A PILGRIMAGE THROUGH THE HOLY LAND, Explanatory of tfje Btorama OP JERUSALEM AND THE HOLY LAND, PAINTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. W. BEVERLY, PROM OBIGINAIi SKETCHES, MADE OH THE SPOT, BY MR. W. H. BARTLETT, AUTHOR OF “ WALKS ABOUT JERUSALEM,” “ FORTY DAYS IN THE DESERT,” ETC. DSI07 \ ui ( DS 107 3a93 A PILGRIMAGE THROUGH THE H O LY LAND, lExplanatorg of tfie Diorama JERUSALEM AND THE HOLY LAND, PAINTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OP MR. W. BEVERLY, FROM ORIGINAL SKETCHES, MADE ON THE SPOT, DURING REPEATED JOURNEYS IN THE EAST, / BY MR. W. H. BARTLETT, AUTHOR OF “ WALKS ABOUT JERUSALEM,” “ FORTY DAYS IN THE DESERT,” ETC. “ Those holy fields, Over whose acres walked those blessed feet Which eighteen hundred years ago were nailed For our advantage on the bitter cross.” INTRODUCTION. In presenting this Diorama of the Holy Land to the public, it is as well to explain, not only what it professes to be, but also what it docs not. It is not, then, to be regarded as an exact representation, in all its details , of the entire line of country which it embraces, since such a representation would be in itself impossible, even were ten times the space allotted for it. But it does profess to be a correct delineation of the various scenes and objects represented ; placed, too, in the nearest possible approximation to each other’s relative position. Two objects are specially aimed at in its arrangement:— 1st, The illustration of Sacred Localities of the Bible; and, 2ndly, the embodiment of the Poetry of Oriental Travel. The route, with the first-mentioned object, passes over the Desert of the wanderings of the children of Israel,— from Suez, by the Convent of Mount Sinai, to the Land of Edom and its wonderful capital, Petra; and thence, by way of Mount Llor and the Dead Sea, to Bethlehem and the River Jordan. Descending to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, it traverses Mount Lebanon to the Temple of Baalbcc and the city of Damascus. Turning then southward, it P»nVaces the IV INTRODUCTION. Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Nain, Bethany, and finally exhibits the most prominent objects in the City of Jerusalem. In the course of this extensive range, almost all the moun¬ tains famed in Biblical history and poetry come into view— viz., Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, Mount Hor, Mount Hermon, Mount Lebanon, Mount Gilboa, Mount Carmel, Mount Tabor, Mount Zion, and the Mount of Olives. All the most memorable scenes in the life of Jesus are here, as well as others momentous in Jewish history. In order to impress the spectator with a feeling of oriental poetry, the most singular and startling scenes have been selected, and various characteristic incidents of travel correctly introduced, and exhibited under suitable effects. The whole of the sketches for the panorama, of scenery, in¬ cident, and costume, are exclusively from the pencil of Mr. W. H. Bartlett, and collected during repeated journeys into the Holv Land. * DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. PART THE FIRST ROUTE OF THE ISRAELITES ACROSS THE WILDERNESS, FROM SUEZ TO MOUNT SINAI, AND THE BORDERS OF THE LAND OF EDOM. J HIE most prominent and striking scenes of this region—- -Jb such as fix themselves most strongly upon a traveller’s memory—are here selected for representation. Here we are everywhere on sacred ground. This is th& Desert, still called “ El Tih,” or, of the wandering; and there can be no doubt that it is now almost exactly in the same state as when the Israelites, under the guidance of Moses, traversed its burning sandy plains and rocky ravines on their waj towards the Promised Land. It is a route very often adopted />y travellers at the present day, although very fatiguing, even to the best appointed caravan; and is therefore appropriately selected as an introduction to the scenery of the Holy Land, We have here endeavoured to display it, both in its wildest and most beautiful aspects. 6 DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. THE RED SEA. SCENE OF THE FASSAGE OF THE ISRAELITES. “For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.” —Exodus, xv. 19. Two spots ate usually mentioned by travellers as being the most probable scene of this stupendous miracle, and both are comprised within the limits of this view. The first is a little to the right of the modern town of Suez, on the right-hand side of the picture, where the narrow arm of the sea running up towards the Bitter Lakes, and now dry, was formerly both wider and deeper than at the present day. The second is to the left of the palm trees, about ten miles below Suez, at a spot traditionally called Wady Atakah, or the Valley of Deliverance. Here the sea is ten miles across, and very deep. Thus, there can be but little doubt that the passage was effected within the range of view here exhibited. The ridge of mountains behind Suez is still called “ the Mount of Deliverance.” At whatever point the Israelites may have crossed, they must unquestionably have visited the spring before us, called Ayun Musa, or the Well of Moses, since it was directly in their path towards Mount Sinai. There is so little alteration in the physical features of the Desert, that we are able to trace their every halting-place with certainty. The wells of the lower part of the Desert are extremely brackish and unpleasant. The vegetation is very scanty. The wild palm tree, with its roots fed by the spring, is a character¬ istic object. Around it is the encampment of a traveller, with groups of his Bedouin guides. In traversing the Desert it is necessary to carry a stock of provisions, a tent, and bedding, which requires four or five camels for every traveller. The most serious privation is the want of good water. The most common shrub met with throughout these dreary solitudes is the “ Retem,” or desert heath — the juniper of the Bible. It is seen on the left of the picture, as it moves slowly on. