 204 \u2013 Luke, xxiv., 50.\n\n 205 \u2013 Acts, i., 12.\n\n 206 \u2013 2 Samuel, v., 24.\n\n 207 \u2013 John, xii., 1\u201212.\n\n 208 \u2013 Mark, xi., 12\u201214.\n\n 209 \u2013 Mark, xi., 15\u201217; John, ii., 13\u201217.\n\n 210 \u2013 Matt., xxi., 15, 16.\n\n 211 \u2013 Matt., xxi.\u2012xxvi.\n\n 212 \u2013 Mark, xiv., 10, 11.\n\n 213 \u2013 Matt., xxvi., 20.\n\n 214 \u2013 Mark, xiv., 22\u201225.\n\n 215 \u2013 See John, xiii.\u2012xvii.; Matt., xxvi., 30.\n\n 216 \u2013 Luke, xxiii., 1\u201238.\n\n 217 \u2013 This bridge will probably last for 1000 years to come.\n\n 218 \u2013 John, xix., 20.\n\n 219 \u2013 Heb., xii., 12.\n\n 220 \u2013 Luke, xxiii., 26.\n\n 221 \u2013 John, xix., 20.\n\n 222 \u2013 Matt., xxvii., 55.\n\n 223 \u2013 Luke, xxiii., 27.\n\n 224 \u2013 Matt., xxvii., 41\u201242.\n\n 225 \u2013 Ib., xxvii., 39\u201240.\n\n 226 \u2013 Matt., xxvii., 51.\n\n 227 \u2013 Ib., xxvii., 52.\n\n 228 \u2013 John, xix., 41.\n\n 229 \u2013 Matt., xxvii., 31.\n\n 230 \u2013 Luke, xxiii., 33.\n\n 231 \u2013 John, xix., 20.\n\n 232 \u2013 Ib., xix., 41.\n\n 233 \u2013 Matt., xxviii., 6\u20127.\n\n 234 \u2013 Acts, i., 9\u201213.\n\n 235 \u2013 Ib., ii., 22.\n\n 236 \u2013 Ib., ii., 8\u201211.\n\n 237 \u2013 Ib., ii., 44\u201246.\n\n 238 \u2013 Ib., viii., 1.\n\n 239 \u2013 Josephus, B. J., b. vii., c. i.\n\n 240 \u2013 Robinson\u2019s Biblical Researches, vol. i., p. 407\u2012418.\n Barclay\u2019s City of the Great King, p. 219\u2012238.\n\n 241 \u2013 See Lane\u2019s Egypt.\n\n 242 \u2013 Ex., xii., 1\u201220.\n\n 243 \u2013 Luke, xiii., 25.\n\n 244 \u2013 Ex., xii., 4.\n\n 245 \u2013 J. D. Phelps. Esq.\n\n 246 \u2013 Josh., xv., 7.\n\n 247 \u2013 Matt., iv., 1.\n\n 248 \u2013 Luke, x., 30\u201237.\n\n 249 \u2013 1 Kings, xvii., 3\u20127.\n\n 250 \u2013 Josh., vii., 21\u201226.\n\n 251 \u2013 Num., xxxiii., 47, 48.\n\n 252 \u2013 Josh., ii.\n\n 253 \u2013 Ib., vi., 1\u201225.\n\n 254 \u2013 Ib., vi., 26; 1 Kings, xvi., 34.\n\n 255 \u2013 2 Sam., x., 5.\n\n 256 \u2013 2 Kings, ii., 5.\n\n 257 \u2013 Ib., ii., 6\u201218.\n\n 258 \u2013 Ib., ii., 19\u201224.\n\n 259 \u2013 Josephus, anti B., xiii., c. vii., s. 4;\n 1 Mac., xvi. 14, 15.\n\n 260 \u2013 Anti B., xv., c. iv.\n\n 261 \u2013 Ib., b. xvii., c. x.\n\n 262 \u2013 Luke, xix.; Mark, x., 46.\n\n 263 \u2013 Anti B., v., c. i., s. 4.\n\n 264 \u2013 Josh., iv., 1\u201220.\n\n 265 \u2013 Ib., v., 9.\n\n 266 \u2013 Ib., v., 10.