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THE m EAST.dk11*3 1'Ji-r-l-I,1-leynni-6ni-ato Jernsa-Soonon on tho Way From Jaffa lom Tho Plain of Sharon Hlatorlo Spots-Tho Roly Olty—Poor PU-griins -The Mount or Olivos—An Xntor-estintr Supposition- Tho Yalloy or Js-hoaaphat.OfTho journey from Jaffa to Jerusalem, writes a correspondent of the New Haven Journal und Courier, has disgust* 1 many an ardent searcher of the word who came to Palestine to strengthen his faith. Having arrived at a Btate of mind, by reason of ray Oriental experiences, whereby I was prepared for anything, and having been forewarned as to the disappointing naturo of the oountry, I was sblo to endure with considerable comioMure the discomforts of the journey. At this time of the year most people make the trip of forty miles during the night; but I wanted to see the country, whatever tho heat of the sun, and so went in tho day. The trip lias to lie made in a rickety, uncovered wagon, drawn by throo horses harnessed abreast. Emerging from the orange and lemon groves of Jaffa we proceeded to cross the Plain of Sharon, the greatest plain in all this country, immeasurably su|»enor to the plaius of Tyre, Hidon and even Esdraelon. The plain nppenred to lie quite fertile, and wheat and barley Helds stretch on either side of the road as far as the eye could reach. As the country grew more hilly we could see large flocks of sheep, goats, cntnels, asses and cows grazing in tho pastures, just as they are represented as doing in 1. Chronicles, xxvii., 29. In somo places the follnliin wereIklonghing. A single man can carry on tis shoulders a whole set of those native farming utensils, including plough, yoke, bows and ox-good. The plongh is wooden, with tho exception of a single iron point like the fluke of a small anchor. It has but one handle, an ancient times I.uke, ix., 62), and if the man who is guiding the plough looks around for a moment the whole thing flops over. The yoke is a small, straight, round |ole, with straight sticks in each end, which go down on each side of the neck of the ox, and are tied with a small string under the throat. The ox-goad is from eight to ten feet long, armed with a sharp piece of iron at one extremity which is used for cleaning tho plough, an I a spear at tho other extremity for prodding the ox. In time of riots the natives use the ox-goad as a weapon just as they did in the time of Shamgar; but I have not heard of any 1 tody's doing as much mischief w ith the goad in these modern times as Shamgar did.We met groat cavalcades of ragged-looking camels on the way, and overtook some bound for Jerusalem loaded with American coal-oil. I saw- one poor camel loaded with heavy stoves. For the flrst twelve miles I counted the camels, and then stopped because it was too hard work. Tho number was above 300.Twelve miles out of Jaffa we reached Rauileli, an enterprising modern village of alout 4,000 inhabitants, by all odds the largest town lietween Jaffa and Jerusalem. Owing to the constant intercourse with pilgrims and Eurojean travelers, the village lias assumed a more modern metropolitan aspect than any other town of its size in Palestine. Most of tho European countries have consular agents stationed there. Nevertheless, there is a tremendous amount of tilth lying about in the blind alleys, just as there is in all these cities of the Holy Land. In the suburbs I inspected some miserable mud hovels, and wondered if it were such as those in which tho apostles were wont to dwell. Each house consisted of one room, mode out of plaster and sticks, without windows. The whole family dwells, eats, cooks and sleeps in this single mi savory apartment. In wiuter manure is heaped about the lint to keep it warm, and the cattle are admitted to the interior. The floor which the family then occapies is something like two feet higher than that upon which the cattle stand, the mangers being constructed along the separating line. It thus liappeus that a manger is a very convenient place in which to cradle an infant, and people here tell me that it is quite a common tilings to see infants thus cradled.At regular intervals on either side of the road, perhaps three or five miles apart, were barracks where Turkish soldiers wore stationed to guard tho highway. Palestine is full of robbers. The Bedouins, or wandering Arabs, are professionals. Tho Turkish soldiers and officials are worst of all.We rode on through a country barren of everything except scriptural associationthough rich indeed in them. Our last halt for resting tho horses was mode in a valley at the foot of the last mountains prior to reaching Jerusalem. The remaining distance was about five miles, but the climb was a severe one, and it is always thought best to rest. On all sides we could see historical spots of which I shall have occasion to speak again. Away to the right, was Ain Karim. tho home of Zacharius and Eliza-beth, and consequently tho birth-place of John the Baptist. The village was quito a deceut oue from the point where we surveyed it. but }erhaps it was the distance that lent the enchantment to the view. Two birthplaces are shown, one nnder the rich altar of a convent, and the other in a grotto fully a quarter of a mile away. The only satisfactory theory which lias been advocated lor counteracting this discrepancy is that Elizabeth divided the time letween the two places, in order to