■ (■■■IglllllMMIIIIDM— nv^ 
 
 ■■■•■■■•nHiaMMii 
 
 nangnaM i wiiri i imiir i arin i nnmr i iin acam^iini^-.- ■' - 
 
 aa iKiw w ii i i wtfTiTi i g'^ ^i m wiiw i lo m ii y 
 
 ^i-itttUmt.^.,.^.^,
 
 i,i®m^K¥ 
 
 No member of the School is to be 
 
 in using this book, and punctual in re 
 turn ng it- To injure a library book 
 nr to retain it lon-er than is right, is to 
 do antj^ry to others which cannot be 
 easily repaired. 
 
 y"?
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE 
 
 HOLY LAND. 
 
 BY 
 
 REV. DAVID VAN HORNE, D.D., 
 
 author of 
 'the mountain boy of wildhaus; a life of ulric zwinuli," etc. 
 
 philadelphia : 
 The American Sunday- School Union, 
 
 1122 CHESTNUT STREET. 
 
 18 85.
 
 
 Copyright 
 By The American Sunday-School Union, 1885.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Our chief interest in the Holy Land arises from 
 its association with the Bible. The country once 
 trodden by the patriarchs, judges, kings and 
 prophets, and by the Saviour himself and the 
 apostles, cannot fail to attract the attention of 
 travellers and readers in each generation. Be- 
 sides this the face of the country is diversified, 
 and the scenery of more than passing interest. 
 
 After our passage tickets had been purchased 
 a rumor of the outbreak of the plague, on the 
 shores of the Black Sea, threatened to interfere 
 with our journey. The consequent falling off in 
 the number of travellers eventually proved an ad- 
 vantage to our small party of three clergymen, 
 since we enjoyed quite a monopoly of the ar- 
 rangements made for a larger number, giving us 
 a choice of guides, provisions and horses. We 
 were also more free to make little excursions 
 aside from the main lines of travel, and could ob- 
 tain full replies to our questions from the drag- 
 omans. A kind Providence preserved us from 
 the rumored pestilence. 
 
 The results of our observations there are laid
 
 IV PREFACE. 
 
 before the reader in the following pages. Many 
 travellers have gone over these pathways of the 
 Holy Land, and have given valuable descriptions 
 of the country and its inhabitants. Each observer 
 gains new views, his descriptions shed fresh light 
 upon the teachings of Scripture, and thus, as by 
 work on a grand mosaic, the picture of the land 
 is to be gradually completed. 
 
 The incidents of tent and saddle life narrated 
 here may serve to interest youthful readers, and 
 are inserted in the hope of securing their atten- 
 tion. The experiences in camp, and the novelty 
 of the sights by the wayside, the strange dress 
 and manners of the people, and the old-fashioned 
 methods of labor and travel, kept us constantly 
 on the alert, and we trust that some of this in- 
 terest will be shared by the reader. 
 
 The critical notes furnished by Rev. Edwin W. 
 Rice, D.D., Editor of the American Sunday- 
 School Union, add largely to the value of the 
 book for the advanced reader. In them will be 
 found the results of the latest researches of the 
 " Western Palestine Survey," " Condor's Tent 
 Work" and other fresh authorities. The excel- 
 lent illustrations furnished by the publishers 
 (many of them, by permission, from Schaff 's Dic- 
 tionary of the Bible) will lend additional interest 
 to the work.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Landing at Jaffa, 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Sharon and Ramleh, 22 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Going up to Jerusalem, 37 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Sights on Mount Moriah, 54 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Tour to Hebron, .78 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 From Hebron to Bethlehem, 104 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Walks about Zion, 116 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Olivet and Bethany, 130 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Tour to Mizpeh and Gibeon, 143 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Tour to the Dead Sea and the Jordan, , , 161 
 
 ^
 
 VI CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X'l. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 From Jericho to the Valley of Baca, . . .183 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 From Baca to the Vale of Nablus, . . .201 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 From Nablus to Jenin 221 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Around the Great Plain of Esdraelon, . . 236 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Nazareth, . . . 255 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Tabor and Tiberias, 271 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Around the Lake of Galilee — The Plain of Gen- 
 
 nesaret, 285 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Around the Lake of Galilee— Bethsaida and Ca- 
 pernaum, 302 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 The Valley of the Huleh, 319 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Dan and Banias, 332
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 American Consulate at Jerusalem, .... Frontispiece. 
 
 Yafa (Joppa) from the Sea, .11 
 
 Exterior of the supposed House of Simon the Tanner, . . 14 
 
 Traditional Tomb of Dorcas at Jaffa, 2-5 
 
 Tower at Er-Ramleh, 32 
 
 Inn or Khan, 37 
 
 Kuryet el Enab (Kirjath-jearim) 44 
 
 The Interior of the Jaffa Gate, 53 
 
 Modern Jerusalem, . 55 
 
 The Mosque of Omar and the Ilarani Area, .... GO 
 
 Eastern Wall of Jerusalem and Muslim Tombs, ... 67 
 
 Traditional Pool of Bethesda, 70 
 
 Ecce Homo Arch, Via Dolorosa, 75 
 
 The Wailing-place of the Jews, 77 
 
 Tomb of Rachel, near Bethlehem, 82 
 
 Eastern Mourners at the Grave, 83 
 
 Solomon's Pools, 87 
 
 Eastern Sheepfold, 90 
 
 Eastern Plough 93 
 
 View of Hebron from the South, ...... 97 
 
 Mosque at Hebron, covering the Cave at Machpelah, . . 99 
 
 Vineyard in Syria, 105 
 
 Bethlehem, 109 
 
 View of Jerusalem from the South, 117 
 
 Tomb of David, 121 
 
 Pool of Hezekiah, inside the Jaffa Gate, . . . . .122 
 
 Interior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, . . . 125 
 
 Pool of Siloam, 131 
 
 Absalom's Tomb, 132 
 
 Mount of Olives, 134 
 
 Bethany, 137 
 
 Tomb of the Judges, 144
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 El Jib (Gibeon), . 
 
 Rolling Stone before Tomb, 
 
 Needle's Eye, . 
 
 The Salt or Dead Sea, 
 
 Pilgrim's Bathing-place — Tlie River Jord 
 
 Reeds, 
 
 Inhabitants and Dwellings at Eriha, 
 
 'Ain es Sultan, or Fountain of Elisha 
 
 The Dead Sea from Jebel Usdum, south c 
 
 Sycamore, 
 
 Mountains of Moab, 
 
 Seilun (ancient Shiloh), 
 
 Jacob's Well, . 
 
 Nablus (Shechem), . 
 
 Ruins of the Colonnade of Samaria, 
 
 Zer'in (site of ancient Jezreel), 
 
 Date-palm, ... 
 
 Nazareth, .... 
 
 Place of Elijah's Sacrifice, 
 
 Lily, .... 
 
 Scarlet Lily, 
 
 Mount Tabor, . 
 
 The Sea of Galilee from Tiberias, 
 
 Sketch Map of the Sea of Galilee, 
 
 Gennesaret from Khan Minieh, 
 
 Tent Life, .... 
 
 Mill at Tabighah, . 
 
 Fish of Galilee, 
 
 Ruins at Tell Hum, . 
 
 Lake Huleh, or Waters of Merom, from I 
 
 Yoke in Use in Palestine, 
 
 Women Grinding at the Mill in the East 
 
 Sources of the Jordan, near Banias, 
 
 Banias, or Caesarea-Philippi, . 
 
 an, 
 
 nd, 
 
 lie Southwest 
 
 150 
 157 
 160 
 169 
 173 
 175 
 179 
 183 
 188 
 190 
 195 
 204 
 211 
 220 
 228 
 237 
 239 
 254 
 260 
 265 
 265 
 270 
 281 
 286 
 299 
 301 
 305 
 308 
 310 
 324 
 325 
 335 
 341 
 345
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE 
 
 HOLY LAND. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 LANDING AT JAFFA. 
 
 A LONG stretch of sandy coast overhung by a 
 steel-gray sky, with glintings of the sunrise be- 
 hind it ; a town perched upon a rocky promon- 
 tory, with houses reaching down to the water's 
 edge, — this is what we behehl from the deck of 
 the steamer off the port of Yafa or Jaffa. It was 
 the morning of the last day of March, and, as is 
 usual at that season, scuds of wind and rain were 
 sweeping up and over the coast of Philistia. The 
 sea was rough, and the prospect of getting safe 
 to shore anything but assuring. Here was the 
 entry port to the Holy Land, the very " gate " of 
 the "gorgeous East," which, night and day, by 
 sea and land, we had been seeking, and all the 
 spice of adventure, the view of ancient sites and
 
 10 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 holy places, the life of tent and saddle, which had 
 been long in anticipation, lay beyond this gate- 
 way to Palestine. 
 
 And so the half mile of surf between us and 
 the land must be crossed, however hazardous the 
 experiment. It was somewhere here that the 
 prophet Jonah was in deadly peril, and we had 
 often read that this port was unsafe for landing 
 passengers ; but, despite all this, we must make 
 the venture. The crew of our vessel had scarcely 
 cast the anchor ere we beheld a number of clumsy 
 boats, with four oars and a helm to each, putting 
 out from the shore. By this time the sea was 
 running high, and as the rollers swept over the 
 jagged reef which fringes the coast, there was 
 danger that the boats would be upset or dashed 
 in pieces. One by one, however, they passed 
 through the narrow opening in the reef, and, in a 
 staggering way, came on, to our vessel. After 
 many of the boats filled with the pilgrim passen- 
 gers from amidship had departed, ten cabin pas- 
 sengers, ourselves among the number, were handed 
 rather unceremoniously into the craft awaiting us. 
 
 We were soon tossed up and down like an egg- 
 shell on the angry surf, which frequently dashed 
 into the boat, and withal a heavy shower came 
 on, and wet us through and through. At last we 
 were driven through the narrow passage between
 
 (11)
 
 LANDING A T JAFFA. 13 
 
 the reefs, and by the mercy of a favoring prov- 
 idence reached the land in safety. Upon leaving 
 the wharf, we were huddled together in a dark 
 cellar, named by courtesy a custom-house, and, 
 dripping wet as we were, waited until our lug- 
 gage was examined with a " silver key." Through 
 the one narrow, slippery street we next went to 
 the " Mediterranean Hotel," far distant in the 
 German suburb. 
 
 According to Josephus, Jaffa originally belonged 
 to the Phoenicians. It has had a secular as well 
 as a sacred history, and from remote times has 
 been the sea-port of southern Palestine. Its 
 name originally meant " delightful " or '• beau- 
 tiful," in the same sense conveyed by the He- 
 brew word used by Solomon in the "Canticles."* 
 From this came the name " Japho," used in the 
 days when Hiram landed here his rafts of cedar 
 for Solomon's temple at Jerusalem. f Still later, 
 in the time of Jonah, it was known as Joppa, 
 as it was also in the days of the apostle Peter. 
 
 As may be imagined, the sad plight we were 
 in did not favor sight-seeing during this our 
 first walk in Palestine. We hastened to the 
 shelter awaiting us, thankful for the comfort of a 
 fire and a change of garments. Luncheon was 
 soon prepared and despatched, and, the storm 
 
 * Solomon's Song 6:4. f 2 Chronicles 2:16.
 
 14 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 having now passed away, we sallied forth to ex- 
 amine the few points of interest in Jaffa. We 
 found the streets still wet and slippery from the 
 recent shower, and as they were paved for only 
 part of the distance, and in that part only with 
 cobble or field stones, we found the walking any- 
 thing but pleasant. 
 
 Exterior OF Till ■-ri pu^i i) llm -i oi mmon mi 1 v\ner. {Yiova. SchajgTs 
 Ihtlmnary vj the Bibh, l)> pcrniis-.iou ) 
 
 The open space is the little courtyard at the rear of the house, between the house 
 and the wall overlooking the sea. The spectator has his back to the sea. 
 The well from which Peter is said to have baptized is sunk in the ground on 
 the right. < 
 
 Under the conduct of our guide, we first visited 
 the traditional site of the house of Simon the 
 tanner, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.* 
 The house, in part at least, is a modern structure, 
 built, like the surrounding dwellings, of stone, 
 with a flat roof, having a little low dome in the 
 centre. Upon entering it, we found a large stone 
 trough in the lower story, at one end of which 
 
 * Acts 9 : 43 : 10 : 6.
 
 LA NDING AT JAFFA. 15 
 
 was a well, with an old axle having four arms by 
 which it was turned in drawing water. This 
 well, it is alleged, was anciently used by Simon 
 in his trade, but now seems to be used only for 
 the ordinary purposes of a household. The prop- 
 erty is in the possession of the Mohammedans, 
 who have set apart one room as a place of prayer. 
 This room was small and poorly lighted, dingy 
 and altogether uninviting. 
 
 From this point we ascended to the roof by an 
 ancient flight of stone steps, which may indeed, 
 with the foundations of the building, have come 
 down from the times of the apostles. From the 
 roof we enjoyed a very fine view of the sur- 
 rounding buildings, and the yet turbulent sea 
 breaking upon the ragged edges of the reef, 
 where we had so lately made our dangerous 
 passage. 
 
 We were reminded of the classical story of 
 Andromeda, who has a constellation of stars 
 named after her, who, according to the myth, was 
 chained to these very rocks upon which we were 
 gazing. The story runs that Neptune, being en- 
 raged because the mother of Andromeda had 
 boasted that she was herself more beautiful than 
 any of his nymphs, sent a frightful sea monster 
 to ravage the country. The oracle of Jupiter 
 Ammon had declared that the only way to ap-
 
 IG TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 pease the anger of Neptune was to expose An- 
 dromeda to the devouring monster, which was 
 accordingly done. At the critical moment Per- 
 seus appeared, and of course set the maiden free, 
 and afterward married her. The lively imagina- 
 tion of the Greeks still impresses itself upon the 
 world's attention, for we read this story in the 
 constellations which adorn the northern heavens 
 each clear November evening. Whether the old 
 sea monster were still raging around Jaffa on the 
 day of our visit or not, true it was that, like the 
 fair Andromeda, we were in peril among these 
 rocks, although we were not in chains as she is 
 reputed to have been. 
 
 From the recollection of this ancient legend, 
 or "fable" as Josephus calls it,* our minds re- 
 verted to the glorious fact recorded in Scripture 
 that Peter was praying here, near this very spot, 
 when he had the vision in which he saw the 
 heaven opened and a vessel descending upon the 
 earth, wherein were all manner of four-footed 
 beasts and creeping things and fowls of heaven. 
 In this " vision of toleration," as it has well been 
 named, Peter was instructed to hold fellowship 
 with Gentile converts to • Christianity in the 
 words, "What God hath cleansed, that call not 
 thou common."f Here at Jaffa, where the Jewish 
 
 * Wars of Jews 3 : 9, 2 3. f Acts 10 : 11-15.
 
 LANDING AT JAFFA. 17 
 
 nation came in contact with the outside workl, it 
 was fitting that this remarkable revelation should 
 be made. The vast consequences which have 
 flowed from that single event, and the bearing it 
 has had upon us who are of Gentile exti"action, 
 must secure for Jaffa and the house of Simon the 
 tanner a lasting place in the world's history. 
 
 The roof of this building aiforded us a com- 
 manding view of the whole coast-line north and 
 south. A court or yard is attached to the house, 
 with a low wall at its farther side, against which 
 the waves dash in rough weather; and within 
 the court is the well used, as is said, for a long 
 time for the purposes of the tanner. We could 
 see no good reason for doubting the tradition 
 which locates Peter's vision at or near this place, 
 though its identity has often been questioned. 
 
 On our way back to the hotel we passed a fine 
 building, beautifully situated upon the high prom- 
 ontory, where the school of Miss Arnold, an 
 English lady, maintains its well-earned reputa- 
 tion. Besides this institution Jaffa boasts of 
 three convents, each of which represents one of 
 the three Christian sects most numerous in Pal- 
 estine — the Greek, the Latin and the Armenian ; 
 and in addition it has two or three Mohammedan 
 mosques. The whole population probably does 
 not exceed five thousand. 
 
 2
 
 18 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 Near the city gate we found the bazaar, or 
 market-place for the sale of breadstuffs and the 
 fruits for which the place has ever been famous ; 
 and just beyond the city gate, where the road to 
 the northeast diverges from the road to Ramleh, 
 we found the horse-market. Here are the stables 
 of the muleteers, where tourists, unless otherwise 
 provided for, must pass the ordeal of obtaining 
 escorts and animals to convey them to Jerusalem. 
 The mixed multitude were bargaining in horses, 
 camels and donkeys. 
 
 All traces of the late shower had now passed 
 away, and the native dragomans, with gay tar- 
 booshes on their heads, flaming sashes about 
 their waists, booted and spurred like knights of 
 errantry, were hurrying hither and thither in 
 preparation for the departure of the caravans. 
 At another point a lady tourist was mounted on 
 a sorry-looking steed, testing the qualities of the 
 animal, while the eloquent guide assured her of 
 his entire trustworthiness, a fact which even the 
 casual observer would not dispute. The scene 
 was altogether novel; the peculiar costumes, 
 mixed language and dashing horsemanship of the 
 natives affording us an anticipation of rich ex- 
 periences in this line yet in store for us. 
 
 Jaffa does not differ from other sea-ports in 
 having people within its walls of different nation-
 
 LANDING AT JAFFA. 19 
 
 alities, and unfortunately this leads to lawless- 
 ness and more or less disorder in society, which 
 the Turkish authorities as usual are unable to 
 control or suppress. Accordingly there is but 
 slight security here for life and property, and but 
 little inducement for strangers to take up their 
 permanent abode either in the town or the fine 
 country districts surrounding it. 
 
 The attempts at colonization here and at Jeru- 
 salem, made at different times since the days of 
 the Crusades, have signally failed. In 1866 forty 
 families came to Jaffa from the state of Maine, 
 and formed what was known as the American 
 colony. Their motive appears to have been 
 partly religious and partly secular. They thought 
 it the duty of Christians in other countries to 
 occupy the Holy Land — not by conquest, as was 
 the thought of the Crusaders, but by purchase — 
 and by careful tillage to restore the soil to its 
 ancient fertility. 
 
 The chief drawback to this venture was not in 
 any natural defect of the climate or soil, for both 
 are most favorable to the purposes of immigra- 
 tion. The plain of Sharon evidently is an ex- 
 cellent soil for wheat, millet and other crops, and 
 here as fine orange orchards are found as one can 
 see in the state of Florida or elsewhere. But 
 the sole obstacle to immigration and prosperity
 
 20 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 here is the lack of good government. No farmer 
 can live in a land where he has no protection for 
 his family, his crops or his cattle. 
 
 After a few years the American colony fell 
 into great poverty, and its members would gladly 
 have returned had they had the means. At last 
 a wealthy traveller, who saw their pitiable con- 
 dition, paid the passage homeward of many sick 
 women and children, and sent them back to 
 America. A few, however, remained, and their 
 sons, who can speak both Arabic and English, 
 are now serving as guides to travellers. 
 
 A German colony also came here in 1868 from 
 Wurtemberg, which formed a sect known as the 
 " German Temple." Their distinctive doctrine, 
 founded on some of the prophecies, is that Chris- 
 tians are under an obligation to settle in Pales- 
 tine. They number about two hundred and fifty 
 souls, part of whom live at Sarona, two miles 
 northeastward and not far from Sir M. Monte- 
 fiore's garden. 
 
 There is another German colony at Jerusalem, 
 founded by Rev. Christopher Hoffman, that came 
 there some years since with the thought of pre- 
 paring for the second coming of Christ, which 
 they believed to be near at hand. There is also 
 a colony of four hundred Germans near Haifa, 
 under the shadow of Mount Carmel. They are
 
 LANDING AT JAFFA. 21 
 
 said to cultivate about one thousand acres of fair 
 land lying between the mountain and the sea, 
 while up its steep slopes vineyards are terraced 
 by their labor, as was the custom in Palestine 
 years ago. 
 
 Besides these there are many other persons in 
 the land who, like Lady Stanhope, hold extreme 
 or fanciful views on religious topics. Many Jews 
 also find their way thither from Russia and other 
 lands, under the hope that the ancient people of 
 God will soon be restored to their beloved coun- 
 try and capital city. To this end societies have 
 been organized, periodicals issued and explorers 
 sent forward to inspect the country ; but as yet 
 no assured progress has been made, nor does it 
 seem that the way is open for successful coloni- 
 zation at the present time. 
 
 With our one day's experience and observation 
 we were quite willing to bid farewell to the little 
 city by the sea ; and as we had planned to leave 
 the country at a northern port, it was our final 
 adieu to Jafl'a.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SHARON AND RAMLEH. 
 
 Along the narrow lane, bordered by a stone 
 fence, which leads up to the Mediterranean Hotel 
 at Jaffa, we found our horses ready saddled for 
 our afternoon's ride toward Jerusalem. If we 
 had cherished any anticipations that we were to 
 be mounted on fiery Arabian steeds, on which to 
 give the natives an idea of an American's skill in 
 horsemanship while passing through their coun- 
 try, the idea was quickly dispelled when we saw 
 these animals. Not that the horses were poor or 
 unsightly, but evidently they were not thorough- 
 breds. We could not trace a single line in their 
 build which bespoke the mettlesome charger. On 
 the other hand, the whole group seemed very 
 much at home in their present position, and as 
 they stood along the sunny side of the wall, nod- 
 ding sleepily, or resting their heads upon each 
 other's haunches, we could not see that they dif- 
 fered much from the ordinary work-horses of 
 America. 
 
 But, as has often been remarked, one cannot 
 always trust to outward appearances ; and some 
 
 (22)
 
 SHARON AND RAMLEH. 23 
 
 of our party, not exactly certain of their eques- 
 trian skill, were already casting longing eyes upon 
 the more sleepy-looking animals, wishing that one 
 of these might fall to them in the allotment. A 
 horse in repose is quite a different thing from a 
 horse in action ; and who could tell what one of 
 these peaceful-looking animals might do when he 
 found a strange and an indifferent rider upon his 
 back, as he snuffed his native mountain air on his 
 way up to Jerusalem ? All reflections upon the 
 subject were cut short by the sudden appearance 
 of the guide, who commanded all to mount and 
 allotted the animal to be used by each rider. As 
 it frequently turns out in human affairs, either the 
 ambition to ride swiftly, or the fear of falling off, 
 on the part of the riders, was not fully realized 
 that day, but each traveller found enough to do 
 in urging his horse onward in order to keep up 
 with the party. 
 
 Beside our party of three Americans, we now 
 
 had an English gentleman, Mr. H , and Mr. 
 
 Lemaitre, a young gentleman from Paris, mounted 
 in company with us. An assistant guide, named 
 John (of whom more hereafter), went before us 
 in dashing style through the crowded little bazaar 
 and led us out by the highway eastward. On 
 either side the road was bordered by hedges of 
 cactus or thorn, of luxuriant growth, behind which
 
 24 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 were the famous orange orchards. We could see 
 the trees, now adorned with spring blossoms, 
 while the green, the half-ripened and the great 
 golden matured fruit hung upon the bending 
 branches, or lay upon the ground ready for the 
 hand of the gatherer. The oranges of Jaffa are 
 the finest in Palestine and Syria. It is said 
 that its pomegranates and watermelons are like- 
 wise in high repute, and its gardens and orange 
 and citron groves are indeed fragrant at this 
 season. 
 
 Having passed the orange groves, we soon came 
 to the forks of the road, and just in the angle we 
 found the structure which marks the supposed 
 site of the tomb of Dorcas. According to tra- 
 dition this is the place where the miracle was 
 wrought by Peter restoring the good woman to 
 life while the lamentations were in progress pre- 
 vious to her funeral.* The building is of fair 
 size, one story in height, and is ornamented with 
 three small domes and two small minarets. An 
 arch, enclosing a sort of niche, adorns the other- 
 wise solid masonry of the front, and is flanked by 
 a twin window on either side. Tall and graceful 
 'cedar trees, on either side of the tomb, lend their 
 solemn shade and heighten the beauty of the 
 
 * Acts 9 : 36-43.
 
 Traditional Tomb of Dokcas, at Jaffa. 
 
 (26)
 
 SHARON AND RAMLEH. 27 
 
 place. It seems fitting that this remarkably be- 
 nevolent woman, whose good works were honored 
 by her own people and have been commemorated 
 by thousands of Christian societies in later ages, 
 should thus have her tomb on this beautiful plain 
 of Sharon. The fruits of holy living which she 
 exemplified were grander, to be sure, than the 
 grain and fruits of this fertile plain ; yet the lat- 
 ter may be taken as a symbol of the former, so 
 that there is a harmony between the tomb and its 
 surroundings. 
 
 The very air was fragrant with the scent of 
 orange and citron blossoms, wafted to us from the 
 gardens we had just passed ; and this we could 
 not help regarding as illustrating in a certain 
 sense the sweet memory of Dorcas. 
 
 Our guide now directed us to take the right- 
 hand road, passing by the left which runs direct- 
 ly to Lydda, whence Peter came on his way to 
 Joppa. We were now on the main thoroughfare 
 to Jerusalem, a road broad and smooth, and 
 evidently kept in repair for the accommodation 
 of tourists and pilgrims. The fields on either 
 side, while they were destitute of fences, ap- 
 peared fresh and green, as might be expected at 
 this season. The growing crops were chiefly 
 wheat and barley, the former of a good healthful 
 hue, but slow of development, and the latter "in
 
 28 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 the head," lacking but few weeks of the harvest. 
 The soil appeared fertile, but no great proportion 
 of it was under tillage ; and here and there herds 
 of cattle and flocks of sheep could be seen in 
 charge of their keepers. 
 
 The general aspect of the country was not un- 
 like the appearance of some of our prairie lands 
 west of the Mississippi. One exception, and only 
 one, occurred to us in passing, and that was the 
 contrast in the people and the arrangement of 
 their dwellings. In the far West the traveller will 
 notice the cabins of the settlers sprinkled about 
 here and there upon their claims and sections; 
 but along the highway in ancient Sharon no trace 
 of farm buildings was visible. Where do these 
 farmers and shepherds have their dwellings ? The 
 guide pointed to the hills of Philistia looming up 
 on our right, and informed us that for the sake of 
 security the people lived in little hamlets at a dis- 
 tance from the highway. We could now distin- 
 guish their dwellings in groups perched up against 
 the distant hillsides. 
 
 As we moved forward at an easy pace the 
 fragment of an old hymn, endeared to all from 
 childhood's memory, spontaneously suggested it- 
 self— 
 
 " How sweet the breath beneath the hill 
 Of Sharon's dewy rose."
 
 SHARON AND RAMLEH. 29 
 
 We were on the lookout for one of these roses. 
 
 but found not a single specimen. Osborn says 
 that from ancient times the rose has been the 
 symbol of beauty and of loveliness, and nowhere 
 is it valued more than in the East. Some of the 
 most pleasing and charming varieties grow on the 
 borders of the Mediterranean ; but the double 
 roses, or at least the varieties, are seldom or 
 never seen wild. He thinks that the famous 
 roses of Sharon and Jericho were developed by 
 cultivation. Dr. Thomson suggests that the rose 
 of Sharon was a species of the mallow, and others 
 think it a narcissus. We saw a number of bril- 
 liant flowers on the plain, but they were mainly 
 poppies and anemones ; could either of them have 
 been the successor of the famous rose of Sharon, 
 to which our Lord is likened in the Canticle ? 
 (2:1). 
 
 The clatter of a horse's hoofs upon the smooth, 
 hard roadbed behind us put our musings suddenly 
 to flight. The rider, whoever he might be, was 
 coming on at a furious pace. Even our sleepy 
 and steady-going animals were thrown out of 
 their sedateness somewhat, and began shying and 
 prancing in a manner quite terrifying to the un- 
 initiated among us. So many stories have been 
 related by travellers of the raids of the Bedawin 
 upon tourists in the Holy Land that we might
 
 30 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 have been excusable for thinking that they were 
 even now upon us. The fears of the timid, if any 
 were in fear, were quickly dispelled by the sud- 
 den appearance of our guide in chief, whom we 
 had left behind in Jaffa, mounted upon a coal- 
 black charger and spurring past us, almost with 
 the fleetness of the wind, and with a shout chal- 
 lenging us for a race. This was the custom of the 
 land, we learned subsequently. Sheikhs, herds- 
 men, guides and muleteers are all fond of this 
 exercise, and even the donkey boy, when allowed 
 to hold a horse for a half hour, is quite certain to 
 vault into the saddle and set off on a canter. 
 
 After this incident the whole party moved for- 
 ward at a quickened pace, and at five o'clock we 
 reached the village of Ramleh. We had now 
 made twelve miles of our journey, averaging four 
 miles to the hour, and this was considered a quick 
 trip in this country. As we were to pass the 
 night at this place in order that we might start 
 at an early hour on the morrow for Jerusalem, we 
 were taken at once to the ancient tower, which is 
 regarded as the object of greatest interest. Dis- 
 mounting at the foot of the tower, we gave our 
 horses in charge of the attendants and began to 
 inspect the ruins. We found ourselves in the 
 midst of a large quadrangular enclosure, in every 
 part of which were to be seen the fragments of
 
 (32) 
 
 Tower at Er-Ramleh.
 
 SHARON AND RAMLEH. 33 
 
 what was once solid masonry. Here we saw the 
 traces of former arches and walls braced by 
 crumbling buttresses, while underneath were ex- 
 tensive subterranean Vaults, still resting secure 
 on their former foundations. It is supposed that 
 these are the remains of what was once a splen- 
 did khan, where trnvellers halted on their jour- 
 neys. Opinion is divided as to who were the 
 original builders of all this masonry. Dr. Robin- 
 son, who investigated the historic evidences very 
 fully, inclines to the view that the ruin is wholly 
 Saracenic. This is in opposition to the traditional 
 view which has alwnys regarded this place as a 
 relic of the former building of the Crusaders. 
 
 The tower, a great column of masonry, which 
 stands like a grim sentinel keeping watch over 
 the ruins at its base, is over one hundred feet in 
 height, and is still in a fair state of preservation. 
 It is evidently of Saracenic architecture, and 
 stands towards the northwest part of the enclos- 
 ure. It is square in structure, built of well-hewn 
 stones, and its corners are supported by tall, 
 slender buttresses. The walls taper upward by 
 several stories to the top ; and while the windows 
 are of various forms, they all have pointed arches. 
 The tower, Dr. Robinson thinks, w-as originally a 
 minaret — a lofty structure used by the Moham- 
 medans at the present day in many cities, from 
 
 ?
 
 34 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 the top of which a sentinel calls out the hour 
 when the faithful are to pray. He finds that it 
 was erected by an Egyptian khalif named Mu- 
 hammed Ibn Kalawun, about 1310 a.d., and re- 
 quired eight years for its completion. 
 
 We found the ascent of the tower quite fatig- 
 uing. Passing through the arched . portal we 
 began our task of climbing up the spiral stone 
 staircase, in which we counted one hundred and 
 twenty steps, each nearly a foot in height. As 
 we reached each successive landing we caught, 
 through the open windows, glimpses of the beau- 
 tiful landscape around. 
 
 A charming view greeted our sight when we 
 had reached the summit. To the northwest we 
 had the extensive plain of Sharon stretched out 
 before us. The surface of the plain was undu- 
 lating, and the promising fields of wheat and bar- 
 ley, with here and there green meadows and pas- 
 ture-land interspersed, gave abundant evidence of 
 rich fertility. We noticed the minarets and domes 
 of the large village of Lydda, about three miles 
 distant, surrounded with its olive orchards and 
 cactus hedges. Turning to the westward we 
 traced the road by which we had approached the 
 place, and in the distance caught sight of the 
 bright waters of the Mediterranean. To the south- 
 ward lay the hills of Philistia, already mentioned,
 
 SHA RON AND RA ML EH. 35 
 
 studded with the little hamlets of the farmers, 
 thus affording the choice feature of every beauti- 
 ful landscape, the evidence of human habitation. 
 To the eastward were the lofty hills of Judea, 
 over which we were to make our way on the 
 morrow. The rays of the declining sun lighted 
 up the clearly-defined summits, while the narrow 
 valleys were wrapt in the sombre shadows of the 
 coming darkness ; and at our feet, nestled against 
 the base of this ancient and beautiful tower, lay 
 the modern village of Ramleh, with its groves of 
 olive trees and its luxuriant hedges of cactus. 
 
 Enjoyable as was this scene, the lateness of 
 the hour warned us that it was time for us to 
 descend, and cautiously feeling our way down the 
 broken stone steps we soon emerged into the 
 quadrangle and mounted our horses for the ride 
 to our quarters in the village. This part of the 
 day's journey was quickly accomplished ; for in a 
 few minutes we turned up one of the little streets 
 and came upon a house with a flag floating from 
 a staff planted on the roof, on which were the 
 welcome words " Frank Hotel." The building 
 had evidently been used formerly as a dwell- 
 ing, but was now improvised for a lodging place 
 for travellers. Its former owner was a Moham- 
 medan, and here it was said he kept his harem. 
 The lower story was now used as a dining-room
 
 36 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 and kitchen, while above were our lodging-rooms, 
 opening out upon a broad stone terrace. Our 
 evening meal was soon prepared, and served upon 
 a very primitive table constructed of benches and 
 heavy deal pjank, while sacks of barley and other 
 grain were piled in heaps against the heavy stone 
 walls and in the gloomy corners of the basement 
 room w^hich served as our dining apartment. At 
 an early hour we retired to our sleeping-rooms, 
 nothing daunted by the thought that this was 
 once occupied by the aforesaid harem ; and, weary 
 with the novel experiences of the day, we fell 
 into our first sleep in Palestine.
 
 CIIAPTErv III. 
 
 GOING Ur TO JERUSALKM. 
 
 "Gakqon! Gargon!! Garcon !!!" These were 
 the words which rang through our ears like the 
 blare of a trumpet, at daybreak on the following 
 niorninii' at Ramleh. We reco2;nized the voice as 
 that of our English fellow-traveller. With a feel- 
 ing of alarm we hastily made our toilet and opened 
 the door, fearing that mischief might be brewing. 
 
 Inn, or Khan. 
 
 We found our friend Mr. 11- 
 
 standing in 
 
 his open doorway, clad only as if he had just 
 arisen from sleep, shivering in the crisp morning 
 
 (37)
 
 38 TEST AM) SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 air, attempting to arouse the attendants in the 
 basement. " Gallon " is the French name for 
 
 waiter, and we concluded that Mr. H had 
 
 adopted it, because we were now at the Frank 
 Hotel, wliere French would seem to be most 
 appropriate. We found out afterwards, however, 
 that it was our friend's habit, when travelling in 
 any foreign country, to make a dash at French, 
 even if the people understood English perfectly 
 well. "Gargon" seemed more polite and courteous 
 than " waiter," hence, no doubt, its frequent use. 
 At last one of the guides appeared, whereupon 
 a colloquy took place of a most animated descrip- 
 tion. It seems that Mr. II had determined 
 
 that his luggage, consisting of several heavy 
 trunks, should be kept with us during our 
 month's journey. On this point a long debate 
 had taken place at Jaffa, the guide wishing the 
 trunks sent by steamer to Beirut, to await our 
 arrival. A compromise had been effected by 
 hiring an extra mule to transport the effects, and 
 
 now Mr. H had awakened, in fear, lest 
 
 his bundle of twelve canes and nearly as many 
 umbrellas had been forgotten at Jaffa. Hence 
 the alarm ; — and what, with the mixture of fair 
 Enojlish, bad French, and barbarous Arabic ; the 
 opening of the heavy mule packs, the braying 
 of the animals, and the presence of wondering
 
 GOING UP TO JERUSALEM. 39 
 
 natives ; — there was commotion like that in the 
 baggage train of a great army. At last the par- 
 ticular package was found, just where it had been 
 safely stowed [iway at Jaffa. Peace and order 
 having been restored, the cook welcomed us to 
 the breakfast table. 
 
 The sun was fairly above the high Judean hills 
 when we mounted our horses to go up to Jeru- 
 salem. We wound around the cactus hedges, and 
 high plastered walls enclosing the fine gardens of 
 Ramleh, until, presently, we emerged into the 
 open country. The soil here is of a sandy nature, 
 yet very fertile ; the village is surrounded by 
 olive groves, while here and there an occasional 
 carob, sycamore, or palm tree might be seen 
 along the wayside. 
 
 A city was founded here by the Mohammedans 
 in the early part of the eighth century, under 
 the name which it now bears, Ramleh — " The 
 Sandy." When the crusaders came, they cap- 
 tured it and made it one of their strongholds, in 
 connection with Lydda and Jaffa. Here they 
 celebrated a festival to St. George upon the 
 abundance of provisions left behind by the flee- 
 ing inhabitants, and made the hero, who slew the 
 dragon, their patron saint. To this day, England 
 acknowledges St. George, and still raises the 
 white banner with the red cross.
 
 40 TENT AN J) SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 As we emerged from the narrow streets, and 
 our little party straggled along the highway east- 
 ward, we thought of the contrast between our 
 own appearance and that of the royal knights of 
 ancient times. Ilichard Caair de Lion may have 
 swept along this road, with his magnificent army 
 of crusaders, mounted on war-horses, their lances, 
 shields, and battle-axes glistening, like mirrors, in 
 the sun. Our steeds seemed entirely oblivious 
 of the fact that they were on ground distinguished 
 by such grand equine exploits. The only ambi- 
 tion they manifested was, a seeming desire, 
 that each one should be last in the train, and 
 we had much ado to urge them forward at a 
 gentle trot. 
 
 In two hours we ascended the first foot-hill of 
 the Judean range, and reached a miserable ham- 
 let named El-kuhah, situated on a rise of ground 
 to our right. The guide informed us that the 
 town formerly bore a very bad reputation ; for 
 not many years ago, a few gentlemen having some 
 valuable goods in charge, while passing it in the 
 night, were set upon and robbed by the inhab- 
 itants. When complaint was made to the Turkish 
 officials they, in contrast with their usual indiffer- 
 ence, placed the whole population under arrest, 
 and confiscated all their cattle, sheep and grain, 
 and by their severity taught the Kuhabians such
 
 GOING UP TO JERUSALEM. 41 
 
 a lesson that they no longer seek for plunder, and 
 are ahnost afraid even to ask for backshish."^' 
 
 An hour later we reached the Bab cl Wadf/, 
 "gate of the glen," which from ancient times 
 has been the chief entrance to the Judean ransre 
 from the west. The descent into the valley of 
 Ajalon is here quite steep, and thus nature has 
 made it a place of defence. From this point we 
 had a fine view of the valley and heights beyond. 
 The vale of Ajalon is wide and fertile, and runs 
 from northeast to southwest, having a stream-bed 
 in its centre, through which the heights around 
 Gibeon are drained. To the southward, in Phil- 
 istia, David probably selected his pebbles from 
 the bed of this water-course, when he fought his 
 famous battle with Goliath.f Far toward the 
 northeast, the guide pointed out the pass of 
 Beth-horon, from which Joshua commanded the 
 sun and the moon to stand still. J With the aid 
 of the glass we were enabled to distinguish the 
 town of upper Beth-horon, as the sun shone upon 
 it through a rift in the clouds. It lay high up 
 among the mountains, beyond the pass through 
 which the discomfited Amorites must have fled 
 
 * This is the Arabic word for " present." Dr. Robinson spells 
 it "bakhshish," Dr. Thomson has " buksheesh," and Canon 
 Tristram, "backshish." 
 
 t 1 Samuel 17 : 40. 
 
 I Joshua 10: 12.
 
 42 TIJNT AM) SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 away in terror into this valley of Ajalon, on the 
 day of their utter defeat. 
 
 Near our point of observation is the village of 
 Latrun, named thus from the tradition that Disma, 
 the penitent thief, formerly was a bandit at this 
 place. Lying in wait behind these high rocks on 
 either side of the "gate of the glen," he would 
 fall upon some hapless traveller and despoil him 
 of his goods. Here also, it is said, is the native 
 place of the famous Maccabees, who maintained a 
 long and successful struggle with the Syrian 
 kings, and finally succeeded in establishing, for a 
 period, the independence of the Jews. About 
 the year 175 b.c, on this very hill-top, Apelles, 
 one of the Greek commissioners sent by Epiph- 
 anes, set up an altar for idol-worship, and com- 
 manded the people to offer sacrifices upon it. 
 Only one poor Jew obeyed; when Mattathias, 
 the priest, with his five sons appeared on the 
 scene, putting Apelles and the Jew to the sword, 
 and scattered the crowd of idolaters. One of 
 the old priest's sons, named Judas — who is some- 
 times called the Washington of Judea — became 
 the leader of the Jewish forces, and from these 
 rocky hills, by sorties, and night attacks, and 
 deeds of desperate daring, drove off the Syrians 
 from the land. 
 
 At this point we began the toilsome ascent of
 
 (44)
 
 GOING UP TO JERUSALEM. 45 
 
 the Judean mountains, — for mountains they are, 
 though we are not accustomed to speak of them 
 by this title. They are composed of a limestone 
 of yellowish color. No forest trees, and but little 
 grass or shrubbery, are found upon their rounded 
 sides or lofty summits. Following the tortuous 
 track of the highway, and gradually attaining 
 higher and yet higher elevations, we came, near 
 midday, to Kirjath-jearim. It was here that the 
 sacred ark of the covenant abode for twenty 
 years, after it was restored to the Jews. It had 
 been taken to the battle-field by Hophni and 
 Phinehas, the two ingrate sons of good old Eli, 
 that it might be a charm to discomfit the Philis- 
 tines ; but, alas ! the Philistines triumphed, and 
 took the ark, with all the spoil, to their own 
 land ; whence by a providence they returned it, 
 drawn in a rude cart by two new^ milk cows, to its 
 proper owners.* 
 
 Few of the touching stories of Old-Testament 
 history have a pathos equal to the story of that 
 sacred ark. It came from the foot of Sinai, with 
 the tables of the law. The history of God's deal- 
 ings with his ancient people, the incidents in the 
 lives of Moses, Joshua, Eli and Samuel, were 
 bound up with it ; and here on this sunny mount- 
 ain slope, after it came from the great temple of 
 
 *1 Samuel 6: 7-12.
 
 46 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 Dagon ut Ashdod — after it was sent away from 
 Gath, Ekron and Beth-shemesh — came this holy 
 ark to the house of Eleazar the son of Ammin- 
 iidab, and here it rested until King David, with 
 great pomp and a royal procession, took it up to 
 Mount Zion.* 
 
 As we approached Kirjath-jearim, a cloud which 
 had been hanging over the horizon in the south- 
 west for some time, suddenly assumed a very 
 dark and threatening aspect. A coming storm, 
 the proverb says, hastens the traveller on his 
 way; and our party, following the example of 
 the guide, urged the horses into a quick pace 
 down the hill, toward the little khan where we 
 were to partake of luncheon. As I could not 
 leave that place with only a passing glance, I 
 rode under a fine olive tree by the wayside, just 
 opposite the village, and waited till the storm 
 should be over. I did not have long to wait : a 
 gust of wind, a dash of rain, and the rattle of a 
 brief hail-storm was upon me, and was soon past 
 me, driving over the hills around Jerusalem. 
 It was the last touch of the rainy season, and we 
 did not see another drop of rain fall during the 
 four weeks which we spent in Palestine and 
 Syria. 
 
 The little village now looked quite cleanly and 
 
 * 2 Samuel 6.
 
 GOIXG UP TO JERUSALEM. 47 
 
 inviting, as it had been washed by the passing 
 shower. It lies on the eastern side of one of the 
 high Judean hills, and not far from the summit 
 which we had crossed only a few moments before. 
 Its situation is at the edge of one of the peculiar 
 bowl-shaped depressions which form such a char- 
 acteristic feature of this mountain landscape. But 
 while most of these upland vales have bare rock 
 for their sides, this one is a terrace of fertile soil, 
 occupied with fruit trees, vineyards and gardens ; 
 hence its modern name, Kiiryet el Enab — "vil- 
 lage of vines." It was a suitable place for the 
 repose of the sacred ark, half hidden as it is in 
 the shadow of the mountain, and surrounded with 
 abundance of vines, olive and fig trees. The 
 single-story stone houses with twin windows, 
 with a fine old gothic ruin in front said to have 
 been erected by the Crusaders and dedicated to 
 the Knights of St. John : a mosque, a fountain, 
 and the remains of an ancient khan enshrine this 
 smiling hamlet as a pleasing picture in the mem- 
 ory. The extended prospect in front, — reaching 
 quite across the vale of Hanina to the high hills 
 before Jerusalem, with variety of mountain peaks 
 guarding the deep wadies between, with here and 
 there an orchard of olive or of fig trees set in the 
 terraced hillsides, — affords the village of vines a 
 suitable environment. Kirjath-jearim, the name
 
 48 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 by which we know this place in Old-Testament 
 history, is truly one of nature's sanctuaries, and 
 well deserves the honor of keeping, for twenty 
 years, the sacred ark of the covenant.* 
 
 The traces of the shower had nearly disap- 
 peared when, a few minutes later, I joined the 
 party at the khan in the valley, where we were 
 to partake of luncheon. The khan of Palestine 
 is neither a hotel nor a private dwelling. It is 
 simply a shelter by the wayside where the trav- 
 eller may rest, while he entertains himself with 
 his own provisions, and, if he remain over night, 
 may lie down upon his own bedding. The khans 
 vary in size and in finish according to the loca- 
 tion. On the long routes from Cairo to Damas- 
 cus, or from either of these cities to Mecca, the 
 buildings are of large size ; but in the present 
 instance the place was small and used as a dwell- 
 ing, and the accommodations were very meagre. 
 The structure was made of common field stone, 
 plastered with clay, and the roof was made of 
 sticks covered with brush and turf. An old man 
 seemed to have the place in charge, and opened 
 
 * Robinson's map, "Environs of Jerusalem," locates Kirjath- 
 jearim at Kuryet el Enab, but Conder and Dr. Chaplin propose 
 Soba as its site, and the Palestine Memoirs suggest Khurbet 
 'Erma. The first two places are within sight of each other, so 
 that the above description will afford the reader a view of the 
 general surroundings in either case.
 
 GOING UP TO JERUSALEM. 49 
 
 the door of welcome to us, upon the payment of 
 a few piastres. 
 
 The guide, with his assistants, spread the 
 cloths upon the ground floor, and brought forth 
 the store of provisions ; and as our appetites 
 were good, after the morning's ride, we were an- 
 ticipating a pleasant repast in this primitive host- 
 elry. But scarcely were we seated around the 
 edges of the cloth, after the Turkish fashion, be- 
 fore our troubles commenced. First came the 
 chickens, half running, half flying across the 
 place occupied by the dishes, picking at the 
 bread, eggs, and meat as if they intended to 
 make the most of this their golden opportunity. 
 Following them came the cats, scarcely less per- 
 sistent yet far more stealthy, and they nearly 
 completed the work of destruction. It was in- 
 deed an embarrassing situation, and we soon des- 
 patched what provision each one had been for- 
 tunate enough to secure at the beginning, and 
 prepared to retreat into the highway. Our 
 hasty exit surprised a half-grown girl who had 
 been watching us, with great black, greedy eyes, 
 from the corner of the doorway. She would 
 have made a good subject for any artist who 
 could paint well from memory. She disappeared 
 quickly around the corner of the building, her 
 coarse black hair, and tattered tunic, streaming
 
 50 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 out behind her in the wind. We were unable 
 to catch a glimpse of her afterward. 
 
 The khan had an elevated portion in the inte- 
 rior which extended over nearly one-half of the 
 floor space. This raised portion was about tAvo 
 feet above the general level, and was composed 
 of stone masonry, within which was a broad, 
 shallow oven, securely arched at the top and 
 covered with a coat of plaster. Upon this the 
 bedding is usually placed during winter, so that, 
 with a brisk fire of brushwood and dried grass 
 kept up during the day, the people sleep in tol- 
 erable comfort at night, enjoying the heat re- 
 tained in the stonework. In some cases the 
 donkeys are kept upon the ground-floor, and the 
 manger is fjlaced along the front of the raised 
 portion. Thus the ancient khan at Bethlehem 
 must have been constructed with the cave in the 
 rear, where, because there was no room for them 
 at the inn, Mary wrapped the infjint Jesus in 
 swaddling-clothes and laid him in the manger. 
 