\n\n 267 \u2013 Ib., v., 13\u201215.\n\n 268 \u2013 Ib., xviii., 1.\n\n 269 \u2013 1 Sam., vii., 16; x., 8.\n\n 270 \u2013 Ib., xi., 15.\n\n 271 \u2013 Ib., xiii., 8\u201214.\n\n 272 \u2013 2 Sam., xix., 15.\n\n 273 \u2013 2 Kings, iv., 38\u201241.\n\n 274 \u2013 Ib., v.\n\n 275 \u2013 Deut., xxxiv., 3.\n\n 276 \u2013 2 Kings, ii., 21.\n\n 277 \u2013 Robinson\u2019s B. R., vol. i., p. 562.\n\n 278 \u2013 B. J., b. iv., c. x., s. 3.\n\n 279 \u2013 Josh., xi., 6\u201210.\n\n 280 \u2013 Josh., xii., 2\u20125.\n\n 281 \u2013 Gen., xxxii., xxxiii.\n\n 282 \u2013 Judges, vii., 24, 25.\n\n 283 \u2013 Ib., xii., 5, 6.\n\n 284 \u2013 Num., xxii., 41.\n\n 285 \u2013 Ib., xxiii., 14.\n\n 286 \u2013 Ib., xxiii., 28.\n\n 287 \u2013 Num., xxiii., 10.\n\n 288 \u2013 Ib., xxiii., 24.\n\n 289 \u2013 Ib., xxiv., 5.\n\n 290 \u2013 Deut., xxxiv., 1\u20123.\n\n 291 \u2013 Ib., xxxiv., 5.\n\n 292 \u2013 Josh., iii., 16.\n\n 293 \u2013 Josh., iii., 16.\n\n 294 \u2013 Ib., iii., 15.\n\n 295 \u2013 2 Kings, ii.\n\n 296 \u2013 2 Kings, v., 12.\n\n 297 \u2013 Luke, iii., 3.\n\n 298 \u2013 John, i., 28.\n\n 299 \u2013 Ib., iii., 23.\n\n 300 \u2013 Clark\u2019s Comment. on John, i., 28.\n\n 301 \u2013 Stanley\u2019s Palestine, p. 304, 305.\n\n 302 \u2013 Matt., iii., 1.\n\n 303 \u2013 Ib., iii., 5.\n\n 304 \u2013 Gen., xiii., 10.\n\n 305 \u2013 Gen., xiii., 10.\n\n 306 \u2013 Josephus, b. xviii., c. v.\n\n 307 \u2013 Num., xxii., 36.\n\n 308 \u2013 Judges, xi., 19.\n\n 309 \u2013 Ib., xi., 13.\n\n 310 \u2013 Josh., xiii., 8.\n\n 311 \u2013 2 Kings, iii., 37.\n\n 312 \u2013 Gen., xix., 17\u201220.\n\n 313 \u2013 Ib., xix., 28.\n\n 314 \u2013 2 Sam., viii., 13.\n\n 315 \u2013 2 Kings, xiv., 7.\n\n 316 \u2013 Josephus, B. J., b. vii., c. viii.\n\n 317 \u2013 1 Sam., xxiv., 1\u20127.\n\n 318 \u2013 2 Chron., xx., 1, 2.\n\n 319 \u2013 Species of fragrant grape.\u2015\u2015THOMPSON.\n\n 320 \u2013 Cant., i., 14.\n\n 321 \u2013 1 Sam., xxv., 1\u201242.\n\n 322 \u2013 Judges, iv., 19.\n\n 323 \u2013 Josh., xix., 15.\n\n 324 \u2013 Matt., ii., 1.\n\n 325 \u2013 Micah, v., 2.\n\n 326 \u2013 Ib.\n\n 327 \u2013 Gen., xxxv., 18\u201220.\n\n 328 \u2013 Ruth, iv., 13.\n\n 329 \u2013 Ib., iv., 17\u201222.\n\n 330 \u2013 Luke, ii., 7.\n\n 331 \u2013 Matt., ii., 11.\n\n 332 \u2013 Luke, ii., 7.\n\n 333 \u2013 Anti B., b. xv., c. ix., s. iv.;\n B. J., b. i., c. xxi., s. x.;\n Ib., b. iv., c. ix., s. v.\n\n 334 \u2013 2 Sam., xiv., 1\u201220.