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 7 VALLEY OF FEIRAN AND MOUNT SERBAL. THE PROBABLE SCENE OF THE STRIKING OF THE ROCK. “ And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord,, and pitched in Rephidim : and there was no water for the people to drink.”— Exodus, xvii. 1. This is the most beautiful spot in the whole Desert—the only one where there is any quantity of running water or rich vegetation. There is a palm grove extending for two miles. Here we are again, without doubt, in the track of the Israelites on their way to Mount Sinai—unless indeed, with Dr. Lepsius and other learned travellers, we are rather to regard the lofty mountain in the distance, which is called the Serbal, as being itself the veritable scene of the law-giving. On the top of this mountain are several of the curious Sinaitic characters—a species of inscription, the true nature of which is as yet hardly understood, and which many believe to be the work of the children of Israel themselves, during their sojourn in the wilderness. Others have supposed that this valley is the Rephidim where Moses struck the rock and produced a supply of water. The trees in the foreground are the “ turfeh,” or tamarisk, and produce what some have considered the “ manna” with which the children of Israel were fed. It is still called “ rnenn” by the Arabs. It is merely a species of sweet gum, which distils from the extremities of the branches, and drops on the ground, whence it is picked up by the natives. There is none found but in this spot, where the soil is peculiarly fertile. We may here remark, that the quails mentioned in the Bible are also to be found in almost every part of these mountains. The palm-groves here are very beautiful. The scene repre¬ sents the encampment of the artist precisely as sketched on the spot. Some distance down the stream are the ruins of the ancient city of Feiran, the seat of a Christian bishopric before the Convent of Mount Sinai was erected. The Arabs are now' the sole inhabitants of this romantic region. B s DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. THE PLAIN OF THE LAW-GIVING. “ In tlie third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. For they were departed from Rephidini, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.” Exodus, xix. 1, 2. We are now amidst the remote solitudes of the wilderness of Sinai. Most travellers regard the extensive plain before us as the real spot where the Israelites encamped during the giving of the law. The black pile of rocks directly in front is regarded by Dr. Robinson and others as the mount to which Moses retired. It answers to the Biblical account in being within view of the whole encampment. There is no end, however, to theory on this subject. The monks believe that the mountain called Djebel Musa (Mount of Moses) is the true one. Lord Lindsay prefers Mount Mennagia, while others regard Mount St. Catherine as being the veritable Horeb. Perhaps it may be impossible to ascertain with certainty the exact scene of this wonderful event; it is sufficient to know that we are here in the immediate neighbourhood, perhaps on the very spot. A more dreary or barren region it is impossible to imagine. Here are no streams of running water or palm groves; the few gardens now in existence are tW works of the monks, and nothing but a standing miracle could have provided for the wants of the immense host during their protracted encamp¬ ment. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 0 MOUNT SINAI, WITH THE CONVENT OF ST. CATHERINE, ‘ 1 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount, and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.” —Exodus, xxiv. 18. This Convent is at the foot of DjebelMusa, or “ the Mountain of Moses,” which, as before observed, is regarded by the monks as the real retirement of the great Hebrew lawgiver, during the compilation of the law. This traditional belief, whatever may be the conflicting opinions of travellers, must ever confer upon this venerable edifice an interest surpassed by few in the “ lands of the Bible.” This convent was built by the Emperor Justinian, to afford shelter to the numerous monks who resorted to this holy region and were exposed to the attacks of the Saracens. It is thus quite a fortress, surrounded by a lofty wall, and the only access is by pieans of a rope and pulley, after the manner represented in the picture. The Arabs are never admitted, and encamp outside, while the traveller reposes himself in the building before pursuing his journey. The lofty mountain behind is Djebel Musa, the path up which is seen ascending the face of the precipice. Adjacent to the Convent is the garden—one of the wonders of this re¬ gion, which is universally given up to sterility. Here, however, the monks, by carrying soil, and by incessant labour, have created a little oasis in the Desert. A great variety of fruit trees are contained in the garden, and some vegetables. The enormous cypress tree at the top is a conspicuous object at a great distance. The small building in the garden is the charnel house, where the bones of the deceased monks are carefully piled away. 10 DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. INTERIOR OF THE CONVENT OF MOUNT SINAI. “ And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh : and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai.” Exodus, xxxiv. 