 Our route from the khan led over another hill 
 of Judea, on the summit of which is a ruin 
 named Kustul, an ancient fort of either the 
 Romans or the Crusaders. High on the crest 
 of the range to the northward we saw Mizpeh, 
 the former tomb of Samuel, now named Nebi- 
 Samwil; while, at an almost equal height and
 
 GOING UP TO JERUSALEM. 51 
 
 like situation, to the southAvard we saw a con- 
 ical peak named Soha. As we advanced, these 
 two summits were almost constantly in sight, 
 and each seemed the more majestic and impress- 
 ive the nearer we approached to them. 
 
 From Kustul we descended to Kidonieh^ which 
 lies just on the border of the great valley Hanina. 
 It is undoubtedly the site of an old Roman town, 
 for near by it is a fine bridge of stone over the 
 bed of the little brook, which shows the trace 
 of Roman architecture. It is of interest to note 
 that the little place named Kulonieh, which is 
 an attractive village, with gardens and vineyards 
 surrounding it, is one of the supposed sites of 
 Emmaus,* where the Saviour and the two dis- 
 ciples came on the evening of the day of his res- 
 urrection.f Could it be certainly proved that 
 this is the very spot where that ever-memorable 
 scene occurred, few places even in this most in- 
 teresting land would be of greater interest to us. 
 It is distant from Jerusalem just about the re- 
 quired sixty furlongs ; and it is situated at the 
 side of the ancient road leading westward to 
 Kirjath-jearim and Ramleh, supposed by many 
 to be ancient Arimathea. From Kulonieh the 
 
 * Some authors locate Emmaus at Kubeibeh, farther to the 
 north and west, 
 t Luke 24: 13.
 
 52 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 disciples could easily have returned the same 
 evening, with their joyful tidings, to the holy 
 city ; and thus nearly all the conditions of the 
 sacred narrative are met by this location. 
 
 From this point we crossed the arch of stone- 
 work already mentioned, and soon came to a high 
 hill, which we climbed in a zigzag fashion by 
 some eight diagonals, all included within a space 
 of about one-fourth of a mile. It was in reality 
 climbing up the foce of a steep, and in places 
 almost perpendicular clifT, and thus it formed a 
 fitting climax to the fatigue of the day's travel. 
 We were able from the top to gain a view along 
 the winding track which we had followed from 
 Kirjath-jearim, and also to take in the general 
 appearance of the Judean hillsides. As a rule 
 they are quite barren of vegetation. Slabs of 
 limestone are seen all along their sides, glisten- 
 ing in the sunlight. The layers of rock are 
 mainly horizontal, and swell in and out in curved 
 lines around the projections and recesses, thus 
 affording natural terraces, which once were under 
 cultivation no doubt, but now are in a state of 
 nature. In the beds of the deep, narrow valleys 
 olive trees, and little gardens under cultivation, 
 may be noticed ; and higher up, in a few places, 
 the natural terraces are occupied with vine- 
 yards.
 
 GOING UP TO JERUSALEM. 
 
 53 
 
 While we were still among the mountains, as 
 we supposed, we were almost at the gates of Je- 
 rusalem. Having gone a few yards from the 
 summit of the cliff with the diagonals, we were 
 already in the suburbs which lie without the city 
 walls. We saw the upper and lower pools of 
 Gihon, in the valley of Hinnom, on our right; 
 and ere we could fairly realize it we were within 
 the Jaffa Gate and dismounting in David Street, 
 in front of the Mediterranean Hotel. 
 
 The Interior of the Jaffa Gate. (After Photograph by BonjOs.) 
 
 The Jaffa Gate, called also " Yafa Gate," " Hebron Gate," and by the Arabs Bnb 
 el-Khulit, is on the west side of Jerusalem. It consists of a massive square 
 tower, the entrance to which from without is on the northern side, and the 
 exit within on the eastern. All the roads from the country south and west 
 converge to this gate. One street — and it is generally the one first trodden 
 by western pilgrims — leads from the Jaffa Gate eastward past the space by the 
 oitadel, and down the side of the ridge and across the valley to the principal 
 entrance of the Haram. This street is called Ijv some the "Street of David." 
 Outside tlie Jaffa Gate is the usual eainpiug-iilace of all travellers reaching 
 Jerusalem by way of Jaffa and from Hebron or Bethlehem.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MORIAH. 
 
 All readers of the Bible have, at least, a gen- 
 eral conception of the surroundings of Jerusalem. 
 And, in the main, the general view is quite cor- 
 rect, though the details will greatly vary from 
 our ideal of the holy city. All have heard of 
 the mountains round about Jerusalem, to which 
 the Psalmist compares the watchfulness and care 
 of Jehovah over his people. Even the stranger 
 can find them at once, and without hesitation, 
 Scopus, the Mount of Olives, the Mount of Of- 
 fence, and the Hill of Evil Counsel are all in plain 
 sight, and are easily identified. So also the two 
 noted elevations within the city walls, Zion and 
 Moriah, can be recognized at a glance ; and even 
 the valleys of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat have, at 
 the very first sight, a familiar aspect. 
 
 If we were to remain without the walls we would 
 not need a guide, except for his protection. We 
 can walk entirely around the city walls within an 
 hour, — only two and one-half miles in length, — 
 and at first we feel disappointed that Jerusalem 
 has only about twenty-five thousand inhabitants. 
 
 (54)
 
 MODERN JERUSALEM 
 
 Jbe dvdmons otAiuient J^msolart nre 
 
 di^Jt4fitisfud hy colours and najriAt bv Uyhs, )jajrs 
 
 Scalp _Enfflali Feet 
 
 (55)
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MO II I AH. 57 
 
 When we compare it with the cities of other 
 countries, we at once discover that its greatness 
 is not due to its size, nor to the magnificence of 
 its buildings. There are at least one hundred 
 cities in the United States larger, in population, 
 than this famous city of the Jews. Yet we do 
 not estimate the value of precious things accord- 
 ing to bulk but according to quality, or to affec- 
 tion. Hence we must look at Jerusalem, not as a 
 rival of other cities in population or wealth, but 
 we must prize it for its memorable history and 
 sacred associations. 
 
 It was with no ordinary interest that two mem- 
 bers of our party took our first walk in Jerusa- 
 lem, on the evening of the day of our arrival. As 
 was most natural, our steps were directed towards 
 the place where we could see the Mount of Olives 
 and the Kedron Valley. With our guide we set 
 out from near the Jaffa Gate, who led us down 
 David Street, through the busy little market- 
 place or bazaar. We found the streets not only 
 narrow, but also very uneven and almost impass- 
 able, on account of the slippery condition of the 
 surface. The pavement, in fact, was nothing 
 more than a bed of field-stone of uneven surfaces, 
 roughly laid down. Added to this was the diffi- 
 culty occasioned by the fact that the streets fol- 
 low the natural slopes in crossing the Tyropoeon
 
 58 TEN r AND SAD D L E L IFE. 
 
 Valley, and therefore are without anything like a 
 smooth grade. The recent rains had covered the 
 surfjice with a slippery coating of clay, and the 
 little torrents were still at work carrying the mud, 
 and debris, down the slopes in the middle of the 
 streets. We had to use the greatest precaution, 
 therefore, lest from an unguarded footstep we 
 should find ourselves prostrate in some filthy 
 puddle. At last, after turning this way and that, 
 and by great care avoiding the loaded camels, 
 mules, donkeys and high-stepping men, we ar- 
 rived at St. Stephen's Gate. Passing through 
 the gate we advanced a few paces, and stood 
 upon the brink of the valley of Jehoshaphat. 
 And now the view which we had so long desired 
 to see was spread out to our anxious and scrutin- 
 izing gaze. At last we were permitted to see 
 that of which we had read so often; of which we 
 had studied, and thought, and dreamed. 
 
 The scene was as we had imagined, only the 
 proportions were much enlarged. The valley 
 before St. Stephen's Gate is broad and deep. In 
 the bed of the valley there is room for extensive 
 gardens at this point, and the space is enclosed 
 and under cultivation. Gethsemane is also in 
 plain sight, but it is quite a distance away, and, 
 as now enclosed by a substantial wall, and well 
 stocked with ancient olive and young cypress
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MORI AH. 61 
 
 trees, it forms an attractive feature of this 
 otherwise somewhat barren view. The Mount 
 of Olives is high and broad ; exceeding my an- 
 ticipations in both particulars. The buildings on 
 the summit, at this distance, appear to be quite 
 new and large ; but the broad face of the mount, 
 lying between, looks bare and uninviting, save as 
 relieved by the clumps of almond, fig, and orange 
 trees which are scattered along the channels of 
 the water-courses, and are already in the bud and 
 leaf of the early spring. The feelings awakened 
 by the sight were simply inexpressible, and for 
 the most part we gazed upon it in silence ; and, 
 thoughtfully turning aAvay, retraced our steps, 
 waiting for views from other standpoints to give 
 us a more accurate conception of the place as a 
 whole. 
 
 On the morning following our arrival at Jeru- 
 salem we were taken to see the Mosque of Omar, 
 which occupies very nearly the site of Solomon's 
 temple, on Mount Moriah. The guide was anx- 
 ious that this visit should be made at once, for 
 the coming festivals, of both Christians and Mo- 
 hammedans, would close the gates of the temple 
 area against all sight-seeing tourists for many 
 weeks to come. The Haram esJi-Sherif, or Noble 
 Sanctuary, is an elevated area five hundred 
 and ten yards in length from north to south and
 
 62 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 three hundred and eighteen yards wide from east 
 to west.*'' It is bounded by immense walls, the 
 substructions of which are supposed to have 
 been laid in the times of Solomon. The wall on 
 the east side runs parallel with the valley of Je- 
 hoshaphat, and for a considerable part of the whole 
 distance stands upon its very brink. On the 
 west side the great wall runs along the narrow 
 and now very shallow valley of the Tyropoeon, 
 in quite a similar manner ; at the north end is 
 the bed of an ancient cross-valley now known as 
 the pool of Bethesda, and at the south the ground 
 falls away rapidly over the rounded knoll for- 
 merly known as Ophel. The surface in the in- 
 terior of this enclosed place, thus surrounded by 
 valleys, has been levelled up by filling earth along 
 the walls, until it now appears like a public square 
 or park, shaded by cypress, olive and plane trees, 
 with the celebrated Mosque of Omar situated well 
 toward the western side. 
 
 This elevated section includes the entire sum- 
 mit of ancient Moriah, which David purchased 
 from Araunah the Jebusite, and where, tradition 
 asserts, Abraham offered Isaac for the sacrifice. 
 And here Solomon erected his temple, which was 
 
 * The latest measurements are : west side, 536 yards ; east 
 side, 512 yards ; north side, 348 yards ; south side, 309 yards. 
 This shows that the area is not an exact parallelogram.
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MO HI A If. 63 
 
 afterwards restored by Zerubbabel, and finally 
 enlarged and rebuilt in a more magnificent man- 
 ner by Herod the Great. This spot, thus dis- 
 tinguished in sacred history, after the wars with 
 the Romans finally fell into the possession of the 
 Mohammedans ; and here, it is said, the khalif 
 Omar built the mosque (which still bears his 
 name), in a.d. 686, occupying seven full years in 
 its construction. 
 
 As our party approached this famous structure, 
 our guide pointed out to us a smaller building at 
 its side, not unlike an elegant summer-house in 
 appearance, which was named Solomon's Tribunal 
 or place of judgment. At the door of the great 
 mosque we were required to remove our boots, 
 but no restrictions are made respecting the wear- 
 ing of hats, the Mohammedans themselves always 
 entering their places of worship with the feet 
 bare and the head covered. We found ourselves 
 within an octagonal structure of elegant work- 
 manship, fitly crowned by a graceful dome located 
 exactly over the great rock which gives the Mo- 
 hammedan name to the place — " The Dome of 
 the Rock." Two rows of columns running quite 
 around the interior of the building, of ancient 
 appearance and finely polished, divided the area 
 into two nearly equal parts. As usual, we found 
 no pews within, for the Mohammedans either
 
 64 TKNT AMD SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 prostrate themselves, or sit upon the floor during 
 their worship, and but few of the faithful were 
 present at the time of our visit. 
 
 The sacred rock was the object of greatest in- 
 terest to us. I had always formed the idea that 
 it must 1)0 an immense boulder ; but in this con- 
 ception I soon found that I had been mistaken, 
 for the sacred stone is simply a spur of the native 
 limestone of Moriah, in situ, protruding above the 
 floor of the sanctuary. It is in shape a sort of 
 parallelogram, and is about sixty feet in length 
 by twenty in width.* It appears to have been 
 worked down with drill and chisel, the whole 
 surface having thus been chipped away, leaving 
 a slight comb or ridge its entire length from north 
 to south. The guide pointed out to us the giant 
 finger-marks made by the angel Gabriel when he 
 grasped the sacred relic to prevent its following 
 Mohammed up to Paradise. These were plainly 
 nothing but drill-marks left in a convenient form 
 to suit the legend. 
 
 Under the southern end of this rock there is 
 the entrance to the cave or shallow recess be- 
 neath it. This portion of the sacred relic was 
 
 * Other writers gwe its length 57 feet, width 43 feet, height 
 above pavement 6j feet. The Mohammedans believe that at 
 the last day the Ka'ba of Mecca will come to this rock, the 
 blast of the trumpet will announce the judgment, and God's 
 throne will then be placed upon this rock.
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MORI AH. 65 
 
 undoubtedly the projecting ledge of the original 
 formation, under cover of which Araunah the 
 Jebusite may have stored the wheat obtained 
 from his threshing-floor near by.* Upon enter- 
 ing this cave, in which a dozen persons can gather 
 and stand upright, we were shown the praying- 
 places of David and Mohammed ; and on stamp- 
 ing upon the floor, we found that it was hollow 
 beneath. A large hole pierces through the pro- 
 jecting portion of the rock overhead, correspond- 
 ing very nearly with the hollow place beneath, 
 indicating that at some time there must have 
 been some connection between them. The Mo- 
 hammedans, however, will not allow any one to 
 open the floor over the hollow-sounding place, 
 alleging that the well of spirits lies below it, into 
 which no mortal must penetrate. 
 
 Despite the usual shabby surroundings of all 
 Mohammedan buildings, to which this is no ex- 
 ception, the Mosque of Omar is certainly a fine 
 piece of architecture. The windows, located well 
 up toward the eaves, are set in stained glass, 
 without emblems, and are chaste and elegant in 
 coloring and design. The capitals of the columns 
 are finished in gold, and the walls are covered 
 with mosaic work of an arabesque pattern. The 
 mosque is not large, but is tastefully built, and 
 
 *2 Samuel 24:21. 
 5
 
 66 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 the dome is graceful, symmetrical and a fitting 
 crown to the whole structure. 
 
 We left the building by the southern portal, 
 and noticed that the surface dropped down to a 
 lower level, to which we descended by a broad 
 flight of stone steps, and crossing a lawn of green 
 sward, beneath which lie the numberless cisterns 
 of the old temple area, we approached the second 
 mosque, known as el-Aksa. We found that this 
 was a larger building than the one we had just 
 left, but it was not nearl}'" as beautiful. Its 
 southern end rests upon the great wall of the 
 temple area, and from the windows on this side 
 extensive views are enjoyed of the deep valley 
 of Hinnom and its junction with the valley of 
 Jehoshaphat at En Rogel. 
 
 Our guide next led us down a narrow and dan- 
 gerous stone staircase into the vaults known as 
 Solomon's Stables. There we found ourselves in 
 a large subterranean apartment, filled with solid 
 arches of masonry which evidently supported the 
 floor and walls of the mosque above. At the 
 same time we noted the immense stones imbed- 
 ded in the foundation of the great wall at the 
 southeast corner of the temple area. It was .on 
 the exterior side of this southeast corner of the 
 ancient wall that Captain Warren sunk a shaft 
 in 18G8, and finally, after great labor and peril,
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MORI AH. 67 
 
 found the corner-stone laid by Solomon's masons 
 2880 years before. " The corner-stone," he 
 writes, " is let into the native rock apparently 
 about two feet : it is well dressed, and has an 
 
 Eastern Wall of Jerusalkm and Mrsi.iM Tombs. [Afii-r Photograph by 
 Bovf. /.■<.) 
 
 There are many cemeteries, sepulchres and tombs about Jerusah'm, but the 
 favorite buryins-place of the Muslims is along the east wall, adjoining the 
 Haram esh-Sherif; since, according to their traditions, the general judgment 
 will take place in this locality. They say that all men will then assemble 
 in the valley of Jehoshaphat (at the left of the picture). A thin wire rope 
 will be stretched across the valley to the Mount of Olives. Christ will sit on 
 the wall and Mohammed on the mount, as judges. All men must pass over 
 the intervening space on the rope. The righteous will be kept by the angels 
 from falling, while the wicked will be precipitated into the abyss of hell. 
 Near the centre of the picture can be seen the Golden Gate, which has been 
 kept closed from a very early period. 
 
 ordinary marginal draft of about four inches at 
 the top. It shows above the rock about two 
 feet." On a stone in the fifth course, and the 
 second one from the angle, he found some char- 
 acters marked with red paint, of which he writes : 
 " The general impression resulting from the ex- 
 amination of these marks is that they are the 
 quarry-marks, and were made before the stones
 
 68 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 were placed in situ. If this be the case, then 
 the stones must have been dressed previously to 
 their having been brought from the quarries." 
 Thus the Scripture statement is confirmed : 
 "And the house, when it was in building, was 
 built of stone made ready before it was brought 
 thither : so that there was neither hammer nor 
 axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, 
 while it was in building." * 
 
 After ascending the stone steps which lead to 
 the present surface of the temple area, we climbed 
 to the top of the heavy wall which oAerhangs the 
 valley of Jehoshaphat, and peered down into its 
 awful depth. Captain Warren states that there 
 is now about forty feet of soil in the bed of the 
 Kedron at this point ; so that originally the depth 
 of the valley must have been increased to this 
 extent. Solomon's Porch was built on the south- 
 ern wall, of which Josephus says : "A broad por- 
 tico ran along the wall, supported by four rows 
 of columns, which divided it into three parts, 
 thus forming a triple colonnade or portico. The 
 height of the two external porticos was more 
 than fifty feet, while that of the middle one was 
 double, or more than a hundred feet. Such was 
 the elevation of the middle portico above the ad- 
 jacent valley that if from its roof one attempted 
 
 * 1 Kings 6 : 7.
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MORI AH. 69 
 
 to look down into the gnlf below, his eyes became 
 dark and dizzy before they could penetrate to the 
 immense depth." Dr. Robinson estimates the 
 depth of the valley at present as 150 feet, but 
 thinks that from the middle portico it must have 
 been 310 feet. At all events the depth is very 
 great, and the visitor sees at once the force of 
 the language in the Gospel which fixes a portion 
 of the Saviour's temptation at this point, when 
 "the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and 
 setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith. 
 If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down."* 
 Going on northward along the eastern wall, we 
 soon came to the Golden Gate, which is now 
 walled up with solid masonry. The double arch, 
 with ornamental finish, may yet be seen, with 
 the ancient lintel pierced for the reception of the 
 standards belonging to the absent gates or doors. 
 The Mohammedans have a tradition that when the 
 Saviour's second advent takes place this gate will 
 be reopened for the grand procession, and that then 
 they will lose their possession of the holy city. 
 
 As we reached the northern wall of the temple 
 enclosure we came to Birket-Israil, the traditional 
 Pool of Bethesda.f It is an unsightly place, being 
 
 * Matthew 4 -. 5. 
 
 t The Pool of Bethesda, near the sheep market or place, John 
 5 : 1-9, was identified with the modern pool Birket-Israil by 
 Capt. Wilson (see Recovery of Jerusalem, pp. 148-156). This
 
 70 
 
 TEi^T ANJJ SADDLE Llt'L. 
 
 ]...., ,A../.. 
 
 by liimjils.) 
 
 was regarded as untenable hy Barclay, as was also the so-called 
 "Virgin Fount" (see City of the Great King, pp. 321, 325). lie 
 would identify Bethesda with one of the '" two pools" named in 
 the Bordeaux Pilgrim, one on the right and the other on the left 
 of the temple. But Dr. Barclay supplies a supposed omission in 
 the text of John 5 : 2, and confesses " there are no special vestiges 
 of the pool to be seen at this time." Dr. Ilobinson proposed to 
 identify Bethesda with the Virgin's Fount {'Aiji Umm ed 
 Deraj), above the Pool of Siloam [Silwan), and the Palestine 
 Fund Exploration Report, just issued, adopts it, saying, '"The 
 modern Jews believe the waters of this pool to be a sure cure 
 for rheumatic complaints. They often go in numbers, men and 
 women together, and stand in their clothes in the pool, waiting 
 for the water to rise. This fact, together with the meaning of 
 the name Bethesda (house of the stream), renders it very prob- 
 able that the Virgin's Fountain is the pool mentioned in John 
 5 : 2, which was near the ' sheep place,' possibly therefore out- 
 side Jerusalem." See Survey of Western Palestine, Jerusalem, 
 p. 366 ; also Schaff's Bible Dictionary, arts. Bethesda and Jeru- 
 salem. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MO HI AH. 71 
 
 partially filled with ashes and other rubbish, and 
 without water. Captain Warren excavated this 
 pool also, and found it to be the bed of an ancient 
 valley, eighty feet in depth and running out into 
 the Kedron. The pool was formed by construct- 
 ing a wall along the sides and across this rock 
 channel, and supplying it with water by a conduit. 
 He found the depression to be thirty-five feet in 
 depth, and thus was compelled to dig forty-five 
 feet in order to reach the native rock at the bot- 
 tom. This bottom he estimates to be 165 feet 
 lower than the top of the platform around the 
 Dome of the Rock. 
 
 In leaving this interesting enclosure we passed 
 the site of the ancient tower of An tenia, which 
 was located at its northwest angle. From Jo- 
 sephus we learn that around this tower the Jews 
 rallied in their final conflict with the Romans 
 under Titus, a.d. 70, for the possession of their 
 sacred temple. The Romans were strongly en- 
 trenched in this massive tower, and the Jews, 
 stationed on the temple platform, fought with the 
 utmost desperation in their attempts to dislodge 
 them. All their love and reverence for their 
 sanctuary inspired the poor Jews, now reduced 
 to the last extremity by famine and sword, with 
 an almost superhuman heroism. It was their 
 dying struggle for national existence ; and the
 
 72 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 description of their historian is simply appaUing, 
 with its details of suffering, butchery, and fright- 
 ful death. It was at this time, he alleges, that 
 a poor Jewess slew her son, and was eating his 
 flesh, to satisfy the pangs of hunger, when the 
 Romans finally accomplished their overwhelming 
 defeat, and broke into the portions of the city so 
 long under siege. From this historical descrip- 
 tion we infer that Solomon's temple was situated 
 toward the western side of the enclosure, and 
 was connected with Antonia by a row of clois- 
 ters, which, being set on fire by the Romans, 
 finally reached the temple and destroyed it.* 
 Somewhere on the Noble Platform, as it is called, 
 is the ancient temple site. The sacred rock must 
 have been covered by it, and most likely was 
 enclosed within the Holy of Holies, where the 
 ark was kept. " In that dark receptacle," Dean 
 Stanley writes, " two gigantic guardians were 
 waiting to receive the ark, on the great day 
 of dedication under Solomon. The two golden 
 cherubs were spreading forth their wings to 
 take the place of the diminutive figures which 
 had crouched over it up to this time. On a 
 rough unhewn projection of the rock, under this 
 covering, the ark was thrust in, and placed 
 lengthways on what is called the place of its 
 
 * Josephus : Wars, vi. 4, ^ 5.
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MORIAH. 73 
 
 rest."* The temple fronted the east, and in 
 entering it by the Golden Gate, the worshipper 
 came first into the Court of the Gentiles ; thence 
 by a flight of steps to that of the Jews, with the 
 great altar of burnt offering and the brazen laver ; 
 and then, before him arose the beautiful sanctuary 
 itself, constructed of marble and cedar-wood and 
 ornamented with gold, having first the sanctuary 
 with the altar of incense, table of shew-bread 
 .ind golden candlestick, and back of all, as we 
 have seen, the Holy of Holies, which no man 
 must enter but the high priest, and he only once 
 in each year. 
 
 The ark had not reached its final rest, as the 
 Jews fondly hoped, when it was thrust upon the 
 projecting ledge of the sacred rock. Indeed 
 this spot is as much a place of warfare as of 
 worship. Four hundred years after the dedica- 
 tion of Solomon's temple, Nebuchadnezzar came,f 
 " and burnt the house of God, and brake down 
 the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces 
 with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels 
 thereof." What scenes of strife and carnage 
 have happened around the sacred rock from 
 that time onward ! The revolutions among the 
 Jews themselves, the sieges of the Egyptians 
 
 * History of Jewish Church, vol. 2, p. 238. 
 t 2 Chronicles 36 : 19.
 
 74 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 and Syrians, that of the Romans, the Moham- 
 medans and tlie Crusaders, combine to make this 
 one of the most bloody sites of human history, 
 as it has for centuries been regarded as the most 
 sacred. 
 
 Near the site of ancient Antonia runs the Via 
 Dolorosa — Sorrowful Way — along which, tra- 
 dition affirms, Jesus bore his cross to Calvary. 
 This tradition is doubtless founded on the idea 
 that the "common hall of the soldiers,"* men- 
 tioned by the evangelist, was located in this 
 tower. This narrow street, beginning at St. Ste- 
 phen's Gate, passes near the site of Antonia, and 
 continues on a westward course until it reaches 
 the bed of the Tyropoeon Valley, when it turns 
 southward along a street leading from the Damas- 
 cus Gate for a short distance, when it again turns 
 westward, and ends on the ridge behind the 
 Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 
 
 On the Friday afternoon during our stay in 
 Jerusalem we went to what is known as the 
 " Wailing-place of the Jews." This place is on 
 the west side of Mount Moriah, in the Tyropoeon 
 Valley, where the large bevelled-edge stones in 
 the ancient wall indicate the substructions of the 
 temple of Solomon. Thirty men and twenty 
 women were present on that occasion to lament 
 * Matthew 27 : 27.
 
 EccE Homo Arch, Via Dolorosa.
 
 SIGHTS ON MOUNT MORI AH. 77 
 
 over the loss of their temple and kiss the stones 
 in the wall. The men read aloud in Hebrew 
 
 The Wailixu-place of the Jews. 
 {From Photographs.) 
 
 from a service-book, in a kind of chanting tone, 
 while waving the body to and fro, and indulging 
 in loud lamentations.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 
 
 Having gone over Mount Moriah quite thor- 
 oughly, we thought it best to defer further exam- 
 ination of the holy city for the present and make 
 a tour southward as far as Hebron. For this 
 trip the arrangements had already been com- 
 pleted by our argus-eyed drngoman while we 
 were exploring the temple mount. Accordingly 
 we were early astir on Thursday morning, select- 
 ing our horses, strapping our water-proofs to the 
 saddles, and consulting maps and guide-books. 
 
 On this occasion we were to have a new guide, 
 named John Bernstein, the son of Moses. He 
 was already on the scene of action in front of the 
 Mediterranean Hotel, quite as enthusiastic as any 
 of the party, and eager for departure. John was 
 a native son of the soil, though of German de- 
 scent. He was a mere stripling of some eighteen 
 summers, with light-blue eyes and long auburn 
 locks, and a certain reckless, rakish air about him 
 that gave promise of high adventure. He was 
 dressed in a mixed fashion, half European and 
 half Arabic, with civilized coat and pants, a tar- 
 
 (78)
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 79 
 
 boosh on his head, and a broad belt at his waist 
 gleaming with knife and pistol. With a gallant 
 wave of the hand he exclaimed, "All ready now ; 
 will the gentlemen kindly mount ?" This order, 
 which came with the authority of a commander- 
 in-chief, we instantly obeyed, and after a few 
 clumsy hitches, the five of us found ourselves in 
 the saddles, and with sundry flourishes on the 
 part of our fresh steeds we made a dash for the 
 grim old Jaffa Gate. Having safely passed the 
 sleepy Turkish sentinel, who stood like a statue 
 with his back braced against the " needle's eye," 
 we came at once to the vale of Hinnom. 
 
 The banks of the ravine are rugged and quite 
 steep here, and we were content to clamber 
 down the declivity, without thought of further 
 display of horsemanship, until we were safe at 
 the bottom. The ascent of the southern bank 
 was equally difficult, and each rider found suf- 
 ficient employment in keeping his seat while the 
 animals slowly clambered to the summit. At 
 this point we found ourselves on the border of 
 the plain of Rephaim, where in former times so 
 many battles were fought between the Jews and 
 the Philistines, in which King David played so 
 prominent a part. For the first half hour we 
 skirted along the eastern edge of this plain. It 
 was without fences, but in part under cultivation,
 
 80 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 the soil apparently fertile and the surface thickly 
 strewn with loose stones. It slopes gently to the 
 southwest, and sends all its w\iters down toward 
 the Mediterranean, even from the edge of the 
 Hinnom, whose waters flow in the opposite direc- 
 tion to the Dead Sea. 
 
 Though we were upon the highway leading to 
 the south country, and were almost within a 
 stone's cast of the great metropolis of the whole 
 land, yet we were following simply a winding 
 path, marked out apparently by the footprints 
 of the passing camels, horses, and donkeys. It 
 seemed remarkable to Americans, that the 
 people of this land had been content to follow 
 this winding trail from the days of Abraham, 
 with no other attempt at engineering than that 
 accomplished by the feet of passing animals. 
 Yet, strange as it seemed to us, we did not see a 
 single wagon road in Judea, Samaria, or Galilee, 
 except the indifferent one leading from Jaffa to 
 Jerusalem.* 
 
 At the south end of the plain we ascended the 
 slope of the hill leading up to the Greek convent 
 named Mar-Elias. The buildings of this institu- 
 tion are quite new and attractive in appearance. 
 They are finely situated on the highest elevation 
 
 *A diligence, or stage, runs from Beirut to Damascus; but 
 this road is in northern Syria.
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 81 
 
 between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and from this 
 point the traveller can look upon the Mosque of 
 Omar and the Church of the Nativity in Beth- 
 lehem ; by a simple turn of the head he can see 
 the birth-place of Jesus, the place where he 
 taught in the temple, the site of Calvary, and 
 the scene of his final ascension from the top of 
 Olivet. And surely no place beside this can 
 boast of such historical and sacred associations 
 in its scenery, wherever the foot of man may 
 find a resting-place the world around. 
 
 A smart canter, which seemed to be a piece of 
 mischief on the part of our rollicking guide, who 
 had taken this opportunity to test a new pair of 
 spurs upon his steed, brought us quickly to a 
 wayside structure which he called Rachel's 
 Tomb. This was a small structure, not unlike 
 a dwelling of that country in appearance. It 
 consisted of two parts, on one of which was a 
 low roof, perfectly flat, and upon the other was 
 the usual dome found upon all the houses, but a 
 little larger in proportion, as if intended to indi- 
 cate that the building was used as a place of 
 worship. And this we found was the case in 
 fact, for the Mohammedans use this as a kubbeh 
 or praying-place.* In their way they thus keep 
 
 * The kubbeh is a square building with a court on the east. 
 The original building was open, with four arcades, one on each 
 6
 
 82 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 up a standing testimony to the truth of the tra- 
 dition that this is the veritable spot, " but a little 
 way from Ephrath" (Bethlehem), where "Ra- 
 
 ToMli OF ItACHliL, NliAli iJliTULEllli.M. {Ajtcr II I'hutliljra j,}i .) 
 
 side, supporting the dome. These have been filled iu except on 
 the east side, where a chamber has been added. The original 
 building was 23 feet on each side, the arcades having a span of 
 H feet. The height of the walls is 20 feet and of the dome 10 
 feet. A monument has been noted on this spot since a.d. 333. 
 In A.D. 700 it is said there was a pyramid on the site, and also 
 in A.D. 1100. In 1422 a Moslem building is noticed as standing 
 on the place. The Palestine Survey states that "there is no 
 reason to doubt the genuineness of the tradition in which Jew, 
 Moslem and Christian agree." (See Siiroey W. Paltstine, vol. 
 3, p. Vi():]—Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 
 
 83 
 
 chel died, and was buried in the way."* This 
 is but a poor memorial of a sad and touching 
 event, but it serves to remind us that we are 
 travelling in the footsteps of the patriarchs, and 
 are upon the scene of one of Israel's heaviest 
 sorrows. It is well that the beloved wife of 
 Jacob is thus remembered, since the pillar erected 
 by her husband upon her grave has long since 
 disappeared. 
 
 As we were examining the place the sound of 
 music fell upon our ears, and passing around to 
 
 Ea'TLRN M()URNEK'5 at the (iRAVE. 
 
 the west side of the building we perceived that 
 it was the wailing chant of some Arab women, 
 who were sitting around the tombs in the adjacent 
 grave-yard. Their song was a kind of monotonous 
 
 * Genesis 35 : 19.
 
 84 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 chant, raised at intervals of a few minutes and 
 then suffered to die away, as if the effort had re- 
 lieved the overburdened heart of the mourners. 
 Thursday of each week is devoted to this office 
 on the part of women who have lately been 
 bereaved of friends, and the custom seems to 
 be quite prevalent throughout jdl Mohammedan 
 countries. 
 
 We were reminded, while listening to this 
 plaintive song, of the passage of Scripture which 
 describes Rachel as weeping for her children, and 
 would not be comforted because they were not.* 
 The Scripture has been variously interpreted, 
 but, in any event, we think that it must be re- 
 ferred to the slaughter of children by the order 
 of Herod the Great, in and around Bethlehem, 
 in order to cut off the infant Jesus from the hope 
 of succession to the throne. And if Soba, five 
 miles distant toward the northwest, be the Ra- 
 mah named as the birth-place of Samuel, then the 
 figure can be explained. Herod's slaughter of 
 the innocents was horrible enough to cause Ra- 
 chel to rise from this tomb and lament over the 
 cruel death of her descendants, in which case her 
 shrieks might be heard at Ramah, which is in 
 plain sight of this place, though, as was said, 
 some five miles distant But, as for the Arab 
 
 * Matthew 2 : 18.
 
 TOUR TO II ED RON. 85 
 
 women, it seemed to us as if the children were 
 there that day, weeping for poor Rachel. 
 
 Though we were now in sight of Bethlehem, 
 we concluded to forego the pleasure of visiting it 
 for the present, and, turning westward, pursued 
 the more direct route towards Hebron. We were 
 soon in the hill-country of Judea, and noticed the 
 same features of landscape which we had ob- 
 serA'^ed in approaching Jerusalem from Joppa. 
 On either hand were high hills, w^alled up with 
 nature's masonry, the nearly horizontal strata 
 running completely around the curved heads of 
 the little valleys, and giving them a sombre and 
 rather barren appearance. Not a tree or shrub 
 appeared in sight. Loose fragments of stone 
 were strewn along the crooked bridle path, and 
 not a single house appeared along the rocky slope 
 which lay between us and Bethlehem. 
 
 Coming to the summit of one of these wild 
 and barren hills, our guide pointed to the valley 
 stretching out before us, and announced that 
 there lay the pools of Solomon. Another quar- 
 ter of an hour brought us to the old Moham- 
 medan fortress, now in ruins, located just at the 
 side of the pools, originally intended for a khan, 
 perhaps, to accommodate the caravans which 
 might pass this way on their route from Egypt 
 to Damascus.
 
 86 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 The pools themselves were objects of great 
 interest. They were originally built by Solomon 
 for the purpose of supplying Jerusalem with 
 water. Just at the base of the hill to the west- 
 ward we visited the sealed fountain which sup- 
 plies the reservoirs. A round structure, which 
 may be compared to a low tower, built of stone, 
 covers the fountain. By the light of a lantern 
 we descended to the stream bed, and found a 
 rivulet of pure water gurgling over the native 
 rock on its way to the pools. 
 
 The pools consist of three reservoirs, lying one 
 above another across the valley at higher levels 
 as they approach the sealed fountain. They are 
 built of squared stones, and bear marks of the 
 highest antiquity, and are so situated that the 
 bottom of the one is higher than the surface of 
 the next below, rising one above another towards 
 the west. They are all covered on the inside 
 with a coat of cement, which must have certainly 
 been renewed since the date of their original con- 
 struction. They are of the following dimensions : 
 
 Length. Breadth (east end). Breadth (west end). Depth. 
 
 Upper pool, 380 ft. 236 ft. 229 ft. 25 ft. 
 
 (160 ft. ab. middle pool.) 
 
 Middle pool, 423 ft. 250 ft. 160 ft. 39 ft. 
 
 (248 ft. ab. lower pool.) 
 
 Lower pool, 582 ft. 207 ft. 148 ft. 50 ft.* 
 
 * Four springs are connected with the pools, one in a rock 
 chamber, now closed by a wooden door. The water runs
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 89 
 
 Not far from these pools we came to quite a 
 steep hill, over which the pathway ran in a ser- 
 pentine manner, in order to avoid the masses of 
 rock which projected their sharp edges into it, to 
 the great discomfort of the passer by. We here 
 met a large caravan of Hebron people on their 
 way northward. Some were going up to Jeru- 
 salem, with their meagre stock of produce for the 
 market, and others were pilgrims on their way to 
 observe the feast of Moses, which was to be cel- 
 ebrated at his traditional tomb near Jericho. 
 Some were mounted in a kind of basket on cam- 
 els, others on donkeys, and still others went on 
 foot. The party was composed of men, women, 
 and children ; the women carefully drawing down 
 their vails at our approach, and the children peer- 
 ing over the baskets at us with wonder in their 
 bright eyes, as they went swinging down the hill- 
 side, apparently without fear that the great camel 
 on which they sat would make a misstep and dash 
 them on the rocks. 
 
 From the summit of this hill we enjoyed an- 
 other wide prospect. In a deep valley toward 
 the east we noticed the remains of some ancient 
 
 through a vault into the west pool. A second spring is said to 
 be beneath the pools ; a third on the hillside southeast of the 
 pools; a fourth inside the old castle north of the upper pool. 
 The pools were further supplied from a well in the valley. — Ed. 
 Am. S. S. Union.
 
 90 ■ TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 stone structure, doubtless a ruined sheepfold, 
 near which were some shepherds attending their 
 flocks. The sheep were taller than those of our 
 
 Eastern Sheepfold. 
 
 own country, and nimbly skipped from terrace to 
 terrace along the hillside, giving the shepherd 
 enough to do to keep them together. They ap- 
 peared to be constantly anxious to escape from 
 him and climb up the steep hillside, and he was 
 all the while on the watch to prevent them, for 
 the best pasture was down at the foot of the 
 hills and along the water-courses, where he was 
 anxious they should feed. So, we thought, the 
 Good Shepherd would keep us down in the hum- 
 ble vale, but we are ever anxious to climb up 
 to some dangerous place of worldly distinction, 
 where our souls would soon starve for the want 
 of spiritual food. 
 
 " Oh, tell me, thou Life and Delight of my soul, 
 Where the flock of thy pasture are feeding. 
 I seek thy protection, I need thy control, 
 I would go where my Shepherd is leading.
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. ' 91 
 
 "Oh, tell me the place where thy flock are at rest, 
 Where the noontide will find them reposing ; 
 The tempest now rages, my soul is distressed, 
 And the pathway of peace I am losing. 
 
 " And why should I stray with the flocks of thy foes 
 In the desert where now they are roving, 
 Where hunger and thirst, where contentions and woes 
 And fierce conflicts their ruin are proving? 
 
 " Ah, when shall my woes and my wanderings cease. 
 And the follies that fill me with weeping? 
 Shepherd of Israel, restore me that peace 
 Thou dost give to the flock thou art keeping ! 
 
 " A voice from the Shepherd now bids me return 
 By the way where the footprints are lying, 
 No longer to wander, no longer to mourn, 
 And homeward my spirit is flying." 
 
 We now came into a delightful little valley, in 
 the midst of which the waters of a brook made 
 sweet music as it rippled over its shingly bed. 
 Here we saw a profusion of wild flowers — pinks, 
 buttercups, violets, wild tulips, anemones, and 
 many others entirely new to us — which greatly 
 heightened the beauty of the place. The music 
 of the rivulet, the color and sweet odor of the 
 flowers, with the song of the shepherds and the 
 tinkling of the sheep-bells on the surrounding 
 hillsides, made this a most delightful place. 
 
 Soon after we reached a little field of wheat in 
 a widened part of the valley, where our guide 
 began his usual pranks. No sooner had he
 
 92 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 reached the borders of the field, which was with- 
 out any fence whatever, than he set spurs to his 
 horse, and, shouting to us to come on, dashed 
 through the midst of the growing grain. As we 
 did not think it right thus to injure the ffirmer's 
 crop, we kept along the border, but had to make 
 great ado with whip and reins to keep him in 
 sight, as he darted around the curves of the 
 valley far in advance. When, after a thorough 
 jolting, our knapsacks all in disorder, we over- 
 took him, he explained to us that the farmers in 
 that land thought it would bring good luck if a 
 stranger would thus ride through their grain 
 fields ; and, as he was of an obliging disposition, 
 he did not wish to pass through the country 
 without doing all the good he could. 
 
 Leaving the pleasant little vale behind us, we 
 next climbed another hillside, and found at the 
 top one of the primitive threshing-floors so often 
 mentioned in the Bible. It was located on the 
 smooth rock surface, with a wall at the lower 
 side, where the rock dipped beneath the soil. Of 
 course it was not in use at the time of our visit ; 
 but in the harvest time the farmers bring hither 
 the sheaves of grain, and drive the oxen over 
 them until they tread out the kernels with their 
 sharp hoofs. Then the straw is removed, and 
 the grain and chaff are tossed up in the air that
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 93 
 
 the wind may blow the chaff away. The grain, 
 thus winnowed, is then removed to the dry cis- 
 terns for preservation, or to the farmer's house 
 for future use. 
 
 While we were unable to witness the threshing 
 process in Palestine, on account of the season of 
 the year, we were gratified to see the process of 
 ploughing and sowing, which was just then in 
 
 Eastern Plough. 
 [Similar to but not identical with that described.] 
 
 progress. In a little gravelly field against the 
 hillside, not far from the threshing-floor, we came 
 upon a group of men and boys just starting the 
 plough. We dismounted and examined the uten- 
 sil. The plough of Palestine is truly a primitive 
 affair. It consists of an upright piece of wood, 
 either a sapling or the limb of a tree, with a 
 wrought-iron share, similar to the hoe of a grain- 
 drill in shape, at the lower end, and a handle at 
 the top. To this a horizontal piece of wood is 
 fastened for a " beam," with a slim sapling lashed 
 to its forward end, on either side of which the
 
 94 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 oxen walk cas they draw in a long slender yoke. 
 The plough could easily be lifted by one hand of 
 the ploughman, and it only made a ripple in the 
 soil, without turning a furrow. I counted fifteen 
 men and boys in this group on the small field, 
 with three yoke of little black oxen, and a camel 
 and a donkey, for witnesses, near by. Our thrifty 
 American farmers would be greatly amused at a 
 sight like this. 
 
 Our lunching-place on this day was at a fine 
 spring by the wjiyside, just at the foot of another 
 long range of hills. Again we noticed the ab- 
 sence of dwelling-houses along the highway. We 
 had not passed a single structure of the kind 
 during our long ride from Jerusalem. But we 
 now observed that the little hamlets of the farm- 
 ers were located upon the crest of the hills, 
 usually at quite a distance from the road. We 
 could see two such hamlets from our present 
 position. One, far towards the east, was named 
 Nchi-Yunis (tomb of Jonah), and boasted of a 
 sort of tower, erected in honor of the recreant 
 prophet. At a nearer point, also on the hill-top, 
 we saw the little villnge named HuIJiul, i. e., 
 praise (the Halhul of Josh. 15:58), and it is 
 affirmed that it has borne this name for three 
 thousand three hundred years. So little do the 
 people in that land favor the progress which, many
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 95 
 
 people think, comes with frequent alterations and 
 changes. 
 
 As we rode up to the spring we found the 
 place occupied by a single traveller, an Arab, 
 evidently of some distinction, who was waiting 
 while his splendid horse was drinking at the 
 trough below the spring. He simply glanced at 
 us with his keen black eyes, which flashed from 
 beneath his white turban, in a half-inquisitive 
 and half-defiant manner, as if he would question 
 our right to the hospitality of the place. We 
 thought that there might be some sort of collis- 
 ion between him and our mettlesome John ; but 
 the latter proceeded a little beyond the spring, 
 and, dismounting, allowed his aid to hold our 
 horses, while he set about the preparation of our 
 repast. The Arab leisurely left the water-trough 
 when his beast had satisfied his thirst, and, re- 
 moving saddle and bridle, allowed him to wander 
 at will, and crop the fresh grass which he found 
 in abundance on every side. The horseman then 
 spread his blanket and coat on the ground, and, 
 bowing his head and pointing with his hands 
 towards Mecca, began his prayers. He would 
 kneel down, lie down flat upon his face, assume 
 an erect posture again, all the while repeating 
 something in an undertone. Nor did he give the 
 slightest heed to his horse, or to the movements
 
 96 TENT AND SADDLK LIFE. 
 
 of our party, until his prayers were finished. 
 Evidently this man was not ashamed of his re- 
 ligion, and we could but honor him for it, though 
 we wished that he might come to know and wor- 
 ship that Saviour in whose land he dwelt. 
 
 Luncheon finished, we were again in the sad- 
 dle, and, after making another tedious ascent, 
 came upon the highest ground between Jerusalem 
 and Hebron, where an ancient ruin lies eastward 
 from the highway, named Ramet or Beit el Khulil, 
 which we did not visit until our return. We now 
 commenced our descent toward the valley where 
 Hebron is situated, through the bed of a narrow 
 ravine, where our horses found great difficulty in 
 keeping a foothold because of loose rolling stones, 
 which had been washed down by the late winter 
 rains. From this narrow wady we soon emerged 
 into the Hebron valley, running east and west, 
 where, but a short distance in advance of us, we 
 saw the dwellings and grand mosque of the ancient 
 city. 
 
 Our entrance to Hebron was not calculated to 
 inspire us with very exalted views of the place. 
 We found the streets narrow and disgustingly 
 filthy. The buildings were generally old and of 
 inferior size, and rude in style of architecture. 
 The inhabitants were either Jews or Mohammed- 
 ans, and betrayed their ignorance and fanaticism
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. dY 
 
 in their manners and dress. As we alighted at 
 the door of a kind of khan, where we were to 
 leave our horses, a crowd of idlers leered at us 
 insolently, and slunk away from our sight. The 
 khan was a place for general repairs for both man 
 and beast. It consisted of a large court-yard 
 
 Vii;w OF Hebron from the Soxtth. {Afler Phnlograph by Bonfils.) 
 
 open to the sky, with stables at the farther side, 
 while near the entrance was an arrangement 
 which looked to us like a blacksmith's forge. 
 
 Having given our horses in charge of one of 
 the attendants, our guide approached a grimy- 
 looking man near the forge, whom we had sup- 
 posed to be the smith, and said something to him
 
 98 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 in Arabic. Whatever was said, it seemed to have 
 more influence with this man of swarthy skin, 
 dirty hands and yellow, atrabiliary eyes, than 
 we had supposed possible. He slowly arose from 
 the round boulder on which he had been sitting 
 by the side of the gate, and, going to the forge, 
 raked together the fragments of charcoal smol- 
 dering there, and, taking an old tin vessel in his 
 hand, proceeded to steep the black, thick coffee 
 commonly used by the Turks. This, when pre- 
 pared, he put with syrup into tiny cups, which 
 may have been made of terra-cotta, but to us 
 looked like lacquer-work from the coating of 
 grease and soot. These cups the guide passed 
 around to us with a lofty flourish, bidding us 
 drink as an antidote for the fjitigue of our long 
 ride. We were too weary and thirsty to stand 
 on ceremony, and so sipped the " villainous " 
 mixture, which was like syrup for sweetness, and 
 almost like lye for strength. < 
 
 From the forge, which thus proved to be no 
 forge at all, but a coffee-house, we proceeded on 
 foot to inspect the Haram, or grand mosque. This 
 large building, which stands just in the rear of 
 the village, with its end thrust against the base 
 of the steep hill overshadowing it, is supposed 
 to cover the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham 
 bought for a burial-place, and where, it is thought,
 
 roUR TO II ED RON. 
 