\n\n 335 \u2013 Amos, i., 1.\n\n 336 \u2013 1 Sam., xxii., 1\u20123.\n\n 337 \u2013 2 Sam., xxiii., 14\u201217.\n\n 338 \u2013 Ib., xxii., 3, 4.\n\n 339 \u2013 1 Sam., xxii., 1.\n\n 340 \u2013 Ib.\n\n 341 \u2013 1 Chron., xi., 15.\n\n 342 \u2013 Gray.\n\n 343 \u2013 Num., xiii., 22.\n\n 344 \u2013 Gen., xiii., 18.\n\n 345 \u2013 Ib., xiv., 13.\n\n 346 \u2013 Gen., xiv., 14.\n\n 347 \u2013 Ib., xviii.\n\n 348 \u2013 Ib., xix., 28.\n\n 349 \u2013 Ib., xvi., xvii.\n\n 350 \u2013 Ib., xxiii.\n\n 351 \u2013 Ib., xxxv., 29.\n\n 352 \u2013 Ib., l., 13.\n\n 353 \u2013 Josh., xv., 13.\n\n 354 \u2013 2 Sam., ii., 11.\n\n 355 \u2013 2 Sam., iv., 12.\n\n 356 \u2013 See Stanley\u2019s Account of the Visit of the Prince of Wales,\n Appendix II. to his History of the Jewish Church.\n\n 357 \u2013 Gen., xxi., 33.\n\n 358 \u2013 Ib., xxii., 1\u201219.\n\n 359 \u2013 Ib., xxv., 27\u201234.\n\n 360 \u2013 Ib., xxviii.\n\n 361 \u2013 Ib., xlvi., 1.\n\n 362 \u2013 1 Kings, xix., 1\u20124.\n\n 363 \u2013 Gen., xviii., 2.\n\n 364 \u2013 Ib., xviii., 4.\n\n 365 \u2013 Ib., xxix., 6.\n\n 366 \u2013 Ib., xviii., 8.\n\n 367 \u2013 Ib., xviii., 9.\n\n 368 \u2013 Num., xiii., 16\u201226.\n\n 369 \u2013 Micah, iv., 4.\n\n 370 \u2013 Num., xiii.\n\n 371 \u2013 Matt., xxi., 33.\n\n 372 \u2013 Josh., xv., 58.\n\n 373 \u2013 Gen., xxxv., 16\u201220.\n\n 374 \u2013 2 Sam., v., 24.\n\n 375 \u2013 Deut., ii., 23.\n\n 376 \u2013 Acts, viii., 27\u201229.\n\n 377 \u2013 Luke, i., 39.\n\n 378 \u2013 1 Sam., v. and vi.\n\n 379 \u2013 Judges, xiii., 2.\n\n 380 \u2013 Ib., xiv., 1.\n\n 381 \u2013 Judges, xiv., 5, 6.\n\n 382 \u2013 Ib., xiv., 14.\n\n 383 \u2013 Ib., xv., 4.\n\n 384 \u2013 Ib., xvi., 4.\n\n 385 \u2013 Ib., xvi., 5\u201221.\n\n 386 \u2013 1 Sam., xvii.\n\n 387 \u2013 1 Sam., xxi., 10\u201215.\n\n 388 \u2013 Robinson.\n\n 389 \u2013 Josh., x., 31, 32.\n\n 390 \u2013 1 Chron., xi., 5\u201212.\n\n 391 \u2013 Gen., x., 19.\n\n 392 \u2013 Josh., xiii., 3.\n\n 393 \u2013 Judges, xiii., 1.\n\n 394 \u2013 Judges, xvi., 2\u20123.\n\n 395 \u2013 Ib., xvi., 21.\n\n 396 \u2013 Heb., xi., 32.\n\n 397 \u2013 Robinson.\n\n 398 \u2013 Zeph., ii., 4.\n\n 399 \u2013 Zech., ix., 5.\n\n 400 \u2013 1 Sam., iv., v.\n\n 401 \u2013 2 Chron., xxvi., 6.\n\n 402 \u2013 Neh., xiii., 23\u201226.\n\n 403 \u2013 Acts, viii., 40.\n\n 404 \u2013 Zech., ix., 6.\n\n 405 \u2013 2 Chron., xxvi., 6.\n\n 406 \u2013 1 Sam., v., 10\u201212.\n\n 407 \u2013 Josh., xix., 46.