32. The interior of the Convent, as beheld from the rooms allotted to travellers, presents one of the wildest and most singular scenes imaginable. It is a maze of courts and alleys, galleries and passages, with room for twenty times its present number of tenants. Two objects are particularly conspicuous: the Clmrcli , a building with a pointed roof, and the Mosque , or rather Minaret, by its side, surmounted by a crescent. This curious anomaly is to be accounted for by the fact that the Moslems, as well as Christians, have always regarded Mount Sinai, and indeed all our Bible localities, as sacred, and were formerly in the habit of making pilgrimages hither. As the country fell into the hands of the Saracens, they allowed the monks to remain, on the stipulation that they should build a small mosque for the Turkish pilgrims. It is now used as a dovecot. The monks of Mount Sinai are of the Greek order. Their rule is severe; they eat no flesh, and are perpetually engaged in their religious duties. They carry on every occupation necessary for their subsistence within the walls. One is a shoemaker, another a tailor, and so on. They import their corn from Egypt. They are under the necessity of giving away large quantities of provisions to the neighbouring Arabs, which draws heavily upon their resources. We have exhibited this scene by night, when the church is lighted up, and the monks are engaged in their midnight devotions. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 11 EZION GEBER, AND THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE LAND OF EDOM. J “And King Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon.” —1 Kings, ix. 26, 28. After traversing the defiles of Mount Sinai, we come down to the head of the ^Elanitic branch, as it is called, of the Red Sea. It was here, then, in very remote times, that the Tynans, and after them, King Solomon, built fleets to go in search of the gold of Ophir. We have before us, then, one of the most ancient seats of commercial enterprise. And here, probably, were made some of the earliest experiments in the art of ship¬ building. It is uncertain exactly where Ezion Geber stood, though undoubtedly within the range of the present view. Schubert supposes it to have been on the island before us, now crowned with an old Saracenic castle. Others believe it to have been at the extreme point of the gulf, where was after¬ wards the city of Elath or Aila, which gave its name to this branch of the Red Sea. Near this site is the modern castle of Akabali, and a beautiful palm grove, where the traveller is compelled to enter into negotiation with the Arabs before they will conduct him to the rock-built city of Petra. The mountains in the background are the commencement of the chain, which extends nearly all the way to the borders of the Dead Sea. They are called Mount Seir in Scripture. In the next view we shall see them extending in continuation towards Petra. 10 i. rV DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. THE LAND OF EDOM, WITH THE MARCH OF THE MECCA CARAVAN. “Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.” —Jeremiah, xlix. 17. The distant range of mountains—well called in Scripture, a a nest in the rock”—stern and craggy in the extreme, is here seen extending almost as far as Petra. At its foot is a broad, sandy valley, or rather plain, now called the “ Arab all,” which must have been traversed more than once by the children of Israel during their lengthened wanderings. The whole region is, at this day, desolate in the extreme, and seems fully to bear out the truth of the prophetic denunciations poured forth against it. The Caravan route from Mecca to Cairo passes through Akabah, which is one of its stations for water and provisions. It is here represented on its march. In the foreground are the Bedouin guides, who, upon payment of a tribute, are made responsible for its safety across the Desert. Behind is seen the Mahmal, or sacred camel, which after carrying a copy of the Koran to Mecca, is exempted from labour for the remainder of its life. The rest of the Caravan stretches away in lengthened perspective towards Akabah. The Caravan, of course, carries with it all its necessary stores: though some are always kept ready at Akabah, and one or tv r o other stations, where deep wells have been sunk to ensure a constant supply of water. It will be apparent that the children of Israel, during their forty years sojourn in the Desert, must have been continually supplied by miracle. To those who are acquainted with this region, and its resources, this supposition is absolutely indispensable to the understanding of the Bible narrative. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 13 PART THE SECOND, Resuming our journey at the mountains of Edom, the second section of the Diorama will conduct us from the city of Petra, Mount Hor, and the fastnesses of this extraordinary country, to the shores of the Dead Sea, the wilderness of the Jordan, the spot on the banks of that river usually visited by pilgrims, and the village of Bethlehem, with the Shrine of the Nativity of our Saviour. There is nowhere, perhaps, on earth, a more striking and romantic region than the one now traversed. In the following notices we shall endeavour briefly to point out its Biblical associations. ENTRANCE TO THE CITY OF PETRA. "And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the for¬ tresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.” Isaiah, xxxiv. 13. Such is the condition of Edom and its capital, Petra, at the present day. Edom was the inheritance of Esau, as the promised land was that of Jacob. The prophecies which foretell its ruin abound in graphic descriptions of its peculiar character. It is a perfect maze of mountains—a sort of natural fortification extremely difficult for an enemy to penetrate, abounding in rugged passes, which a handful of men might defend against an army. The entrance to the chief city, Petra, is by means of a narrow ravine, a mile or more in length, overhung with lofty rocks, and so narrow, that two laden camels could hardly pass each other, even when it was free from its present obstruc¬ tions. At the end of this romantic passage is suddenly seen the finest temple in the place, entirely excavated in a rose- coloured rock. It is a very elegant design, and the details are as well preserved as if carved but yesterday. From this temple, called by the Arabs the “ Khusne,” or treasury of Pharaoh, a winding passage through the rocks conducts us into the area of the city itself,—which forms the subject of the next picture. 14 DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. INTERIOR OF THE CITY OF PETRA. “ Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, 0 thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.” — Jeeemiah, xlix. 16, The entire area of the city of Petra is here spread out before us. This scene will illustrate the scripture expression of “ carving a habitation in a rock.” Every crag in this view is chiselled by endless labour into magnificent fa£ades, or deep recesses, intended for habitations or tombs. Relow is the theatre; and on the rising ground on the right several temples, or sepulchres, most elaborately adorned. Almost the entire space between the rocks was undoubtedly covered with buildings; which, with the exception of a few insignificant ruins, are now buried in the dust. The wealth and splendour of Petra originated in its position as a depot for merchandise brought from the interior of Asia, to be forwarded to Judaea and Tyre. The Edomites, or Idumeans, greatly enriched themselves by this carrying trade, and were thus enabled to beautify their capital city. Most of the principal edifices were probably erected in the time of the • Romans. The place is now utterly desolate. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 15 MOUNT HOR, THE BURIAL-PLACE OF AARON. “ And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto Mount Hor.”— Numbers, xx. 22. Mount Hor forms, as it were, one of the outposts of the city of Petra, and its rugged crags are a characteristic specimen of the peculiar formation of the land of Edom. On the top¬ most summit is a small mosque, the reputed tomb of the great high-priest of Israel, and venerated alike by Christians, Jews, !) and Mahommedans. We cannot do better than quote the scripture account of the death and burial of Aaron, which have conferred such a lasting interest upon this singular and isolated rock:— £< And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,— “ Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar,his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor. And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar, his son; and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people , and shall die there. And Moses did as the Lord commanded, and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar, his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount ; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.” 16 DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND, THE DEAD SEA. “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.” — Genesis, xix. 24. The “ Dead Sea,” as it is commonly called, stands on the site of the accursed cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by fire from heaven, and also, as the phenomena of the locality would seem to show, by some tremendous internal convulsion. As the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea, there must, no doubt, have always existed some body of water on the spot; but the present extent of the lake appears to have been greatly increased by this catastrophe. Some parts are found to be extremely shallow, and certain travellers have imagined that they could trace under water some vestiges of the guilty cities. The surrounding scenery is very awful: the whole region is abandoned to the wandering Arabs. The rocks are lofty and abrupt: there are literally pillars of salt on the shore, while lumps of bitumen float on the surface of the water, which is intensely bitter and very buoyant. The lake is about forty miles long, and about ten across at its widest point. There can be no doubt that formerly the “ Cities of the Plain,” as they are called in scripture, stood in the midst of a scene of luxuriant fertility. But since the dreadful catastrophe narrated in the Bible, this region has been given up to the most fearful desolation. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 17 WILDERNESS OF THE DEAD SEA. CONVENT OF SANTA SABA, ON THE BROOK KEDRON. “ And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the spirit into the wilderness.” — Luke, iv. 1. The u Brook” Keclron, as it is called in scripture, after passing under tire walls of Jerusalem, traverses the horrible desert, extending to the borders of the accursed lake. This “ brook,” however, is more properly a mere watercourse, being perfectly dry except in the rainy season. It was no doubt in this wilderness that our Saviour was led to his temptation; and a spot more savage or fearful it would be impossible to imagine. It was into this region, too, and the neighbouring one of Engaddi, that David fled from before the face of Saul. There are caverns for concealment in abundance, accessible only by dangerous pathways, or to be reached by painfully clambering up the face of the rocks. This scene of desolation, hallowed by such recollections, formed a congenial retirement to the many ascetics who afterwards thronged into the desert in the train of St. Saba. The convent before us, than which none could be more extraordinary in situation, was ultimately erected on this holy ground. It is surrounded by a lofty wall, except where it stands upon the edge of inaccessible precipices. It is often the resting-place of the numerous pilgrims who throng to the banks of the Jordan, from which it is not far distant. Women are not admitted within the walls of the convent itself, but confined in the lofty tower seen on a precipice beyond, the door of which is twenty feet from the ground, and only accessible by a ladder. The numerous holes and caverns in the rocks outside the convent are partly the work of nature and partly of art, and were formerly the abodes of the numerous hermits who loved to bury themselves in these dreary solitudes. IS DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. THE RIVER JORDAN. BATHING-PLACE OF THE GREEK PILGRIMS. “ Then cometh. Josus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized cf him.” — Matthew, hi. 13. The Jordan—the sacred river of Palestine—rises at the foot of Mount Hermon, and passing through the Lake of Tiberias, flows thence through a desolate valley into the Dead Sea, where its waters are finally absorbed and carried off by evaporation. This river, inconsiderable in breadth and volume, has ever been celebrated in Bible history and poetry. It was across its waters that the Israelites passed dry shod when invading the promised land. Hence they marched to besiege Jericho, which stood at a short distance, and of which but a few in¬ significant traces are now remaining. Here, too, John the Baptist took up his abode, preaching repentance; and here it was that the Saviour of mankind received baptism at his hand. We cannot be surprised, therefore, at the peculiar sanctity which has ever attached to the waters of the River Jordan. At the present day it flows entirely through a desert, though there can be no doubt that the vicinity of Jericho was once exceedingly fruitful. The stream, though not broad, is deep and rapid; and scarcely a season passes but some of the pil¬ grims, by rushing incautiously into its current, are swept away and drowned. Its banks are bordered with wild shrubs and tangled thickets, with huge masses of creepers; and, after its annual inundation, are covered with grass, which withers and dries up in the great heats of summer. Thousands of pilgrims repair to the Jordan every Easter, after visiting Jerusalem. The spot here represented is called the Greek bathing-place, because the majority of the pilgrims repairing thither are of that nation. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 10 THE VILLAGE OF BETHLEHEM. J > ■ ) “And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.” — Matthew, ii. 6. We need scarcely point out to our readers the peculiar in¬ terest which hovers over this small but sacred hamlet. It was the scene of the touching story of Ruth. Here David was born; and here he kept his father’s sheep. Above all, it was the birthplace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Is there any spot on earth that can lay claim to associations equally sacred ? Over the identity of the ancient and modern Bethlehem there rests not the slightest shadow of doubt. The position cannot be mistaken ; and the name has always been preserved in the mouth of the common people. The situation is pretty— almost romantic. The village occupies the bold crest of a hill commanding a wide extent of country. The sides of this eminence are carefully wrought into terraces, built up with stones, and planted with olives, vines, and pomegranates. Such w r as the cultivation of Judaea when in its most flourishing state. The fields seen below are full of corn; the hills are covered with sheep and goats ; and the w-ikl bees nestle among the hollows of the rocks. The promised land might thus be said literally, as w r ell as figuratively, to be “ flowing with milk and honey.” The