 99 
 
 Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob 
 and Leah are buried.* 
 
 We were not allowed to enter the building, be- 
 cause we were not Mohammedans, and were led 
 around to the hillside just back of the mosque, 
 close to the wall where it is affirmed the cave is 
 ' situated. f It has been thought that the body of 
 
 * Genesis 23 : 17-20. 
 
 f Only four times have Chi-istians been permitted to enter this 
 mosque — the Prince of Wales in 1862 and 1881, the Marquis of 
 Bute in 1866, and the Crown Prince of Russia in 1869. The 
 visitors were accompanied by Dean Stanley, Fergusson, Rosen 
 and others. The Hebron Haram is almost an exact copy in 
 miniature of the temple area at Jerusalem. For concise de- 
 scription of Hebron and the cave of Machpelah, see Schaff^s 
 Dictionary of the Bible, pp. 372, 575, 576. — Ed. Am. S. S. 
 Union.
 
 100 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 Jacob, being embalmed by the skillful Ejjyptians, 
 may be still in a good state of presei'vatioii ; but 
 the cave is regarded as so sacred that even the 
 Mohammedans are not allowed to enter it, and 
 thus nothing positive is known regarding its pres- 
 ent contents. The tradition is ])robably correct, 
 however, which locates Machpelah here, and we 
 were not many feet away from the resting-place 
 of the patriarchs. This in itself was a great priv- 
 ilege, and we could scarcely realize that Abraham 
 had often looked upon this stony hillside against 
 which "we were standing, nay, that his feet had 
 often rested on these enduring strata of lime- 
 stone rock, which change not from age to age. 
 But the best authorities affirm that the veritable 
 Machpelah is located within the walls of the 
 Haram, and there doubtless slumbers the dust of 
 the ancient and illustrious dead. There lie 
 
 "The patriarchs of the infant world, the kings, 
 The powerful of the earth, the wise, the good, 
 Fair forms and hoary seers of ages past — 
 All in one mighty sepulchre.'' 
 
 There was little in Hebron to interest us, be- 
 sides the site of the mosque and the general as- 
 pect of the surrounding hills. We returned to 
 the khan without molestation, though assailed by 
 fierce looks and threatening gestures from the 
 rough men in the streets. We were prepared
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 101 
 
 for all this by reports of previous travellers, but 
 had not anticipated fully the fact that Hebron is 
 one of the most secluded and out-of-the-way 
 places of this unprogressive country. With no 
 outlet of travel, except through the stony bed of 
 a ravine, and a rough trail over the mountains to 
 Jerusalem, twenty miles distant, these long-haired 
 Jews, and ochre-colored Arabs of Hebron, will pass 
 through the round of life, in this nineteenth cen- 
 tury, with the idea that there is just one other 
 nation besides themselves, namely, Franks, whose 
 traders come to their town to gaze upon their 
 mosque and rough hillsides. They will live and 
 die in blissful ignorance of all the mighty seas, 
 continents, and cities beyond them, and of all 
 the improvements, inventions, and refinements of 
 modern life, and also, it is to be feared, without 
 a true knowledge of the way of salvation through 
 the Redeemer. 
 
 In passing from the khan we came to the pool 
 over which David hanged the murderers of Ish- 
 bosheth,* and, emerging from the town, passed 
 on our way up the valley, westward, to the Rus- 
 sian hospice, where we were to pass the night. 
 This is a large and well-built structure, located 
 at the side of the great terebinth tree, known as 
 Abraham's oak, on the north side of the pleasant 
 
 * 2 Samuel 4:12.
 
 102 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 vale of Hebron. Before the sun had set we 
 passed over on foot to the summit of the opposite 
 hill, and took in an extensive view towards the 
 desert. The great ridges of black rock swept 
 away to the southward like the huge rolling 
 billows of a mighty ocean, there transfixed and 
 petrified. With the aid of the field-glass and the 
 pocket compass and map we looked towards the 
 site of Sodom, whence perchance from this very 
 hill-top Abraham " gat up early in the morning 
 to the place where he stood before the Lord," and 
 saw that "the smoke of the country went up as 
 the smoke of a furnace."'^ 
 
 Almost within sight, southward, lay Juttah, 
 the birth-place of John the Baptist, and farther 
 away to the southwest was Beer-sheba, another 
 of the haunts, and homes, of the patriarchs. 
 
 Having thus taken in the wide barren landscape 
 before us, we turned to examine the vineyard en- 
 closure where we were standing. Never before 
 had the description of the parables of Scripture 
 been so fully realized. Here was the " hedge " 
 around the outside to keep out intruders. Here 
 was the " lodge " occupied by the vineyard dresser 
 in the grape season, and at one corner was the 
 " tower " from which he could look all over the 
 place and detect the presence of an enemy. 
 
 * Genesis 19 : 27, 28.
 
 TOUR TO HEBRON. 103 
 
 A})proaching twilight warned us to seek our 
 hospice, and, with weariness, yet with delight 
 and gratification at what we had seen, we re- 
 crossed the benutiful valley to our lodging-place 
 for the night. Upon our arrival the guide in- 
 formed us that a good view of the whole valley 
 could be had from the roof of the building, to 
 which we at once ascended. There we saw the 
 constellations come out in a radiancy never seen 
 by us before or since. The air was so clear that 
 Sirius appeared almost like the great sun which 
 he really is. The mighty dome, radiant with 
 beaming stars, seemed to span the narrow valley 
 and rest upon the hill-tops on either side. The 
 giant oak stretched out its long branches almost 
 under our feet, where, it is said, Abraham and 
 Siirah entertained the three angels. It was late 
 at night before we retired to our rooms ; nor will 
 we soon forget our stay at Hebron.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FROM HEBRON TO BETHLEHEM. 
 
 With the early morning our indefatigable guide 
 was astir, and when the sun first shone on the 
 mosque of Hebron our little party filed through 
 the narrow valley of Eshcol, lined with vineyards 
 on either side, and took its way back towards 
 Solomon's Pools, over the route by which we had 
 passed on the preceding day. We had no good 
 reasons for doubting the tradition which fixes 
 upon this little vale as the Eshcol whence the 
 spies brought the branch with one cluster of 
 grapes, which they bore betwe^n two upon a 
 staff; whence also they brought of the pome- 
 granates, and of the figs,* 
 
 The fruitfulness of Eshcol has evidently not 
 diminished since the times of the Exodus. Fine 
 vineyards were to be seen on either side of the 
 little wady, with low stone walls surrounding 
 them, most of them also having a tower at the 
 side or corner of the enclosure. At one time, by 
 actual count, there were fifty-eight towers in 
 
 * Numbers 13 : 23, 
 
 (104)
 
 FROM HEBRON TO BETHLEHEM. 
 
 105 
 
 Vineyard in Syria. 
 
 sight, most of them in good repair, though a por- 
 tion of them were in partial ruin. 
 
 After ascending the hill we came in sight of the 
 ruined village named Khurbet en-Nusara {i. e., the 
 destruction of Christians). Some years since 
 the Mohammedans fell upon the Christians here, 
 and either put them to death or drove them from 
 the district. The whole region is now occupied 
 by Jews and Mohammedans, and thus evidently 
 Moslem fanaticism has reached a rank growth at 
 Hebron and in its environments, Somewhat to
 
 106 TENT A ND SA D D L K L IFE. 
 
 the eastward, and on a height of ground, we 
 found a slight depression of the surface, where 
 again our guide led us directly through a field 
 of growing wheat to an ancient ruin known as 
 Beit el Khidil. The remains of fine stone walls, 
 as of the foundations of several buildings, are 
 here plainly to be seen, covering an area of 
 about two hundred by one hundred and sixty 
 feet. The Jews call this ruin "the house of 
 Abraham," and claim that the shallow depres- 
 sion, extending in front of it from east to west, 
 is the true vale of Mamre. It is likely that 
 this is the ruin of a church begun by Constantine 
 the great builder about 320 a.d., but never com- 
 pleted.* 
 
 It was ten o'clock when we reached Solomon's 
 Pools once more ; and as we were to meet with 
 another party of tourists, who had not yet arrived 
 
 * This heit^ or house, is a very old ruin. It is called " Abra- 
 ham's house," by Benjamin of Tudela, in the twelfth century, 
 and is so called by modern Jews of Hebron. It is perhaps the 
 market mentioned by Sozomen (Hist. ii. 4), where Hadrian sold 
 Jewish captives, a.d. 135, and near Constantine's basilica at the 
 terebinth of Mamre. Two courses of the house wall remain; 
 one is 162 feet long, and the other 214 feet long, and each wall 
 is 6 feet thick. A well a few feet from the west wall is called 
 Bir el Khulil, " the well of the friend," i. e., Abraham. The 
 well is 17 feet in diameter, lined with ashlar cut carefully to 
 the curve of the well. About fifty yards east of the beit, is the 
 ruin of the basilica of Constantine. See Survey of Palestine, 
 vol. iii. pp. 322, 323.— Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 FROM HEHROJV TO BETHLEHEM. 107 
 
 from Jerusalem, we had ample leisure to survey 
 all the surroundings of the place. We entered 
 into the ruins of the old fortress or khan, and 
 found traces of its former importance still remain- 
 ing. The walls were from eighteen to twenty 
 feet in height, enclosing a large quadrangle ; and 
 along the inside of the walls were huge ranks of 
 earthen jars lying upon their sides with their 
 mouths, or open tops, turned outward, and from 
 these issued great numbers of bees in quest of 
 honey. As the morning was warm and bright 
 the honey makers were very busy, and the old 
 khan was once again filled with nearly as great 
 buzz and bustle as in days of yore, when pilgrims 
 from Egypt and from Damascus passed in and 
 out of the arched gateways. 
 
 The party from Jerusalem having arrived, we 
 now set out for Bethlehem. Our course lay along 
 the north side of the three pools, and then fol- 
 lowed the line of the ancient conduit through 
 which Solomon conveyed the water to Jerusalem, 
 some eight miles distant. 
 
 Continuing eastward beside the valley Urtas 
 we kept well up along the hillside, which was in 
 places quite precipitous, with a grim gray surface 
 of solid rock. The valley soon fell away into a 
 deep bed, where we saw a little village with fer- 
 tile gardens, the site no doubt of ancient Etam.
 
 108 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 This may have been the scene of some of Sam- 
 son's wonderful exploits. 
 
 And here also Solomon had '^' a garden and 
 orchards, and planted in them of all kinds of 
 fruits," and "pools of water to water therewith 
 the wood that bringeth forth trees."''' 
 
 And Josephus states that the king laid a cause- 
 way of black stone along the roads that led to 
 Jerusalem, and that he used to go out of the city 
 in the morning upon a chariot, attended by fine 
 courtiers, dressed in a white garment. " There 
 was a certain place, about fifty furlongs distant 
 from Jerusalem, which is called Etham; very 
 pleasant it is in fine gardens, and abounding in 
 rivulets of water ; thither did he use to go out in 
 the morning, sitting on high in his chariot." -|- 
 
 The valley of Urtas could be conveniently 
 watered from the sealed fountain and pools just 
 above, and thus again be easily restored to its 
 ancient fertility and beauty. 
 
 Soon after this we came to the eastern face of 
 the mountain, and turning northward we reached 
 the gardens and fig orchards surrounding Bethle- 
 
 * Eccl. 2 : 5, 6. This village is doubtless correctly located in 
 the valley of Urtas. The Palestine Survey suggests that the name 
 is retained in ^Ain ''Atdn. It was near Bethlehem and Solo- 
 mon's Gardens, and 50 stadia from Jerusalem. See Palestine 
 Survei/f vol. iii. p. 43. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 
 
 f Antiquities, viii. 7, ^^ 3, 4.
 
 FROM HEBRON TO fiETHLUHEM. 
 
 109 
 
 hem ; and urging our horses up a steep bridle-path 
 we found ourselves upon the summit of the ridge, 
 and in one of the narrow streets of the city hon- 
 ored as the birth-place of Jesus. 
 
 We made our way at once to the Latin monas- 
 tery, and dined with the brothers at the refectory. 
 
 Orhjiiial rholwjmph hy B<mfils) 
 
 who showed us every attention after receiving the 
 customary fee from the guide. From this build- 
 ing, which is a portion of the large structure 
 known as the Church of the Nativity, we passed 
 into the main portion of the edifice, and down 
 into the apartment which is shown as the cave of 
 the Nativity. 
 
 Here, it is said, the infant Jesus was born,
 
 110 TEN T A ND SADDLE L IFE. 
 
 wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and laid in a man- 
 ger.* There is every reason to believe that the tra- 
 dition is correct which affirms that near this spot is 
 the birth-place of the world's Redeemer. As early 
 as the second century Justin mentions it, and in 
 A.D. 325 the empress Helena began the founda- 
 tions of the present edifice to mark and preserve 
 the sacred site. 
 
 We found ourselves in an apartment some 
 thirty-eight by eleven feet in size, with a flat 
 ceiling of native rock about eight feet in height. 
 On one side was an alcove, in the vaulted arch 
 of which hung a number of silver lamps, which 
 shed their mellow light upon a marble shib below. 
 In the centre of this slab was set a large silver plate 
 with star-shaped points on its circumference, and 
 the words, "Hie de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus 
 natus est," engraved upon it. 
 
 On the other side of the room we were shown 
 the place where the manger stood, in which the 
 infant Jesus was placed by his mother. Pilgrims 
 were coming and going by the wide stone stair- 
 ways at either end of the apartment, who, bowing 
 low before the two sacred shrines, impassionately 
 kissed and embraced the cold marble, meanwhile 
 reciting their forms of service. One could not 
 but follow their movements with interest, seeing 
 
 * Luke 2 : 7.
 
 FROM HKIiRON TO BETHLEHEM. HI 
 
 their profound earnestness, and recalling the facts 
 here commemorated. Many of them had hoarded 
 their meagre earnings for years, in their far-off 
 Russian homes, and now they had devoted their 
 all, to travelling and other expenses, for this joy 
 of praying at the place of their Saviour's birth. 
 
 From this scene we were led by our guides, 
 through a narrow passage, to the little grotto 
 where Jerome passed some thirty years of his 
 life in translating the Scriptures. And from this 
 we returned by the same passage, and then as- 
 cended to the choir of the church, the altar of 
 which is located just above the cave of the Na- 
 tivity. Here also a service was in progress, and 
 in a chapel at the side, a large number of women 
 were engaged in their devotions. Conscious that 
 this shrine worship must be liable to many defects, 
 we still regarded the people as entirely sincere, in 
 their devotions, at the birth-place of the world's 
 Redeemer. Passing on, we soon completed the 
 circuit of the holy places, and leaving the ram- 
 bling structure, in which Romans, Greeks, and 
 Armenians have their altars and cloisters, we 
 came into the open air, and made our way to the 
 eastern end of the hill on which Bethlehem 
 stands ; and upon which a village has stood from 
 the days of Ruth and David, and probably from 
 the time of the patriarchs. At this point we had
 
 112 TENT A ND SA D D L E I IFE. 
 
 our most satisfactory view of Bethlehem and its 
 surroundings. 
 
 The town is situated upon a high narrow 
 ridge, which extends eastward from the main 
 hills of Judea, and has abrupt banks on 
 either side. It has one main street near the 
 crest, which is flanked by others of less preten- 
 sion. The houses are built of stone, and are of 
 a better class than those of Hebron, for the peo- 
 ple here are prevailingly Cliristians. There are 
 about five thousand inhabitants in the town, and 
 the elevating character of tlicir faith is noticeable 
 in their dress, manners, smd architecture ; and yet 
 in these respects there is opportunity for vnst 
 improvement. The houses are mainly grouped 
 near the junction of the ridge with the main hill, 
 and then spread out to a point just beyond the 
 Church of the Nativity, where they fail altogether, 
 and leave the. extreme summit unoccupied. To 
 this unoccupied place two of us made our way, 
 and sitting down upon a rock enjoyed the beauty 
 of the scene. 
 
 Looking westward we saw, on either side of the 
 village, the terraced gardens, vineyards, and olive 
 orchards, with neat division-fences built of the 
 loose stone which lie in profusion on the surface 
 surrounding them. The gardens, the village, and 
 the crowning edifice from which we had just come,
 
 fROM HEBRON TO JiETHLEHEM. Il3 
 
 the centre and ornament of the whok^, together 
 made up a pleasing picture. 
 
 Looking eastward an extensive hindscape 
 opened before us. Over a vast region of country 
 the eye wandered at will, and noted the historic 
 places of biblical interest. In. this plain just at 
 our feet were the wheat fields in wdiich Ruth 
 gleaned in the days of Boaz.* Yonder in the far 
 distance lie the fields of Moab, from Avhence she 
 came on her long journey with Naomi. And 
 there, just a little farther away than the fields of 
 Boaz, like a shelf against the hillside, lie the 
 fields where the shepherds were keeping watch 
 over their flocks by night on the first Christmas 
 eve :f 
 
 " When such music sweet 
 Their hearts and ears did g;reet, ' 
 As never was by mortal fingers strook ; 
 Such music (as 'tis said) 
 Before was never made, 
 
 But when of old the sons of morning sung, 
 While the Creator great 
 His constellation set. 
 And the well-balanced world on hinges hung." 
 
 It "was the overture of the angels, " Glory to God 
 in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to- 
 ward men." 
 
 Turning the eye southward we look at the 
 
 * Ruth 2 : 2-17. t Luke 2 : 8-14.
 
 114 TEX T A Nl) SA DDL E L IFE. 
 
 rugged fields of Tekoa, where the herdsman 
 Amos left his occupation to enter the list of the 
 sacred prophets. And there is the dun-colored 
 truncated cone, now known as the Frank Mounts 
 a in, where of old the Amorites kindled their 
 beacon fires, and where in later times Herod the 
 Great had a palace, and where he made his costly 
 sepulchre. 
 
 On either side of this ridge of Bethlehem 
 little stream-beds are visible, which run out into 
 deeper wadies, and these again into the Urlas and 
 Kedron valleys. The ridge itself falls away by 
 steps of immense magnitude to these ravines ; and 
 far away, across the gray and rounded hills of 
 limestone, may be seen the deep, deep depression 
 in which lie the bitter waters of the Dead Sea, 
 and along its farther side extend the giant cliffs 
 of Moab. 
 
 Once more, before leaving the place, we glance 
 along the side of the ridge towards the cave of the 
 Nativity. It must have opened northward to- 
 ward Jerusalem, and as Joseph and Mary came 
 up the steep ascent, after their toilsome journey 
 from Nazareth, it offered them their first choice, 
 and only available shelter. 
 
 One more mark of biblical interest we found in 
 Bethlehem. It was the traditional well of David, 
 to which the young men broke through the ranks
 
 FROM HEBRON TO BETHLEHEM. 115 
 
 of the Philistines, and brought of its water to the 
 thirsty chieftain, who then poured it out on the 
 ground as an offering.* The well is located on 
 a hillock just without the gate on the roadside 
 toward Jerusalem.f As we dismounted and peered 
 down the face of its dark walls, we heard a sepul- 
 chral voice from within utter something in Ara- 
 bic, at which w^e were at first startled, but were 
 quickly reassured by the explanation of the guide 
 that some men were at work making repairs in this 
 well, which appeared to be rather a huge cistern. 
 As we rode on toward the holy city we cast 
 many a longing look backward at the crags and 
 gulches behind us, where David as a shepherd 
 boy fought his battles with bears and lions while 
 in charge of his father Jesse's flocks and cattle. 
 Presently we were at Rachel's tomb again, and, 
 hastening our pace, we were not long in reaching 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 * 1 Chronicles 11 : 17-19. 
 
 f The modern cistern or so-called "David's well" cannot 
 certainly be identified with the true site of the well named in 2 
 Samuel 23 : 14-17. Tradition has identified it with cisterns a 
 few minutes walk from Bethlehem, thoufjh the tradition is not 
 much older than the fifteenth century. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 WALKS ABOUT ZION. 
 
 "Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers 
 thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks ; . . . that ye may tell 
 it to the generation following" (Psalm 48 : 12). 
 
 Having gone over Mount Moriah upon our first 
 arrival at Jerusalem, we followed the advice of 
 the Psalmist with respect to Mount Zion. The 
 word "Zion" means "the sunny place," and 
 doubtless this portion of the holy city was thus 
 named because its slope faces the east and south, 
 where the rays of the sun have their strongest 
 
 View of Jerusalem from the South. — Jerusalem covers four 
 or five hill-summits. Within the city walls, on the southeast, 
 is Mount Moriah, the site of the temple, now covered by the 
 Haram enclosure or square, within which is the Mosque of 
 Omar. West and southwest of this is Mount Zion, a portion of 
 which is without the city wall. Directly south of Moriah is the 
 hill Ophel, also without the wall. North of Mount Moriah is 
 Bezetha, or the " new city," and west of Bezetha, in the north- 
 west part of the city, is Akra. (Some, however, regard Akra 
 as the northwest part of Mount Zion.) East of the city is 
 the Kedron, or valley of Jelioshaphat. South of Mount Zion 
 is the valley of Hinnom, which extends around on the west 
 side of the city. The valleys of Hinnom and of the Kedron 
 unite south of the city. Between Ophel and Mount Zion is the 
 Tyropoeon Valley, North of the city is Scopus, east of it the 
 Mount of Olives, and on the south the Hill of Evil Counsel, 
 (116)
 
 (117)
 
 WALKS ABOUT ZION. 119 
 
 influence. The ridge of Zion is a little higher 
 than its near neighbor Moriah, and the shallow 
 depression known as the Tyropoeon Valley is all 
 that separates them. The Zion ridge at its 
 southern end overlooks the valley of Hinnom, 
 from whence its eastern face runs northward 
 until it reaches a point opposite the temple site, 
 where it curves to the left hand, and continues 
 until its traces are lost in the higher ground to 
 the west. 
 
 The first object of interest on the southern 
 shoulder of the mount, where once stood David's 
 palace, is a vast pile of masonry, with turrets at 
 the top and port-holes beneath them, known as 
 the tow^er of David. It is an ancient and 
 impressive piece of architecture, with hyssop 
 growing out of its gaping seams, and, as it is 
 connected with the high w^all which entirely 
 surrounds the city, it was only intended for 
 defensive purposes. Near by this structure, 
 which would be almost useless now in view of 
 the methods of modern warfare, we visited the 
 Armenian church, supposed to occupy the site of 
 the palace of Caiaphas. 
 
 A gentle old priest of the Armenian faith con- 
 ducted us through the little church, with its gro- 
 tesque lamps, w^hich are kept burning continually, 
 and displayed an old Bible and other relics, such
 
 120 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 as paintings, tapestry and " the petrified blood 
 of St. James." 
 
 Near by we were taken to the upper chamber 
 in which tradition says Jesus instituted his supper 
 on the night of his betrayal. We found ourselves 
 in a large, but dingy, apartment, controlled by the 
 Mohammedans, and kept by them as a sort of holy 
 place. The walls were in an untidy condition, 
 having been at some remote period covered with 
 a lime-wash, which was now deeply weather- 
 stained and uninviting in appearance. The ceil- 
 ing was sustained by three groined arches, which 
 rested for their support upon three pillars near 
 the centre of the apartment. The entire aspect 
 of the place was forbidding, and can only be 
 viewed by Christians with dissatisfaction. There 
 is small ground for believing it to be the room 
 where Jesus and his disciples observed his lagt 
 passover. 
 
 In the rear of this chamber we were shown the 
 traditional tomb of David, in which we observed 
 a huge sarcophagus, twelve feet in length and 
 broad in proportion, covered with Arabic signs 
 after the style of the royal caskets at Constanti- 
 nople. Upon returning from this spot we were 
 shown a place in the court-yard of the Armenian 
 buildings where, it is claimed, the apostle Peter 
 stood when he denied his Master. We next re-
 
 WALKS ABOUT ZION. 
 
 121 
 
 Tomb of David. {After a Plioloijmph by Good) 
 
 turned to David's Street, which begins at the 
 Jaffa Gate, and runs eastward past the tower of 
 David, the Mediterranean Hotel and the quarters 
 of the American legation. It is for the most part 
 narrow, poorly paved and untidy to the last de- 
 gree. It passes between the pool of Hezekiah 
 and the Jewish quarter, and then enters the little 
 bazaar, through which, by a sharp turn to the 
 left, the visitor may reach the Church of the 
 Holy Sepulchre. In following this route the 
 tourist has been walking along the eastern face 
 or slope of Zion, and finds at least that the 
 Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located in a 
 place where the configuration of the ground 
 favors the view that it was anciently a garden.
 
 122 
 
 TENT AX/) SADhLK LIFE. 
 
 Those who hold to Ihe tradition.'il theory affirm 
 that Joseph's garden may very well have been at 
 this point, and the " new tomb " could have been 
 
 Pool of Hezekiau, inside the .Iakka (.ah;. \Ajicr a Photograph by Bonfils.) 
 
 conveniently excavated in the side of the lime- 
 stone ridge, while near by might have been the 
 knoll named Calvary. 
 
 The one passage of Scripture, however, which 
 is urged against the theory that the Church of 
 the Holy Sepulchre, which is located just on this 
 face of Zion, well towards its upper or western 
 end, covers the exact spot occupied by the cross 
 and sepulchre is that " Jesus suffered without the 
 gate." * The gate, of course, was in a line with 
 the city wall, and at present the wall is outside 
 the location named, and therefore it is inferred by 
 some writers that this site is simply traditional, 
 
 * Hebrews 13 : 12.
 
 WALKS ABOUT ZION. 123 
 
 and cannot be regarded as the true location. 
 Others answer that at the time of the Saviour's 
 crucifixion, and burial, the city wall ran from a 
 point near the junction of David's Street and the 
 bazaar, directly towards the Damascus Gate, north- 
 ward, and thus was within the place now covered 
 by the church and its associated structures. 
 
 Besides this, it is afiirnied that constant tradi- 
 tion from the time of the empress Helena, who 
 first began the work of erecting a chapel here, 
 through her son Constantino the Great, has fixed 
 upon this place as the true site of the cross and 
 sepulchre. The question is far from a satisfactory 
 settlement. 
 
 The external appearance of the Church of the 
 Holy Sepulchre is not very impressive. From 
 the large open court on its eastern front it ap- 
 pears as a vast pile of ancient masonry, about 
 three hundred and fifty feet in length by about 
 two hundred and eighty in width. Two square 
 towers, with flat tops, and a broad arched en- 
 trance in the middle are the most prominent 
 features. 
 
 Upon entering, the visitor finds himself in a 
 large central auditorium, in the middle of which 
 is the marble chapel or mausoleum, covering the 
 sacred sepulchre, and around which are the pri- 
 vate chapels of the Latin, Greek, and Armenian
 
 124 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 churches. The mausoleum itself is divided into 
 two small compartments, in the first of which the 
 window is shown through which the holy fire is 
 handed out on the occasion of the Easter festival. 
 The second compartment is the most sacred of 
 all, for it is said to contain the rock of the true 
 sepulchre, though this is carefully concealed 
 under a slab of pure white marble. Forty-four 
 beautiful lamps hang above this marble sarcoph- 
 agus. Three paintings cover the walls, the cen- 
 tral one with a portrait of the Saviour, with the 
 scene of the resurrection at one end, and one of 
 the ascension at the other. Only four or five 
 persons can be admitted to the place at once, for 
 it is scarcely more than six feet square, and, as 
 niiiy be supposed, the air is close and almost sti- 
 fling by reason of the presence of this procession 
 of pilgrims, who follow each other within to kiss 
 the marble and pray before the paintings. 
 
 Upon leaving this consecrated spot we were 
 taken to a room located quite in the rear of the 
 great auditorium, and evidently along the low cliff 
 of ancient Zion, where we saw the traditional tombs 
 of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. These 
 open tombs were side by side, cut out of the soft 
 yellow limestone, and, as Dean Stanley has well 
 observed, are evidently very ancient, and there- 
 fore give proof that this was once indeed a place
 
 Interior of the Church of thk IIuly Skpulchki
 
 WA LKS AliOVT ZION. 127 
 
 of burial. Various other relics were displayed 
 to us afterward in different parts of the building, 
 and finally we were taken up a flight of steps to 
 the traditional site of Calvary. This rock was 
 likewise covered with marble, and a silver star, 
 pierced with an orifice about two and one-half 
 inches in diameter, indicated the place where the 
 cross stood, and near by a crevice was pointed 
 out which was held to be a trace of the rending 
 of the rocks at the crucifixion. 
 
 We were favored with a view of the great cer- 
 emonies held in this place at the Easter season 
 by attending service on Palm Sunday, under the 
 escort of Colonel Wilson, the resident consul of 
 our government in the holy city. Early in the 
 morning we undertook to make our way through 
 the crowd at the church door by the aid of Turk- 
 ish soldiers. At last we pressed our way in, and 
 obtained seats in one of the balconies which over- 
 look the vast amphitheatre, surrounding the sa- 
 cred mausoleum. 
 
 Soon after we had taken our places a stir in 
 the crowd announced the approach of the first 
 procession. It proved to be the Latins (Roman 
 Catholics), and was composed of a company of 
 priests, chanting as they marched, attended by 
 persons bearing elegant smoking censers. Then 
 came boys v^ith banners, followed by the higher
 
 128 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 dignitaries, all dressed in sacerdotal robes, at- 
 tended also by men with smoking censers. Here 
 followed monks and others bearing palm branches, 
 which they waved in the air. After marching 
 three times around the sepulchre they halted at 
 the entrance, and perfoimed a brief mass, and 
 then, under the conduct of Turkish soldiers, they 
 retired to their own chapel. 
 
 Soon afterwards the procession of Greeks en- 
 tered from their private chapel, followed by their 
 patriarch, grandly attired. They had louder 
 singing, finer banners, a greater profusion of dec- 
 orated palm branches and a larger procession. 
 They marched three times slowly around the 
 place, and ended their service, as the Latins had 
 done, with a mass at the entrance to the tomb. 
 
 Finally the Armenians appeared, with a greater 
 number of participants, with still more gorgeous 
 robes, with louder singing and a greater concourse 
 of people following. They paused when half- 
 way around the third time, and formed a circle 
 of their priests, while the patriarch was seated 
 in his great ornamented chair. Then boys came 
 with beautiful fresh flowers, pink and white, and 
 scattered them in profusion on the pavement be- 
 fore them. At last they finished their service 
 as the others had done, and, amid great enthusi- 
 asm on the part of the spectators, withdrew.
 
 WALKS ABOUT may. 129 
 
 We had occupied our places in the little gallery 
 from seven until eleven o'clock in the forenoon, 
 and were glad to regain the open air and street, 
 apart from the surging crowd, where we could 
 reflect more calmly upon what we had seen, and 
 realize that, if we were not on the very spot 
 where the cross and the sepulchre were located, 
 we were at least not very far from it. In this, 
 as in other instances, we found more satisfaction 
 in examining the general topography and sur- 
 roundings of the so-called holy place than in the 
 " inventions of men " respecting it. 
 
 9
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 OLIVET AND BETHANY. 
 
 Next in interest to Moriah and Zion, we 
 turn toward the Mount of Olives. One morn- 
 ing our guide appeared again with the horses 
 before the Mediterranean Hotel, and when our 
 little party were mounted, proceeded through the 
 Jaffa Gate, down the vale of Hinnom, on the way 
 to Olivet and Bethany. Though it was only the 
 5th of April, the rays of the sun fell fiercely 
 upon us in this valley, where the perpetually- 
 burning fires of Gehenna used to remind the Jews 
 of perdition. Here too stood Molech, the brazen 
 idol heated within, where the fanatical among 
 them used to sacrifice their children.* 
 
 At En-rogel, the junction of the two valleys, 
 we paused to look upon the place where Solomon 
 once had his magnificent gardens, a spot now bar- 
 ren and unsightly. A number of lepers' houses 
 are crouched along the foot of the Mount of 
 Offence, while just above on the Kedron is the 
 poor village of Siloam. The base of the hills, 
 and the bed of the valley, were alike destitute of 
 
 * 2 Kings 23 : 10. 
 (130)
 
 OLIVET AND BETHANY. 131 
 
 tree or verdure, while the gray rock around gave 
 no intimation that such fertility was once there, 
 as must have been within the gardens of Solomon. 
 
 Pool of Siloam. 
 
 In passing up the bed of the Kedron we 
 dismounted at the pool of Siloam, and pen- 
 etrating the dark interior beneath the broken 
 arch obtained a cup-full of the tepid water, of 
 which every tourist loyally partook, but with 
 many a grimace of countenance and shrug of the 
 shoulder, for the wash-women had given the 
 water a strong flavor of soap-suds that day. 
 From " cool Siloam's shady rill," as the poet ex- 
 presses it, we passed on below the southeast 
 corner of the temple wall, and on the other side
 
 132 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 of the Kedron dismounted again to visit the 
 tombs of Zacharias, St. James, Absalom and Je- 
 hoshaphat.'^ We found nothing very remarkable 
 
 Absalom's Tomb. {From Original Photographs. BonfiU.) 
 
 * The tomb, or as it is usually called the pyramid of Zacharias, 
 was erected, according to tradition, in memory of the Zacharias 
 of Matt. 23 : 35 ; 2 Chron. 24 : 20. The pyramid resembles 
 "Absalom's Pillar," only it is not as high, being about 29 feet. 
 The to7nb or grotto of St. James consists of several small under- 
 ground chambers, cut out of the rock. The entrance is through 
 a long narrow passage. Tradition says that St. James the Great 
 was concealed here after the crucifixion of Christ, and ate no 
 food until the resurrection, and that St. James was buried here, 
 though another tradition says his sepulchre is on the Mount of 
 Olives. The tomb or pillar of Absalom stands in a heap of rub- 
 bish, and is about 47 feet high. It is called Absalom's Pillar from
 
 (134)
 
 OLl VE T AaVD be THA NY. 135 
 
 about these tombs ; but noticed that one of them 
 was cut out of the native rock, and we also 
 noticed that on both sides of the valley, wher- 
 ever there was room, tombs and graves had been 
 located. When passing away we noticed a group 
 of boys and young men, evidently of Jewish 
 extraction, in the act of throwing stones against 
 the tomb of Absalom, thus evincing their hatred 
 and contempt for his character as of old. 
 
 The garden of Gethsemane was next visited, 
 situated on the slope of Olivet, near the Kedron 
 and opposite St. Stephen's Gate. The garden at 
 present is enclosed with a high wall, the entrance 
 to which is by a low doorway on the east side, 
 so constructed that the visitor must stoop very 
 low in order to enter it. This, we thought, a 
 very remarkable and yet fitting expedient to 
 teach all comers to that sacred spot the lesson of 
 humility and reverence. The priests of the Latin 
 Church, who have the garden in charge, have 
 laid out the ground into neatly-kept parterres of 
 flowers, to which the ancient olive and cypress 
 trees in the centre add dignity and grace. The 
 attendants showed us polite attention, and upon 
 
 its supposed identity with that mentioned in 2 Sam. 18 : 18. 
 But there is no mention of it before a.d. 353, and the present is 
 a comparatively modern structure, probably of the Greco- 
 Roman period. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 136 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 our departure presented each one of us with a 
 choice bouquet of cut flowers.* 
 
 From Gethsemane we followed the main road 
 towards Bethany and the Jordan, and as we 
 turned the curve around the southern shoulder of 
 Olivet, where the level stratum of limestone rock 
 forms the road-bed, we paused and reflected that 
 Christ surely was near this spot when he wept 
 over Jerusalem. t At this point, in his approach 
 from Bethany, the view of the temple and the 
 city would suddenly burst upon his sight. 
 
 In continuing this route to Bethany, we found 
 that a ravine on this side of Olivet caused a 
 sharp curve of the road northward to a suitable 
 crossing-place, after which the way ran southward 
 again so far that we could see the southern por- 
 tion of Zion, but could not see the temple mount. 
 At the extremity of this second spur of Olivet 
 our guide pointed out several tombs or vaults, to 
 which there were graded steps for descent, and 
 said that this was the site of Bethphage, but of 
 this assertion gave us no certain proof. 
 
 Shortly after we reached Bethany, and found 
 it a small group of poor dwellings situated near 
 
 * For detailed description of size of garden, the walls, the 
 olive trees and objects of interest, see Schaff's Dictionary of the 
 Bible, p. 332. 
 
 t Luke 1.9.:^.
 
 OLIVET AND DEFIIANY. 137 
 
 the base of one of the long low ridges on the 
 eastern side of Olivet. Here are about twenty 
 families without thrift or industry. The ruin of 
 
 iJliTilA.NV. {Aj'tcr I'htjloyraphx.) 
 
 an old dwelling, built of coarse masonry, is named 
 the house of Martha and Mary, while at another 
 place is shown the tomb of Lazarus.* Here 
 again we fell in with a large company of pilgrims 
 belonging to the Greek Church, who were per- 
 forming their usual shrine worship. In our turn 
 we descended to the bottom of the " sepulchre," 
 
 * The tomb of Lazarus has been shown in Bethany since the 
 fourth century, when a church stood over it. The tomb is now 
 shown northeast of the " castle of Lazarus," in a vault reached 
 by twenty-six steps. It is probably the site of a subterranean 
 chapel of early date. The tomb was formerly shown in the 
 ijhurch above. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 138 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 which we found to be a straight shaft sunk per- 
 pendicularly to the depth of twenty-five feet, 
 having a spiral stone staircase within, upon which 
 the pilgrims were ascending and descending, 
 while panting for breath on account of the ex- 
 cessive heat of the place. At the bottom wo 
 noticed only a tiny altar with the usual tinsel 
 upon it, before which the pilgrims bowed and 
 prayed and then hastily departed. 
 
 The name " Bethany," as is well known, sig- 
 nifies the House of Dates ; but we saw only a 
 few almond and fig trees in the gardens, and 
 could not find a single palm tree remaining to 
 confirm the ancient title of the village. It is 
 now called El- Azariyeh, in allusion to the death 
 and resurrection of Lazarus. The identity of 
 the place is generally conceded, and its distance 
 from Jerusalem, just two miles, and its relation 
 to the Mount of Olives, fully confirm this view. 
 Here indeed is Bethany, but how changed since 
 the days when Jesus tarried here at the welcome 
 home of the sisters of Lazarus ! 
 
 " And this is Bethany ; and here abode 
 The favored family whom Jesus loved ; 
 To whose warm, humble welcome 'twas his wont, 
 Tracking the path that now I passed along, 
 Oft to retire from foes and wavering friends." 
 
 We now resumed the saddle again, and climbed
 
 OLIVET AND BETHANY. 139 
 
 the eastern slope, to the Church of the Ascen- 
 sion, on the top of Olivet. From this point we 
 obtained a fine view of the entire city, of Scopus 
 and the valley of Jehoshaphat on the north, and 
 of Bethlehem, the Frank Mountain and the hills 
 of Judea on the south, and of the Jordan Valley 
 and the Dead Sea on the east. The sun was now 
 near his setting, and his departing rays shed a 
 soft radiance over the landscape, and as we stood 
 there, near the place where " Jesus lifted up his 
 hands and blessed his disciples, and was parted 
 from them and carried into heaven," we could not 
 help thinking that the scene is worthy of even 
 that great event.* 
 
 Standing here on the day of his ascension, with 
 one glance of his eye Jesus could see the 
 place of his human birth and death. Bethlehem 
 and Calvary are both in sight, and Zion and 
 Moriah, the home of the ancient prophets, priests 
 and kings, the temples and palaces of the holy 
 city, all were there just before him, as if ready 
 to lay their final, crowning tribute at his feet. 
 While contemplating the earthly settings of this 
 grand and solemn event, the words recorded by 
 the beloved physician came up to our recollec- 
 tions : "• Why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? 
 This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into 
 
 * Acts 1 : 9.
 
 140 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have 
 seen him go into heaven."* 
 
 We prepared to descend the western slope of 
 Olivet by the path which runs furthest north- 
 ward, now well worn by the water-courses, and 
 the passage of the pilgrims of the centuries, since 
 the days when Jesus passed this way, and hast- 
 ened past Gethsemane to our shelter for the 
 night. As we passed into the gate of St. 
 Stephen the full moon arose upon the summit of 
 Olivet, and reminded us that this was indeed the 
 anniversary week of the Saviour's passion, death, 
 and glorious resurrection from the dead. 
 
 One evening, during the same week, we were 
 invited to attend the celebration of the Passover 
 in one of the Jewish dwellings on Mount Zion. 
 The gentleman who acted as our escort was an 
 acquaintance of the family, and had obtained per- 
 mission previously for our visit. We set out 
 from David's Street, near the bazaar, our friend 
 preceding us with his lantern — there are no street 
 lights in Jerusalem — and penetrated that curious 
 labyrinth of lanes and courts known as the Jew- 
 ish Quarter. Our route was both angular and 
 circuitous, sometimes leading up by steps from 
 one plane to a higher, and anon descending by 
 Another flight to a lower level. The houses on 
 
 * Acts 1 : 11.
 
 OLIVET AND BETHANY. 141 
 
 either side were lighted up in honor of the feast, 
 and the farther we went the greater evidence of 
 festivity appeared. At last our escort stopped 
 before a door at the left, and holding the lantern 
 in one hand rapped upon the panels with the 
 other. While thus waiting for a response we 
 could not help thinking of Hunt's celebrated 
 painting of a figure of our Saviour standing thus, 
 lantern in hand, before the door of a vine-clad 
 cottage, with the title engraved beneath, " Be- 
 hold, I stand at the door and knock."* 
 
 In response to the summons of our conductor 
 the door was opened, and we were cordially re- 
 ceived by the inmates, who were now prepared 
 to begin the feast. Along one side of the large 
 family-room a row of seats had been extempo- 
 rized for our accommodation, while on the other 
 side the members of the household were about 
 seating themselves at the little table, upon which 
 were a dish of green herbs, a shoulder of roast 
 lamb, some eighteen loaves of unleavened bread 
 and a decanter of wine. 
 
 The ceremony began in an informal way, each 
 member of the family first washing the hands, 
 and then taking a sip of the wine. A bright lad, 
 of some ten years, then read from a Hebrew serv- 
 ice-book as to the nature of the feast. After 
 
 * Revelation 3 : 20.
 
 142 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 this a bag containing a loaf of the unleavened 
 bread was held upon the shoulder of the dift'erent 
 participants in turn, and bitter herbs were dipped 
 in a kind of sauce, and then passed to us visitors 
 that we might taste of the mixture. As it would 
 be discourteous to refuse, we did partake, under 
 a severe mental protest, however, and afterward 
 this protest was strengthened by a recollection of 
 the nauseous taste, and the woody fibre of the 
 plants used in the preparation of the dish. After 
 this, another section of the service was read de- 
 scribing the plagues of Egypt, the mere mention 
 of which tainted the unleavened bread to such an 
 extent that a little wine was poured into a dish 
 with water, and set out of doors for purification. 
 
 After this came a season of pleasant inter- 
 course, in which the old grandmother, and even 
 the little babe in its mother's arms, united with 
 great glee ; the wine was passed around (not to 
 visitors), the unleavened bread broken, and an- 
 other long section of the Exodus read. 
 
 As the hour was late, and there seemed to be no 
 near prospects of closing the feast, our party with 
 many an obeisance and hearty salaam took leave, 
 and returned by the same conduct, and lantern, 
 safely to the Mediterranean Hotel.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 TOUR TO MIZPEH AND GIBEON. 
 
 Our party was favored in haAing horses in 
 readiness whenever we wished to make excur- 
 sions to the environs of Jerusalem, otherwise a 
 great deal of time would have been consumed 
 and much fatigue experienced. In going out to 
 the tombs of the Judges, and Nehy Samwil, we 
 again took to the saddle. The morning was 
 bright and clear, and the air bracing. Again we 
 went out of the Jaffa Gate through an extempo- 
 rized market, which some peasants had organized 
 on the bank of the Hinnom. 
 
 On the skirts of this quondam market we 
 noted several lepers from the lazar-houses near 
 En Rogel, blear-eyed, scorbutic and muffled up in 
 rags, clamoring and wailing for backshish. Be- 
 yond this we passed along the row of shops, 
 where mementos of olive wood are manufactured 
 and sold by the German colonists, who have 
 quite a large suburb here without the city walls, 
 and are engaged in this trade for subsistence. 
 
 Continuing in a northwesterly direction we 
 soon came to the tombs of the Judges. These 
 
 (143)
 
 144 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 are located in the face of a cliff with exposure to 
 the north, being about two miles from the city. 
 The range of hills from these tombs eastward is 
 
 Tomb of the Judges. {Prom Photograph by Good.) 
 
 named Scopus, from which a fine view of Jerusa- 
 lem may be obtained, and where many armies 
 have been encamped, during sieges or attacks, in 
 the many wars which have been waged around 
 the holy city. The tombs are simply a cavern 
 cut into the soft rock, separated into different 
 rooms, the walls of which are prepared with 
 fifty-nine receptacles for the dead. These crypts 
 are entirely vacant, and the doors leading from 
 one room to another are open. It is said that 
 this is the most remarkable of the catacombs 
 around Jerusalem, since the crypts are arranged 
 in three stories, the upper stories with ledges in 
 front to give convenient access, and to support the 
 stones that close them ; the whole so essentially 
 Jewish that it might be of any age, if it were not
 
 TOUR TO MIZPEH AND GIB EON. 145 
 
 for its distance from the town, and its architectural 
 character. By the fine pediment, wrought out on 
 the face of the cliff, many writers pronounce the 
 tomb a piece of Greek architecture rather than 
 Jewish.* 
 
 Beyond this point we found that the ground 
 sloped westward toward the vale of Hanina. The 
 whole surface was covered with loose stones, with 
 apparently little attempt at cultivation. As we 
 proceeded, the lofty peak of Nebi/ Samwil, our 
 immediate point of destination, became more and 
 more distinct, and at last, after a toilsome ascent 
 
 * The tombs of the Judges have been known to the Jews 
 since the Middle Ages as the tombs of the Sanhedrin. The 
 internal arrangements are peculiar. There are seven kokim at 
 ground level on the north wall of the first chamber, and over 
 these are arcosolia, each with two kokim at the back. There 
 are two inner chambers on the east at different levels, contain- 
 ing kokim in two tiers ; on the south a chamber with kokim and 
 arcosolia above them, this chamber being also at a different level. 
 Over the outward door is a richly rock-cut Grecian pediment of 
 debased style. Within the vestibule a very richly-executed 
 doorway leads into the main room, containing thirteen loculi in 
 two tiers as above stated. Another door opens from this main 
 room to a second room on the same story having nine repositories 
 or loculi. In the northeast corner of the main room is a stair- 
 way leading down to a room beneath, the last mentioned and 
 containing ten or twelve loculi, and in the southwest corner of 
 the main room is a stairway leading down into an unfinished 
 apartment. There are sixty loculi, while the Sanhedrin had sev- 
 enty-three members. See Survey of Palestine, vol. Jerusalem, p. 
 407, and City of the Great King, p. 186 — Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 
 10
 
 146 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 of its rugged sides, we reached the miserable 
 hamlet perched upon its summit. 
 
 As we halted at the edge of the town all the 
 children came rushing upon us, calling out, 
 " Backshish ! backshish !" and actually fighting 
 with each other for the privilege of holding our 
 horses. As there were a great many more chil- 
 dren than horses, the strife among them was very 
 vigorous, in some cases resulting in blows, the 
 girls apparently having the best of it. 
 
 After this w^arm reception we walked to the 
 old tower, or mosque, named " the tomb of Sam- 
 uel." It is at present in a ruinous condition, and 
 we had no difficulty in entering it and ascending 
 its flat roof and minaret, from which an extensive 
 view is had of the surrounding country. The 
 buildins: was once a Latin church, Dr. Robinson 
 thinks, built upon older foundations in the form 
 of a Latin cross, and probably dates from the 
 time of the Crusades.* 
 
 Of the beauty and extent of the view from 
 
 * The tradition -which points to Neby Samwil as the birth- 
 place, residence, and burial-place of the prophet Samuel is 
 without proper foundation. The church which now covers the 
 reputed tomb was finished in 1157 a.d. Numerous Hebrew in- 
 scriptions are written on the plaster of the walls, but they are 
 quite modern. This site was recognized as the tomb of Samuel 
 in the sixteenth century, but had been declared to be a false 
 site by Benjamin of Tudela in the twelfth century. — Ed. Am. 
 S. S. Union.
 