\n\n 408 \u2013 Acts, ix., 36.\n\n 409 \u2013 Josh., xix., 46.\n\n 410 \u2013 2 Chr., ii., 16; Ezra, iii., 7.\n\n 411 \u2013 Jonah, i., 3.\n\n 412 \u2013 Acts, ix., 36.\n\n 413 \u2013 Ib., x., 6.\n\n 414 \u2013 Judge.\n\n 415 \u2013 Ruth, xiv., 11.\n\n 416 \u2013 Ex., vii., 12.\n\n 417 \u2013 1 Chron., viii., 12.\n\n 418 \u2013 Acts, ix., 32.\n\n 419 \u2013 2 Chron., xxviii., 18.\n\n 420 \u2013 Deut., xxii., 10.\n\n 421 \u2013 Josh., xxi., 22.\n\n 422 \u2013 Josh., x.\n\n 423 \u2013 Inn.\n\n 424 \u2013 Josh., xviii., 25.\n\n 425 \u2013 Ib., xxi., 17.\n\n 426 \u2013 1 Chron., xvi., 39.\n\n 427 \u2013 2 Sam., ii., 16.\n\n 428 \u2013 Ib., ii., 17.\n\n 429 \u2013 Ib., xx., 8\u201210.\n\n 430 \u2013 1 Kings, iii., 5\u201212.\n\n 431 \u2013 Judges, xx.\n\n 432 \u2013 1 Sam., vii., 6\u201212.\n\n 433 \u2013 1 Sam., x., 23, 24.\n\n 434 \u2013 2 Kings, xxv., 25.\n\n 435 \u2013 1 Sam., xi., 4.\n\n 436 \u2013 Judges, xix. and xx.\n\n 437 \u2013 1 Sam., ix., 1, 2.\n\n 438 \u2013 Ib., x., 26.\n\n 439 \u2013 1 Sam., xi.\n\n 440 \u2013 Ib., xiv.\n\n 441 \u2013 Ib., xvi.\n\n 442 \u2013 Ib., xviii.\n\n 443 \u2013 Ib., xix.\n\n 444 \u2013 Ib., xxv.\n\n 445 \u2013 Ib., xxxi.\n\n 446 \u2013 2 Sam., xxi., 1.\n\n 447 \u2013 Ib., xxi., 8.\n\n 448 \u2013 2 Sam., xxi.\n\n 449 \u2013 Matt., xii.\n\n 450 \u2013 1 Sam., xxii.\n\n 451 \u2013 1 Kings, ii.\n\n 452 \u2013 1 Sam., xiii.\n\n 453 \u2013 Ib.\n\n 454 \u2013 Gen., xxv.\n\n 455 \u2013 Ezek., ix., 2.\n\n 456 \u2013 John, x., 3.\n\n 457 \u2013 Gen., xii., 8.\n\n 458 \u2013 Ib., xiii., 10\u201214.\n\n 459 \u2013 Mark, ii., 9.\n\n 460 \u2013 Gen., xxviii.\n\n 461 \u2013 Ib., xxxv.\n\n 462 \u2013 1 Sam., vii.\n\n 463 \u2013 1 Kings, xiii.\n\n 464 \u2013 2 Kings, ii.\n\n 465 \u2013 Ib., xxiii.\n\n 466 \u2013 Amos, v., 5.\n\n 467 \u2013 Dr. Robinson.\n\n 468 \u2013 Judges, xxi., 19.\n\n 469 \u2013 Josh., xviii.\n\n 470 \u2013 1 Sam., i., 24; ii., 1\u201218.\n\n 471 \u2013 Ib., iv.\n\n 472 \u2013 Judges, xxi.\n\n 473 \u2013 1 Kings, xiv.\n\n 474 \u2013 Jer., vii., 12.\n\n 475 \u2013 Judges, xxi., 19.\n\n 476 \u2013 Gen., xlviii., 20.\n\n 477 \u2013 Gen., xii.\n\n 478 \u2013 Ib., xxxiii.\n\n 479 \u2013 Ib., xxxiv.\n\n 480 \u2013 Ib., xxxvii.\n\n 481 \u2013 Josh., viii.\n\n 482 \u2013 Judges, ix.\n\n 483 \u2013 1 Kings, xii.\n\n 484 \u2013 2 Kings, xvii.\n\n 485 \u2013 Deut., xxvii., 11\u201226; Ib., xxviii.; Josh., viii., 30\u201235.