hills seen in the extreme distance are on the other side of the Dead Sea. They are part of the land of Moab, the native country of Ruth, who followed thence her mother-in- law, Naomi, to the fields of Bethlehem, where she became the wife of Boaz. The immense fortified convent on the brow of the hill is occupied in common by the Greek and Latin monks. It r.ovprc the reputed birthplace of our Saviour, in a chapel under the church, the roof of which is a conspicuous feature in the building. £0 DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. CHAPEL OF THE NATIVITY AT BETHLEHEM. “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger ; because there was no room for them in the inn.” — Luke, ii. 7. This Chapel, as before stated, is beneath the church, within the walls of the convent. It was formerly a cavern or grotto, not far under ground, which is supposed to have been the stable into which the Virgin Mary was obliged to retire in con¬ sequence of there being no room in the inn. Over this spot a church was afterwards erected by the Empress Helena, while the cavern itself was adorned with altars, covered with hang¬ ings, and lighted by a variety of splendid lamps, which have been from time to time presented by different kings and princes. On the floor of the semicircular niche upon the left, where lamps are always kept burning, is the following inscription :— * 6 HlC DE VlRGINE A! A III A JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS EST”- (On this spot Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Alary.) This sacred spot was chosen as the retreat of St. Jerome, who lived in it for many years. The church above the Chapel of the Nativity is very hand¬ some and extensive. One portion of it is devoted to the Latin monks, the other to those of the Greek church. The traveller usually takes up his abode within the convent walls during his May. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 2 TYKE: MOUNT TIERMON IN THE DISTANCE. “ And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon ; thou shalt be built no more : for I the Lord have spoken it, eaith the Lord God.”— Ezekiel, xxvi. 14. All that remains of the famous city, after Sidon the most ancient emporium of commerce in the world—whose “ mer¬ chants were princes”—which planted colonies all over the Mediterranean, and, passing the Straits of Gibraltar, established a trade even with our own shores—is here before us. The -wealth and splendour of Tyre are beautifully and elaborately described in the chapter from which we have quoted, and its downfal forms the burden of many a prophetic denunciation. The city referred to in Scripture stood on an island at a short distance from the mainland, and when besieged by Alexander the Great, a mole was formed by him, over which the accumu¬ lation of sand has formed a broad causeway, now connecting the island with the shore. More than one city has been erected upon the site. Of the Tyre of the Bible, remain but a few undistinguishable vestiges—the massive ruins seen in the view being those of the city built in the middle ages, and occupied by the Crusaders. At present there remains but a poor, in¬ significant town, occupying the northern angle of the island, and frequented only by a few barks. Upon the remains of the northern part, the fishermen may be seen literally “ spreading their netsand the solitary boat in the foreground was sketched in passing, exactly in the position which it occupies. Such, and so miserable, is the Tyre of the present day, that a stranger would probably pass it without stopping to inquire its name or history. In the remote distance appears Sidon, the parent of Tyre, which, though a place of no consequence, still retains some¬ what more of life and activity than Tyre. The range of snow- tipped mountains in the background extends from Mount Hermon. on the right hand, to Lebanon, upon the left. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 23 BEYROUT: MOUNT LEBANON IN THE DISTANCE* “ Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou slialt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.” 1 Kings, v. 6 . Beyrout —the ancient Bervtus—has no direct Biblical asso- ciation; but it is the most bustling and important commercial city on the coast of Syria, being the port of Damascus, from which it is not far distant. Here are numerous consuls, and a considerable number of vessels, also a line of steam-boats from Marseilles. The town is extremely wretched, though very finely situated, and surrounded by a most luxuriant country. The most striking object in the view is, however, the Sannin, the loftiest summit of Mount Lebanon, which towers in the background, covered with eternal snow. This noble mountain- range extends from the neighbourhood of Tyre, all along the coast, for a hundred miles, rising in gradual stages up to an elevation of eight thousand feet above the sea. It is full of abrupt ravines and fine pieces of table land, very carefully cultivated and thickly peopled, the inhabitants of this bold region having always been more independent and industrious than those of the plains. It is tenanted by different races and religions—the Maronites being a sect of Catholic Christians, while the Druses are idolators. The mountain abounds with convents. Immense quantities of silk are grown. The cedars —with which our ideas of Lebanon are so inseparably blended —have, as before observed, become very scanty, there being only a few groves, seen here and there, instead of the forests with which the mountains formerly abounded. A few of the more ancient will form the subject of our next picture. c 24 DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. THE CEDARS OF SOLOMON “The trees of the Lord are full of sap ; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted.”