 TOUR TO MlZl'FAf AND GIDEON. 147 
 
 this place Dean Stanley says : " Of all points of 
 interest about Jerusalem none perhaps gains so 
 much from an actual visit to Palestine, as the 
 lofty peaked eminence which fills up the north- 
 west corner of the table-land, seen in every direc- 
 tion, the highest elevation in the whole country 
 south of Hermon, commanding a view far wider 
 than that of Olivet, inasmuch as it includes the 
 western plain and Mediterranean Sea on one side, 
 as well as Olivet and Jerusalem in the distance, 
 backed by the range of Moab." The old Crusad- 
 ers came this way, by the pass of Beth-horon, as 
 they went up to capture the Holy Sepulchre and 
 city. " It is a very fair and delicious place," says 
 Mandeville, "and it is called Mount Joy, because 
 it gives joy to pilgrims' hearts ; for from that 
 place men first see Jerusalem." Richard Coeur 
 de Lion probably stood on Neht/ Scmiwil as he 
 first beheld Jerusalem ; when " he buried his face 
 in his armor with the noble exclamation, 'Ah! 
 Lord God, I pray that I may never see the holy 
 city, if so be that I may not rescue it from the 
 hands of thine enemies!'" 
 
 Not the least interesting object in sight of the 
 observer on Neh(/ Samwil is the broad mound near 
 its base, on which is situated the little group of 
 houses known as el Jih. This is the ancient 
 Gibeon, without doubt, which figures so prom-
 
 148 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 inently in the historical books of the Old Testa- 
 ment. And if so, then this Neht/ Samwil is surely 
 ancient Mizpeh,* watch-tower, and it is also the 
 " high place " to which Samuel was about to re- 
 pair from Gibeon when Saul appeared before him, 
 and was by him anointed as future king of 
 Israel. f 
 
 As we had many places to visit that day, we 
 did not linger upon the windy tower any longer 
 than was needful to take in the wide prospect, 
 and then we went in search of the horses in order 
 to depart to Gibeon. We found these patient 
 animals in charge of the victors, who were holding 
 them by the bridle reins ; but those who had 
 been worsted in the fight were determined to 
 have their share of the backshish, and so they 
 seized upon the stirrups, the manes, and even the 
 tails of the horses. Under such circumstances 
 our departure was somewhat embarrassing; but 
 scattering the little coins behind us we rushed 
 through the throng, and, amid yells and angry 
 gestures, went on toward Gibeon. 
 
 A half hour's ride brought us to the peculiar- 
 
 * Nehy Samwil was regarded by the Crusaders as the site of 
 ancient Shiloh. In later times it was supposed to be the site of 
 Ramathaim Zophim. Robinson, Porter, and others regard it as 
 the site of Mizpeh, which Conder treats as merely a conjecture. — 
 Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 
 
 t 1 Samuel 9: 19; 10:1.
 
 (150)
 
 rOUH TO MIZPEII AND GIDEON. 151 
 
 shaped hill on which ancient Gibeon was situated, 
 and where the little village el Jib now stands as 
 its successor.''' In descending the steep side of 
 Nebi/ Samwil, we had the rounded summit of Gib- 
 eon constantly before us, and could note the hor- 
 izontal terraces which girt it about on the south, 
 and the pleasant pasture lands which lie along its 
 slopes. 
 
 Passing over a part of the great mound we 
 came to the miserable village perched against the 
 hillside, with dwellings built of stone, set down 
 without any regard to order or convenience. The 
 inhabitants were squalid and wretched-looking 
 people, and seemed to rival their neighbors on 
 Mizpeh in their utter disregard of cleanliness, 
 and in their eagerness for the ever-expected 
 backshish. The usual number of dogs made their 
 onset upon us as we approached, and by their 
 loud barking warned the other inhabitants, who 
 
 * The peasantry say that the ancient site of Gibeon stood on 
 the southern or higher part of this hill. The hill is about 200 
 feet high, naturally a strong site, well supplied with water and 
 covered with vines and olives. Eight springs issue from the 
 sides of the hill. The most famous of these springs issues in a 
 rock-cut chamber about 30 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 7 feet 
 high. The water is clear and abundant. Close to this spring is 
 a rock-cut chamber finished in rough masonry, which is regarded 
 as sacred, and above the spring cave is a paved platform for 
 prayer. The spring is one of the most sacred and venerated in 
 Palestine. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 152 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 came to the doorways to gaze at us, and demand 
 a present. Just below the village we found a fine 
 spring of water, which issues from a rocky cavern 
 and collects in a large pond near by. Not far from 
 this point, we rode over a fallen stone fence into 
 an olive orchard, where our guide hastened to 
 prepare the luncheon, while the other attendants 
 brought water from the spring. 
 
 Ancient towns were commonly located upon a 
 hill near a spring or other water supply, so as to 
 secure the inhabitants against enemies, and fur- 
 nish them with water in case of a siege. Gibeon 
 furnishes both these requirements, and conse- 
 quently w^as the site of a Canaanitish town before 
 the conquest under Joshua. The fear of this 
 great conqueror, whose victories at Jericho and 
 Ai had been told throughout the land, led the 
 Gibeonites to adopt the expedient of wearing old 
 clothes and carrying mouldy bread when they 
 appeared before him, in order that they might 
 deceive him with the pretext that they were from 
 a "far country," and so make a league with him.* 
 Their penalty, to be "hewers of wood and drawers 
 of water," they could readily fulfill, for both wood 
 and water must always have been abundant in 
 Gibeon. The place will ever be famous also in 
 connection with Joshua's battle with "the five 
 
 * Joshua 9.
 
 TOUR TO MIZPEH AND GIB EON. 153 
 
 kings," when he commanded the sun to stand 
 still upon Gibeon and the moon in the valley of 
 Ajalon.* 
 
 Gibeon was the scene of the magnificent cere- 
 monial with which Solomon inaugurated his reign, 
 when he offered the thousand burnt offerings here.f 
 The sacrifice of a thousand victims was an act of 
 royal magnificence suited to the greatness of Sol- 
 omon, and scarcely outdone by Xerxes, who 
 offered a thousand oxen at Troy, as Herodotus 
 relates. Here also Solomon had his famous 
 dream, and offered his model prayer that he 
 might have wisdom as a ruler. We found a 
 mound of burnt clay on the top of Gibeon, it may 
 be at Solomon's altar, unless indeed he sacrificed 
 upon Nehi/ Samwil. 
 
 Upon our return from a ramble over Gibeon we 
 set out again for Jerusalem. Our route now lay 
 to the eastward, along the old road which came 
 up from the plain of Sharon by Wady Suleiman, 
 and intersected the Damascus road near " Gibeah 
 of Saul." As usual we found only a bridle path, 
 instead of a highway, where our horses had to 
 select a safe place for their feet among the loose 
 stones which had fallen in the track. 
 
 We only paused to note the location of " Gibeah 
 of Saul " in passing, and to notice the site of an- 
 
 * Joshua 10 : 12. f 1 Kings 3 : 4.
 
 154 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 cient Nob, -which is situated at the foot of Gibeah, 
 as el Jib is related to Neby Samwil. As we passed 
 Nob the tragic scene in the life of David, when as 
 a fugitive from the court of Saul he came here, and 
 in his extremity of hunger ate of the " shew 
 bread " with his men, came up afresh to our 
 minds.* 
 
 We were now on the great Damascus road and 
 proceeding southward toward Jerusalem. An- 
 cient Anathoth lay on the height of ground to the 
 eastward, and was in plain sight from the ridge 
 of Scopus, which we had now reached again. 
 Here and there fields of growing wheat were 
 seen, and at intervals orchards of olive and 
 almond trees grew by the wayside. 
 
 When we were about half a mile from the 
 city we dismounted to view the tombs of the 
 Kings.f Like the tombs of the Judges they were 
 
 * 1 Samuel 21 : 6. 
 
 f The so-called tombs of the Kings are known to the natives 
 as Kahur es Salatan or "tombs of the Sultan.'" Modern Jews 
 call them the tomb of Kalba Shebuya, a mythical rich man. 
 Robinson identified them as the tomb of Helena. Three pyra- 
 mids were visible east of the north road in the fourth century, 
 and noticed by Eusebius. The rolling stone at the door described 
 by Pausanias in the second century is still there. De Saulcy 
 found a sarcophagus in this tomb with an Aramaic inscription 
 roughly cut and approaching square Hebrew in form. He read 
 in the first line "Queen Sara," which it has been conjectured 
 was the native name of Queen Helena, and the body found
 
 TOUR TO MIZPEH A XI) GIDEON. 155 
 
 originally excavated in the face of a cliff, but in 
 this instance the earth and stone apparently had 
 been removed, in order to expose the face of the 
 rock sufficiently for the purpose designed. 
 
 That these tombs were as elaborate as they 
 were extensive, and were fitted up in royal style, 
 is evident from the remains of fine sculpture 
 still traceable upon the face of the cliff. Over 
 the centre of the portal are carved large clusters 
 of grapes between garlands of flowers, intermin- 
 gled with Corinthian capitals and other decora- 
 tions, below which is tracery-work of flowers and 
 fruits extending quite across the portal and hang- 
 ing down along the sides. This is said to be the 
 finest specimen of sculpture existing in or around 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 With lamps in hand, furnished by our provi- 
 dent guide, we stooped down and entered the low 
 doorway, and found ourselves in an ante-chamber 
 18i by 19 feet in its dimensions. At the south 
 side of this chamber we found the entrances to 
 two other rooms, which we explored successively 
 and noted the crypts arranged along their sides. 
 These rooms were about 12 feet square, and in 
 
 along with the sarcophagus may also have been her own. A 
 number of Roman coins were also found, all earlier than the 
 time of Titus, and a sculptured head of Hadrian was found 
 near the tombs. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 156 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 every part gave evidence of their originally elegant 
 construction. We next entered a third room, 
 nearly 13 feet square, finer than any that we had 
 seen, having three crypts on each of three sides. 
 Beyond this was a fourth room, in size nearly 
 equal to the others, with like receptacles for the 
 dead. Fragments of marble lay about, indicating 
 the fact that the interior had been originally lined 
 with this costly material. Over each crypt was 
 a small triangular excavation, in which a lamp 
 could be conveniently placed during the process 
 of entombment. 
 
 As to the antiquity of these tombs we have no 
 certain data. Tradition affirms that they were 
 constructed for the kings of Judah, but Josephus 
 intimates that they were built by Helena of Adi- 
 abene in connection with the family of the Herods. 
 In either case they have come down from a re- 
 mote antiquity, and, as their appearance indicates, 
 were intended as the resting-places for the mem- 
 bers of a royal household. 
 
 As we emerged into the light of day our atten- 
 tion was directed to the apparatus used in closing 
 the cavern. This was a most curiously-fitted 
 stone door, which could only be opened by means 
 of a lever moving it along a grooved passage, and 
 was secured in its place by another slab, also set 
 in a groove, placed at right angles to the door j
 
 TOUR TO MtZPEH AND GIBBON. 
 
 157 
 
 the whole arrangement was carefully concealed by 
 a huge flagstone. The stone door was in size 
 and shape not unlike a large grindstone, with the 
 orifice for the lever in the centre, and the groove 
 so prepared that this stone could be rolled along 
 
 / 
 
 #%, 
 
 Rolling Stone before Tomb. 
 
 it upon its circumference. We were forcibly re- 
 minded of the question of the devoted women who 
 came early to the tomb of Jesus, and said, " Who 
 shall roll us away the stone from the door of the 
 sepulchre ? And when they looked, they saw that 
 the stone was rolled away : for it was very great." * 
 Was not the tomb of the rich man, Joseph, fur- 
 nished with this kind of a groove with a circular 
 stone to fit it, thus to be rolled in front of the 
 entrance and sealed when the tomb was to be 
 closed, and to be rolled away again when the 
 sepulchre was to be opened ? 
 
 While meditating upon this matter we resumed 
 
 * Mark 16 : 3, 4.
 
 158 TEXT A M) SADDL E L JFE. 
 
 the saddle uiid rode forward to Jeremiah's 
 Grotto, which Hes only a few hundred yards from 
 the Damascus Gate. It is a huge natural cavern, 
 nearly round, some forty paces in diameter, and 
 perhaps thirty feet high in the middle. The roof 
 of this cavern was anciently connected with the 
 hill named Bezetha, now within the city walls, 
 and its wide, yawning front has heen formed by 
 the cutting of a wide avenue between it and the 
 north wall of the city. Some locate the site of 
 Calvary near this grotto. An old Mohammedan 
 has charge of this curiosity, and has his dwelling 
 and a garden in front of the cavern, with a fence 
 surrounding it ; this arrangement enables him to 
 collect an extortionate fee for entrance. 
 
 Close by this place, and at a point near the 
 Damascus Gate, we were admitted by a low door- 
 way, almost concealed by a bank of earth, into a 
 much larger cavern known as Solomon's Quarries. 
 The low, square door is directly under the city 
 wall, and is only opened by the initiated for the 
 gratification of persevering tourists. After we 
 had passed through the door we were compelled 
 to crawl upon hands and knees for quite a dis- 
 tance, when we found ourselves on the edge of a 
 vast incline dipping under the hill Bezetha. Our 
 lamps having been lighted we stood upright, and 
 by their flickering light began to peer out into
 
 TOUR TO MIZPEH AND GIBEON. 159 
 
 the vast abyss before us. Our guide led the way 
 down the slope, and we followed full of wonder. 
 We were in an immense cave, not unlike Jere- 
 miah's Grotto in appearance but vastly larger in 
 dimensions. We went on and on, apparently in 
 a southeasterly direction, our lights failing to re- 
 veal either side of the cavern to our sight, and 
 scarcely sufficing to indicate the great altitude of 
 the ceiling. At last we came to a kind of drip- 
 ping spring, beyond which our guide positively 
 refused to advance, protesting that he would not 
 be responsible for any injury which might befall 
 us if we persisted in our attempt to reach the 
 limits of these vast excavations. Leaving him to 
 listen to the gloomy " drip, drip " of the falling 
 water, we proceeded, penetrating into lower and 
 yet lower levels, until we came to an abrupt 
 ascent, along the rugged edges of which we 
 clambered, peering into the crevices until satisfied 
 that we had now arrived at the southern extrem- 
 ity of this truly wonderful place. The quarry 
 marks were more abundant here, the yellow, 
 chalky limestone having been worked out in 
 rough blocks, some of which had never been 
 removed from the quarry. 
 
 Above us, we knew, were the houses and 
 streets of the city, but we had no means of 
 locating our position on the surface ; yet we felt
 
 IfiO TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 sure that we were near the Via Dolorosa. Is it 
 not probable that the materials for the ancient 
 temple were actually quarried here from the roof 
 and sides of a natural cavern, and raised by a 
 shaft to the surface of the temple enclosure? 
 We made our way back again to our guide, who 
 seemed to rejoice that we had escaped unharmed, 
 and gaining the entrance once more we returned 
 to our lodgings weary with the fatiguing labors 
 of the day, but gratified nevertheless with all 
 its experiences. 
 
 A few moments of leisure enabled us to visit 
 the Jaffa Gate to inspect the "Needle's Eye," 
 which we found to be a small door hung upon 
 hinges in one of the great gates, to admit foot 
 passengers after the hour of closing. It would 
 be difficult indeed for a camel to pass through 
 this aperture, though not impossible. The Scrip- 
 ture reference was well elucidated by the actual 
 sight.* 
 
 Needle's Eye. 
 * Matthew 19 : 24.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 TOUR TO THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 
 
 The time had now arrived when we were to 
 leave Jerusalem, for the long tour northward, by 
 the way of the Dead Sea and the Jordan. Glad- 
 ly w^ould we have remained longer to verify our 
 first impressions of all the interesting places in 
 and around the holy city ; but the guides had the 
 preparations completed and the itinerary arranged. 
 
 On the morning of Tuesday, April 8, we were 
 early astir, and eagerly observing the incidents 
 of street life, and the locations of greatest inter- 
 est, that we might retain a more vivid recollection 
 of all the places we had already visited. While 
 standing thus expectant on the balcony of the 
 hotel overlooking David's Street, we w^ere grat- 
 ified with the sight of a primitive procession, 
 composed of country people, on their way to the 
 Mosque of Omar. The company was composed 
 of about fifty persons, all poorly clad, but with 
 some gaudy-colored sashes and turbans sprinkled 
 among them, with the intent of presenting a festive 
 or military appearance. They had several dingy 
 banners in sight, and all made a ludicrous attempt 
 
 11 (161)
 
 1G2 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 at keeping step on the rough, slippery pavement 
 to the music of the cymbal and tom-tom. 
 
 We were interested most of all in the figure of 
 a young man, who led the straggling procession 
 and performed the office of dancer as well as he 
 was able on such precarious footing. He was a 
 strange-looking youth, perhaps twenty years of 
 age, of tall and spare figure, with long yellow 
 hair streaming out from under his high turban, 
 and a wild, wandering look in his eyes. His 
 countenance was grave, and his shuffling step, 
 emphasized from time to time by the stroke of 
 his tall spear-handle upon the pavement, indi- 
 cated that he was engaged in a religious solem- 
 nity. We were at once reminded of the dancing 
 of King David when he brought the ark to Zion. 
 Not unlike this young man must he have ap- 
 peared when, girded with a linen ephod, he 
 danced before the Lord with all his might, and, 
 in reply to the taunt of the proud Michal, said, 
 " It was before the Lord, which chose me . . . 
 ruler . . . over Israel; therefore will I play be- 
 fore the Lord. And I will yet be more vile than 
 thus, and will be base in mine own sight."* How 
 little change, we thought, has three thousand 
 years wrought in the customs of this city of the 
 great king ! 
 
 * 2 Samuel 6 : 14-22.
 
 TOVli TO THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 163 
 
 Many final tasks had to be performed upon our 
 departure from Jerusalem. Trinkets of olive 
 wood, photographs, and a few necessaries of cloth- 
 ing had to be laid in. We went to bid adieu to 
 our obliging consul. Colonel Wilson, and deposit 
 with him our letters for home. Then we repaired 
 to the group of horses drawn up near the tower 
 of David, and made choice of the animals we 
 were to ride, each one fully convinced that he 
 had been allotted the most undesirable steed — a 
 conviction which was daily strengthened as we 
 advanced on our journey. The sun was well up 
 over the Mount of Olives when our party, now 
 enlarged by the addition of three English clergy- 
 men and two Americans, swept past the Damas- 
 cus Gate, crossed the Kedron once more, and fell 
 into the main road to Jericho. At the angle in 
 the road where Jesus beheld the city and wept 
 over it we paused again, to take our parting view, 
 and bid farewell to the earthly Jerusalem. We 
 were soon beyond Bethany, going down the steep 
 cliffs toward Jordan. Our route now lay over 
 precipices, along the sides of which rough paths 
 have been worn by the feet of passing animals. 
 The face of these seamed and furrowed masses 
 of dry, yellow-colored limestone is desolate 
 enough surely to satisfy the Abyssinian monks 
 who have haunted these caves for ages past.
 
 104 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 The whole forenoon was occupied in scrambling 
 down from one terrace and cliff to another. The 
 sun smote the yellow surftice with a blinding 
 glare, and we were glad to secure the shade of 
 turbans and umbrellas, while we held on to the 
 saddle-pommels with a firm grip as our horses 
 picked their way through the ragged notches of 
 the rocks. 
 
 The ruins of an old khan nearly midway in the 
 descent are supposed to mark the site of the par- 
 able of the good Samaritan. Even to this day 
 one going down from Jerusalem to Jericho may 
 fall among thieves. There is no law or order, we 
 are told, in this part of Palestine, no protection to 
 citizens or travellers except what they provide for 
 themselves. The natives around the coasts of the 
 Dead Sea consist of small tribes, generally at 
 war with each other and waiting for convenient 
 opportunities for plunder. 
 
 Our guides had taken pains to secure us a safe 
 escort in the persons of two sheikhs, who make a 
 business of conducting tourists through their ter- 
 ritory upon the payment of large backshish. 
 They were warlike men, of swarthy skin, savage 
 glance and sinister expression. Of course they 
 were our friends now, on account of the dear 
 backshish, and they Avere even our intimate 
 brothers. They would ride familiarly by our side,
 
 TOUR TO THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 165 
 
 turn the bilious pupils of their wary eyes upon 
 us, and playfully handle the pistols, swords, 
 dirks, lances, long guns, etc., etc., with which 
 they were decorated. 
 
 The sheikhs were mounted upon splendid 
 horses, trained to the saddle and obedient to the 
 riders' very nod. One of them was a fiery, coal- 
 black steed, with heavy, flowing mane and tail, 
 his bridle decorated with scarlet tassels at the 
 ears, and long leather fringe across the front and 
 at the throat-latch. The saddle was low in the 
 pommel, with strong girth and back-strap and 
 long pendants streaming from the saddle-cloth on 
 either side. Thus equipped and accoutred, the 
 sheikhs would occasionally deploy from us, and 
 ride proudly on in advance as if in quest of foe- 
 men worthy of their steel. 
 
 Well toward midday we were startled at the 
 sight of an armed Arab horseman, coming over 
 the crest of a hill at full gallop, with his long 
 lance set as if prepared for a hostile engagement. 
 Our sheikh put the spurs to his black charger, 
 and dashed off to meet the stranger. The two 
 riders continued their course straight as an arrow, 
 with unslackened speed until within a few yards 
 of meeting, when one of them put up his hand 
 by way of salute, and both instantly reined in 
 their steeds in a way that nearly threw them
 
 166 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 back upon their haunches. Then followed hand- 
 shakings and other demonstrations of friendship 
 as their horses walked quietly onward side by 
 side, as if to accommodate their riders during 
 conversation. Presently the strnnger set spurs 
 to his steed, and disappeared down the slope of 
 the Wady Kelt.* 
 
 We were now approaching a cluster of low 
 buildings plastered over with mud, named by the 
 Mohammedans Nelf/ Musa, that is, the tomb of 
 Moses.f Though the Bible declares that Moses 
 died in the land of Moab, and was mysteriously 
 buried in a valley there, and no man knoweth of 
 his sepulchre unto this day, yet the followers of 
 
 * " The Wady Kelt is a deep narrow gorge, flanked by precip- 
 itous clifi's, above which rise white chalk hills, presenting a 
 tangled network of narrow water-worn torrent beds, with knife- 
 edged ridges between. The slopes are very steep, and numerous 
 conical peaks and rounded knolls project along the ridges." 
 Where the wady crosses the plain of the Jordan, it becomes a 
 broad water-course covered with water-worn boulders and 
 shingle, running between banks 20 to 30 feet high and 150 to 
 300 feet apart. The Wady Kelt has been suggested as identical 
 with the brook Cherith, where Elijah was fed by ravens. See 
 Survey of Palestwe, vol. iii. p. 168. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 
 
 t Neby Musa is a deserted mosque, with a short minaret. 
 There is a cenotaph shown in the mosque Jis the tomb of Moses. 
 The place was built 668 a.h., and the minaret in 880 a. n. =1502 
 A.D. The spot is visited yearly in April by a great crowd of 
 Mohammedan pilgrims, accompanied by half-naked fanatical 
 dervishes, who parade the streets of Jerusalem all the previous 
 morning shouting, " La ilaha ill Allah .'" — Ed. Am. S. S. Union,
 
 TOUR TO THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 167 
 
 the false prophet h<ave located his grave here on 
 the west side of the Jordan.* We had seen 
 many of the pilgrims on their way to the festival 
 now in progress here, both on the road from He- 
 bron and also in coming down from Bethany. 
 Many of the men were on foot, but the women 
 and children were seated in panniers on the backs 
 of donkeys. 
 
 Our route lay a little southward of this place, 
 'now filled with the stir and bustle of constantly- 
 arriving pilgrims, and on the height of ground 
 just beyond we dismounted for luncheon. We 
 were now on the lowest of the mountain terraces 
 overlooking the Dead Sea. The surroundings 
 were dismal in the extreme. Not a tree, shrub, 
 or scarcely a blade of grass enlivened the pros- 
 pect. Under the fierce rays of the sun, we sat 
 down upon the raw earth around the rug and 
 cloth where the attendants had laid out the 
 bread, cold meats, eggs and oranges. On the flat 
 roof of the one-story mosque opposite, a long line 
 of men were performing their devotions, with 
 their faces turned toward Mecca. They went 
 through their bowings, kneelings and prostrations 
 with a regularity and monotony that was painful 
 to witness. Just then the sound of the tom-tom 
 was heard, a gun was fired, and a great procession 
 
 * Deuteronomy 34 : 6.
 
 168 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 of pilgrims, with banners flying, marched into 
 the place, and were received with much ado by 
 those who had arrived before them. The whole 
 scene was in keeping with the barren environs. 
 The strange customs of nations were represented 
 there as well as the blight of nature. 
 
 Within an hour of the time of our arrival we 
 were again in the saddle, hastening on towards 
 the blue expanse of waters spread out at our 
 feet, which at this distance did not appear at all 
 like a sea of death, but rather like a beautiful 
 lake in some northern state in America. Upon 
 reaching the plain of the Jordan we passed 
 through a strip of dry jungle, and emerged upon 
 a shelving beach, composed of salt, sand, and 
 some sort of alkali, where there was not a sign 
 of indigenous vegetation. Wrecks of trees lay 
 strewn upon the surface, encrusted in salt, their 
 ragged broken limbs presenting an appearance 
 like the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel's vision. 
 The heat was not as intense here as we had 
 anticipated. A breeze from the southeast had 
 sprung up, and brought with it the welcome 
 shadow of a passing cloud, and thus relieved the 
 usual pressure of the atmosphere. Without delay 
 we prepared for a bath, anxious to test the old 
 theory that nothing can sink beneath these 
 waters. Mr. H.^ to whom the reader has been
 
 The Salt or Dead Sea. (After Sketch by Majw Wilson.) 
 
 (169)
 
 TOUR TO THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 171 
 
 introduced at Ramleh, declared his doubts of all 
 these declarations of the ancients, and was the 
 first to plunge into the waters to confirm his 
 stout denial. He obtained more than he had 
 bargained for, inasmuch as he pushed out a little 
 too far from shore, and the heavy surf raised by 
 the wind quickly submerged him. He came back 
 to terra firma gasping and weeping, and certainly 
 the tears he shed that day were very salt and 
 bitter. The rest of the party fared but little 
 better. The specific gravity and levitating power 
 of the water were evidently very great, but, on 
 account of the heavy waves which beat upon the 
 body like sheets of lead, we could get no fair 
 opportunity to test it. Added to this was the 
 discomfort experienced in breathing. The water 
 was so salt, bitter and pungent that it affected 
 the nostrils to such a degree as almost to produce 
 strangulation, while the smarting of the eyes and 
 each little abrasion of the skin produced not only 
 discomfort, but positive suffering. Notwithstand- 
 ing all, we tried the experiment of floating, and 
 found that head and feet could scarcely be sub- 
 merged, the heavy part of the body alone set- 
 tling under the surface, yet not sufficiently to 
 necessitate the action of the limbs to prevent 
 sinking. In the use of the towel after the bath 
 we found the body covered with a pitchy sub-
 
 172 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 stance, which left an unpleasant sensation for us 
 after dressing. 
 
 After this novel experience we mounted again, 
 and hastened across the plain toward the Jordan. 
 The surface was generally level, with here and 
 there a shallow wady, and the whole was without 
 vegetation. The deep sand deposit was mingled 
 with salt, gypsum, sulphur and other ingredients, 
 and hindered the progress of our already wearied 
 horses. At four o'clock we came upon the steep 
 terrace which borders the rushing river at the 
 usual ford and bathing-place of the pilgrims. 
 Here we dismounted and proceeded to bathe, as 
 all dutiful pilgrims have done for ages immemo- 
 rial, and were the more eager to do so in order 
 to wash away the unpleasant traces of our late 
 bath in the Dead Sea. We found the water shal- 
 low near the shore, but the "shingle" was so 
 sharp that we could hardly stand up against the 
 rushing flood. The fall of the Jordan, as is well 
 known, is very great ; hence its name, " The De- 
 scender," and hence the mystery of the miracle 
 by which the Israelites crossed it when swollen 
 by the spring freshets. 
 
 The water was of a yellow, muddy color, not, 
 like the Dead Sea, of a beautiful blue ; but it 
 was sweet and pure, and thus a fitting emblem 
 of the sacrament of Christian baptism. Upon
 
 I^jiiii 
 
 (173)
 
 TOUR TO THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 175 
 
 regaining the shore and our garments we loitered 
 upon the upper bank among the tamarisk, agnus 
 castus, white poplar and other trees, mingled 
 with which was a heavy growth of cane and 
 reeds. Of the latter I cut three fine specimens, 
 
 Reeds. (Schuff's " Popular Commentary.") 
 
 one of which still remains in my collection, a 
 cherished memorial. It is about twelve feet in 
 length, with but little taper, graceful and pliant, 
 moved by each breath of air, with a soft feathery 
 plume at the top one foot in length. It is, with- 
 out doubt, the "reed shaken by the wind" to 
 which the Saviour alluded when discoursing of 
 John the Baptist.* 
 
 In these waters, perhaps at this very spot, our 
 Lord was baptized of John, thus, as he said, 
 "fulfilling aU righteousness." Crowds of anx- 
 
 * Matthew 11:7.
 
 176 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 ious souls then thronged these banks, coveting 
 the application of the cleansing water, as a token 
 that their sins were forgiven. And in after ages 
 what multitudes have come hither to bathe in 
 these sacred waters and tarry upon these shaded 
 banks, where even now the bulbul and the thrush 
 in their sweet song answer back to the murmur 
 and ceaseless chatter of the restless current rip- 
 pling over its shingly bed. 
 
 The breadth of the river is not great, now, at 
 its ordinary height, not above four or five rods 
 in width ; but earlier in the season, when the 
 "swellings" take place, and Jordan is in his 
 strength, what a mighty flood then pours down 
 this deep gorge to the sea of death ! Thus it 
 doubtless was when the Israelites first crossed it, 
 under Joshua, to enter the " promised land." 
 But Jehovah, who brought them hither from 
 Egypt, made a way for them to pass over in 
 safety, as he will. make a way for his saints to 
 pass over the Jordan of death safe into the true 
 land of promise, where he will give his people 
 rest in " the land that is very far off." Watts 
 and Stennett have associated this river with 
 thoughts of solemn import in their imperishable 
 verses, in which they draw a beautiful parallel 
 between the Israelites, waiting on yonder shore, 
 and the dying Christian.
 
 rOUR TO THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 177 
 
 " On Jordan's stormy banks I stand, 
 And cast a wishful eye 
 To Canaan's fair and happy land, 
 Where my possessions lie. 
 
 " Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood 
 Stand dressed in living green ; 
 So to the Jews old Canaan stood, 
 While Jordan rolled between." 
 
 Pleasant as it was to linger at the ford, we 
 were presently warned by our guide that it was 
 time for us to resume our journey toward the 
 camp. Our course now lay almost due westward 
 across the plain, here some six miles in width. 
 We were now on the track of the ancient Israel- 
 ites as they marched toward Gilgal and Jericho. 
 At the farther side of the plain, and directly con- 
 fronting us, stood the great landmark of the 
 whole region, named Mount Quarantania. This 
 massive wall of rock, which lifts its majestic 
 front twelve hundred feet in the air, with its 
 sides gilded by the rays of the declining sun, 
 presented a truly grand appearance. Its name 
 indicates that it was the scene of the Saviour's 
 trial when, for forty days, he fasted in the wilder- 
 ness and endured the temptation. When we had 
 crossed about two-thirds of the distance from the 
 river to the mountain we came to a poor hamlet 
 named Eriha. The miserable dwellings of the 
 Ghawarineh tribe, to which our valiant sheikhs 
 
 12
 
 i i » TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 belonged, are here grouped around an ancient 
 castle, below which were a few unfenced plots of 
 cultivated ground and sonie enclosures of fruit 
 trees. This spot is supposed to mark ancient 
 Gilgal,* the first place consecrated to religious 
 worship by the Israelites after entering the prom- 
 ised land.-{- This tribe does not bear a very good 
 reputation, and the inhabitants whom we saw 
 were not at all prepossessing in appearance, and 
 we did not tarry long in their territory. 
 
 From this point onward we followed the course 
 of the wady Kelt, whose stream-bed was now 
 
 * Jericho has occupied more than one, and perhaps three 
 diflferent sites at different periods of its history. Old Jericho 
 of Joshua's time was destroyed. Its site is generally placed at 
 Tell es Si(Ua7i, near ^Ain es Sultan, or the spring of the Sultan, 
 popularly called " Elisha's Fountain." This is about one and 
 a half miles northwest of the modern hamlet Eriha. The 
 Jericho of the New Testament period, and which Christ visited, 
 is identified by the Palestine Survey with el Aleik, about one 
 and a half miles west of Eriha, and the same distance west of 
 south of "Elisha's Fountain." The Jericho of the crusading 
 period is identified with Eriha, a miserable mud hamlet sur- 
 rounded by a thorny briar [Zizyphus spina Christi, the Christ- 
 thorn). Gilgal of the Jordan valley was located by Thomson 
 and others near the modern hamlet Eriha, but the Palestine 
 Survey, with appai-ently greater precision, identifies it with a 
 mound or ruin one and a half miles east of Eriha, and called 
 Jiljulieh. It is on the direct road from HajlaJi to '' Ain es Sultan, 
 and about four and a half miles from the Jordan, — Ed. Am. S. 
 S. Union. 
 
 f Joshua 5 : 10.
 
 (179)
 
 TOUR TO THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 181 
 
 filled with clear running water, along the margin 
 of which we found a luxuriant growth of niibk 
 trees and wild shrubbery. From the branches 
 of one of these shrubs we obtained a number of 
 specimens of the apples of Sodom, which, accord- 
 ing to the legend, are fair as to outward appear- 
 ance, but within are full of ashes. The fruit, if 
 such it may be called, is not unlike a wild plum 
 in appearance. It has a bright yellow skin, at- 
 tractive to the eye indeed, but when broken open 
 not even a seed or a grain of ashes is visible. It 
 is an apt symbol of the utter emptiness of mere 
 outward pretension. 
 
 Turning northward from the Kelt, we soon 
 came to the bank of another purling stream, and 
 at its source found our tents pitched, beside 'Ain 
 es Sultan, or Elisha's Fountain, and the attend- 
 ants waiting to receive us. We were now under 
 the foot of Mount Quarantania, and the shadows 
 of its mighty presence warned us of approaching 
 darkness. After we had partaken of our evening 
 meal we sat in the tent door, listening to the cheer- 
 ful croaking of the frogs at the fountain, and look- 
 ing for the familiar stars as they came out one by 
 one with their welcome light to cheer us. The 
 adventures of the day were rehearsed with zest, 
 the mules and horses meanwhile munching the 
 barley and beans from their nose-bags, while the
 
 182 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 sound of the gurgling waters near by invited to 
 slumber. A little later, as we were reclining 
 upon our couches within the tent, preparatory to 
 retiring for the night, one of our company sud- 
 denly started up, with the exclamation that he 
 saw the figure of a man crouched in the doorway 
 as if about to effect a stealthy entrance. Soon 
 after a gun was discharged in the camp, which, 
 we found upon inquiry, was simply a device of 
 our guide to warn the natives that we were on 
 the alert for any prowlers who might wish to 
 secure plunder. The sheikhs were to remain on 
 watch all night around the camp-fire, as an addi- 
 tional warrant of security that our slumbers 
 might not be disturbed by fears of a midnight 
 adventure. But the stamping of the horses, the 
 ringing of the bells on the necks of the sumpter- 
 mules, and the howling of the jackals on Quaran- 
 tania left us little time for sound sleeping.
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 FROM JERICHO TO THE VALLEY OF BACA. 
 
 Our first night in camp at 'Ain es Sultan, while 
 not particularly restful to us after the most 
 fatiguing day of our journey to the Dead Sea and 
 
 'AiN ES Sultan, or Fountain of Elisha. (After Photographs.) 
 
 the Jordan, was nevertheless a valuable experi- 
 ence. The situation of the camp was altogether 
 favorable to lovers of the beautiful in nature, and 
 of the free life in tent and saddle. With these 
 surroundings even the most staid townsman would 
 be tempted to extol the life of the wandering 
 gypsies. At this place Canon Tristram spent 
 many days in camp in 1864, while making his 
 
 (183)
 
 184 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 valuable observations in ornithology and geology, 
 and investigating the physical features of the 
 plain of the Jordan. His descriptions give us the 
 idea that he had something like a hunter's camp 
 here at 'Ain es Sultan, and that the poor chats, 
 sun-birds, doves and swallows suffered more from 
 the discharge of firearms than did the wolves and 
 jackals of the mountains, or the leopards and wild 
 boars, which had been driven from their lairs by 
 the winter freshets of the Jordan. 
 
 However this may have been, the camping- 
 ground at 'Ain es Sultan is truly a delightful 
 place. The natural features of mountains for 
 protection from bleak winds, vegetation and fresh 
 flowing water for refreshment, and the wide, 
 fertile plain, the river beyond, the sea below and 
 the distant wall of Moab in the background for 
 scenery, altogether make up a delightful land- 
 scape. 
 
 Just as the gray light of morning began to 
 spread over the distant fields of Moab I arose, 
 and, hastily making my toilet, with field-glass 
 and note-book in hand sallied forth to make ob- 
 servations. Hard by the tents I came upon the 
 fountain which is the source of life and fertility 
 to such a large district of the plain below. To 
 dash the hands and face into the sweet and copi- 
 ous current was indeed refreshing. This is sup-
 
 FROM JERICHO TO THE VALLEY OF BACA. 185 
 
 posed to be the fountain which Elisha purified 
 with salt, the waters of which were thereby 
 healed that there should not be from thence any- 
 more death or barren land.''' From the fact that 
 the inhabitants of Jericho said to Elisha, " The 
 situation of this city is pleasant, but the water is 
 naught" (i. e., "bad" or brackish), in response to 
 which he performed the miracle, it appears that 
 the city was situated near by the fountain, or on 
 the stream below it. The spring would also 
 naturally be within the enclosure of the walled 
 town which Joshua overthrew, for the inhabitants 
 would not be apt to leave the source of water 
 supply without the walls, where the besiegers 
 might easily cut it off. Besides 'Ain es Sultan is 
 so situated that Joshua might have marched 
 round its adjacent city, just as the narrative of 
 the Bible describes, for the foot of Quarantania 
 is nearly half a mile distant toward the west. 
 
 Upon leaving the fountain I climbed to the top 
 of a large mound or hummock only a few rods 
 distant, under which may lie the ruins of ancient 
 Jericho. From this point a wide prospect was 
 opened to view. Eriha, with its ancient tower, 
 appeared to stand in a line with the north end 
 of the Dead Sea, about one-third of the way 
 distant. The only traces of the Jordan visible 
 
 * 3 Kings 2 : 21.
 
 186 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 were the trees on its banks, beyond which in 
 plain sight lay the uplands of Perea or Gilead. 
 The waters of the Dead Sea were also in sight, 
 and a kind of purple mist hung over its eastern 
 side, under the long, high wall or cliff of Moab. 
 The notch at the mouth of the Zerka Main wady, 
 in which the hot springs of Callirrh6e are situated, 
 was plainly visible. The waters of the sea were 
 sky blue in color, and appeared to be entirely 
 tranquil, as there was no breeze. What a mystery 
 surrounds this wonderful sheet of water ! " Re- 
 posing in its deep chasm or caldron, without any 
 current or outlet, its heavy waters impregnated 
 with mineral salts, combined with asphaltum and 
 sulphur, acrid and nauseous to the taste, and 
 fatal to animal and vegetable life ; no fin stirring 
 in its still depths, and no flowers or foliage fring- 
 ing its borders ; its shores and surrounding terri- 
 tory sterile, desolate and dreary; the whole 
 region lonely and stern, and bearing marks of 
 some dread convulsion of nature ; the cemetery 
 of cities that once occupied a portion of its site, 
 and a perpetual memorial of the righteous judg- 
 ments of God."* The whole western shore, 
 though without forest land, is described in the 
 New Testament as the wilderness of Judea. 
 Here and there, where fresh-water streams empty 
 
 * Smith's Bible Dictionary.
 
 FROM JERICHO TO THE VALLEY OF BACA. 187 
 
 into the sea, shrubbery and vegetation appear, as 
 at ^Ain Feshkha, but generally the aspect is utter- 
 ly desolate. Its surface is twelve hundred and 
 ninety-two feet below the Mediterranean or ocean 
 level, and its deepest bottom is about thirteen 
 hundred feet below its surface. It is forty miles 
 in length, and from nine to ten miles in width, 
 and no open chasm of equal depression is known 
 to exist elsewhere on the globe. All its waters 
 are carried off by evaporation under the sun's 
 rays, which at this extraordinary depth exert an 
 influence like an immense fire on the surface of a 
 great caldron."^ 
 
 * The depression of the Dead Sea below the level of the Medi- 
 terranean Sea varies from 2 to 3 feet, being greater at some 
 periods of the year than at others ; and Robinson holds that it 
 has varied from 10 to 15 feet within the last fifty years. Rus- 
 segger in 1838 by barometer computed the depression to be 
 about 1400 feet; Symonds in 1840 by trigonometrical survey 
 made it 1312 feet; Dale of Lynch's Expedition in 1848 calcu- 
 lated that it was 1316 feet; more careful measurements by Due 
 de Luynes and Lieut. Vignes of the French navy in 1864 made 
 it 1286 feet; and a still more scientific survey by English engi- 
 neers under Capt. Wilson in March, 1865, found it to be 1292 
 feet, but computed that it was 2^ feet higher owing to winter 
 freshets than at other periods of the year, hence the least de- 
 pression would be 1289^ feet. The greatest depth of the Dead 
 Sea is in the northern portion, which Lieut. Symonds (1841) 
 measured at 1350 feet; but Lieut. Dale of Lynch's Expedition 
 (1848) found it to be 1308 feet, and a later measurement agrees 
 very nearly, making it 1310 feet. Its mean depth according to 
 Lynch is 1080 i&Qi.—Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 188 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 The location of the cities of the plain, Sodom 
 and Gomorrah, is still an unsettled question. 
 Some authorities favor the hypothesis that the 
 
 The Dkau Sea from Jebel Usdum (Mountain of Salt) : South End. 
 (After Tristram.) 
 
 cities of the plain were at the north end of the 
 Dead Sea, and not far from Jericho. But Dr. 
 Robinson inclines to the more ancient theory that 
 they were located at the south end of the sea, 
 and that "the plain" is now in j^art occupied by 
 the southern bay, below the peninsula el Lisan.^ 
 Canon Tristram, when at Wady Mahawat at the 
 southwest corner of the sea, found large masses 
 of bitumen mingled with gravel, overlying a thin 
 
 * Researches, vol. ii. p. G04.
 
 FROM JERICUO TO THE VALLEY OF BACA. 189 
 
 stratum of sand, so strongly impregnated with 
 sulphur that it yielded powerful fumes on being 
 sprinkled over a hot coal. He says, "If there be 
 any physical evidence left of the catastrophe 
 which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah we have 
 it here. The whole appearance points to a shower 
 of hot sulphur and an irruption of bitumen upon 
 it, which would naturally be calcined and impreg- 
 nated by fumes." And yet the Canon seems 
 afterward to favor the northern hypothesis.* 
 
 While I was sitting upon the mound at 'Ain 
 es Sultan the sun sprang up over Moab, and 
 flooded the summit of Mount Quarantania with 
 his golden light, and the cooing of doves and the 
 matins of the spring birds about its foot drew my 
 attention to its majestic surface. Far up its front 
 I could see the caverns where the monks long ago 
 lived and died in the practice of their strict ascet- 
 icism. Some of these caverns are said to be 
 
 * In his later work, The Land of Moab, he ■writes : " It seems 
 evident, on a careful examination of the scriptural account of 
 ' the cities of the plain,' that they must have been situated in 
 the 'ciccar ' or ' ghor' of Jordan, at the north end of the Dead 
 Sea. There is no reason, from the details given us in Scripture, 
 for assigning to the cities of the plain a location on the west, 
 rather than the east, side of that river ; and as the plain of Shittim 
 is much more extensive than that of Jericho, and the Jordan 
 possesses three fords, passable, except during the season of the 
 floods, in its lower reach, it is probable that some, at least, of the 
 four cities were on the farther side." Pages 331-334.
 
 190 TENT A ND SA D DL K L IFF. 
 
 formed into chapels, with chambers above them 
 where the anchorets of the fourth century lived, 
 and back of which their tombs are now to be seen, 
 having their bones, covered with dust, within 
 them. On the very summit of the mountain the 
 remains of a ruined chapel were plainly visible, 
 and on either side of it were the wadys Kelt and 
 *Am Dtd% the former a deep gulch, in the recesses 
 of which is the traditional spot where Elijah was 
 fed by the ravens. 
 
 On the banks of the stream which issues from 
 this gorge and flows past Eriha, but at a higher 
 point, el Aleik, it is supposed the Jericho built 
 by Herod the Great was situated. Graphic
 
 FROM JERICHO TO THE VALLEY OF BACA. 191 
 
 descriptions remain of the baths, the circus, the 
 groves of palm and fruit trees which then covered 
 this whole region. The palms have long since 
 disappeared, because uncultivated or unprotected ; 
 but the warmth of temperature here is like that 
 of Egypt, and the palms and all tropical fruits 
 might again flourish with proper cultivation. 
 Our Saviour passed through Jericho when he 
 healed the blind men, and when he called Zaccheus 
 down from the branches of the sycamore. One or 
 two specimens of this tree, the fig sycamore, still 
 remain in the jungle at the mouth of the gorge, 
 as if to attest the certainty of the location.* 
 
 After an early breakfast the tents were struck, 
 and we were once more in the saddle pursuing 
 our way along the brook formed by 'Ain DuJc, 
 whose banks were fringed with a luxuriant growth 
 of cane and shrubbery. While thus riding for- 
 ward in Indian file along the crooked trail, the 
 sound of music in the distance fell upon our ears. 
 After many vain conjectures as to its origin, we 
 at last caught sight of a group of five or six 
 native girls approaching who were marching to a 
 
 * As before noted in chapter x., Eriha is the accepted site of 
 the Jericho of the crusading era, while el Aleik is the proposed 
 site of the Roman or New Testament Jericho. It is one and a 
 half miles above Eriha. The Crusaders built a third Jericho at 
 Eriha after the Roman Jericho of Christ's time had fallen into 
 decay. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 192 TENT AM) SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 tune they were singing, if tune it might be called 
 where the whole performance seemed so much 
 like screeching. For the benefit of all readers of 
 a musical turn of mind the score of their song is 
 here presented :* 
 
 As we proceeded up the valley of 'Ain Duk we 
 were reminded that we were now on the line of 
 march of Joshua with the host of Israel when he 
 ascended to Ai and Bethel, and accomplished his 
 celebrated victory over their inhabitants/]* Fol- 
 lowing the course of the stream through the wide 
 fertile valley, where vegetation and wild fruit 
 
 * Canon Tristram, when in camp at '' Ain es Sultan, had a 
 visit from the women of Eriha, which he describes as follows : 
 "They came up and formed in front of the tents with loud 
 shouts and the strange 'trill, trill' with the tongue which we 
 had often heard from the women of Algiers. . . . They were a 
 miserable and degraded-looking set, scantily clad in blue cotton, 
 all very filthy, and, excepting two or three of the younger ones, 
 most repulsive in feature. I never saw such vacant, sensual 
 and debased features in any group of human beings of the type 
 and form of whites. There was no trace of mind in the ex- 
 pression of any one of these poor creatures, who scarcely know 
 they have a soul, and have not an idea beyond the day." . . . 
 The evening previous the camp men also gave the Canon a 
 'fantasia,' with a series of deep guttural grunts in two-four 
 time, accompanied with a clapping of the hands. ..." An ex- 
 tempore song of endless verses in praise of the Howadjis, con- 
 fined within three semitones "... all for backshish. 
 
 t Joshua 8 : 3.
 