\n\n 486 \u2013 One hundred lambs, or coins with the image of a lamb upon\n them. Gen., xxxiii., 19.\n\n 487 \u2013 John, iv., 1\u201242.\n\n 488 \u2013 Gen., l., 25.\n\n 489 \u2013 Josh., xxiv., 32.\n\n 490 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 22.\n\n 491 \u2013 Cant., vi., 4.\n\n 492 \u2013 1 Kings, xvi., 8.\n\n 493 \u2013 2 Kings, v., 20\u201227.\n\n 494 \u2013 Luke, xvii., 11\u201213.\n\n 495 \u2013 Ex., xii., 11.\n\n 496 \u2013 Sixty piastres.\n\n 497 \u2013 1 Kings, xvi., 23, 24.\n\n 498 \u2013 Cant., vi., 4.\n\n 499 \u2013 1 Kings, xvi., 33.\n\n 500 \u2013 Ib., xx.\n\n 501 \u2013 2 Kings, vi., 12\u201222.\n\n 502 \u2013 2 Kings, vi., 24\u201233; Ib., vii., 1\u201220.\n\n 503 \u2013 Acts. viii.\n\n 504 \u2013 Book xvi., p. 316.\n\n 505 \u2013 Micah, i., 6.\n\n 506 \u2013 Hosea, xiii., 16.\n\n 507 \u2013 1 Chron., xxvii., 29.\n\n 508 \u2013 Isa., lxv., 10.\n\n 509 \u2013 Josephus, A. J., b. xv.\n\n 510 \u2013 Acts, viii.\n\n 511 \u2013 Acts, xxi.\n\n 512 \u2013 Ib., xxiii., xxiv., xxv., and xxvii.\n\n 513 \u2013 A. B., b. xv.\n\n 514 \u2013 Acts, xii.\n\n 515 \u2013 Josephus, A. J., b. xix.\n\n 516 \u2013 Josh., xi.\n\n 517 \u2013 Isa., xxxv., 2.\n\n 518 \u2013 Amos, i., 2.\n\n 519 \u2013 1 Kings, xviii.\n\n 520 \u2013 2 Kings, iv.\n\n 521 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 15.\n\n 522 \u2013 Josephus, A. J., b. v.\n\n 523 \u2013 Judges, iv.\n\n 524 \u2013 2 Chron., xxxv.\n\n 525 \u2013 1 Sam., xxxi.\n\n 526 \u2013 Ps. lxxxix., 12.\n\n 527 \u2013 Judges, vii., 3.\n\n 528 \u2013 Ib., vii.\n\n 529 \u2013 1 Sam., xxviii. and xxxi.\n\n 530 \u2013 1 Sam., xxviii. and xxxi.\n\n 531 \u2013 1 Kings, xix. and xxii.\n\n 532 \u2013 2 Kings, iv.\n\n 533 \u2013 Luke, vii.\n\n 534 \u2013 1 Sam., xxviii.\n\n 535 \u2013 Josh., xix.\n\n 536 \u2013 Judges, iv.\n\n 537 \u2013 Ib., viii.\n\n 538 \u2013 Hosea, v.\n\n 539 \u2013 Ps. lxxxix.\n\n 540 \u2013 Jer., xlvi., 18.\n\n 541 \u2013 Matt., xvii., 1; Mark, ix., 2.\n\n 542 \u2013 Luke, ix., 28.\n\n 543 \u2013 Matt., xvii., 24, and xix., 1.\n\n 544 \u2013 Luke, ix., 37.\n\n 545 \u2013 Luke, iii., 1.\n\n 546 \u2013 Matt., xix., 1.\n\n 547 \u2013 Bashan.\n\n 548 \u2013 Bathanyeh.\n\n 549 \u2013 Jaul\u00e2n.\n\n 550 \u2013 Porter.\n\n 551 \u2013 Josephus, Antiq., b. xix., c. v., s. 1.\n\n 552 \u2013 Josh., xx., 7.\n\n 553 \u2013 Ib.\n\n 554 \u2013 Isa., ix., 1; Matt., iv., 15.\n\n 555 \u2013 Wars of the Jews, b. iii., c. iii., s. 1.