—P salm civ. 16. These very remarkable trees are situated in the very highest region of Mount Lebanon, and in the winter they are buried in snow, a few patches of which still remain on the topmost summits of the mountain during the whole year round. They are on the road from Tripoli to Baalbec and Damascus. Their trunks and boughs are enormously massive, and may well seem, as tradition reports, to go back to the time of Solomon himself. Of these patriarchs of the forest there now remain only about half-a-dozen, the rest of the wood being composed of small trees. It is impossible to view without great interest such venerable relics of the primeval grandeur of Lebanon, the glory of which is so often a favourite theme of the Hebrew poets. As soon as the snows have melted, and the heats of summer come on, the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages repair to the spot to enjoy its shade and freshness. The Sheick, or Chief of Eden, conspicuous in the picture, is well known to travellers, as remarkably courteous and hospitable. In leaving Mount Lebanon, we should not fail to allude to its remarkable variety of climate and production. The narrow plain by the sea, at its feet, is covered with fields of corn and groves of orange and myrtle; its rising slopes are adorned with extensive olive-groves; the loftier hills with the pine and mul¬ berry, the latter so important for rearing the silk-worm; while the topmost summits are crowned with the majestic cedar. In the morning, the traveller, as he leaves the sea-shore, suffers from its intense heat; as he gradually climbs the mountain, the air becomes fresher and more bracing, until, in a few hours’ ride, he breathes an air of Alpine purity and keenness. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. 25 THE RUINS OF BAALBEC. {t And Solomon built . . . Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness.” 1 Kings, ix. 17, 18. ) These ruins have always excited the astonishment and admi¬ ration of those who have visited them. They stand upon an immense platform surrounded by a wall—part of which is represented in the foreground of our picture. The two massive stones which have been reared one knows not how, upon a basis of others so much smaller, are probably the largest in the world incorporated in any edifice—being about fifty feet in length. Another still larger, but unfinished, is to be seen /\ in a quarry near the city. Tradition attributes these massive works to King Solomon, who built Baalath, and treasure- houses in the region of Lebanon and Tadmor in the wilderness (the present Palmyra); but with what degree of accuracy may reasonably be doubted;—though it is certain that all this part of Syria was then subject to that monarch. The temples above the wall are, as their architecture testifies, of Roman origin. Baalbec, or the city of Baal, was undoubtedly a most ancient Syrian city, dedicated to the worship of this their deity. It was once a flourishing and splendid place, as these ruins would alone prove; but it is now become an insignificant village. The principal temple was that of which the five lofty and beautiful columns of the Corinthian order formed a portion. That in the background is still in excellent preservation, and forms one of the most splendid—perhaps the most splendid, specimen of a Roman temple in existence. Besides these more colossal edifices, there is a perfect maze of others in a more ruinous condition, covering an immense area—monu¬ ments of successive periods, from the time perhaps of Solomon, down to that of the Saracens, and forming the most gorgeous mass of ruins to be found anywhere out of Egypt. 26 DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND. DAMASCUS. “ And as lie journeyed; he came near to Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?”—Acts, ix. 3, 4. Damascus is highly remarkable, and perhaps unique, in this respect—that while it is undoubtedly one of the most ancient cities in the world, being mentioned in Scripture as existing even in the days of Abraham, it still remains important and flourishing after the revolution of so many ages. This is no doubt attributable to its remarkable position, in a fertile plain in the natural centre of Syria, and thus forming a commercial gathering place of permanent importance. The city is very extensive and well peopled, and its manufactures considerable. After Mecca, it has always been considered the most bigoted place in the Turkish empire, and until recently admitted no European consul to reside within its walls. We need hardly remind the reader, in the words of the text above selected, that it w r as when drawing near to Damascus that St. Paul was converted, that he lived in the “ street called Straight,” and that after remaining there a while, he was let down by night in a basket from the city wall, and thus effected his escape from his persecutors. Tradition has preserved the localities of these events. There is still a