 FROM JERICHO TO THE VALLEY OF liACA. 193 
 
 trees appeared on either hand, we came, in the 
 course of two hours, to the foot of the high hills 
 of Ephraim. At this point the valley suddenly 
 became narrow, having steep cliffs on either side. 
 Instead of continuing our route into this gorge, 
 our guide here turned to the south, and com- 
 menced to climb the side of the mountain. Here 
 we came upon the traces of an old Roman road, 
 the bed of which had originally been macad- 
 amized with excellent slabs of limestone. The 
 road climbed the great elevation by zig-zags, thus 
 reducing the steepness of the grade by increasing 
 the distance to be traversed. While this was a 
 tedious ascent, taxing the energy of both men 
 and horses, we could see from the configuration 
 of the surrounding district that it was the most 
 available route for a wagon-road or thoroughfare 
 between Jerusalem and Jericho. The route by 
 Bethany and the wady Kelt is indeed more direct 
 — only fifteen miles in distance — but on account 
 of the intervening ledges and cliffs it could never 
 have been anything more than a track for foot- 
 men or a bridle-path. Hence the construction 
 of this highway, and the zig-zags for ascend- 
 ing to the summit. Doubtless Herod the Great 
 frequently passed over this road in his chariot, 
 with great pomp and circumstance, when on his 
 way to and from his winter palace at Jericho. 
 
 13
 
 1 94 TEN T A ND SA DDL E L IFE. 
 
 When we were midway in the ascent we saw a 
 gazelle bounding away over the height of Quar- 
 antania, but were not near enough for our guide 
 to obtain the shot which he coveted. The road 
 now ran westward to the very brink of the gorge, 
 at the bottom of which was a thick jungle. At 
 last, after turning another angle to the east- 
 ward, we arrived at the summit, and obtained a 
 grand view of the whole Jordan plain, and of the 
 entire route we had just traversed. The view 
 was similar to that obtained from the mound at 
 'Ain es Sultan, but much more extensive. The 
 three streams supplied from 'Ain Duk, 'Ain es 
 Sultan and Wady Kelt could be traced by the 
 growth of shrubbery on their banks across the 
 wide plain, with the broader course of the Jordan 
 visible by its fringe of trees at the farther side ; 
 while far, far away appeared the hills of Gilead, 
 cleft by the Jabbok, on whose banks Jacob 
 wrestled all night with the mysterious stranger.* 
 Farther to the south, and across the Dead Sea, 
 we again saw the mountains of Moab, their high 
 cliffs and ragged peaks well revealed in the bright 
 sunlight. It was our last view of the land from 
 which Ruth and Naomi came, when they sought 
 an asylum in their widowhood at Bethlehem. 
 We now turned westward again, and kept on 
 * Genesis 32 ; 24.
 
 FROM JERICHO TO THE VALLEY OF liACA. 195 
 
 our course over a rough bridle-path not far from 
 the brink of the gorge already described, until 
 .we came to a poor hamlet perched upon a hill, 
 
 Mountains op Moab. 
 
 named Deir Diivan. We rode past the place, and 
 halted in an olive orchard near by for luncheon. 
 We had hardly dismounted before we were sur- 
 rounded by the swarthy, sinister-looking men 
 who inhabit this place. When the guide had 
 prepared the food on the cloth spread upon the 
 ground, and we were seated on its border, a la 
 Turk, the hungry-looking men drew nearer still, 
 and patiently watched every mouthful that we 
 ate, hoping, no doubt, that some portion would
 
 196 TENT AXD SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 be assigned to them, but in this they were disap- 
 pointed. The women did not venture away from 
 their dirty stone dwellings, having been forbidden, 
 no doubt, by these "lords of creation," who cov- 
 eted the first opportunity to be present at the 
 feast themselves. When the cloth and provision 
 had been removed and we were riding out of the 
 orchard I noticed that the twenty-three men were 
 gathered round, looking mournfully at the place 
 where we had been seated, after which they 
 departed to their village in sadness. 
 
 We were now at the head waters of streams 
 running into the Jordan, and in the neighborhood 
 of ancient Bethel. We found here ancient ruins 
 of a town lying on the slopes of two hills facing 
 each other, between which was a reservoir, with 
 heavy walls of masonry well preserved. On the 
 hill to the eastward are the remains of a fortified 
 Christian church, which was probably built by 
 the early Christians to consecrate the spot where 
 Abraham built his second altar after entering the 
 promised land, and where he separated from Lot. 
 The latter, attracted by the apparent fertility of the 
 Jordan valley lying beneath him, contrasted with 
 the barrenness of the stony ravines and ridges on 
 the westward, chose the country of the Jordan, 
 and journeyed eastward to the shores of the Dead 
 Sea. Lieutenant Anderson, whose ideas on the
 
 FROM JERIOUO TO THE VALLEY OF BACA. 197 
 
 topography of this vicinity are valuable, thinks 
 that the site of Ai may be confidently assigned 
 to a ruined hill-top east of the church near Deir 
 Diwan, called by the Arabs et Tel, " the heap." 
 This corresponds exactly to the description, 
 when we know the site of Bethel and that of 
 Abraham's encampment, where he built an altar; 
 for we read that he pitched his camp " having 
 Bethel on the west and Hai on the east." There 
 is a valley behind the ruined heap where Joshua 
 placed his ambush. There is also a spot opposite, 
 across the intervening valley, where Joshua stood 
 to give the preconcerted signal ; and there is a 
 plain or ridge down which the men of Ai hurried 
 in pursuit of the retreating Israelites, so that the 
 men in ambush rose and captured the city, and 
 made it a heap (or a " tell ") forever.* In coming 
 up to Bethel from Deir Diwan we had the crest 
 of this high ridge on our right hand constantly 
 in sight, from the summit of which Abraham and 
 Lot could look over all the plain of Jordan and 
 the rough ridges of the country afterward assigned 
 to Benjamin and Judah. 
 
 At Bethel we came within six miles of the point 
 where we had entered the Damascus road when 
 on our way from Gibeon to Jerusalem. The in- 
 tervening section of the road is said to follow the 
 
 * Joshua 8 : 28.
 
 198 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 line of the water-shed, and on both sides valleys 
 take their rise, and become at once rocky ravines, 
 descending precipitously on the left hand to the 
 Jordan, and on the right hand more gradually to 
 the Mediterranean. The traveller over these six 
 miles of the land of Benjamin finds nothing but 
 rocks and stones and ruined heaps and low ridges 
 of hills, without a prominent peak or feature to 
 vary the scene ; so that we lost but little by not 
 going over this section. 
 
 On a slight elevation just to the north of the 
 ruins of Bethel, now named Beitim, we found on 
 either side of the highway an immense number 
 of boulders and slabs of stratified rock, well de- 
 scribed by Dean Stanley. The track winds 
 through an uneven surface covered, as with grave- 
 stones, by large sheets of bare rock, some few 
 here and there standing up like the cromlechs of 
 druidical monuments. Somewhere here, no doubt, 
 Jacob came as an exile from his early home in 
 Beersheba, when he lighted upon a certain place 
 and tarried there all night, because the sun was 
 set ; and he took of the stones and put them for 
 his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.* 
 The wanderer's dream of the heavenly ladder 
 may have been suggested by the aspect of the 
 hill to the westward, and on the opposite side of 
 
 * Genesis 28 : 11.
 
 FROM JERICHO TO THE VALLEY OF BACA. 199 
 
 a little valley, ribbed, as it is, with parallel lay- 
 ers of rock, which give it the appearance of a 
 majestic stone staircase, like the side of the 
 Pyramid of Cheops, to one resting in a recumbent 
 position. Two of us here fell behind the party, 
 and dismounting from our horses tested the mat- 
 ter by lying down upon the stony surface of the 
 ground, only to find our impressions favorable to 
 the theory. When the rays of the setting sun 
 fell upon that terraced hillside it would appear not 
 unlike a majestic " staircase," which is the more 
 accurate word for the Hebrew "suUam." What- 
 ever may have been the outward cause of the 
 dream, we know that it had an interior meaning 
 which can only be fulfilled in the words, " Here- 
 after ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of 
 God ascending and descending upon the Son of 
 man."* Jacob had no difficulty here in finding a 
 stone for his pillow ; nor was it strange that, 
 when he awoke, he took the stone and consecrated 
 it as a pillar, and said, '' How dreadful is this 
 place ! this is none other but the house of God 
 (Beth-el), and this is the gate of heaven." f 
 
 The lateness of the hour compelled us to 
 hasten forward after the party. We soon came to 
 the head of a narrow glen opening out northward, 
 which we entered by the dry stream bed, having 
 
 * John 1 : 51. f Genesis 28 : 16-18.
 
 200 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 high stone walls on either side enclosing vine- 
 yards. As we advanced, the hills on either side 
 became high and precipitous, the vineyards dis- 
 appeared, and we found ourselves in the depths 
 of a long, gloomy valley. In the rocky cliffs on 
 either side we noticed a singular conformation, 
 consisting of long tubular galleries occasioned by 
 erosion of water in past geological ages, and 
 which run parallel with the bed of the valley, but 
 at a great height above it. 
 
 We continued to wind our way through this 
 singular recess, which has been described as a 
 place of charming melancholy. The valley is 
 narrow and gloomy ; a dark water oozes from the 
 rocks, pierced with sepulchres, which form its 
 walls. It may be that this is Baca, or the " val- 
 ley of tears," or of the " dripping waters," cele- 
 brated as one of the stations by the way, when 
 in ancient times the pious pilgrims went up to 
 Jerusalem.* We encamped in that valley for the 
 night at ' Ain el Haramiyeh, or Robber's Fountain, 
 and slept sweetly after the long ride from the 
 Jordan valley. 
 
 * Psalm 84.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 FROM BACA TO THE VALE OF NABLUS. 
 
 Our encampment at 'Ain el Ilaramit/eh, or Rob- 
 ber's Fountain, was in a picturesque location. On 
 either side of the narrow valley were high hills, 
 fortified by " the munitions of rocks," in the clefts 
 of which we saw the traces of wild honeysuckle 
 and maiden's-hair fern. Far up the heights we 
 heard the partridges clucking to their chickens as 
 the night drew on. On the west side of the glen 
 was a patch of green sward, where our five tents 
 were pitched, and near by the thirty animals, which 
 transported our persons and effects from place to 
 place, were tethered. The brook, with its volume 
 of water largely increased by the spring rains, 
 ran just in front of our location, into which our 
 copious fountain also emptied its constant current. 
 
 This location has long been noted as a haunt 
 of robbers, but we were not disturbed by any 
 greater enemy while there than the jackals, 
 which kept up their wild serenade at intervals 
 during the hours of darkness. An old man, 
 travelling with a boy and a forlorn-looking don- 
 key, whom we had passed at Bethel, crept slyly 
 
 (201)
 
 202 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 into our camp Late in the evening, unci, avoiding 
 the notice of the guards, located his sleeping- 
 place against the side of our tent, where his 
 company kept up a continual shuffling and 
 grunting during the night. Our annoyance at 
 this intrusion we quietly endured, however, out 
 of pity for these poor wayfarers, who must have 
 suffered from the cold winds which swept down 
 from the hills, and against which they had only 
 their garments and an old blanket for protection. 
 We could not help thinking that thus, perhaps, 
 Joseph and Mary made their way over this same 
 route, from Nazareth to Bethlehem, just before 
 the first Christmas. The poor people of this land 
 have always travelled in this manner, sleeping in 
 the open air or in the poor khans at night, and 
 with only the meagre contents of their wallets 
 for defence against hunger. 
 
 Just as the day began to break the poor man 
 aroused his boy and donkey from their sleep, and 
 hastily departed. Toward evening of the same 
 day we overtook him at Jacob's Well just as he 
 was entering Nablus. As the Samaritans claim 
 that Mount Gerizim was the mountain where 
 " on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes 
 and saw the place afar off," we thought of the 
 sorrowful patriarch and his obedient son as we 
 passed the little party, and the language of Gen-
 
 FROM BACA TO THE VALE OF NABLUS. 203 
 
 esis reverted at once to our memory — " And 
 Abraham rose up early in the morning, and sad- 
 dled his ass, and took . . . Isaac his son, . . . 
 and went unto the place of which God had told 
 him."* 
 
 The sun was beginning to chase away the 
 shadows from the winding valley and its deep 
 recesses, whose dripping waters are compared to 
 " tears " by the Psalmist, when we set forth upon 
 our day's journey. Scarcely had we crossed the 
 little stream before we met a garrison of Turkish 
 soldiers, on their way from Nablus to keep the 
 peace during the Easter festivities at Jerusalem. 
 They came on at a quick pace, in broken ranks, 
 and were a hardy-looking band, well used to slim 
 fare, fatigue and exposure. We were, at this 
 point, on the border line between two tribes of 
 Israel. The " vale of weeping " behind us was 
 anciently the pass, or highway, leading down from 
 the heights of Benjamin about Bethel to the 
 pleasant plains of Ephraim, lying farther north. 
 We soon drew near the village of Sinjil, and at 
 this place departed from the Damascus road east- 
 ward, in order to visit the ancient sanctuary of 
 Israel at Shiloh. On the way we passed a little 
 farming village named Turmus Aya, situated upon 
 a mound in the middle of the plain. The land 
 
 * Genesis 22 : 3.
 
 204 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 seemed to be under cultivation in part, and was 
 composed of a soil at once fertile and tillable. 
 Soon after we turned sharply northward, rode up 
 a gentle slope in the plain, and were at ancient 
 Shiloh. This was one of the places which we 
 
 Seilun (Ancient Shiloh). 
 
 had separated from common sites as of peculiar 
 importance and interest. The fact that the tab- 
 ernacle rested here after its long wanderings in 
 the desert, that Joshua here divided the territory 
 between the twelve tribes after the conquest, and 
 that here Eli and Samuel ministered before the
 
 FROM BACA TO THE VALE OF XABLUS. 205 
 
 Lord, gave this place a claim to our careful 
 attention. 
 
 The first question which naturally arises in the 
 mind of the traveller upon approaching a place 
 like this is that of identity. Is this the real 
 Shiloh ? The position is set forth in the book 
 of Judges as " on the north side of Bethel, on 
 the east side of the highway that goeth up from 
 Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Leb- 
 onah."* Notwithstanding this clear description 
 of Shiloh's situation in the Bible, the real site 
 was not known from the times of Jerome until its 
 recent discovery by an American traveller, Dr. 
 Bobinson. For centuries both Christian and 
 Mohammedan tradition held that Mizpeh, or 
 Neh?/ Samwil, was the Shiloh of Samuel, and so 
 its real site was completely forgotten. In June, 
 1838, Dr. Robinson employed a "common peas- 
 ant" at Sinjil, who had spoken to him of a ruin 
 northeast of that place named Seilun, to conduct 
 him thither. Upon arriving at the place by the 
 same route we traversed, the doctor was con- 
 vinced of the truth of his previous conjecture 
 that this was indeed the ancient Shiloh, the 
 traces of which are seen in the similarity of the 
 modern name Seilun. 
 
 We found the ruins of many buildings here, 
 
 * Judees21: 19.
 
 206 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 lying upon the southern face of a gentle em- 
 inence, with a single terebinth tree in the fore- 
 ground, near which were the remains of a mosque 
 or synagogue. The eminence itself was really a 
 mound separated from the higher hills surround- 
 ing it by shallow wadies, which empty their 
 waters northward into the deeper ravine which 
 runs westward toward Lebonah. This confor- 
 mation rendered the place easy of defence, which 
 may have been one reason why it was originally 
 selected as the resting-place of the tabernacle 
 and the sacred ark of the covenant. At the 
 same time it was a secluded spot, away from the 
 usual thoroughfare, while it was in the very heart 
 of the country, at which all the tribes could con- 
 veniently assemble. Just before reaching the 
 mound we came to the ruins of an old church of 
 the Roman period, situated at the base of the 
 higher hill to the eastward. This ruin fronted 
 the north, and once had a large tower at its cor- 
 ner, fourteen by twenty-eight feet at the base, 
 with heaA^y buttresses still clinging to its sides. 
 The huge lintel was still at the doorway of the 
 church, ornamented with the figures of a vase, 
 and on either side of it a chaplet. Three broken 
 columns of the Corinthian order of architecture 
 lay within the walls amid heaps of rubbish and 
 overgrown with weeds.
 
 FROM BACA TO THE VALE OF NABLUS. 207 
 
 From this point we went immediately to the 
 central mound, only five minutes distant, and, 
 ngain dismounting, we ransacked the extensive 
 ruins. As we went up the acclivity, turning 
 from side to side in order to make our way 
 through the ruins, we discovered that these frag- 
 ments must have been used in the construction 
 of a modern village. Bits of pottery lay scat- 
 tered about here and there, and the deserted 
 dwellings were located without any order or sys- 
 tem in respect to streets or passage-ways. From 
 the summit we obtained a pleasant view of the 
 plain to the southward by which we had ap- 
 proached the place, while on all the other sides 
 the high rocky, treeless hills stood like grim sen- 
 tinels to guard this ancient sanctuary of Israel. 
 Upon our descent to the single terebinth tree and 
 the ruined mosque in the foreground we searched 
 for some relic of the ancient city gate, but were 
 unable to discover any trace of its location. The 
 gate must have been near the location of the ter- 
 ebinth tree, for this was the only place suitable 
 for the main entrance to the ancient city. And 
 here it must be that poor old Eli " sat upon a 
 seat by the wayside watching" when his heart 
 trembled for the ark of God, which his sons 
 Hophni and Phinehas had carried away to the 
 battle-field of the Philistines ; and here, when the
 
 208 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 sad news came that the ark of God was taken, 
 " he fell from off the seat backward by the side 
 of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died."* 
 Precious memories were associated with that ark 
 here in Shiloh, and indulgent old Eli was heart- 
 broken even before the shock came which caused 
 his death. Here the Lord's call came to Samuel 
 during the silent hours of the night as they both 
 lay within the purlieus of the holy tabernacle, 
 and that which would cause the ears of all Israel 
 to tingle had now come to pass. And so to this 
 day Shiloh is desolate. Not an inhabited dwell- 
 ing, not even a herdsman or shepherd, was in 
 sight, and the prophecy of Jeremiah seemed lit- 
 erally fulfilled — " Go ye now unto my place 
 which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at 
 the first, and see what I did to it for the wicked- 
 ness of my people Israel." f 
 
 Without the company of our reluctant guide, 
 we mounted our horses and turned down the 
 open wady to the eastward, where the waters 
 would surely run " softly " because of the gentle 
 inclination, and made our way toward the famous 
 spring of Shiloh. We soon passed a number of 
 rock-hewn tombs, with rectangular openings, sunk 
 into the base of the adjoining hill, which, it may 
 be, have held the remains of the descendants of 
 
 * 1 Samuel 4 : 18. f Jeremiah 7:12.
 
 FROM BACA TO THE VALE OF NABLUS. 209 
 
 the judges. We now passed into the bed of the 
 valley, the stream of which runs on the north 
 side of the mound westward toward Lebonah. 
 The valley became quite narrow as we proceeded 
 eastward, having large fragments of loose rock 
 lying in its bed, giving it a "wild and rugged 
 appearance In fifteen minutes we turned sharp- 
 ly to the left, and arrived at the fountain, which 
 is rather a well some ten feet in depth, from 
 which a copious stream of sweet, pure water 
 flowed into a sort of reservoir farther down the 
 slope. This is supposed to be the spring where the 
 maidens of Shiloh came to celebrate their annual 
 festival by dancing, when the sons of Benjamin 
 rushed out from the adjoining vineyards, and bore 
 them away as wives into their own territory.* 
 
 We hastened our return to the place where we 
 left our attendants, and followed down the stream 
 over a rough and almost precipitous path, wind- 
 ing around the jagged point of rocks into the 
 •wide and fertile valley of Lebonah. Here we 
 regained the beaten track or highway, and pro- 
 ceeded on our course northward. We lunched 
 this day beneath a large and beautiful terebinth 
 tree, and, as at Deir Dhvan, had a number of 
 idle men watching us, while their wives were 
 toiling in the fields and vineyards near by. 
 
 * Judj^^es 21 : 23. 
 14
 
 210 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 We were now in the plain el Mukhnah, and our 
 course ran north-northeast, bordered on either 
 side by parallel ridges of blue mountains. We 
 saw women in the fields weeding wheat, and as 
 they plucked the weeds and grass they carried 
 them in bundles in their arms, and deposited 
 them at the roadside to be used as fodder for the 
 donkeys. It was now three o'clock p.m., the sun 
 shining fiercely, so that we almost envied the 
 occupant of a little booth near by, composed of 
 green boughs, which presented the appearance of 
 a comfortable shelter. We had for the last half 
 hour been slowly nearing the chain of mountains 
 on our left hand, and were at half-past three 
 o'clock at the foot of Mount Gerizim. 
 
 Here we dismounted at Jacob's Well, one of the 
 few sites surely known to have been pressed by 
 the feet of our Saviour. Here he sat beside the 
 well, and instructed the Samaritan woman in the 
 mysteries of his kingdom.* The well is situated 
 at the foot of the mountain, on the gentle slope 
 which sinks away into the green sward of the 
 plain below. An old church, now fallen into 
 ruins, marks the site, in connection with which 
 an arch was formerly constructed covering the 
 mouth of the well. This arch has now tumbled 
 in, leaving a large open cavern some eight feet 
 
 * John 4 : 9-24.
 
 FROM BACA TO THE VALE OF NABLUS. 
 
 211 
 
 in depth, in one corner of which the traces of the 
 well appear wedged full of loose stones. It was 
 originally very deep, but for years has been 
 
 
 Jacob a ^\ l-ll. 
 
 neglected, until now, at last, its mouth has become 
 entirely filled with rubbish.* 
 
 Upon leaving this relic of ancient patriarchal 
 life we noticed on our right the so-called tomb of 
 Joseph,f which bears nearly the same relation to 
 Mount Ebal that this does to Mount Gerizim. 
 As we rode up this magnificent gateway between 
 the two mountains, the well on one side and the 
 ruined arch over the tomb on the other seemed 
 to us to resemble porters' lodges, which are often 
 found on either side of the grand entrance of 
 
 * See note at end of this chapter, 
 t Joshua 24 : 32.
 
 212 TENT AXD SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 some nobleman's estate. Not far away was the 
 city to which the two disciples went to buy food, 
 while the Saviour talked with the woman at the 
 well. 
 
 We soon reached the two recesses, fronting each 
 other, where the law was read under Joshua.* 
 Regarded in any light, no more suitable place for 
 the purpose can be found. If the priests stood 
 in the centre of the valley, their voices could be 
 heard at the extreme points of the recesses, 
 while the curses could properly be pronounced 
 from Ebal, which to this day is rocky and barren, 
 and the blessings would come from the Geri- 
 zim side, which is covered with green trees and 
 vegetation.-|- 
 
 At this point we left the line of the valley, 
 which runs straight onward through Nablus, and 
 began the ascent of Gerizim. Higher and yet 
 higher we urged our weary horses, up an ascent 
 which to a stranger's eye seemed almost inac- 
 cessible. The merry voices of the women and 
 children, who were enjoying a romp and swing at 
 a picnic in an adjoining grove, rang out cheerily 
 upon the air. After a steady and hard climb of 
 
 * Joshua 8 : 34. 
 
 t Joshua 8 : 33. Tristram's Israel, p. 152, gives an account of 
 his party stationing themselves on the sides of the two mounts 
 and reciting the Ten Commandments antiphonally.
 
 FROM BACA TO THE VALE OF NABLUS. 213 
 
 fifteen minutes' length we came upon a kind of 
 plateau, where we found a few specimens of a 
 large flower, with bright crimson petals, of the 
 lily or amaryllis species. 
 
 We now enjoyed a fine view of the valley 
 spread out before us, with the village nestled 
 against the foot of Gerizim in the distance, and 
 the bald side of Ebal everywhere confronting us. 
 Another fifteen-minute climb, and we were at the 
 place where the Samaritans roast the lambs at 
 their annual passover. The spot is marked by 
 holes sunk into the ground and walled up with 
 loose stones. Leaving our horses there, we 
 continued on eastward over acres of fragments of 
 stones, evidently employed in former times for 
 building purposes, until at last we reached the ex- 
 treme summit, overhanging the plain el Miikhnah. 
 
 Here we found an old tower or ruined mosque, 
 to the top of which we made our way, and were 
 rewarded with a magnificent view. On the north 
 stretched the vale of Shechem, bounded by the 
 sterile and rocky side of Ebal, with the summit 
 of far-distant Hermon in the background ; on the 
 east was the beautiful plain el Mukhnah, on the 
 south the high hills of Benjamin and Judea, and 
 on the west, far in the distance, the blue waters of 
 the Mediterranean Sea. With pleasure we lingered 
 upon the beautiful scene until our guide hastened
 
 214 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 US tiway, lest the night should overtake us before 
 reaching the encampment. 
 
 When we had resumed the saddle once more, 
 we followed the crest of the mountain westward 
 for half a mile, over loose stones, with grassy 
 plots here and there intervening, until we arrived 
 at a point directly opposite the village, when we 
 commenced the descent. Half way down the 
 mountain side we came upon the living fountains 
 which supply Nabliis with abundance of clear, 
 sweet water, and, amid groves of poplar and 
 orchards of olive and fig trees, we came to our 
 tents, ready for our use, just on the border of the 
 village. Here, as the evening drew on, we were 
 visited by the missionary El Karey, who, though 
 educated in England, is a native of Palestine, and 
 is engaged among his countrymen in the interests 
 of Protestant Christianity. It was a pleasure to 
 sit with him at the door of the tent, and listen to 
 his descriptions of the surroundings of Nablus 
 and the character of its inhabitants. The great 
 hindrance to his missionary work, he said, was 
 the Mohammedan faith, which is firmly seated in 
 the hearts of the people. The women especially 
 suffer from this adherence to the teachings of the 
 false prophet, which fosters polygamy and keeps 
 the sex in ignorance and degradation. Several 
 English ladies, travelling on horseback, stopped
 
 FliOM BACA TO THE VALE OF NABLUS. 215 
 
 near a group of poor women at work in the 
 fields, who looked with envy at their more fa- 
 vored sisters from a foreign land, and said, " Dis- 
 mount and come and share our burdens," adding, 
 " Surely God has blessed these strangers ; they 
 must be good w^omen." 
 
 The question was started why the patriarch 
 Jacob had dug that deep well just beyond the 
 village, when the whole vale was furnished with 
 fountains of running water. This fact El Karey 
 explained in this way : In the time of Jacob the 
 Shechemites had the vale in their exclusive pos- 
 session, while the patriarch had purchased land 
 in the plain of Mukhnah, which lies to the east- 
 ward. In order to avoid intercourse with the 
 idolatrous people Jacob dug the well on his own 
 land, that his family might not come among them 
 to obtain water, and thus be contaminated with 
 their idolatry. The mrssionary also believed that 
 the woman whom the Saviour met at the well was 
 a peasant woman at work in the fields, who had 
 just come hither with her plain pitcher to get the 
 necessary supply of water. 
 
 We found El Karey's discourse very interesting, 
 delivered, as it was, with the true Oriental ease 
 and deliberation. The speaker was evidently a 
 genuine " son of the soil," and allowed the long 
 hours of the evening to wear away while he con-
 
 216 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 tinued his discourse, and dextrously twisted the 
 paper of fresh cigarettes, and smoked them at 
 frequent intervals. As he sat in the door of our 
 tent his fine black eyes and beard, olive com- 
 plexion and expansive chest showed to good 
 advantage in the flickering light of the candle, 
 which was placed upon the little table within, 
 and was now burning low in its socket. The 
 purling rills which ceaselessly flow along the nar- 
 roAv streets near by lent the speaker's voice a 
 pleasing accompaniment; and when at last he 
 arose to depart we seemed to have enjoyed the 
 charm of an original Arabian Nights entertain- 
 ment. The curtain at the tent's door was dropped, 
 the candle extinguished, and we were soon dream- 
 ing of the wondrous tales of the Orient. 
 
 Jacob's Well. — As Jacob's Well is an undisputed spot, and 
 a subject of great interest to Christian readers, we add the re- 
 marks of travellers who have recently explored the place. The 
 fact that this is at once a relic of the patriarchal age, and a spot 
 assuredly visited by the Saviour, gives it a special claim to con- 
 sideration. 
 
 There is much uncertainty about the original depth of the 
 well, which can be settled only by clearing it of rubbish. In 1838 
 Robinson found its depth to be 105 feet, Conder in 1866 found 
 it to be 75 feet and the same in 1875, but in 1881 Rev. C. W. 
 Barclay found it to be 67 feet deep from the top of the carved 
 aperture or slab of stone covering the mouth. The vault of 
 masonry built over the well is 20 feet long by 10 feet broad, 
 rudely built and broken through at the northeast side. The 
 vault may be the crypt of a church built over the well in the
 
 FROM BACA TO THE VALE OF iVAULUS. 217 
 
 fourth century. Access to the well may be gained through this 
 opening in the vault. A second entrance at the northwest side 
 is walled up. A rude stone wall 4 or 5 feet high surrounds the 
 patch of ground in which the vault and well are situated. 
 
 Lieutenant Anderson gives the following account of his de- 
 scent into the well in 1866 : "We lowered a candle down the well, 
 and found the air perfectly good, and, after the usual amount of 
 noise and talking among the workmen and idlers, I was lashed 
 with a good rope round the waist and a looj) for my feet, and 
 lowered through the mouth of the well which we had opened, 
 by some trusty Arabs. The sensation was novel and disagree- 
 able. The numerous knots in the rope continued to tighten and 
 creak, and, after having passed through the narrow mouth, 1 
 found myself suspended in a cylindrical chamber, in shape and 
 proportion not unlike that of the barrel of a gun. The twisting 
 of the rope caused me to revolve as I was being lowered, which 
 produced giddiness, and there was the additional unpleasantness 
 of vibrating from side to side and touching the sides of the well. 
 I suddenly heard the people from the top shouting to tell me 
 that I had reached the bottom, so that when I began to move I 
 found myself lying on my back at the bottom of the well. 
 Looking up at the mouth, the opening seemed like a star. It 
 was fortunate I had been securely lashed to the rope, as I had 
 fainted during the operation of lowering. The well is seventy- 
 five feet deep, seven feet six inches diameter, and is lined 
 throughout with rough masonry, as it is dug in alluvial soil. 
 The bottom of the well was perfectly dry at this time of the 
 year (the month of May), and covered with loose stones. There 
 was a little pitcher lying at the bottom unbroken, and this was 
 an evidence of there being water in the well at some seasons, as 
 the pitcher would have been broken had it fallen upon the 
 stones. It is probable the well was very much deeper in ancient 
 times, for in ten years it had decreased ten feet in depth." 
 [Recovery of Jerusalem, p. 362.) Lieut. Anderson made a second 
 examination of the well in 1877. 
 
 C. W. Barclay gives some facts of interest connected with his 
 visit in 1881. He says, "The well has been again and again
 
 218 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 described by the many writers on Palestine, and all have men- 
 tioned their disappointment that instead of finding any sem- 
 blance to a well, or anything which could recall the interview 
 of our Lord with the woman of Samaria, they have merely found 
 a dark irregular hole amid a mass of ruins in a vaulted chamber 
 beneath the surface of the ground. I have shared this disap- 
 pointment on many previous visits to Nablds. . . . Vainly 
 attempting to peer into the dark hole amid heaps of stones and 
 rubbish, we chanced to notice, a few feet from the opening, a 
 dark crack between the stones. Fancying that it might possi- 
 bly be another opening of the well, we moved some stones and 
 earth, and soon were able to trace part of a curved aperture in 
 a large slab ef stone. . . . We cleared away more stones and 
 earth, and soon distinguished the mouth of the well, though it 
 was blocked by an immense mass of stone. Calling two men 
 who were looking on to aid, with considerable labor we at 
 length managed to remove it, and the opening of the well was 
 clear. It is impossible to describe our feelings as we gazed 
 down into the open well, and sat on the ledge on which, doubt- 
 less, our Saviour rested, and felt with our fingers the grooves 
 caused by the ropes by which the water-pots were drawn up. 
 The following day we devoted to completely excavating round 
 the opening of the well and laying bare the massive stone which 
 forms its mouth." It is of hard white limestone, 3 feet 9 inches 
 long, 2 feet 7 inches in breadth, and 18 inches thick. Rev. 
 John Mill, who resided some months in Nal)ltis in 1860, Avas 
 informed by a priest of the Greek church that their church had 
 bought the plot of ground, about 180 feet square, around the 
 well from the Turkish government, paying for it from 70,000 to 
 100,000 piastres. He also supposes that the well is not fed by 
 an ' Ain or spring, but is a Bir or cistern, supplied by water 
 from the surface during the rainy season. See Survey of West- 
 ern Palestine^ vol. ii. pp. 172-178. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union,
 
 (220)
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 FROM NABLUS TO JENIN. 
 
 We were awakened at early dawn in Nablus 
 by the song of the birds and the noise of villagers 
 astir in the streets. After having partaken of 
 breakfist we went out to examine the town. We 
 found it .quite a manufacturing centre, producing 
 silks, cotton cloths, soap and other commodities. 
 The population is variously estimated as between 
 thirteen and twenty thousand inhabitants, lately on 
 the increase ; and of this number there are about 
 six hundred and fifty Christians and Jews, and 
 two hundred Samaritans. The others are all, 
 nominally at least, Mohammedans.* 
 
 Evidently nature has adapted this place for the 
 site of a city. It is in the centre of Palestine, 
 protected from the bleak winds by the heights of 
 Ebal and Gerizim, and is furnished with a fine 
 mill-stream, supplied, it is said, by some eighty 
 living springs. The valley in which Nablus is 
 
 * Prof. Socin gives the population of Nablus as about 13,000; 
 the Survey of Western Palestine says it was stated at 13,000 in 
 1875; and in 1881 Mr. Falsher, the missionary, computed it at 
 20,760, including 160 Samaritans and 600 Christians and Jews. 
 — Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 
 
 (221)
 
 222 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 situated is only some five hundred yards in 
 width, its hottom ahout eighteen hundred feet 
 above the level of the sea, and the top of Ger- 
 izim eight hundred feet higher still. 
 
 The main street follows the line of the valley 
 from east to west, and contains a bazaar, where a 
 great variety of goods and products are sold. 
 Most of the other streets cross this, and at the 
 intersection are the smaller shops and the work- 
 stands of the artisans. Most of the streets are 
 narrow and dark, as the houses hang over them 
 on arches, and the two that run lengthwise in the 
 central portion of the town are mere lanes or 
 alleys when compared with the streets of a mod- 
 ern city in Europe or America. The houses are 
 built of stone, and are of the plain pattern so 
 common in this country, and the dress and man- 
 ners of the inhabitants correspond with their 
 shabby and dilapidated appearance. 
 
 The few Samaritans still in this their native 
 city retain their ancient temple or synagogue. It 
 is a small edifice, in a retired place, close to the 
 foot of Gerizim, consisting of a square nave, with 
 a small transept at the end facing the door, and 
 on the left or east end a chancel, in which the 
 ancient rolls or copies of the law are kept, with 
 a curtain hanging before them for concealment. 
 These rolls, which are kept in many folds of
 
 FliOM NADLUS TO JEN IN. 223 
 
 brocade and faded satins, they claim, were writ- 
 ten by Abisha, the son of Phinehas ; but Mr. 
 Grove, an English scholar, assigns to them an 
 antiquity of only about four hundred and fifty 
 years.* The synagogue itself may be five or six 
 hundred years old, and is the humble successor 
 of the great temple whose ruins we had seen 
 upon the summit of Gerizim. The Samaritans 
 are probably the smallest as well as the oldest of 
 all the existing religious sects which have any 
 historical standing of importance. Besides this 
 synagogue, Nablus has four or five mosques and 
 one Protestant mission. The great interest in 
 Nablus, however, is in its natural advantages and 
 its past history. Here Abraham halted, and 
 built his first altar upon the soil of Canaan. 
 Here Jacob came and dug his well, and set up 
 the altar of Jehovah ; and Shechem was even 
 then a city, so that it may be next to Damascus 
 in antiquity, and is certainly five hundred years 
 
 * The age of the Samaritan MSS. is yet an open question. 
 Mr. Grove's view is only a conjecture. The oldest MS. at 
 Nablus VFas believed by Dr. Rosen to have been prepared for 
 the temple on Mount Gerizim. Dr. Davidson does not accept 
 this vievr, but says its high antiquity is unquestionable, and 
 adds, Levisohn procured a very old copy from Kahlus probably 
 written not long after the commencement of the Christian era. 
 Another codex at Kablns, examined by Levisohn, Kraus and 
 Dr. Rosen, is also assigned to the seventh century, a.d., by 
 Davidson. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 224 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 older than Jerusalem. Shechem also became the 
 capital after Joshua's conquest of the country. 
 Following this was the period when the temple 
 was built here to rival that of Jerusalem. Then 
 followed the colonization by the king of Assyria,* 
 through which the Samaritan people sprang into 
 existence, with their bitter hatred of the Jews, 
 which continues to this day. Here Jotham stood 
 and uttered his parable,f and here at last came 
 the world's Redeemer to proclaim the universal 
 extent of his kingdom | 
 
 Of the beauty of this valley we have many 
 testimonies. It has been compared to that of 
 Heidelberg in Germany in respect to the sloping 
 hillsides and abundant foliage. Dr. Clarke wrote, 
 " There is nothing finer in all Palestine than a 
 view of Nablus from the heights around it." Dr. 
 Robinson wrote, " The whole valley was filled 
 with gardens of vegetables and orchards of all 
 kinds of fruits, watered by fountains, which burst 
 forth in various parts and flow westward in re- 
 freshing streams. It came upon us suddenly 
 like a scene of fairy enchantment. We saw 
 nothing to compare with it in all Palestine. 
 Here, beneath the shadow of an immense mul- 
 berry tree, by the side of a purling rill, we 
 pitched our tent for the remainder of the day 
 
 * 2 Kings 17 : 24. f Judges 9:7. % John 4 : 21-24.
 
 FROM NADLVS TO JENIN. 225 
 
 and the night. We rose early, awakened by the 
 songs of nightingales and other birds, of which the 
 gardens around us were full. There is no wilder- 
 ness here." Figs, almonds, walnuts, mulberries, 
 grapes, oranges, apricots, pomegranates, are abun- 
 dant in their season. 
 
 We left Nablus by the road leading down the 
 valley westward, amid olive and orange orchards, 
 where the spring birds were nest-building and 
 making the air vocal wdth their songs. The mill- 
 stream rippled along merrily over the shingle at 
 our side, reminding us that this is named by the 
 inhabitants the most musical vale in Palestine, 
 and that not without good reasons. Many pas- 
 sengers, some on horseback and others on foot, 
 passed us on the highway, besides the camels, 
 mules and donkeys laden with cotton bales, fire- 
 wood and baskets of corn husks, and, most inter- 
 esting of all, a camel laden with coal-oil from 
 America. 
 
 Our sympathy had again been aroused as we 
 passed through the market-place in Nablus by 
 the sight of three young girls, from fourteen to 
 sixteen years of age, who came staggering into 
 the town with immense burdens of fire-wood on 
 their heads, which they had evidently carried 
 many miles to market. Their faces were flushed, 
 their eyes strained as if ready to start from the 
 
 15
 
 226 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 sockets, and the perspiration streaming from 
 eA'cry pore. What would we say if our own 
 daughters were subjected to such treatment ? And 
 yet these girls, we thought, have never done any 
 wickedness to deserve such inhuman treatment 
 above the thousands of girls in Christian lands, 
 who are reared in homes of luxury and blessed 
 with every means of improvement and culture. 
 The base system and bad government of Moham- 
 medanism is responsible for all this wrong to 
 humanity, and its abettors, who wink at its 
 "peculiar institutions" in order to preserve what 
 is known as " the balance of power in Europe," 
 must share in the responsibility of an attempt to 
 turn backward the wheels of the advancing char- 
 iot of a pure Christian civilization. 
 
 Another incident illustrative of Scripture came 
 under our observation. When about one hour dis- 
 tant from Nablus, we were to leave the course of 
 the mill-stream and strike across the country 
 toward Samaria. Just as we drew near to a fine 
 spring by the wayside I noticed a man approach- 
 ing the place from the opposite direction. He 
 had a package of considerable weight strapped 
 upon his shoulders, so that it would have been 
 difficult for him to kneel down to drink and then 
 resume an erect posture. Accordingly he came 
 quite up to the edge of the pool, and, planting
 
 FROM NABLVS TO JENIN. 227 
 
 his feet wide apart, he stooped forward, and, 
 gently dipping up the water in the pahn of his 
 hand, by a quick and dextrous motion he threw 
 it into his mouth. This reminded us of the test 
 which Gideon proposed in order to sift out the 
 poor soldiers from his band. He wished for a 
 few choice men only, whose soldierly qualities 
 would not suffer them to lie prone upon the 
 earth or kneel down to drink, but who were thus 
 accustomed to take water by lapping it from the 
 hand.* 
 
 Our course now lay almost due north, over a 
 district full of fields of growing wheat, and 
 studded with low hills covered with green sward, 
 quite in contrast with the barren hill country of 
 Judea. The distance from Shechem to Samaria 
 is eight miles by the way of the winding valley, 
 but our course lay more direct over the interven- 
 ing hills, and thus was accomplished within two 
 hours. We now found ourselves in a sort of 
 basin, surrounded by hills, and in the centre of 
 which was the oblong hill of Samaria, with steep 
 yet accessible sides and a long flat top. On this 
 hill is a modern village, from which two long 
 rows of broken stone columns extend westward. 
 We first rode up the steep ascent to the ancient 
 structure named the Church of Saint John the 
 
 * Judges 7 : 5-7.
 
 228 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 Baptist, dating from the middle ages. In keep- 
 ing with the tradition that the Baptist suffered 
 martyrdom here, though modern authorities agree 
 that he was beheaded at the castle of Mjichierus, 
 east of the Dead Sea, his tomb is shown in a 
 deep cavern beneath the pavement of this struc- 
 ture. Evidences of former architectural beauty 
 
 EuiNS OF THE Colonnade of Samaria. 
 
 still appear in the fine large arches and lancet 
 windows in this mediaeval building, with frag- 
 ments of columns and capitals and traces of 
 figures of the cross painted upon the walls. 
 Leaving the miserable village which lies just 
 behind the church, we rode on through the rows 
 of columns, erected by Herod the Great as a 
 colonnade in honor of Caesar Augustus. They
 
 FROM NABLUS TO JENIN. 229 
 
 stand in two long rows, along a terrace on the 
 southern face of the hill, sixteen yards apart 
 continuously for a distance of one thousand 
 yards, until they reach the western front, where 
 a fine view is gained of the maritime plain 
 stretching down to the Mediterranean Sea. The 
 columns were originally sixteen feet in height 
 and twenty-five inches in diameter. Many of 
 them are still standing, while fragments of stone 
 and heaps of rubbish lie scattered around their 
 bases.* 
 
 As we returned to a point just above the mod- 
 ern village we came upon a spacious terrace, also 
 occupied with standing columns, where some an- 
 cient structure had once stood, the character of 
 which we could not decipher, probably the re- 
 mains of Herod's magnificent temple. As we 
 passed down the eastern front of the hill we 
 noticed another group of these ancient columns 
 located near the base at the northeast corner. 
 
 It is possible that this long winding avenue, 
 bordered by the columns, was a consecrated ap- 
 
 * The Survey says : " The colonnade appears to have sur- 
 rounded the hill with a cloister. The remains are most perfect 
 on the south, where some 80 columns are standing ; the width 
 of the cloister was 60 feet, the pillars 16 feet high, 2 feet in 
 diameter, and about 6 feet apart. On the south it extended 
 about 2100 feet, and the remains of a gate are pointed out, and 
 rude rock cuttings in the southwest corner, apparently the foun- 
 dations of two gate towers." Vol. ii. 211. — Ed. Am, S. S. Union.
 
 230 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 proach leading up to the temple. The whole hill 
 was probably girt about by graded ways, well 
 adapted to lend a fine effect to the imperial pro- 
 cessions of Herod. Josephus says, " Within and 
 about the middle of it he built a sacred place of 
 a furlong and a half, and adorned it with all sorts 
 of decorations, and therein erected a temple, 
 which was illustrious on account of both its 
 largeness and beauty. As to the elegance of the 
 buildings, it was taken care of also, that he 
 might leave monuments of the fineness of his 
 taste and of his beneficence to future ages."* 
 
 Taken together, these ruins are as exten- 
 sive as any remains of antiquity in Palestine, 
 not excepting those at Jerusalem itself, or in 
 Banias at the source of the Jordan. The first 
 city was founded here by Omri, about 925 B.C., 
 whose ivory palace, located upon the summit of 
 the hill, was celebrated among the ancients. At 
 a later date the famous siege of the Israelites by 
 the king of Syria took place here, attended by 
 the extreme sufferings of the besieged, until they 
 were suddenly relieved by the flight of the en- 
 emy, which was first made known by the four 
 lepers.f Here too was the scene of many of the 
 acts of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, connected 
 
 * Antiquities, xv. 8, g 5. 
 t 2 Kings 7 : 3-9.
 
 FliOM NAB L US TV JENIN. 231 
 
 with the various famines in the land and the 
 deliverances of the people.* 
 
 As we resumed our journey northward we cast 
 many a " longing, lingering look behind " upon 
 this battle-ground of the ages, beautiful even in 
 its present desolation. As last seen from the 
 summit of the high hill over which we passed, 
 the north side of the mount appeared completely 
 terraced, and, though evidently in a natural state, 
 was like a piece of landscape gardening. Here 
 and there were spots which appeared as if ar- 
 ranged into parterres for flowers, in curved and 
 elliptical figures, bordered by the green sward, 
 now in its brightest green of the spring season. 
 It was the final triumph of nature over the de- 
 cayed grandeur once wrought by the ambition 
 and skill of our perishing race upon this " watch- 
 mound " of past genera tions.f 
 
 Onward from Samaria, now named Sebaste, we 
 had a pleasant ride through the narrow wedge- 
 shaped territory originally set apart for the half 
 tribe of Manasseh. The aspect of the country 
 was not unlike that of Ephraim, which we had 
 left behind us as we crossed the boundary line 
 near Samaria. From hill to dale, by the side of 
 pleasant olive orchards, along the course of me- 
 
 * 1 Kings 17 : 16. 
 
 f The name Samaria meant watch-mountain.
 
 232 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 andering brooks, our route led us during the 
 whole forenoon. 
 
 We dismounted in a fine orchard, filled with 
 olive and fig trees, for luncheon at midday, and 
 then continued on our way northward through 
 scenery as diversified and interesting as that 
 passed over in the morning. We now came to 
 the long ridges, with broken passes between 
 them, which run northward and fall away at last 
 into the great plain of Esdraelon. This was the 
 debatable lajid, where the Israelites had to con- 
 tend for many years with the hordes of Bedouin, 
 which came by the valley of Jezreel from beyond 
 Jordan to plunder and pillage the whole district. 
 In a sort of upland vale, the surface of which, 
 though stony, was covered with green growing 
 grass, we saw, situated upon a commanding sum- 
 mit, the strong fortress of Sdniir. Here, it is 
 said, the tragedy of Judith and Holofernes took 
 place, which is narrated at length, and with a 
 curious mixture of truth and error, in the Apoc- 
 rypha of the Old Testament.* This singular 
 story, seldom read by the present generation, 
 has become almost a classical legend by its fre- 
 quent repetition in the paintings and statuary of 
 the most celebrated galleries of Europe. This 
 may be the ancient Bethulia, indeed, where the 
 
 * Judith 13 : 8.
 