\n\n 556 \u2013 Num., xxxiv., 11; Josh., xix., 35.\n\n 557 \u2013 John, xxi., 1.\n\n 558 \u2013 Ib., vi., 1.\n\n 559 \u2013 Matt., xiv., 34.\n\n 560 \u2013 Matt., xiv. Josephus, Antiq., b. xviii., c. v.\n\n 561 \u2013 Robinson, B. R., vol. ii.\n\n 562 \u2013 John, xxi.\n\n 563 \u2013 Luke, ix., 7\u20129.\n\n 564 \u2013 Luke, xxiii., 6-12.\n\n 565 \u2013 W. J., b. iii., c. x.\n\n 566 \u2013 Thomson and Clarke.\n\n 567 \u2013 Matt., viii.; Mark, v.; Luke, viii.\n\n 568 \u2013 Luke, iii.\n\n 569 \u2013 Antiq., b. xviii., c. ii.\n\n 570 \u2013 Ib., c. iv.\n\n 571 \u2013 Matt., xiv., 13.\n\n 572 \u2013 Matt., xiv., 13.\n\n 573 \u2013 Ib., xiii., 21.\n\n 574 \u2013 Mark, vi., 39.\n\n 575 \u2013 Matt., xiv.\n\n 576 \u2013 W. J., b. iii., c. x.\n\n 577 \u2013 Matt., xiv., 34.\n\n 578 \u2013 Luke, v., 1\u20123; Mark, iv.\n\n 579 \u2013 Matt., xiii.\n\n 580 \u2013 Matt., xiv., 34; John, vi., 24.\n\n 581 \u2013 B. J., b. iii., ch. x., s. 8.\n\n 582 \u2013 Robinson\u2019s B. R., vol. iii., p. 348.\n\n 583 \u2013 Matt., iv., 13.\n\n 584 \u2013 Ib., ix., 1.\n\n 585 \u2013 Mark, i., 21\u201234.\n\n 586 \u2013 Matt., ix., 2\u20129.\n\n 587 \u2013 Luke, vii., 1\u201210.\n\n 588 \u2013 Mark, v., 22\u201243.\n\n 589 \u2013 Matt., xvii., 24\u201227.\n\n 590 \u2013 Ib., xiii.\n\n 591 \u2013 Ib., ix.\n\n 592 \u2013 Ib., xv.\n\n 593 \u2013 John, vi., 24.\n\n 594 \u2013 Mark, ix., 33\u201250.\n\n 595 \u2013 Matt., xi., 23, 24.\n\n 596 \u2013 Matt., iv., 18\u201222.\n\n 597 \u2013 Luke, v.\n\n 598 \u2013 Mark, vi., 32.\n\n 599 \u2013 John, vi., 1.\n\n 600 \u2013 Ib., vi., 17.\n\n 601 \u2013 Matt., xiv., 34, and Mark, vi., 53.\n\n 602 \u2013 John, vi., 24.\n\n 603 \u2013 Mark, iv., 37\u201239.\n\n 604 \u2013 Matt., xi., 21, 22.\n\n 605 \u2013 B. J., b. iv., ch. i.\n\n 606 \u2013 Josh., xi., 6\u201210.\n\n 607 \u2013 Nephew.\n\n 608 \u2013 Gen., xiv., 14\u201216.\n\n 609 \u2013 Judges, xviii.\n\n 610 \u2013 Deut., xxxiii., 22.\n\n 611 \u2013 Judges, xx., 1.\n\n 612 \u2013 Robinson.\n\n 613 \u2013 Josephus, Antiq., b. xv., ch. x., s. 3.\n\n 614 \u2013 Matt., xvi. and xvii.; Mark, viii. and ix.\n\n 615 \u2013 Deut., iii., 9.\n\n 616 \u2013 Ib., iv., 48.\n\n 617 \u2013 Ib., iii., 8.\n\n 618 \u2013 Stanley\u2019s S. and P., 396.\n\n 619 \u2013 Ps. lxxxix., 12.\n\n 620 \u2013 Sion.\n\n 621 \u2013 Ps. cxxxiii., 3.\n\n 622 \u2013 Josephus, B. J., b. i., ch. xvi.\n\n 623 \u2013 Matt., iv. and v.