multiply the nnral»or of sacred sites and thereby increase tho pietv of future generationsWe toiled slowly up the long zig-zag ascent and were at length at the summit. Surely now the Holy City wonld loom up grandly, for 1 had an idoa that Jerusalem was built in tho crater of some extinct volcano, and that when lurched on any side of the basin’s rim I could see every pinnacle, dome and pavement stone. Alas for the fraility of human anticipations! The Mount of Olives could lie seen on the oast, with Hcopus an the northern terminus of the range; lmt Jerusalem itself kept persistently out of sight. And so it did until we were almost under its very walls. The truth is that the elevation of the hills uliout the Holy City is so slight, and so many objects intervene, that tho view is altogether obstructed.As the mountains are round about Jerusalem. The comparison is not fonnded upou any very striking semblance, and yet it is a fact that the ground is elevated a little on all sides of Jerusalem. Even the snmmit of the Mount of Olives is only about twenty feet higher than the highest iioint of Zion.To tho right we saw tho convent of tho Cross, a sulmtantial establishment dowu in the valley, kept by some well-fed Greek priests. Here is pointed out Ihe exact site where grew the tree from which the cross was made! Maundfel rather flippantly sums up the claims of this tradition by a parody on the story of tho house that Jack built: Here is the eartn that nourished the root that bore the tree that yielded the timber that made the cross. Under tho high altar you are shown an actual hole in the gronnd where the stump of the trfo stood, aud it meets with not a few visitants, so much verier stoeks than itself as to fall down and worship it.Jerusalem is hardly a disappointment, because I bad ray ideas rather low down. Many of the streets in remote quartersare abominably filthy, in them and I would not advise anyone to venture about in them without a olothspin on tiis nose. Deed cats, rats and dogs are plentiful. I oven ran across one or two .dead donkeys just outside one of the city gates. There are many sacred (?) pools which have stagnated from disuse, and would lie rooted out by the health board of any well regulated city. Walking is difficult, as the narrow streets are paved with ugly coWestones, which have become very slippery and are exceedingly hard oil shoe-leathor. Night is made hideous by the howling of hundreds of hairless, scabby dogs that seem to have nothing else to’do. The braying of the donkeys is also something awful. A single bray can bo heard a quarter of a mile, and thore is no limit to tho iKiHsibilities of a well-trained chorus.The number of pilgrims here thus late in the seAson is astonishing. Bqf I am particularly surprised to see how many poor people there are. Great numbers of Hussions may be seen wandering about in the hot sun, and living almost upon husks. These people walk from Jaffa here, if they cannot get a cheap ride, and never go any further iuto the country than Jerus vlem aud its en-viorns.The European citizens live for the most part outside of the city wall on the road to Jaffa. There are some quite comfortable homes. The Germans have a flourishing colony west of the city. There are quite a good many French people here ulso.The Mount of Olives is tho greatest disappointment of all. In the first place it is hardly a mountain at all, and in the second place it is painfully conspicuous by reason of a paucity of olives. Thero aro plenty of other hills hereabouts that are much more thickly wooded. In the third place tho top is disfigured by a Urge number of tawdry mosque*, dirty huts and manure piles. This may seem like a savage arraigment, but it is sincere. I doubt not that in the days of Christ the mountain was all covered with olive trees, aud altogether a more attractive place than it is now. The valley of Jehosapah, otherwise known as tho valley of the brook Kidron, separates Olivet from Mouut Moriah and Bezetha. As this valley is quite deep, Olivet is made to assume the proportions of quite a hill when you stand at the bottom of tho ravine; but looking toward the mount from a point in Jerusalem whore the valley is not seen. Olivet sinks into painlul insignificance. Tho popular path bv which Olivet is ascended is believed to be the same which David pursued when lie rtt^l barefoot aud weeping from his son Absalom, accompanied by a band of faithful subjects, who heaped earth upon their heads in token of their grief at the disobedience of the usurping prince. Up this path I have toiled in order to familiarize myself with the country round about, pausing anon to look back at the city which has played so important a role in the drama of the nations. From the summit of the mount the view of Jerusalem is really satisfactory—all that one could wish. The extreme top is, as I have said, cluttered up with unattractive buildings, but one can hardly resist the temptation to reach the snmmit in order to command at once a view of the Jordan valley, including the Dead sea on the one hand and a view of Jerusalem and its environs on the other.■itiPCIZ 5 52 fr* * 2-5 o E-VdR 5 £2 253T2 * c*2 tOE. CP. fefi.R‘9 S'* 2 S'S? K®* O R * R C ®
Newspaper Details
Morris Sun
Morris, Minnesota, US
Thu, Aug 07, 1884
Page 3
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GB 16 Jun 2021
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