 FROM NABLUS TO J EN IN. 233 
 
 great general of Nebuchadnezzar lost his head, 
 and the tide of battle was turned by the fierce 
 bravery of a woman.* At half-past four o'clock 
 we rode over the crest of a long ridge, from 
 which we had an excellent view of the beautiful 
 valley of Dothan. This is the traditional site of 
 the two wells, into one of which Joseph was 
 thrown by his brethren, and from which they took 
 him in order to sell him to the Midianitish mer- 
 chantmen, who came from the mountains beyond 
 Jordan, and Avere on their way to Egypt.f Dr. 
 Tristram speaks of meeting here a " long caravan 
 of mules and asses, laden, like the Ishmaelites 
 of old, on their way from Damascus to Egypt." 
 The tell or mound on which the ruins* of Dothan 
 are found is very large and situated at the south 
 end of a plain of the richest pasturage, and at its 
 southern foot is a fine spring. The remains of an 
 ancient road, having a massive Jewish pavement, 
 are still distinguishable here, which, taken with 
 the fine pasturage around it, where Joseph's 
 
 * Von Raumer, Guerin, and other travellers have identified 
 ancient Bethulia with modern Sdnur^ but Lieut. Conder points 
 out with much particularity that Sdnur fails to meet the various 
 requisites of the description given of Bethulia in the book of 
 Judith. He proposes to identify Bethulia with Meseliah, a small 
 village about three and a half miles northeast of Sdnur, and 
 which in his opinion fulfills the requirements of the ancient 
 narrative. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 
 
 t Genesis 37 : 24-28.
 
 234 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 brethren would find it convenient to keep their 
 flocks, and with the fact th;it ancient wells are 
 yet seen in the neighborhood, sufficiently prove 
 the reality of the Scripture site. 
 
 Dothan is distant from Shechem about twelve 
 miles, and is four or five miles southwest of 
 Jenin, and separated only by a swell or two of 
 hills from the plain of Esdraelon. The place is 
 twice mentioned in the Old Testament account 
 of the prophet Elisha. And its topography en- 
 ables us to see how the king of Syria could 
 station his forces so as to " compass the city," 
 and how the mountain could appear to the proph- 
 et's servant full of horses and chariots of fire.* 
 
 From the height above Dothan we went on 
 north by northeast, and finally descended into a 
 narrow, stony, naked dell, not very deep, but yet 
 sufficiently so to exclude a view of the surround- 
 ing district. It was nearly six in the evening 
 when we reached Jenin, our camping-place for 
 the night. This town, containing some three 
 thousand inhabitants, chiefly Mohammedans, is 
 situated at the mouth of the wady we had just 
 passed through, and on the borders of the great 
 plain of Esdraelon. It is the site of the ancient 
 town named by Josephus as Ginea, and the En- 
 gannim of Josh. 19 : 21, and is now surrounded 
 
 * 2 Kings 6 : 15-17.
 
 FItOM NABLUS TO JEN IN. 235 
 
 by rich gardens, well watered, and orange groves, 
 guarded by hedges of prickly-pear, with here and 
 there a palm tree towering above the houses. 
 We found our tents pitched outside the town, 
 adjacent to a cemetery, where we enjoyed a com- 
 fortable night's rest, without molestation of any 
 sort.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 AROUND THE GREAT PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 
 
 Our camp was early astir on Saturday morning, 
 April 12, in preparation for our departure from 
 Jenin. While this work of the camp men was 
 in progress, we made a brief tour of inspection 
 around the village. We found that the Turkish 
 troops were in garrison here, ready to meet the 
 Bedouin hordes who frequently, as of old, sweep 
 over this part of the great plain of Esdraelon for 
 the purpose of plunder upon the crops of grain 
 and herds of cattle. 
 
 A fine reservoir, built up of masonry, is filled 
 with a supply of excellent drinking water, which 
 flows down from the hills over which we had 
 come on the previous day. It is in allusion to 
 this abundant water supply that the place is 
 named Jenin, meaning " the fountain of gardens." 
 
 A large building, used as a barracks for the 
 soldiers, lay just beyond the reservoir, and near 
 by was the irregular group of dwellings in which 
 the three thousand inhabitants dwell, surrounded 
 by gardens of great fertility. From these a 
 plentiful supply of cabbages, cucumbers, sweet 
 
 (236)
 
 (237)
 
 AROUND THE GEEAT PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 239 
 
 lemons, melons and dates is obtained in their 
 season. One fine palm tree arrested our atten- 
 
 Date-palm. {After Photograph.) 
 
 tion, the most symmetrical in shape and vigor- 
 ous in growth of any that we saw in the whole 
 country. 
 
 Although this village occupies such a desirable 
 situation, it is but casually mentioned in the 
 Scriptures. It was apportioned to Issachar by 
 the fourth lot drawn under the superintendence 
 of Joshua, and in that connection is named En-
 
 240 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 gannim, from which Jenin is derived, having the 
 same signification, fountain of gardens.* 
 
 This fountain is the source of the stream which 
 flows westward from this point, skirting the range 
 of Carmel and emptying into the Mediterranean 
 at Haifa, known in Scripture as " that ancient 
 river, the river Kishon."t The mention of this 
 title, drawn from that admirable specimen of Old 
 Testament literature in the book of Judges, so well 
 adapted to the purposes alike of the antiquarian 
 and elocutionist, will afford us food for thought 
 as we pass on our way toward the historic site 
 of ancient Jezreel. 
 
 Once more in the saddle, we rode past the 
 hedges of prickly-pear, or cactus, surrounding 
 the gardens of Jenin, and took our route toward 
 the north-northeast, across an arm of the great 
 plain of Esdraelon. In the course of half an 
 hour we began to cross the slight undulations 
 formed from the spurs of Mount Gilboa, at which 
 the plain terminates in this direction. 
 
 The name Esdraelon is the Greek equivalent 
 for the Hebrew Jezreel, the name of the valley 
 and site of the ancient city, so familiar to all Old 
 Testament readers. The plain is an irregular 
 triangle in shape, having its base at the east end, 
 extending from Jenin to the foot of the hills be- 
 
 * Joshua 19 : 21. f Judges 5 : 21.
 
 AROUND THE GREAT PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 241 
 
 low Naznreth, a distance of fourteen miles, and its 
 apex at Haifa on the Mediterranean Sea.* The 
 northern side, formed by the hills of Galilee, is 
 about twelve miles, the southern, bordered by 
 the Samaria and Carmel range, about eighteen 
 miles, in length. 
 
 As we advanced northward the whole plain 
 came gradually into view, and was a sight of 
 great interest. The vast expanse spread out 
 before us appeared to have a slightly-undulating 
 surface, only about one-sixth of which is culti- 
 vated, the remainder being abandoned to a lux- 
 uriant growth of wild grass and thistles. The 
 reason of this neglect is the same that hinders 
 the work of the farmer in all Palestine — the lack 
 of protection. From time immemorial this 
 plain has been the scene of lawless plunder on 
 the part of the tribes and nations dwelling to the 
 northward and beyond the Jordan. The garrison 
 of Turkish soldiers at Jenin is inefficient, and the 
 government itself is but an incubus upon the 
 native population. 
 
 Our guide informed us, as we rode along the 
 
 * The Survey of Western Palestine states that the plain of 
 Esdraelon measures 14 miles north and south from Jenin to 
 Junjdr, and 9 miles from Lejjtin to Zer^in. It has an average 
 elevation of 200 to 250 feet above the sea level, and consists of 
 loose volcanic soil, which is very tiring to horses and not fitted 
 for cavalry evolutions. Vol. ii. p. 36. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 
 16
 
 242 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 bonlers of the plain without a single farm-house 
 or village to be seen upon its broad, fertile acres, 
 that the people did not own a foot of this soil, 
 and that for security their poor dwellings were 
 secreted among the high hills around its borders, 
 as in the plain of Sharon. The government owns 
 the land and rents it out to agents (publicans), 
 who engage to pay the authorities one-tenth — a 
 tithe — of all its produce. The agent goes each 
 year to the sheikh, and asks him how much his 
 people sowed upon the land. The sheikh tries to 
 shrink the amount, the agent to raise it. After 
 two or three days talk they generally effect a 
 compromise ; but at the time of the harvest the 
 grain must be left undivided until the agent ar- 
 rives, often to the great damage of the crop, when 
 he generally exacts an extortionate proportion. 
 Is it any wonder then that the farmers here are 
 named " poor fellows," or " fellahin " ? 
 
 Just at nine o'clock we rode up to Zerin (Jez- 
 reel), a little huddle of huts standing on the site 
 of ancient Jezreel. Poor as this place appears, 
 perched as it is upon the barren ridge which is 
 the foot-hill of Gilboa, it affords a commanding 
 prospect over the vast surface of Esdraelon. An 
 ancient marble sai'cophagus attracted my atten- 
 tion, lying upon its side and half filled with earth, 
 just on the border of the hamlet. It was orna-
 
 AROUND THE GREAT PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 243 
 
 mented, both at the sides and ends, with long, 
 wavy lines separated with corrugated ridges, and 
 evidently had been wrought in the times when 
 this was the site of a royal city. This relic 
 compared strictly with the condition of the few 
 huts of Zerin, built up of wattled grass, clay and 
 stone, altogether wretched and dilapidated in 
 appearance.* As we rode along the mud walls 
 the poor inhabitants peered forth at us with blank 
 astonishment, while the dogs as usual snarled at 
 our horses' feet. There is a square tower of some 
 height at the north side of the huts, partly in 
 ruins, from the windows of which a fine view 
 may be had of the surrounding country. 
 
 At this point we were surprised to find our- 
 selves on the brink of a steep and somewhat 
 rocky descent, perhaps a hundred feet in depth, 
 running sheer down into the valley of Jezreel. 
 The valley is broad, with its stream-bed well to- 
 ward the northern side, running down toward 
 the Jordan ; opposite, in plain sight, were the 
 heights of Little Hermon. The heights of Gilboa 
 lay east of us, the continuation and culmination 
 
 * The Exploration Fund describes Zer^in as a village of mod- 
 erate size, built of stone, surrounded by rocky ground. A mod- 
 ern tower or taller house stands in the centre of the village. 
 The position is regarded as remarkable for its natural strength 
 and its conspicuous appearance from the plain. Vol. ii. p. 88. 
 — Ud. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 244 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 of the ridge on which we were standing. Not a 
 shrub or tree could be seen on their lofty sum- 
 mits, nor yet on their sides, rock-ribbed and 
 barren as they were, shining under the rays of 
 the morning sun in desolate and silent grandeur. 
 Across the vast plain stretching far away toward 
 the west and south flows the ancient Kishon, 
 already mentioned, to the banks of which Sisera, 
 captain of the host of Jabin, the Canaanitish 
 king, was lured by the stratagem of the heroic 
 woman Deborah, the judge and prophetess of 
 Israel.* From the side valley, which emerges 
 into the great plain yonder at the point of Little 
 Hermon, in which stands Mount Tabor, the ren- 
 dezvous of Israel, they swarmed forth ten thou- 
 sand strong, and falling upon the rear of Sisera's 
 army, with its nine hundred chariots of iron, 
 routed and slaughtered his entire force.f This 
 signal victory broke the power of the Canaanitish 
 hostility which had continued to harass the Isra- 
 elites from the days of Joshua. 
 
 Turning eastward as we stand on this lofty site 
 of ancient Jezreel, we can see the marsh land in 
 the bed of the valley only a mile and a half dis- 
 tant, where the waters of 'Am Jalud, Gideon's 
 Spring, pour their strong current forth from the 
 foot of Mount Gilboa. Here it was that Gideon 
 
 * Judges 4 : 2-7. f Judges 4 : 15, 16.
 
 AROUND THE GREAT PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 245 
 
 rallied his famous army against the Midianites 
 and other children of the east, who were pouring 
 into the country like the devastating hordes of 
 grasshoppers for multitude, threatening to eat out 
 the substance of the whole land 5' Here he 
 tested the men by the lapping of water from the 
 spring, and, dismissing the great multitude, kept 
 only the famous three hundred. f And it was in 
 this same A^alley that he afterward made his 
 famous sortie with the lamps, pitchers and trump- 
 ets, and frightened the vast host of Midianites 
 into a rout and utter defeat.^ Casting the eye 
 along these heights of Gilboa, again we are re- 
 minded of the tragic end of Saul and Jonathan, 
 which David celebrates with his noble eulogy. 
 From this side of the valley Saul passed over on 
 the night before the battle, and, crossing the 
 eastern shoulder of Little Hermon, went to con- 
 sult the witch of Endor as to his future. § Endor 
 is now named Endor, \\ and is but a collection of 
 cave dwellings, shared in common by the modern 
 witches, or women who dwell there, and cattle, 
 
 * Judges 6 : 3-5. f .Judges 7 : 4-7. 
 
 X Judges 7 : 19-22. ^ 1 Samuel 28 : 7. 
 
 II " It is a small village of mud cabins built against a steep 
 hillside. A few cactus hedges exist beneath, and a small spring 
 on the noi'th. Above the village on the east are some small 
 caves in the side of the hill, not ancient." — Survey of Western 
 Palestine, vol. ii. p. 84.
 
 246 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 and is more wretched and wild than the other 
 poor hamlets in the country. It was a long 
 journey for Saul to make after midnight, and 
 it had a bitter and ghostly end, for he and 
 Jonathan both perished by the sword the next 
 day here on the heights of Gilboa.* And in the 
 case of Jonathan, at least, all can unite in David's 
 lament : " The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy 
 high places : how are the mighty fallen !"f 
 
 We linger yet a moment to recall another trag- 
 edy of Old Testament history centred here at 
 Jezreel when it was the royal residence of the 
 wicked Ahab and Jezebel. Looking to the west- 
 ward once more, we clearly trace the outlines of 
 Mount Carmel, beyond the Kishon, where Elijah 
 met the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, 
 and challenged them to give a miraculous proof 
 of the divine character of their religion. After 
 their signal failure to show a sign from heaven, 
 and the prayer of the prophet and the consuming 
 of the sacrifice, Elijah "girded up his loins, and 
 ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel." J 
 He thus ran in advance of the king's chariot, 
 which was no doubt driven in speed, the entire 
 distance of at least sixteen miles to this point; 
 a wonderful feat after the fatigues of the day, 
 
 * 1 Samuel 31:1-6. f 2 Samuel 1 : 1-19. 
 
 % 1 Kings 18 : 46.
 
 ABOUND THE GREAT PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 247 
 
 and performed for the purpose of showing his 
 loyalty to Ahab's rule if he would banish idolatry 
 from the land. But in this hope the prophet was 
 doomed to disappointment. Jezebel's influence 
 was paramount, and her college of four hundred 
 and fifty priests of Baal, located here, must be 
 sustained at all hazards. Ahab himself fell into 
 another grievous sin in forcibly taking possession 
 of Naboth's vineyard, situated no doubt along 
 this hillside.* Naboth's murder became the pro- 
 curing cause of the downfall of the royal lineage, 
 for Jehu the avenger came up this valley one day 
 and fulfilled his bloody mission.-|- 
 
 May it not be that this old ruined tower is the 
 representative of the one on which the watchman 
 stood when he spied the company of Jehu as he 
 came, driving furiously ? And these fierce dogs 
 which prowl around the mounds where the ofial 
 is cast from the houses, may be the descendants 
 of those which did " eat Jezebel by the wall of 
 Jezreel." J 
 
 In view of the many points of historical in- 
 terest centering at Zerin we would gladly have 
 remained longer, but our guide warned us that a 
 long ride intervened between us and Nazareth, 
 our intended camping-place for the night and the 
 
 * 1 Kings 21 : 7-16. f 2 Kings 9 : 24, 25, 27, 33. 
 
 X 1 Kings 21 : 23.
 
 248 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 approaching Sabbath, and so we hastened our de- 
 parture. We made our way, as best we could, 
 down the hillside, reaching its foot in the bed of 
 Jezreel, where a spring flows out, from which the 
 villagers obtain their supply of water. 
 
 We next crossed the valley obliquely, and 
 began the ascent of Little Hermon, now called 
 Jebel-Duhy i""' going up a gentle acclivity toward 
 the site of ancient Shunem. We passed several 
 small fields of wheat and barley, in which were 
 several groups of women and girls engaged in 
 plucking up the weeds, which they cast down 
 among the growing grain. This brought to mind 
 the Old Testament story, which will make the 
 place memorable forever, of Elisha the prophet 
 and the "great" woman of Shunem, whose son 
 went out into these fields to his father to the 
 reapers. f 
 
 As we approached the town we saw how all 
 parts of the narrative find a ready explanation in 
 its topography. Elisha and Gehazi would natur- 
 
 * There is, as usual in Arabic names, no uniformity of spell- 
 ing for the modern name of Little Hermon. Prof. Socin writes 
 Jehel Dahi; the Survey, Neby Diihy. It was called Little Her- 
 mon by the crusading chroniclers, a name still known to some 
 Nazareth Christians ; and also Mount Endor in the middle ages. 
 The hill is of volcanic origin, the summit conical, 1470 feet 
 above the plain. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union. 
 
 t 2 Kings 4 : 18-37.
 
 AROUND THE GREAT PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 249 
 
 ally pass this way on their frequent journeys 
 from Carmel to the Jordan, which led the woman 
 to say, " I perceive that this is an holy man of 
 God, which passes by us continually." As the 
 family was of some distinction, "great," and as 
 she was a person at once pious and hospitable, 
 her proposition to her husband to " make a little 
 chamber, and set for him there a bed, and a table, 
 and a candlestick," was readily accomplished. It 
 must have been a welcome shelter to the prophet 
 when the sun was shining fiercely upon the hill- 
 side, as it was upon the day of our visit; and 
 from the window of his little room he could look 
 over the wide plain, quite to Carmel. 
 
 The death of the son, given to the Shunammite 
 in answer to the prayer of Elisha, must have 
 been by sun-stroke. The journey of the resolute 
 mother to find the prophet for the restoration of 
 her son can all be traced from this elevation ; and 
 so the whole narrative finds a striking illustration 
 and explanation in the surroundings. 
 
 Shunem, or Solam as it is called now by the 
 natives, is described by Miss Beaufort as "a 
 little village prettily nestled in a green nook of 
 trees at the foot of the hill." We can hardly 
 concede as great praise as this to the place, and 
 yet must agree that it is quite a respectable town 
 compared with Zerin and other villages in this
 
 250 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 district. The houses are very poor indeed, the 
 chihlrcn dirty, and the women engaged in bearing 
 burdens of wood and grass, or washing the wheat 
 preparatory to grinding it in the mill. It is 
 thought that the heroine of Solomon's Song was 
 from this place ; if so, her successors have great- 
 ly degenerated, at least in respect to beauty of 
 person. 
 
 Our track on leaving Shunem lay to the west- 
 ward, around the shoulder of Little Hermon, 
 with the wide plain still in view. Upon turning 
 the angle at the extremity of the mountain we 
 came into the side valley, which stretches down 
 from Mount Tabor ; thus we discovered that Es- 
 draelon is divided into three smaller plains at its 
 eastern end, separated by the ridges of Gilboa 
 and Little Hermon. 
 
 In the middle of this northern plain we saw 
 before us the round summit of Mount Tabor; 
 and as we kept on skirting the mountain side, 
 we had ample time to study its fine, mound-like 
 appearance. In the course of a half hour's ride 
 we came to the site of the village of Nain, where 
 Jesus restored the widow's son to life. It seemed 
 as if by turning around the mountain's side we 
 had come from the territory made sacred by the 
 events of the Old Testament, into that hallowed 
 by the scenes of the New. But as if to warn us
 
 AROUND THE GREAT PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 251 
 
 against the spirit of shrine-worship, we found the 
 site quite barren, and the village wretched in its 
 appearance. Here, beneath the shade of an old 
 olive tree near the door of a ruined stone dwell- 
 ing, our guide prepared a luncheon. While rest- 
 ing beneath this tree, the only one in sight upon 
 Little Hermon, we noticed a funeral procession 
 advancing toward the Moslem cemetery lying 
 about a quarter of a mile to the eastward. We 
 thought of the account given by Saint Luke of 
 the raising of the widow's son from the bier by 
 our Saviour;* '-much people of the city was 
 with her" we read, and truly it seemed that all 
 the people of the village had gone with the pro- 
 cession that day to the burial. 
 
 It is said considerable traces still exist to prove 
 that Nain, in former times, was a " city," with 
 walls and gates. Now a few houses of mud and 
 stone, with flat earth roofs, and doors three feet 
 high, sprinkled here and there without order or 
 system, is all that remains of this place, which 
 was once named Nain for its pleasantness. 
 
 The sun was shining with intense brightness 
 as we resumed our journey down the mountain 
 side westward toward Nazareth. We crossed the 
 plain fronting Mount Tabor near the water-shed, 
 where the streams run severally toward the Jor- 
 
 * Luke 7 : 11-15.
 
 252 TEST AM) SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 dan and the Mediterranean, and after an hour's 
 travel commenced the ascent of the hills on the 
 north side of Esdraelon, just where the stream 
 which flows from Nazareth makes its way into 
 the plain through a deep gorge between two lofty 
 peaks, where the monks locate the " Mount of 
 Precipitation." A narrow, winding path up the 
 steep ascent greatly taxed the energies of our 
 already jaded horses, and it was with a sigh of 
 relief that Ave paused upon the lofty summit to 
 take a glance over the circuitous track of our 
 day's travel. For half a mile further, amid hum- 
 mocks of limestone, our trail led us northward, 
 still at an ascending grade, until late in the after- 
 noon we obtained our first view of the little 
 mountain village where Jesus passed his child- 
 hood. Nestled at the foot of a lofty hill, sur- 
 rounded by gardens of olive trees and cactus, 
 Nazareth lay spread out before us, its neat houses 
 of stone proclaiming that this was a Christian 
 village. The clear-toned bells of the Latin and 
 English churches were just ringing out their 
 sweet chimes for Easter eve, and thus seemed to 
 bid us welcome. We passed along the village 
 street to the Fountain of the Virgin, and found 
 our tents pitched on a gentle eminence just be- 
 yond, ready for our reception.
 
 (254)
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 NAZARETH. 
 
 Nazareth lies in an upland vale among the 
 high hills which border the north side of Esdra- 
 elon. It is thus situated within the district of 
 ancient Galilee. And as the great plain has 
 always been debatable ground, separating the 
 northern province from the main portion of Pal- 
 estine, Nazareth was associated with the villages 
 to the northward and those grouped around the 
 Lake of Galilee. Nevertheless, this hill country 
 of Galilee has always been an integral part of 
 the Holy Land, the district around Nazareth 
 having been originally allotted to the tribe of 
 Zebulon, the portions of Naphtali and Asher 
 lying to the north of it. 
 
 Nazareth occupies an isolated position in its 
 little valley, surrounded by its fifteen rounded 
 hills like "a rose enclosed in its leaves," as Qua- 
 resimus says, thus justifying the appropriateness 
 of its name, Nazareth, /. c, Separation. And 
 yet the village may be seen from Tabor or Jez- 
 reel, or even from distant Jenin. The two rugged 
 peaks at the mouth of its wady serve as a land- 
 
 (255)
 
 25G TEST AS I) SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 mark to idoniify ll»e spot, while its surrounding 
 hills hjive served to defend it from the raids of 
 the many armies which, again and again, have 
 overrun the great plain below it. It was thus fit- 
 ted to be the early home of Jesus, who spent the 
 first thirty years of his life here, apart from the 
 bustle, strife and tumult of the world, growing in 
 wisdom and stature and in humble obedience to 
 his earthly guardians. This is just as the Chris- 
 tian would have it; for in many respects this 
 place is adapted for the training of a contempla- 
 tive mind earnestly seeking to know the will of 
 his heavenly Father that he might perform it. 
 
 Tradition has been busy here as usual, and the 
 visitor is taken to see the alleged sites of the 
 events clustering around the early life of Jesus. 
 We were first taken to the Latin church and con- 
 vent. In the former w^e found a high altar or 
 choir at one side, beneath which we descended 
 by a flight of stone steps to the chapel of the 
 annunciation, where the constantly-burning lamps 
 above the marble altar mark the traditional place 
 in which the angel appeared to the Virgin Mary. 
 Back of this we passed into a sort of cave in the 
 native rock, named "Virgin's Kitchen." Upon 
 leaving the church we were taken to the stone 
 where it is said Christ once ate a meal with his 
 disciples. The stone is about twelve by six feet
 
 NAZARETH. 25'7 
 
 in dimension, with an elevation of four feet, having 
 a smooth, flat surface. From this point we went 
 forward to the little Maronite chapel, near the 
 alleged site of the ancient synagogue, which we 
 found adorned with paintings, and containing an 
 Arabic Bible dated a.d. 1696 and guarded as a 
 precious relic. 
 
 A cliff just behind this chapel, some forty feet 
 in height, may have been the place where his 
 fellow townsmen would have cast Jesus down 
 headlong, when with characteristic rudeness they 
 thrust him out for preaching the truth in their 
 synagogue.* By a clumsy tradition the monks 
 locate this scene at the "Mount of Precipitation," 
 overhanging the great plain at the mouth of the 
 wady, one mile away; but this is highly improb- 
 able. The workshop of Jesus was also pointed 
 out to us in a modern dwelling in a narrow street; 
 but this also is without probability, for the yield- 
 ing nature of the Nazareth stone assures us that 
 all the buildings of the ancient city have long ago 
 crumbled into ruins. 
 
 Only two objects which we visited in and 
 about the place gave us much satisfaction. The 
 first was the Fountain of the Virgin or " Virgin's 
 Well," located at the northern end of the village 
 in an open space, where the women come daily 
 
 * Luke 4 : 29. 
 17
 
 258 TKNT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 for the necessary supply of water. An arch of 
 rough masonry, supported by a stone wall, in the 
 face of which several small streams issue forth, 
 supplied by the spring under the Greek church, 
 collecting in a deep puddle in front, is all that is 
 now visible. Toward evening of each day the 
 women and girls assemble here with their pitchers, 
 awaiting their turns to fill them from the running 
 streams, chatting meanwhile with the utmost cheer- 
 fulness and freedom. As this spring must have 
 been the only source of supply in ancient times, 
 it is not unlikely that the Virgin Mary used to 
 come hither, as these women do now, to bear 
 away water for her household, and it may be that 
 the child Jesus often accompanied her on these 
 lowly errands. 
 
 On two or three occasions we saw a large 
 number of the women and girls together, and 
 were interested to notice whether we could trace 
 in them any feature akin to the traditional beauty 
 of the Virgin. We found them a little superior 
 in appearance to the women of Palestine whom 
 we had seen in our previous travels, but could 
 not detect the traits of " Madonna-like beauty " 
 so frequently described by travellers. They 
 appeared without veils, as Christian women 
 should do, and were fairly well behaved and 
 modest in conduct, as became their sex, but cer-
 
 NAZARETH. 259 
 
 tainly were not above the average of those in 
 their station as residents of a provincial village, 
 either in regard to beauty of person or ordi- 
 nary intelligence. Still the effect of Chris- 
 tian teaching was plainly apparent in them, and 
 in years to come their descendants may have 
 many traits of the ideal woman, their great an- 
 cestress, the Virgin Mary. 
 
 The other event of great interest to us was 
 our ascent of the hill lying to the west of the 
 town, and against the foot of which its buildings 
 are located. We were favored in having a bright 
 day, and the toil of the ascent was well repaid 
 by the prospect from the summit. Looking 
 northward the eye ranged over a large district of 
 the hill country of Galilee, upon the successive 
 ridges of which we could discern here and there 
 a humble village. Somewhere in this part, the site 
 now not definitely known, was Cana, where our 
 Lord wrought his first miracle by turning water 
 into wine at the marriage feast.* Beyond this 
 surface of long ridges the hills mounted higher, 
 culminating beyond the one on which Safed is 
 situated, the city set on a hill, which cannot be 
 hid.f 
 
 Turning to the west we saw the little seaport 
 of Haifa, the blue water of the Mediterranean 
 
 * John 2:1. f Matthew 5 : 14.
 
 260 
 
 TEST AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 plainly visible in its little harbor, with a vessel 
 or two riding in the offing. Overhanging it was 
 the blnir of Mount Carmel, with its foot pushed 
 well out into the sea, and a roadway from the 
 port running along its side to its lofty summit. 
 A little to the eastward we saw the two peaks of 
 the range which mark tlie place of Elijah's sacri- 
 fice, one of which had a whitish appearance, just 
 
 Place of Elijah's Sacrifice. 
 
 below which was a kind of terrace with trees and 
 green sward adapted to the prophetic tragedy. 
 At our feet was the great plain, unrolling itself 
 like a vast panorama, and recalling the historic 
 incidents already mentioned, not forgetting the 
 brilliant exploit of Napoleon, nor the earlier en- 
 gagements of the Turks and Crusaders. 
 
 To the eastward we again saw the mountains 
 of Gilboa with their bare sides, pressing their 
 feet out into the plain at Jezreel, and beside 
 them Little Hermon ; and further to the north 
 stood dome-shaped Tabor towering upward in its
 
 NAZARETH. 261 
 
 isolated symmetry, and far, far away was the 
 " old sheikh " of the mountains, snow-capped 
 Hermon. 
 
 A little wely crowns the summit of the hill at 
 Nazareth, at the side of which we tarried with 
 delighted interest, and thought that the feet of 
 our Lord often wandered to this spot, and his 
 eyes must have often gazed upon this lovely pros- 
 pect. From this place he looked down upon 
 his home in the humble village below, upon the 
 great plain where the battles of ages have been 
 fought, and upon the sea whose ships were to 
 carry the glad and peaceful tidings of his gospel 
 to remote lands and nations. 
 
 As our stay at Nazareth included the Easter 
 Sabbath, we attended service in the neat edifice 
 connected with the mission of the English church, 
 and listened to a sermon upon Matthew 28 : 6, 7, 
 from one of our esteemed fellow travellers, the 
 Rev. Mr. Tyake. In the afternoon we witnessed 
 the procession formed at the Greek church just back 
 of the '' well " or pool, where Dr. Robinson locates 
 the spring whose waters are led by a conduit to 
 the place of issuance. The procession passed on 
 to the village with its chanting choir of boys, its 
 richly-attired priests and patriarchs, with banners 
 and other decorations, attended by a great crowd 
 of villagers dressed in holiday attire.
 
 262 7'A'.Y T A SJJ SA I) J) L K L IFE. 
 
 The population of Nazareth is variously esti- 
 mated from 5000 to GOOO souls (2000 Muslims, 
 2500 Greeks, 800 Latins and 100 Protestants). 
 The number of houses would not accommodate 
 more than 1000 people if no more densely popu- 
 lated than the average American village. While 
 the materials of the houses which composed 
 ancient Nazareth may have been changed, the 
 forms and general aspect of the buildings cannot 
 be now so greatly altered. 
 
 Captain Wilson when at Chorazin wrote as 
 follows of that place : " Many of the dwelling- 
 houses are in a tolerably perfect state, the walls 
 being in some cases six feet high ; and, as they are 
 probably the same class of houses as that in which 
 our Saviour dwelt, a description of them may be 
 interesting. They are generally square, of differ- 
 ent sizes — the largest measured was nearly thirty 
 feet — and have one or two columns down the 
 centre to support the roof, which appears to have 
 been flat, as in the modern Arab houses. The 
 walls are about two feet thick, built of masonry 
 or of loose blocks of basalt. There is a low 
 doorway in the centre of one of the walls, and 
 each house has windows twelve inches high and 
 six and a half inches wide. In one or two cases 
 the houses were divided into four chambers."* 
 
 * Recovery of Jerusalem, p. 271.
 
 NAZARETH. 263 
 
 As far as \^^ noticed, the houses of the hum- 
 bler citizens of Nazareth have but one room. A 
 stationary seat runs along the side of the wall, 
 upon which are cushions with folded quilts upon 
 them, where the inmates sleep at night. The 
 few dishes in daily use are kept in sight, a large 
 clay water-jar stands at one side, and at meal 
 times a low stool is placed in the centre of the 
 floor, upon which a large tray is placed to answer 
 the purpose of a dining-table. 
 
 The costumes worn by the citizens varied 
 greatly, doubtless in consequence of Christianiz- 
 ing influences at work among a people once pre- 
 vailingly Mohammedan. The men engaged with 
 flocks and herds, or in the vineyards and fields, 
 usually wear coats made of sheepskin. Those in 
 town wear a short cloak, with a gayly-colored 
 turban or scarf folded triangularly and thrown 
 over the head, so as to fall over the neck and 
 shoulders. The poorer women wear nothing but 
 a long blue garment, tied in at the waist. Those 
 in better circumstances wear a bonnet of red 
 cloth, decorated with an edging or roll of silver 
 coins. Over this a veil or shawl of coarse white 
 or variegated cotton is thrown, hanging down to 
 the waist. Those still more favored wear white 
 veils, silk dresses, broad scarfs and many-col- 
 ored trousers, red, green, blue and yellow. Many
 
 264 TEN T AND SADDLE L TFE. 
 
 were thus funcifully dressed whom we saw on 
 the occasion of their Easter festival. 
 
 The occupations of the men are quite limited, 
 inasmuch as but little manufacturing of any sort 
 is carried on in the village. Besides the fiirmers, 
 gardeners and shepherds, Nazareth must always 
 have had carpenters. Carpentering was the work 
 of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, in which he 
 participated as a youth. The people said of him, 
 " Is not this the carpenter's son ?" And again, 
 " Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary ?" * 
 
 Tradition affirms that Joseph was an indiffer- 
 ent mechanic, and if so he was engaged in such 
 coarse work as making frames and stools, cut- 
 ting poles for tents, and mending ploughs and 
 other rude implements used in his times. His 
 occupation would often lead him away from home 
 into the Jewish hamlets such as Cana, Nain and 
 even Bethsaida and Capernaum. And thither, 
 doubtless, Jesus often accompanied him and 
 wrought with him in his calling. When at home 
 they had their work-bench in the narrow street. 
 
 Let us not think, however, that this humble 
 calling left our Lord no time for worship, study 
 and reflection. He was accustomed to attend 
 upon the simple services of the synagogue, where 
 he gained his knowledge of the Old Testament 
 
 * Matthew 13 : 55 ; Mark 6 : 3.
 
 NAZARETH. 
 
 265 
 
 Scriptures, of which his deep spiritual insight 
 revealed a new and life-like interpretation. 
 
 He was an interpreter of nature as well, and 
 for him there were " sermons in stones, tongues 
 in trees, books in the running brooks, and God in 
 everything." Hence his mention of the flowers, 
 
 Lily. {Anemone coronaria.) 
 
 Scarlet Lily. (lAlmm chalcedontcum.) 
 
 " Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ; 
 they toil not, neither do they spin ; and yet I 
 say unto you. That even Solomon in all his glory 
 was not arrayed like one of these."* Did he 
 speak this of the bright scarlet anemones which 
 abound over these hillsides in the spring season, 
 
 * Matthew G : 28, 29.
 
 266 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 and give such beauty to the otherwise sombre 
 landscape ? Besides the anemones there are the 
 phlox, pink and variegated ; rock roses, white, 
 yellow and cardinal ; great golden flowers, pink 
 convolvulus, marigolds, wild geraniums, red tu- 
 lips, mignonnette and cyclamens. Whatever 
 names these flowers may have had in the days of 
 our Lord upon earth, he knew them all, and rec- 
 ognized in them the beauty which his Father's 
 hand wrought in all the fair works of his creation. 
 He also said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a 
 farthing ? and one of them shall not fall on the 
 ground without your Father." * It is said that 
 there are three hundred and twenty-two different 
 kinds of birds in Palestine, and many of them 
 are found about Nazareth. Besides the song- 
 sparrows there are doves always flitting about 
 and alighting upon the house-tops of the village. 
 Upon the cactus hedges may be seen also the 
 restless titmouse, the voluble wren and the red- 
 breast. Swallows and swifts skim across the 
 hill-tops, and the nightingale and song-thrush 
 pour forth their melody when the sun is near 
 his setting. 
 
 Familiar with this scenery from childhood, 
 Jesus drew many of his choice illustrations from 
 these objects, and his words seem almost to have 
 
 * Matthew 10 : 29.
 
 NAZARETH. 267 
 
 a new meaning when read in the light of these 
 surroundings. " Behold the birds of the heaven, 
 that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor 
 gather into barns ; and your heavenly Father 
 feedeth them."* And how fitting is his applica- 
 tion, "Are not ye of much more value than they? 
 Therefore be not anxious for your life, what ye 
 shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your 
 body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more 
 than the food, and the body than the raiment ?" 
 
 As the last evening of our stay in Nazareth 
 drew on, these were our reflections. Here cer- 
 tainly was the home of Joseph and Mary and the 
 workshop of the carpenter. On this hill, and the 
 higher one westward, the feet of Jesus must have 
 often pressed the rock or earth. His eyes took 
 in the outline of these fifteen gently-rounded 
 hills, which, as Dean Stanley says, " seem as if 
 they had met to form an enclosure for this peace- 
 ful basin — they rise round it like the edge of a 
 shell to guard it from intrusion." f 
 
 The Virgin's Well is thronged with women car- 
 rying away the water for their households in pots 
 borne upon their heads and shoulders. The fes- 
 tival in the grove near by is nearly over, the 
 children reluctantly straggling homeward. As 
 
 * Matthew 6 : 26 (Revision), 
 t Sinai and Palestine, p. 357.
 
 268 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 they pass along in merry groups their clear voices 
 ring out on the air ; and the lowing of cattle and 
 bleating of sheep passing into their folds for 
 the night make up a scene of charming pastoral 
 simplicity. And this is the point from which 
 rays of heavenly light and wisdom have been 
 spreading over the earth for centuries. From 
 here has gone forth a faith to which the civilized 
 nations of the world cling with ever-increasing 
 hope and certitude as the ages roll away. For 
 here the great Teacher of men, the Ideal of the 
 race, the Messiah and Saviour of the world, grew 
 up to manhood, and in his own experience laid 
 the foundations of his gospel kingdom. 
 
 When we consider the limited advantages en- 
 joyed by a youth who lived in this provincial 
 village eighteen hundred years ago, and when we 
 further note the proverbially rude character of the 
 Nazarenes in that day, we are not surprised at the 
 question of his fellow citizens, " From whence has 
 this man these things ? and what wisdom is this 
 which is given unto him, that even such mighty 
 works are wrought by his hands ?"* In the light 
 of all the facts of the case, is not that question 
 fairly unanswerable, except as answered by the 
 four evangelists and the subsequent progress of 
 Christianity ? 
 
 * Mark 6 : 2.
 
 C270)
 
 CHAPTER XVL 
 
 TABOR AND TIBERIAS. 
 
 While we were busy with sight-seeing in Naz- 
 areth, our guide was diligently engaged in pre- 
 paring for our future journey. The supply of 
 bread brought from Jerusalem was exhausted, and 
 a fresh stock must be laid in from the village 
 baker's oven. It proved to be the most sodden, 
 sour, and execrable apology for food we ever 
 had tasted ; and when, afterward, it became thor- 
 oughly dry, we thought, " When we ask bread, 
 will he give us a stone ?" 
 
 Leaving our camping-ground, near the " Well 
 of the Virgin," on the morning of April 14, we 
 passed over the gentle hills lying to the east 
 of Nazareth, on our way to Mount Tabor. The 
 morning air was cool and bracing, and our horses, 
 refreshed by their long rest over Sunday, went 
 forward without the usual amount of urging. 
 
 The dew lay thickly scattered upon the grass, 
 and glistened upon the leaves of the many oak 
 trees, which bordered our winding pathway. The 
 country, though rather broken, was quite fertile 
 and afforded good pasture, but only a small por- 
 
 (271)
 
 272 TENT AXD SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 tion of it was under cultivation. After passing 
 the ^vater-slle(l we began the long and gradual 
 descent to the foot of Tabor. At the point of our 
 approach, a slight elevation joins the mountain 
 with these hills of Nazareth, forming its only 
 connection with the surrounding summits. The 
 distance traversed to this point is said to be about 
 five miles. We found the ascent of Tabor quite 
 difficult, the trail often mounting over the project- 
 ing ledges of limestone, where a misstep might 
 roll both horse and rider down the mountain side. 
 We came upon many thickets of oak trees, with 
 syringa and other shrubs, amid which w'olves, 
 wild boars, lynxes, and various reptiles have their 
 coverts. We reached the summit at ten o'clock, 
 having been just three hours on the way from our 
 encampment. A fine Saracenic arch, connected 
 with an ancient wall which formerly encircled the 
 whole plateau, and named Bah-el-Hawa — " Gate 
 of the Wind " — confronted us immediately upon 
 reaching the level area. Passing under this, we 
 paused to take in the southern view, which in- 
 cludes a section of the surface of Esdraelon. We 
 then passed on eastward over what seemed to have 
 been once a place for a garden, now affording fine 
 pasture for the herd of goats kept here by the 
 monks. The whole surface is less than a quarter 
 of a mile long and an eighth of a mile wide, and
 
 TABOR AND TIBERIAS. 273 
 
 is quite level. The height of Tabor is variously 
 estimated at from 1000 to 1400 feet above the 
 level of the surrounding plain, and from 1700 to 
 1900 feet above the level of the sea.* 
 
 At the east end of the oblong space we found 
 the old fortress which the monks of the Greek 
 Church have turned into a place of worship and a 
 monastery. Here we dismounted, and giving our 
 horses in charge of the attendants, went on to the 
 southeast angle, where we found the remains of 
 extensive walls and fallen columns. This is the 
 point, doubtless, where tradition has located the 
 scene of the Transfiguration, and these are the re- 
 mains of elaborate structures once erected here in 
 honor of it. 
 
 Had we positive Scripture evidence for locating 
 the Transfiguration here, no more suitable place 
 could be imagined. The isolation of the mountain, 
 its loftiness and symmetry, the extended views 
 afforded in every direction, and the vicinity of 
 other places visited by Christ, would render this 
 place most fitting as the scene of that great event. 
 While tradition favors the theory that this is the 
 Mount of Transfiguration, modern research de- 
 
 * The survey gives 1843 feet above the sea, vphile Prof. Socin 
 states that its height above the table-land is about 1055 feet and 
 above the Mediterranean Sea 2018 feet. — Schaff'^s Diet, of Bible, 
 p. 843. • 
 18
 
 274 TENT A ND SA I) Dl. E L IFE. 
 
 cides against it, and locates the scene on Mount 
 Hermon, near Banias. The evangelists leave this 
 matter of the location an open question, and prob- 
 ably we would do well to follow their example. 
 The chief objection to the traditional view is that 
 this mountain was occupied by a fortress and 
 town in the days of Christ, and a wall, which Jo- 
 sephus declares that he himself rebuilt some sixty 
 years afterward. The mention of "snow," in the 
 evangelist's description, is also regarded as inci- 
 dental proof that Hermon, which is generally cov- 
 ered with snow, is the mountain intended.''' Dr. 
 Thomson says, however : " The fact that there 
 may have been a village on the top at that time 
 does not present any difficulty. There are many 
 secluded and densely-wooded terraces on the north 
 and northeast sides admirably adapted to the 
 scenes of the Transfiguration. I have been de- 
 lighted to wander through some of them, and cer- 
 tainly regretted that my early faith in this site 
 had been disturbed by prying critics ; and, after 
 reading all that they have advanced against the 
 current tradition, I am not fully convinced." f 
 
 While the word Tabor does not occur in the 
 New Testament, it is several times mentioned in 
 the Old : first, as on the border between Issachar 
 
 * Mark 9 : 3. 
 
 t Land and Book, vol. ii. p. 139.
 
 TABOR AND TIBERIAS. 275 
 
 and Zebulun, and then as the rendezvous for 
 Barak's army — to which allusion has already 
 been made — and then by the Psalmist, " Tabor 
 and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name."* 
 
 Upon returning to the monastery for our horses 
 we hoped to see something of the institution, but 
 the gate was closed, and as our horses were ready 
 we mounted for the descent.*}* 
 
 Quite a romantic story is told of an aged monk 
 named Erinna, who lived on Mount Tabor for 
 many years, and died here in the year 1857. 
 He was the son of an archimandrate of a monas- 
 tery in the Crimea, and took orders at a very 
 early age, with the expectation that he should 
 succeed his father in authority. But soon after 
 he had settled down in this quiet life, a vision, as 
 he thought, appeared to him, in which he saw a 
 
 * Psalm 89: 12. 
 
 f The tradition that Tabor was the scene of the Transfiguration 
 is as old as the fourth century and as Saint Jerome. Helena 
 built a church on the top of Tabor in 326. In the sixth century 
 three churches are mentioned as existing then, and later a mon- 
 astery. These were plundered by the Muslims in 1113, and 
 again in 1183 by the Saracens, and a third time laid waste in 
 1 187 by Saladin. One was partially restored but again destroyed 
 in 1209, and a fourth erected from the ruins, which was itself 
 destroyed in 1263. The ruins on the summit are therefore Jew- 
 ish, Byzantine, Crusading and Saracenic. For in b.c. 218 Anti- 
 ochus the Great founded a town on the top of the hill, and later 
 Josephus caused it to be fortified. Tabor is mentioned eight 
 times in the Old Testament. — Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 276 TEST AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 mountain of most peculiar form, and heard a voice 
 saying, "Arise, my son, and behold thy home 
 upon earth." The dream was repeated seven 
 nights running, and at last the dreamer did arise. 
 He knew not where to go to find the mountain, 
 and no one gave him any information about it; 
 however, he set out, and went first to Mount 
 Athos, then to Mount Sinai, and then to Mount 
 Ararat in Armenia; but none answered to the 
 picture in his dream. He travelled far into the 
 east, then into the west ; eleven years of jour- 
 neying, and at last he stood before Mount Tabor. 
 "This is it," he said; "I have found it; this is 
 the strange shape I saw in my dream ; I have 
 sought, and found nothing like this !" So he 
 ascended the mountain, and never left it again. 
 Here he lived for many years, and collected money 
 from pilgrims, which, at the time of his death, 
 amounted to enough to build the church and 
 monastery. He is said to have been remarkable 
 for his long beard, and for a tame panther which, 
 like the ancient hermits, he made his constant 
 companion. He was a man of huge physical pro- 
 portions, and claimed to subsist entirely upon 
 milk and herbs.* 
 
 * Readers of the book named Ben Hur will probably con- 
 clude that the author, Gen. L. Wallace, obtained the foundation 
 for its opening; chapters from the legend of the monk of Mount 
 Tabor.
 
 TABOR AND TIBERIAS. 277 
 
 We descended the upper portion of the mount- 
 ain by the usual path, and then turned away to 
 the northeast across one of its lower ridges, and, 
 at the distance of one mile, stopped for luncheon. 
 We found ourselves in what western farmers 
 would call an " oak-opening." The trees were far 
 apart, and the ground between them was covered 
 with green grass, variegated with many beautiful 
 flowers. We here took our last view of Mount 
 Tabor, which, from this point, appeared like a 
 truncated cone, rounded off at the top. Its gen- 
 eral features reminded me of those extensive 
 mounds which are found at Graves' Creek, Vir- 
 ginia, and Miamisburg, Ohio, though much greater 
 in its altitude and proportions ; but Tabor is ev- 
 idently a natural tumulus, altogether too great 
 to have been fashioned by the hand of man. 
 
 Our course now lay toward the northeast, over a 
 country with a slightly-undulating surface, grad- 
 ually ascending as we advanced, but yet a contin- 
 uation of the plain surrounding Tabor. About the 
 middle of the afternoon we passed the khan of 
 Tujjar, a place famous for robbers, but beauti- 
 fully situated in a shallow wady the waters of 
 which flow southward. As we were approaching 
 the high table-lands which overlook Tiberias, we 
 came in sight of the " Horns of Hattin," supposed 
 to be the Mount of Beatitudes. This is a ridge
 
 278 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 of ground less than a quarter of a mile in length, 
 and rising above the level of the plain over which 
 y^Q passed to a height of from thirty to forty feet. 
 At either end is an elevation, or "horn," from 
 fifty to sixty feet high, from which it takes its 
 name. It commands an extensive view toward 
 the north and east, as it stands upon the edge of 
 a steep hillside bordering the lower plain of Hat- 
 tin, beyond which, and at a still lower level, lies 
 the plain of Gennesaret. The northern half of 
 the Lake of Galilee is also in plain view from this 
 point, beyond which may be seen the hills of the 
 Hauran, with Mount Hermon in the distance. 
 It is doubtless in reference to its appearance on 
 this side that it is named a mountain, as it is only 
 a low ridge "when seen from the south. There is 
 no certain proof that it is the place where the 
 Saviour gave his first lengthy discourse, but its 
 nearness to the lake villages, its lofty and isolated 
 situation, leave it without a rival in probability 
 or tradition. " The platform at the top is evi- 
 dently suitable for the collection of a multitude, 
 and corresponds precisely to the level place to 
 which Christ would ' come down,' as from one of 
 its higher horns, to address the people. Its situ- 
 ation is central to the peasants of the Galilean 
 hills and the fishermen of the Galilean lake, be- 
 tween which it stands, and would therefore be a
 
 TAfiOR AND TIBERIAS. 279 
 
 natural resort for Jesus, and for his disciples 
 when they retired for solitude from the shores of 
 the sea ; and also for the crowds who assembled 
 ' from Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, 
 from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.'"'" Safed, 
 which is supposed to be the " city that is set on 
 an hill/'f is also within plain sight of this place. 
 