\n\n 624 \u2013 Gibbon\u2019s Rome, vol. vi., c. lix.;\n Tytler\u2019s U. H., vol. iv., c. ix.;\n Robinson\u2019s B. R., vol. ii., s. xv., p. 372\u2012377.\n\n 625 \u2013 John, i., 46.\n\n 626 \u2013 Luke, iv., 28, 29.\n\n 627 \u2013 Luke, i. and ii.\n\n 628 \u2013 Ib., iv., 16.\n\n 629 \u2013 Matt., xiii., 55, 56.\n\n 630 \u2013 Luke, iv., 31.\n\n 631 \u2013 Porter.\n\n 632 \u2013 Gen., x., 15.\n\n 633 \u2013 Tytler\u2019s U. H., vol. i., p. 86; Hibbard\u2019s Palestine.\n\n 634 \u2013 John, xxi., 2.\n\n 635 \u2013 Ib., ii., 1\u201211.\n\n 636 \u2013 Ib., iv., 46\u201254.\n\n 637 \u2013 Gen., xlix., 20; Deut., xxxiii., 24.\n\n 638 \u2013 Judges, v., 17.\n\n 639 \u2013 Judges, i., 31.\n\n 640 \u2013 Acts, xxi., 7.\n\n 641 \u2013 French of \u2019Akka.\n\n 642 \u2013 Gibbon\u2019s Rome, vol. vi., p. 46, 47.\n\n 643 \u2013 Josh., xix., 29.\n\n 644 \u2013 Isa., xxiii.\n\n 645 \u2013 Josh., xix.\n\n 646 \u2013 1 Kings, v.\n\n 647 \u2013 Anti B., b. ix., c. xiv.\n\n 648 \u2013 Anti B., b. vii., c. ii., Hiram\u2019s Letter to Solomon.\n\n 649 \u2013 Ib., b. ix., c. xiv.\n\n 650 \u2013 Amos, i., 9.\n\n 651 \u2013 Joel, iii., 4, 5.\n\n 652 \u2013 Ib., iii., 6.\n\n 653 \u2013 Ezek., xxvi., 2.\n\n 654 \u2013 Ezek., xxvi., 21.\n\n 655 \u2013 Ib., xxvi., 12.\n\n 656 \u2013 Ib., xxvi., 14.\n\n 657 \u2013 Acts, xxi., 4.\n\n 658 \u2013 Robinson, vol. ii., p. 470.\n\n 659 \u2013 Gibbon.\n\n 660 \u2013 1 Kings, xvii.\n\n 661 \u2013 Mark, vii., 24\u201230.\n\n 662 \u2013 Gen., x., 19.\n\n 663 \u2013 Ib., x., 15; Josephus, Anti B., b. i., c. vi.\n\n 664 \u2013 Josh., xix., 28.\n\n 665 \u2013 Pope\u2019s Il., b. vi., 360\u2012370.\n\n 666 \u2013 Isa., xxiii., 12.\n\n 667 \u2013 1 Kings, v.\n\n 668 \u2013 Volney\u2019s Trav., vol. i.; Paxton\u2019s Illustrations, vol. i.\n\n 669 \u2013 Deut., iii., 25.\n\n 670 \u2013 Isa., xxix., 17.\n\n 671 \u2013 Isa., xxxvii., 24.\n\n 672 \u2013 Hab., ii., 17.\n\n 673 \u2013 Song, iv., 8.\n\n 674 \u2013 Ib., iv., 11.\n\n 675 \u2013 Hosea, xiv., 7.\n\n 676 \u2013 Ps. lxxii., 16.\n\n 677 \u2013 Isa., xxxv., 1, 2.\n\n 678 \u2013 Ps. civ., 16.\n\n 679 \u2013 1 Kings, v. and vi.; Ezra, iii., 7.\n\n 680 \u2013 Isa., ii., 12, 13.\n\n 681 \u2013 Amos, ii., 9.\n\n 682 \u2013 Ezek., xxxi., 3\u201210.\n\n 683 \u2013 Ps. xxix., 4, 5.\n\n 684 \u2013 Zech., xi., 1\u20122.\n\n 685 \u2013 Ps., xcii., 12.\n\n 686 \u2013 Porter\u2019s Palestine; Thomson\u2019s Land and the Book, vol. i.,\n p. 248.\n\n 687 \u2013 1 Kings, xix., 15; 2 Kings, viii., 7\u201215.