 It seems incongruous that a place thus hallowed 
 as is claimed by the utterance of the " Sermon on 
 the Mount" should be the scene of one of the 
 fiercest and most sanguinary conflicts of the times 
 of the Crusaders, but such is the fact recorded in 
 history. On the 5th of Jul}^ 1187, the available 
 forces of the Christians in Palestine were encamped 
 upon the ridge, and " round the base of the hill on 
 every side was the victorious army of Saladin 
 ready for the attack." Under the burning rays 
 of a midsummer Syrian sun, cut off from water 
 supply until nearly perishing from heat and thirst, 
 the Christians withstood the Mohammedans in 
 three separate attacks, and then, breaking their 
 ranks, gave themselves up to their fate. This 
 unconditional surrender put the whole land under 
 Mohammedan rule, in which condition it remains 
 until the present time. 
 
 From this point we crossed the lofty plateau, 
 
 * Sinai and Palestine, p. 360. 
 t Matthew 5 : 14.
 
 280 TENT AND SAUDLE LIFE. 
 
 from which the hike can be seen to the greatest 
 advantage, and went directly to Tiberias. While 
 descending the long slope stretching down to the 
 water's edge, we came upon a great army of grass- 
 hoppers, all marching up the hill and evidently 
 on their way to the i)lain of Esdraelon. Language 
 fails in attempting a description of their numbers. 
 Every weed, every blade of grass, every stone 
 and hummock, seemed covered with them. They 
 were a little larger than the ordinary American 
 grasshopper, but otherwise did not differ from 
 it in appearance. As the prophet Jeremiah 
 said of the soldiers of Babylon, whom he com- 
 pared to these insects, they w^ere "innumerable."* 
 An immense flock of white sea-fowls, griffons or 
 vultures, were on the track of the grasshoppers 
 and enjoying a royal feast, to the great admira- 
 tion of the poor farmers. 
 
 We rode into Tubariya, i. e., Tiberias, through a 
 breach made in the walls by the earthquake of Jan- 
 uary 1, 1837. This is the only town of any con- 
 siderable size left on the shore of the lake, and 
 though it appears well when seen in cuts and en- 
 gravings, it is sadly uninviting to the weary trav- 
 eller who is in search of food and shelter. The 
 city wall must have been originally twenty or 
 thirty feet in height, having tall towers at regular 
 
 * Jeremiah 46 : 23.
 
 TABOR AND TIBERIAS. 
 
 281 
 
 intervals, a few of which are still standing, though 
 in a shattered condition. Many of the buildings 
 have crevices and great gaps in the walls, and not 
 a few appear to have been hastily thrown together, 
 at a more recent date, from the remains of former 
 
 The Sea of Galilee from Tiherias. (AJIit or!<jinal Pfio/or/mph.) 
 
 and more elaborate structures. The population 
 is said to be 2000,-1000 Moslems, 900 Jews 
 and 100 Christians. But Prof. Socin in 1873 
 thought there were 3000 people here, more than 
 half Jews. A tall tower, octagonal in form, with 
 a sort of balcony fringing it around near the top, 
 stands back toward the northwest corner of the
 
 282 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 town, and is quite a conspicuous object as seen 
 from the surrounding shores of the hike. A 
 dozen or two palm trees also rise above the flat- 
 roofed buildings, attesting the former fertility of 
 the soil and the mild nature of the climate. The 
 houses stand quite on the water's edge, and 
 though no traces of the city wall appear length- 
 wise on this side of the town, the remains of 
 masonry may be seen extending into the water. 
 
 The effects of the great earthquake give a des- 
 olate and ragged appearance to the whole place, 
 several hundred houses having been completely 
 destroyed, and the great fortress on the west 
 side utterly ruined. A few years after the 
 catastrophe, a native stated to a companion 
 of Dr. Robinson that he and four others 
 were returning down the mountain west of the 
 <3ity in the afternoon, when the earthquake oc- 
 curred. All at once the earth opened and closed 
 again, and two of his companions disappeared. 
 He ran home affrighted, and found that his wife, 
 mother, and two others in the family, had per- 
 ished. On digging next day where his two com- 
 panions had disappeared, they were found dead 
 in a standing posture.''' 
 
 Tiberias is one of the four cities in the land re- 
 garded as holy by the Jews (Jerusalem, Hebron, 
 
 * Eobinsou : Hesearches, vol. iii. p. 255.
 
 TABOR AND TIBERIAS. 283 
 
 Safed, are the others), in which, as they say, 
 prayer must be oflered without ceasing, or the 
 world would fall back instantly into chaos. They 
 expect also that their Messiah, when he appears, 
 will emerge from the waters of the lake, and, 
 landing at Tiberias, proceed to Safed, and there 
 establish his throne on the highest summit of 
 Galilee. Hence the tendency for immigration to 
 this point for people of Jewish ancestry from the 
 various countries of Europe, especially from Po- 
 land and Russia. When their forefathers ceased 
 their desperate, yet useless, resistance against the 
 Roman government for possession of the country, 
 many of their learned rabbis came to this place, 
 among whom was Rabbi Jehuda Hakkadosh, who, 
 about 180 A.D., compiled the famous collection of 
 Jewish laws and traditions known by the name of 
 the Mishna. Jewish learning still makes a show of 
 existence here, though the teaching is carried on 
 mainly in private houses — one would think, under 
 many disadvantages, inasmuch as the "king of 
 the fleas is said to hold his court at Tiberias." 
 In addition to German, or other languages of their 
 several countries, the Jews here speak rabbinic 
 Hebrew and modern Arabic. Probably in no 
 place in the world is the Hebrew spoken as a ver- 
 nacular language to such an extent as here.* 
 
 * It is also spoken in Jerusalem.
 
 284 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 We passed through the Jewish quarter, in the 
 centre of the town and quite near the lake, but 
 saw nothing inviting about it. The houses are 
 square, rickety structures, built of stone, crowded 
 up against each other without the slightest regard 
 to order or system, and do not appear to be kept 
 with any great degree of cleanliness. The men 
 wore high fur caps, as no doubt was customary 
 among their ancestors in some far-off cold climate, 
 and beneath which their hair straggled forth in 
 long ringlets, a solitary curl in every case dang- 
 ling in front of each ear. Altogether, they looked 
 like a people in a strange land, beset by poverty 
 and superstition. 
 
 Having taken this casual view of the town, we 
 entered our camp, located a few rods east of the 
 ancient city walls, and not far from the lake 
 shore, where we passed a comfortable night.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE THE PLAIN OF GEN- 
 
 NESARET. 
 
 We began our first full day of observation at 
 the Lake of Galilee by ascending the rise of 
 ground back of Tiberias for a general view of its 
 situation. We first noted the fact, frequently 
 mentioned, that the lake lies in a deep basin sur- 
 rounded by hills of medium height, between which 
 a number of ravines find their way to its borders. 
 
 On the east side two such clefts in the high 
 table-lands are noticed, named Wady Fik and 
 Wadi/ SemaJch, which divide the coast-line into 
 three similar sections. On the north the ascent 
 of ground from the Jordan westward is more 
 gradual, culminating in a long ridge of basaltic 
 rock connected with the mountains of Safed, and 
 coming out in a bluff overhanging the lake at the 
 northwest corner. On the west and south the 
 banks are less regular, the plain of Gennesaret 
 having but a few feet elevation above the water- 
 level, while two bluffs of considerable height ap- 
 pear, the one above and the other below Tiberias. 
 
 The Jordan flows into the lake at the north- 
 
 (285)
 
 286 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 east corner, and flows out again at the extreme 
 southern end, through a narrow, tortuous chan- 
 
 nel. 
 
 The lake is 12i miles in length and 61 in 
 
 Sketch Map op the Sea of Galilee. (Paleslme Eorploraiion Pimd.) 
 
 width, and is elliptical or "pear-shaped" in form. 
 Some writers affirm that it w^as anciently named 
 Chinnereth* — the "lake of the harp" — from its 
 oval shape ; yet others think that a town of this 
 
 * Numbers 34 : 1 1 ; Joshua 12:3; 13 : 27.
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 287 
 
 name once stood upon the site of Tiberias,'-' and that 
 its title was changed to Gcnnesaret. At a later 
 period the name Galilee — "circuit" — was given 
 to it in connection with the hill country west- 
 ward, which was originally allotted to the tribe 
 of Naphtali ; and in the days of Herod Antipas 
 it was named " Sea of Tiberias," in honor of the 
 emperor under whom Herod reigned. We have 
 reference to this man in the Gospel history, for 
 he is the Herod who was rebuked by John the 
 Baptist for " having his brother Philip's wife," 
 for which plainness of speech John was beheaded 
 while in prison.f Antipas is also named the " tet- 
 rarch," i. e., ruler over one-fourth of the posses- 
 sions of his father, Herod the Great. Philip's 
 portion was on the east side of the lake, includ- 
 ing the country of Bashan as far northward as 
 Banias, at the foot of Mount Hermon. 
 
 The two brothers were rivals, and each founded 
 a city in his own dominions bordering upon the 
 lake. Philip's city was situated on the fertile plain 
 Butiha, at the northeast corner of the lake, and 
 was named Bethsaida Julias, and was within sight 
 of its greater rival here at Tiberias. When we 
 were on our way to the " Warm Springs," a mile 
 and a quarter south of our camp, we saw the 
 ruins of this once splendid city of Antipas scat- 
 
 * Joshua 19 : 35. f Matthew 14 : 4-10.
 
 288 TENT AXD SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 tered upon the plain which lies between the high 
 bludf of basaltic rock and the shore, of which Jo- 
 sephus speaks as follows : " Herod the tetrarch, 
 who was in great favor with Tiberius, built a city 
 of the same name at the Lake of Gennesaret. 
 There are warm baths at a little distance from 
 it, in a village named Emmaus." He adds that 
 many came and inhabited this city, Galileans and 
 strangers, some by constraint, since sepulchres 
 were to be taken away in order to make room for 
 the city, and the Jewish law made such inhabit- 
 ants unclean for seven days.* Hence their reluc- 
 tance to dwell here. 
 
 In another place Josephus mentions a "house" 
 built here by Antipas which had the figures of 
 living creatures in it ; and also that certain Gal- 
 ileans set the entire palace on fire, thinking they 
 should get a great deal of money thereby, be- 
 cause they saw some of the roofs gilt with gold. 
 This, with mention of royal furniture, candle- 
 sticks of Corinthian brass, royal tables and great 
 quantities of uncoined silver, gives us a hint of 
 the original magnificence of the city standing 
 here in the days of our Saviour. Probably 
 Jesus never entered within the city proper. 
 Though he must have often sailed along its 
 quays, and passed behind it on the hill-top when 
 
 * Antiquities, xviii. 2, §3.
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 289 
 
 on his preaching tours in Galilee, yet we do not 
 know that he ever actually entered within its 
 walls. His spirit was more in harmony with the 
 works of God in nature than with the bustle and 
 din of a city whose inhabitants lived for mere 
 sensual gratification and temporal gain. More- 
 over, Antipas had slain the Baptist, and his craft 
 was compared to that of an old fox,* so that it 
 was a matter of prudence for the Prophet of Naz- 
 areth to keep away from his haunts. 
 
 We found the traces of walls and foundations 
 of buildings, columns, standing or prostrate, bas- 
 tions or towers of masonry at the water's edge, 
 indicating the extent of the ancient city south- 
 ward beyond modern Tiberias. Near the centre 
 of the plain we came upon a mass of ruins which 
 marked the site of some great structure, and 
 amid the blackened fragments of dressed stones 
 we found three large columns of granite or syen- 
 ite, of a reddish color, sixteen feet in length and 
 two feet in diameter. Evidently there were at 
 one time either buildings or colonnades erected 
 at this point, to which these columns belonged. 
 In the cliffs behind were grottoes made or en- 
 larged by human labor, and on all sides were 
 traces of former occupation, wealth and skill. 
 The ruins extend nearly to the Warm Springs, 
 
 *Luke 13:32. 
 19
 
 290 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 thus indicating that the ancient city was at least 
 one mile in length, and perhaps a quarter of a 
 mile in width. It is left to the imagination to 
 reconstruct the famous " golden house," the sta- 
 dium and forum, and the mint where the un- 
 coined silver was stored. Evidently Antipas 
 had the city constructed on the plan generally 
 used by the Greeks and Romans, and was not 
 backward in adopting their pastimes and luxuries 
 in his court. 
 
 The morning was well advanced when two of 
 us reached the " Springs," where the fashionable 
 people in the days of Antipas came to bathe, and 
 where a suburb named Emmaus was then located. 
 At this point the bluff approaches the shore, thus 
 terminating the plain already described. Here 
 we noted four springs in a sort of rambling 
 group — there are seven altogether, it is said — is- 
 suing from the base of the basaltic rock some 
 fifty feet back, and fifteen or twenty feet higher 
 than the margin of the lake. The first spring 
 afforded a strong current, which ran in a 
 rivulet to the shore, and was not utilized in any 
 way. The next spring was strongly impregnated 
 with sulphur, and was conducted into a square 
 building of masonry capped with a broad dome. 
 This is the structure usually presented in the 
 foreground of pictures and engravings of the
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GAL/LEE. 291 
 
 " sacred lake," taken from this standpoint. We 
 entered the building, and found a round pool, once 
 used for bathing purposes, but now out of repair. 
 The atmosphere was almost stifling, and the 
 water so hot that we could scarcely bear the 
 hand in it. We next entered another and much 
 larger building near by, where was a square tank, 
 built of dressed stone and lined with marble, also 
 filled with the hot mineral water, emitting a pun- 
 gent vapor of gases which rendered the breathing 
 of the visitor labored and difficult. The people 
 of Tiberias frequent this bath as an antidote for 
 rheumatic and other complaints. The temper- 
 ature of the water is at present from 132 to 144 
 degrees Fahrenheit. After the earthquake of 1837 
 the springs became very copious, and the heat and 
 sulphurous odors were also largely increased. 
 
 On our way from camp we had noticed that a 
 couple of suspicious-looking characters, who had 
 evidently been w^aiting at a little khan near the 
 springs for our return, were following us in a 
 stealthy manner. They now boldly confronted 
 us, fiercely demanding backshish. We hastened 
 past their rendezvous, where several armed Bed- 
 ouin were breakfasting around a smouldering 
 camp-fire. The clamor of our two assailants 
 aroused the whole clan, and they started up as 
 if to join in the pursuit ; but as we were walk-
 
 292 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 ing briskly, and as our camp was not far distant, 
 they were left in the lurch, and doggedly retraced 
 their steps, evidently disappointed and angry that 
 their prey had escaped. As we went hastily for- 
 ward, we noted the effects of the earthquake on 
 every hand. The surface of the plain was broken 
 and furrowed, as if a gigantic plough had been 
 driven thiough it, or as if thunderbolts had 
 fallen upon it, scattering the walls and build- 
 ings in all directions. 
 
 We did not visit the outlet of the lake, five 
 and a half miles distant from Tiberias, where the 
 ancient city of Tarichese once stood, now named 
 KeraJc. Its situation Mr. Macgregor describes 
 as admirable for defence. " It was built on a 
 triangular mound, about fifty feet high and four 
 hundred yards in length, which was made into 
 an island by the water led around it. The Jor- 
 dan forms a fosse on one side, while the lake 
 guards another, and an artificial lagoon is toward 
 the mainland. The remains of a causeway west- 
 ward from the mound show how it was approached 
 when insulated. The desolate mound, so silent 
 now, was once a great city, teeming with people 
 and sounding with the shouts of the brave and 
 the din of battering-rams."* This was the un- 
 happy town and fortress taken by Titus, aided 
 
 * Roh Roy, p. 402.
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 293 
 
 by a small fleet, when the whole lake was 
 colored with blood, and six thousand five hun- 
 dred corpses were left upon its shores, while 
 thirty thousand still more unfortunate Jews were 
 taken captive and sold in the market-place of 
 Corinth. From this point the Jordan continues 
 its rushing course to the Dead Sea, some sixty 
 miles distant in a straight line ; but on account 
 of the windings of the stream, some two hundred 
 miles are actually traversed. 
 
 "And far below Gennesaret's main 
 
 Spreads many a mile of liquid plain 
 (Though all seem gathered in one eager bound), 
 
 Then narrowing cleaves yon palmy lea, 
 
 Towards that deep sulphureous sea 
 Where five proud cities lie, by one dire sentence drowned." * 
 
 Upon breaking camp near Tiberias we entered 
 the town again, and, passing through the Jewish 
 quarter, were reminded of the fact that the ref- 
 ugees slowly gathered to this point when the 
 Romans finally overthrew their holy city and 
 temple at Jerusalem. Here, about 180 a.d., the 
 holy rabbi made the famous collection of Jewish 
 laws and traditions known as the Mishna, as 
 mentioned before. And among the numerous 
 tombs in the vicinity, near which we may have 
 passed in our rambles, one contains the remains 
 of the great Maimonides. 
 
 *Keble's " Christian Year."
 
 294 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 Arriving at the north wall, with the shattered 
 tower at the end farthest inland, we followed its 
 side to the water's edge, where our guide, at our 
 earnest solicitation, had ordered the fishermen's 
 boat to take us to Magdala. Huge blocks of 
 stone, fallen from the walls, lay in the water, 
 scattered about in such a way as to prevent the 
 boat from getting within a rod of the shore. The 
 brawny fishermen stood in the water ready to do 
 the honors of the occasion. Their single gar- 
 ment — something like a smock-frock, made of 
 coarse cotton — did not reach much below the 
 waist, hence they were in no way inconven- 
 ienced by the flapping waves about them. They 
 grimly seized upon us, and between two raised us 
 in their arms, and, bearing us outward, pitched us 
 into the craft rather unceremoniously. When all 
 were safely on board, four of them leaped in after 
 us, and allowed the boat to drift out into deep 
 water. They leisurely adjusted the great clumsy 
 oars, and, slowly drawing the prow around toward 
 the northwest, proceeded at a snail's pace to the 
 place of destination. 
 
 As this was the only boat we saw while around 
 the lake, we gave it a careful inspection. It was 
 about twenty feet in length by about five feet 
 beam, and was propelled by three oars, the last 
 oarsman acting as steersman, for there was no
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 295 
 
 rudder. Macgregor, who is himself a sailor, 
 says of his visit here in 1869, "The boats now 
 used in the Lake of Galilee are all about the 
 same size, rowing five oars, but very clumsy 
 ones, and with a very slow stroke. Generally 
 only three oars were in use. Their build is not 
 on bad lines, and rather ' ship-shape,' with a flat 
 floor; likely to be a good sea-boat, sharp and 
 rising at both ends. The upper streak of the 
 boat is covered with coarse canvas, which adheres 
 to the bitumen and keeps it from sticking to the 
 crew when they lean upon it. The waist is deep, 
 and there are no stern-sheets, but a sort of stage 
 aft."* Probably no great change has been made 
 in the structure of Galilean boats from the days 
 of the disciples ; and the part here called a 
 "stage" may be where Christ was asleep upon 
 the pillow or boat-cushion.-|- These boats are 
 sometimes driven by a sail, but more frequently 
 propelled by the oar, and, while exceedingly 
 clumsy, are strongly built, and in an ordinary 
 sea quite safe. 
 
 The distance from Tiberias to Magdala is three 
 miles, and midway between the two points a 
 small ravine comes down from the hills and opens 
 out into a small triangular plain at the lake shore. 
 As our boat crept lazily around the curve of the 
 
 * Rob Roy, p. 348. t Mark 4 : 38.
 
 296 TEXT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 little bay at this point, we noticed that a number 
 of fig and nubk trees, oleanders and other shrubs 
 grew in clumps near the water's edge. There 
 were two round stone reservoirs which are said 
 to be built around the three fountains named 'Ain 
 Bdrideh ("cold spring"), formerly used for mill 
 purposes. 
 
 The main road from Mount Tabor to Damascus 
 comes down this wady and then follows the shore 
 to the north side of the plain of Gennesaret. Tra- 
 dition at present points out a spot in this vicinity 
 where the multitudes were fed by the miracle of 
 the loaves and fishes. As two separate miracles 
 of this kind are mentioned by the evangelists, 
 one of them may have occurred on the west shore 
 at or near this point, though Dr. Thomson and 
 others prefer to locate both on the eastern coast. 
 Here indeed would be plenty of grass where the 
 people could sit down in ranks by hundreds and by 
 fifties ; and by this route a great company might 
 be on their way to keep the feast of the Passover 
 at Jerusalem.* There is an early tradition of the 
 second and also of the seventh century, given by 
 Arculf, that 'Ain Bdrideh was the scene of the 
 miracle, where also the five thousand " drank after 
 they had eaten their fill." The Sinaitic version 
 of Luke 9 : 10 and John 6 : 22, 23 places the old 
 
 * John 6 : 4, 5.
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 297 
 
 tradition in a more probable light, for in the former 
 there is no mention of Bethsaida, and in the latter 
 it is said that the place was close to Tiberias.* 
 
 However this may be, it seems that the place 
 named Dalmanutha in the New Testament must 
 have been near 'Ain Bdruleh. In Matthew 15 : 
 39 it is said that Jesus " came into the borders 
 of Magdala," while in Mark 8 : 10 we read that 
 he " came into the regions of Dalmanutha." 
 From this we may conclude that Dalmanutha 
 was a town on this coast, near Magdala. Canon 
 Tristram says that the -ruins of a village and res- 
 ervoirs here probably identifies the place with 
 the Dalmanutha of the New Testament,-)' The 
 identification of the long-lost site of this place is 
 a matter of great interest both to the traveller 
 and the Bible student. 
 
 After passing 'Ain Bdrideh we skirted the high 
 bluff which forms the southern border of the plain 
 of Gennesaret, and under its shadow we drew to 
 the shore and disembarked at Magdala. The 
 place is now called Mej'del, having only about 
 eighty inhabitants, all Moslems, and consists of a 
 few huts built of stone and others composed of 
 wattled cane and rushes. A little Mohannnedan 
 mosque or wely, with a whitened dome, only in- 
 
 * Recovery of Jerusalem, p. 280. 
 t Land of Israel, p. 429.
 
 298 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 creases the forlorn aspect of the place. This is 
 the undisputed site of ancient Magdala, once the 
 home of that Mary whose history is so touchingly 
 recorded in the New Testament,* 
 
 In the face of the cliff just west of Magdala 
 we saw the famous caverns from which, as Jose- 
 phus relates,"!* Ilerod dislodged the Galilean ban- 
 ditti by lowering large boxes from the summit, 
 filled with soldiers, who pulled out the desperate 
 wretches with long hook-shaped weapons. 
 
 At Magdala we mounted our horses again — the 
 attendants having brought them along the shore 
 from Tiberias — and began to cross the beautiful 
 plain of Gennesaret. We were now approaching 
 the places forever consecrated in Christian hearts 
 by the life and teachings of our Saviour. The 
 names Magdala and Gennesaret recalled the 
 matchless stories of the gospel, and seemed to 
 transport us to the scenes of early gospel history. 
 
 The plain of Gennesaret is crescent-shaped, and 
 is situated in the middle of the western side of 
 the Lake of Galilee, being surrounded on three 
 sides with high table-land and bluffs, and having 
 a pretty strip of beach on the coast. It is three 
 miles in length by two in depth, everywhere 
 quite level, and elevated but a few feet above 
 
 * Luke 8 : 2. 
 
 f Antiquities^ xiv. 15, ^ 4.
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 
 
 299 
 
 the surface of the lake. Four rivulets wander 
 over its face, supplied from the springs and ra- 
 vines to the westward, amid a tangled growth of 
 thorny papyrus, wild mustard and nubk trees. 
 In crossing I noticed only one little field of 
 wheat, and another of barley, unfenced, and un- 
 promising in appearance because of the lack of 
 
 Genhesaret, from Kuan Minieh. (Dom a Photograph 
 taken /or the Palestine Exploration Fund.) 
 
 proper attention. What a contrast in appearance 
 to its ancient beauty as described by Josephus, 
 who says : "Its nature is wonderful as well as 
 its beauty. Its soil is so fruitful that all sorts 
 of trees can grow upon it, and the inhabitants, 
 accordingly, plant all sorts of trees there : for 
 the temperature of the air is so well mixed that 
 it agrees very well with those several sorts ; par- 
 ticularly walnuts, which require the coldest air,
 
 300 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 flourish there in vast plenty. One may call this 
 the ambition of nature, where it forces those 
 plants which are naturally enemies to one an- 
 other to agree together. It is a happy conjunc- 
 tion of the seasons, as if every one laid claim to 
 this country ; for it not only nourishes different 
 sorts of autumn fruits beyond men's ex})ectations, 
 but preserves them a great while. It supplies 
 men with the principal fruits ; with grapes and 
 figs continually during ten months in the year, 
 and the rest of the fruits as they become ripe, 
 through the whole year; for, besides the good 
 temperature of the air, it is also watered from a 
 most fertile fountain. The people of the country 
 call it Capernaum. Some have thought it a vein 
 of the Nile, because it produces the fish coracinus, 
 as well as that lake which is near Alexandria." 
 
 If we knew where this fountain is, we would 
 be able to identify the site of Capernaum, where 
 Jesus dwelt after leaving Nazareth. Various 
 views prevail on this subject; some writers loca1> 
 ing it at the middle of the west side of the plain, 
 where an ancient reservoir is found, known as 
 'Ain Mndauwarah, or the "round fountain." We 
 crossed the tiny stream which flows down to the 
 coast from this source, and examined the sur- 
 roundings, but could not persuade ourselves that 
 this could be the site of the ancient city Caper-
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 
 
 301 
 
 naum. We continued across the plain, stopping 
 to gather shells on the beach, and plucking the 
 great oleander flowers which fringed the whole 
 coast, until we came to ' Ain ei-Tin, "spring of 
 the fig," at the foot of the bluff on the north side, 
 where our camp was pitched for the night. 
 
 Tent Life.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE BETHSAIDA AND 
 
 CAPERNAUM. 
 
 From our camp at the north end of the plain 
 of Gennesaret we entered upon one of the most 
 interesting parts of our tour in the Holy Land. 
 We were near the spot where our Lord uttered 
 many of his matchless sayings, and where he did 
 many of his " mighty works." Though no shrines 
 or churches are erected here in commemoration 
 of these great events, and though the exact sites 
 of the ancient cities which once stood on this 
 shore of the lake are unknown, yet the general 
 locality is well known, and must ever be regarded 
 as consecrated ground. 
 
 We first ascended the bluff which overhangs 
 the lake, and the only one that comes quite to 
 the shore line on the west coast, on our way 
 northward toward Tell Hum. Making a little 
 detour westward, we came to an old ruin named 
 Khan Minieh, supposed to have been erected near 
 the twelfth century for the use of travellers on 
 their way to and from Damascus. From this 
 point, by a sharp turn eastward, we fell into a 
 
 (302)
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 303 
 
 bridle-path running along the blulT, which soon 
 entered into a deep groove cut in the native rock, 
 evidently used in former times as a conduit or 
 water-course. Just below us was the famous 
 spring, beside which stands a fig tree, from which 
 it takes its name — 'Ain et-Tin. It is quite a 
 large fountain, though much smaller than Tahi- 
 ghah, on the other side of the cliff. Its waters 
 flow into the lake only a few rods distant. A 
 large mound on the plain near by, Dr. Robinson 
 conjectures was the site of Capernaum ; but Cap- 
 tain Wilson excavated it and found no signs of 
 antiquity in its rude walls and fragments of 
 coarse pottery.* 
 
 The rock-groove ran quite around the brow 
 of the cliff. The groove was oval in shape, about 
 two feet wide, and narrowed at the top, — the 
 very least-convenient form for a road, and the 
 very best for a water-channel. We paused under 
 a large nubk tree on the summit of the cliff, from 
 which a few poor women, who had been gather- 
 
 * Recovery of Jerusalem, p. 273. Dr. Merrill, who was here 
 May 1, 1876, writes: "At Khan Minieh is a swell in the plain, 
 in which peasants are digging, and at a depth of four to six feet 
 they struck a finely-built wall, which they followed to a depth 
 of twelve feet. I do not know that they reached the bottom. 
 They traced this wall until it turned an angle, and for some dis- 
 tance after that. ... If the time and necessary means were at 
 my disposal, I would like to excavate these two low mounds." — 
 Merrill's East of Jordan, p. 302. And we add, So would we.
 
 304 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 ing fruit similar to the crab-apple, hastily de- 
 parted. Their abject appearance and frightened 
 look spoke volumes as to their hard toil and pri- 
 vation. As we could not speak their language, 
 we could give them no comfort in their fears, yet 
 could not help pitying them, and wishing for them 
 a share in the common blessings of that gospel 
 which their Lord, and ours, so long ago preached 
 in this vicinity. 
 
 The view from this point was very command- 
 ing. The whole surface of the lake was spread 
 out before us, the water deep and blue, calm and 
 mirror-like, reflecting the outlines of the hills on 
 its margin. Behind us lay the plain of Gennes- 
 aret, the two peaks of the Mount of Beatitudes 
 peering up on the distant horizon. Below the 
 plain was Magdala, and farther on Tiberias, and 
 still farther the dome of the bath-house at the 
 Warm Springs. On the eastern side, and nearly 
 opposite, we noticed the wady Semakh, or Kersa, 
 and just south of it a low bluff, steep and fur- 
 rowed, the supposed site where the herd of swine 
 ran into the sea and perished. Before us was 
 Tabighah, with its ancient stone mill, and beyond 
 it the cape which marks the site of Tell Hum. 
 
 We resumed our journey along the hillside, 
 fronting the little bay, and presently turned east- 
 ward across the streams which flow from the
 
 iii!;,nii!'pii!!ii"!!i' 
 
 (305)
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 307 
 
 spring and turn the mill just mentioned. We 
 noted a number of ruined arches which formerly 
 spanned the mill-stream, and were part of the 
 aqueduct which once conveyed these waters by 
 the rock channel to Gennesaret for irrigation. 
 Several fishermen's tents were pitched here, built 
 of wattled rushes and covered with black camel's- 
 hair cloth. The nets were spread out on the long 
 shore-grass, in preparation for the following 
 night's occupation. Several little enclosures or 
 " fish-traps " were built of loose stones, in shal- 
 low water, within which we saw a number of 
 good-sized fish lying with their dorsal fins out of 
 water. 
 
 Every feature of this place seemed to us an 
 indication that this was the ancient Bethsaida 
 ("fish-house") so often mentioned in the Gos- 
 pels. The warm water which flows in such 
 abundance into the lake from the heavy springs 
 above must in ancient times, as at present, have 
 attracted great numbers of the finny tribe from 
 the deep water to this little bay. Mr. Mac- 
 gregor, when at this place in his canoe, made the 
 following observations: "The hot springs (86 J 
 degrees), flowing in here over these rocks, and a 
 little farther on in larger volume over a clean 
 brown sand, warm all the ambient shallows for a 
 hundred feet from shore ; and as much vegetable
 
 308 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 matter is brought down by the springs, and prob- 
 ably also insects which have fallen in, all these 
 dainties are half cooked when they enter the 
 lake. Evidently the fish agree to dine on these 
 
 Fish of Galilee. (After Tristram.) 
 1. Chromis Nilotica. 2. Clarias Macracanthus. 3. Labeobarbus Cania. 
 
 hot joints, and therefore, in a large semicircle, 
 they crowd the water by myriads round the 
 warm river-mouth. Their backs are above the 
 surface as they bask or tumble and jostle crowd- 
 ed in the water. They gambol and splash, and 
 the calm sea, fringed by a reeking cloud of vapor, 
 has beyond this belt of living fish a long row of 
 cormorants feeding on the half-boiled fish, as the 
 fish have fed on insects. I paddled along the 
 curved line of fishes' backs and flashing tails.
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 309 
 
 Some leaped into the air, others struck my boat 
 or paddle. Dense shoals moved in brigades as 
 if by concert or command."''' This visit was 
 made in the month of January, hence the un- 
 usual quantity of fish and the apparent high tem- 
 perature of the spring water. The fishing trade 
 is no longer brisk as in the days of the disciples, 
 for two reasons. First, the inhabitants are few, 
 while in ancient times the whole district around 
 the sea was densely populated. Josephus states 
 that Galilee was overspread with towns and well- 
 peopled villages. The smallest one had over fif- 
 teen hundred inhabitants. The number of towns 
 on the lake shore, and the constant influx of trav- 
 ellers between the east and west and between 
 Damascus and Egypt, made the demand for fish 
 very pressing. The second reason for the decline 
 of the fishing traffic here is the exorbitant tax 
 imposed by the Turkish government. "Nom- 
 inally, the rent the fishers pay for the right to 
 fish at Bethsaida is five hundred dollars per an- 
 num ; but the rapacious hands of the revenue 
 guard carry away twenty, forty, even sixty per 
 cent, of the fisher's hard-earned gains." 
 
 Mr. Macgregor, who is our authority for this 
 statement, found three fishing-boats in and about 
 the lake in 1869 ; but travellers who have been 
 
 * Rob Roy, p. 336.
 
 310 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 here at intervals for fifty years, like the writer, 
 have noticed but one. 
 
 Leaving Tabighah, we continued on our course 
 in a northeast direction. In this part the land 
 slopes back from the shore uniformly and gently 
 to the higher hills extending up toward Safed. 
 After a ride of one and a half miles, we reached 
 
 Ruins at Tell Hum. iFrom a Pholoyraph. Palestine Explora- 
 tion Fmid.) Prom Schajff's Dictionary, by permission. 
 
 the ruins of Tell Hum, where we dismounted and 
 spent a considerable time in exploration. The 
 ruins are partly basaltic and partly limestone 
 fragments, once dressed and fitted into structures 
 of no common order. Long grass and thistles 
 were already springing up among them in April, 
 thus showing that the climate is warm and the 
 soil fertile. A little cape projects into the lake 
 at this point, and the ruins lie about one hundred 
 yards from the water. They are two miles dis-
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 311 
 
 tant from the entrance of the Jordan into the 
 lake, and thus the town had a prominent, as well 
 as central, position on the northern coast. 
 
 The greater portion of the ruins seems to lie in 
 a narrow belt, half a mile in length by a quarter 
 of a mile in breadth, with the longer axis north 
 and south, stretching back from the shore. At 
 the farther end are two tombs, built of limestone, 
 of fine workmanship. In the midst of these 
 fallen walls, which seem to be mainly the frag- 
 ments of former dwellings, we came upon what is 
 known as the "White Synagogue" — thus named 
 under the supposition that Tell Hum is indeed 
 the long-lost site of Capernaum, and this the syn- 
 agogue in which Christ preached the sermon on 
 the " bread of life," recorded in the sixth chapter 
 of the Gospel of St. John. If so, the structure 
 may represent the one originally built by the 
 Roman centurion.* Here we noticed the found- 
 ations of the outer walls in situ, level wdth the sur- 
 face, but happily left bare by the excavations of the 
 Palestine Exploration Fund. They are 74 feet 9 
 inches by 56 feet 9 inches in dimensions. A 
 smaller structure, and of apparently later con- 
 struction, joins the main edifice on the northeast 
 corner ; we could not trace its complete outline. 
 
 We counted the pedestals of some thirty col- 
 * Luke 7 : 4, 5.
 
 312 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 umns in the synagogue, the shafts of which lay 
 broken around them. Two rows of these col- 
 umns once ran lengthwise, dividing the edifice 
 proportionately, as if there had been two aisles 
 at the side, with a nave in the centre. The front 
 was toward the south, overlooking the lake and 
 commanding a charming prospect, reaching to 
 Tiberias in the distance. Here lay the heavy 
 lintel, pierced with large holes at either end for 
 the extended framework of the heavy double 
 doors to turn in, and one for the standard in the 
 centre. On the face of this stone beam or lintel 
 three figures were engraved, — somewhat defaced, 
 but apparently representing a pot of manna and 
 two golden candlesticks. Not far from the en- 
 trance a flight of stone steps, much worn, was 
 seen, imbedded in the earth, the use of which we 
 could not determine. 
 
 Just east of Tell Hum a little rivulet makes 
 its way into the lake, on the banks of which, one 
 and a half miles to the north in a direct line, lie 
 the supposed ruins of Chorazin, now named Ke- 
 razeJi. This place we did not visit ; but the ruins 
 are described as covering an area equal to, if not 
 larger than, the ruins of Capernaum, and are sit- 
 uated partly in a shallow valley, partly on a 
 rocky spur formed by a sharp bend in the stream, 
 here a wild gorge eighty feet deep. From
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 313 
 
 Kerazeh there is a beautiful view of the lake to 
 its southern end, and here too are gathered the 
 most interesting ruins — a synagogue, with Co- 
 rinthian capitals, niche heads and other orna- 
 ments cut in the hard basaltic rock.* 
 
 Our visit inclined us to favor Tell Hum as the 
 site of ancient Capernaum. Though great au- 
 thorities differ from this view, fixing the site of 
 this city where Jesus had his home during the 
 three years of his ministry elsewhere, or else 
 leaving the whole matter an open question, yet 
 the conclusion seemed to us irresistible. Captain 
 Wilson affirms, in behalf of the Exploration 
 Fund, that the ruins here are of a synagogue 
 similar to many found and carefully examined in 
 other parts of the country. 
 
 At the corners of a triangle, therefore, whose 
 sides measure one and one-half miles each, whose 
 base is on the shore line, and whose apex is on 
 the hillside, probably lay ancient Chorazin, Beth- 
 saida and Capernaum. 
 
 As we sat upon the prostrate columns of the 
 synagogue the Saviour's words flashed upon us 
 with a new meaning — " Woe unto thee, Chorazin! 
 woe unto thee, Bethsaidji ! for if the mighty 
 works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which 
 have been done in you, they had a great while 
 
 * Recovery of Jerusalem^ p. 270.
 
 314 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 
 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon 
 at the judgment than for you. And thou, Caper- 
 naum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be 
 thrust down to hell." 
 
 " Bethsaida, where ? 
 
 Chorazin, where art thou? 
 His tent the wild Arab pitches there, 
 
 The wild reeds shade thy brow. 
 Tell me, ye mouldering fragments, tell, 
 
 Was the Saviour's city here? 
 Lifted to heaven, has it sunk to hell. 
 
 With none to shed a tear?" 
 
 How signally has that prophecy been fulfilled ! 
 Where was once a tide of human prosperity, a 
 city of fame and beauty by the sea, are now only 
 fragments of rock, covered by rank weeds and 
 thistles. 
 
 On our way back to Tabighah we thought of 
 those words of Isaiah quoted by Saint Matthew 
 — " The land of Zabulon, and the land of Neph- 
 thalim, by the way of the sea beyond Jordan, 
 Galilee of the Gentiles."* This great highway of 
 ancient times, running from Egypt to the East, 
 came down here " by the way of the sea," and 
 here it may literally be said, " The people which 
 sat in darkness saw great light." f Along this 
 " way " Jesus often came if, indeed, as we think, 
 
 * Matthew 4:15. f Ibid. 4:16.
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 315 
 
 Tell Hum was Capernaum and Tabighah was 
 Bethsaida. The latter place was the suburb and 
 port of Capernaum, and this mile and a half was 
 familiar ground to the disciples and their divine 
 Master. Here the fishers kept their boats and 
 nets and plied their craft, while on some occasions 
 their Lord taught the people from the ship. To 
 this point the boat would return, to "his own 
 country," when the various voyages across the 
 lake were ended. These low lands are calculated 
 to breed fevers, of which Peter's wife's mother 
 lay sick, and of which she was cured by a touch 
 of the great Physician. Yonder hillside would 
 afford the natural features for the parable of the 
 sower, where the ledge of rock covered with a 
 thin coating of soil, in which the seed would 
 have no depth of earth, and soon wither away, 
 illustrates the failure of a transient faith. Below 
 the rock is the good ground where the good seed 
 would bring forth some thirty, some sixty and 
 some an hundred fold; and above the unfenced 
 field are the numerous birds, ready to catch away 
 the exposed seed, and thus disappoint the farmer. 
 Nor are the rank thistles and thorns lacking near 
 the shore, ready to choke the growing grain and 
 render it unfruitful. 
 
 Here also would be the natural place for a tax- 
 gatherer, like Matthew, sitting at the receipt of
 
 316 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 custom, collecting for the Roman government. 
 This fountain at Tabighah might very well be 
 that named Capernaum by Josephus, since it is 
 located in this suburb of that city, and would 
 naturally be mentioned by him in connection 
 with Gennesaret, since the aqueduct at that time 
 conducted its waters into that plain for purposes 
 of irrigation. The walls of the ancient reservoir 
 are still to be seen just above the mill, from 
 which point the aqueduct extended. The cora- 
 cinus (catfish) is found in the stream all through 
 the winter season. 
 
 Passing along the rock channel over the bluff, 
 it occurred to us that the channel was probably 
 covered over in ancient times, thus affording a 
 roadway on its surface. The road which we fol- 
 lowed from Solomon s Pools to Bethlehem was 
 constructed precisely in this manner, and we 
 there heard the water gurgling beneath the flag- 
 stones upon w^hich our horses walked. If this 
 conjecture be correct, Jesus must have often 
 passed here on his way to and from the plain and 
 the hill country of Galilee. 
 
 Our last evening in camp at 'Ain et-Tin was 
 delightfully tranquil. The waters of the lake 
 lay spread out before us in charming repose. 
 The rays of the setting sun lighted up the east- 
 ern shore with a soft radiance as the shadows fell
 
 AROUND THE LAKE OF GALILEE. 317 
 
 around us on Gennesaret. Gathering at the door 
 of the tent, we sang a number of our Sunday.- 
 school hymns, during which the following lines 
 of Dr. Morris came up in recollection : 
 
 " Each cooing dove and sighing bough, 
 That makes the eve so blest to ine, 
 Has something far diviner now : 
 It bears me back to Galilee. 
 
 " Each flow'ry glen and mossy dell, 
 Where happy birds in song agree, 
 Through sunny morn the praises tell 
 Of sights and sounds in Galilee. 
 
 " And when I read the thrilling lore 
 Of him who walked upon the sea, 
 I long, oh how I long once more 
 To follow him in Galilee. 
 
 " Galilee I sweet Galilee ! 
 Where Jesus loved so much to be ; 
 Galilee ! blue Galilee ! 
 Come sing thy song again to me 1" 
 
 The old rabbins had a saying, " I have created 
 seven seas, saith the Lord, but out of them all I 
 have chosen none but the sea of Gennesaret." 
 If this sheet of water was thus honored by the 
 Jews, it should be thrice precious to Christian 
 hearts, for on its shores the great Founder of 
 Christianity not only had his earthly home, but 
 it was here that he called together his disciples 
 and organized his Church. This is the birthplf^ce
 
 318 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 of Christianity. In the hearts of the humble 
 fishermen and the poor women who dwelt here, 
 to whom his true character was first revealed, he 
 founded his gospel kingdom, and from hence it is 
 spreading over the whole earth. Hence our last- 
 ing interest in this place. 
 
 " How pleasant to me thy deep blue wave, 
 Sea of Galilee ! 
 For the glorious One who came to save 
 Hath often stood by thee. 
 
 " Graceful around thee the mountains meet, 
 Thou calm reposing sea ; 
 But ah ! far more, the beautiful feet 
 Of Jesus walked o'er thee. 
 
 " Saviour ! gone to God's right hand, 
 Yet the same Saviour still, 
 Graved on thy heart is this lovely strand, 
 And every fragrant hill." — M'^Cheyne.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE HULEH. 
 
 The morning of our departure from the plain 
 of Gennesaret was bright and beautiful. Our 
 tents formed a group of white mounds near the 
 pretty little beach along the lake shore, having 
 the dark basaltic bluff above 'Ain et-Tin for a 
 background. Clumps of cane, nubk trees and 
 blooming oleanders were scattered over the sur- 
 face of the plain in wild and luxuriant growth, 
 with here and there open glades between, in one 
 of which our camp was situated. 
 
 Across the lake, from whence we had watched 
 the last rays of the setting sun fade away the eve- 
 ning before, we now saw the spreading beams of 
 the sunrise gilding the sides of the sombre hills, 
 and peering over into the tranquil water below. 
 Flocks of white pelicans, gray king-fishers and 
 turtle-doves of varied plumage whirled past us 
 on their way from Wady Hamam ("ravine of 
 pigeons"), which bounds the plain on the south 
 near Arbela and Hattin, to the fish shoals and 
 cane-brake at Tabighah in quest of an early 
 breakfast. 
 
 (319)
 
 320 TEXT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 Taking the hint from these provident birds, 
 and with an eye to the coining labors of the day, 
 we entered the dining tent, and perched upon 
 camp-stools around the table discussed the merits 
 of the lake fish, which our cook had thoughtfully 
 provided as the principal dish of our meal. We 
 found the fish palatable, but the grain seemed 
 rather coarse and the flavor rather negative. 
 Canon Tristram has an interesting remark regard- 
 ing the lake fish, affirming that of the ten species 
 obtained by him here all were African or of a 
 tropical genus which has never been found farther 
 north than the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee. Upon 
 which he puts this significant question, " Do not 
 these most interesting and unexpected discover- 
 ies point to some ancient geological epoch, when 
 the long chain of fresh-water lakes extended 
 from Hermon to the Zambesi, and the Jordan 
 was an African river flowing into the Dead Sea, 
 then a lake connected with the African lakes by 
 the Red Sea, also a lake ?"* This startling theory 
 is more than matched by a French savant, M. 
 Lortet, who claims to have found forty-two dif- 
 ferent kinds of fish in the lake, and who thinks 
 that at one time the salinity of these waters 
 equalled that of the Dead Sea. It has been sug- 
 gested by some of M. Lortet's countrymen, who 
 
 * Land of Israel, p. 5S0.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE HULEH. 321 
 
 are getting famous in feats of engineering, that a 
 canal could be cut from Haifa to Zerin, across the 
 plain of Esdraelon, by which the valley of the 
 Jordan could be filled with water, and the surface 
 of this lake raised over 600 feet, while 1300 feet 
 would be added to the depth of the Dead Sea, 
 causing the water to flow through the Arabah to 
 the Elanitic Gulf What advantage would follow 
 from this we cannot foresee ; but all lovers of 
 biblical sites would regret to hear that Jericho 
 and Gennesaret had been submerged in order to 
 bring the surface of these waters up to the sea 
 level. 
 
 Having dispatched the fish breakfast and these 
 associated water theories, we prepared ourselves 
 for the forenoon ride to the valley of the Huleh. 
 Our route led us past Khan Minieh, up the steep 
 hillside, along a tortuous path bordered by loose 
 basaltic rocks. An hour's travel brought us 
 abreast a huge mass of scoria crowning a slight 
 elevation, in appearance like the crater of an ex- 
 tinct volcano. From this elevation the high ridge 
 of black rock runs down directly to the lake at 
 'Ain et-Tin, and seems to have been formed by 
 volcanic agency at this point in some remote 
 geological age. As we continued our course in a 
 northwesterly direction, we passed through a 
 region of high table-land, the surface of which 
 
 21
 
 322 TENT AND SWADDLE LIFE. 
 
 was literally covered with huge fragments of the 
 biisaltic stone, amid which our horses found great 
 difliculty in getting a* firm foothold. Having 
 arrived at the summit at about nine o'clock, our 
 guide ordered a halt, ;ind turning in his saddle 
 bade us take our parting view of the Lake of 
 Galilee. 
 
 We were now in the neighborhood of Safed, 
 and were favored with a prospect for which this 
 " city set upon a hill " must ever be famous. Far 
 away to the south we traced the route by which 
 we had approached the sacred lake, indicated by 
 the well-defined outlines of Tabor and the Horns 
 of Hattin. And just below us, but sunk in its 
 deep basin, its surface burnished by the sun's 
 rays till it looked like a mirror of molten metal, 
 was the remarkable sheet of water on whose 
 shores we had been delighted to tarry for the past 
 few days. We could dimly discern the city of Ti- 
 berias, the cliff of Arbela, and on the farther side 
 the cliffs bordering wadies Fik and Semakh. 
 
 Soon after leaving this point, from whence the 
 little streams which flow past Tabighah and Tell 
 Hum take their rise, and which cannot be far 
 distant from the ruins now affirmed to be Chora- 
 zin, we came to Khan Yusef. Here we found 
 the ruins of a large stone structure, built in the 
 form of a parallelogram, or hollow square, with a
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE HULEH. 323 
 
 tower at one corner and a gateway on the north 
 side. We rode through the ancient and lofty 
 portal, and found ourselves within a spacious 
 court, around which were the alcoves or rooms 
 originally arranged for the accommodation of 
 travellers. It would require but a slight expense 
 to refit this khnn for its intended use, as the walls 
 are yet quite perfect. 
 
 The structure is evidently of Mohammedan 
 origin, and must have been constructed at 
 a comparatively recent period. The tradition 
 which fixes the name also affirms that Joseph 
 lived and died in the holy city of Safed, which 
 is in the centre of this region. Of course, the 
 well of Dothan, into which the cruel brethren 
 cast the unsuspecting Joseph, is pointed out near 
 by, though all Christian authorities fix its site 
 south of Esdraelon. The " Bridge of the Daugh- 
 ters of Jacob," which spans the Jordan not far 
 from this place, has the same authority for its 
 name, viz., Mohammedan tradition. 
 
 The fact that such improbable traditions are 
 attached by the Mohammedans to all the historic 
 sites in Palestine is significant. The religion of 
 nearly all the country people is Mohammedan, 
 and it does but little for them in the way of en- 
 lightenment and culture. They generally hold, 
 our guide informed us, that Abram, Jacob, Moses
 
 324 
 
 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 and Jesus were of like faith with themselves. 
 And they further imagine that these personages 
 were all great giants, from eight to ten feet in 
 height, and physically strong in proportion. One 
 week later, while traversing the great Lebanon 
 valley, we came upon the alleged tomb of Noah, 
 
 Lake Huleh, or Watkrs ok Mi.rom, from tiik Soutiiwkst. {Fiom 
 Schajf's Dwliunwi y, by pKnnissioii.) 
 
 which was three feet wide and ninety feet in 
 length, from which we inferred that Noah must 
 be a great saint in the Moslem calendar. 
 
 Beyond Khan Yusef the land slopes down to- 
 ward the bed of the upper Jordan, now named 
 the valley of the Huleh. In this region we passed
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE HULEH. 325 
 
 over several plateaus, evidently covered with a 
 fertile soil, part of which was under cultivation. 
 In one place we passed a group of farmers at 
 work, and were reminded of the history of Elisha. 
 Twelve yoke of oxen were following each other 
 in a line, each drawing a separate plough of the 
 
 Yoke in Use in Palestine. 
 a, b, timber of the yoke ; c, d, the bows; e, e, pegs between which, at g, the end 
 of the shaft comes, the shaft itself having been run through the rope between 
 / and the cross-piece of wood h, i. (From Schaff's Dictionary, by permission.) 
 
 primitive pattern already described in the ac- 
 count of our tour to Hebron. From the Scrip- 
 ture narrative it appears that Abel-Meholah, the 
 " meadow of the dance," where Elisha was at 
 work, was somewhere in the Jordan valley. 
 Elijah was on his way from Sinai to Damascus, 
 and might have come upon Elisha somewhere 
 near this place. Custom changes so little in the 
 lapse of centuries in this strange land that these 
 ploughmen may be the literal successors of Elisha. 
 He " was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen be- 
 fore him, and he with the twelfth : and Elijah 
 passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him."* 
 
 * 1 Kings 19 : 19.
 
 326 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 He was at the rear of the line, and therefore his 
 parley with Elijah would not hinder the other 
 ploughmen who preceded him in their work. We 
 ii«>ain noted the truth of the statement that the 
 farmers' little ploughs make no proper furrows, but 
 merely "root up" the soil on either side, and so any 
 number may follow one another, each making its 
 own scratch along the surface of the earth, and when 
 at the end of the field they can return along the 
 same line, and thus back and forth until the whole 
 is ploughed. It was well, therefore, that Elisha 
 came last, for the ploughmen cannot pass one an- 
 other, and his interview with Elijah was the more 
 private and did not stop the others until they 
 reached the end of the furrow. During our 
 morning ride we had been in sight of the waters 
 of Merom, Lake Iluleh, a body of water not un- 
 like the Lake of Galilee in shape, but of less 
 depth and smaller dimensions. 
 
 Midday was upon us when we entered the Jordan 
 valley once more, at a point where a mill-stream 
 flows into the lake at its northwest extremity. 
 The sun was now shining " in his strength," and 
 our thirsty horses pressed into the water at the 
 ford, drinking and splashing the swift-flowing 
 current without regard to the convenience of the 
 riders. The place is named 'Ain el-Mellaha, " The 
 Salt/' or, as other authorities affirm, " spring of
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE HULEH. 327 
 
 the king," in allusion to Joshua's victory here 
 over Jabin.* Our guide directed us to the scanty 
 shade of a terebinth tree, standing well up 
 against the hillside on the north bank of the 
 stream, where he decided that we should have a 
 brief rest and partake of luncheon. 
 
 Our resting-place overlooked the ford, and was 
 in plain sight of a rude mill which stood above 
 it, with its simple machinery in motion. A num- 
 ber of horses, camels and donkeys were disport- 
 ing themselves in the running water, and a herd 
 of buffaloes were wallowing in the deep water 
 farther down, where a sort of lagoon is formed 
 by the not-distant lake. The young herdsmen 
 were sharing the luxury of a bath with their 
 cattle, after which they sheltered themselves be- 
 neath a clump of alders on the bank, and regaled 
 themselves with music from a reed flute, evidently 
 of their own invention and manufacture. 
 
 The original name of the lake was the Hebrew 
 Merom, or " High Lake," but in the days of the 
 Crusades it was known by the present title 
 "Huleh," depression. The latter title probably 
 applied to the whole valley as a hollow among 
 the hills, while Merom indicates the lake proper 
 as " high " among the waters. 
 
 Dean Stanley gives the dimensions of the lake 
 
 * Joshua 11:5,
 
 328 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 as about seven miles long, and in its greatest 
 width six miles wide. But Mr. Macgregor, who 
 explored its banks in his canoe, states that ac- 
 cording to his observation the size of the lake is 
 not one-fourth of this area. A late writer gives 
 the length as four miles and the breadth three 
 and a half, having a depth of eleven feet in win- 
 ter, the surface nearly on a level with the sea. 
 It is of triangular shape, having the base at the 
 north end, and the apex at the outlet on the 
 south. On its western shore below 'Ain Mellaha 
 are excellent wheat fields, though poorly culti- 
 vated, and on its north side are acres of marsh 
 covered with Egyptian papyrus. 
 
 The heat was very intense during our after- 
 noon journey northward along the border of the 
 great marsh, with scarcely a breath of air to 
 relieve the sultry, fever-laden atmosphere. On 
 our left hand ran a range of treeless hills, under the 
 shadow of which we crept along, seeking there a 
 partial shelter from the scorching rays of the sun. 
 Great herds of buffaloes wallowed in the marsh, 
 content to have only their eyes and nostrils exposed 
 to the swarms of flies and mosquitoes. I counted 
 seventy-five in one herd, and we were scarcely 
 out of sight of them during the whole afternoon.* 
 
 * St. Willibald, of the eighth century, writes : " Armenta mir- 
 abilia longo dorso, brevibus cruribus, magnis cornibus creati ;
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE HULEH. 329 
 
 At intervals we came upon encampments of the 
 Ghawarineh people, who own the buffaloes, and 
 for the most part gain their subsistence from them. 
 They seldom kill them for food, for they only eat 
 a small quantity of meat, and that for the most 
 part mutton; though, if a buffalo break a leg 
 and they must kill it, they sometimes eat the 
 flesh. At certain seasons of the year the people 
 move their camps back to Kades, two miles dis- 
 tant among the high hills to the westward. This 
 is the ancient Kedesh, in the tribe of Naphtali, 
 originally appointed as one of the cities of refuge.* 
 There are many ruins of buildings at Kades, 
 but none yet discovered are of great importance. 
 Our guide informed us that the people pass the 
 winters in their rush tents with camel's-hair cov- 
 ering, subsisting for the most part on coarse 
 bread, milk and curds, rice and other simple 
 articles of food, obtained usually from Safed or 
 Damascus. 
 
 Late in the afternoon we arrived at another 
 stream of water, flowing into the marsh on its 
 west side, named 'Ain Belata, where we pitched 
 our camp for the night, and snatched a little time 
 
 omnes sunt unius coloris,*' /. e., " extraordinary cattle, furnished 
 with long backs, short legs and great horns ; all are of one 
 color." 
 
 * Joshua 20 : 7.
 
 330 TENT AM) SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 for making records of the day's observations. At 
 this i)oint tlie range of hills comes boldly out 
 into the valley, and assumes quite a majestic 
 appearance. The plain is here quite narrow, 
 being hemmed in by the encroaching marsh, 
 covered with a growth of papyrus and cane, 
 through which the tough-skinned buffalo even 
 cannot make his way. In this narrow plain our 
 tents were pitched on the green sward, and we 
 prepared for a good night's rest beneath their 
 shelter. 
 
 During the early evening there was a strange 
 rumbling along the side of the mountain over- 
 hanging us. Puff's of heated air eddied round 
 the camp, and might have been taken by us as 
 warnings of the approaching sirocco j but we 
 were weary wnth travel, and early sought our 
 tent beds without making any defence against the 
 oncoming tempest. About ten o'clock the wind 
 suddenly increased in violence. The storm came 
 bellowing along the mountain side, and swooped 
 down upon us with great force. Amid the 
 roaring blast cries were heard for help, and upon 
 going to the tent door we found our good neigh- 
 bors and fellow travellers, the three English 
 clergymen, without a shelter, and their clothing 
 and valuables scattered about amid the debris of 
 the overturned tent.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE HULEH. 331 
 
 With great ado, and after much talk and blus- 
 ter, our twelve camp men re-erected the fallen 
 tent. The weary, but now apprehensive, travel- 
 lers gathered up their clothing and valuables and 
 returned to their narrow beds. Just then a ter- 
 rific blast came down the mountain side, and away 
 went our tent, cords, centre-pole and all the ap- 
 pliances, and we were left under the open heavens, 
 while a hot blast as from the mouth of a furnace 
 swept over us. Upon lighting one of the camp 
 lanterns it was found that four out of our five 
 tents were prostrate. 
 
 Now ensued a scene of aimless effort and lin- 
 guistic confusion. Men were straining at tent- 
 cords, bracing the centre-poles, driving the tent- 
 pins in the soft ground, while the wind and the 
 gush of Arabic speech produced a perfect Babel. 
 During a lull in the storm we once more entered 
 the re-erected tent, when suddenly the wind 
 charged upon us with renewed violence. I felt 
 the tent moving again, and grasping the centre- 
 pole quickly blew out the candle, and was flung 
 directly across my bed, the heavy weight of the 
 "pole" crushing it to the ground. It was one 
 o'clock A.M. before the wind died away sufficiently 
 to allow us to lie down in quietness, and it was 
 but little slee}) that we obtained throughout the 
 whole night.
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 DAN AND BANIAS. 
 
 The morning of April 17 dawned upon our 
 company of weary pilgrims in the valley of the 
 Huleh. Our night's experience with the sirocco 
 was calculated to render us dissatisfied with the 
 latest phase of tent and saddle life ; but each one 
 seemed to regard the matter in the light of an 
 adventure common to this mode of travel, and so 
 good humor and cheerfulness reigned supreme. 
 The various aspects, of the occurrence were joc- 
 ularly canvassed at the breakfast table, and in 
 good season we were all prepared for the journey 
 of another day. A brief description of the no- 
 madic life which, like the ancient patriarchs, we 
 passed in the " promised land " may be of interest 
 in connection with what has just been narrated. 
 Allusions have already been made to the fact 
 that a few tourists in the Holy Land have to 
 secure the services of a large number of servants 
 and horses, in order to pass through the country 
 with safety and comfort. In our case there were 
 only nine travellers on the long tour from Jeru- 
 
 (332)
 
 DAN AND HANI AS. 333 
 
 salem, and yet we required twelve men and thirty 
 animals to transport us. 
 
 The method of progress was as follows : When 
 about breaking camp in the morning the horses, 
 mules and donkeys were supplied with beans and 
 barley mixed with chaff. This was placed in a 
 sort of canvas bucket, known as the " nose-bag," 
 the bale of which was fastened over the animal's 
 head back of the ears. While the process of 
 grooming, harnessing or saddling went forward, 
 the animals munched this dry breakfast, glancing 
 wearily meanwhile at the busy preparations going 
 forward around them, their eyes just visible above 
 the rim of their portable mangers. At the same 
 time, in another part of the camp, where the 
 kitchen tent was pitched, the cook was preparing 
 coffee and broiling steaks or cutlets over a tin 
 range, in which a charcoal fire was kindled ; and 
 at still another point two men were taking down 
 the sleeping-tents and rolling them up in large 
 packages ready for transportation. While the 
 tourists were at breakfast the camp men (who 
 had previously eaten at the kitchen tent) would 
 load the tent-poles, the canvas, the huge chests 
 of oranges and other provisions on the sumpter- 
 mules ; and while the travellers were strapping 
 their water-proofs, etc., and getting into the sad- 
 dles, the men would pull down the kitchen and
 
 334 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 dining-tents, and in an incredibly short time be 
 upon the road en route to the next station. 
 
 Not a breath of air was stirring as we slowly 
 moved up the valley from 'Ain Belata. The sun 
 was shining intensely bright, and the buffaloes, as 
 usual, were lazily immersing themselves in the 
 muddy water of the marsh. The rank growth 
 of papyrus still continued, with no visible trace 
 of the Jordan, which makes its way somewhere 
 through the dense jungle. Mr. Macgregor at- 
 tempted to force a passage through from the 
 north with his canoe Rob Hoy, in 1869, but 
 failed. Upon going overland to 'Ain Mellaha he 
 launched upon Lake Huleh, and explored a nar- 
 row channel upward, for some three miles, to a 
 point near 'Ain Belata, where he entered a little 
 lake half a mile in width, quite surrounded by 
 the tall green papyrus except at the south, 
 where he had entered. He was satisfied that 
 this is the earliest flow of Jordan as one river 
 after it dives into the barrier, which he describes 
 as a dense hedge of a curious floating forest. If 
 it were desired, an open water-way could be made 
 by cutting out the spongy bed of fallen cane and 
 living fibre for a half-mile or more, when the Jordan 
 would be traceable from its source to its mouth. 
 
 During the morning's ride we passed the 
 largest village of rush tents, with black goat-hair-
 
 DAN AND BANIAS. 335 
 
 cloth covering, we had yet seen. Naked children 
 were playing about the tent doors, one of which 
 called out to us " Good morning " — a bit of Eng- 
 lish he kept repeating in great glee, having heard 
 it, no doubt, from previous tourists who had 
 passed that way. Near by a young woman was 
 pounding wheat with a mallet on a large boulder; 
 and we also saw several hand-mills, consisting of 
 
 Women grinding at the Mill in the East. 
 
 the upper and nether stones of circular form, 
 with their flat surfaces in contact, in the former 
 of which a wooden pin was inserted, to be used 
 as a handle in turning. Two women usually sit, 
 one on either side of the apparatus, the one turn- 
 ing the stone half way around, and the other 
 then grasping the handle*^ to complete the revolu- 
 tion. This is the "mill" often mentioned in*the 
 Bible.* 
 
 * Ecclesiastes 12:4; Matthew 24 : 41.
 
 33G TKM' AM) SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 At nine o'clock we saw the supposed site of 
 ancient Ilazor, " enclosure " or " castle," the pos- 
 session of King Jabin in the days of Joshua,* 
 situated on a rocky eminence, overlooking Kades 
 and Lake Hulch. We had now arrived at the 
 northern limit of the great marsh, and, turning 
 eastward, we followed the line of a crooked con- 
 duit, in which men were excavating, and from 
 which they sought to irrigate the rice-fields lying 
 just below. We soon came to their water supply 
 in the river Hasbany. This stream is one of the 
 sources of the Jordan, rising in a fine spring 
 some twenty miles to the northward, from which 
 it flows down to this point, where it becomes a 
 mountain torrent, sweeping over its bed of bould- 
 ers, and " dashing wild and free." Its banks are 
 lined with oleanders, plane trees and agnus-castus, 
 under the foliage of which it hides its current as 
 it speeds on toward the great marsh below. We 
 crossed the Hasbany on a fine old bridge, built 
 of stone, with three massive arches, the struct- 
 ure having an inclined roadway, the highest part 
 being at the western end. 
 
 A ride of three miles through a well-wooded 
 country, wdth an unduhxling surface, brought us 
 to Tell el Kddi/, the ancient site of Dan or Laish. 
 The modern name signifies " the hill of the 
 
 * Joshua 11:1.
 
 DAN AND liANTAS. 337 
 
 judge," and "judge " was the meaning of the 
 word " Dan " among the Israelites. This was 
 the northern limit of the possessions given to the 
 sons of Jacob, as Beersheba was the boundary 
 southward ; hence the phrase " from Dan to 
 Beersheba," intended as a description of the 
 whole land.* 
 
 The tell, or mound, is of very singular appear- 
 ance. It is an oblong hill, about twenty-five feet 
 in perpendicular height, and is three hundred 
 yards from north to south, and two hundred and 
 fifty yards from east to west. On its western 
 side a great source of the Jordan sends out a 
 copious stream, almost a full-grown river at once, 
 uniting its waters with those of another stream 
 at the southwest side of the hill. A wonderful 
 fountain, like a large bubbling basin, is here 
 found. Pausing to rest beneath the shadow of 
 an oak or terebinth tree, where the fluttering 
 rags on the branches notified us of the prox- 
 imity of a sheikh's grave, we sat down for 
 luncheon beside the cool purling stream. It is 
 an enchanting spot, and many events of Old 
 Testament history centre there. 
 
 From the earliest times settlers must have 
 been attracted to this place. Sheltered under the 
 side of Mount Hermon, possessing a fountain from 
 
 * Judges 20 : 1 ; 1 Samuel 3 : 20. 
 22
 
 3'18 TEST A Xn S.\ I) I) I F. I JFE. 
 
 whicli the drainage of all this part of the mount- 
 ain s('(Mn.s to find its exit, and having a fertile 
 soil all around, it could not but be attractive to 
 emigrants. Here the people of Laish could dwell 
 at ease, secluded from the world, and separated 
 from their own people at Sidon by the Lebanon 
 mountains. The people of Dan afterward came up 
 this valley on an exploring expedition, and, dispos- 
 sessing the former occupants, seated themselves in 
 this territory as their own. Their report that this 
 was a " large land," " very good," " a place where 
 there is no want of anything that is in the 
 earth,"* we can still see was correct. And here 
 on this mound, beside the great fountain, they set 
 up their capital, and, as they were far removed 
 from Shiloh, they afterward set up their sanc- 
 tuary here also. And though Samuel may have 
 forbidden the continuance of this irregular wor- 
 ship in after times, yet it became a so-called 
 " sacred place " when Jeroboam afterward erected 
 a temple here, with the golden calf.f On the 
 southwest corner of the mound, it is said, the 
 golden calf was set up ; and as I wandered over 
 this section, I could trace the remains of ancient 
 walls, as of former fortifications or buildings. 
 Just below the hill stood an old mill, now out of 
 repair, and evidently for many years out of use. 
 
 * Judges 18 : 9, 10. f 2 Chronicles 13 : 8.
 
 DAN AND BANT AS. 339 
 
 Floods of water rush past its idle wheel, and yet 
 it moves not — an apt illustration of the lack of 
 industry and application on the part of the in- 
 habitants of this favored land. There are many 
 features of interest about Tell el Kady, but noth- 
 ing to excel this great fountain. It is said to be 
 the largest spring in Syria, and is perhaps the 
 largest single fountain in the world. The stream 
 is called by Josephus the Lesser Jordan, is twice as 
 large as the fountain at Banias, and three times as 
 large as the Hasbany, which, though the most 
 distant source of the Jordan, is scarcely any- 
 thing more than a surfjxce-water stream, while 
 this is a massive volume of water springing out 
 of the earth at one bound.* 
 
 * There are two large streams at Tell el Kddy. The largest 
 spring is called Mm el Ledddn, and is the one referred to as 
 bursting forth on the west side of the mound, and forming a 
 pool around which are heaped blocks of basaltic rocks. A co- 
 pious stream runs from this spring and pool. Another stream 
 issues from the southwest side of the mound, perhaps from the 
 same chief source, and soon unites with the former stream, and 
 the two form the el Ledddn, or as Josephus called it the Little 
 Jordan. The stream from the spring alone contains twice as 
 much water as the stream from the spring at Banias, with which 
 it does not unite in any one stream however, but in several. 
 While the spring at Tell el Kddy is much larger than the spring 
 at Banias, the Banias stream receives water from several other 
 springs, so that the two streams soon after leaving their sources 
 seem to be about equal in volume. As the Banias stream is 
 longer than the Ledddn, it is usually considered the source of 
 the Jordan. For the Hasbany stream is scarcely half the size
 
 340 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 As we were reclining under the oak and tere- 
 binth, beside the ghissy pool, a farmer came that 
 way, carrying his rude plough, made of two sap- 
 lings, with a wedge-shaped iron point at the foot. 
 He was a worthy successor to the possessions of 
 ancient "Dan." His swarthy complexion, dark 
 eye and prying conduct reminded us of what was 
 said of his ancestor — " Dan shall be a serpent by 
 the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the heels 
 of the horse, so that his rider shall fall back- 
 ward ;" or again, " He shall leap from Bashan," 
 i. e., from the slopes of Hermon, where he is 
 couched watching for his prey. 
 
 When Mr. Macgregor was attempting to pen- 
 etrate the marsh, from a point near Tell el Kady, 
 he was set upon by the natives, and pursued 
 from curve to curve around the winding banks of 
 the Jordan, and at last was fired at by one of 
 these worthies, when he surrendered himself, 
 was carried canoe and all to a hut, and kept a 
 prisoner until his escort, hearing of his misfor- 
 tune, came to his rescue. Our own experience 
 afterward, at Banias, confirmed us in the convic- 
 tion that the modern inhabitants make good the 
 description of the Danites, as given above. 
 
 of the river at its junction with the Jordan. See Gender's Tent 
 Life, Prof. Socin, and Survey of Western Palestine, vol. i. pp. 
 96, \Qb.—Ed. Am. S. S. Union.
 
 DAN AND BANIAS. 
 
 341 
 
 An hour's ride to the eastward, by a path 
 winding through clumps of oleander and scrub oak, 
 brought us to the town formerly named Panias, 
 now Banias, the Csesarea Philippi of the New Tes- 
 tament. The men hastened to pitch our camp in a 
 fine grove of olive trees, about one hundred yards 
 distant from the river's bank, and the singular 
 
 Sources of the Jordan, near Banias. (After Photographs of Frith and Good.) 
 
 interest of the place led us immediately to follow 
 the stream to its source, in the great fountain a 
 short distance above. 
 
 Banias stands on a triangular terrace, which 
 rises some five hundred feet above the plain be- 
 neath, and abuts on the southwestern spur of 
 Mount Hermon. Just where the terrace joins 
 the spur of the mountain, at its innermost angle, 
 is a cliff of white and pink stone, about eighty 
 feet in height, having carved niches in its ragged
 
 342 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 front — the marks of an ancient occupation. The 
 fountains stream out of a vast pile of loose 
 stones, about fifty yards distant from the foot of 
 the cliff, and immediately unite in a torrent of 
 limpid water, which goes rushing and roaring 
 past the village, under the ancient arched bridge, 
 down the wady. Were it not for its greater 
 rival at Tell el Kady, this fountain would be 
 a marvel indeed. The scenery all around this 
 place is wild and mountainous, and the ancient 
 ruined castle, perched on the height one thousand 
 feet above, adds not a little to the picturesque- 
 ness and beauty of the scene. The modern vil- 
 lage is situated a short distance from the fountain, 
 and is only a poor mountain hamlet, with dwell- 
 ings of stone, rudely constructed, not very invit- 
 ing, nor over cleanly in appearance. Here we 
 saw round huts or booths, built of green branches 
 of trees, and perched upon the house-tops, in 
 which the inhabitants sleep in summer time, in 
 order to escape the fleas with which their houses 
 are infested, or, as others affirm, to escape the 
 serpents and scorpions which abound here. 
 
 It was our misfortune to have a difficulty with 
 these troublesome people, who were already 
 handsomely paid for the camping-ground and for 
 the provisions they had furnished us. Our chief 
 dragoman being greatly annoyed by a dog, which
 
 DAN AND BANIAS. 343 
 
 persisted in hanging about the tents, picked up a 
 tent mallet, and, poising it, threw it with such 
 precision that he struck the animal in the head, 
 and instantly killed it. Word was carried to the 
 village. The sheikh's son immediately made his 
 appearance, attended by a group of apparent des- 
 peradoes, and the protracted quarrel began in due 
 form. All the evening and far into the night the 
 angry dispute continued. We were all warned 
 not to leave the camp, as there might be parties 
 lurking around for personal plunder. Even in 
 going to the river bank just at twilight I was in- 
 tercepted by a party of men, who menaced me 
 with their fists, and muttered vengeful Arabic at 
 me, which fortunately I could not understand. 
 Careful watch was kept over the camp that night, 
 but no further outbreak occurred until early 
 morning, the hour appointed by our guide for 
 settlement, when the delegation returned. The 
 hour seemed propitious for negotiations, and 
 settlement was made in full for six francs — about 
 one dollar and twenty cents of United States 
 currency. 
 
 After the declaration of peace w^e made another 
 visit to the vicinity of the fountain, and attempted 
 to decipher the mutilated Greek inscription graven 
 in the shell-shaped niche in the face of the cliff, 
 which as some think reads, "The Priest of the
 
 344 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 God Pan." If so, this is evidently <a relic of the 
 old Greek shrine of Pan, from which the place 
 derives its name, Pan being the Grecian represent- 
 ative of the Syrian god Baal. Quite an extensive 
 cave exists in the cliff near by, which in connec- 
 tion with the fountain made this a suitable spot 
 for the shrine of the sylvan deity. 
 
 Of this Josephus writes in connection with his 
 statement that Herod built him a most beautiful 
 temple near the place called Panium, but his de- 
 scription is unlike the present appearance of the 
 place. " This is a very fine cave in a mountain, 
 under which there is a great cavity in the earth, 
 and the cavern is abrupt and prodigiously deep 
 and full of a still water ; over it hangs a vast 
 mountain, and under the caverns arise the springs 
 of Jordan. Herod adorned this place, which was 
 already a very remarkable one, still further by the 
 erection of this temple, which was dedicated to 
 Csesar." 
 
 This temple is said to have been erected by 
 Herod the Great in the year 20 B.C., while the one 
 at Samaria, surrounded by the consecrated ap- 
 proach, was completed shortly afterward. He 
 built Herodium, on the Frank Mountain near 
 Bethlehem, from B.C. 20 to 10, Csesarea on 
 the coast nearly within the same period, and 
 consecrated the temple by which he replaced the
 
 DAN AND BANIAS. 
 
 345 
 
 humble building of Ezra at Jerusalem, in the year 
 B.C. 14. He was a great builder as well as w^ar- 
 rior, and left traces of the magnificence as well 
 as cruelty of his reign in every part of the land. 
 No remains of the temple are now seen near 
 the fountain, but south of the village we came 
 upon the ruins of three large towers. Climbing 
 to the top of one of these crumbling piles of 
 
 Bakias, or C^sarea-Puilippi. {After Photographs of Frith and Good.) 
 
 masonry, we noticed the remains of a large arched 
 bridge adjacent ; but it did not seem to be as 
 ancient as the one spanning the fountain torrent 
 near our camping-gTound. " Here," it has been 
 said, "are the ruins of the once-famed frontier 
 city Csesarea-Philippi. Here were the villas of 
 the Roman settlers, and in their midst stood the 
 public theatre, where Titus on his return from the 
 capture of Jerusalem held a great festival, and
 
 346 TEiST AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 compelled the captive Jews to act as gladiators 
 and fight with wild beasts in the public arena." 
 
 Josephus, who is our authority for many par- 
 ticulars in the lives of the Ilerods, affirms that 
 Philip, who afterward succeeded to the town and 
 districts around, proved that Lake Phiala, situ- 
 ated some four hours distant to the southeast 
 upon the mountain heights, was the source whence 
 this fountain is supplied in an occult manner. 
 Philip " had chaff thrown into Phiala, and it was 
 found at Paniura, where the ancients thought the 
 fountain-head of the river was, whither it had 
 been therefore carried."* It is hardly necessary 
 to add that it has been proved by modern scien- 
 tists that no connection exists between Phiala 
 and the fountain at Banias, and at present there 
 is not a drop of water in the cavern at the latter 
 place, the stream now issuing from a pile of loose 
 stones at quite a distance from the cliff, as already 
 stated. Notwithstanding the alleged experiment 
 of Philip, Banias is now regarded as the most 
 eastern source of the Jordan ; and though the 
 former architectural grandeur of the place is now 
 Mien into hopeless ruin and decay, yet the 
 natural beauty remains. Dean Stanley calls it the 
 Syrian Tivoli, and Canon Tristram, with his usual 
 regard to natural beauty, writes : " Everywhere 
 
 * Wars: Book III. 10 : 7.
 
 DAN AND BANIAS. 347 
 
 there is a wild medley of cascades, mulberry trees, 
 fig trees, dashing torrents, festoons of vines, 
 bubbling fountains, reeds and ruins, and the 
 mingled music of birds and waters." 
 
 But above all it must be remembered that 
 Jesus came into the town of Csesarea-Philippi 
 with his disciples before he took with him Peter 
 and James and John into the high mountain apart 
 and was transfigured before them. This, at least, 
 was the northernmost limit of our Lord's travels. 
 It was not unsuitable that here, upon the spur 
 which runs like a graded way to the snow-clad 
 heights of majestic Hermon, the glory of the 
 Master should be revealed to the wondering dis- 
 ciples. Here, at the source of that sacred stream 
 which is inseparably associated with the history 
 and poetry of the two dispensations, it was fitting 
 that the divinity of our Lord should be first 
 openly announced, from whence it might spread 
 through all lands in coming time, " Thou art the 
 Christ, the Son of the living God." 
 
 Our travel in the Holy Land was now completed. 
 True we were yet to see Damascus, Baalbec, the 
 Lebanon mountains and Beyrout, whence we were 
 to sail for Asia Minor, Constantinople and Greece. 
 It was to be our privilege also to visit many of the 
 sites of cities famous in classic annals, and con- 
 secrated by the labors of the apostles and fathers
 
 348 TENT AND SADDLE LIFE. 
 
 in the Christian Church. But the land of the 
 patriarchs, judges, kings and prophets we were 
 now to leave behind us. And as we passed up the 
 heights of Hermon we cast a parting glance over 
 the wide valley of the Jordan, and took our final 
 leave of the " Promised Land," which Moses 
 longed to enter, but onl}'- saw from a distance; 
 since hallowed by the Saviour's feet, now " trod- 
 den under foot of the Gentiles," awaiting the 
 dawn of a brighter and better day.
 
 II^DEX. 
 
 Abraham with Isaac, 
 Absalom's tomb, . . 
 African fish in Galilee, 
 Ai, Location of, . 
 'Ain Barideh, . . . 
 'Ain Belata, . . . 
 'Ain Duk, .... 
 'Ain el Mellaha, . . 
 'Ain es Sultan, . . 
 'Ain et Tin, Fountain o 
 'Ain Feshkha, . . . 
 Ajalon, Valley of, 
 American legation, . 
 Anathoth, Distant view of, 
 Anderson, Lieut., at Nablii 
 Andromeda, Story of, 
 Antiquities at Banias, 
 
 Capernaum, . . 
 
 Samaria, . . . 
 
 Tiberias, . . . 
 Antonia, Tower of, . 
 Apples of Sodom, 
 Aqueduct at Tabighah 
 
 132 
 
 Baca, Valley of, . . 
 
 Banias, Ruins at, . . 
 
 Baptism in the Jordan^ 
 
 Bathing in the Dead Sea 
 Jordan River, 
 
 Beersheba, . . . 
 
 Bees making honey 
 
 Beit el Khulil, . . 
 
 Ben Hur, source of lege 
 
 Bethany, .... 
 
 Bethel, 
 
 Bethesda, note, . . 
 
 Beth-horon, View of, 
 
 Bethlehem, .... 
 Church of Nativity 
 inn and manger, 
 view eastward, 
 
 Bethphage, . . . 
 
 Bethsaida in Galilee, 
 Julias, . . . 
 
 Birds of Palestine, , 
 
 nd 
 
 81 
 
 PAGE 
 
 202 
 135 
 321 
 197 
 296 
 329 
 190 
 326 
 , 192 
 316 
 187 
 
 41 
 121 
 154 
 217 
 
 15 
 345 
 310 
 229 
 289 
 
 71 
 181 
 307 
 
 200, 
 341, 
 
 96, 
 
 203 
 345 
 175 
 171 
 172 
 337 
 107 
 106 
 276 
 136 
 196 
 69 
 41 
 108 
 109 
 50 
 113 
 136 
 307 
 287 
 184, 266, 319 
 
 PAGF. 
 
 Boat in Galilee, . . . 294, 309 
 
 Booth on house-top, .... 342 
 
 Bread like a stone, . . ... 271 
 
 Buffalo in the Huieh, ... 328 
 
 Calvary, 127 
 
 Camp at Gennesaret, . . . 319 
 
 at Jericho, 183 
 
 life, 332 
 
 Canal from Haifa to Zerin, . 321 
 
 Capernaum, Tell Hum, . . . 311 
 
 Fountain of, 316 
 
 Carmel, Mount, . . . 246, 260 
 
 Carpenter at Nazareth, . . . 264 
 
 Cascades at Banias, .... 347 
 
 Cave at Banias, 344 
 
 of the Nativity, Bethle- 
 hem, ...".... 110 
 Cffisarea, on the coast, . . . 344 
 
 Philippi, 341 
 
 Chamber, Upper, of the Last 
 
 Supper, 120 
 
 Chinnereth, Lake of, . . . 286 
 
 Chorazin, 262, 312 
 
 Christ, Ascension of, . . . 139 
 asleep upon j)illow, . . 295 
 at Sea of Galilee, . . . 317 
 at the garden and Cal- 
 vary, 127, 135 
 
 at the well in Samaria, . 210 
 
 birth at Bethlehem, . . 110 
 weeping over Jerusalem, 
 
 136, 163 
 
 youth at Nazareth, . . . 264 
 
 Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 122 
 
 Coffee served by a smithy, . 197 
 
 Colonization of Palestine, . . l9 
 
 Colonnade at Samaria, . . . 228 
 
 Corner stone of temple wall, . 66 
 
 Crusaders at Ramleh, . . . 39 
 
 Dalmanutha, . . . . . . 297 
 
 Dan, 336 
 
 Dancing at Jerusalem and 
 
 Shiloh, 161, 209
 
 350 
 
 LSI) EX. 
 
 PAOE 
 
 Dftvid's street, 121 
 
 toiiih, traditional, . . . 120 
 
 Doiid Sni lf)S, 18t) 
 
 Dobomirs victory 244 
 
 Diir I>i«un 195 
 
 Diiiiii;; uikUt (lilTifulties, . . 49 
 
 Dorciis. ToiuIj of. 24 
 
 Dotliiin 2:V.\ 
 
 Dress of iiieii aini women, . . 203 
 
 Earthrinakc at Til)erias, . . 2K2 
 
 Ebal 212 
 
 Kl Aksa, Mns(|iic of. .... 66 
 Kl Karev, Visit from, . . . 214 
 
 KlKubab, 4tl 
 
 El Lisan 188 
 
 Elijah at Wady Kilf, ... 190 
 Eminaus, Kfllonii-li, .... 51 
 En Kogcl, Well ot, . . . (US, 130 
 Encounter with Arabs, . . . 34."? 
 
 Endor, • 24.-> 
 
 Eriha, Village of, . . 177, 191 
 Erinna, the monk of Mount 
 
 Tabor, 27.') 
 
 Esdraelon. Plain of, . . 240, 260 
 Eshcol, Vineyards of, . . . 104 
 Etam, Site*of, 107 
 
 Farmers at Dan, 340 
 
 Miseries of, 242 
 
 Farui-houses secluded, . . 28, 94 
 Fevers at Tabighah, .... 315 
 Fish abundant in Galilee, 308, 320 
 Fishermen at Tiberias, . 294, 309 
 Fishermen's tents and traps, . 309 
 Flowers at Nazareth, . . . 266 
 among Judean hills, . . 91 
 
 Food of the peoj)le 329 
 
 Fountain at Banias, .... 342 
 
 at Dan, 239 
 
 at Nazareth, 257 
 
 at Shiloh 209 
 
 of Elisha, .... 181, 192 
 of the Virgin, at Jerusa- 
 lem, 70 
 
 Sealed 86 
 
 Frank Mountain, 114 
 
 Gate of the glen, 41 
 
 Gazelle, 194 
 
 Gennesaret, Plain of, ... 298 
 Gerizini, View from, . . . 213 
 
 German colony, 20 
 
 Gethsemane, Garden of, . 58, 135 
 
 PAOE 
 
 Ghlwarineh. Tribe of, ... 177 
 
 Gibeah of Saul 153 
 
 Gibeon, 147 
 
 Gideon's army, 245 
 
 (Jilboa, Mountains of, . 244, 260 
 
 Gilead 186 
 
 Gilgal, Eriha, 177 
 
 Girl surprised at the khan, . 49 
 
 Girls, Hard lot of, .... 225 
 
 Golden (Jatc, Jei iisalem, . . 69 
 
 (Jrain field trampled on, . . 92 
 
 Grasshoi.jiers, 280 
 
 Haifa, Port of, 259 
 
 Hand-mills, 335 
 
 Hanina, Valley of, .... 61 
 
 Haram esh Sherif, .... 61 
 
 Hasbany River, 336 
 
 Hazor, Site of, 336 
 
 Hebron, City of, 96 
 
 Hosjiice of, 101 
 
 Mosque of, 98 
 
 Hermits at Mt. Quarantania, . 189 
 
 Hcrmon, Mount, 347 
 
 Herod Antipas, 287 
 
 the Great, buildings, etc., 344 
 
 Herodium at Frank Mountain, 114 
 
 Hezekiah, Pool of, .... 121 
 
 Hill-top at Nazareth, ... 259 
 
 Hinnom, Valley of, . . . 79, 130 
 
 Hoffman, Rev. C, Colony of, . 20 
 
 Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, 122 
 
 Ceremonies at, . . . . 127 
 Horses at Jaffa, .... 20, 22 
 
 Houses at Nazareth, .... 262 
 
 Huleh, Lake of, . . . 228, 334 
 
 Hulhul, 94 
 
 Hymns about Jordan, . . . 177 
 
 Inscriptions at Banias, . . . 343 
 Irrigation from the Hasbany, 336 
 
 Jabbok, 194 
 
 Jackals, 182, 201 
 
 Jacob's ladder, 198 
 
 well, note, . . . 210-218 
 Jaffa described, ... 13, 17, 18 
 Jehoshaphat, Vallej- of, . . 131 
 Jenin, Village of, . . . . . 234 
 Jeremiah's grotto, .... 158 
 Jericho, Site of, . . . 185, 190 
 Jeroboam's calf worshi]i, . . 338 
 Jerome's grotto at Bethlehem, 111 
 Jerusalem, Arrival at, . . . 53
 
 INDEX. 
 
 351 
 
 , PAQE 
 
 Jerusalem, Population of, . . 54 
 
 Streets of, 57 
 
 Jesus at Nazareth, .... 268 
 
 never at Tiberias, ... 289 
 
 Jezebel and Ahab, .... 247 
 
 Jezreel, 242 
 
 Jordan described, . . 172, 176 
 
 Length of, 29;i 
 
 plain, 194 
 
 Source of, 337 
 
 Joseph's tomb, 211 
 
 Josephus describes Banias, . 344 
 
 Gennesaret, 299 
 
 Jericho, 190 
 
 Samaria, 230 
 
 Tiberias, 288 
 
 Joshua at Ai, .... 192, 197 
 reading the law at Slie- 
 
 chem, 212 
 
 52, 85 
 144 
 232 
 
 Judea, Hill cnuntrv of. 
 Judges, Tomb of the. 
 Judith and Holofernes, 
 
 Kades in Galilee, . . . 
 Keble's lines on Jordan, 
 Kelt, Brook of, Chcrith, 166 
 Kerak, outlet of Galilee, 
 Khan described, . . 
 Minieh, . . . 
 of Good Samaritan 
 Yflsef. .... 
 Khurbet en Nusara, . 
 Kirjath-jearim, 
 Kishon River, ... 
 Kfllonieh described, . 
 Kustul, 
 
 of. 
 
 Lake of Galilee, . . 
 
 Last view of, . 
 
 Names of, . . 
 
 Sacred associations 
 
 View of, . . . 
 Lapping water, . . 
 Law, Place of reading, 
 Lazarus, Tomb of. 
 Lepers and dwellings, 
 LoBd's Su])per, Place of, 
 Lydda viewed from Ramleh, 
 
 Maccabees, Home of, 
 Macgregor attacked, 
 Magdala, .... 
 Maimonides, Tomb of. 
 Mar Elias, Monastery, 
 
 329 
 
 293 
 
 190 
 
 292 
 
 48 
 
 302 
 
 164 
 
 322 
 
 105 
 
 45, 47 
 
 240 
 
 51 
 
 50 
 
 130 
 
 304 
 322 
 286 
 317 
 285 
 226 
 212 
 137 
 143 
 120 
 34 
 
 42 
 340 
 297 
 293 
 
 80 
 
 Mary's kitchen at Nazareth, 
 Merom, Waters of, . . . 
 Mill in ojieration, .... 
 Miracle of loaves and fishes, 
 Mishna comiiosed at Tiberias 
 Moab, Hills of, .... 
 Mohammedan superstitions, 
 Monteliore's garden, . . 
 Moriah, Sights on, . . . 
 Mosque el Aksa, .... 
 Mound at Dan, .... 
 Mount of Beatitudes, . . 
 Mudauwarah, Fountain of. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 256 
 
 327 
 
 327 
 
 296 
 
 283 
 
 194 
 
 167 
 
 20 
 
 64 
 
 66 
 
 337 
 
 277 
 
 300 
 
 Nablfls, Village of, 214,221,226 
 
 Nain, Village of, 250 
 
 Nativity, Church of, Bethle- 
 hem, 109 
 
 Nazareth, 255, 268 
 
 Reflections on leaving, . 267 
 
 Neby Samwil, 145 
 
 Needle's eye in gate, . . . 160 
 Nob, 154 
 
 Oak at Dan, 337 
 
 Oak of Abraham 101 
 
 Oleanders 296, 301 
 
 Olives, Mount of, . . 61, 134, 139 
 Omar, Mosque of, ... 63, 65 
 Orange orchards at Jaffa, . . 24 
 
 Pan, the S3'rian Baal, . . . 344 
 
 Papyrus, 328, 3.34 
 
 Partridges, 201 
 
 Passover attended, .... 140 
 Peter's vision at Jaffa, ... 16 
 
 Phiala, Lake of, 346 
 
 Philistia, Coast of, ... . 9 
 Ploughing of Elisha, ... 325 
 Ploughs and ploughing, . . 93 
 Precipitation, Mount of, 252, 257 
 Procession in David's Street, . 161 
 
 Quarantania, Mount of Tempt- 
 ation, 177, 189 
 
 Rabbis at "Tiberias, , 
 Rachel's Tomb, note, 
 Ramet el Khulil, . 
 Ramleh, History of, . 
 
 Tower of, . . 
 Reed flute, ... 
 
 shaken by the wind, 
 Rephaim, Plain of, . . 
 
 283, 293 
 81 
 96 
 39 
 33 
 327 
 175 
 79
 
 352 
 
 iNi)t:x. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Roa.l, Old Roman 193 
 
 Roads hifkin^j in Palestine, . 80 
 
 Rob Hoy on tin- Jordan, . . 340 
 
 Robbers' caverns 298 
 
 Hock, Sacred, on Mount Mo- 
 
 riah, 04 
 
 Roses of Sharon 28 
 
 Ronnd fountain at (Jennesaret, 300 
 
 Ruin at Sliiloh, 206 
 
 Safed, city on hill, . . 279, 322 
 Samaria, Hill of, . . . 227, 231 
 Samaritan, The Good, . . . 104 
 Saniiiritims' synaf^ogue, 213, 222 
 
 Sinflr, Bethuiia, 232 
 
 Scopus, \\\, 154 
 
 Sharon, Plain of, 28 
 
 Hose of, 34 
 
 Sliecliem, Ancient, .... 223 
 Sheikhs as guides, .... 164 
 Shepherds and .shee]i, ... 90 
 Shepherds' fields, Bethlehem, 113 
 
 Shiloh, 204, 209 
 
 Shuneui, 248 
 
 Siloani, 131 
 
 Village of, 130 
 
 Simon the tanner's house, . . 14 
 Singing of girls at 'Ain Duk, 192 
 
 Sinjil, 203 
 
 Sirocco, in plain of Huleh, . 330 
 Sodom and Gomorrah, . . . 188 
 Solomon's pools, .... 86, 107 
 
 porch, 68 
 
 stables, 66 
 
 quarries, 158 
 
 Songs of native girls, . . . 191 
 Sower, Parable of, .... 315 
 Stone at the Sepulchre, . . . 156 
 Stones, Foundation of temple, 67 
 St. Stejjhen's gate, View from, 58 
 
 Sycamore tree at .Jericho, 
 
 305, 
 250, 
 
 207, 
 
 280, 
 
 Tabighah, I'.ethsaiila, 
 Tiibor, Mount, . . . 
 Tell Huui, Capernaum, 
 Temple at Ranias, 
 
 at .Jerusalem, 
 Terebinth tree. 
 Thief, penitent. Home o 
 Threshing-floor, . . 
 Tiberias, City of, . . 
 Titus at Banias, . 
 
 at Kerak, ... 
 Tomb of David, . . 
 
 of Moses, . 
 
 of the .Judges, 
 
 of the Kings, 
 Tower of David, Jerusalem, . 
 
 Towers of Banias 
 
 Traditions of Mohammedans, 
 Transfiguration, I'lace of, 273, 
 
 PAor. 
 190 
 
 , 316 
 271 
 310 
 344 
 72 
 209 
 42 
 92 
 294 
 345 
 292 
 120 
 166 
 144 
 154 
 119 
 345 
 323 
 347 
 
 Via Dolorosa, 74 
 
 Vineyards at Hebron, . 102,104 
 
 Volcanic traces at Galilee, 290, 321 
 
 Wailing place of the Jews, . 74 
 
 War over a dog, 342 
 
 Warm springs, Tiberias, . . 290 
 
 Weeding wheat, . . . 210, 248 
 
 Weeping over Jerusalem, 136, 163 
 
 Well of David, Bethlehem, . 114 
 
 Wilderness of Judea, . . . 186 
 
 Women grinding at mill, . . 335 
 
 of Sychar, 210 
 
 Poverty of, . 210, 214, 225 
 
 wailing at the grave, . . 83 
 
 Zaeharias, Tomb of, . . . . 132 
 
 Zion, Hill of, 119
 
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