\n\n 688 \u2013 Acts, ix., 1\u201222.\n\n 689 \u2013 Gen., xv., 2.\n\n 690 \u2013 2 Kings, v., 1\u201214.\n\n 691 \u2013 Ib., viii.\n\n 692 \u2013 Acts, ix.\n\n 693 \u2013 2 Cor., xi., 33.\n\n 694 \u2013 2 Kings, v., 18.\n\n 695 \u2013 Ib., xvi., 10\u201216; Porter\u2019s Five Years in Damascus.\n\n\n\n\n TRANSCRIBER\u2019S NOTES.\n\n\nThe following corrections have been made in the text:\n\n Page 37:\n Sentence starting: Surmounting this corner....\n \u2013 \u2018assurring\u2019 replaced with \u2018assuring\u2019\n (assuring him of the charge)\n\n Page 40:\n Sentence starting: This section of the wall....\n \u2013 \u2018Pilot\u2019 replaced with \u2018Pilate\u2019\n (in which Pilate held his \u201cJudgment Hall.\u201d)\n\n Page 167:\n Sentence starting: Expressing surprise at her absence....\n \u2013 \u2018househould\u2019 replaced with \u2018household\u2019\n (if the household be too little)\n\n Page 235:\n Sentence starting: Having an elevation of....\n \u2013 \u201828,000\u2019 replaced with \u20182,800\u2019\n (Having an elevation of 2,800 feet)\n\n Page 309:\n Sentence starting: Nearly two centuries later....\n \u2013 \u2018Hanor\u2019 replaced with \u2018Hamor\u2019\n (at the hand of the children of Hamor,)\n\n Page 365:\n Sentence starting: Her house, with the....\n \u2013 \u2018soliel\u2019 replaced with \u2018soleil\u2019\n (the fatal _coup de soleil_)\n\n Page 391:\n Sentence starting: Considered one of the most....\n \u2013 \u2018impotrant\u2019 replaced with \u2018important\u2019\n (one of the most important cities)\n\n Page 404:\n Sentence starting: St. John, with greater....\n \u2013 \u2018exacitude\u2019 replaced with \u2018exactitude\u2019\n (with greater exactitude, says)\n\n Page 464:\n Sentence starting: The shag-bark is coarse....\n \u2013 \u2018fail\u2019 replaced with \u2018fall\u2019\n (and fall in early winter;)\n\n Footnote 20:\n Sentence starting: Josephus, Anti B....\n \u2013 added omitted volume reference \u2018b. xv.,\u2019\n (Josephus, Anti B., b. xv., c. iv.)\n\n Footnote 560:\n Sentence starting: Matt., xiv....\n \u2013 \u2018lxxviii\u2019 replaced with \u2018xviii\u2019\n (Josephus, Antiq., b. xviii., c. v.)","title":"From Dan to Beersheba: A Description of the Wonderful Land, with Maps and Engravings and a Prologue by the Author Containing the Latest Explorations and Discoveries","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":162116}